UCSD - USC - UMD - UCSB

[Doruk]

Hey everyone,

International student, got accepted to UCSD, USC, UCSB, and UMD Ph.D. programs (with many other rejections) in order to study bioinformatics as concentration area. It would be nicer if I showed the smartness of posting this question before finalizing my decision, nevertheless, I just wanted to know where you would prefer going, for what reason, if you were to decide between those 4.

Here were the offers:

UCSD: $19,000 for 9 months (financial aid available during 3 months for summer if I choose to stay and continue doing research instead of an internship.)

USC: $30,000 for 10 months (Provost's Fellowship - same situation applies for summer)

UCSB: $16,600 for 9 months

UMD: $20,500 for 9 months

at USC, I was admitted to the Computational Biology/Bioinformatics Dept. under the Biology department (not Computer Science). For the others, the admitting department was Computer Science and Engineering.

Professor-wise: (I was pretty interested with the research in all 4 places.)

USC: 15 professors working under the program.

UCSD: 3 professors doing bioinformatics under CSE, (I got a reference letter from 2 of them, so I'm quite familiar with their work.)

UMD: >3, still as good as UCSD & USC.

UCSB: only 1. (it -kind of- was my safety school)

Reputations/Rankings:

Almost same for all 4. (as far as I know)

Location-wise:

UCSD: I lived there 1 year, last year (as an exchange student) -- pretty but VERY serious campus, city not extremely expensive, 25 min to the Pacific Ocean on foot (less, if you run )

USC: Downtown Los Angeles, heard from a Ph.D. student that it was located very near the ghetto area, there. EXTREMELY pretty and relaxed campus, good social life, but inland, and more expensive than others.

UCSB: By the beach, AMAZING campus, (social life rocks, there). Small city (Santa Barbara), not expensive.

UMD: Near Washington D.C., looks like a cool campus, too. doesn't have California climate, apparently. Guess not as expensive as the L.A., either.

What I did: I chose UCSD, because I didn't want to go to a ("not the safest place on earth") place (USC) for 5 years, even though they gave a lot of money, and thought it woulnd't matter since L.A. is pretty espensive. (I'm still in love with its campus, though :c ). Rejected UCSB because the bioinformatics wasn't that strong, there. And the only reason why I favored UCSD over UMD was because I knew the the environment, professors and I already took part in a research project during summer with one of them, and it was located in California.

Anyone attending to one of the schools I mentioned?, or would like to express their choices on a similar situation?

Any comment highly appreciated!

[frenzydude]

I would just want to say that the area around USC is safe enough for grad students if you live within the DPS patrol lines north or west of campus. This should not be a factor for rejecting a university. Atleast I would like to believe so because I am going there I don't know much about the USC campus but I am encouraged by your words :-)

[beanbagchairs]

I just want to add that I'd choose UCSD too. There are tons of good bioinformatics research out there, particularly in their bioinformatics and system biology department. They have Prof Ideker, etc You can just work in those labs. I am pretty sure you can get into those labs through CS.

Another school that came close is probably USC; but, I think UCSD is better at comp bio than USC.

Great admits btw! Good luck!

[Doruk]

I would just want to say that the area around USC is safe enough for grad students if you live within the DPS patrol lines north or west of campus. This should not be a factor for rejecting a university. Atleast I would like to believe so because I am going there I don't know much about the USC campus but I am encouraged by your words :-)

I'm pretty sure it wasn't such a strong factor to reject a university, but I needed a reason . And a Ph.D. student warned me that she did not use public transportation as she thought it wasn't safe enough. Apart from social life ON campus, UCSD seemed better. After having a car --which is a necessity in SoCal, believe me-- it no longer would be a issue (as I imagine.) And I guess I thought I'd feel more comfortable in a place I'm more accustomed to - and where I can go surf during lunch break

Academically, there is just no major reason to prefer one and reject the other (which is also what a professor in CSE dept. at UCSD told me.)

Believe me, USC's Campus is simply amazing. If it only had the Pacific Ocean at its borders, then it would be the prettiest one in the entire Southern California!

P.S. Have you applied to UCLA or UCSD?

Edited April 15, 2011 by Doruk

[Doruk]

I just want to add that I'd choose UCSD too. There are tons of good bioinformatics research out there, particularly in their bioinformatics and system biology department. They have Prof Ideker, etc You can just work in those labs. I am pretty sure you can get into those labs through CS.

Another school that came close is probably USC; but, I think UCSD is better at comp bio than USC.

Great admits btw! Good luck!

My thoughts exactly. I applied to both CSE and Bioinformatics and System Biology Dept., but after being accepted by the former, the latter rejected me (which was pretty reasonable --as I was a CS undergrad.)

Besides Prof. Ideker, on the CSE Dept., they have profs such as Vineet Bafna & Pavel Pevzner, which are both well-reputed as far as I learned from fellow Bioinformatics Ph.D. students. I'll just look at their researches and see whether I can work at other profs labs such as Ideker, if I find them more exciting.

Rejecting USC's Provost's Fellowship was really hard for me, but analyzing all conditions UCSD seemed a little nicer.

Where were you admitted, by the way?

[anōnumos]

UCSB: ... not expensive.

Are you sure?

[csperson]

Wow, $30000! I'd probably just go to USC for the money.

I doubt USC is that unsafe. In fact, I'd consider it safe

Did anybody else even get that kind of money?????

Mine's like 10K less.

I'd definitely rule out UCSB as the other 3 schools are much higher ranked

Edited April 15, 2011 by csperson

[Doruk]

Wow, $30000! I'd probably just go to USC for the money.

I doubt USC is that unsafe. In fact, I'd consider it safe

Did anybody else even get that kind of money?????

Mine's like 10K less.

I'd definitely rule out UCSB as the other 3 schools are much higher ranked

According to the Ph.D. students from USC I talked to, life in Los Angeles is around $500-$600 (or even more) more expensive than that of San Diego. They warned me not to be allured by the high fellowship amount. After deducting the tax from these amounts ($2600 for USC, and $1800 for UCSD), USC seems to give only $200-300 more per month.

Where did you get admission from, btw?

Edited April 15, 2011 by Doruk

[Doruk]

Are you sure?

Compared to Los Angeles, I'd say yes.

[csperson]

According to the Ph.D. students from USC I talked to, life in Los Angeles is around $500-$600 (or even more) more expensive than that of San Diego. They warned me not to be allured by the high fellowship amount. After deducting the tax from these amounts ($2600 for USC, and $1800 for UCSD), USC seems to give only $200-300 more per month.

Where did you get admission from, btw?

lol. $200-$300 more per month is a lot for a grad student.

[frenzydude]

I'm pretty sure it wasn't such a strong factor to reject a university, but I needed a reason . And a Ph.D. student warned me that she did not use public transportation as she thought it wasn't safe enough. Apart from social life ON campus, UCSD seemed better. After having a car --which is a necessity in SoCal, believe me-- it no longer would be a issue (as I imagine.) And I guess I thought I'd feel more comfortable in a place I'm more accustomed to - and where I can go surf during lunch break

Academically, there is just no major reason to prefer one and reject the other (which is also what a professor in CSE dept. at UCSD told me.)

Believe me, USC's Campus is simply amazing. If it only had the Pacific Ocean at its borders, then it would be the prettiest one in the entire Southern California!

P.S. Have you applied to UCLA or UCSD?

Nice to know that about USC. No, I did not apply to UCLA or UCSD but seeing the low number of admits especially at UCSD, i don't think I would have been accepted at either. Also, I my funding at USC is from a RAship which is about 20k$ for 9 months. If you got a Fellowship with so much $ you must be really really good. Congrats !

I don't think the funding would be any problem as a senior told me that I would be spending only about half of what i get or a little more.

Edited April 15, 2011 by frenzydude

[Doruk]

lol. $200-$300 more per month is a lot for a grad student.

hahaha! that most probably is true. And... I JUST received an email about that from a Ph.D. at USC. Here it goes:

"Your living style won't be that different even if you get more money from USC since LA is an expensive city." I don't know man, I just made a choice, and I have no other option than to stick to it

I'll visit USC Campus during my stay, for sure, though!

[Doruk]

Nice to know that about USC. No, I did not apply to UCLA or UCSD but seeing the low number of admits especially at UCSD, i don't think I would have been accepted at either. Also, I my funding at USC is from a RAship which is about 20k$ for 9 months. If you got a Fellowship with so much $ you must be really really good. Congrats !

I don't think the funding would be any problem as a senior told me that I would be spending only about half of what i get or a little more.

Do you have an idea about how many CSE Ph.D. student USC and UCSD admitted? I've heard that UCSD went pretty crazy this year. Heard of a guy who got admitted by Berkeley and Stanford, yet rejected by UCSD for some reason. Thanks man! But I sure am not, got 8 other rejections

Wow! I didn't know that! Thought L.A. would require more.

[frenzydude]

Do you have an idea about how many CSE Ph.D. student USC and UCSD admitted? I've heard that UCSD went pretty crazy this year. Heard of a guy who got admitted by Berkeley and Stanford, yet rejected by UCSD for some reason. Thanks man! But I sure am not, got 8 other rejections

Wow! I didn't know that! Thought L.A. would require more.

I don't know the exact numbers, but I am estimating a less than 5% accept rate for UCSD PhD, while it is about 8-10% for USC.

The costs obviously depend on your style of living. I just meant to say that if you can live a little frugally , and especially if you can share for accommodation, you can do it in the amount i mentioned.

[beanbagchairs]

Where were you admitted, by the way?

I got into georgia tech (through CS dept), Boston U (bioinformatics), & USC (bioinformatics). I ended up choosing BU because of "fit" and benefits of collaborations with surrounding research institutions . I think BU is better at comp bio research than the rest of my options.

Edited April 16, 2011 by beanbagchairs