Fit vs Funding vs Rank

[SSCCATAGAPP]

Hi all,

 

I'm wondering what insights you could give someone who has these options fit, funding, and program ranking between these options:

 

Program 1

- Decent funding

- Great in area focus

- NRC ranked in the top 30 in field

 

Program 2

- Great funding

- Not great in area focus

- NRC ranked in the top 10 in field

 

Program 3/4

- Liveable funding

- Decent/great in area focus

- NRC ranked top 3

 

My most important criteria are fit and funding.

 

[MathCat]

I think funding should be a minimum requirement check box. If it's liveable, that's good enough. The money is the most fleeting part of this entire thing. Program(s?) 3/4 looks like it ticks all the boxes to me. I don't think you should pick a much lower ranked school (e.g. program 1) just because it's a slightly better interest fit. Your research interests will likely change throughout your program. What really matters is learning the material, skills, background, etc. that lets you conduct the research you want later on (assuming that is your career goal). You are not tied to forever doing the type of thing you do in your PhD.

 

I do think you should consider personal fit as well. Have you visited these departments? Is that an option?

[SSCCATAGAPP]

Hi,

 

Thanks for the repso

 

I think funding should be a minimum requirement check box. If it's liveable, that's good enough. The money is the most fleeting part of this entire thing. Program(s?) 3/4 looks like it ticks all the boxes to me. I don't think you should pick a much lower ranked school (e.g. program 1) just because it's a slightly better interest fit. Your research interests will likely change throughout your program. What really matters is learning the material, skills, background, etc. that lets you conduct the research you want later on (assuming that is your career goal). You are not tied to forever doing the type of thing you do in your PhD.

 

I do think you should consider personal fit as well. Have you visited these departments? Is that an option?

 

Thanks! I unfortunately won't be able to visit the programs, but there is some geographical considerations like weather, distance from family, that factor into this decision. I have also reached out to students in my attempt to get the best feel as I can without visiting.

[MathCat]

Do try to ask as many questions of current students as you can. Also, if you would be admitted to work with a specific professor, try to gauge how well the two of you would get on. That's more important than research topic, in my opinion.

[TakeruK]

You mention factors like weather/family and I think those are important too, but you didn't list them in your description above. I agree with MathCat that funding should just be "is it enough?" because unless you are making more than $40k/year as a grad student, it's not really worth choosing a program based on funding. (i.e. saving a few thousand per year = maybe $10,000 to $15,000 total over the degree, but the value of a better degree is much more than this).

 

From the information you gave, it looks like Program 3/4 is the best. Another thing to consider is the resources available at each program for you. This means you often have to look at US News ranking too (i.e. not just field specific). For example, I am at a school that is highly ranked in both my field and in US News, and this has helped me greatly. We get tons of top notch researcher wanting to visit and give talks and I get to meet all of them. My group is well funded, I get all the equipment I need and I get to travel to lots of conferences to present my research and make new connections. On the other hand, there was another program that is very well ranked in my field but not well ranked overall. This program was a close second because while I would get the training I needed there, they have a lot less funding available for my research.

 

That is, I would sacrifice a little bit of research fit in order for the ability to do it well (and the ability to make good connections while in grad school). There is no point in working on a topic you absolutely love if you are limited by practical means of doing a good job on it. I also want to echo MathCat's second suggestion of choosing advisor fit over research fit too--again, I've seen and experienced that grad student happiness depends so much on advisor-student relationship and a bad relationship/fit could easily ruin a good research fit.

[rising_star]

In sociocultural anthro, who your advisor is and their placement record is incredibly important. Their funding record too (that is, do their grad students get the big research grants to do their dissertation research?) Also important is whether the broader university has the resources you need (language and methodological training, library resources, etc.). None of those are listed above so, I'm unable to say what you should do.