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zzyzzx_library

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Everything posted by zzyzzx_library

  1. Thanks everyone! This has been incredibly helpful. In my field I suspect that institution/department is pretty important as well, and the location of Institution 1 is prime for companies and regulatory agencies that I would love to work for after graduation. I think I would be a lot happier in that area, surrounded by my actual cohort and being able to network with a greater range of professors and people working in that field. I can easily find another advisor, and although I'll likely lose that 50% in stipend funding, I think that in the long run my sanity is probably worth it.
  2. Thanks all for the thoughtful answers! I had applied to Institution 1 for a myriad of reasons including overall program strength, location, and ties with other institutions/funding sources. I didn't mention the Superstar PI in my statement of purpose because I didn't know about him (in fact, I talked about other professors that I would also be happy to work with that are staying at Institution 1. Maybe this means I'm flaky or not entirely sure of my exact research interests?). After I had gotten in and was looking around for a lab, I contacted people in the field and they pointed me towards Superstar PI, at which point I inquired about working with him. He's well-known and well-respected in this field, but there are certainly others in the department that are also doing strong and interesting work. I've visited the institution and I loved it. I didn't meet the PI because he wasn't around that day, though I did request a meeting. I met some other faculty that I could see myself working with, but are not quite on the same superstar-level, as far as I can tell, and I just don't want to miss out on an opportunity to work with the "best." If I do my Master's with him, I would likely continue my PhD with him as well since that would just be easier and I'm so tired of moving around every year or two. At the same time, I hear that grad school is about the strength of your cohort as well, and I definitely liked the cultural and intellectual vibe of the students at Institution 1. I know very little about Institution 2, and I rarely hear it mentioned. I think you're right, DigDeep, that since I applied to the institution as a whole and there are lots of wonderful faculty there, I should stay with the institution. I just fear that I may be passing on a chance to do the work I think I want to do with a superstar. But yes, either way I go, I think I'll be okay!
  3. Hi all, I'm in dire need for some advice and I would really appreciate if y'all could help me out! Here's the good news about my situation: I got into one of my top choices for graduate school (Master's degree - though I want to continue into a PhD) and it's a leader in the field that I hope to go into. A professor whose career is taking off and whose research interests really closely align with mine offered me a funded position in his lab on a project that sounds perfect for me. And now the bad news: he's leaving the institution I applied to for another one this summer and wants me to go with him in a year if I join the lab. I can take classes at Institution 1 for a year but then I have to pack up and move to Institution 2 and take online courses from Institution 1 for the rest of my Master's credits. I also happen to LOVE the area that Institution 1 is in - a major factor for why I wanted to apply in the first place - and I cringe every time I think about the location/vibe of Institution 2. Not to mention, Institution 1 has a much stronger program overall (read: higher ranked and better known) than Institution 2. I intend to continue on with a PhD degree and I think I can manage to get Institution 1 on my diploma for the Master's and PhD degrees, but I'll still miss out on the excellent faculty, students, and research environment of Institution 1 for much of the time. The PI is offering me about 50% more funding than I had received prior from Institution 1 directly, so money is a minor minor consideration in all of this. This guy seems pretty intense, but in a good way, and in a few short weeks he has already proposed a research project for me, figured out logistics for my inter-instutition situation, and put me in contact with a former and current student (both of whom enjoyed their experience and attest to his productivity). But tell me this: is it crazy to leave an institution and academic program that I am pretty psyched about to follow a professor that I have, as of now, not met in person and have not worked with yet? He is publishing loads, getting awards and recognition from federal funding sources and professional societies, AND working on a topic that I hope to work on, but is being his student and benefiting from the light of his career and connections worth it to move to random part of the country to a less-strong institution? I don't think I've ever heard of anyone considering this kind of a deal before, so I'm at a loss for what to do. Thanks for reading and any thoughts are appreciated!
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