1 Prof vs overall department

[Shiryatsya]

Okay so first off I am a chemistry student. I visited a bunch of grad schools and have it narrowed down to two.

School 1:

Pros

My favorite professor at any school I visited. He has great placement into both industry and the academic world, his group was big but had more than enough funding to support it and publishes like mad in a sub field I'm very interested in. He is taking grad student this summer, and told me if I come to School 1 I could join his group assuming I was able to secure funding for summer research (which the school said it would provide) and it went at least moderately well (eg I get along with his current group members, his lab has a high enough learning curve that he doesn't expect much data only positive reviews from other grad students)

Cons

No one else I'm super interested in. There are people I could work for but I'm not sure how happy I would be there. So if something falls through with the first professor

It's way colder. Maybe this is a stupid thing to bring up, but I've lived in a warm climate for a few years now and much prefer it.

The other grad students. While I liked the ones in my favorite professor's group the other ones a I met I didn't really click with (granted I didn't meet that many)

School 2:

Pros

Has three professors I could be happy working with, all of them place pretty well into industry but none of them place well into academia (I have not yet decided on my plans for after grad school, so while this may not be a problem I'm trying to keep my options open). They all publish, but not nearly as much as the professor at school 1.

Great campus +warmer than school 1

Didn't click perfectly with all the grad students, but met a lot of them and could see myself there and being happy with these people.

Cons

The Professor I want to work for the most isn't there

Neutral:

Both schools have offered me very nice funding, and I really liked the surrounding area at both.

There are other minor pros and cons I didn't mention cause this was long enough as it was.

Thank you for any advice or insight you may have.

[Chem Grad Student]

Okay so first off I am a chemistry student. I visited a bunch of grad schools and have it narrowed down to two.

School 1:

Pros

My favorite professor at any school I visited. He has great placement into both industry and the academic world, his group was big but had more than enough funding to support it and publishes like mad in a sub field I'm very interested in. He is taking grad student this summer, and told me if I come to School 1 I could join his group assuming I was able to secure funding for summer research (which the school said it would provide) and it went at least moderately well (eg I get along with his current group members, his lab has a high enough learning curve that he doesn't expect much data only positive reviews from other grad students)

Cons

No one else I'm super interested in. There are people I could work for but I'm not sure how happy I would be there. So if something falls through with the first professor

It's way colder. Maybe this is a stupid thing to bring up, but I've lived in a warm climate for a few years now and much prefer it.

The other grad students. While I liked the ones in my favorite professor's group the other ones a I met I didn't really click with (granted I didn't meet that many)

School 2:

Pros

Has three professors I could be happy working with, all of them place pretty well into industry but none of them place well into academia (I have not yet decided on my plans for after grad school, so while this may not be a problem I'm trying to keep my options open). They all publish, but not nearly as much as the professor at school 1.

Great campus +warmer than school 1

Didn't click perfectly with all the grad students, but met a lot of them and could see myself there and being happy with these people.

Cons

The Professor I want to work for the most isn't there

Neutral:

Both schools have offered me very nice funding, and I really liked the surrounding area at both.

There are other minor pros and cons I didn't mention cause this was long enough as it was.

Thank you for any advice or insight you may have.

One Prof give me an advice that I should choose a Department where I feel interested in research of three Profs or at least 2 Profs. It meant that I will be more safe at this Program.

However In your case, you should find more information about the Profs and his group at the first school, especially the relationship between he and his students,... (from some of his students, or some students in this department,.....). If the information is positive, you should go the first school. And if you get some bad new, you can choose the second one.

Good luck to you.

[shakespearebro]

I wouldn't let the weather influence your decision. You'll get used to the weather wherever you go. Place your emphasis on the professor, program, and funding, which to me sounds like option 1 from your descriptions.

[UnlikelyGrad]

I was in your shoes last year. Not only did I really like the prof at my school #1, he really liked me...unfortunately, I couldn't stand the rest of the department! I picked my school #2 and am very happy here.

As a grad student, your advisor is the person you interact with most, but you still have to interact with the rest of the department A LOT. There are lots of profs here that I really enjoy being around--same was not true at school #1. Also, I found my interactions with grad students here a lot more enjoyable than at school #1. I spend more time with other grad students than anyone else, so it probably was a good thing that I chose this school!

[Shiryatsya]

Thanks for the opinions so far. Although truth be told I'm still nervous as hell and can't decide.

Should I email former lab members of the Prof at school 1? Is that considered acceptable?

Also I talked to School one and the Prof there and I would have funding to work in his lab for the summer. So then I figure the only way I wouldn't be able to work for him was if I royally screwed up. Also he works in the Physics dept (but takes chem and physics students) and I didn't meet any of other physics grads so maybe I'd click better with them as a whole than the chem ones?

[ChemHopeful]

in my application process and visits, i was told time and time again that the school i choose should have at least 2 (no not 2, 3! at least 3!) professors for whom i would be happy to work. that said, if you can work in a professor's group in the summer, you will probably get in in the fall, so maybe it would be ok to make an exception here

i would not hesitate to contact current or former group members. their input matters especially in a big group, where you learn from the senior grads and post-docs much more than from your PI

[rising_star]

My first thought is that I wouldn't go to a school where there's only one prof you want to work with. What if you don't get along with that person or the lab isn't a good fit? Scary!

I wouldn't let the weather influence your decision. You'll get used to the weather wherever you go. Place your emphasis on the professor, program, and funding, which to me sounds like option 1 from your descriptions.

Disagreed. I absolutely let the weather influence my decisions. I get sick more frequently in colder weather, so I decided not to go to a school in a cold climate. Know yourself and what will make you miserable. If bad weather is on that list, avoid it if you can.