Phd Advisor information in offer letter

[Nishikata]

Hi all,

Anyone here knows if the name of the phd advisor is usually stated in your admission offer?
I am applying for US universities. Thinking that my selection would depend whether i will work with the professor I indicated in my SOP or specific parts of the application form.
I know Japanese universities do this, but i want to know if American universities do the same.

Thanks.

[jabennett2194]

I am applying now, so take with a grain of salt, but from what I've heard, that is nearly never the case especially when it is a prestigious school.
As such, I would not recommend you to say in your SOP, "...I'd like to work with Dr. Person....." and process to not list anyone else. This will severely decrease your chances of acceptance.

[kronotsky]

In many programs, you won't even have an adviser until well after you matriculate. Generally the advising system in the United States is flexible; I know people both at my undergrad school and at other top institutions who changed their adviser well into their second year. Of course, sometimes a specific adviser will let you know personally if they are interested in you. If you don't hear from anyone, or about anyone, after you've gotten in, but adviser availability is important to you, then you should e-mail everyone at that school who you're most interested in working with ASAP. They will almost certainly get back to you quickly, especially if you listed them on your application or mentioned them in your SoP - or, better yet, contacted them during the admissions process!

[jabennett2194]

In many programs, you won't even have an adviser until well after you matriculate. Generally the advising system in the United States is flexible; I know people both at my undergrad school and at other top institutions who changed their adviser well into their second year. Of course, sometimes a specific adviser will let you know personally if they are interested in you. If you don't hear from anyone, or about anyone, after you've gotten in, but adviser availability is important to you, then you should e-mail everyone at that school who you're most interested in working with ASAP. They will almost certainly get back to you quickly, especially if you listed them on your application or mentioned them in your SoP - or, better yet, contacted them during the admissions process!

Precisely!! I molded my list of schools I'm applying to based on the responses I got over the course of the fall semester to the literally hundreds of emails I sent to profs I'd love to have as an adviser!