Biostats PhD....HELP!

[RandomForest]

Hello guys, I am really headache about the decision.

UNC biostas PhD : no funding yet

Upitt, OSU biostats PhD: full funding

UNC definitely the best, but I haven't got a RA for the first year, should I still go there? Money is not a problem but how about I cannot find RA in the second year....

Also, OSU and Upitt, which one is better?

Any help would be appreciated !

[rising_star]

You should definitely NOT attend UNC if they aren't offering you any funding. You'll be $30+K in debt after the first year given tuition, housing, food, and other costs. It's also a sign that the department isn't actually invested in you but would rather invest that money in other graduate students.

I don't know much about biostats but both Pitt and OSU are good schools in general. Pittsburgh and Columbus are both fun cities with a lot to do and good airport access to other places. Maybe look at the CVs of current students and recent grads to get a sense of what the opportunities are in each department.

[bookworm45]

It is likely that you will get funding from UNC, especially as it gets closer to April 15 and the department sorts out who is committing to the program and who isn't. Have you emailed the chair for more information? Also, it is highly unlikely that you will not get funding at UNC by your second semester or your second year, if you are not offered a package right away.

IMO the ROI at UNC will be significantly greater than it will be at Pitt or OSU. UNC is a highly-ranked, well-established program. Between Pitt and OSU, only Pitt is ranked. I don't know much about OSU's program but I do get the feeling that Pitt's program is highly applied based on their admission requirements.