转载一篇文章，可能对大家选校有用

paisleyUID: 64183

发信人: zealot (大懒猪来几个offer吃吃吧), 信区: Abroad
标  题: 转载一篇文章，可能对大家选校有用
发信站: 南京大学小百合站 (Mon Dec 29 11:07:46 2003)


http://pubs.acs.org/cen/education/8047/8047education2.html

CHOOSING A GRADUATE PROGRAM
Undergrads considering advanced degrees can benefit from straightforward, prac
tical counsel
LINDA RABER, C&EN WASHINGTON

The question of continuing their education with the goal of obtaining a master
's or a Ph.D. degree is faced by most students who are completing a chemistry
program at the bachelor's level. And many take the plunge into a Ph.D. program
--easily the most rigorous educational experience of their lives. Virtually ev
eryone who is graduate school-bound wants information on how to choose a gradu
ate program in chemistry. C&EN contacted graduate admissions officers at sever
al schools, and their advice follows.


November 25, 2002
Volume 80, Number 47
CENEAR 80 47 pp. 54-58
ISSN 0009-2347




CHOOSING A GRADUATE PROGRAM
Undergrads considering advanced degrees can benefit from straightforward, prac
tical counsel
LINDA RABER, C&EN WASHINGTON

The question of continuing their education with the goal of obtaining a master
's or a Ph.D. degree is faced by most students who are completing a chemistry
program at the bachelor's level. And many take the plunge into a Ph.D. program
--easily the most rigorous educational experience of their lives. Virtually ev
eryone who is graduate school-bound wants information on how to choose a gradu
ate program in chemistry. C&EN contacted graduate admissions officers at sever
al schools, and their advice follows.

Actually, the advice given by graduate school admissions directors is pretty s
traightforward: Know yourself and what you want, make sure you really want to
put five or so years of your life into a research-intensive arena, and choose
your adviser carefully. It's a process of self-discovery that many chemists ta
ke.

According to the American Chemical Society 2001 Starting Salary Survey, almost
half (47%) of bachelor's graduates say they will continue with full-time stud
ies. Taking away the number of chemistry majors who go to medical school, a ve
ry large proportion of chemistry grads head right into a chemistry Ph.D. progr
am.

For some, the pull of graduate education is an unquenchable desire to learn mo
re about some particularly fascinating aspect of their chosen field. For other
s, it is a surefire way to enhance their career opportunities and substantiall
y increase their lifetime earning power.

And it works. According to the same survey, for all chemistry master's graduat
es, the median starting salary was $48,000. For Ph.D. graduates, the median st
arting salary was $70,000. The salary offered to bachelor's degree graduates w
as $33,600. Further, the relationship between educational attainment levels an
d salaries carries throughout a chemist's career. According to the ACS 2002 Sa
lary Survey, for those with a Ph.D., the median annual salary was $85,200; for
M.S. graduates, $68,500; and for B.S. graduates, $58,000

ACS data also suggest that, for chemists at least, the higher the degree, the
more satisfied they are. ACS, in its report on career satisfaction for chemist
s under age 40, "Early Careers of Chemists," notes that "satisfaction with edu
cation varies by degree. Chemists with doctorates are the most satisfied with
their education. Almost 40% of chemists with doctorates are very satisfied wit
h their educational experience, whereas only 22.6% of chemists with master's d
egrees and 28.3% of chemists with bachelor's degrees are very satisfied." Boil
ing a complex issue down to satisfaction and money may not be graceful, but, n
evertheless, it seems to work.

GRADUATE SCHOOLS are "looking for students who really love chemistry," says Do
minic V. McGrath of the University of Arizona, Tucson. "I don't think anyone w
ould disagree that success and happiness in the profession is strongly related
to a genuine love of the discipline. We try to provide an environment here in
which people with a love for chemistry can develop into creative, independent
scientists in their own right," he says.

So how to choose well? Here's some advice C&EN has assembled for undergraduate
s nearing that decision point.

Preparation for graduate school should start well before you get your bachelor
's degree. In addition to taking a range of courses spread over all of the man
y subdivisions in chemistry, it is helpful to take as many mathematics courses
as you can. The ACS-approved curriculum, if offered at your undergraduate sch
ool, is an excellent start.

The admissions committee at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (UIUC
), emphasizes getting involved in research as early as possible--as a sophomor
e or a junior--although it's never too late. "Beyond enhancing your applicatio
n's viability at the top schools, having research experience will help you kno
w whether this lifestyle is what you want for the next several years," UIUC ad
vises.

David E. Bergbreiter at Texas A&M University's chemistry department says, "Sum
mer research in a formal program at a different school can also be of benefit,
since success in that type of program can guarantee admission to that program
and provide students with a basis for comparison when they look at other prog
rams."

Some bachelor's degree chemists pursue a master's degree. Typically, this has
not been considered a terminal degree for chemists. At times, it has been rega
rded as a "consolation prize" for those who couldn't successfully complete the
Ph.D. program.

But that doesn't seem to be true. In 1998, the ACS Committee on Professional T
raining (CPT) conducted two brief surveys about master's programs in chemistry
and got some interesting information. In its survey, CPT found that 63% of Ph
.D. schools admit students specifically for master's degree programs. It repor
ted, "A rough estimate based on our overall data is that more than three-quart
ers of the master's degrees awarded in chemistry in the U.S. go to students wh
o entered graduate school seeking that degree."

Specialized master's degree programs have sprung up to address specific needs
of focused students. A master's degree will take one or two years to complete.
Jodi Wesemann, who heads the ACS Higher Education Department, notes that "whi
le the numbers are small, master's-specific connections to industry can be att
ractive to both students and to industry."

MOST STUDENTS pursuing graduate studies in chemistry, however, head straight f
or the Ph.D. And graduate recruiters were happy to give advice on how to apply
.

"We prefer not to think of applying to graduate school as a game that requires
much strategy," UIUC says. "Your admission decision will depend mostly upon y
our course work, undergraduate research, and letters of recommendation."

However, the committee adds, if you are on the "bubble" for admission, "a stro
ng statement of purpose can make a significant difference, so it pays to put e
ffort into the statements and gear them specifically to each school. A good ex
planation of what type of research you want to do can go a long way to convinc
ing an admissions committee of your motivation and desire to complete the Ph.D
. Think of this application statement as your last chance to express your conv
ictions and sell yourself, and to present any additional information that may
be relevant."

Bear in mind, though, that there is no substitute for accomplishment. "Those w
ith documented research experience, good grades, and good GRE scores are most
likely to be accepted by the programs of their choice," says David J. Hart of
the chemistry department at Ohio State University.

Morton Z. Hoffman, professor of chemistry at Boston University, is well known
at ACS national meetings for his seminars on graduate school. He tells C&EN th
at "there is a great demand among graduate schools for good, domestically educ
ated chemistry undergraduates. Those with chemistry grades in the 'B' range sh
ould not have difficulty being accepted by some of the schools of their choice
." Cornell University's David B. Collum cautions potential graduate students n
ot to underestimate their own worth. "It is a ferociously competitive recruiti
ng market out there," he says.

All graduate school recruiters contacted by C&EN caution against applying to o
nly one program. Bergbreiter at Texas A&M goes further: "I would advise studen
ts to look broadly at graduate schools, to look at schools outside their regio
n of the country. I would suggest applying to multiple schools." This is not a
s economically prohibitive as it might seem, since many schools will waive app
lication fees, he adds.

BUT THE QUESTIONS of where you should apply and where you should accept admiss
ion are intensely personal. And there are a lot of questions. Should you go to
a large school, a small one, a famous one, an up-and-coming one? There appear
s to be no right answer to this question. The diversity of programs is substan
tial.

"Students from small undergraduate schools should not be fearful of graduate p
rograms at large universities," Hart says. "The largest of graduate programs i
s smaller than the smallest of undergraduate schools. Classes are small and so
are student/teacher ratios," he says.

According to a 1997 CPT survey of Ph.D. programs in chemistry: "There is a tre
mendous range in the size of Ph.D. programs--from three to 338 students for th
e 155 reporting schools. The 30 largest schools enroll about half the chemistr
y Ph.D. students. There are also many smaller Ph.D. programs with about 50 ins
titutions reporting fewer than 50 students. The average size of the program is
84 students, and the average size of the graduate faculty is 22."

Because many undergraduate students haven't been around long enough to have th
e knowledge base from which to make qualitative judgments about schools, UIUC
suggests selecting a graduate school based on the science. "All other factors
are secondary," it says. UIUC encourages students "to trust reputation and ran
kings to make your shortlist" of schools to apply to.

Arizona's McGrath cautions, though: "Don't rely too much on rankings. They are
usually based on reputations--and reputations die hard. While a department ma
y have had its glory years, several faculty retirements or departures could de
vastate a thriving program. It's better to rely on the facts: Who's active and
publishing now? Who's doing research that really excites you?"

Boston's Hoffman suggests students follow these steps for finding out about gr
aduate schools:

   Speak to your professors, current and recent graduate students, and visitor
s to your institution, particularly in your areas of interest.
   Get up-to-date information; reputations take a long time to get established
or lost.
   Attend graduate school fairs at ACS national and regional meetings. Check o
ut the websites of the schools in which you are interested. Request and read t
he brochures and catalogs.
   Visit, if possible; many schools have preadmission travel funds. Don't be a
fraid to ask.
   Check the chemical literature for references to the research work of profes
sors with whom you might want to study. Be sure to look up the most recent wor
k.

While graduate school reputation plays a role in your future career, a much mo
re important factor is the reputation of--and educational environment provided
by--your research adviser," McGrath tells C&EN.

A GREAT RESOURCE for finding out about the research activity and interests of
graduate programs in chemistry is the "Directory of Graduate Research," or the
DGR (see page 48). This annual compilation of CPT is invaluable. The DGR list
s programs and faculty members individually with references to their most rece
nt publications and other pertinent information. In addition to networking and
talking to undergraduate professors, the DGR can be a gold mine for a student
seeking an adviser.

Virtually all of the graduate programs contacted by C&EN for this story had so
me good advice for potential graduate students. The most important piece of ad
vice from most of the schools had to do with choosing a graduate adviser. That
's because, they agree, the most important factor in your graduate experience
will be the person who will direct your Ph.D. thesis research.

In its report "Preparing for Graduate School in Chemistry," the ACS Department
of Career Services advises students "not to rush into this academic liaison,
but first talk with other students as well as with several professors whose wo
rk interests you and whose personality and research group seem to be compatibl
e with your goals and learning style."

"Talking with faculty about their research often highlights interesting aspect
s you don't come across in the brochure," UIUC tells students. "Talking with s
tudents will give you a sense of what your life would be like if you choose to
go there."

And it is important to be flexible and have some backups--no matter which prog
ram you choose. Graduate school is a sort of apprenticeship program, and as a
graduate student, your primary interaction is with your adviser, not the schoo
l itself. Thus, having some choice in advisers is very important.

"I generally advise students to try to find a school where there is more than
one person they are interested in working with," Bergbreiter says. "Some years
, some groups at some schools fill up and a student might have to choose someo
ne other than the person who was their nominal first choice."

And, while people count more than infrastructure, facilities also matter. "Loo
k at the condition of the laboratories, the availability of spectrometers, mac
hine shops, and libraries," UIUC advises. "This is especially important if you
r research requires state-of-the-art instrumentation, which is true more often
than not."

Collum at Cornell says that "suggestions by peers that it is important to work
for politically connected senior investigators should be viewed with great sk
epticism." He advises that "when choosing an adviser, give the assistant profe
ssors a very close look. They offer exceptional opportunities to do superb che
mistry in a nurturing environment." He adds, "The first wave of students gradu
ating from these young, vibrant groups are often truly exceptional."

Once you've started your course of study, Collum adds, "read, think, work on o
riginal ideas, and most importantly, stay focused. Graduate school is a distin
ctly exponential learning curve. This is a rare, if not unique, opportunity fo
r growth that should be taken very seriously."

FUNDING FOR graduate study is also an important consideration, though those co
ntacted by C&EN say that it shouldn't be your first criterion for choosing a g
raduate program. Students in Ph.D. programs are supported in a variety of ways
. The schools surveyed by CPT in 1997 were asked what fraction of graduate stu
dent support was in the form of teaching assistantships, and the average of th
e reporting schools was 50%. "The average percent support from faculty-generat
ed research funds was 38%; university or departmental fellowships, 7%; and gov
ernment fellowships, 4%; with other sources making up the differences. The dep
artments reported that an average of 7% of the total graduate student support
comes from industry."

Graduate schools in chemistry are ready to compete for the best students. If a
Ph.D. is in your future, you will find it an incredible growing experience th
at will set you firmly on a satisfying career.

UIUC speaks for many graduate schools when it tells C&EN that it "is looking f
or students who are technically excellent, enthusiastic about science, and anx
ious to be pioneers into novel areas of research. These students are good comm
unicators, interact with their colleagues, and yearn for new perspectives and
ideas. They understand that the pursuit of knowledge is life's highest aim. Th
ey are giddy about being paid to think, learn, and contribute to the greatest
collective achievement in modern history."

SPECIAL REPORT

INTRODUCTION - GRADUATE EDUCATION AND BEYOND

GRADUATE SCHOOL
Tips on choosing the right place for future study.

MENTORING
One professional association for minorities shares its approach.

TENURE TRACK
Writing a successful application requires attention to detail.

RUNNING A LAB
Two foundations help young faculty gain necessary skills.

paisleyUID: 64183

贴晚了，不过我也没办法：（

lyt1022UID: 141070

Thanks!

wenhhUID: 148586

去米国的人中有多少是为了真正做学问，有多少是为了一个钱字？
我现在很迷惑。

justitUID: 110444

我到是想去做学问，可惜没几个人相信。无奈！

这年头说真话总觉得和撒谎一样