Another Prestige and Fit Dilemma

[bizio]

I'll try to keep this concise, but here's another question about deciding between two MA programs.

 

Program A is incredibly prestigious, and on paper is a great fit. However, after visiting I am feeling very lukewarm about it. The faculty and staff I met with were not as helpful, no current students would volunteer to talk with me, and the general 'vibe' was much more subdued. I would be much more on my own in terms of seeking out professors to work with and courses to take. Also, the curriculum and research interests of the students seem much more policy-based, whereas I am interested in cultural studies and see myself eventually in that realm professionally (i.e. I worry that I would be treated as a lightweight in a department of hard-nosed, ambitious policy people). On the plus side, I feel like I would be able to get a great internship and the name of the program would open a lot of doors down the road. Also, if I want to pursue a PhD, their graduates are currently all at Ivies. There's also the opportunity for more second-year funding, and travel funding (though the first year costs would be much higher).

 

School B on paper doesn't look like a fit at all. In fact, I would be the only person in the department working on my area of interest. But they were much more excited about me in general, and while I would still be doing some independent work to meet the needs of my interests, I got the impression that I would be much more supported by the department in doing so, and everyone (faculty, staff and students) seemed both interested in what I want to do, and like they would welcome the perspective I would bring to the program. The general bent of the coursework is more theoretical, so while the course titles might not seem like a great fit, the content would be applicable to my interests and I would be able to research and write on my area of interest. I met a lot of students, all of whom were incredibly warm and friendly, and there's a much more cohesive collegiality in this program. I would also do an internship in a museum/cultural institution, and this university in general is very well-regarded and well-connected in that realm and would proved me with professional skills if I decide to look for a job after graduating. Alternately if I go the PhD route, I feel like I would be better prepared in terms of my knowledge and academic abilities, but I would be less well-connected in the field I eventually want to go into. This school is less expensive, but there are fewer funding opportunities for the future.

 

I felt at home at school B and like I would thrive and grow there, whereas at school A I feel like I would put the time in, get what I need, and then rely on the program's prestige to help me get a job afterwards. Basically, my heart is telling me to go with school B, but when I write it all out school A seems like a more logical choice.

 

Sorry, this was not concise at all.

[annieca]

I think if your heart is telling you School B, then go with School B. From your accepted list, I'm taking a guess that the one you feel "at home" at is Madison? Madison is also a whole lot cheaper rent-wise than Chicago, NYU or Columbia. Your MA is 2-3 years of your life. Why live in a place/go to a school where you just would grit it out?

 

AND, a final note - if the relationship between the department and its students doesn't improve at School A, then the prestige is not so helpful. You want professors who will glowingly write your recommendations for PhD program or jobs. Prestige will only get you so far.

 

My gut says go with your heart.

 

Hope that helps!

[fossilchick]

I'm with annieca.  The big "red flag" to me is that you feel at School A you may be pigeon-holed into being the "cultural studies" person among students whose interests closely resemble the professors' policy research agendas.  You say that you'd be on your own to find professors to work with; to me, it seems like a problem if your interests really differ from theirs and there isn't a structure in place to ensure that you have a supportive adviser.  Maybe you would get there and be pleasantly surprised, but like annieca says, prestige only gets you so far if your professors aren't interested in your work and write very general, cursory letters of recommendation for PhD programs. 

 

From your post, I don't see a lot of downside to School B.  You say the school is well-connected with museums, which would help you, and is collegial.  The weaknesses seem to be that it isn't as prestigious as School A and they don't have a 100% placement of their students into Ivy League PhD program.  But does School B have successful placement in general?  And, more to the point, how is the placement of both schools for students whose interests resemble yours?

 

Finally, I think it's worth just saying, it is OK to turn down a more prestigious program if another program is a better fit and puts you on a better trajectory.  Rankings aren't always the best indicator of that.

[JungWild&Free]

I agree with the posters above.  Even if School A is more prestigious, the fact that current students wouldn't talk to you is really sad and makes me think they don't have good things to say about the program.  It also sounds like School B is still a good school, so it's not like you're talking about a sub-par education.  Unless you think that the opportunities you would have at School A would be worth giving up the experience at School B, it seems like School B might be the way to go

[ak48]

I'd disagree with people here and say school A, because it's a Master's and not a PhD,

[fuzzylogician]

What is your end goal and how do these schools support it? You wrote about how you felt while visiting and how the schools might support your current research, but what's missing is what you want to do after you graduate. Do you want to do a PhD or go into industry? Does one school have a better placement record than the other in terms of industry and/or in terms of academia? You definitely don't want to suffer where you end up going, but you also don't want to make a decision that will leave you at a disadvantage later on just because you preferred the 'friendlier' place now.

[Trantorian]

Do you really need a good fit for a place you intend to leave after a year or two..?

 

I mean, if your goal is to go into a PhD program, there's less of a need to feel at home at your Master's than at the PhD institution. Of course, if you have a friend pick for you, and you feel either relieved or are looking for excuses to invalidate it, then you already have a choice made in your mind.

[bizio]

What is your end goal and how do these schools support it? You wrote about how you felt while visiting and how the schools might support your current research, but what's missing is what you want to do after you graduate. Do you want to do a PhD or go into industry?

Thanks, everyone, for your thoughts. I think that what makes this difficult is that my goal for an interdisciplinary MA is to decide if I do want to pursue a PhD, and if so, in what discipline. School A offers me a lot of coursework in what I want to research right now, and a name advantage if I do decide to pursue a PhD. But as for afterwards/industry, I would basically have to adjust my whole concept of what I want to do professionally. School B is less of a good fit for my current interests, but gives me more freedom to either apply to PhD programs from a strong MA, or would set up me up with a network and some professional credentials in the field I eventually want to work in.

I think I would have more options coming out of school B, while I would have a great name on my CV coming out of school A, but would probably end up looking for jobs in a sector I'm not as passionate about but would be better connected in.

Clearly, I just need to figure out what I want to get out of these programs!

[juilletmercredi]

If your goal in this MA program is to decide whether or not you want to pursue a PhD, and to select a discipline, then I think your chief needs are these:

 

1. Finding a place that allows to explore within a certain broad area of interest for you.

2. Finding a place that will help you get into a PhD program because of the kind of work that you will do there and, potentially, the kind of opportunities they lead you to after the MA.

 

I think people overestimate name advantage when applying to PhD programs.  While there is a small advantage (and in some fields it's bigger), what PhD programs are primarily concerned with is how much and what kind of research you did and whether your professors would deem you as a successful, well-prepared PhD student.  I'm in an Ivy League social sciences program and the students in my cohort got their MAs from all kinds of places.  Ivies are probably overrepresented in my department's MAs, but they're not the only ones here.

 

From your description, it sounds like School B is really a better fit for preparing you for PhD programs.  You'll be supported by your department; people welcome your perspective; you'll have more theoretical coursework (which can be important preparation for PhD programs, especially theoretically heavy ones); and you'll be able to research and write in your field of interest, which is really the most important thing for getting admitted to programs.  The internship is really a great bonus in case you decide to work after for a few years.

 

IT sounds like you really want to go to School B anyway, so I say you go there.

[somethinbruin]

I think I would have more options coming out of school B, while I would have a great name on my CV coming out of school A, but would probably end up looking for jobs in a sector I'm not as passionate about but would be better connected in.

Clearly, I just need to figure out what I want to get out of these programs!

 

The name on the CV is far less important than the actual contents of your CV. All of the schools you list are of sufficient quality to get you good name recognition on your CV, so go with your heart and then work like the dickens to build your qualifications--research, publish, present, teach, and get good grades. THIS is what will open doors after you graduate.

 

School A might be able to set you up with connections, but ultimately it will be up to you to cultivate those relationships. I suspect you will be able to do that at all of your other schools as well, since they are all large schools with large alumni and donor networks.

 

Go with your heart, and where you will be happy. Ultimately, that will make you a better and more successful student.

[bizio]

Update: I am now leaning towards School A. After some emails with the DGS, I am becoming more concerned that lack of fit on paper at School B will translate into actual roadblocks as I pursue my particular research interests. I am also very swayed by the argument that "friendliness" is not a reason to choose a school.

 

At this point, I think that School A will not only provide good internship leads and allow me to make professional connections, but will still provide the rigorous academic challenge that I'm looking for. Both schools are great programs where I would learn a lot, and I would be silly to think that I wouldn't be able to get the theoretical background in addition to the policy at School A. And if I'm not sure whether I'll want to continue on for a PhD afterwards, then the professional connections at A could prove invaluable.

 

And finally, while the first year costs are higher at School A, there is a much better chance of second year funding and I was almost guaranteed travel money for regional research (which is a huge plus, in my book).

[somethinbruin]

Update: I am now leaning towards School A. After some emails with the DGS, I am becoming more concerned that lack of fit on paper at School B will translate into actual roadblocks as I pursue my particular research interests. I am also very swayed by the argument that "friendliness" is not a reason to choose a school.

 

At this point, I think that School A will not only provide good internship leads and allow me to make professional connections, but will still provide the rigorous academic challenge that I'm looking for. Both schools are great programs where I would learn a lot, and I would be silly to think that I wouldn't be able to get the theoretical background in addition to the policy at School A. And if I'm not sure whether I'll want to continue on for a PhD afterwards, then the professional connections at A could prove invaluable.

 

And finally, while the first year costs are higher at School A, there is a much better chance of second year funding and I was almost guaranteed travel money for regional research (which is a huge plus, in my book).

 

Good for you! Perhaps once you get there, you can work on developing a friendlier, more collegial atmosphere among the students. It only takes a committed few to start working on a culture change!