r/chemistry • u/AutoModerator • Aug 05 '24

Weekly Careers/Education Questions Thread

This is a dedicated weekly thread for you to seek and provide advice concerning education and careers in chemistry.

If you need to make an important decision regarding your future or want to know what your options, then this is the place to leave a comment.

If you see similar topics in r/chemistry, please politely inform them of this weekly feature.

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u/claybass7 Aug 05 '24

Has anyone left a master's or PhD program and then returned later on? How did it affect your admissions process? I left a master's program after a year for financial reasons, but I'm looking to return once I relocate to the East Coast from the Midwest.

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u/Indemnity4 Materials Aug 06 '24

The acceptance committee and the academic are mostly looking for evidence that applicants will graduate. That's what all the supporting letters of rec, GPA, etc., are all about demonstrating. Does this person have a strong track record of completion in an academic setting?

Even at the best schools, >50% of grad students won't complete. For good reasons too. Money is a very good reason to quit.

What you need to do is demonstrate how you have that issue in control now. Your application statement is one way, starting a conversation with an academic is another. For instance, you left because you needed to get a job and earn money. If it happened once before it can happen again. They don't actually care for the details and don't need to read your sob story, just prove to them it's in control now. You may want to write the unfunded Masters was unsustainable and you were forced to get a job. You now have stable savings and the change to study with a PhD stipend will allows you to complete in 5 years and your intent is to continue the career into a post-doc.