xfallonyerknees

I am also not trying to be anti-Rochester, my goal is to tell my decision making process. It is not either/or. I feel that I am able to have the best of both worlds in terms of great methodological rigor as well as the intellectual diversity (including a few qualitative people to keep me in line!) For me the question was -- What happens if I cannot get a job at a research 1 institution? This is the risk averse scenario. My thought is that Rochester training could have been a liability in helping to land a job, even a temporary one, at a small, regional liberal arts school and may make a hiring committee think I was not committed to being there and could jump mid semester. What would/will I do if I don't get that dream job? It seemed to me that my other options allowed me to hedge my bets while being a stronger, complete applicant for jobs. Perhaps I do not have enough confidence in myself but this was my thought process. My main advice I can offer is try to contact (however possible) the non-hand selected students at visitation days, this helped me greatly. Regarding significant others -- I think you should all just agree to disagree on the issue and support each other regardless of your viewpoints. A major or minor change is coming up for many of you and you will be needing to support your colleagues as relationship statuses and family circumstances such as new children are bound to change leading to stress. Think of it as reciprocal altruism. Good luck making your choices, I hope I have not increased your anxiety!

Have read off and on for a couple of years as a prospective (now current) student and just decided to create an account. I turned down an offer at Rochester in favor of a marginally lower ranked large state school for this very reason. I like the intellectual (and methodological) diversity of my current school and think it was a great choice.