I'm currently deciding on PhD programs in cell biology. There's a lot of different factors making this decision difficult for me, and the Google machine's answers aren't making my head spin any less. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Some background: My undergrad is from Johns Hopkins University in molecular & cellular biology. I've really enjoyed my undergrad experience here, and Baltimore is a great place to live! Overall, JHU really launched my specific interests in research and I wouldn't be where I am (interviewing & accruing offers to PhD programs) without the fantastic people at Hopkins. This past December, I applied to a bunch of PhD programs in cell/stem cell/developmental biology all across the US. About half asked me to come interview, and I'm sitting here now with offers from JHU CMDB and University of Colorado Denver CSD.
To be brief, I had fantastic interview experiences with both of these programs. Overall, I felt like University of Colorado was the better fit in terms of what I want from a graduate program (good work/life balance, emphasis on mentorship, 3-4 POIs, professors eager to work with me, etc), but Colorado doesn't stack up to JHU in terms of prestige. I could certainly see myself at JHU's program, and there's one POI I could see myself working with, but I am feeling serious reservations about staying at JHU. I've garnered a lot of advice against attending the same school where I did my undergrad, and I agree. I'm definitely looking for a chance to step outside of my comfort zone, meet new people, and diversify my skill set. Along the same lines, it pains me a little bit inside to imagine myself sitting in on seminars in the same building and interacting with the same people for the next ~6ish years.
tl;dr Hopkins has a much better reputation than U of Colorado, but I really see myself at Colorado much more than Hopkins.
So, here's where I'm stuck. I'm looking to pursue a career in academia, and I really want to be in a program that will set me up well for post-doc. How much should I weigh prestige against other factors? Should I ignore the same-place-as-undergrad rule? Pros/cons of choosing a lower-ranked institution v.s. a higher ranked one?
