Struggling to choose between two similar programs. Help?

[blackstrap]

So I've been waitlisted at program A, accepted at program B. Due to personal/family/geographic reasons these are my only viable options. Yes, I'm aware that attending a PhD program outside the top 20 is madness, yet I'm doing it, so please don't tell me to forget both ?

The stuff:

US News: program A is tied with several other programs at #57, program B is tied with several programs at #60

Funding: Program A, over four years, will pay $14.6k more than Program B. Due to my partner's great job, and my small business, this financial piece is not a huge deal.

Focus: At program A I would likely focus on Southern lit and trauma studies. At program B I would focus on Irish and American 20-21st modern/post-modern lit, esp. Joyce and Beckett, as well as trauma studies. This is due to program and professor strengths (and how they align to my interests) at the respective programs.

History: I did both my BA and MFA at School B, and am unsure of how it would impact my CV were I to do yet another degree at this same institution.

The kicker: My awesome partner is happy to come along on my PhD adventure. Both our families live in program B city. We've been on the other side of the country for 9 years, and partner wants desperately to spend 4-6 years back home. She's totally willing, however, to sacrifice this chance to move home if my reasons for choosing program A are undeniable.

Because I may not hear from program A about the waitlist until the final hours on April 15, I have to make this brutal decision preemptively. I would so appreciate any insight from the fine folks on this forum.

Cheers

 

 

 

 

Edited March 2, 2020 by blackstrap

[WildeThing]

That's tough and ultimately your decision to consider. You say that funding is less of an issue though a 3000+ difference per year is nothing to scoff at so my first thought would be to really examine the finances of each school and how they relate to cost-of-living, moving, your jobs, etc. (also you mention 4 years, are you not being offered funding beyond those years?).

I don't think the US News ranking will matter much between 57 and 60, though if you're thinking about prestige you can always ask professors which place seems more prestigious and if they would pick one over the other because of this. That said, as someone astutely pointed out in another thread, schools have different regional prestige, so, if you know you're going to want to stay in the School B area because that's where you have family/history, perhaps School B is actually better for you.

As for the the topics, there's no inherent value in any topic, so I would go wherever you feel you could do what you're most interested that. That said, note that you might (and probably will) shift your topic around once in the program and that people might leave or might not be a good fit for you, so basing your entire decision on the topic is risky and might not pay off, even though it's an important consideration.

I'm not sure if doing all of your education in one school will negatively impact you on its own. However, what this means is that you won't have a variety of backgrounds, contacts, sources, and faculty to draw from when on the market. Going to different schools means you know a variety of people, who can offer varying perspectives and knowledge-pools that can be helpful later on. That said, there's also something to be said for forming very strong connections with fewer people, too.

All of your comments seem to suggest that School B is a better fit for you as a person (rather than, perhaps, as a scholar). When I was looking at schools, where my partner would be comfortable was a huge consideration, but it's really up to you to think which of all these (and more) considerations sway you more and what is more important.