Settling

[ILikeCatsALot45]

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[teaganc]

I think that a lot of programs are, to an extent, what you make of them. If you aren't accepted at a big-name school, be the superstar in the program you are accepted in. Be the person to go to every conference, to publish in their first year, etc. etc. I think that the name of a school or program certainly does something for you as a job applicant, but you always have the opportunity to let your work speak for itself.

If a program is a bad fit, or you think it will be negative in some way other than not being your top choice or not being a big name, don't accept the offer. You'll probably regret it. But if prestige is the only thing holding you back, and you think that you should have gotten into a big, prestigious program... prove it. Do everything right at the program you accept. Go above and beyond. I think that, unless it's the difference between a program no one has every heard of and Yale, (and honestly, if you thought you would get into Yale, you're probably "settling" for a decent, mid-range program, not a total backwoods no name place), you can overcome the difference in prestige by being a great scholar.

[ILikeCatsALot45]

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[teaganc]

That could definitely be a problem, if it is a program that a lot of people look down on. But if you have a number of publications (I've heard the 2-2-2 rule is best: 2 publications, 2 conference presentations, 2 service-related activities, but there is no reason you can't go above and beyond that) in reputable journals when you are on the job hunt, they'll know you are capable of acceptable scholarly work. If you go to national and international conferences and network, it'll be your name, not the name of your school, that stands out. Maybe (probably) you would have a bigger advantage if you weren't working against the name of a school, but there is no guarantee or even logical reason why next year shouldn't be even harder than this year, so I wouldn't count on getting into those better programs if you reapply. Also, weren't you accepted to UCSC? If this is the school you are so worried about, I wouldn't be. It's not a huge name, but I don't think it'll be a huge handicap either.

[booksareneat]

Sorry, but I think this is another silly self-indulgent thread. Prestige is a silly concept to think about. Where do you want to teach? Do you really want to be at a small liberal arts college and work with students, publishing infrequently? If you were in that situation, would it be terrible? If, when you think about your future teaching, you really, really want to be at a Research I school and anything but would be failure, then you can think of something akin to prestige. But, as noted a thousand times here, what's more important is placement. How does your school do at placement? What type of schools are they placing you into? Are you comfortable with that? How good are they at placing you there? You could go to a "prestigious" school and have a much harder time getting a job, because it puts you into a category where small liberal arts schools don't want you and you're not as good as the "more prestigious" applicants. Settling is a silly way to put it--this is a professional decision and you need to have a very clear idea of what you want from your profession.

[muffinlit]

Ok here's my take on all this. I'm wait listed (not weight listed) at three schools, and everyone keeps saying my chances of getting in somewhere are pretty damn good. But these weren't at the top of my list... and I'm starting to think maybe I shouldn't go even if I do get taken off the wait list. I've decided though, after talking to some professors, that this is me getting cold feet. Do you think this might be what is going on with you? I'm getting nervous about moving and going on to the next level and if I'm ready. I'm not assuming anything about you, but this is just my thinking and I'm wondering if you've considered the possibility of it just being nerves. It is like a marriage you're absolutely right... but you applied there for a reason.