Throw Away Acct

I wish I had more up votes for both of you. My goal is actually to work at a small LAC. I would prefer a private school (due to founding concerns), but I believe in the power of a LAC, and I want to give back to them one day. Fun fact: when I was applying to PhD programs, I looked at all the places I would love to work one day, and they were filled with people from Yale, Berkley, Chicago and Columbia on repeat (almost as if they keep hiring people from their alma mater over and over again. Also, a lot of prof's in the departments I looked at moved from R1s to LACs. Anyways, my main question for this thread was answered. I'll be retiring this account haha. Thanks everyone! I wish I had more up votes for everyone

Neither school would make me miserable. I tend to thrive wherever I am, so livability isn't the issue (it was a concern at first, but i'm over it). I think that the only reason i'm questioning this is because I feel obligated to go to a place because of the collegiality of the people I have spoken with and the extent at which they attempted to recruit me. This season, i've heard adcoms say some of the nicest stuff about my work. It just feels overwhelming that i'll have to say no to one of these programs. At this point, I know where i'm going. It just feels weird? Ya' know?

I've actually only found this information by chance, because i've followed the academic trajectory of some of my favorite scholars in order to see where they went and who the worked with. Only the top 10 school has placed multiple people in my field. Not the top 50. On the other hand, my top 30 programs have placed a few people in my area. However, when it comes down to it, won't my placement come down to my work and who I worked with?

This thread has provided me with some great advice. It's relieving to know exactly where I'll be going next fall!!!!

Should we be able to decipher much from the US News rankings? Are we saying that within the top 10, there are two tiers? Rank School name Score #1 University of California—Berkeley Berkeley, CA 4.9 #2Tie Harvard University Cambridge, MA 4.8 #2Tie Stanford University Stanford, CA 4.8 #4Tie Columbia University New York, NY 4.7 #4Tie Princeton University Princeton, NJ 4.7 #4Tie University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 4.7 #4Tie Yale University New Haven, CT 4.7 #8Tie Cornell University Ithaca, NY 4.6 #8Tie University of Chicago Chicago, IL 4.6 #10Tie Duke University Durham, NC 4.4 #10Tie University of California—Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA 4.4 #10Tie University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA 4.4

Not to further splice hairs (is that even the saying?), but are we saying that there's even a difference between a top 20, a top 10, and a top 5? I also have options in these categories. After the top 10, I just consider rankings to be mumbo jumbo. Instead of being fixated on the top 50 versus top 10, should I be thinking about school A in relation to school C, which is in the top 20? I was about to cross school C off my list just for FIT reasons. Do we have any threads on here about ranking? I've seen a lot of posts on this subject across the Literature forum, so i'm definitely not the only one fretting over the nuances of accepting a PhD program.

Being challenged isn't really an issue. I think that both would allow me to nurture my work and challenge me at the same time. Being challenged is necessary for my own intellectual growth, and I welcome it. Place A won't seriously hurt my health. It's just that, it wasn't until i was accepted that I realized how important my culture is to my daily life. I plan on visiting family frequently (5-6 times a year at least), so maybe the cultural piece won't hurt me so badly. I can also probably get my hair done in nearby cities with higher populations of people like myself. It's doable, but just a bit daunting. I had an advisor of mine gently drop this piece of information my way during a discussion we had. I know rank is important. I'm just not sure how important it is. I always told myself that if my only choices were 50 and below, then I just wouldn't get a PhD. So I understand that it's important at some level. And, yes, my love for school B is mostly sentimental in nature. I also know people who are professors at the institution, so it's very homey in that sense. It was the first school to accept me this, and I cried my eyes out when they did. I'm dirt poor, so the summer funding is a really comforting idea. My advisor also told me that the funding at school A is superb. The plus of it is that I don't have to teach for all 5 years to receive funding. I agree. I think I know which one i'm picking. Both programs are great. I'll just have to play my little, sad violin and get over my heartache for school B. It's hard to have these convos IRL, because when I have non-academia people looking at, what I call, a coca-cola brand school versus an Uncle John's Pop School (which might be amazing), they always chose the one that they recognize. So, I really enjoy coming on here to hash out my questions. Y'all are the real MVP.

I was trying to write this during my lunch break, so I just realized my question is riddled with errors. Sorry for that, everyone haha. @museum_geek, I could do very well there. I was afraid that program A would be rather cut-throat in terms of the interpersonal environment, but the students informed me that this couldn't be further from the case. That's relieved some of the emotional tie-ups I've been having. They were also extremely kind and personable, which is really, really important to me. I can't thrive in a socially cold environment (being a rather awkward, shy-at-first person), so i'm happy to know how personable and warm the program is. The Fit is there, it's just not the same as school B. They're different.

Hey all, This is a throw away account. I just want to ask a question without it being tied to my account, which is more closely linked to me. Call me paranoid if you want haha I need help in deciding between two programs. One is a top 10. The other is a top 50. I can work well at both programs. I could produce more work. Program A consistently places students, program B, not as much. I feel emotionally connected to program B because i've always wanted to go there (they are very strong in my field). Program A is not as strong in my specific area, but the areas that feed into my area are much more developed when compared to program B. A: Top 10. Great placement. Strong in my sub-fields. B: Top 50. Strong in my main field. Has no development in my sub-fields (which are very necessary for my work). Both are in the same geographical area. Place A has offered summer funding. Place B has not. Bot are financially great, except place B cuts my funding down by half in the 5th year. Program A is actually two hours closer to home (6 hours total). Program B is 8 hours away. My quality of life (cultural food, being able to speak in my language, participate in religious activism, even get my hair done) is much, much, much higher in place B. Place B is actually 3 hours away from place A, so if I ever became desperately in need of cultural food or my own people, I could drive over. Place B has really reached out to tell me they want me. Place A has been really nice, but hasn't reached out as extensively as every school i've been accepted into. But, I know that they must be enthusiastic about all their applicants since they only accept 8-12 a year. The student contacts (for both places) have been great, very realistic and amazing. Help me figure this out. What would you choose? How should I choose? i've declined the acceptances i received at other places, and I need help picking between these two. I'm trying to decide now, because place A and place B have visitation days on the same day. Place A gave everyone funding to visit. Place B only gave their top choices funding to visit. I would rather have that funding go to someone who can actually attend, but I have to pick which one to go visit (which in my mind= picking a place to go).