decisions, decisions....

[ProspectStu8735]

What factors are most important to you guys when making the final decision of where to enroll? I have no idea how I'm going to choose!

[Quantum Buckyball]

1. location of the school

2. nearby/surrounding facilities (if any)

3. crime rate (safety first)

4. graduation rate/attrition rate

5. cost of living

6. # of research groups you're interested in

7. group members from each group

8. # of publications/yr/student

9. # of students went into academia vs. industry

10. in-house facilities/professional staff

11. money

[fullofpink]

1. Visiting.

 

If you can, visit the campus. My number 1 for 4 years straight immediately dropped down to my last choice after visiting. While this particular school had everything I theoretically needed and (what I thought I) desired, the faculty's intentions, methodologies and even language were antithetical with my own philosophies.  

 

When I visited my second choice, I was impressed with the faculty, its students, and its pedagogical objectives. I felt comfortable speaking with the professors and the students (where at my former first choice I recognized that I should really, really, really think before speaking because word choice was obviously too important to them), and the resources there were AMAZING. The website in no way conveyed the resources and opportunities they had that were able to give me a research advantage. 

 

2. Funding 

 

Go where the money flows. When and if I get accepted to other schools, the funding counts. And if the money speaks the right dialect, then I'll visit the program (if not previously arranged) to get a feel for the school. Again, visiting counts for a LOT. 

 

Will my stipend cover my rent and food? I do not want to take out a loan since they will be unsubsidized. So beign able to afford to live, even marginally comfortable, is key. I had to put myself through my college as an undergraduate and I could barely function between working, my loans, and my schoolwork, and now as a working adult, I know that I am most comfortable AND functional if I don't have to worry about finances. 

 

3. Advisor 

 

I'm looking for a compatible advisor - someone who meets me halfway. I was fortunate (or maybe unfortunate??) as an undergrad to have 5 different advisors, and I really recognized that some I worked better with than others. I really want someone who is down to earth, encourages me to seek my own opportunities while also guiding me to ones that they think will work best, and who will give me the time of day. Some advisors only meet with their students once a semester, some meet once a week. I know that for me, I want a very private and guided individual who will give me the time when I need it and also keep to a strict schedule (like once a month, more if need be). 

 

4. Opportunities 

 

I want to be a curator, so being near museums that I can either work or intern at is very important to me. [Also, finding an advisor who supports that goal was a big issue too]. Being in a location too far from museums is not preferable, so I didn't apply to places that didn't have such opportunities. Also, in this bracket, I put research resources (museums, libraries, school affiliations), scholarship and travel funding opportunities, curating opportunities, and publishing opportunities. 

 

 

Things I'm not so worried about: 

-Job Placement 

As someone who looks as applicant profiles, I know that the individual's experiences speaks more than the name of their school. Going to an Ivy might get you an interview, but it won't guarantee you a job. Jobs are more about researching and publishing and (in curatorial) having good experience rather than just your school name, so if your students are able to get published and present at conferences that says a lot more about the school than if someone is getting a job. 

-Location 

I'm okay if a big city is a few hours away, or if I'm living in one. I just need to know if I can live close enough to the school so I don't have to lug books miles and miles. I can also entertain myself pretty easily, whether its through events locally or camping out on my laptop at home. 

-Teaching Opportunities 

I'd actually prefer to not teach, but some people are really gung-ho on this. That's cool! I'd rather spend my time working with the art itself rather than babysitting a class of 100 undergraduates (some TAs do this). However, if it's EXPECTED that I teach a heavy load, then I might have to heavily reconsider a school's offer. 

 

 

Hm, I wonder if I might think of more.. 

[Seeking]

-Job Placement 

As someone who looks as applicant profiles, I know that the individual's experiences speaks more than the name of their school. Going to an Ivy might get you an interview, but it won't guarantee you a job. Jobs are more about researching and publishing and (in curatorial) having good experience rather than just your school name, so if your students are able to get published and present at conferences that says a lot more about the school than if someone is getting a job.

 

I too used to think like this - and I still feel this is how it should be in an ideal world, but this is not an ideal world. 

 

I have seen quite a few well-published researchers getting sidelined by non-published PhDs just fresh out of Ivy schools. And the Ivy Graduates were no more brilliant or knowledgeable than their non-Ivy counterparts. They just had an Ivy stamp on their degrees to support them.

 

Of course, I am against this culture of blindly taking in the Ivy graduates just because they happen to have an Ivy degree, but unfortunately, this is the way most selection committees think.

 

The US has a long way to go in matters of selecting its faculty.

 

If I were applying, I'd just go for funding and ranking of the school. I'd adjust with all other uncomfortable factors. Of course, it is presumed that one would apply only to programs that are the best fits to one's interests.

Edited February 13, 2013 by Seeking

[nodens]

Agree with Seeking. I'd add in that I'd consider the placement rate of my POI's previous graduates. Your POI being a job-getter makes a ton of difference. That factor made the decision for me to pursue my PhD elsewhere after I completed my MA.

[fullofpink]

I agree Seeking, it does happen. You are correct. 

 

I also agree with the above statements in terms of personal decision (it is an important factor to consider and it is important to note if your advisor is placing their students); however, I also have friends who went to lower-ranked programs that are currently on TT or are curators in very established museums. They are amazing individuals and excellent scholars, and their success is a product of their hard work. 

[ProspectStu8735]

Do you think there is a difference in hiring bias between top public and top private schools?  For example, if one is accepted to both Harvard and UCLA, both top 10 programs, is there a benefit in going to one over the other?  I only ask because I've noticed that some of the top schools on the east coast have NO public school grads on faculty.  Perhaps this owes to Berkeley and UCLA grads being reluctant to leave the west coast, but Rutgers and CUNY are both quite close and seem to be relatively underrepresented, given the strength of their programs.  Any ideas or am I reading too much into this?