Big or small group here is a question for you

[tomahok]

Hey everybody, so I was accepted for a PhD in engineering and I have the choice between 2 advisers, my research interests are aligned with both advisers so that isnt really the issue.

one research group is sort of big with a famous prof. (i think they are 40 people) and so even though its a wonderful opportunity I have these feelings that I my apprenticeship would not be as good.

on the other the second group is smaller and surely the prof. will have more time to devote in terms of consulting and discussing things.

so i do wonder what are your thought in this matter. would love to hear your opinion

[ktel]

I can't vote because I can't decide. I'm currently in a largeish group (15-20), and my supervisor is department chair. The combination is great, because since my supervisor is so busy (I meet with him about once a month) I can ask anyone else a question. I really like working independently and it works for me for right now. I was offered positions in a number of other groups that varied in size (2-10) and in professors busy-ness (non-tenured to the dean) and I often wonder how different my experience would have been elsewhere. I share a room with students from other groups, and I often see their professor come in to check on them several times a day. I think that would be a bit extreme for me.

[Tall Chai Latte]

I'm in the life sciences, and I have rotated with a famous prof with a large-ish group of 20 people, and small groups with only 7~8 people. From my experience, I do see that staying with the famous prof certainly has its advantages, i.e. the fame, the cutting-edge research, financial stability etc, but since the prof is famous, he also has a lot of things going on on the side (he owns a company) and doesn't have a lot of time to mentor his students. The situation is similar to what you described for the first group -- if you like working independently, and people you work with are friendly and willing to help you out when you have questions, there is no problem with staying with the famous prof. On the other hand, profs with smaller groups have fewer personnels to manage, and you can potentially get more input and guidance from the prof himself (and if he's also a well-known expert in the field, you are lucky!). Either way is great and can be rewarding, you need to find out which style fits you the most.

[fuzzylogician]

Is it possible for you to do rotations or some other short-term visit at both labs? I am very independent in my work but I still like to have someone available to read my drafts or answer questions when I have them. I imagine, more so than the issue of fame or busy-ness, I'd want to know how I get along with the PI and also how work in their lab usually proceeds (what's the routine, who can answer my questions, who do I go to if I have a problem - older students, post-docs, how often would I meet with my advisor, what expectations would they have of me between meetings, etc.). Based on just fame - I'd go with the more famous professor, since he will be able to give you better recommendations and make better connections for you in the future. But I wouldn't choose that over getting along with my advisor and not suffering for 5 years!