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University of Utah or Northeastern

Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 10:39 pm
by nora
I would like to ask your advice and I am in great need for it. I got accepted to the University of Utah with an assistantship and Northeastern University with an assistantship too. I am confused which one to choose. I am an international student, but with a BS in computer science. I am interested in high-energy physics but still I am open to other options. The problem is that I don't have any background or formal training in HEP, and almost no knowledge whatsoever concerning research going on in the field. So it is very important for me to choose a very good university that provides me with a very active environment where a lot of research is going on in many different fields in order to help me find my field of interest. I am inclined towards Utah because it has a very good reputation promoted by its alumni. However, I can’t ignore the location of Northeastern; one graduate student told me that I would be able to attend seminars in great schools like Harvard and MIT and have access to a lot of research activity especially in HEP. Utah is a big university with a very good reputation especially for International Students, but the location of Northeastern in the Boston area is amazing. So which University do you recommend me? I am sorry for the long email. Thanks a lot.

Re: University of Utah or Northeastern

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 11:35 am
by will
Are you going for a Ph.D. or a Masters? Anyway, I'm inclined to say Northeastern, because Utah is widely regarded as the least fun place to live in the universe.

If you want to compare some details of the two programs, find their profiles on grad school shopper.

Re: University of Utah or Northeastern

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 2:34 pm
by rooibos
will wrote:Are you going for a Ph.D. or a Masters? Anyway, I'm inclined to say Northeastern, because Utah is widely regarded as the least fun place to live in the universe.
Now now, that's not fair. I hear they have some rocks... and grass. Oh, and maybe a Wal-Mart in the near future?

Re: University of Utah or Northeastern

Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 3:59 pm
by butsurigakusha
I would just like to dispel this myth that Utah is the least fun place in the universe. I don't know where this idea comes from. It is definitely true that as a city, Salt Lake City is not as cultured or exciting as cities like Boston or San Francisco. But it is, nevertheless, a decent sized city, and has, to some extent, all the things you would expect to find in an urban environment, but possibly less crime. If you like the outdoors, and things like mountain biking and hiking and rock climbing, then southern Utah is a great place to spend a weekend. However, I think I would rather die than live down there. Also, if you are a skier, I don't know of a better location.

I am not saying I would choose Utah over Boston. But you could definitely do a lot worse than Utah, and in fact, I would say that many on this forum are going to locations that I consider much worse.

Re: University of Utah or Northeastern

Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 4:02 pm
by fermiboy
butsurigakusha is right, Utah is not the least fun place in the universe. That distinction belongs to eastern Idaho, which has all the cultural lameness of Utah w/o the cool outdoors stuff to do.

Re: University of Utah or Northeastern

Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 10:38 pm
by grae313
If you are into motorcycle touring and/or camping, Utah has some absolutely gorgeous scenery and landscapes. The land is just unique and full of natural beauty.