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breeze1220

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  1. Hi there, That's an excellent point, and one I will definitely keep in mind. I don't plan to stay in either state after I finish the program, so I'm not sure if that will affect me as strongly, but you are undoubtedly correct about considering which school might offer the best established local network. Good luck at Duke!
  2. I'm looking at getting a professional Masters (environmental program) at either Duke or the University of Michigan. Both grad programs seem to be equally ranked and give similar funding. The differences: The University of Michigan's department seems to be a lot stronger in the social sciences (which I am interested in), and my mentor (this word doesn't have the same connotations as a PhD mentor, but is important nonetheless)) has done case studies in this field for many years and has been described as absolutely amazing by every student there I've met. However, he's going to be on sabbatical during one of my semesters there, and some of the classes he usually teaches (that I would like to take) will be postponed. The students I've spoken to seem pretty content with the program, and the professors seem laid back and friendly. I like the building the program is in, but I literally cannot stand the rest of the campus. Duke seems to have a lot more class options and flexibility than U of M, seems to be priming its students for key leadership and decision-making career positions, and also offers a joint degree at UNC and a marine science program I might be interested in pursing or at least experiencing that U of M doesn't have. It does, however, seem to have more of an emphasis on quantitative and hard sciences than social (and I am not quantitatively-minded) and seems to be a little disorganized. I also haven't made a mentor connection there like I already have at U of M, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't be able to once I went there. More current students during Visitation Day seemed to have more complaints about the program, but this could just be the type of students I happened to speak with. I really loved the campus and the distinct lack of undergrads (as compared to U of M's massive student base), as well as the surrounding area and the cheaper living options I would have. Housing prices and leasing in Ann Arbor are nightmarish in comparison! I've lived near the Ann Arbor area my entire life, have already gone to school in Michigan and have a lot of connections there, and am one of the few people who don't enjoy Ann Arbor or U of M's campus - or the weather - at all. I would REALLY love to challenge myself in a new location that I enjoy and know that Duke could also provide a great program - BUT it wouldn't be as easily laid out a path and with as clear of a mentorship (at least initially) as the program at U of M. Thoughts? Opinions? HELP ME DECIDE!!
  3. Actually, Shakespearebro, I was a bit curious as to why you've accumulated so many masters. Did you just go where your interests led you, or did you find you needed several for marketability?
  4. Shakespearebro, thank you so much for your response. Your background in philosophy was probably perfect to help you make sense of all my above musings! This is my first go at graduate school, so the feedback on what in actuality will be most important vs. what I imagine would be most important was extremely helpful - especially from someone who's gotten a few masters degrees. I guess the only reason I listed the nearby public university is because I could potentially get a joint degree there in another field I'm interested in (if I decide I want my time at graduate school to get REALLY crazy). It's kind of a relief to hear that two factors I was really concerned about and I think have been holding me back from openly leaning toward option B - good mentor and preconceived specialization area - aren't as much of an issue in the long run. Thank you!!!
  5. Hello everyone, I'm having an incredibly difficult time choosing between two professional Masters programs, which essentially means the degree is taught and terminal. The main issue that's clouding my judgement is that I'm not entirely sure in which area I'd like to specialize within the broad field that is this graduate program. Case A: - Very large but very highly regarded public research university with in-state tuition. - Masters program has a particular strength in my potential area of interest, and the professors I've spoken to seem approachable. - Seems to have a lot of opportunities for students to get involved with "Centers" of research and work associated with the program - My graduate advisor here is also in my perceived area of interest and recently won a "Mentor of the Year" award, but because this is a professional masters, the advisor-student relationship doesn't necessarily need to be as strong as it would for a PhD ship, for example, so I'm not sure how important this is. BUT -The program has a LOT of required courses, so there's less flexibility to take other classes within my interest. - I literally cannot stand the city/area that it's in. - I've lived in this state my entire life, so a part of me is yearning to branch out and explore a completely new area. Case B: - Smaller but very highly regarded private university out of state whose name has something of a "wow" factor, deserved or not. A part of me has always dreamed of going to this school. - I love the campus. I love the area. - The degree is incredibly flexible and doesn't have many prerequisites, and I'd also be able to take even more classes at highly-regarded public university nearby. BUT - The specialization I THINK I may be interested in is an admitted weakness of the program. - Despite this, seems to have a lot of opportunities available in a variety of other focal areas I may decide I'm more interested in, but not necessarily a whole lot of faculty are available to support these areas, either - in other words, I'd have to work much harder than at [Case A] to seek out and make opportunities, but I've been assured that it can be and commonly is done. - Some of the professors I spoke to didn't seem as approachable, and involvement in "Research Centers" don't appear to be as inclusive to students / as strongly developed as [Case A.] My funding for both is pretty similar, so money is thankfully not an issue here. Both programs are approximately equally ranked, share the same size and claim to have a massive alumni network to support employment and internship opportunities post-graduation. What seems most important to my deliberations have been "Where do I want to live" vs. "Program fit," which I'm not entirely sure should be weighed equally, but in my mind currently are. At the same time, I don't want to choose [Case A] because it seems to have a strength in what I think I'm interested in, only to find out that what I thought I'd wanted to study isn't, in fact, what I'm really interested in and regret that I didn't try to strike it out on my own at [Case B]. Any thoughts? Any advice on what factors may be more important than others? I would appreciate any advice you can give - seeing this from several points of view would be very helpful! Thanks and cheers!
  6. I am facing the EXACT same decision. While I feel that any advice I can give would not help in the least, know that I feel your pain and I wish you the best with your decision!
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