Ranking vs. Fit

[RF237]

Ok, so I'm sure this topic has been discussed in various places on this forums numerous times, but I thought it could be helpful to start a history-specific thread on the importance of ranking versus fit. Personally, I have received one reply, an acceptance from one of my safety schools, but instead of feeling relief, I'm beginning to feel panic that I'm actually going to get in to more than one school and will have to make a decision! (Overly optimistic of me, I know!) I know the general consensus is that fit is the most important factor in deciding, but with the insane market for jobs, does it make sense to choose a school that's a good fit, but not the best fit, if it's noticeably higher in the rankings than the school you think is your best fit? What if the best fit school is lower in the rankings but has a very good placement rate? In my case, I think one of my safety schools, for instance, would be a better fit than a certain Ivy, but when I shared that thought with a friend whose applying to religion programs, he looked at me like I was nuts!

On a related note, I know that visits are important to determining fit, but I've been too busy and too broke to visit any of my programs yet. Did you visit before/during the application process, or are you waiting to see where you were accepted?

I know this general topic is well discussed, but I'm looking for ANY distraction while waiting for replies!

[synthla]

I've made a similar observation on these forums before, but for me anyway (with the caveat that this is only my perspective and not intended to be generally applicable advice), the job market is going to be tight regardless of where you go and ultimately you have to be obtaining the Ph.D., in large part, for its own sake and as an ends in itself. Thus, I would make the argument that fit is more important. Also, if you match faculty interest more and feel like you'll get more support as a result, then it seems possible that you'll be more likely to complete the program and actually get that degree. The ranking doesn't matter a whit if you don't finish in the first place because you're miserable or uncomfortable in the department, and 7+ years is a long time to be miserable and not get burnt out. Also, if you're happier, you're more likely to be productive and successful academically (publications, conferences, teaching, etc.) and those can be important items to distinguish your CV from that of the 100 other applicants for the TT position (even the ones from higher-ranked schools without those credentials).

That being said, if the difference in rankings is dramatic, then at a certain point that may start to overtake fit as a variable of importance, but I would think the disparity would have to get pretty high before it reached that point for me.

Just my $.02.

[Sonic]

Part of the problem I have sifting through all of the postings on "fit" is that "fit" is subjective and "ranking" is generally not. On some of the other boards, "fit" runs the gamut from matching faculty interests to the location's weather to cohort cohesion to whether or not the surrounding population is attractive enough to date. And the fit for student-me might be different from the fit for outside-class-me. Nonetheless, my vote is in for fit.

Last year, in my MA application round, ranking won. Option 1 was a highly ranked program in an area far from friends, family, and SO, in a totally different climate and regional culture, with an intense program. Option 2 was a lower-ranked school looking to strengthen its program, in my first-choice location, with several very attentive and kind professors trying to lure me in. I knew that I would be a very happy and successful student at Option 2, but I also felt that Option 1 was a better investment (and with MA programs, it is often an investment). So off to Option 1 I went. I don't regret it at all, but I also wasn't dealing with the prospect of 5-7 years at the school followed by the job market. Things will probably weigh differently this year.

My real fear (and also my real dream, I suppose!) is that there won't be a serious discrepancy between the schools in either ranking or fit. Most of the programs I applied to are in the same general area ranking-wise, and I really like all of them. I'm not sure how people choose between similarly ranked, great-fit schools. These are the problems we should all have!

[riss287]

I think that fit is more important personally. I went to a very, very small private college, but still managed to get a very good education. I don't believe that an Ivy League can offer you everything you personally want just because it is an Ivy League. Moreover, my specific subfield is very, very small. I had to go with "fit" or I would end up somewhere that did not have a clue what my subfield even was. In the long run, I'd rather go somewhere with a lower ranking that could nurture and help my subject and work, than a school that had the name but nothing to help me specifically.

By the way, to the original poster, congrats on Ohio State!!

[RF237]

Thanks for the congrats, riss287, and thanks for replies everyone! I have been thinking that fit is more important than Ivy/Top Ten status myself, but wanted to see if other historians shared my opinion. As for ranking, all my schools are in the top 26, or something, according to US News and World Report, which was the most understandable rankings I could find. Although I tend to think that these rankings can be very subjective, as they are to date (supposedly to change soon) based only on professors' opinions of schools. Granted, professors' opinions about schools are important, but that sort of ranking system is also highly biased by which professors actually receive, carefully fill out, and return the surveys and how much they know about their peers and other schools. Fit, too, is subjective, which does make it a difficult topic to discuss. My idea of "fit" in general order of importance: departmental resources and professors; department atmosphere; university resources; reputation of department and university; student life; location/COL; personal factors. And, of course, funding is a big wedge in there somewhere.

[Louiselab]

I'm not really sure how to judge "ranking." How reliable can U.S. news be regarding graduate study... It's the color coded newspaper.

Personally, I have a choice but not really. One is giving me funding, the other is prompting me to say "you call this funding?!" Fortunately, though, the school funding me will make me happier. I love their program (strong faculty in any area I conceivably want to study), good inter-cohort relations (community building and cooperation), excellent placement record (almost all have gone on to tenure track positions and assistant professor positions)... Geographically it's a good locale too.

[kahlan_amnell]

I think that people worry too much about ranking. Fit is really much more important, as long as the school has a decent placement record.