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I took a better-funded offer at a big-name Ivy at the encouragement of my mentors... when I felt I fit in much better at a smaller school that offered a less money. I think if I'd chosen based on my gut I'd be having huge anxiety attacks about paying back my student loans, but now I'm having anxiety about fit. Either way, there are positives and negatives.

Hi, all. I have three EXCELLENT choices ahead of me. I feel really lucky, but I have NO IDEA what to choose. It's an embarrassment of riches. Help!!! SCHOOL A: Brand new program at a highly-ranked institution. The faculty is really small and there is really only one professor with whom I'd like to work. He's brilliant and very well-known, and I got along with him extremely well. However, it's really just him -- and he travels a lot and does a lot of admin work, so I worry about being able to keep his attention. I sat in on two classes and was surprised to find I was kind of underwhelmed by them (the conversations kind of wandered--there were a lot of students from other departments in the course). The funding is great and it's in a nice city. Job placement record is unknown, since the program is brand-new, but my mentors believe it will be good. SCHOOL B: Joint-degree program at a highly-ranked institution. I would be combining my current field with a related discipline that is entirely new to me, but which excites me. Most of my mentors tell me to go here, since it is the "best" school and program of the three. There is a really wide range of faculty with whom I could work: while none are an exact fit, together they present a range of expertise that would be good to draw on. However, I didn't feel quite at ease with the faculty or the students, and I find the institutional culture here to be really intimidating. (This might be illogical, but I can't avoid this feeling.) The funding is great. It's in a kind of lame city that is really close to my (much beloved) current city. (Being able to hop on a convenient, inexpensive commuter train to visit family and friends is a huge draw.) Excellent job placement. SCHOOL C: Interdisciplinary program at a small but well-known institution. The faculty is small, but I felt comfortable with everyone and could easily imagine working with any of them. I really hit it off with all of the students, who all seem extremely happy and well-adjusted, and I just got a good, warm gut feeling off of the whole place. Sat in on one truly excellent class. The program is very interdisciplinary, so I worry about losing focus. The big problem: their star faculty member (a big draw for me) may or may not be leaving next year--I won't know if he is until after April 15. The funding, while decent, is about $6K/year less than schools A and B. I like the city, and the job placement record is nearly equal to School B. As you can see, any one of these would be a total dream program on its own! Choosing between them is driving me nuts. Help!