Hello all! This is my first post on the Grad Cafe I'm here because making this grad school decision seems to be the toughest decision of my life thus far.
The biggest wrench in my situation (but by no means bad) is that I was accepted to the PhD Geology program at UC Davis, which I did not think I would AT ALL. I thought I'd be weighing master's versus master's programs at UIUC, VTech, and Indiana.
This whole time I was gearing up to go to into an M.S. program and use that as a spring board to get to a top PhD program in 2 years... However, now I am presented with the opportunity to go right into a PhD program. This may seem like a clear-cut, easy decision and everyone has been, "DUH! GO TO CALIFORNIA FOR YOUR PHD," but I truly love the people and departments at Illinois, Indiana, and VTech. I have not visited UC Davis yet (I am very soon), and also have yet to meet my actual prospective advisor at IU. From what I understand, my advisors at Davis and Indiana are lovely, as well. I also don't know if I'm truly ready to go right into a PhD program. I know that programs do not take it personally where you decide to go, but VT and UIUC, in particular, have been so good to me.
The best features of each program, in my eyes, are:
UC Davis- My prospective advisor has research interests which align exactly with what I want to do, PhD program, California.
UIUC- Fellowship recipient, LOVE the people, low cost of living.
VTech- Great relationship with museums, love the people, low cost of living.
IU- Prospective advisor is incredibly well-known/established in the field I'm going into, low cost of living
Additionally, I'm really worried about the cost of living and housing in Davis, and making a 5 year commitment which I convinced myself out of doing when I thought I would not get into a PhD program. It's amazing how one's mind can flip a scenario, which you greatly sought after, against you. Basically, I convinced myself I'd go into a master's, do well, then eventually obtain a PhD at an Ivy, University of Chicago, or another school of similar caliber. Is a PhD from UC Davis a good starting point for my career in Paleobiology?
