Coming to peace with the grad school decision

[lafresca]

Hi everyone, 

 

I am having some regrets about my graduate school decision. I was admitted to university B on April 10 and, before that, university A was the front-runner. 

 

University A

Guaranteed funding for 4 years

 

No official offer, only minimum guarantee

 

Very narrow research focus

 

limited contact with professor leading up to decision deadline

 

internationally ranked school

 

Located in Canada

 

 

University B

Guaranteed funding for 5 years

 

POI is well known and respected in the field

 

Diverse lines of research

 

POI called me day of decision to say that the faculty and students at university really liked me and would love me to join their lab. She also asked what my hesitation was about attending this university and said I would have no problem attaining a job after working with her because she placed her students well. 

 

Located in Southern California (where I've spent the majority of my life). 

 

Any suggestions with dealing with regret and instead, looking forward to attending graduate school B (which, ultimately, ended up being my decision) would be greatly appreciated. 

 

Thanks!

[backtoschool13]

School B, in my opinion, sounds like the better option to begin with... What makes you regret choosing it?

 

It doesn't seem like you should have regrets. It seems to have great funding, a supportive POI and people who are excited to work with you!

[ridofme]

What is the source of your regret? I don't see anything in School A to recommend it over B, unless there's a personal reason that you're leaving out.

[midnight]

B seems like the best all-around choice.

[lafresca]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I'm mostly having regrets because school A is known as the Harvard of Canada, and I'm wondering what my career would have been like had I graduated from school A rather than school B. I'm wondering how much weight the name of the university vs. the recognition of advisor matters when looking to get a job in academia. I'm also wondering whether I made an easy choice - I mostly chose school B because of selfish reasons: It's by the beach! I can see myself being happy and productive there! The unknown is what scared me most about school A - it wasn't very clear how much money I'd be receiving, what I'd be working on, where I would live, how being an international student would have worked out, what the students / faculty were like. School B felt a lot safer and a lot more right, but I can't help but wonder if school A would have been the same. 

[ak48]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I'm mostly having regrets because school A is known as the Harvard of Canada.

I'm wondering how much weight the name of the university vs. the recognition of advisor matters when looking to get a job in academia

 

With your choices, I wouldn't worry about prestige.

[hesadork]

lafresca, I think you've made an excellent choice.  Sometimes (maybe many times) the "easy" choice is the also the right one.  Congratulations...now go blow the roof off of School B!

[JungWild&Free]

Sounds like B is the best choice, hands down.  More funding, a better POI (a lot of people in Social say the POI matters more than the school anyway), more kinds of interesting research to pursue and in sunny SoCal?  I think you nailed it.

[lafresca]

Both schools were fantastic options, and I've got to say that I really went with my gut on this one. Let's hope I am a happy and productive graduate student! 

[nugget]

I know what your school A is and you would experience some of the longest and coldest winters in the country if you went there. Not to mention, protesters might keep you from entering the school building. (It hasn't happened recently, but it did last year and might happen again sometime in the upcoming years). I heard that the international rankings have dropped a few places this past year as well. It sounds like you made a great decision. I wouldn't have any regrets about it at all and look forward to to getting a great education in one of the best parts of the USA.

Edited April 25, 2013 by jenste

[juilletmercredi]

Agreeing with backtoschool13 here.  School B just sounds like the better overall option.

 

I think someone said before, on a different threadm, that a lot of people panic or have decision regret not because they feel bad about their decision, but just having made ANY decision feels anticlimactic because before, you had opportunity.  Now, things are finalized, and you feel…a let down.  After months of planning and burgeoning oppoortunities ahead of you…you've decided, and it's over.

 

Apparently, this POI really wanted you, and so did the department.  One way could be to connect with your POI and see if she has suggestions for readings or other preparation you can do over the summer before you come (I did this with my current advisor before I began my program).

 

…hey, I recognize you from another thread.  Your advisor is an AMAZING researcher and she is right in saying that she will place you somewhere great.  I'm in social psych, but interdisciplinary with a completely different field (public health) and even all the public health researchers know about X and Y's big 2005 paper - I'm using it in my dissertation.  This is a really great opportunity you have to look forward to.  Your career can be really great working with her.  In social psych, the name of your advisor matters more than your university.  It's more important to say that you worked with Professor X at SoCal U than it is to say you worked with a relative unknown at Canadian U.

 

THERE IS NOTHING WRONG with seeing yourself being happy and productive in grad school.  In fact, that is the point.  If you feel happy and fulfilled, you will be more motivated to work on your work and get done.

 

And I go to a prestigious university, but man, I wish I could hang out on the beach during the summer.