GoLinguistics

If your didn't get funding from U. of Florida, you can try to get funding from other department by serving as TA for French, Spanish or other languages. Many students in Linguistics Department do that at UF.

Thanks to fuzzylogician! That is exactly what I mean!

If you go, life would be hard! If you don't go, life would be bitter! But I totally agreed with you: Happiest is the most important things! There are a bunch of millionares and billionares, who have miserable life! If you want to success, life is always hard! But success doesn't always mean happiness!

If you are on the top one on the wait list, then you have a good chance! Generally, there would have one or two offers will be turned town in most of schools, even stanford, MIT. Actucally, you can check with Rutgers what did it look like in the previous years! Then you will have some ideas whether it is worth keeping waiting.

Please quote the whole sentence! Of course, no funding is hard for 5 years study! My point is that I won't pick a program because they pay me couples of thousands dollar more per year. I believe my feature career deserves much more than that.

Absolutely, Not happy = not good work! So when comes to pick offers, we need to think in this way: you are happier with which location, which funding, which ranking, as so on... All these are too personally and totally depend on individual. However, beside these personal emotional things, there are still have some "embedded" rules in the academic when you look at it from pure career development view. If we can feel the rules and follow the rules, we can avoid "Z turns" in our career.

My opinion: fitting (your interest and the program) > ranking of grogram > location > stipend > other. 1. Do the research you like! Ph.D. is at least 5 year commitment and the your Ph.D. research is the fundation of your whole career. So in certain point, your happyness in your research depends on "how is the fitting". 2. In the future, when you are introduced, the sequence: your name, your grad school, ..... higher ranking program can provide your strong research fundation and hot direction, also decent networking. You will benefit from him/her a lot when looking for an academic job. 3. Location may have impact on industry job hunting, but not impact on academic jobs. Of course, the weather, the city, that depends on the individuals. 4. Personally, I don't care how much is the stipend when making decisions on picking my Ph.D. program since I can have a good shape without worrying about living expense. What is your opinion?

I thought OSU ranks higher than the other two in Linguistics generally? Maybe in your subfield, the ranking is difference and maybe your personally research interest. As for the funding, with either of the stipends, your family can live in a good shape. I didn't see much difference considering the living expnese. They are enough for your family. Check with the engineer guys, they got paid may be only half of yours. Of course, they will get higher pay in industry after graduate.

You go for Ph.D. program, not for working and I assume that you would like to be a professor in the future. So in my opinion, how does the program fit you and how is the ranking of program are the most important factors in your future career. Like umich said in the post linguistics " who picks a grad program for whether". Similar, "who picks a grad program for money" especially regarding to academica program. I thought you should think about it in longterm! Your significant one is one of the factors in your decision making. I know it is tough, and no one can answer you on this. It looks like you like UCSD more and if you pick UCSD finally. Don't be feel alone, I know many people do the two hours driving at weekend. That is why you see 'rush hours' between LA and SD during the weekend. As for the ranking, USC and UCSD are the same, no big difference in generally. But definetely, they would have their own strengths. If their strengths fit your interests, go for it! If you are not sure about their strengths, consult with your professors. Tell them your interest, they definetely can provide your more correct answer than the ranking from public agency.