"But it's not Ivy League??" (Brown vs JHU vs BCM)

[daauni]

Going into this, my top choices for pathology PhD programs were Brown, Johns Hopkins, and Baylor College of Medicine. Luckily I was accepted into all 3, but it has also caused a decision crisis!

My first acceptance was Brown, which I was very excited about. I liked Providence, the faculty, and the structure of the program. There are ~6 faculty that I'm interested in, however only 1 PI that I am 100% excited to work with, and what if they end up being a terrible mentor? Also Brown isn't exactly known for biomedical research and I want to go to a school more well-known for biomedical science, so I've pretty much taken Brown out of consideration. What's confusing me is a lot of people (family, lab members) seem very surprised that I wouldn't immediately go for an Ivy League offer. Am I crazy?

Now I'm kinda torn between JHU and BCM, but definitely leaning towards JHU. The programs are very similar, with similar faculty (lots of PIs with shared interests), curriculum, and research environment. I liked Baltimore and could see myself living there and I also have a lot of friends in the DC area. BCM seems slightly more collaborative, but I don't think I'd want to live in Houston for 5-6 years (I enjoy seasons and some snow), which seems like a picky thing to disregard BCM for. Any thoughts?

Anyway, just looking for any insight/advice. Please let me know if there is some factor that I am overlooking.

[ticktick]

I understand friends and family making you second guess your choice, but those outside the field don't know about faculty, research, and resources that lead to a good fit. You are going into the program to advance your career and research opportunities. Those within biomedical science will know that JHU and BCM are strong programs.

It seems like you should go with your gut. JHU is a good fit in terms of the program and city. 

[AnonNeuroGrad]

You're not applying for your parents or your friends; presumably, you are applying to further your interests and advance in your field. In my subfield of comp. neuro., Ivies like Dartmouth and Cornell are largely unknown but non-Ivies like Carnegie Mellon and UCL are in the top programs (even above Harvard according to many). Go to the best school in your subfield that has faculty you'd like to work with in a place that you could live. Johns Hopkins is absolutely world-class and better than many/most Ivies for many programs. Baylor for many programs as well (not sure of pathology obviously).

Edited March 6, 2019 by HawaiiLee808