MichiganAbe

Hey guys, Just went through orientation. There were 23 offers for 290 applicants this year (2016 admits) so roughly an 8% acceptance rate. This was down from least year. Program: Materials Science and Engineering PhD Hope this helps.

I was in the same boat as you. I got a fully funded Materials Science PhD offer from Washington State and an unfunded Applied Masters from UW in Seattle. Depending on your finances, I would go to the program that you would be happiest at. Especially since you and I are both in the sciences, the opportunity for good paying employment should off-set the cost of graduate school. Of course, I worked for four years before going to grad school so I already have some savings, but will have to take out about a $30K loan at least for the first year. I decided Seattle was a better choice for me due to the available research (and also prestige- this does matter for those interested in academia after obtaining a degree). I'm confident that I'll be able to find a decent job afterwards and pay down the debt quickly. It depends on where you feel you are financially. I'm a big proponent of working after getting a Bachelor's (especially for engineers). But if you're not considering going into the work force, then I'd actually take the funded offer so that you can stash away some savings.

It's almost like I was playing Devil's advocate here about why I shouldn't go to Seattle. Thanks again for everyone who posted.

He does and he specifically told me to pretend that I wasn't in his future plans and decide for myself. ... and I guess it's also worth mentioning that the Master's program is only 36 credits which ends in a STEM internship (do-able in a year on the quarter system). I've been working as an engineer for 4 years and have a mutual fund which will continue to accrue interest in the course of the next year. My plan is to liquidate that at the end of a year to shave off a considerable chunk off the debt, re-apply to their PhD program at UW after having a solid connection with professors, and apply to an internship during their summer quarter. In terms of future investments, I already have $50K in a 401K which I'll pretend does not exist and leave be to continue to grow. I'm not completely without funds, just without fund-ING.

I'm interested in organic photovoltaics. Professor Alex Jen is one of the world's leaders in this field. Even if I break up with my boyfriend, I know that I'd be a lot happier in Seattle than Pullman. In terms of debt, yes, I'll accrue quite a bit. But I decided to take that plunge for myself.

Thanks for the suggestions. However, after researching LinkedIn profiles and the networking between the two schools, I've decided to take the plunge and go to the University of Washington. From a professional networking perspective, Seattle far outranks Pullman.

Hi everyone. I recently got accepted into Washington State University, which is a VERY small town: Pullman, WA. I got into their Materials Science PhD program with full tuition waiver and a $2100 monthly stipend on top of that. I want to get a PhD because I'm passionate about research and liked the program when I visited their recruitment session. I also got word that I've been accepted into the Applied Masters Program in Materials Science at the University of Washington, which has no funding and I'd be paying out of state tuition. The catch is that my boyfriend, who's in web development/software engineering, would have difficulty finding a job in Pullman. Obviously Seattle would be much better for his sake. My logical mind says that going to Pullman is a no brainer, since the program is a good fit and I'd be getting a PhD. However, I could apply to UW PhD program after completing their Masters program, and UW was my first choice. It's also worth noting that I had a pretty unstable / abusive childhood and my current boyfriend is very emotionally supportive. Thoughts?