By the end of the day Monday, I need to decide what I'm doing with my life. I'm choosing between two grad schools:
School A: THE most well respected school in my field, and a major "brand name," with good reason. Network all over the globe and professors who are true leaders in their fields. I really loved my visit there- it's a very intense environment with super passionate and creative people. I love the city where it's located. Older and more experienced/mature student body. Con: though I received money from them, I would still have to pay some tuition (i.e. would owe my parents roughly $30K, though that number would go down if I get a research assistantship). A little less practical/real world focused than School B, but that doesn't stop them from having really impressive job placement stats.
School B: located in New York City, a hub of activity for my field, with great networks there. Very grounded in the real world and the intersection between my discipline and other related fields. One professor in particular who is doing really interesting research has reached out to me about research assistantships on top of a really excellent financial aid package (i.e. could probably make money while still in school). Con: visiting, I got a much less academic vibe from the place. virtually everyone is working part time (including faculty, who are about half adjuncts), and I get the sense that classroom work is less engaging. Less well respected outside of the city (75% of grads stay there- which I'm not at all sure I want to do). Somewhat myopically focused on New York City. Program is smaller and seems to get a bit overwhelmed by other departments within the school.
I am leaning toward school A, but having last minute panics about my decision. Thoughts, anyone?
Can you see if School A will do any better on financial aid? I'm not saying they will come up a huge amount, but every little bit helps.
Fwiw, personally, I'd go with School A if it was financially feasible (as in your parents have that money to lend you and are willing to do so). I think the strength of the department and your clear preference for the environment there and your fellow classmates. I'm sure things would work out fine at School B, but you just don't seem nearly as enthusiastic.
Maybe ask yourself that if money were not part of the equation at all, does it make the choice easier? I'm not sure exactly what field this is and what your job prospects are,but it seems like both schools have a good track record with employment, so $30,000 seems like a reasonable investment in yourself if that is going to get you where you want to be.
This is one of the life decisions where you have to go with your gut. From what you write, it sounds like school A is probably the best choice. Money spent on education is usually "good debt" and should not be your primary deciding factor--assuming you will be able to pay the money back in a reasonable amount of time with the pay you will be making in you field. Good luck! It sounds like you really have two good choices.
I would go to School A. I went to top-ranked business school for my MBA, and the credibility and panache that goes along with having that school name attached to you for the rest of your life pays big dividends. Not that I like admitting that, and not like I feel like I deserve that. But it most decidedly has been true.
I`d go with A! You seem a lot more enthusiastic about A than B, and if your parents can lend you the money then do it, if not (and you´re a bit like me) you`ll probably regret it!
If you want to settle in either city long-term, you should go to that one. Since you said you probably don't want to stay in NYC, that gives preference to School A.
What is your anticipated starting salary post-graduation? Are you going to be able to pay it off within a few years? Unless your starting salary is close to $30k, I'd say School A should win out.
I think everyone having other part-time jobs would really bug me about School B if I wanted to be focused (I am in grad school as well).
What level of graduate degree are you pursuing and what is it you want to do afterwards?
If you're going after a masters and thinking about a phd later, a school reputation is very important. The same can be said for if you're interested in doing research and publications. Also, let's say if you're trying to land an elite job in technology at somewhere like Google, school reputation is also important. (I don't know your specialty so I just used tech as en example)
If what is important to you is a normal job after graduation with no thought of academic elitism (i.e. a degree is a degree is a degree) I'd go to whichever one would cost you less.
I personally believe a large school debt is not worthwhile unless you're talking an A list school - Ivy, MIT etc...
I also want to know what level of graduate degree you are pursuing.
For a PhD program, overall school reputation means next to nothing (besides bragging rights for your parents). What actually matters is the reputation/caliber of your academic mentor.
For a terminal masters program, BRAND NAME is important and often worth the extra money. You should find out about the likelihood of a RA so you don't have to go into as much debt.
Thanks, all! I signed on the dotted line over the weekend, and notified all the other schools today- School A, here I come! I'm super excited.
To folks' questions-- I'm getting a masters of urban planning. I'm not planning a PhD, but I wouldn't totally rule it out. The program I'm going to definitely comes with a top caliber name, which is one reason I was actually a little hesitant to trust my instant love of it (I kept thinking, am I falling for the school ranking racket?). But then I remember that I walked around campus beaming like an idiot the whole time I was there about the work they were doing.
Now that I've survived the decision making process (including a couple weeks of travel for visits as well as work) it's time to get back to focusing on hitting my goal weight by September. :-)
grad school decisions
