cuny vs. umass amherst

[socialpsych01]

i was accepted to both UMass Amherst and the CUNY graduate center (PhD in psychology). Funding and most other issues (available faculty to work with, etc.) are all about equal... Living wise, I'd much prefer NYC to the Pioneer Valley, though that area actually doesn't seem so bad. The last rankings I can find for the programs are about 10-12 years old, so I'm having a hard time judging which program is more prestigious / if it would be stupid to turn down one for the other. From what I can tell they are pretty equal. Does any one have any suggestions on either grad school (even just in general thoughts about the schools or locations would help)? Thanks!

[pikatopia]

I've asked around a lot about UMass-Amherst (as I'm going to visit this week)...and the way I've heard it described is "self-contained".

And also a bit isolated...also hear that the campus is not the prettiest one around...

But I suppose I'll be able to share a bit more about it after my visit!

PM me if you would like!

[jennesy]

I'm in Sociology (and have an interest in Psychology as well) at CUNY and would be happy to talk with you/answer questions about NYC, CUNY, etc.

[sisepuede]

you know, i lived in the pioneer valley for four years of undergrad and i was clawing to get out the entire time. however, i am a city person. I enjoy hiking, kayaking, etc on the weekends, but need a thriving, diverse city to have daily happiness. so here are my $.02 on living in the pioneer valley:

pros:

-the 5 college consortium. seriously, educational opportunities abound. and 5 meaningful, institutions mean boundless oppty's for interesting lectures, performances and the like.i had zero cash, but every night there are activity choices that are free or $5. one typical weekend i remember seeing the roots at umass, cornell west speaking at amherst, a great spoken word show and then a truly bizarre production of hamlet at hampshire. northampton clubs also attract great shows to small venues. this part i miss.

-if you like the outdoorsey stuff, it abounds here. every school in the consortium has awesome opportunities for intramurals sports, hiking/kayaking/canoe trips, you get the drift. also, if you always wanted to take that ballet class, you have about 20 choices to fit into your schedule at the colleges. pottery, why not? there are usually about 6 different intro classes.

--the pvta. the local free bus system is wonderful, timely and convenient if most of your trips are campus to campus (or general vicinity).

--if you've always wanted to live in an idyllic new england town, this is it. local alderman govern the town, historic buildings everywhere, and except for a few neighborhoods around umass and noho, all is quiet most of the time.

--if you want to live a natural/organic/vegan lifestyle, you will feel the love here, big time.

--antonio's pizza is amazing.

cons:

--not the most racially diverse city. umass itself is the most racially diverse area/campus in the valley, but if you are trying to find a grocery store that carries food from the motherland, or a decent burrito, get ready to drive to boston. i grew up in other countries and then lived in california, so this drove me crazy.

--some things were not convenient to pvta, like the cheapest grocery stores etc. this may be changing, because a couple of new strip malls, etc have opened up in the past few years.

---the weather is beastly. it snowed the day i graduated, which was may 18. prepare yourself for 7-9 months of the year to be filled with irrational cold temps/slush/black ice/snow. waiting for the bus, or walking across the umass campus in freezing weather can be a bit painful sometimes. i had no clue about long underwear till i lived here.

--it's out there. the nearest city is springfield, the nearest bustling metropolis is boston (couple hours drive). unfortunately, getting out to those locations conveniently requires a car.

hope this helps a little bit.

[Rioga]

Since you are going after a PhD why don