statsjack

Hi all, I have my biostatistics admission decisions and am wondering how you would tackle this. I got into: UPenn - PhD program - fully funded for 5 years + health insurance + ~$30k stipend + earning MS after 2 years Harvard - masters - no word on funding yet...I could potentially use my other offers to bargain? Columbia - masters - 50% scholarship Brown - masters - 25% scholarship So I think the real decision here is between Penn and Harvard. I'm set on getting a PhD, so if I choose Harvard it will only be as a stepping stone to a PhD (hopefully also from Harvard). Harvard has a lot of benefits plus the hope of getting a PhD from Harvard, but is costly as well. I will be paying a lot of money. If I don't get accepted into the PhD afterward, I'd have to repeat coursework somewhere else...in which case I will have wasted money and 2 years with no progress towards a PhD. Meanwhile, Penn is giving me the best financial offer, plus the benefit of NEVER having to go through the application process again. It has a solid program with an emphasis on applied research from the very beginning, which is a plus for me. I visited the department and left with great feelings about the current students and faculty. I felt like it would be a great fit. I'm strongly leaning towards Penn. Can anyone give me a solid reason why I shouldn't choose Penn? And yes I know that this is a PhD so the adviser is more important than the department, having faculty in my area of interest is more important than brand, etc. I've heard all this before... but what would you do. Thanks!