Making PhD Program Decisions

[prospectiveafricanist]

Hi all,

 

I was just accepted into two PhD programs and am struggling to make my decision: my professors tell me that both are great options and I "can't lose" but that does not abate the stress.

 

School 1 has: 1) excellent funding guaranteed for six years 2) my advisor is one of the top historians in my general field but not my sub field 3) my other advisor is a newer prof whose work overlaps with mine a lot and 4) it is a new program for my major field, thus, it does not have any placement records - all grad students in my field are still in their PhD 5) I have a strong rapport with my prospective advisors

 

School 2 has: 1) much much lower, but still survivable, funding 2) my advisor a top 5 professor in my sub field whose interests overlap with mine a lot 3) my advisor has an excellent placement record of getting PhD students TT jobs and 4) my other advisor specializes in the exact country and period I am most interested in. 5) I have a strong rapport with both of them

 

My ultimate goal is to come out with a tenure track position, enjoy my time in grad school and produce the best research I can

[ladydobz]

With that goal in mind, I'd say school 2 is probably the better bet, but it really comes down to how you feel about each program. Go with your gut, and congratulations! 

[CheckYesJules]

Congratulations! If you are comfortable financially with a lower stipend vs cost of living, then I would go with School #2. You want a program with a good track history going in. I've been the guinea pig for programs before and its rough. 

[dr. t]

Funding is the most important criteria; you can't write a dissertation if you can't get to your archive. If you think school 2 is ok in that regard, there's your answer.

[popolo]

Hi all! 

In terms of prestige, is there a clear hierarchy between Princeton, Columbia, and Yale Phd Programs, or are they considered to be of equal prestige?

[OHSP]

On 2/12/2023 at 5:47 AM, popolo said:

Hi all! 

In terms of prestige, is there a clear hierarchy between Princeton, Columbia, and Yale Phd Programs, or are they considered to be of equal prestige?

In terms of getting a job in history they're roughly the same and they're all close enough to NYC that you can tap into that scholarly community. Sub-field matters a lot. 

Edited February 18, 2023 by OHSP
Posted earlier than I meant to.

[psstein]

On 2/11/2023 at 11:47 AM, popolo said:

Hi all! 

In terms of prestige, is there a clear hierarchy between Princeton, Columbia, and Yale Phd Programs, or are they considered to be of equal prestige?

Depends on subfield. Columbia is far behind the other two on history of science.