So I recently found this forum and it's been super helpful to me for getting ready to apply in the fall. One thing I keep seeing in the advice given here is unclear to me, and that is, why go with a big-name potential advisor over a big-name school? The advice given me by my current profs is to apply far and wide but to aim high, b/c the individuals on hiring committees down the road may not know anything about your particular subfield but they will know the names Harvard, Berkeley, etc. etc. If I've been studying with the Brad Pitt (ok, that's TOO big of a name, umm Forest Whitaker) of 18th c. Prussia, how does that help me when the profs looking to hire me specialize in modern U.S. or ancient China?
ETA: and I forgot to ask (b/c my cheesy analogy sort of masques the issue): how do you know if a prof is a big deal in their subfield? should i ask my current profs if they've heard of them?
