frisbeeindustry

Just to add another anecdote to hopefully make you feel better about all of this - I'm going to be 34 this summer and will be starting a PhD at a top 5 program in biophysics. I interviewed at 4 top 10 programs and was accepted to all of them. My age was only really brought up at one of them, they seemed to view it as an asset (I got in) but it was the only school where I felt like I wouldn't fit in due to my age/background. I was also worried about being too old going in but in retrospect the schools don't seem to care at all and it was more of a matter of finding the right environment where I was sure I could find community. You'll probably find that some top tier programs tend to recruit more traditional students (I was easily 10 years older than the rest of the recruitment weekend students at that one school), whereas some actually make an effort to diversify their cohorts. This factor was important to me but may be less so for you, in any case I wouldn't worry about your age holding you back. Good luck!

Hello everyone, I really loved both of these schools when I visited and it feels impossible to decide between them. I'm laying out some logistical things here and would welcome any insights that might help me decide. UCSF Pros: - Four faculty that are close research fits and many more doing research that I am less experienced with but find fascinating - Great grad students and culture - everyone seems happy and taken care of - Excellent facilities - Seems like a truly collaborative environment Cons: - I'm moving with a partner and a big dog so living in SF is probably not feasible, I would most likely have to commute from Oakland or Berkeley - No undergrads (could also be a pro) Berkeley Pros: - One faculty that is a leader in my research field, another that is a good match for my current interests, many more that are interesting (similar to UCSF in this regard) - The "good match" is someone that I have met on several occasions and I really like, I am confident that I could join their lab if I wanted to and would be happy there - Much better subsidized housing situation - Easy commute by bike even if we don't move into grad housing Cons: - The campus is HUGE and PI that I have met with before is in a building that might make it hard to work collaboratively, maybe this isn't an issue but I'm not sure how much people see each other across campus - The program is spread over so many departments it seems like the cohorts might not be very tight-knit - A lot of undergrads and tourists everywhere - Some of the other labs I'm interested in are much larger than I've ever worked in before, not sure if it's an issue for me There are also many strengths that these two schools share such as career development services, opportunities for mentorship and science outreach, and the fact that I left both visits feeling very excited about the research opportunities and environment. Their stipends are similar - UCSF is a little higher but Berkeley has the housing and subsidized transportation perks that probably outweigh the difference. Thanks for reading this and for any insights you can offer!