Ivy League or public university?

[crobnsn3]

I have been fortunate enough to have been accepted into every Masters program that I applied to. I will be pursuing an MS in Reproductive Biology (through Animal Sciences) and UC-Davis has been my top choice the entire time. I believe my potential PI at UC-Davis is the perfect fit (research interests, personality, etc.) I also applied to Cornell University but I genuinely thought it was a long shot, however, I have been accepted and my potential PI seems enthusiastic about the possibility of me joining her lab. Cornell ranks 1st in graduate programs in Animal Sciences, while UC-Davis ranks 2nd. I have considered other factors such as locations, faculty recognition, fit, etc. I understand how difficult it can be to get accepted into an Ivy League university and I am so very grateful but if I accept their offer it would be due to their branding. Would declining their offer for a MS alter my chances of getting accepted into their DVM/PhD program in two years? Does having an Ivy League degree matter significantly in the sciences (especially when they rank 1 and 2)? Any input would be appreciated! Also, if you have or know someone that has been in a situation like this please share some advice.

Best,

Charnice

[brown_eyed_girl]

If you're deciding between a #1 and and #2 school, I don't think you can go wrong, and it sounds like you have sound reasons for preferring Davis. If it's feasible to meet both advisers and visit both schools, however, I would strongly encourage doing so before you make a final decision. And talking to grad students from each department/lab and looking at PhD placement records. You also don't mention the funding situation/cost of the programs, which would be another considerable deciding factor. Ivy League schools are generally pricier when looking at sticker cost, but also may be able to offer more funding and resources to their students (and the UC system is particularly struggling right now, as you probably know). 

In terms of the name of the school, I imagine it really depends on whether you want the MA to be your terminal degree or whether you definitely plan on getting the PhD. If you're going for the PhD, faculty reviewing your app will know that Davis is highly ranked in animal studies, so I don't see how that could negatively effect you PhD wise. This will also probably be true if you go into an industry directly related to what you study. But outside your direct field, people will probably see the Ivy degree as being more impressive, which only matters (and again, only marginally) if you plan to apply for jobs outside your field instead of pursuing more graduate work, or if it's important to you to say you went to an Ivy League school, which it doesn't sound like it is. 

[crobnsn3]

Thanks for your response! In terms of funding, I am currently negotiating offers but as you previously mentioned Cornell is able to offer more funding. I should have a concrete decision in a few weeks. My concern was that declining admission to a university may alter my future chance of acceptance but I am glad that you clarified it "shouldn't" negatively effect me considering both programs are top in the US. Thanks again!

[svent]

I think fit (as well as location, funding) is extremely important. I got into a top program, unfunded, and highly doubt I'll go. I think chasing prestige is a poor decision. Having this school on my resume would help me out a little, but not enough to attend a program that's not a great fit for me, especially without funding in an expensive area. Now in your case, Ithaca would be cheaper to live in than Davis (though Davis isn't too bad by CA standards). That said, public universities tend to have worse teachers who are more interested in research. This may be more important at the undergraduate level, but I wouldn't discount it either.

By the way, Ivies are overrated. Sure it looks cool to go to college there, but as far as rankings/prestige within certain fields... in CS for example, Harvard, Penn, Yale don't compare to UIUC, Berkeley, Stanford, UT Austin, Georgia Tech, etc. People in specific fields know how good schools like UCLA/Cal are, compared to, say, Penn, and they probably also know they're hard to do well at, whereas Penn loves to give out A's. I guess that's why Penn is 2-4x as expensive (depending on what state you're a resident of).

If they're going to hold it against you in the future that you turned them down for a #2 school, well... you can go somewhere else and have a successful career I think.

Edited February 15, 2016 by svent

[crobnsn3]

Thanks for your input svent. I graduated undergrad from UIUC and applied to their MS program for Reproductive Biology. I was accepted and it was tough to decline their offer but I feel that it is necessary to broaden my horizons and experience different regions within our country to be a strong professor in the future. That being said, all of my options were fantastic but fit is very important to me. Grad school is essentially the beginning of your career and my PI at UC-Davis is doing research in an area that I am more passionate about. I am funded for one year so I would have to seek internal funding to complete my MS.

[fuzzylogician]

2 hours ago, crobnsn3 said:

My concern was that declining admission to a university may alter my future chance of acceptance but I am glad that you clarified it "shouldn't" negatively effect me considering both programs are top in the US.

You are talking about accepting the offer from school #1 and school #2. They are both no doubt great. I am sure this decision will alter your future in many ways you can't even imagine, but that goes both ways. Turning down an offer, any offer, necessarily means walking away from an opportunity, and that's hard, but unavoidable. I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that students from the school ranked #2 do very well once they graduate, or the school wouldn't be ranked #2. I would really suggest ignoring the ivy/not-ivy question and also the rankings question, and focus on what really matters: which school do you think will better prepare you for what you want to do next? Having an advisor with a good personality and research fit is very important. The funding matters, too, and you should make sure that it at least suffices for a comfortable student-style life; beyond that, it's up to you how much you want to weigh extra funding against other considerations. Some people highly value the climate, or worry about employment options for a spouse or education for a child, or prefer a larger city to a smaller one -- all valid and important considerations. The school's brand name matters more if you want to get a job in industry, and less in academia, because academics will know where the good programs are. That said, Davis is very recognizable too. It also depends if you want to have a job on the East or West coast. The best thing you can do for yourself is fly out to visit both schools, to get a feel for what it is really like in the program and how you get along with your potential advisor in person. 

[svent]

What if the rankings get switched in the next couple years? By the way, UC Davis is #1 in USNews for vet school, and Cornell is #2.

[crobnsn3]

In response to fuzzylogician: I have visited UC-Davis and I absolutely love the climate (of course) and the atmosphere. I am a very laid back person and Davis, in a sense, felt like home. I will be visiting Cornell next week to meet my potential PI so that will be an important visit in terms of gauging our fit. I am still determining the best financial package at this time.

In response to svent: Cornell and UC-Davis are in a tight race when it comes to Animal Sciences. I am aware that UC-Davis is #1 for vet school which is where I intend to pursue my DVM/PhD joint program. Perhaps completing my MS there will get my foot in the door for that amazing program? I cannot envision either school dropping below top 3 in US for vet school.

Again, I thank you all for your input. It has eased my nerves quite a bit to receive other viewpoints.