Hi there! I'm new to this website and I had a question to you all, that I couldn't solve by searching all the forums or thinking by myself... I want some advice from the people who are actually going through all this.
So my current situation is this: I'm a grad student in Korea, studying Sociology(1st semester). I'm interested in migration studies, and I know that one of the best places I can study this topic well is the US. I had applied for a bunch of master's programs and phD programs in the US last year, and got accepted from all the master's programs that I applied and gor rejected from all the phD programs(no wonder why haha).
Among the master's programs that I got in, I cannot decide which would be the best for my career, when considering that my final goal is to get a phD.
The first program is MAPSS, and for anyone who doesn't know about this program, it's a 1-year-master's degree program in University of Chicago for interdisciplinary studies for social science students. I know this university is a very well-known, prestigious school, and I'm kinda thrilled to be having this opportunity. However, it's a one-year program. I don't have much experience in my area so far so it feels like in order to get in a phD program in the future, I would need to have a very relevant, preferably long-term experience in my area, which is migration studies.
Regarding that, the second program might be a better fit for me, which is a 2-year Migration Studies master's program in University of San Francisco. It's no University of Chicago, and I know this university isn't a very well-known school. But according to the school website and my own search, this school has a good connection with lots of local communities, and even undergraduate students join their professors' research often. It seems like I would be able to have good real experience in my field if I go to this school.
I guess my question can come down to this: when it comes to applying for phD programs, does it help more to have been in a top 10 university or have had a lot of experience in the field?
Thank you so much!!