This question is now live: I've been admitted to multiple PhD programs, how should I choose between them?
In March/early April, we often get (highly specific) questions from students who have been admitted to multiple graduate programs, and are not sure how to choose between them.
I think we could benefit from a "canonical" question and high-quality answer explaining what kinds of things to take into consideration in making such a decision. This Q&A would serve as a duplicate target for questions asking for help deciding between multiple programs, and would aggregate all this advice in one place.
We have several such canonical posts for other similarly broad questions, and they have been fairly successful:
- What does the typical workflow of a journal look like?
- How does the admissions process work for Ph.D. programs in the US, particularly for weak or borderline students?
- Graduate school admission with a degree in a different field
The proposed Q&A would be community wiki, and the answer would quote relevant parts from existing answers to questions on topics such as:
Comparing universities
- University rank/stature - How much does it affect one's career post-Ph.D?
- Is it a good idea to go to a university just because of its high international ranking?
- How to decide which university to study for PhD
- Deciding whether to study abroad or continue at my current university for my PhD, what factors to consider?
- Choosing universities or programs
- Evaluating Grad Schools on grounds other than research
Comparing potential advisors
- What questions should one ask to the former/current students of a professor before deciding whether to do PhD under him/her?
- How to evaluate potential advisers on grounds other than their research/publications?
- What are the advantages/disadvantages of a PhD advisor who is experienced vs. one at the beginning of his career?
- Why would one choose a particular advisor, other than having shared interests?
Comparing research groups
- Is alumni success a valid parameter for selecting a group?
- How to judge the reputation of a potential advisor or research group for good quality research for PhD?
Comparing offers based on funding
- What are some of the issues one should keep in mind while choosing between a fully funded offer and another with no funding?
- If no funding is available at the time of admission, what are the chances of getting funding later, and when would I find out?
- Will I be treated differently from funded students if I attend graduate school without full funding?
- Will self funding a PhD hurt employment chances?
- Implications of being accepted without funding to a computer science PhD in the United States?
Balancing multiple metrics
- What's more important in choosing a PhD program, advisor or institution?
- Low ranking university with fund VS Unsure opportunity at a higher ranking one
Does this canonical Q&A seem like it would be useful?
