Struggling to decide

[tenemental]

Hey all,

I was wondering if current students and other people making this choice could help me figure out how to weigh two programs I'm trying to decide between. I know this isn't the decisions thread, but I want to pitch the question specifically to history folks to see what feedback you might have. I really appreciate having some outside advice, as people I've talked to who are reasonably informed about the two programs all have some vested interest in me picking one or the other.

School A is very well-funded (easy to get money to travel for research, conferences, etc.) and efficiently run. The faculty is top-notch, but not as good a fit for my research interests as school B. I enjoyed the visit to this program a lot more than at program B, and I like the current students and my incoming cohort a lot. Students seem happy and well-supported at the administrative level. The program is a little outside of where I plan to eventually live while writing my dissertation, but close enough that several trips per week should be doable.

School B also is well-funded, but nearly as much so as School A, and has a reputation for being a bureaucratic monster. That being said, the program has stronger faculty in my area of research, as well as a number of other graduate students in professional schools related to my research interests who could potentially be good to work with/get to know. The visit day was not as organized, so I got less time to meet with current students and faculty of interest than at School A. This program is also more convenient to where I want to live and work on my dissertation after coursework is done.

Both programs are about equally ranked, with maybe a tiny advantage to School A.

I hope I haven't triggered any nightmarish recollections of the writing section of the GRE. Many thanks to anyone willing to offer some advice - I want to get back to both schools ASAP so people on the waitlist can have more solid information on their admission status, but I'm completely stuck at the moment!

 

[TMP]

It sounds like a tough decision there and I can appreciate that.  All things equal, where do you want to go?  It sounds like you do want to go to School B more than School A.

As for School B's bureaucratic nightmare, how helpful is the graduate coordinator?  Is s/he able to work through many kinks on behalf of the graduate students?  Do you feel that you can reach out to graduate students further along who can give you insights to help you avoid many of the problems?

Dissertation research topics can change, even in small ways.  It sounds like either program will suit you just fine; you learn to network outside through conferences, workshops, and guest speakers who come to the university.  My topic hasn't change much since i entered butt my program's strengths certainly influenced its direction.   How have folks at School A responded to your ideas for research?

Do seriously consider the availability of summer research funding as they are crucial for moving your project along so your application can be competitive for major dissertation research and writing fellowships.

[Quickmick]

12 hours ago, TMP said:

 All things equal, where do you want to go?

I think TMP is spot on with this, as it sounds like in an overall sense they seem fairly evenly matched. Slightly better fit with more bureaucracy vs better monied generally but a bit further...

sounds like you have it narrowed down to two good choices: I would just trust my gut at this point.

[Averroes MD]

The second school sounds like UC Berkeley.

[tenemental]

Thank you to everyone who gave feedback! It was helpful to hear that the two programs should be weighted about evenly, which freed me up to follow my gut and make a decision. I hope everyone has had the least stressful application season possible, and I look forward to seeing many of you at conferences, workshops, or possibly even on campus in the fall!