lethalcatmonk Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 Hi all, Thanks for helping me out. I've been accepted to Duke, Hopkins, and UPenn for grad school in genetics, physiology, and cell and molecular bio, respectively. I'm really having trouble deciding where to accept. The professors that I met with during interviews at Hopkins and Duke really jazzed me (Duke most of all). UPenn didn't excite me as much, but I only met 4 profs of 299, so I doubt it would be a problem finding others. Durham is a bit small for my taste, but a grad student could purchase a house on their stipend (not pay it off then sell it when they want to leave) and it would be a nice place to be, generally. Baltimore seemed, well, gross. They literally had watch towers around the hospital. Philly seems like an awesome city, with everything you could want but without being like NYC (it would take hours to get out). To complicate matters, Hopkins is rated very highly, but idk what 7th vs say 12-14 (I guessed on 12-14) matters in the whole US news and world report. After all, there a many top notch programs because no 10 schools could fit all the top researchers....additionally, my bf is moving out and wants to get his MBA, so it would be nice if there was a good business school nearby. We both have graduated from Berkeley. Distressed, lethalcatmonk PS-I just thought the poll was novel, don't think I'm too silly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
space-cat Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I say go with your gut instinct, which in this case sounds like Duke. You really can't overestimate the importance of working with folks you're "jazzed" to be around. I visited Hopkins a few years ago. The highest praise the grad students gave Baltimore was, "it's not quite as bad as everyone says it is." I took that to mean, at the very least, you're going to have to work a little harder to have an enjoyable quality of life there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neuropsych76 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I agree with space-cat. Rankings do not really mean all that much; especially if the schools are all so close. Go to the place that has the best professors because from what I hear, that is the biggest indicator for future success. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nessa Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 I don't know how much you saw of Durham, but based on my experiences of the two cities it has a similar vibe to Berkeley. It's not huge, but with Raleigh and Chapel Hill close by you will have a hard time running out of things to do. And, like you noticed, cost of living is niice. I think the b-schools at Duke and UNC are fairly well regarded, so those would be options for your boyfriend too. /shameless plug for Duke/Durham...sorry;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmf Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 What about your research interests? Are you still really undecided? There's quite a difference between a program focused on genetics vs. a physiology program. While some of the big questions/goals of research may be similar, the techniques and thought processes can be really different. The molecular and cellular biology program probably has some of both so if you don't know if you like genetics or physiology, this might be the best choice. My training and research experience is mainly in genetics and molecular biology but I'm currently working in more of a cell bio/physiology lab and I find it very frustrating. I find cell phys experiments to be much more of throwing stuff into a black box and seeing what comes out and trying to interpret it. Where as with more molecular/genetic approaches, it is easier to dissect important processes and know exactly what is happening. Of course, you then have to step back and consider what those mechanistic findings mean in a whole cell/organism. Just to give you an example of things to consider between the two... I have an oddly specific interest so I'm not particularly familiar with any of these programs but I urge you to think about the kinds of scientific questions and approaches you're interested in. Of course, I'm sorry if you've already done this and there is an unstated research interest that ties the programs together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greengenes25to4 Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 I work at Hopkins right now and I can tell you that the grad students here are happy with the education they are getting, despite the lack of aesthetics in Baltimore. Hopkins practically owns the north east end of the city and its like a scientific fortress. I never feel unsafe, even though I typically work until very late and am outside at night. There are bars very close and happy hours several times a week where you can meet other students from other grad programs, even outside of basic science, like public health and medicine. It's very international here, too. Hopkins is a reason scientists from all over the country and the world are visit, take jobs and start lives in Baltimore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prettyuff1 Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 My research advisor went to duke.. he loves it and always raves about it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgp3213 Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 I voted for Hopkins, mostly because my limited knowledge of this area combined with what information I could find suggests that this would generally be the best career move. Still, I'd probably pick Penn because I like Philly. They're all great options, so I'm sure you can't lose with either one. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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