help!

[swissmountain]

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[Minnesotan]

Why does it seem to bother you that your potential adviser is white?

[anese]

Why does it seem to bother you that your potential adviser is white?

"older white male" seems to imply to me that there is a fear of conservative bias by the OP? Cultural bias? Hmm I can't answer for them--but I too wondered exactly why this would be an issue...because of the field of study, perhaps?

[BC08]

It sounds like you've already made your decision. Door B.

[swissmountain]

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[swissmountain]

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[luvalicious]

Having been "orphaned" twice, it bothers me that the professor at School B doesn't have tenure though. And having tenure has never stopped anyone from jumping ship before either, even if they hadn't planned to.

At the same time, most professors with superstar status tend to have the matching attitude, and the drinking thing might or might not be problematic, and you may have no way of knowing which way those winds will blow until you get there. But the fact that you seem to want to be leaning away from the 'old acadame' you believe the professor at School A represents indicates that School B would be the better choice for you. (For myself, I'd be leaning towards A.)

[missycari]

Do you know what is the likelihood that Prof. B will get tenure? Some schools are pretty mean about tenure, and at other schools it's closer to an automatic thing. Whether or not the prof at either school might pick up and leave is an issue, but for Prof. B there is the added dynamic of whether she will have no choice but to leave.

Also, just the fact that Prof B is young and presumably hasn't had a lot of successful students yet could be an issue. If it were me, presuming Prof A has had a good success rate with his students, I'd work with Prof. A. Tried and true counts for something if you ask me. But it's tough, I'm sure. And if school B just feels right for you, maybe I'm wrong that school A is the better choice.

[rising_star]

Having been "orphaned" twice, it bothers me that the professor at School B doesn't have tenure though. And having tenure has never stopped anyone from jumping ship before either, even if they hadn't planned to.

At the same time, most professors with superstar status tend to have the matching attitude, and the drinking thing might or might not be problematic, and you may have no way of knowing which way those winds will blow until you get there. But the fact that you seem to want to be leaning away from the 'old acadame' you believe the professor at School A represents indicates that School B would be the better choice for you. (For myself, I'd be leaning towards A.)

I agree with all of this. Every word. If School B lady is likely to get tenure and you like it there, why not go? Famous profs switch schools all the time and they don't always take their students with them. Plus given the job market now, lots of profs have to get other offers just to get a pay raise where they are so don't be surprised if it seems like the young prof is ALWAYS on the market... That said, my advisor was on the market this year (again, trying to get a pay raise) and it didn't affect me at all.