Very anxious, process upturned

[morneel]

Maybe somebody can help me a little here for my schools. I'm stressing out a ton, because schools have come back to me with information very late and I also have very little time in which to finalize a decision.

School A

• ranked ~15
• master's admit only (applied to PhD)
• no visit
• presumably unfunded (don't expect to find any)
• very good program for my subfield
• cold climate
• large school, large program

School B

• ranked ~20
• really loved it during the visit
• smaller school
• found out April 14 that both professors in my subfield will not take students (though one could maybe be convinced, the other is basically leaving)
• minimal teaching requirements
• very warm climate (a big positive for me)
• average/high average stipend (comparatively, with estimated cost of living)
• very nice campus

School C

• ranked ~30
• just received funding information today, average stipend. summer funding situation unknown
• no visit
• recommended as a good program for my subfield by an old adviser
• 20 hrs/wk teaching requirement for currently unknown amount of time (no info on whether get switched to RA)
• very cold climate
• very large school, large program
• basically no contact with students or professors yet (have not yet heard who will advise me or who I can contact)
• unaesthetic campus

School D

• ranked ~40
• no visit
• 20 hrs/wk teaching requirement, probably get on RA quickly
• low stipend
• cold climate
• large school, medium size program, small subfield
• I HAVE ACCEPTED THIS OFFER given the turmoil of the past week (but I have no moral qualms with withdrawing if that is necessary)
• have been able to talk to students and future adviser, it seems nice but I'm not sure
• adviser seems to do good work
• average campus

School E

• ranked ~55
• visited, was not in love, but it was decent
• high stipend
• minimal-mild teaching requirement, probably RA soon
• moderate climate
• medium size school, small size program, very small subfield
• adviser seems to do good work
• average campus

I really don't know how to decide at this point. I don't feel like I have enough information to decide anything (before, I made grids to weight various characteristics and give a score for them to each school, but that was when I had fewer offers and more info)

I had pretty much decided to go to school B, but that was before I found out about the advisers. I'm sort of in minor panic mode here, because I feel like I need to make the right decision very quickly with very little information, and this is a very big decision.

 

I don't know what to do now and I hope someone can help me figure this out.

Edited April 21, 2015 by morneel

[cs_phd]

I assume School B has offered admit for PhD program ?

 

My options will be School B and C.

 

At the moment with the information I have, I am tilting towards B (because of higher ranking  and you love it and no Teaching and good funding etc).

But, the question is whether there are other professors in the field (not same subfield) who can supervise you and who will be ok with your research topic (if you are willing to continue in the same subfield). If you are not particular about sub-field, then I will choose B any day.

You may ask the profs who work on your subfield to be co-supervisors if you are willing to continue in the same subfield.

Check whether that option is available.

[morneel]

Thank you. Yes, all schools but A are for PhD.

 

You may ask the profs who work on your subfield to be co-supervisors if you are willing to continue in the same subfield.

 

I feel awkward about it given that I have already talked to both and both have said they are not taking new students. I guess I should try to get over that but it just feels like I would be repeating the same question. Maybe I don't understand what you mean.

I have talked to the department head, and he has told me that I should expect to work in another subfield if I went there.  I'm not sure the extent I'd be willing to switch; on the one hand, I have been working toward this area in my SOP this whole time, but on the other, maybe I would be able to find a cross interest in other areas. I'm not sure how to tell. It feels like going there would be setting me up for failure, given that I would not have applied if you disappeared those two professors beforehand, but I am still compelled.

[cs_phd]

I don't know the area you are working on. But, from you post I can get that you won't like to work in the area of other professors from School B. 

If you are so sure, then I would accept C. This is because your old adviser himself has recommended that. Atleast I won't bother about weather. But, it depend on you.