Three amazing options

[automata]

Hi, all. I have three EXCELLENT choices ahead of me. I feel really lucky, but I have NO IDEA what to choose. It's an embarrassment of riches. Help!!!

SCHOOL A: Brand new program at a highly-ranked institution. The faculty is really small and there is really only one professor with whom I'd like to work. He's brilliant and very well-known, and I got along with him extremely well. However, it's really just him -- and he travels a lot and does a lot of admin work, so I worry about being able to keep his attention. I sat in on two classes and was surprised to find I was kind of underwhelmed by them (the conversations kind of wandered--there were a lot of students from other departments in the course). The funding is great and it's in a nice city. Job placement record is unknown, since the program is brand-new, but my mentors believe it will be good.

SCHOOL B: Joint-degree program at a highly-ranked institution. I would be combining my current field with a related discipline that is entirely new to me, but which excites me. Most of my mentors tell me to go here, since it is the "best" school and program of the three. There is a really wide range of faculty with whom I could work: while none are an exact fit, together they present a range of expertise that would be good to draw on. However, I didn't feel quite at ease with the faculty or the students, and I find the institutional culture here to be really intimidating. (This might be illogical, but I can't avoid this feeling.) The funding is great. It's in a kind of lame city that is really close to my (much beloved) current city. (Being able to hop on a convenient, inexpensive commuter train to visit family and friends is a huge draw.) Excellent job placement.

SCHOOL C: Interdisciplinary program at a small but well-known institution. The faculty is small, but I felt comfortable with everyone and could easily imagine working with any of them. I really hit it off with all of the students, who all seem extremely happy and well-adjusted, and I just got a good, warm gut feeling off of the whole place. Sat in on one truly excellent class. The program is very interdisciplinary, so I worry about losing focus. The big problem: their star faculty member (a big draw for me) may or may not be leaving next year--I won't know if he is until after April 15. The funding, while decent, is about $6K/year less than schools A and B. I like the city, and the job placement record is nearly equal to School B.

As you can see, any one of these would be a total dream program on its own! Choosing between them is driving me nuts. Help!

[soramimicake]

I mean, from your descriptions, it sounds like you want to go to School C. However, the money can be a big deal...on the other hand, I dunno, I don't think I'd want to go to a school with a brand new program that didn't make a good impression (I mean, I'd even be nervous about a brand new program that DID make a good impression). School B sounds great except for the whole feeling uneasy thing--I know I'd want to go somewhere that I'd feel comfortable.

How many years do you think you'll be in school? Are you going into a field where you'll be able to pay off your debt semi-quickly once you get out? I guess you just have to weigh the money you'd have to pay off with how much you like the program.

I know this is all stuff you probably already know, but just my two cents Good luck!

[kaza]

I think school B (Stanford?) is a good choice

Going to any school to work with 1 or 2 professors is very risky. Also, there are tons of benefits to going to a school that is top ranked in every field.