All-around great program vs. Dream POI

[kateow]

Ok, so I feel bad taking up topic space with yet another individual problem... but, as with others, maybe this will be generalizable for others out there:

School A has been my dream school for years, I completed my MA there and really loved it. I'm really excited about the coursework they offer, and there is a strong feeling of comraderie among the students. The atmosphere is one of strict intellectual challenge, which I love. My SO is doing his doctoral work in the same program I was admitted to, and he will need to be back on campus to teach for at least 3 months out of the year. It is one of the best programs in the country for what I do, and there are several professors that I would be excited to work with, though none that do exactly what I want to do... anymore...

because...

School B has just snatched up my dream POI. I was fortunate to have been forewarned, applied to the program, and accepted. However, this program is working on some revitalization (meaning, presumably, that it needed it) and it's unclear where they'll be heading once they finish their spate of new hires. At this school, there are only a couple of professors (beyond my POI) that I would be interested in working with, and these not as much as those at school A. Additionally, I've heard negative things about the seriousness of the grad student body, and I'm not sure that it is likely to be as challenging as at school A. But, my dream POI is the scholar whose work got me interested in what I'm doing, I know that I respond well to his pedagogical style, and that having him as both a mentor and a future LOR writer will be very beneficial. Also, my SO is perfectly willing to move with me here, so it would really only be 3 months apart.

Any advice?

[anthropologygeek]

Go with the advisor since it will be most beneficial when you apply for jobs.

[lyonessrampant]

Knowing nothing about anthropology programs, take this with a grain of salt, but you've got Chicago in your sig line as an acceptance. If by that you mean the University of Chicago, I would totally recommend going there. They have great research resources and amazing faculty. Good luck on your decisions!

[Kalypsa]

Ok, so I feel bad taking up topic space with yet another individual problem... but, as with others, maybe this will be generalizable for others out there:

School A has been my dream school for years, I completed my MA there and really loved it. I'm really excited about the coursework they offer, and there is a strong feeling of comraderie among the students. The atmosphere is one of strict intellectual challenge, which I love. My SO is doing his doctoral work in the same program I was admitted to, and he will need to be back on campus to teach for at least 3 months out of the year. It is one of the best programs in the country for what I do, and there are several professors that I would be excited to work with, though none that do exactly what I want to do... anymore...

because...

School B has just snatched up my dream POI. I was fortunate to have been forewarned, applied to the program, and accepted. However, this program is working on some revitalization (meaning, presumably, that it needed it) and it's unclear where they'll be heading once they finish their spate of new hires. At this school, there are only a couple of professors (beyond my POI) that I would be interested in working with, and these not as much as those at school A. Additionally, I've heard negative things about the seriousness of the grad student body, and I'm not sure that it is likely to be as challenging as at school A. But, my dream POI is the scholar whose work got me interested in what I'm doing, I know that I respond well to his pedagogical style, and that having him as both a mentor and a future LOR writer will be very beneficial. Also, my SO is perfectly willing to move with me here, so it would really only be 3 months apart.

Any advice?

So, after being put onto looking at your accepted list, I think I definitely have a fair idea about the two schools you're referring to for arch/anth. It's come up for discussion in my experience as well: what is the new layout going to be with all of those new hires? I don't know whether to think it's a negative or a positive thing: either it's a sign that they needed revitalisation or it's a sign that they have a great commitment to the field in the future?

You hear a lot about finding a particular person that you're interested in working with for a successful graduate experience but that can always backfire as academics (especially young ones) move around often - as you've discovered. Is there a way of contacting your POI about it, given that he has had dealings with both institutions? He'll be able to give you an idea of both programs and the potential strengths of each, and also the atmosphere (or change in atmosphere) at School B. Of course, he may be totally biased ("come work with me!") but he'll know that there's a lot of different factors in your decision too. Not least of which is surely geography.