Advice making a decision?

[brinswan]

Hello, I was hoping you guys might be able to help me make a decision . . . I've received two very nice offers, I have yet to hear back from all my schools but at this point I'm thinking these two offers are probably all I'll be getting, which is obviously more than satisfactory to me! So I'm having an impossible time deciding though. I still have yet to visit these schools but maybe when I do it will become an easier decision for me. But I was hoping if I posted about this someone might already be able to help me figure out where to lean . . . I'll try to explain the situation as best I can while still maintaining some anonymity so . . .

1) Offer one is from a good, solid program with a good financial package. The location of the school isn't ideal for me but the town it's in is supposed to be nice enough. I've had interactions with faculty who all seem very nice and attentive, and I've only heard good things about this school. The school itself is a big state university and although the department as a whole isn't top ranked (although not ranked poorly either) it's considered to be a very good place to study my particular subfield. My particular interest however is trans-regional and while this school is strong in one region it's not necessarily that strong in the other, although it appears likely that they will be hiring someone soon that will make them an even better match for me. I don't have exact details on placement history but by all accounts their placement record is very good.

2) Offer two is from another good program in a place I'd really like to live. This program however is in an interdisciplinary field that's related to my primary field of interest (the degree I would receive from school one.) They're not necessarily top in my "main" interest but they are top in this interdisciplinary field and have extremely good placement. They have offered me significantly more money than school one, but the school is not as responsive to me and I have barely received any communication from them at all. Another problem is the fact that this interdisciplinary field I'm interested in (and would be receiving my degree in) is a politically very controversial subject and I worry that the atmosphere of this school and maybe the professors as well might have different political views than me and I especially worry that this will carry over into conflicts between me and my potential advisor. But then again I seem to have the assurance of getting a job if I should take my degree at this place.

So . . my basic problem is trying to compare apples and oranges. Anyone have any idea where I should be leaning? or was this post too vague for anybody to make any valuable suggestions?

[goose2009]

I think your visits will help a lot in answering your concerns about school 2. I definitely think your concerns about the climate at school two are important to consider. I personally wouldn't attend a place that I don't think I would be happy at even if they were offering me more money. If you aren't happy you likely won't be as productive and you won

[rising_star]

Have you visited either or both programs?

[brinswan]

Hey guys, thanks for the advice. No, rising_star, I have yet to visit the programs but I will - plans are already underway to visit #1, I wrote my potential advisor at school 2 about visiting but he never wrote back! That part is also bothering me, the fact that I'm receiving so little communication from them. But I'm sure you're both right that maybe when I visit things will become clear to me. But conversely, in a case like this is relying on the gut feeling I'd get from a weekend visit all it should really come down to?

[TulipOHare]

But conversely, in a case like this is relying on the gut feeling I'd get from a weekend visit all it should really come down to?

Well, you're gonna get more from the visit than just a gut feeling -- you'll find out what the culture of the department is like and get a feel for how you'll get along with the faculty (at school 2, you'll probably be able to figure out from the visit why the communication is so poor -- are the faculty overworked? indifferent to students? e-mail fearing Luddites? simply absent-minded? or something else?). You'll also find out what the other students are like and what the campus and the general area are like, and those are really not to be underrated. Not all your time will be spent working, and your life in grad school will be a lot happier if you don't hate where you live or the people you run into every day.

Someone also made a point in another thread about looking at your stipend vs. the cost of living in the two areas -- the same stipend could be enough for a modestly comfy life in one area, but barely pay for your cardboard box and ramen in the other.

[rising_star]

But conversely, in a case like this is relying on the gut feeling I'd get from a weekend visit all it should really come down to?

Yes. You'll have met the faculty, staff, and graduate students, seen the campus and facilities, and gotten a sense of the town. Do you need more than that to make a decision?

[brinswan]

Well I suppose you guys are right . . I was just thinking there are things to take into consideration besides atmosphere though . . . like financial and employment and academic issues. But I suppose you guys are assuming I will have been able to learn all about this by then.

So basically would you say if the environment of school number 2 turns out to be ok, if the faculty seems open-minded politically and if there's a good explanation for their lack of response, then 2 is the obvious choice?

Oh yeah, about the issue of cost of living making up for difference in stipend - I think it's true that it would be more expensive to live in the city where school no. 2 is located, but the difference in stipend is 10,000 dollars per year. that's quite a bit isn't it? I'm thinking that maybe that alone should decide it for me - the difference between living excruciatingly frugally and just very frugally might make a big difference in my happiness quotient?

[rising_star]

So basically would you say if the environment of school number 2 turns out to be ok, if the faculty seems open-minded politically and if there's a good explanation for their lack of response, then 2 is the obvious choice?

Oh yeah, about the issue of cost of living making up for difference in stipend - I think it's true that it would be more expensive to live in the city where school no. 2 is located, but the difference in stipend is 10,000 dollars per year. that's quite a bit isn't it? I'm thinking that maybe that alone should decide it for me - the difference between living excruciatingly frugally and just very frugally might make a big difference in my happiness quotient?

I think the "obvious choice" is the one that feels most right to you. We can't tell you that, unfortunately.

As far as the stipend difference, you also want to consider state, city, and federal income taxes. In particular, the extra $10K may turn out to not be so much after you're in another tax bracket and all that. You also want to find out about health insurance and fees, both of which will take money out of your paycheck and can range from $100/semester to $900/semester, depending on the school.