Happiness vs. Reputation

[matsci333]

Hey all, I'm in the incredibly fortunate position of having trouble deciding between two awesome PhD Programs, so I'll lay out the advantages of each here and maybe one of y'all can help me decide?

 

School A:

#2 Ranked Program in the Country

Famous, well-established faculty/PI

Large, cohesive program

Research interests are a perfect match

Better funding

Stronger coursework/foundational learning

Cool city

 

School B:

No ranking because program is still brand new, but school is well-regarded overall

Faculty/PI very young, excited about research, friendly

Amazing location

Opportunity to do really great research and publish a lot

Really nice facilities/funding/lab equipment

Everyone seems happy all the time

More interested in coursework here

More lax coursework/quals

 

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Now that I write it all out, it seems that school A has more going for it...but a big part of me really wants to take the risk and go to school B, and be happier for the next 5 years. What do you think???

Edited March 11, 2015 by matsci333

[angellily0330]

What would make you happier about program B? I think it would help if you had a pros and cons list For example, what are the negatives of each program. You've listed a lot of positives, which is great, but what are some not so great qualities about each? That might make your choice easier. 

[perpetuavix]

Happiness is important; it can be the difference between finishing your program and not. But, it turns out people are actually really bad at predicting their future happiness, so it's hard to make a decision wholly based on happiness. 

What about school B makes you think you'll be happier there? Is it that other people are happy there? Do you think the things that they're happy about will make you happy?

It seems (to me) like school A might actually make you happier in the long run (better research fit, more resources,  and more balanced course requirements). Is there something about school A that you think you won't like? Are other students there unhappy?

[rising_star]

Do you want to be happier for 5 years or have the chance to be happier for much longer by having better job opportunities in the future? That's a serious question that only you can answer. Because taking the risk now and going to School B may not pay off when you're on the job market and you may then find yourself having to make tough choices about where you're willing to live and where you can even find a job.

[nugget]

Considering that school B is brand new and does not have a track record, why are you confident that you will have many opportunities to publish at that school? Are you making this assumption because faculty are young and (perhaps) eager to publish a lot to eventually get tenure? 

 

It is unfortunate that you will need to make this decision without the benefit of knowing how graduates fare but there is nothing you can do about that. Best of luck and congrats on your offers!

[matsci333]

Thank you everyone for your replies!

 

I guess you are all right, and I can see that. School A is clearly the better choice...it's mostly just my gut I guess.

To answer your question, I feel like I'd be happier because everyone around me seemed to be happy, my POI is really friendly and supportive, and the weather/location is amazing. Also, the coursework isn't as harsh, and there seems to be less of a competitive attitude.

 

I am making this assumption because the POI is new and eager to get tenure, yes.

 

School A has a lot going for it... I guess sometimes when making tough decisions people end up choosing between their brain and their gut. Although my gut is telling me school B, my brain is saying school A.

 

Thanks guys for helping me think about this!

 

If there are any other thoughts at all, please feel free I would appreciate it a ton

[MathCat]

I'd probably go with my brain over my gut, but that's a personal choice. I'm pretty risk averse - if I choose a program logically (which still includes soft factors like personal fit), I think I'm probably less likely to seriously second guess myself later. I'd go for A, because you don't know how the ranking of the second program will be, you don't know how well the PI will do, and it's risky to sign on with somebody who is untenured. Also, the harder coursework and quals of A might be unpleasant, but you will probably be better for it. I'd feel a bit more optimistic about job prospects there too. But it's hard to say if you'll be happier at A or at B.

 

For me, the question would be if I'd be unhappy at A. It all sounds great, logically. Do you think you could be happy there? At least content? Unless the answer is no, I think I'd recommend A.

Edited March 11, 2015 by MathCat