Help! Two awesome offers...

[Queneau]

Ok, this isn't anything you haven't heard before, but I would appreciate any advice you might have! I am deciding between two amazing schools right now...and I'm not sure what to do (this is for a PhD in a Humanities field).

School A: Top ranked (we're talking top 5 in the field), full funding for 6 years, awesome profs in my area (some big-shots and a couple untenured), the current students seemed very happy there and I had great interactions with them, and it has a beautiful campus in a location where I would like to live, i.e. near friends and family.

School B: Also highly ranked (top 20, though probably a little higher ranked in my sub-field than school A), fully funded (actually a higher stipend than school A--but only 5 years guaranteed), and awesome profs in my area (some big-shots in the field). School B has been in constant contact with me (a little overwhelming, actually) and my conversations with the profs and current students were amazing. However, school B is in a less-than-desirable location for me--kind of gloomy campus--somewhere I really can't see myself living.

When both choices are so awesome, is going with location such a bad thing? I'd have to live in whichever place for 6+years. It seems like either school would be good for me, academically speaking (though school B has a few more people in my area). However, I wonder what my mental state would be after 6 years of living somewhere I don't want to be, away from friends & family---would it be worth it? Should I just go with ranking here and location here?

Is anyone else in this situation?

[hopelesslypostmodern]

When both choices are so awesome, is going with location such a bad thing? I'd have to live in whichever place for 6+years. It seems like either school would be good for me, academically speaking (though school B has a few more people in my area). However, I wonder what my mental state would be after 6 years of living somewhere I don't want to be, away from friends & family---would it be worth it? Should I just go with ranking here and location here?

Is anyone else in this situation?

Since both schools seem to be fairly equal academically and since both have good funding packages, I feel like location is a fair thing to take into consideration.

[wtncffts]

I agree, in terms of decision dilemmas, this seems a pretty easy one. School A.

[fuzzylogician]

I was in a similar situation and chose School A. No regrets here.

Both options are good academically. At this point, it makes perfect sense to decide based on location, and this is an easy one. Choose the school that's located in the place you want to live in.

[Queneau]

Thanks everyone! Yeah, even though I'm a super fit at school B, the fit is good at A, as well. I think grad school can be really isolating, and the option to be near friends & family AND at a top-ranked program just seems too good to pass up.

Edited April 1, 2011 by Queneau

[radon]

School A