peachynestea12345

C all the way. what matters is what you do for research, and then less so where you got your degree. the classes are in all honesty not important, presuming you know what is necessary (and can demonstrate that in an interview)

i am not sure how things are in india, but here research productivity is most important factor in landing an academic job. holding that equal, school name will set you apart. i would suggest that you take a good look at who you can work with, and what are the typical outcomes and publication rates of the students in his/her lab. ivy league/brand name schools typically have higher placement into academia than others.

great department and university. have you visited? knowing the living conditions and the pi's will be important. administration shouldn't affect your decision at all, in my opinion.

depends what you want to do. would you want to go into academia, get an engineering job, do consulting/finance/government policy, etc? If you know for sure you just want to get into an engineering job, purdue might be a good fit. Columbia will give you much more options in what you would like to do with your career in the future (yes, as bad (or not) as it is, the ivy title does help, especially in really snotty places like consulting/finance/think tank locations). and why do you think 22 is a low ranking (i do not think it is?)? That being said, the overall living, research, lab, and culture fit should be driving your decision, not rankings.

you should have a serious talk with your loved one. is a long distance relationship really 'impossible' ? If he is unwilling to put the effort into a long distance relationship, you should have a seriously think about if this person is one you would want to spend the rest of your life with. A marriage/successful relationship takes a lot of effort, and the inability to tolerate a few years of a long distance relationship should really be a harbinger of what kind of relationship you will be getting yourself into. that being said, its really hard finding someone who loves your dearly and who you love dearly in return. if that guy really is worth it that much, you should stick with him. question is- is he really that important to you, and is he really worth it (in my opinion, if he really isnt going to work with you with a long distance relationship- he is not worth it). good luck with your decision

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Reputation and prestige help in just getting an interview. At the interview stage, everyone is pretty much 'equal', and then they decide on an individual based on the merit of the individual- what do they know, what can they do, can they work with you, can you work with them is what it all boils down to. So if you think you can learn more slash get a better training/publications in one location, go for that location. Actually, I think it would be attractive for an applicant to have international experience. It can help differentiate yourself and set yourself up from a horde of applications. Good luck with your decision!

depends what you want to do with your life. holding research, publication, and academic work equal (which it probably isn't), a brand name degree makes a HUGE difference in getting interviews and positions- especially in government and consulting. That being said, after you land an interview offer, whats most important is still what you know and what you can contribute, not any degree name.

thanks so much for the kind responses. both programs are for a PhD. The graduate recruiter professor at BU BME said that it was possible for BU BME students to even work in labs at Harvard or MIT, but he said that he wasn't too sure about it and told us to actually find the students that got into those positions? but so far I couldn't find any more information about that. I spoke with two professors recently and they stated exactly two opposite different things- that the lab and research fit the most important (on the basis that it will be best for career goals preparations) vs. overall happiness was most important (on also the basis that it would be best for finding a career fit for the long run). I am surprised that I can get such conflicting opinions

I am very lucky to have options that I do, and I have narrowed it down between princeton chemical and biological engineering and boston university BME. But, I am having a very difficult time choosing which school. One school has a better lab fit but I need to take 12 classes but it is also in the middle of nowhere (princeton). The other choice has a better overall fit being in a city, while still offering good lab options, and I need to take only 2 classes (BU). HELP! Which one should I choose?