Which program to choose?! An appeal for your insight:)

[slightlymoreanonymous]

Hi gradcafers! I know most folks are getting off of here after deciding on programs (congrats all around!), but I was wondering if anyone would mind pitching in their two cents. I've narrowed it down to two great programs, made endless pros/cons lists, talked to everyone from former professors to my priest, and still have no clue which is the better option. So now I figured I'd ask the internet for its collective wisdom:) Here's my situation:

Program 1: 

Top ten public school in NE

Pros: Stipend of around $31k annually, 80% of health insurance (including vision and dental!); amazing faculty in the field; direct connection to my research interests; small cohort; basically everyone lands TT jobs in R1s straight out of graduation; automatic fifth year postdoc after successful completion of dissertation for extra job market time; first year fellowship that waives teaching and a teaching release for one semester of fourth year; 1:1 teaching load for other years; cool admin opportunities; ability to finish coursework in first year or year and a half to have extra time for dissertation; absolutely beautiful campus; very stable in terms of political climate

Cons: tiny, sad town, not very diverse, super expensive housing, hard to find a place I could bring my dog, across the country from everyone I care about, real winter which terrifies me, not as many of the things I love to do outside of the academy (swing/salsa dancing, rock climbing, etc)

Extra Consideration: serious potential for my partner to land a lecturer gig if I take the offer. Which could be freaking awesome for his lecturer career goals, but feels like a lot of pressure for a relatively young relationship. (I'm both kind of excited and completely, utterly freaked out by the prospect.)

 

Program 2: 

Solid, well-established program in my field of rhet/comp in middle of the country

Pros: Stipend of around $20k annually, full health insurance coverage; also amazing faculty (though some are newer); direct connection to my other research interests; larger cohort; basically everyone lands TT jobs, but more at SLACs, regional state schools, CCs, and a few R1s; two year fellowship that waives teaching during year one and four; 2:2 teaching load for middle two years (what I'm used to now); more admin opportunities than program 1; ability to finish coursework in a year and a half to have extra time for dissertation; easy to get fifth year if needed; awesome town with all the things I love to do outside of academy; super low cost of living (I could buy a house! and build equity! Like an adult!); diverse student body

Cons: slightly less "prestigious"; placement rates slightly lower because it's a larger program; political crap where governor is out to cut state education funding; my fellowship years are guaranteed 100% while the TA years have this fine-print clause about renewal being "dependent on funding" (but DGS says it was only implemented because of students who would leave other departments and still be paid through four year contracts; and he's absolutely confident it won't be a problem).

Extra Consideration: my sister would probably apply to transfer there and we could live together while she finishes undergrad (she's my best friend and it would be amazing!); not really an option for program one because she also has no desire to live in tiny NE town

 

So, what do you guys think? What factors did you give the most weight when you made your decision? Any/all insight would be appreciated! 

[positivitize]

I grew up in the northeast--in a small/sad town that enjoyed a "real" winter, so I might be biased, but the 1/1 load sounds a lot better than a 2/2 load. Also, I've spent the last 5 years in Kentucky (where Gov. Bevin attempted to cut university funding MID-FISCAL year). I am thrilled to be getting out of a political climate where higher education is constantly under siege. The danger to HE in states like Kentucky, Wisconson, and other states with governors who want to run HE like a business is very real. I'd go to the New England school. 

[jrockford27]

A 2/2 as a grad student sounds crazy.  I have a hard time getting around to my own work on a 1/1.  Proceed with caution.  Ultimately, placement should be the tiebreaker though.

[silenus_thescribe]

Based on the way you've described both schools, what I gather is this: School 1 offers superior resources and support, but you'd probably be happier in location 2. What I would say based on this information is that you might want to look more into the "extracurricular" opportunities in the NE school. While you clearly prefer School 2's location to School 1's, I'm sure there will be social outlets for you to take advantage of. Moreover, the advantage of the Northeast is that the states are all close together, meaning that travel to many locations in the region is easy, quick, and from what I can tell affordable. 

Should School 1 prove unavoidably dolorous to live in, then that's a strong claim for School 2. Since you're investing multiple years of your life into a place, you do want to be able to be happy there. But if you find that, despite all appearances, you're able to make a home you like in School 1, I'd say choose School 1. It already has most things going for it. If you're highly likely to get an R1 job after graduation, as you suggest, then I think you should choose School 1 even if you do find School 2's social culture more appealing. Grad school is also an investment in your future job, and a prospect of almost certainly getting an R1 job is the placement rate equivalent of a dodo.

The only other thing I'd add is a response to this advantage you identify in School 2: "I could buy a house! and build equity! Like an adult!." I don't think renting/not owning a house is a "non-adult" thing. Lots of research has shown that the fixation on home ownership in the United States is not actually that well-founded, and in many cases home ownership is a bad move financially. Renting can be a really good deal, and if you can get a good renting lease as a grad student it's probably best, since home ownership comes with all kinds of forgotten costs (closing fees, any and all repairs, property taxes, etc) that strike me as non-feasible for most graduate students. Even with a low cost of living, 20k doesn't strike me as home-buying money (though I'm not sure if you have any other sources of income).

Grad school can look like an extension of college to those outside of grad programs, but I don't think you should frame things like home ownership as "adult" in contrast to renting. As a grad student you'll be a hard working employee of a university, all the while crafting your own research agenda. No matter whether or not you choose School 1 or 2, you'll be "adulting," as they say. 

[iExcelAtMicrosoftPuns]

It sounds like you could be happy and successful in each program - I don't think there is a "wrong" answer here.

What's the old adage, "flip a coin because in that moment you'll know which one you want"? 

[rising_star]

Without knowing exactly where School 1 is, I'd go for School 1. You could probably find less expensive housing if you're willing to consider a commute to School 1. (Alternately, you can get your dog certified as a service dog...) Take advantage of the internet to find as much information as you can for the area of School 1 to see if you can find whether there's anything there that you might be interested in.