how good is western michigan university?

[intlgradstu]

From 3 offer letters I chose WMU, to the best of my knowledge it is a wise choice, after considering factors such as program content, graduation prospects etc. I am going to pursue an engineering graduate degree (masters)

 

the only thing i am not certain about is the cost of study because various sources from the internet give me figures that are vastly different from the cost estimated in my i-20. also staff members do not respond as quickly as i expect them

[33andathirdRPM]

What exactly would you like to know about WMU or Kalamazoo?

[mathnerd27]

The best research school in Michigan is the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, hands down. 

 

Michigan St. would come in second.

[TaewooBurns]

I am struggling with the same thing.  WMU has two people who seem to be a good fit for my research interests (sociology).  They say fit is the most important part to consider, but their prestige is so low I worry about my employment chances.  

[slouching]

I am struggling with the same thing.  WMU has two people who seem to be a good fit for my research interests (sociology).  They say fit is the most important part to consider, but their prestige is so low I worry about my employment chances.  

 

I'm in the early stages of researching grad programs, so I'm no expert on these kinds of things, but I thought I'd chime in because this is something I've been thinking about lately.

 

My philosophy is this: prestige is important, but so is performance. Ultimately, you want to be in an environment that will allow you to thrive, and sometimes that means sacrificing prestige for fit. I remember reading a post on here once that basically said that it's better to accomplish a lot at an okay school than to accomplish very little at a great school. So, that's something to consider, if that's the choice you're facing.

 

At the same time, going to grad school is generally a means to an end, and it's important to be realistic about the connection between where you go and where you'll end up. If you see yourself in academia, what kind of school do you want to be teaching at? Take a look at your dream employer's faculty list and find out where everyone got their degrees from. Similarly, you can look at a program's job placements section to find out where the graduates are now. Figuring out where you want to be after grad school can help you determine if attending a prestigious school is really important to you.