pausanias1223

I am so glad you pointed this out! It seems like it is easy to get caught up in school names and programs that we forget what really matters is the fit with your advisor and the research you do while you're there. Also thanks to everyone else for their contributions! It's very helpful to get outside opinions on this issue, as the people I've been talking to are of course primarily affiliated with the program that I would be attending, thus their motivations and answers may be biased.

I've heard this as well, which bodes well for me because I will definitely want to get away from here for a post-doc if I stay for grad school. Its good to know it applies more to that situation than undergrad-> grad.

Wow, thanks for posting this site. It's nice to get a different perspective on the "incest" issue. I also like the realistic view in axiom #4, "Graduate schools offer students freedom to study what their professors like."

Thanks very much for your detailed response, it was helpful. I see your point above, but I've also been told that many grad programs don't even consider their own undergrads as applicants because they want "fresh talent", while other schools are much more critical of applicants who attended that school for undergrad as well. Do you think it just depends on the program, or does the view you present above the prevalent view in most institutions?

What do you all think about going to grad school at the same institution where you attened undergrad? I was accepted to my undergrad institution to work with a different mentor than those who advised me as an undergrad (although in the same psychology department), with full tuition funding and a hearty stipend. My concern is whether "academic incest" is a factor that may hurt my ability to get a post-doc or even a tenure position down the road at any school. If I don't accept this admission offer I'll have to find a job once I graduate and re-apply to grad programs in a year or two. What would you do?