Michigan State vs other options

[indecis]

I've been accepted to two PhD programs, Michigan State and another public R1 university that has a slightly better reputation in my specific research area. However, MSU has really pulled out all of the stops with their funding and are offering an extra year plus a sizable recruitment fellowship over the other school's offer. I have already tried negotiating a better offer with the other school, but was unsuccessful.

Beyond the funding, there are a lot of great things about the program at MSU and I really respect the faculty and students there. One thing that I just can't get out of my mind is how the university is handling the aftermath of Larry Nassar's terrible actions. I knew about his pending case before I applied at the end of last year and I have been watching things unfold to see how the university responds. Unfortunately, I have not been impressed and I am concerned about the priorities and culture of the university. I honestly start to feel ill when I think about it all. 

Larry Nassar aside, the non-MSU program may be a slightly better fit for me, but they really are neck and neck. In normal circumstances, MSU would pull ahead because of the funding. The department and program I would be joining at MSU is not related to sports or medicine, and there is evidence of the department and college proactively addressing issues related to diversity and discrimination over the past decade and longer. I just can't figure out how much weight I should be giving this ongoing scandal.  How important are the reputation and actions of a department/college compared to the university? 

Is anyone able to speak to their own personal experiences at MSU?  Or, is anyone else also considering MSU versus other options and pausing for the same reasons as me? 

Edited March 29, 2018 by indecis

[rising_star]

This is a tough one! I spent a chunk of January watching and reading about the Nassar trial and MSU's lack of response. I haven't been in your shoes of considering MSU or other options though. I guess the question I'd ask myself is whether anyone will be thinking about this or if it will matter 4-6 years from now when you're finishing your PhD and on the job market... My guess is that people will have largely forgotten about the scandal by then so going to the higher ranked program and/or the program that's a better fit for you will be to your benefit.

[indecis]

Thanks for your reply, rising_star. Good point to think about the future. In the long run, MSU will probably weather this storm, though they are off to a very rocky start and I have a feeling that more details about the depth of this problem will continue to surface over the months/years. Because of this, my mind goes to what my experience will be like while I am there. Just last week, the former dean of the medical school was arrested on sexual assault charges (separate from the Naasar's case) and there is evidence that he knew about Nassar's behavior. The school keeps denying that anyone knew what was going on, but this is obviously not true, so it feels like a betrayal every time new information is reported.

Sexual abuse and women's rights issues are extremely important to me. I am in a STEM field where women and minorities are extremely underrepresented and there is a long history of institutionalize discrimination and abuse. I already deal with the reality of being a woman in this discipline on a daily bases, so I am worried that being at MSU would open up more opportunity for stress. If I was a current or former student at MSU, I have no doubt I would actively be involved in the healing process of the community, but am not sure I want to throw myself into the middle of this while starting a new PhD program in a new part of the country with no local support system. So, I guess I am answering my own questions about what I should do... 

The other program I was accept to is a better fit (slightly) and more highly regarded. MSU was just offering me a significantly higher funding package (~33% more over the course of the program). The other school's funding is very competitive for my field, though, and I am starting to suspect that part of MSU's extra funding is coming from them having a hard time recruiting this year (some of the money was added later on as I was still waiting to hear back from other schools).

Edited March 31, 2018 by indecis

[Beaudreau]

Just my opinion, but I think you are worrying too much about this.  The overwhelming majority of MSU academics, students, and graduates were shocked and dismayed by the Nassar revelations.  Remember that this concerned women's athletics, not academics.  Certainly the athletic department and university president (a woman) did not handle this as well as they should have, but STEM faculty and administration were not even remotely involved.  However, it may be that you are so worried about finding "institutional discrimination and abuse" that you may be hypersensitive at MSU, no matter the realities.  So perhaps you should go elsewhere.

[Carly Rae Jepsen]

I agree with Beaudreau, perhaps you're giving this too much weight. Although this case was one of the most shocking in recent times surrounding sexual crimes, it hasn't been the only one. Stanford with the Brock Turner case, and the Columbia rape controversy also caused major backlash. In spite of those respective universities mishandling both cases to an extent, they are still known as places with top-notch academics.

[MrsPhD]

Personally, I'd always go with the program that is better fit and better regarded. You might be more "well-off" during your PhD at the lower ranked/less fit program, but you have to think about your research and getting a job after the PhD. 

Also, if you are a woman, look into who your potential advisor could be and if they've had female students. Have they co-authored as much with them as they have with male students? Where are the women now compared to the men? Do they have any senior female? 

[indecis]

Thank you for your thoughtful replies! I agree that I may be overthinking the Nassar issue. I think, without realizing it at the time, my overthinking is why I decided to post here for advice. I was worrying that my disdain for Nassar and my disappointment in the university's handing of the situation were my main reasons for leaning toward the other school, and that didn't seem right. I had reached a point where I wasn't sure what part of my thought process was valid.

I have tried my best to strip down my decision (and remove the influence of the Nassar drama) by isolating different characteristics of the schools for comparison. "School B" won out over MSU on the factors of advisor fit and department fit. Based on all that I have gathered about program decisions, these are two very important or even the most important, factors to consider.

In the end, I think the money that MSU offered was making me feel crazy for turning it down. I have rationalized it like this: While MSU is offering me what amounts to an extra year of funding, I would also likely need that extra year to complete the requirements of the program (there are a lot). School B's program is much more open ended and because the advisor/research fit is good, I will be able to hit the ground running and likely finish a year sooner. That is huge. Also, finding additional funding, if needed, through writing a grant specific to my research at School B will not be a problem (and would also be an great opportunity), as my advisor is on board to help with this and the school is well connected.

So, as you may have figured out, I made the decision to go to School B, and I feel confident now that Nassar was not the reason why. :-)