NTPeter

I have been accepted to both UT Austin and U of Minnesota, Twin Cities Chemistry program. They both give me TA/RA (5 yrs) and Departmental Fellowship for my first year. It's difficult for me to decide between these two. Weather: I grew up in Florida and went to Dallas for my undergrad. I am used to warm and hot temperature in Texas (although I hate it). In Austin I'll have 3-4 months above 90. In Minnesota, I'll have 6-7 months of snow. I've never been to any snowstorm so I may not be prepared for it. Austin is higher in ranking for Chemistry, 12 to 21 for Minnesota. However, the field I like is more involved in a specific field in Engineering, and for that field, Minnesota is higher than Austin. Both schools have 2-3 professors working in the field I like. I contacted professors/grad students in both schools and read their publications in the last 3 years (abstract/results for all and whole paper if I found it interesting). The more I read, the more difficult for me to decide which school to go to. However, I a little favor Minnesota because I did an internship at MN with Prof A and I want to come back to his lab. I think the only thing that stands between me and Minnesota is the cold weather.