Which of these schools would you pick?

[NewScientist12]

High-ranking A vs Middle-ranking B???

Torn... guaranteed funding at University A for 5 years + Outstanding Scholar Fellowship.

At A, the research fit is good, but I do not mesh well with my adviser. Some red flags (hard to get a hold of, poor feedback on writing - as in - literally no feedback). How big of a concern is this generally? Would you "suck it up" or stay away? Intuitively going in with this expectation of being my own mentor in a sense just doesn't feel right...

At B, I was warmly welcomed, felt somewhat of a "spark," and hit it off pretty well with my adviser. Big strength, relative to A, is the collaboration opportunity, particularly with three established and respected researchers in my field.

On rankings alone, I'd pick A, but do these really matter THAT much in this situation? At school B, I can build a solid network any way and hopefully work my way in that way...

Thoughts?

Edited April 4, 2012 by NewScientist12

[Debal Saha]

If you are going for PhD ... then I wil suggest go with B

[nari27]

go with B. It's not worth the 5+ year commitment if you're already getting weirdness with an advisor.

[Sigaba]

Before you make a choice, I recommend that you take steps to 'test' your interpretation of your potential POI at School A. See if you can talk to some of that professor's ABDs "off the record." If the experiences of four or five of these ABDs mirrors yours, I would recommend leaning towards School B.

However, if the ABDs are all over the place, give some thought that this professor is 'quirky' and it may take a while to figure him/her out. Then, you'll have to decide if such a dynamic is worth the effort.

[psychgurl]

What's the funding like at B?

[UnlikelyGrad]

I would say 'B' too. My younger sister was in a similar predicament and chose 'A'. She ended up leaving with a master's because she couldn't get along with her advisor. Prestige is not worth it if you can't finish.