Hey Mariguana! What a coincidence! My partner has been accepted to UA and UCR phd programs in the humanities. She's still waiting to hear back from UCSD. She is pretty much set on Riverside due to politics, weather, and proximity to LA and San Diego. Do you live in California now? We'd be coming from the East Coast. It just seems like the hot weather and illegality of mariguana in AZ makes it a pretty easy choice for us. From this point of view, it appears that the experience would be quite different. On the other hand, she had an excellent time with the professors and other graduate students at UCR during her on-campus visit. Drama can come and go in departments. As a phd student myself I have seen just how quickly things can change, especially if the department hires new faculty members during your time there. Ideally, grad students will find some solidarity and you can rely on them for departmental issues. I guess it depends on the type of drama. If there are funding issues or questions of harassment, then I'd definitely go with the wealthier or kinder department.
