Decision-making time?

[sociologyinthepast]

Hi all,

 

I'm sure some of you have lots of news you're still waiting to hear (coming in off the waitlist, funding still up in the air, or programs from which nobody's heard a peep), but as we're coming into March, I bet many posters are entering the time of tough decisions.

 

How many folks basically know where they're going already? Who's still unsure, and needs campus visits to figure things out? What's your decision-making process like and what factors are you weighting?

 

I'm in the lovely but tough position of having a couple offers that I find near-equally strong, so I definitely need to wait until visits happen in the next few weeks.

 

I wanna hear from everyone!

[AaronM]

I'm in a similar situation, most of my schools are similarly ranked and each has its own strengths and weaknesses so no real "front runner" has emerged, necessitating going to all the campus visits. I really enjoyed where I visited last weekend, so if a school can top that, all the better for me.  While I'm not looking forward to having to make a decision, I'm definitely lucky to be in the spot that I am.

[dpu2012]

I am still waiting to hear back from two programs that it appears no one has heard from yet.... Im getting so tired of waiting! 

[Darth.Vegan]

Still waiting to hear from my top choice, also waiting to see what sort of better funding package UCSD can put together for me. They say it will be forthcoming but I may have to wait until the end of the month.

[amlobo]

I have two programs that will take the visits for me to decide, and one visit is at the end of the month, so I foresee an April decision for sure.  I am also waitlisted at one of my top choices, so I expect to hear a "final" decision in April.  I am considering all of the normal factors (fit, placement, etc.), but I also have to factor my spouse into the decision.  I am trying to figure out what will be best for my future and for my spouse's future.  He is incredibly supportive, and I want his career to be a priority for us, as well; it's very much a "joint" decision for us.

[ohgoodness]

Done and accepted the offer! 

Only have to take care of the emigration process now... 

[Tahoma]

The vague possibility of "unofficial wait lists" and the like notwithstanding, this is shaping up to be a very, very easy decision. Anybody got a lead on a 1br pet friendly apartment in Minneapolis?

[Willows]

I am probably 75% sure where I am going, but I am on a waitlist somewhere I would consider depending on the funding. I'm also waiting on my last school to actually make admission decisions. They're in the final stages.

I think it will be another 2-3 weeks at minimum before I commit - for all these reasons.

[heathenist]

I'm about 98% sure where I'll be attending in the fall.  I still haven't heard from 2 places that would maybe make me second guess my decision, and those are expected rejections.  It's definitely nice to know where I'll be in the fall, now I'm just hoping my partner ends up getting accepted there too (in a different PhD program), but we won't know for probably another 2-3 weeks unfortunately.

 

EDIT: After checking my decision status on the UMass website, I'm now 99.9% sure I know where I'll be going in the fall.

Edited March 4, 2013 by heathenist

[La_Di_Da]

I'm 99.9% positive which offer I'll be accepting. I only applied to three programs, and got into my top two, so the decision was difficult at the start, but definitely simpler than if I'd been accepted to several top programs. I was very methodical in my deliberations, comparing logistics (I have children to visit during summers and breaks), living allowances (relative to cost of living for each area), health plans (out-of-pocket costs, deductibles, provider caps, out-of-network costs, and overall coverage), program/coursework structure (Is there cohesion? Significant disciplinary breadth? Opportunity for independent growth?), and program milestones, among other criteria. Ultimately my decision boiled down to my sense of fit--of where I believe I'll do my best work. I feel confident I've selected the program that is right for me, as an individual and a scholar.

[soc_guy_2013]

First post. I've been stalking this site for a long time.

 

I've been accepted to three great programs, with great funding, but it'll be a tough choice! 

 

There are so many variables to consider, but I think the fit is the most important if choosing between similar ranked programs with sufficient funding. 

 

It'll be tough, very I'm in a position I can't really complain about!

[oilandvinegar]

I am still waiting to hear from two programs that would definitely be contenders although I relatively confident that I should expect rejections from both.

 

I have two funded offers, have a third offer where I have been wait-listed for funding, and have been told I'm very high on a wait-list for another school and that offer would include funding.

 

I'm about 65% sure of where I'd like to go. I'm visiting that school next week, and if I like it, it's likely I'll be 90% sure of where I'd like to go. Unfortunately I'm not visiting two of the programs until the last week of March, but I hope to make a decision promptly after those visits - ideally by April 1st.

 

I would recommend making a list of all the factors (broadly - funding/cost, program and POI factors, location) that you're considering and start thinking about the weight each of those factors carry. Ask direct questions to faculty and staff about those factors and take lots of notes when you visit. 

[jacib]

Done and accepted the offer! 

Only have to take care of the emigration process now... 

 

Yeah, and soon you'll be able to start buying guns!^₁  And drinking tasteless beer!²  (What do sex in a canoe and American beer have in common? They're both fucking close to water)³  And shopping at drug stores/pharmacies bigger, and better stocked, than any you've ever dreamed of.⁴  Congratulations again on your decision to love freedom. 

 

1: Obama is making it easier for you furriners.

2: As far as tasteless beers go, while the national tasteless brands include Coors, Budweiser, Miller, Busch, and Natural Ice/Light, let me recommend a local tasteless beer and suggest you go with Genessee Cream Ale ("Jenny") when you want that ole fashioned American beer flavor(lessness).

3: American beer, because of the microbrew movement, is now probably better than Europe's in general, but old stereotypes persist.  Seriously though, you'll never have to drink bad beer if you don't want to.

4: Strangely, it's our giant drugstores I might miss the most when I live abroad.  That and, of course, all the freedom.

[AaronM]

Yeah, and soon you'll be able to start buying guns!^₁  And drinking tasteless beer!²  (What do sex in a canoe and American beer have in common? They're both fucking close to water)³  And shopping at drug stores/pharmacies bigger, and better stocked, than any you've ever dreamed of.⁴  Congratulations again on your decision to love freedom. 

 

1: Obama is making it easier for you furriners.

2: As far as tasteless beers go, while the national tasteless brands include Coors, Budweiser, Miller, Busch, and Natural Ice/Light, let me recommend a local tasteless beer and suggest you go with Genessee Cream Ale ("Jenny") when you want that ole fashioned American beer flavor(lessness).

3: American beer, because of the microbrew movement, is now probably better than Europe's in general, but old stereotypes persist.  Seriously though, you'll never have to drink bad beer if you don't want to.

4: Strangely, it's our giant drugstores I might miss the most when I live abroad.  That and, of course, all the freedom.

'Murica

[RabbitFood]

I expect I will be waiting until the last possible second to make a decision. I still have a few visits to go but I have a tentative top three.

[ohgoodness]

Yeah, and soon you'll be able to start buying guns!^₁  And drinking tasteless beer!²  (What do sex in a canoe and American beer have in common? They're both fucking close to water)³  And shopping at drug stores/pharmacies bigger, and better stocked, than any you've ever dreamed of.⁴  Congratulations again on your decision to love freedom. 

 

1: Obama is making it easier for you furriners.

2: As far as tasteless beers go, while the national tasteless brands include Coors, Budweiser, Miller, Busch, and Natural Ice/Light, let me recommend a local tasteless beer and suggest you go with Genessee Cream Ale ("Jenny") when you want that ole fashioned American beer flavor(lessness).

3: American beer, because of the microbrew movement, is now probably better than Europe's in general, but old stereotypes persist.  Seriously though, you'll never have to drink bad beer if you don't want to.

4: Strangely, it's our giant drugstores I might miss the most when I live abroad.  That and, of course, all the freedom.

 

Dont worry I've already spent 2 years in Saskatoon, 1 in Seattle and 6 months in St Paul.. 

and I'm from Sweden - we invented the art of bad beer.. and you know - for all the bad jokes about Sweden = Socialism.. You try and take a social science class in Sweden without having to listen to 2 hours of "the neo-liberals are destroying the world; we have to reform and get lots of redistributive policies in place. Ask ourselves "why dun you have ice cream and what does this do for inequality?". Intellectual sandbox..

 

(albeit in a weird and foreign language but still true) 

Edited March 5, 2013 by ohgoodness

[blixx008]

The vague possibility of "unofficial wait lists" and the like notwithstanding, this is shaping up to be a very, very easy decision. Anybody got a lead on a 1br pet friendly apartment in Minneapolis?

There are lots of apartments or rooms near campus available as it gets closer to fall, and if you sign in June or July (even August) they're generally a little cheaper. There are also new, highly overpriced, apartment complexes popping up all over the place that should actually make getting a 1br in an older building or even a room in a house a little easier.

[oilandvinegar]

A idea for all with multiple offers: as you begin completing visits, consider comparing each program as it comes along. For example, if after visiting programs A and B, you prefer A, release your offer for B. Then when you visit program C, program D, etc., you can do the same, so you're freeing up offers as soon as possible for wait-listed folks. 

 

Just a thought. Obviously, if after visiting you need more time, take it, but if you know you'll definitely choose program A over program B, even if you might end up choosing program C or D, you can let the offer from B go.

[SocAwes13]

My decision is pretty clear considering I only got into one program (I only applied to three in total). I guess I'm just wondering whether I should keep that information to myself when talking to people from the program or whether I should just be candid about it? I applied to only three schools knowing that I would more than thrilled to attend any of the three, so I'm not exactly embarrassed or anything. But I just wonder whether it would benefit me in anyway to keep this info to myself? 

[faculty]

My decision is pretty clear considering I only got into one program (I only applied to three in total). I guess I'm just wondering whether I should keep that information to myself when talking to people from the program or whether I should just be candid about it? I applied to only three schools knowing that I would more than thrilled to attend any of the three, so I'm not exactly embarrassed or anything. But I just wonder whether it would benefit me in anyway to keep this info to myself? 

 

There's no reason to be embarrassed. There's no reason to actively keep it quiet - or to shout it from the rooftops. You need to figure out what approach will make you feel most comfortable in your own skin. The first year of grad school, in any program, there might be a bit of sizing up going on. Who got into which other schools, who had the higher GRE scores, who was the presumed superstar, who was pulled from the waitlist, and who was awarded this fellowship or that. It is hard to inoculate students against any ill-effects of this - including questioning their career choice - but I am here to tell you that these pissing contest qualities as seldom correlated with any real outcomes. Most of the superstars from my own grad program were pulled off the waitlist, many who received fellowships never finished, and the biggest "star" of my cohort - with job offers from three of the top five places when she hit the market - came in with the lowest GPA and no one in the department really expecting her to amount to anything.  

[1848ce]

Had two back-to-back visits this week that cleared things up for me. Realized department A was very strong in my main subfield interests while department B was strong in what is only of tangential interest. Throw in that A is offering me much better funding, is located in a more favorable city, had nicer faculty, has a better program structure...

YMMV, but by the end of my second visit I was pretty sure where I will end up. 90+% now; just waiting to hear about waitlists and better funding (and even that probably won't change my mind).

[Darth.Vegan]

I known where I want to go now, I'm just waiting a better funding offer that is supposedly in the works.

[RandomDood]

I know where I want to go too...just waiting for some of you to decline their offer

 

Cmoooooon! :-)

Edited March 9, 2013 by RandomDood

[Darth.Vegan]

I decided to decline Oklahoma today, it was hard because it was a lot of money haha. 

[sociologyinthepast]

I've rejected one offer already, so now I'm down to 3 that I'm considering. They all seem reasonable, and they're all funded, so it's going to come down mostly to the visiting process. Two are more highly ranked than the other, but those two are almost exactly equal. (But the other is in Boston... I like Boston.)

 

I'm most interested in talking with current students to get a sense of their misery - is it run of the mill, "my advisor takes a long time to read my diss drafts, my students bug me" misery, or is it deeper and more widespread?

 

Got my first visit tomorrow! Looking forward to it.