How do you decide between programs?

[johnnycomelately]

So far, I have been admitted to three programs-still waiting on the fourth, and ruling out the fifth I applied to as it is the lowest ranked/not a great fit-and am having a tough time deciding.

I realize how fortunate I am to be in this position, but I feel completely out of my element. I am evaluating rank, fit, funding, and ease of travel to/from spouse's location, but still feel overwhelmed by the process.

Anyone have any advice?

How did you come to a decision?

Edited February 13, 2016 by johnnycomelately
Too lengthy. Clarification.

[RinseRepeat]

I am in the same boat as you "johnny". I have two offers and am realistically expecting a third. I have all kinds of variables floating around in my head such as stipend, fit with PI, fit with lab research-wise, fit with lab socially, curriculum setup, availability of specific classes, comfort in city, distance from SO, etc etc. 

It's overwhelming and I am thinking about making a "bad" decision. Honestly, any of my choices will be great in the long run, but right now I am going insane and have no idea how to decide. I've spoken to grad students and post-docs at my work...I've made weighted decision tables, I've even used a random decision maker (mostly just to see what my emotional response to the option that was chosen was, hoping to get a better idea of my gut feeling). 

What everything has told me....I have no idea and there are so many non-comparable pros and cons to each choice. This is an amazing "problem" to have, but I'd like to decide so I can let the programs I don't want to go to know so a hopeful who is on the waiting list can get the opportunity to fill the spot.

Any advice on how people are making their choices would be greatly appreciated!

[ashiepoo72]

Go to recruitment visits. If you're considering all those factors and still don't have a clear idea of which to choose, visiting the programs will help immensely.

[HinH]

What if there is not a visitation weekend? Any advice for choosing between programs? Especially as I'm attempting to finish my thesis, prep for comps, teach, etc. 

[glueear]

I'm in the same position you are, having been admitted to four programs but only seriously considering two. Being a fan of tables, I made a pro-con chart that considers:

• location, including distance from friends/family
• cost of living
• availability/cost of housing near campus
• program ranking
• school ranking
• outcomes of conversations with current students
• how well advisors' methods match my research interests
• my impression of how well-defined and cumulative the advisors' lines of research are
• advisors' years of experience, number of publications/citations
• number of students advisor has had in the past, including their outcomes (types of institutions they end up at, # of publications / year, # citations / year after graduation)
• funding
• my impression of advisors' personalities
• overall culture of the program

With that chart in hand, what was a difficult and anxious decision now seems obvious!

[rising_star]

1 hour ago, HinH said:

What if there is not a visitation weekend? Any advice for choosing between programs? Especially as I'm attempting to finish my thesis, prep for comps, teach, etc. 

Even if there's not a planned weekend, you can and should ask if you can visit and if they have any funding available to help you check out their program in person. The multiple time commitments are something I would keep in mind, of course, but you want the most information you can have before making a decision that will determine the next several years of your life. 

That said, I made a spreadsheet which included some of the variables above but also other things like the price of a flight home, track record of grad students getting dissertation funding (SSRC, NSF, Fulbright, Fulbright-Hays, etc.) to do their research, time to degree of POI's students, placement of POI's students, and collegiality/atmosphere of the department and fellow grad students.

[johnnycomelately]

Thanks! Great tips. I will get a chart together and see how I feel after visits. 

[pterosaur]

@glueear - does advisor's years of research count entirely as a pro or con? I've heard that a younger professor will devote more time to their students and focus on really getting publications out moreso than an older professor - you'll get more attention from them. Interesting list, though! I'll keep those things in mind.

[Neist]

23 hours ago, johnnycomelately said:

Thanks! Great tips. I will get a chart together and see how I feel after visits. 

I'm not sure about your discipline specifically, but you might ask to look at graduate student handbooks if you have not already. I've learned really interesting logistical and structural tidbits about programs by looking through their handbook.

Might help sway your thoughts one way or another.

[glueear]

56 minutes ago, pterosaur said:

@glueear - does advisor's years of research count entirely as a pro or con? I've heard that a younger professor will devote more time to their students and focus on really getting publications out moreso than an older professor - you'll get more attention from them. Interesting list, though! I'll keep those things in mind.

Both of the advisors I am considering have a lot of experience - they both are full professors with at least 10 years post-PhD experience. The more experienced one has about eight years on the other, though, and I looked at that extra eight years as a measure of the size of their networks, and, indeed, it seemed to correlate with their students' end placements and performance. So, neither is 'young' but both seem to still have passion for their field and had current students who said they felt supported and attended to. In the end, the bulk of my decision is coming down to my judgments about their research programs - their cohesiveness, fit with my interests, use of interesting methods with a lot of room to grow, etc. - and the results of previous students because everything else was so evenly matched. Take this advice with a grain of salt, though: I might end up regretting my choice... we'll see!

Edited February 15, 2016 by glueear