Junebug_125

Excellent advice here on crate-training, obedience classes, and the time commitment involved with having dogs while in school. Definitely check out the AKC CGC classes- training is the best bonding and mental exercise opportunity plus these classes are specifically geared towards teaching everyday "life skills." Maybe even try competing in obedience/agility if you really enjoy it! For anybody looking for a specific breed of dog, consult responsible breeders and breed specific rescues listed on the official national breed club website. They will list breeders (and rescue groups) that adhere to their code of ethics and perform appropriate health testing. One other thought on dogs, rentals, and living close to campus: definitely be prepared for breed or weight specific policies in apartment complexes. I managed to live on my own within half a mile of campus throughout undergrad with two Dobermans, but only by renting privately owned properties (with a higher price tag). Worth every penny of course, but I was not prepared for how difficult it would be to find a willing landlord.

Summary: Applied and accepted to both of my top choice Chemistry Ph.D. programs (!!). Accepted to school A in January- love the environment and faculty, also my undergrad institution (though my research was in a different department). Accepted to school B two weeks ago- googly eyed over a particular advisor and project but not crazy about the school in general. Same city. I'm not one for last minute decisions, but I'm having a very hard time with this one. School A: 3 top advisor picks- all their research is a fairly significant departure from my background in natural products, but interesting and all seem like a good personal fit (supportive, experienced, established with stable funding) first semester- 2-3 rotations top 35 program excellent resources and professional development opportunities smaller, intimate, passionate community fully funded- 26K stipend safe and familiar campus- able to live closer/more affordably (suburban) fewer TA hours (1 year only) and more classes required fewer course options School B: 1 top advisor pick- marine natural products, also a good personal fit. (basically my main reason for applying to this program) first semester- 1-2 rotations top 25 program excellent resources but so-so professional development (heavy focus on industry only) larger department and grad community- not sure about how I'll fit in, seems more competitive fully funded- 25K stipend + 5.5K four year fellowship will have to commute, more expensive/harder to find housing, not as safe of a campus overall (downtown) more TA hours (1 year only) and fewer classes required more courses offered So it pretty much boils down to a familiar place with new projects and multiple advisor options vs a new place and one advisor with a more familiar project. Any tips? How would you decide?