[vehans]

Hi, I'm currently looking to transfer out of a junior college in southern california and I have my mind set on a research oriented undergraduate program in chemistry (more specifically organic chemistry). My goal is to enter a PH.D.  program after my undergraduate and I have 2 questions: 1) lets say I find a field of research that interests me at the undergraduate university, and I gather a lot of experience in that field. Is it true that after im done with undegrad, I could relatively more easily get into the PH.d, program under that professor?
2) UC Merced is relatively new compared to the other UC's (opened 2005). The first thing they state in there mission statement is that "UC Merced is the first new American research university in the 21st century". What would be the pros and cons of attending this university as an undergrad student interested in chemistry who intends to go to gradschool.

P.S. I hope theres nothing wrong with my post, this is my second post

Thank you

[408]

" I gather a lot of experience in that field. Is it true that after im done with undergrad, I could relatively more easily get into the PH.d, program under that professor?"
Yes.  No question.

"What would be the pros and cons of attending this university as an undergrad student interested in chemistry who intends to go to gradschool."
Con: Not many people have heard of it.  This is the first I have heard of it.  

[vehans]

" I gather a lot of experience in that field. Is it true that after im done with undergrad, I could relatively more easily get into the PH.d, program under that professor?"
Yes.  No question.

"What would be the pros and cons of attending this university as an undergrad student interested in chemistry who intends to go to gradschool."
Con: Not many people have heard of it.  This is the first I have heard of it.  

Thank you for your response. You are right, it is a new campus of the UCs' (I myself had been ignoring it) but I feel that It'll be much easier for me to get involved do to the fact that its not as populated as the other UCs.

Are you in graduate school? and if so do you have any advice for me relative to your experience of entering grad school?

Thank you

[Honclbrif]

"1) lets say I find a field of research that interests me at the undergraduate university, and I gather a lot of experience in that field. Is it true that after im done with undegrad, I could relatively more easily get into the PH.d, program under that professor?"

Depends on the admissions committee. Some people think this leads to intellectual incest and actively discourage undergrads from the same school from joining their grad program. Others may later view it as a lack of ambition on your part. Also, if you start as an undergrad, depending on how long your grad career runs for, you may be working with this guy for eight to ten years. Chances are, you will get really fed up and bored with your work by then.

The best way to get into grad school is to demonstrate that you are interesting, intelligent, can work your ass off, and (maybe the most important) can bring in money. Start doing outreach work, find someone who will let you at a bench, make posters and bring them to conferences, apply for fellowships. This stuff will go further than even the best admissions essay.

[408]

Are you in graduate school? and if so do you have any advice for me relative to your experience of entering grad school?

Thank you
[/quote]

Yes.

Publish as an undergrad and they will want you more than a hippy wants pot.

[Doc Oc]

Some people think this leads to intellectual incest and actively discourage undergrads from the same school from joining their grad program.

This is what I was always told and believed, but the my grad program took on lots of their own undergrads and none of them seemed to have much trouble finding jobs or postdocs afterwards.

One thing that I think should be said that no one has brought up is that the Merced chemistry department has already been embroiled in some legal trouble.  One of the grad students was stealing reagents and equipment from his research lab to run the meth lab in his basement.  Whether the department has been stigmatized over it or not is something I don't know, but this only happened within the past few years and it's the very first thing I think of when people talk about that school.

That being said, I'm sure you could still get a high quality education there, the UCs are great for delivering solid education.