Tough Decision to Make

[Guest oldname12]

Hey all,

New to the forums, but I am need of some advice from some people who know a little more about the application process than my friends and family. Right now I am very fortunate to have received offers from the programs I ranked as my one and two heading in. While I am thrilled, I am having a heck of a time deciding.

There are certainly perks to each. Program A is the better program overall in my opinion: more reputable faculty, better facilities, better stipend, better university atmosphere as whole, and the religious affiliation of the school matches my own. The perks are not as numerous at Program B, but I LOVE the faculty member I would be working with there. Both are good programs overall, and they are located in the same area (about 2.5 hours apart).

In your opinions and experiences, what is the most important aspect of having a good graduate school experience? Practically speaking, I am confident both schools would allow me to get to where I need to go.

Thanks for any input!

[talific]

I have no practical experience here to draw on, so I'll just tell you what my UG thesis advisor told me when I was choosing schools. A good fit with a professor is the most important part of grad school. The actual school itself doesn't matter much, as long as the professor is a good supervisor and you're interested in their work. That being said, I'm in Canada, and the rankings/prestige/etc of schools seems to play less of a role in future career/academic prospects here than in the U.S. So if you're from the U.S., maybe somebody else has different advice for you.

Also, as a final note, you mentioned the stipend was better at School A. If money is really going to be an issue for you, then I would take that into consideration as well. I get very anxious about money, so it is an important factor in my decisions. But, if it's not going to be a big issue, then I wouldn't prioritize it as much.

[Guest oldname12]

Thank you for your reply! I am in the US, and first of all, money is not a big concern. Both stipends are pretty good, so overall that is a negligible factor in my decision.

School A is the more prestigious overall (I would say top 20 if you're considering actual "rankings"), but School B is still solid as well (maybe top 40). So I think both are still solid programs overall. If the relationship with your professor is the most important thing, then School B might be my best option.

Again, thanks for your help, and I hope to hear a few other opinions as well.

Edited February 20, 2012 by oldname12

[rising_star]

Go with the best supervisor.

[insanityensues]

Hey all,

New to the forums, but I am need of some advice from some people who know a little more about the application process than my friends and family. Right now I am very fortunate to have received offers from the programs I ranked as my one and two heading in. While I am thrilled, I am having a heck of a time deciding.

There are certainly perks to each. Program A is the better program overall in my opinion: more reputable faculty, better facilities, better stipend, better university atmosphere as whole, and the religious affiliation of the school matches my own. The perks are not as numerous at Program B, but I LOVE the faculty member I would be working with there. Both are good programs overall, and they are located in the same area (about 2.5 hours apart).

In your opinions and experiences, what is the most important aspect of having a good graduate school experience? Practically speaking, I am confident both schools would allow me to get to where I need to go.

Thanks for any input!

I would go with the supervisor whom most closely aligns with what you want to do with your career, which may be different than the one that you like the best. If they have good contacts in your specific field, they're going to be the one that gets you farther. EVERYTHING is about networking these days, and if the supervisor you really like doesn't do much outside work in the precise type of research you want to go into, then they may not be the best for your long-term goals.

On the other hand, it depends largely on whether you want to go into a research career, clinical career, or teaching career (or consulting, in which case networking is a much bigger deal). In any case, it sounds like you have some good options!

[Guest oldname12]

Thank you to you both. I appreciate your help.