How to choose a graduate school

[MarcusY]

I am currently a undergrad in Mechanical Engineering at Mississippi State University. I am looking for masters schools and find myself a little bit lost at sea. I don't know how to figure out where to go. I am considering continuing on at MSU but I am not excited about the graduate program here.

What I want are other people's opinions and their stories.

1. What made your grad school experience good or bad?

2. Are you doing research in an area you really care about or are you doing the research that you could get funding for? I realize that there is a good bit of a spectrum here. If you are doing research that you really want to be doing is that because you were just really really lucky or were the odds good of you getting what you wanted.

3. How big is your major department? Too small? Too big? How does this affect your experience.

4. How important is it to choose a your adviser well. Is choosing the right adviser more important that choosing the right school?

I realize that all of these things are opinions. I welcome opinions.

Make sure that you include context with your opinions. Where do you go? Masters or PhD? What is your major?