Dilemma Between MIT and Princeton

[me2013]

Hi there, I am so lucky to be accepted to Princeton's Phd ME program yesterday, and I am dilemma between MIT and Princeton now.

As MIT only offer me the MS degree other than a Phd (MIT's Phd ME only accept MS applicants), and my terminal degree would be a Phd, so should I accept the Princeton Phd or do MIT's MS first?

 

How do you guys compare the two schools and programs?

 

Any suggestions is appreciated! Thank you!!

[narcisso]

Both are great schools, but you already know that. For me the deciding factor would be funding. I suppose that a PhD at Princeton would be paid, whereas a Master's at MIT would not. If that is not a concern for you or if you have the same funding in both schools, choose based on the professor and the extent at which his research interests align with yours.

[foreverfree]

Obviously, funding is good and if you want a PhD then you should go to Princeton, obviously you're very good so if you applied to PhD programs after getting a MS you would probably get in where you wanted, but it can be harder to get into top PhD programs if you already have a MS...they might wonder why you didn't just go for a PhD and so forth, and they might want you to take additional classes.

 

My advice: visit. Maybe you'll like one of the departments better. 

 

Also, congrats! 

[sabdo]

Is there a PhD track for the MS program at MIT? If there is, then it may be worth going to MIT and backdoor your way into the PhD program. Granted, you would have to work hard initially to demonstrate your value, but I assume you would doing that at Princeton anyways. Also, if I remember correctly, MIT funds their MS students. If that's the case, then the finances wouldn't be such an issue.

 

Either way, you can't really go wrong. I'm biased towards MIT but Princeton is also a top program. Good haul!