floridabio

@aricyo I'm not sure how you plan to write papers on an 11" Air. You're extremely limited on screen real estate, so you would likely be unable to have a data file or even a safari page open while you're writing on Word. Depending on your discipline, having only a Word doc on your screen may be okay, but I would find that a real problem.

Honestly, I think you need to give more information about your situation - unless you are solely looking for information regarding which school has a better CS program.

Arizona is still top 50 in EE. I say follow the money.

Something to consider also: don't go where the faculty are successful at the expense of strung out, stressed out graduate students. UCSF is prestigious primarily based on successful faculty. While the graduate student may still be successful in a program like that, such an environment is not necessary for success. Try to find a place where everyone is happy and the graduate students are still successful. There is a balance, and it sounds to me like UCSD might be the place, much like UTSW for mrmolecularbiology, and UGA for me (only I didn't have the opportunity to turn down UCSF!) (I said success too many times just now)

It's a masters, so I'm assuming it's only ~2 years? I'd say for that short of a time, weather and location should not be significant variables. I would choose the program that will be the best for you professionally. Weather and location should really only come into play when we're talking 5-6 years for a PhD and all else between programs is relatively equal. However, this is only an opinion.

Lenovo does not give you near the same computer. Raw specs are not the whole story. Apple build quality, sleekness, aesthetics, product service (Genius Bar), operating system efficiency etc. are just some of the benefits of Apple. If those things don't matter to you, then a $300-400 cheaper pc should do just fine.

Hey! I'm going to UGA this fall for their Genetics PhD program. Good to see a thread was started! What were some good apartment complexes you found?

CALTECH no question

I should follow up by saying that while NC State isn't necessarily a prestigious university, it's still a large, R1 state university. With respect to my stats, I would have no reservations in attending that school.

You should look up placement info on the program's alumni. If they are at good postdoc positions, then that's an indication the school has the tools and resources needed for success of its students. In general though, I think postdoc placement is more dictated by the quality of your research/publications, which is highly influenced by the excellence of your PI and not of the school's prestige. An anecdote: I know of a student who obtained her PhD from the hardly-prestigious University of Western Ontario. She did a post-doc at the University of Florida and just recently interviewed for an assistant professorship position as UC Berkeley (she hasn't heard back yet).

I would have talked to the dean a long time ago.

I'm curious of how much you all think should be allocated from a monthly budget to pay for food. This does not include money going out for food and drinks, but solely concerns buying groceries for breakfast/lunch/dinner for the majority of the week for 1 person. I currently live with my parents and am not integrally involved in the grocery-buying process. Can anyone comment from personal experience?

Here, I did a little navigation for you: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/grants_process.htm

If you can't navigate the website, you have no business applying for a fellowship.

No one cares about sports? ^ Such a broad and arrogant statement. While they obviously won't benefit you professionally, sports can very well enhance a your experience in grad school. Leave that to NeuroTU to decide. My advice would be to choose school B. Yes, school A may be a safer option as you are more familiar with your POI, department, and campus/city in general. But since you have stuck with the same school for bachelors and masters, I think you would benefit from diversifying your academic experience. Meet new people, live in a new city, learn new areas to research. I think it's a no-brainer. And the fact that it's higher ranked doesn't hurt.

http://grants.nih.gov

Hey all, I will be attending UGA for a Genetics Ph.D. this coming fall of '13 and will be looking for a roommate. I imagine having more luck meeting a solid roommate on this forum rather than Craigslist. Relevant facts: I'm a 21 y/o male and have a cat. Pets are cool with me as long as they all get along. My ideal location is a town home or apartment north or northeast of campus, as that is the area with least undergrad population (or so I've heard - west campus is the main undergrad spot). So, if anyone is interested in finding a roommate, send me a DM or email me at jacobbradleyburnett@gmail.com (subject: Grad Cafe - roommate). Best, Jacob

Houston's price of living is cheaper than LA's, and Baylor's offer is $3k/yr more and guaranteed. If all else is equal, this would be a big factor for me. Although, I would rather have a true university environment, like UCLA where there are sports teams, others studying other disciplines besides medicine, etc., but professionally speaking, Baylor looks like a better choice.

Contrary to bamafan, I would recommend doing both. Extracurricular research experience is non-negotiable - you will not be a competitive grad school applicant without it. As for the techniques courses you mentioned, I would recommend taking these if possible. The techniques course I took allowed me to learn several techs. I didn't have the opportunity to use in my research lab (these techs. can also be added to a CV).

I was in the same position as you and thought about withdrawing my application from the schools that have yet to contact me. I later decided this is unnecessary and will just simply turn down an interview/acceptance offer from such programs if they end up contacting me. Congratulations on your acceptance!

Just committed to UGA Genetics. Thanks Bassish101 for the advice prior.

Hi all. I've been accepted to two programs as of now, and I would like your help in my decision process. Here are the programs: Option 1) University of Georgia - Ph.D. in Genetics Pros: Large state school with lots of resources, class options, and collaboration opportunities. Several faculty (~4-5) with my research interests (developmental genetics). Athens, GA is an awesome town and very inexpensive to live. Funding ($24k) is guaranteed for 5 years, no teaching requirements in first year. Current grad students (and faculty) seemed enthusiastic and we got along very well. Close to home (North Florida). Cons: None I can think of? Perhaps the size of the university, but I see the downsides of this as being negligible. Option 2) Northeastern University - Ph.D. in Biology Pros: POI here is doing exactly what I envision for my direction of future research (regenerative biology, i.e., genetics of limb regeneration is Salamanders). Boston is an ideal city for collaborations between universities. Younger POI with start-up funds. Enthusiastic about me potentially joining. Cons: Smaller university with potentially less resources- class options seemed to be fewer than UGA. Only one faculty (mentioned above) that I am interested in, so, if that doesn't work out..... Funding not guaranteed for summer (therefore stipend could range from $20-25k, which is not great for Boston's price of living). Current grad students not as enthusiastic about the program and their work. I think the choice is fairly clear, but I want outside opinions on this as well. A third option may arise (Thomas Jefferson University, Ph.D. in Cell and Developmental Biology with focus in Regenerative Medicine), but I have yet to hear back post-interview, so we can cross that bridge later. Any comments would be very appreciated.