At the crossroad for a drastic move

[akraz]

Hi All,

I am at a very difficult situation right now. I have been working in the industry for almost 6 years and have a very stable and good paying job. I got accepted into the local public university (ranked 40-50 Nationally) in my field with the option to continue on my PhD Part Time(no funding) . At the same time I also got admitted into my top choice school (ranked in top 6 nationally) with funding. At this school my PhD will be focused more on the very challenging and emerging concepts of national importance in my field. Whereas if I go to local university my PhD will be more relevant to my current job.

I am very excited to be admitted to a top school with Funding but the problem is leaving a stable job and moving the entire family (2kids), leave the financial stability and drastically change my family's life style.

[latte thunder]

This may or may not help, but double check to make sure your employer doesn't offer education leave. Especially since its in your same field.

Otherwise, what do you want to do after you graduate? If you want to stay in the same area and maybe get a promotion, then stay at the home school. If you want to do reasearch in your feild somewhere else, you also might be better off staying. You'll have your Phd and 6+ (plus however many years it takes you to finish) years of experience. Depending on your field, this may very well make up for the lower rank school. Yes, if you go this route but choose the other school you'll still have 6 years experience and your Phd, but the benefit of going to the better school may not be worth any hardship on your family. Especially without the extra work experience.

Of course, if you want to teach or do something else where the school will actually matter, then go to the far away school.

[lyonessrampant]

Definitely check with your current employer about whether you can go on educational leave to go to the top-10 school. If you're not doing summer research at that school, you might be able to go back and work for your same employer in the summer and make extra money to supplement your stipend that way. If the funding at the top-10 school for summer or just the school year? Ask the program if there is a way for you to do supplemental work to increase your stipend (I can do that at my program). Compare the cost of living between where you are now and where you would move. If it is less at the far-away school, your stipend may actually go a lot further than you think. Look at schools and community as well; maybe that far-away place would offer your family some opportunities that they don't have where you live now. Also, since you'd be paying for your Ph.D. at your home university, subtract that out of your salary and compare that amoun of useable income to your stipend at the top-10 school. You may actually have more money to use at the far-away school. Also, ask your employer if they would help pay for the Ph.D. if you did it at the home university. Ask the far-away school if it covers any moving costs (some schools do and if you're into a school ranked so highly, it probably has more money floating around). Of course, like the previous poster, think about what you want to do after the Ph.D. Factoring in those long-term goals is important too. This is a tough decision! Good luck!

[stanzi]

i say go for the one with funding.