ChemPHD RPI VS Tufts

[chemfromCN]

Hello everyone, I have received offers in CHEM PHD program from RPI and Tufts. I am a foreigner and thus I am not familar with the reputations or people's impressions of these schools in the US--the only way I get info is from the web, and maybe US News ranking is the most important resource for me. I hope to I can get suggestiions in making the choice from US people, especially from people who are familar with chemistry. THX!

The rank of RPI (41) and Tufts (28) are similar, and both their graduate program in chemistry ranks around 70-80. I am interested in either material chemistry(1st choice, RPI's strong point) or Bioanalytical chemistry(2nd choice, Tufts's strong). Besides, both of them are so far alway from my home(foreign..) and the salary provided from them are also similar (around 25000 from RPI and around 27000 from Tufts).

Can you please give me some suggestions between the two?

Thank you so much, sincerely!

Good luck!

[emmm]

Both are well-known schools with good reputations -- Congratulations! The MAIN difference I can think of is that Boston is an awesome city to live in and Troy is in the middle of nowhere. Also, there is a huge student population in Boston, and you'd be able to meet and interact with students from numerous schools and attend functions (i.e. special lectures/seminars) at other schools -- so you'd have more options there. I don't necessarily mean attend classes, but when there are invited speaker series, you'd probably be able to go if someone you were really interested in came.

PS - I hope I don't offend any RPI students -- it's a fantastic school -- but it's not really near an exciting city. On the plus side, you'd probably have fewer distractions keeping you from your work.

Edited March 16, 2012 by emmm

[ghanada]

I agree, if all things are equal I don't think anyone would argue that in location Boston vs Troy, Boston handedly wins. I live in Boston and it is a great city and has students everywhere. It is a pretty cool atmosphere for graduate studies. I have met other people from RPI and they tend to not like Troy and the city. However, their campus is supposed to be really beautiful. Hope that helps.

[chemfromCN]

thanks for your time and help! Your suggestions are very helpful, thanks.

Both are well-known schools with good reputations -- Congratulations! The MAIN difference I can think of is that Boston is an awesome city to live in and Troy is in the middle of nowhere. Also, there is a huge student population in Boston, and you'd be able to meet and interact with students from numerous schools and attend functions (i.e. special lectures/seminars) at other schools -- so you'd have more options there. I don't necessarily mean attend classes, but when there are invited speaker series, you'd probably be able to go if someone you were really interested in came.

PS - I hope I don't offend any RPI students -- it's a fantastic school -- but it's not really near an exciting city. On the plus side, you'd probably have fewer distractions keeping you from your work.

I agree, if all things are equal I don't think anyone would argue that in location Boston vs Troy, Boston handedly wins. I live in Boston and it is a great city and has students everywhere. It is a pretty cool atmosphere for graduate studies. I have met other people from RPI and they tend to not like Troy and the city. However, their campus is supposed to be really beautiful. Hope that helps.

[dualcolor]

i was also accepted at tufts for a phd in chemistry, and i went to the campus visitation two weeks ago. though i do not know very much about rpi, i can tell you that i think tufts would be a great choice. at the beginning of the visit, the current students led a poster session. they were all very nice and enthusiastic about their research, which i think is a great sign. the students also really understood what they were doing and why. the faculty members that i met with were all very nice and seemed to have a good attitude about their students and the department. as far as reputation, i would say tufts has a stronger reputation than rpi, but both are considered very good schools. one aspect of tufts' reputation that i would also consider is that it is located so close to many other schools in boston (and other close-by parts of massachusetts), and well as tons of industry/biotech companies in cambridge. because many of your job prospects post-graduation may very well be in the boston area, tufts would be a very well-respected and recognized school to come from.

i can also comment on what it is like to live in the area around tufts, as i have lived just one train stop away for two years now. you should definitely be able to have a comfortable life on the stipend that they will be providing. tufts is just outside boston, but not directly in the city. in my mind, this is perfect, because tufts is not in a hectic/busy location, but you can easily get in to boston and cambridge and enjoy all the city has to offer. public transportation in the area is awesome-- the subway (red line) is about a 10-15 minute walk from the tufts campus. after talking with the students, it seemed like many of them decide to live right in medford/somerville (within short walking distance of campus), but there were also some who live in other parts of boston and cambridge and take the subway in.

i also just wanted to mention that although i am not an international student, i did notice that there do seem to be a pretty large number of international students in the chemistry department. i spoke with a few of the international members of the department and they did say they felt welcomed and happy at tufts, so that is a great sign too!