Decisions!

[ellbell]

Just curious what all you guys are thinking when it comes to making the big decisions -- that is, assuming you have heard from all of your schools by now. How are you weighing funding vs. overall "fit" with the program vs. rankings?

I'm between USC and UCSD -- I think I'm overall more into the UCSD program (although to be fair I haven't gone to open house yet for USC). But I got a great fellowship at USC with a big, comfortable stipend, the school is strong in syntax, and I live in LA already so it's very convenient for me and especially my significant other. Maybe I'm worrying way too much about it... Anyone else making pro and con lists in their heads all day?

[liszt85]

Though only one official offer has come my way, I think I'll end up having to choose between Northwestern (Linguistics) and McMaster (Psychology) [and possible Ohio State University (Psychology) as well]. McMaster seems to be the best fit for me with regards to research interests (followed by Northwestern and then OSU in that order) but I'll be moving from India with a newly wed wife who I have to support and therefore, funding is of utmost importance and will be a major factor in my final decision. Northwestern has offered me around $20.5K (inclusive of guaranteed summer funding). This is guaranteed for 5 years (and 4 summers). OSU will probably offer much lesser but then the cost of living is very low in Columbus. McMAster will probably pay me around 15K CDN per year which again is pretty low but again Hamilton is not too expensive a place. So the decision is going to be really tough and I really have no clue at the moment Any advice is welcome!

[GoLinguistics]

Just curious what all you guys are thinking when it comes to making the big decisions -- that is, assuming you have heard from all of your schools by now. How are you weighing funding vs. overall "fit" with the program vs. rankings?

I'm between USC and UCSD -- I think I'm overall more into the UCSD program (although to be fair I haven't gone to open house yet for USC). But I got a great fellowship at USC with a big, comfortable stipend, the school is strong in syntax, and I live in LA already so it's very convenient for me and especially my significant other. Maybe I'm worrying way too much about it... Anyone else making pro and con lists in their heads all day?

You go for Ph.D. program, not for working and I assume that you would like to be a professor in the future. So in my opinion, how does the program fit you and how is the ranking of program are the most important factors in your future career. Like umich said in the post linguistics " who picks a grad program for whether". Similar, "who picks a grad program for money" especially regarding to academica program.

I thought you should think about it in longterm! Your significant one is one of the factors in your decision making. I know it is tough, and no one can answer you on this. It looks like you like UCSD more and if you pick UCSD finally. Don't be feel alone, I know many people do the two hours driving at weekend. That is why you see 'rush hours' between LA and SD during the weekend.

As for the ranking, USC and UCSD are the same, no big difference in generally. But definetely, they would have their own strengths. If their strengths fit your interests, go for it! If you are not sure about their strengths, consult with your professors. Tell them your interest, they definetely can provide your more correct answer than the ranking from public agency.

[GoLinguistics]

Though only one official offer has come my way, I think I'll end up having to choose between Northwestern (Linguistics) and McMaster (Psychology) [and possible Ohio State University (Psychology) as well]. McMaster seems to be the best fit for me with regards to research interests (followed by Northwestern and then OSU in that order) but I'll be moving from India with a newly wed wife who I have to support and therefore, funding is of utmost importance and will be a major factor in my final decision. Northwestern has offered me around $20.5K (inclusive of guaranteed summer funding). This is guaranteed for 5 years (and 4 summers). OSU will probably offer much lesser but then the cost of living is very low in Columbus. McMAster will probably pay me around 15K CDN per year which again is pretty low but again Hamilton is not too expensive a place. So the decision is going to be really tough and I really have no clue at the moment Any advice is welcome!

I thought OSU ranks higher than the other two in Linguistics generally? Maybe in your subfield, the ranking is difference and maybe your personally research interest.

As for the funding, with either of the stipends, your family can live in a good shape. I didn't see much difference considering the living expnese. They are enough for your family. Check with the engineer guys, they got paid may be only half of yours. Of course, they will get higher pay in industry after graduate.

[GoLinguistics]

My opinion: fitting (your interest and the program) > ranking of grogram > location > stipend > other.

1. Do the research you like! Ph.D. is at least 5 year commitment and the your Ph.D. research is the fundation of your whole career. So in certain point, your happyness in your research depends on "how is the fitting".

2. In the future, when you are introduced, the sequence: your name, your grad school, ..... higher ranking program can provide your strong research fundation and hot direction, also decent networking. You will benefit from him/her a lot when looking for an academic job.

3. Location may have impact on industry job hunting, but not impact on academic jobs. Of course, the weather, the city, that depends on the individuals.

4. Personally, I don't care how much is the stipend when making decisions on picking my Ph.D. program since I can have a good shape without worrying about living expense.

What is your opinion?

[chillofrito]

Fit is obviously the most important. However, at this point its a moot issue since I didn't apply anywhere that wouldn't be at least a workable fit (for instance, didn't apply to any depts that are strong in socio ling ). Money and location are more important to me than reputation, since I count on my work speaking for itself. I might be overestimating the quality of my work, but if I count on doing mediocre work there isn't really any point in pursuing this whole thing anyway. However, if they don't give me money I won't go, and I can't be happy in a place I don't like and since not happy = not good work for me, its a no brainer.

[liszt85]

I thought OSU ranks higher than the other two in Linguistics generally? Maybe in your subfield, the ranking is difference and maybe your personally research interest.

As for the funding, with either of the stipends, your family can live in a good shape. I didn't see much difference considering the living expnese. They are enough for your family. Check with the engineer guys, they got paid may be only half of yours. Of course, they will get higher pay in industry after graduate.

No man, its the Dept of Psychology at OSU that would be potentially making an offer to me. So I'm trying to compare the Depts of Psychology at OSU and McMaster with the Dept of Linguistics at Northwestern. IF there are people who've visited these programs, I would love to hear about your experience.

[GoLinguistics]

Fit is obviously the most important. However, at this point its a moot issue since I didn't apply anywhere that wouldn't be at least a workable fit (for instance, didn't apply to any depts that are strong in socio ling ). Money and location are more important to me than reputation, since I count on my work speaking for itself. I might be overestimating the quality of my work, but if I count on doing mediocre work there isn't really any point in pursuing this whole thing anyway. However, if they don't give me money I won't go, and I can't be happy in a place I don't like and since not happy = not good work for me, its a no brainer.

Absolutely, Not happy = not good work! So when comes to pick offers, we need to think in this way: you are happier with which location, which funding, which ranking, as so on... All these are too personally and totally depend on individual.

However, beside these personal emotional things, there are still have some "embedded" rules in the academic when you look at it from pure career development view. If we can feel the rules and follow the rules, we can avoid "Z turns" in our career.

[nocturne]

I would say that for me, of course fit is important, but money is important, too. I come from a poor family, and as a non-traditional student (27 at graduation in May), I have many "adult bills" to pay for, too. If I don't get some sort of financial package, I probably won't be able to go, and the bigger the better, since most of the areas I am looking at moving to are quite expensive.

Personally, I don't care how much is the stipend when making decisions on picking my Ph.D. program

I wish that could be the case for all of us, but I know it's not the case for me. After all, I gotta eat!

[GoLinguistics]

I would say that for me, of course fit is important, but money is important, too. I come from a poor family, and as a non-traditional student (27 at graduation in May), I have many "adult bills" to pay for, too. If I don't get some sort of financial package, I probably won't be able to go, and the bigger the better, since most of the areas I am looking at moving to are quite expensive.

I wish that could be the case for all of us, but I know it's not the case for me. After all, I gotta eat!

Please quote the whole sentence!

4. Personally, I don't care how much is the stipend when making decisions on picking my Ph.D. program since I can have a good shape without worrying about living expense.

Of course, no funding is hard for 5 years study! My point is that I won't pick a program because they pay me couples of thousands dollar more per year. I believe my feature career deserves much more than that.

[fuzzylogician]

Now that I am halfway through my two-week visit to the grad schools who admitted me, I can say this: (1) location is much more important than I had previously thought, both with regards to weather and to size. I'd hate to live 5 years in a place that bores me after 2 days. (2) You can learn *a lot* just by talking to your potential adviser. It doesn't even have to be about research, you can test your ability to interact with a person just based on a conversation about the weather. (3) Likewise if you get a chance to visit a colloquium or other gathering at the department, you can learn a lot by observing who talks to whom and which groups are forming in the room. (4) Grad students will tell all! (including valuable information about things I would never have thought to ask.) As an international I found that the way current internationals are doing in the program is the best gauge of the way I would do there. (5) Talk to as many of your potential adviser's current students as possible. I've changed my mind about a person I was seriously considering working with based on this.

My revised preferences, based on the conclusions from my trip, are now: fit with peers + fit with potential adviser > number of ppl doing related work in the dpt that you think you can work with > funding > location > other. I think those are the factors that will have the largest impact on my well-being in a given place.

[Dinali]

Was UCLA one of the schools you visited? Did you go to the beach? God I miss going to the beach in March.

[nocturne]

Please quote the whole sentence!

To be honest (and feel sheepish), the reason I didn't quote the whole sentence is that I am not sure what you mean by "have a good shape without worrying about living expense." Weight loss by starvation? (LOL)

[fuzzylogician]

Was UCLA one of the schools you visited? Did you go to the beach? God I miss going to the beach in March.

Yep, I visited UCLA. In a nutshell: loved the people, loved the beach, hated the city. I almost feel the decision was made more difficult by this visit, but it was definitely worth it.

[Dinali]

Yep, I visited UCLA. In a nutshell: loved the people, loved the beach, hated the city.

That nicely summarizes my three years there. Actually, while LA certainly can't compete* with Boston or New York, the city does grow on you -- maybe that's what you're afraid of

*as a city. As the world's largest collection of small towns, LA is incomparable.

[fuzzylogician]

That nicely summarizes my three years there. Actually, while LA certainly can't compete* with Boston or New York, the city does grow on you -- maybe that's what you're afraid of

I had the strangest feeling during my visit in LA that everything around me was to some extent fake. People are "partially augmented" by surgery (to put it as one grad student there did), the desert is made to look lush and green, streets go on forever so you can be on the street you are looking for but miles away from your actual destination. I did feel the connections I made with people at the university were genuine, though, and that's the most important thing.

[Dinali]

streets go on forever so you can be on the street you are looking for but miles away from your actual destination

Check out this guy's story of Sepulveda:

http://www.placesearth.com/roadtrip/code/sepulvd0.shtml

[GoLinguistics]

I'm choosing between schools that are a better match but offer less money and schools that are not as good a match (and are ranked lower) but offer a lot more money. I'll choose one of the better matches because they still offer enough funding for me to live reasonably well, and fit is more important to me than more money.

Thanks to fuzzylogician! That is exactly what I mean!

[fuzzylogician]

Glad I could help

[anyli_t]

Thought I'd chime in - I've (finally!) decided to go to Berkeley.

[fuzzylogician]

Congrats on the decision, anyli_t! Berkley is a great school

[anyli_t]

Congrats on the decision, anyli_t! Berkley is a great school

Thanks for the kind words. How is your decision coming along?

[fuzzylogician]

I've decided to go to MIT. It was a tough choice between MIT and UMass, both are a great research match and are hard to choose between, but in the end I felt like I'll be happier living in Boston/Cambridge than in Northampton so location became the deciding factor for me. I've notified the department of my decision about 10 days ago and also notified everyone else I'm declining their offers (for those of you on waitlists).

I feel so good about my decision and about finally being done with the application process, I can't even begin to tell you!

[psycholinguist]

Thanks for the kind words. How is your decision coming along?

I've decided to go to MIT. It was a tough choice between MIT and UMass, both are a great research match and are hard to choose between, but in the end I felt like I'll be happier living in Boston/Cambridge than in Northampton so location became the deciding factor for me. I've notified the department of my decision about 10 days ago and also notified everyone else I'm declining their offers (for those of you on waitlists).

I feel so good about my decision and about finally being done with the application process, I can't even begin to tell you!

Congrats, both of you!

[fuzzylogician]

Thanks!