Hi, All,
I would like to seek for your advice on this tough decision making.
I am majoring Electrical Engineering in Communications track. I am now facing a decision between Stanford and Northwestern:
1)Stanford: Ms/PhD, no funding yet
Definitely, Stanford is very prestigious and the dream school. However, Most likely I have to take loans to support myself for the first year. If I am not able to pass the Quals or find a prof to support me, I would graduate with a Master degree with about $70,000 in debt. Is it easy to find a job and get out of this debt in one or two years?
2)Northwestern: PhD, full funding
Does anyone know the reputation of Northwestern in Communications track? There are only one prof, one A/P, one assistant prof doing research in my area. And It's a PhD.
Currently, I am not sure whether I want to go to industry or academia after graduation. If I go to industry, does the reputation of the school matters a lot? Also, with a master from Stanford, is it easy to get a PhD from other schools like MIT?
Look forward to hearing your opinions!
Thank you very much!