Southern Illinois University or Miami University

[Sayantan Mitra]

Hello everyone, I am an international applicant. For the past few days I am facing quite the dilemma. I have been offered admission letters in 2 US universities for PhD with graduate assistantship and tuition waivers. Which of the two is the better program? (My master's degree was in Physiology)

1. Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Dept of Physiology (Graduate assistantship $18,000)

http://www.siumed.edu/physiology/

2. Cell, Molecular and Structural Biology. Miami University, Oxford, Ohio (Graduate assistantship $17,376 + health insurance)

http://www.cas.muohio.edu/cmsb/

[Neuropsychologist]

Of course SIUC Carbondale. It's always a better choice!

[virion]

I can't say a thing about the program, but having done a term of undergrad at SIU years ago, I am thrilled about the idea of never setting foot in Carbondale again. (hopefully no offense to anyone )

More importantly, which program has more interesting research to you? It seems as though there is more molecular bio, genetics, and microbiology going on in the Miami program.

Edited April 1, 2012 by virion

[Sayantan Mitra]

SIU is MS (with grad assistantship) and THEN only I can enroll for my PhD there, more collaborations with the medical school and greater oppurtunities with the medical field

Miami has lots of mol bio and microbio, even biochem, mine is an interdepartmental program so I'll be getting the best out of all the biological depts. Its direct PhD

[virion]

Sounds like Miami has a lot going for it, then, unless your plan is to get a masters and then apply to higher ranked PhD programs. In that case, an MS with significant financial assistance sounds nice. Of course, if you didn't finish your PhD at Miami you could wind up with a MS but I suppose it would look better to have enrolled in a masters program and received one, than to have left early with a terminal MS.

[Airwalker]

Go Miami, don't hang around hoping for an MS to turn into a PhD. If you want a PhD, do the program that is giving you a PhD. Plus Miami is a better school in my opinion, with better name recognition. Anytime people here a cardinal direction (i.e. south, east, west, north) + University name, they sort of wonder what is going on.

[Sayantan Mitra]

Thanks everyone. I decided to go with Miami U

[shreya s]

Hi. I have also been offered a PhD at Miami University for Microbiology/ geology (interdisciplinary). Can you give me information about the University as you are already there and since it is not a top ranked university, were there any problems getting the Visa?

[Gram Neutral]

Miami's campus is also much nicer than SIU in my opinion. You will enjoy it. Congrats on your decision.

[biotechie]

Sayantan, if you get a message from me, just ignore it. I realized after I sent it that you posted this a year ago, though it appeared in my feed, today.

Edited March 5, 2013 by biotechie