What was/will be your deciding factor?

[athlete2academic]

Hi, people of GC. After roaming these parts for some time, I finally have a question. This does not at all reflect my situation; I have not been informed of any admissions decisions. This is purely out of curiosity. Also, this may fit better in a "Decisions" forum, but I'm more interested in the perspectives of students studying psychology. 

 

Those of you who were accepted into multiple programs, what made you pick one program over another? I've heard things ranging from location, funding, faculty members to a program's outcomes/goals and how it functions within the larger scope of the university (among others). Those all seem to be vital elements, too. But what if you're stuck between two (or three, ...) great schools that you can see yourself at in the future? Was there some type of intrinsic feeling deep in your gut that said "go here" instead of there?

 

As for those of us who are currently applying and could possibly be faced with this problem (a good problem to have, nonetheless), what will you be looking for to "break the tie?" A feeling? Something intangible?

 

I'd love to hear any perspectives you may have. As always, thanks.     

 

[iphi]

Funding was mine. I got similar funding packages, but once cost of living was involved it was a clear choice. I would also say accreditation, since that is a big part of school psych programs. As for the "feeling" I agree that there is a gut feeling, and if the place that turned out to offer me the best funding hadn't given me a good feeling I probably wouldn't have gone.

 

Overall though I thought the decision would be a difficult one (was accepted to 7/10 schools, which I never expected) but it ended up working itself out in a really obvious way for me. Chances are it will do the same for you!

[Quant_Liz_Lemon]

Mine was a combination of a few things (in no particular order). 

 

1) Funding. The program I chose offered me nearly twice the funding package, even without controlling for cost of living. (Once you controlled for cost of living, the offer difference grew even greater).

2) Feel of the department -- the department I chose felt fresher and less tired. Moreover, the faculty seemed much more invested in their students.

3) Research of my advisor. The research I would be doing was more interesting, and I could easily see how I could get a job with that research program.

4) Mentoring style -- both my advisors were more hands off, but the one I chose was less hands off and had a track record of publishing with his students.

[spunky]

FUNDING.

 

there's no point in accepting an offer from an awesome program if you'll be in financial slavery for the next few decades of your life. 

[athlete2academic]

Thanks for the reply, IPHI. It's interesting to hear that there is indeed a type of "feeling" involved. Particularly interesting, too, that had you not of felt that, you probably would not be where you are today. I can see how having this feeling would make things easier; on the flip side, it might complicate things much more if you had this feeling about two programs. Maybe you're right, though, that things have a way of working themselves out. 

 

Thanks for replying, Liz. I've interned in two labs - one that was "hands off," and the other that was much more "hands on." I see pros and cons to both and really believe it comes down to a student's personal preference. In both labs all the students were very independent (a vital skill for being a graduate student, I would imagine). In the "hands off" lab, students seemed to rely much more on the guidance of one another (older graduate students, post-docs, etc.). Just an observation. Also, I'm glad you mentioned the "feel" of the department. I agree that being inserted into a lively program is certainly much better than one that's stagnant. If I get the opportunity to interview, that'll be something I'll keep in mind. Thanks again.

 

Good point, Spunky. Can't agree more.     

[KW58D]

My order is:

 

Funding

Program fit/ Mentor

Reputation

Location

 

Any other aspects are probably a wash in my eyes anyway. With the schools I applied to I shouldn't get past all those criteria without having a decision already made.

[EastCoasting]

I did not choose the highest funded program (I did choose the 2nd highest funding. I also won the NSF on my first try, so overall I am now making more than I would have in the other place). I chose my school based on fit with other students. The higher paYing school had a prof I liked a lot, but their research was slightly less interesting to me, and the prof seemed a little more disorganized. For me it was mostly about fit. Out of a bunch of schools this is the one that I felt I most fit in during the interview.

[Munashi]

#1 - Funding

#2 - Fit (both adviser and overall program)

[Illvm]

1. Funding

2. Reputation

3. Research Fit

[nuih]

I'm currently applying. For me, location, then funding, to break the tie.

 

I spent most of my undergrad in a very busy city (I commuted from home), and I thought I wouldn't miss it at all. But when I visited one school situated in a less busy part of the city, I immediately missed the busy city atmosphere. I missed the fact that there wasn't a shopping mall nearby, that I can't walk for 10 minutes or less and get something awesome to eat, that it wasn't lively (granted it was cold that day, but still), etc....

[thepsychoblogist]

For me, I only applied to schools that 1) fit my research and 2) was within my geographic location. When deciding on my schools, research and mentor fit was my number 1 priority. That being said, I never considered the question of funding at all and looking back, I do think that it is important to keep it into consideration. 

 

Unlike undergrad (which I chose based on school ranking), I chose this program because I thought I would be happiest going to school here for the next 7 years. The program objectives as well as the career trajectories of graduates of this program matched my own career goals. 

 

I also think a large part depends on the age you are at. If you are older, you may have more ties to a specific area- whereas if you are a fresh grad, you may be more keen on the idea of living somewhere new and exploring. 

 

Best of luck! 

[psych face]

Like a lot of people have been saying - funding probably.

 

After that...

I put a lot of weight on campus environment because I spend a LOT of time on campus.

I want to see how good the other departments are that I might want to interact with a lot, due to side interests.

How many visiting speakers, seminars, clubs, campus activities, etc. I go to a lot of these things to keep busy.

But... I've already looked into those things at most of the schools I applied to, so I already know it will be a pretty decent environment at any of those schools.

 

I suppose something else that matters is a mentor who is excited about their work AND actually spends a lot of time in the lab. I've met a lot of high-functioning, awesome profs who don't actually hang with their labs very much, and that made being in their lab a lot less fun than some of the other labs seemed - what with their "slightly less profoundly awesome" professor being in the lab and engaged with them all the time. It made me a little jealous, even though their professor was less well-known - because I could tell they were having a more exciting time and probably constantly engaging in conversations about the theory. If I could go back and redo that time, I would have opted for the less well-known prof. who was engaged more with their lab peeps. It gave me a really good opinion of fresh, young professors and the sort of influence/inspiration they can exert on their students. I think that, in the end, their students did more interesting work too, largely as a result of having the professor present and pushing them (or whatever else their presence is doing - it's complicated to guess it all).

[Rose Tyler]

I'm applying now...

 

1) Funding, as people have said, and cost of living

 

2) Feel of the campus - when I stepped foot on campus at my undergrad institution it really felt like home and I haven't regretted my decision so I think if I could experience that again it would be impossible to ignore

 

3) Research fit - I only applied to POIs that I felt would be a good match for me, of course, but some areas of research are more interesting to me than others

 

4) Location - A few of my schools aren't far from where my brother, sister-in-law, and niece currently live so if I got accepted into any of them I can't say the chance to be closer to them wouldn't play into my decision

[spunky]

That being said, I never considered the question of funding at all and looking back, I do think that it is important to keep it into consideration. 

 

 

i think a lot of undergrads who are just getting ready to apply for graduate school sort of jump in the bandwagon of being accepted into their program of choice without looking at the pragmatic implications of what is going to happen after they graduate. i get too many RAs or hopeful undergrads coming to my office asking about graduate school and what is life like and what to look for in terms of programs or potential PIs, etc. and my first question is always something like: "well... but do you know how you're gonna pay for it?" and although it's not a sexy question and makes you seem cold and calculating, gosh it can save you so much stress and heartbreak. i know too many smart, motivated graduate students taking jobs way below their skill level who are barely surviving... and all because they didn't look at the numbers before signing up for a program! if you just love, love the program but the funding is not enough, you need a plan B... like, can you live with family? can you make your commute cheaper? etc. a little bit of planning can take you a long way. 

[athlete2academic]

For those of you who replied, thanks for all the tremendous answers. It seems like funding is the central theme...then the "fit" of the school a close second. That tells me there is a balance of logic (head) and emotion (heart) when picking a school. 

 

I've noticed some psychology decisions popping up in the "Results" section; good luck to everyone who applied! And again, thanks for providing some insight on the topic. Hopefully all of us 2015-ers will have the fortunate problem of having to pick between two great schools. 

[psych face]

...

 

Hopefully all of us 2015-ers will have the fortunate problem of having to pick between two great schools. 

 

Ideally... I mean, number one choice would be great, but it would be nice to have options too-

I did have one professor say to accept all interviews no matter what - for the sake of seeing the campuses and meeting the professors. Even if you get into your number one, still go. Then they said to accept wherever threw the most money at me. So, that professor seems to agree with what everyone else here said. But I liked their argument for accepting all interviews, even if you get into number one. I mean, you want to build connections (...depending on what your ultimate goal is). I think it would be great to visit all of the schools I applied to, but that just wasn't an option. It would also be cool to meet all my POI's, and sit around BS-ing. Actually, that might be more fun in my mind than in real life. Maybe I'll just imagine it. I've noticed professors can get pretty funny when they are drunk. Sorry, that was all sort of off topic - I think the semester winding down is catching up with me.

[museum_geek]

As long as the funding packages aren't too different, program and faculty fit will be my deciding factor.  Location may also play a role as well.

[VulpesZerda]

Um, well, I'm pretty convinced that I won't have this "problem"! If I somehow do, I will be looking for funding and "feel" of the department. I come from a small program and if I can repeat that I will. I also will look at/ask about job placement. I think I want to conduct applied research in a government setting or something similar. I would like my program to be okay with this idea.

[athlete2academic]

Um, well, I'm pretty convinced that I won't have this "problem"!

 

 

This made me LOL...probably because this is exactly how I feel. Maybe I'm selling myself short, maybe not (the same goes for you!). 

 

 

 

I did have one professor say to accept all interviews no matter what - for the sake of seeing the campuses and meeting the professors. Even if you get into your number one, still go. 

 

I've gotten this advice, too. Definitely agree. Per the graduate students I've worked with, one of the biggest changes is the professor-student dynamic. Instead of outright "superior-inferior" (sounds harsh, but you get the point), it's more like, to quote a past thread I remember reading, these professors are training future colleagues, maybe even training them to take their place one day (some instances more literal than others). Maybe outside the original orbit of this thread, but could any current graduate students weigh in on this? I'd be interested to hear different perspectives... 

[kara.spinney]

It's going to come down to a combination of funding, location, and program/POI fit for me. I think "fit" will be the most important thing, then funding, then location.

[rosiesg2]

 

I did have one professor say to accept all interviews no matter what - for the sake of seeing the campuses and meeting the professors. Even if you get into your number one, still go. 

 

I really like this advice. Like Vulpez, I don't know if I will have the luxury of "choosing" between programs, but I do know that even if I get into my #13/13 favorite program, I still plan to visit. I don't think you can find "fit" in two paragraphs of a lab description on a department website. Visiting the school, talking to the professor, and talking to graduate students seems to be the only way to find out where you belong. 

 

I had a phone interview with a professor before application deadline. His funding situation is less than ideal but I have fallen head over heels for his lab set-up and program. If I have the chance to join his lab, I might use a "whatever works to make it work" approach and take out a few loans. Although I wish I loved a program with more funding options, I know I would have a great, well-rounded experience in his lab that would benefit my future career. Is there anyone else in a similar situation?

[spunky]

take out a few loans.

 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! save yourself while you still have time!!! 

[constant_wanderer]

Among some crucial factors for me would be the feel of the lab, my prospective advisor's personality, the fit in terms of research interests, and especially, how many students moved on to post-docs, and where to(!) from the lab I'm interviewing with. And I wouldn't go anywhere that didn't fully cover my tuition, as well as offer a stipend.