Post
by TakeruK » Mon Dec 03, 2012 7:47 pm
I'm not really sure what you are asking?
If I remember correctly, you are a Canadian student (in Quebec?) and you were originally planning to apply to some US schools. But from this post, it sounds like you are going to do a Canadian MSc program instead. And your plan is to apply to American PhD programs after your MSc?
I also did a Canadian MSc after my undergrad and I'm now in an American PhD program. Here are some thoughts:
1. It's normal to check the funding at schools before you apply -- as far as I know, most people do this, but in physics/astro/planetary sciences, all programs in Canada are fully funded, and all PhD programs are pretty much fully funded. It's also normal at programs in both Canada and the US to be doing coursework at the same time as research!
2. You don't "transfer" to a PhD program (in the US or Canada). The only "transfer" I know of is for a Canadian MSc student to transfer directly into a PhD program at the same school, with the same supervisor (i.e. similar to a direct entry PhD but you do it after 1 year of MSc -- this will prevent the need for a MSc thesis defense).
3. When I applied to PhD programs last year, I applied along with anyone else who was going directly from undergrad. The only difference is that I submit an extra transcript from my MSc program (and I explained why I was only getting a MSc from my current grad school -- normal in Canada, a bit abnormal in the US).
4. You should expect to have zero courses / credit transferred from your MSc program. If you are lucky, you might be allowed to not take some classes at the US school, but you generally have to take other courses instead (this is better than nothing). It's rare that you would be able to take a fewer number of total credits. In addition, most Canadian MSc programs require about 4-6 courses, while US PhD programs require much more -- which means that even if you can transfer some courses, it won't make a big dent in the total courses you have to take.
5. However, while you might not get anything credited "on paper", I've found that my prior grad school experience has helped me deal with the different expectations / work style of a graduate student easier. I hope that this extra experience will help me be more productive in the coming years, but we will see.
6. Actually, all of the above was assuming that you meant you wanted to finish your MSc program (assuming it's 2 years) before going to a PhD. But I suppose you could just apply to PhD programs next fall and quit your MSc after one year. I would not recommend this -- I think quitting grad school is generally a bad thing to have on your record. If you don't want to wait 2 years before starting your American PhD, then I recommend taking a year off and apply for Fall 2014. If you want to improve your chances, it's probably a good idea to try to get a research position during the year "off". Talk to profs at your school now for help / making connections. You can also use the extra time to prepare for the GREs.
7. Do you know why you are certain you want to go to a US school? I remember you mostly from a thread about Tufts, and I don't really think Tufts is necessarily that much better than many Canadian schools. I think it's only worth it to go through with all the international student stuff if you are going to get an opportunity that isn't available in Canada. I don't think Tufts will provide that (unless you also have other, better, schools in mind). If you're not aiming much higher, then there are still a lot of quality astrophysics programs in Canada -- especially McGill, Toronto, and UBC; but also McMaster and UVic, off the top of my head. Why not stay in Canada, make life simpler, and potentially get your PhD faster too? [I don't mean this as an attack against your goals of an American PhD -- instead, I mean for you to consider why exactly do you want to go to a US school]
Finally, I almost hesitate to say this, since I do not know the full details on your family situation, so I am making some assumptions in this next paragraph. I am a little troubled by your comment that your parents "didn't let [you] take the GRE on time". You are the only one responsible for your career, so it's not very effective to blame anyone else on your ability to take the GRE. I do sympathize though, my parents were also not initially thrilled to learn that I wanted to do grad school after my BSc (and especially since we grew up on the west coast and all the MSc schools I looked at were on the east coast). If it makes a difference, I am also from an Asian-Canadian family (I think you mention that somewhere), so I might understand how it is difficult to reconcile your own goals with your family's. Or, I might be way off in my assumptions! (if so, sorry!) In any case, if you want to talk about it further, feel free to send me a PM, it sounds like we might have a lot in common.
