How much weight are you putting in rankings?

[moths]

Right now for me it's neck and neck between two schools. Both have offered comparable funding at this point.

School A is consistently ranked a bit higher on USN and NRC - it's about a top 25. It has more name recognition, is the main campus for a state system, and has some people who I am sure I would enjoy working with. I will be doing a campus visit later this month.

School B has less name recognition, and is another state school, but not the first state school people think of in this state. I went on a campus visit recently, and was very impressed by the on-campus atmosphere, the experiences the current cohorts were having, and found a number of faculty who are doing work in areas of my interest.

I still haven't decided what I want to do upon receiving my PhD. Most likely something in academia, with education being a frontrunner.

Given these factors, how much would you weight the ranking of School A over the fact that School B seems to be a better fit currently? Will I be shutting myself out of opportunities simply by being at not-quite-a-name-brand school (but still a very reasonable program)? Are academics still as tied to names, rankings, and preconceptions, or would some good publications and work carry more weight for my graduate career?

Thanks for your insights.

[ringo2009]

Right now for me it's neck and neck between two schools. Both have offered comparable funding at this point.

School A is consistently ranked a bit higher on USN and NRC - it's about a top 25. It has more name recognition, is the main campus for a state system, and has some people who I am sure I would enjoy working with. I will be doing a campus visit later this month.

School B has less name recognition, and is another state school, but not the first state school people think of in this state. I went on a campus visit recently, and was very impressed by the on-campus atmosphere, the experiences the current cohorts were having, and found a number of faculty who are doing work in areas of my interest.

I still haven't decided what I want to do upon receiving my PhD. Most likely something in academia, with education being a frontrunner.

Given these factors, how much would you weight the ranking of School A over the fact that School B seems to be a better fit currently? Will I be shutting myself out of opportunities simply by being at not-quite-a-name-brand school (but still a very reasonable program)? Are academics still as tied to names, rankings, and preconceptions, or would some good publications and work carry more weight for my graduate career?

Thanks for your insights.

Someone recommended the below article in another thread. You may find that it provides you with some things to ponder concerning rank and post-degree opportunities.

http://pages.uoregon.edu/vburris/ptr09/asr_2004.pdf

[going crazy]

Right now for me it's neck and neck between two schools. Both have offered comparable funding at this point.

School A is consistently ranked a bit higher on USN and NRC - it's about a top 25. It has more name recognition, is the main campus for a state system, and has some people who I am sure I would enjoy working with. I will be doing a campus visit later this month.

School B has less name recognition, and is another state school, but not the first state school people think of in this state. I went on a campus visit recently, and was very impressed by the on-campus atmosphere, the experiences the current cohorts were having, and found a number of faculty who are doing work in areas of my interest.

I still haven't decided what I want to do upon receiving my PhD. Most likely something in academia, with education being a frontrunner.

Given these factors, how much would you weight the ranking of School A over the fact that School B seems to be a better fit currently? Will I be shutting myself out of opportunities simply by being at not-quite-a-name-brand school (but still a very reasonable program)? Are academics still as tied to names, rankings, and preconceptions, or would some good publications and work carry more weight for my graduate career?

Thanks for your insights.

I would also recommend the above article. It really gives you some insight into how far the reputation of the program goes in obtaining your first post-doctoral job. Apparently even more than pre-employment publications.

I'm in a very similar situation with Rice and Yale. My best fit is with Rice, the faculty are motivated, and I'll likely publish more there, but I can't shake the feeling that I'd be giving up significantly greater social and symbolic capital advantages found at a Yale. Just about all of the faculty I've sought counsel from have told me to go for Yale for the reason I just mentioned. Good luck with your decision!