PunPrincess16

ZeChocMoose, Oh no, I didn’t mean to imply that I couldn’t interact with people different than me! I was wasn’t speaking from a colleague perspective. It’s just that I come from a culture where it is highly encouraged to find a significant other in your twenties. Since pretty much everyone in the town school B is in is affiliated with the school (it’s a small town) and many are as I said married and older, the students even stated very clearly that the pool of potential single students is very low and most people don’t really have a social circle outside of the school. This is compounded by the fact that people stay inside due to the extreme cold (I wore four extremely warm jackets during the interview and was barely warm enough so I think there is still an upper limit to bundling up XD). It feels like a really silly thing to be concerned over but as a fairly social person, I don’t want to pick a place and then feel like I can’t do non-grad student things. All in all, I’m sure now it’s obvious that school A is the right place for me, but I think it took a lot of mental work to let go of school B, cause like you said I have tended to prioritize work over personal matters. I just wanted to make this post in case anyone else was also struggling with a similar issue.

Hi everyone, So I managed to get interviews and admits from my top 2 schools (wildest case scenario for me, honestly) and now I am having trouble making a decision. My field of interest in very niche (virology/virotherapy/gene therapy essentially) and these were some of the few schools I found that had a specific program for it. School A - The research is top of the field, but not 100% what I have been interested in so far. The faculty I met treated me very very well during recruitment weekend but I would need to meet more of them and rotate before I really click with someone. I liked that they provide guaranteed funding no matter how long the Ph.D takes (though they said they make sure students don't go into 7-8 years) so that there isn't as immense pressure to hurry up and finish. I love the city, it is very vibrant and great for someone as young as me and even though I'll be across the country from my main family, I do have some relatives nearby. They also have a certificate program that requires you to do a short internship in translational work in industry during the Ph.D, which would help me narrow down industry vs academia as my final goal. Lastly, the school and its faculty are so reputable, getting my PhD here would open a lot of doors in the future. I know it's also based on your work, but I think I could be very successful here. School B- The research is 100% what I've been interested in, and is also top of the field. The stipend they offer is significantly better (both in amount and considering cost of living), but is only guaranteed for some number of years and then you have to appeal to renew it. I did really click with the faculty and already know which lab I'd likely want to pick if I rotate (from what I've seen, both his work and mentoring style seems to suit me and I know he wants a student). The downside is that the city has extremely harsh winters (reached -60F one winter) and I am quite sensitive to cold. Also, a lot of the graduate students are married and older, which means there would be very few people my age I could meet. I come from a University and City that has a lot of people so I don't know how well I can be a person at this school. Basically, should I pick a school that I am slightly less excited about the lab but would likely thrive personally for the 4-6 years, or should I go with the PIs I'm the most excited about even if it means I might be less happy in my time outside of the lab. School B gave me a deadline of no more than a week to accept so I'm feeling a little rushed. I know both are great programs but I've been making myself anxious that I will make the wrong decision and then regret it once I'm in the program I choose. Does anyone have any advice?