Why is your top choice your top choice?

[emguth]

1. Research fit

2. Research fit, like 4-5 faculty, I'd love to work with plus an additional 4 or 5 doing research in a similar area that would complement what I want to do extremely well

3. They really want me to come to their program, or at least it appears that way

4. Seriously the fit is amazing. It's not the "best" or most "prestigious" school I've gotten in to, but y'know I'll be happier doing research there, if I decided to go -- which it's looking like I will -- and I think the quality of the work I'll be doing will be great and I can do more and go just as far if not farther and have the most fun at this school than any of the others I got in to.

5. ALL the students I met were SUPER happy and relaxed and not stressed. Goodbye East Coast!

 

 

6. Didn't factor into my decision making, but it's also my favorite of all the cities I visited. 

[krishnalynn]

(1) Location

(2) my POI 

 

I loved the campus when I visited, love the city. Lots of friends there. 

Edited March 3, 2014 by krishnalynn

[PhDerp]

• Location
• Diversity of research opportunities within the department (strong research opportunities in both natural language processing and speech processing options within computer science!! this is not always a thing lol)
• Locale
• Very interdisciplinary! Students with all sorts of educational backgrounds work together on the same problems
• The area
• This wasn't a reason when I applied, but now I realize and am excited to add... ranking!
• Where it's located

I just want to ask around about the Prof. and to visit the campus to make sure it's right for me, but really, this program sounds perfect.

[geographyrocks]

1. Interest in research and lab funding

2. POI

3. Cost

4. Location

5. Quality of on campus coffee ( kidding... Sort of)

You kid about the coffee, but I seriously looked at coffee shops while I was researching cities. 

 

1. Research interests match perfectly.

2. POI contributed to a famous report (rock star POI whoot!)

3. Location (If I hadn't been accepted, I still would have moved out West.  Goodbye ice!)

4. Cost of living is low

5. Job prospects after graduating

6. Jobs for significant other

7. The best cinnamon roll in the world is served across the street from campus. Okay...that didn't play a large role, but I'm now seeing it as a serious perk!

[PhDerp]

 

• Location
• Diversity of research opportunities within the department (strong research opportunities in both natural language processing and speech processing options within computer science!! this is not always a thing lol)
• Locale
• Very interdisciplinary! Students with all sorts of educational backgrounds work together on the same problems
• The area
• This wasn't a reason when I applied, but now I realize and am excited to add... ranking!
• Where it's located

I just want to ask around about the Prof. and to visit the campus to make sure it's right for me, but really, this program sounds perfect.

 

+free access to the amazing recreation center for PhD students!!!

UMass' rec center is only for undegrads. They have a crappy little gym for grads.

[gr8pumpkin]

The faculty in the department are sort of coincidentally a one-stop shopping mall for my various subfields of interest.

[emguth]

You kid about the coffee, but I seriously looked at coffee shops while I was researching cities. 

 

 

When I visited the school I think I'm going to accept, the first place they took me was a coffee shop that was also a bike shop that also had about 15 beers on tap plus another 50 or so bottled. Yesssssss

[roguesenna]

When I visited the school I think I'm going to accept, the first place they took me was a coffee shop that was also a bike shop that also had about 15 beers on tap plus another 50 or so bottled. Yesssssss

 

 

... ... I hope you got funding.

[emguth]

... ... I hope you got funding.

fully, plus an additional fellowship

[PhDerp]

... ... I hope you got funding.

LMAO. XD

Also, congrats, emguth!! That sounds sweeeeet

[geographyrocks]

When I visited the school I think I'm going to accept, the first place they took me was a coffee shop that was also a bike shop that also had about 15 beers on tap plus another 50 or so bottled. Yesssssss

Oh my goodness!  I've changed my mind!  I want to go to THAT school! lol

[emguth]

Oh my goodness!  I've changed my mind!  I want to go to THAT school! lol

Well you are accepted to a different university in that city. I'll let you figure out which one that is hehehe

[Icydubloon]

In order:

1. Prestige of overall university
2. Location
3. Strength of actual department
4. Funding

[ssynny]

I really just loved their philosophy on science. They emphasize learning from a holistic standpoint and use that knowledge to try and really understand a specific system. I love the research they do and could use a little sun . Hope I get accepted!

[PhDerp]

Retroactively, I'll add that my first choice has amazing research opportunities!! Even better than I expected. I'm new to research, so this wasn't something I considered much when I applied, but it's huge for deciding between schools.

[roguesenna]

 

 

 

your signature says that you're attending a PhD in "Machine Learning." Does that mean creating machines that can learn? Because if so, 1.) that is fucking badass and 2.) let's be friends so that you can introduce me to our future robot overlords as a friendly.