UCSF vs. Rockefeller (for systems neuroscience)

[Janiejoneswoah]

We've already heard a lot of wonderful things about UCSF but I'm wondering how it might compare to Rockefeller. I read through the previous UCSF vs Princeton post and stole the pros and cons that I agreed with/cared about. Currently I'm leaning towards UCSF because I think its a better fit for my scientific interests, but I want to be convinced to go to Rockefeller because I think I would be happier and have a better lifestyle there. Unfortunately the cons I have with Rockefeller are really fairly major drawbacks.

UCSF

pro

• Huge choice of PIs and labs
• Excellent research in systems neuroscience -- arguably the best in the world.
• All the resources of the bay area and San Francisco
• No TA requirement

con

• Just a medical campus, no engineering or physics etc (although Berkeley connection). I'm not very computational anyway though.
• Lots of coursework
• Crazy expensive (stipend is 37K, but SF is crazy expensive). So housing and general lifestyle are gonna be rough.

 

Rockefeller

pro

• Full access to mentors at Weill Cornell
• Most faculty are extremely well-regarded scientists -- something like half of them are NAS members
• Insanely good benefits - 39k stipend, healthcare. Studio housing on the upper east side of manhattan for 640/mo which is just ridiculous.
• Very small department with heavy focus on educating and nurturing graduate students.
• Department pays all stipend/tuition costs for 5 years, which could improve relationship/availability of PI's
• No TA requirement and coursework is very light, mostly seminars with no exams
• New York!

con

• Small neuroscience faculty - only a handful really match my interest and I won't know until after I commit whether I really like them and their lab environments
• Mostly large labs, though there are a decent number of small ones. Again, I might not have much choice in terms of the intersection of my interests with who wants a graduate student that year.

[prospectivegrad1]

Both are really good schools. I would let the science guide your decision, and by the looks of it, UCSF seems to have more PIs you are interested in so I would go with UCSF.

[jougami]

I also agree that the science should guide your decision, but if you think you might be unhappy living in SF you could try emailing prospective advisors/grad students at Rockefeller and ask about their lab environments or if they are taking students.