I was recently offered PhD positions at two US universities.
1. University of Missouri-Columbia (offer)
2. University of Kentucky (offer)
3. University of Alabama (waitlist)
The offers are for PhD Physics programs.I want to conduct research in Astronomy. The stipends are similar and the number of potential PIs is also similar. I am a first-generation student so having a hard time understanding which one is better. Any help/comment/suggest is appreciated
Help decide! PhD Physics (Astronomy concentration)
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physicistsabode
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Tue Nov 08, 2022 3:57 am
Re: Help decide! PhD Physics (Astronomy concentration)
I can't help you decide (not my subfield, not schools I applied to, and I'm not you), but I can tell you some things you should be considering and that you should find out if you don't already know them.
1. Research Fit: Is there someone at each school willing to take you on? Who are they, and does your interests align well with them? What projects are they currently focusing on? How does this person or how do these people work with their students? Are they very controlling about their students' papers or do they give so much freedom that there's no structure? It's a spectrum. Which type of person would you work best with? How often do they meet with their students in general and are they available for drop in visits usually? Are there a lot of post docs that you would be working with, or would you be working closely with the professor? If it applies to you, how is their laboratory equiptment?
2. Money and Benefits: What does each school pay? How do they pay you? Do you have to TA to get paid or does TAing bring in extra money? What is the cost of living for the area? Do they offer student housing? Do they provide health insurance? Dental insurance? Vision insurance? Are these insurances free? If it applies to you, do they offer childcare services? Is there a PhD student union? Are you paid directly from an advisor or are you paid from the graduate school itself, and does this change different years?
3. Location and Culture and More: Do you like where the school is located? You'll be there for 5-6 years. Do the graduate students have a sense of community? Is there a room in the school designated for physics/astronomy students where you can have a desk to work at and a blackboard to discuss things? Are the professors good at teaching? How big is the program? Is there a lot of collaboration? Is there a consortium with other schools nearby? How difficult are quals and can you pass out of them? Does the school accept transfer credits? How many hours a week do grad students in your field spend working on research? How many papers do they usually publish by graduation?
If you don't know the answers to these questions, find them out. Look online. Email professors. Email grad students. Video call professors. Video call current grad students. Visit the school in person. Do whatever you are able to to help you make this decision.
And don't forget to decline offers you're not taking once you've made it!
1. Research Fit: Is there someone at each school willing to take you on? Who are they, and does your interests align well with them? What projects are they currently focusing on? How does this person or how do these people work with their students? Are they very controlling about their students' papers or do they give so much freedom that there's no structure? It's a spectrum. Which type of person would you work best with? How often do they meet with their students in general and are they available for drop in visits usually? Are there a lot of post docs that you would be working with, or would you be working closely with the professor? If it applies to you, how is their laboratory equiptment?
2. Money and Benefits: What does each school pay? How do they pay you? Do you have to TA to get paid or does TAing bring in extra money? What is the cost of living for the area? Do they offer student housing? Do they provide health insurance? Dental insurance? Vision insurance? Are these insurances free? If it applies to you, do they offer childcare services? Is there a PhD student union? Are you paid directly from an advisor or are you paid from the graduate school itself, and does this change different years?
3. Location and Culture and More: Do you like where the school is located? You'll be there for 5-6 years. Do the graduate students have a sense of community? Is there a room in the school designated for physics/astronomy students where you can have a desk to work at and a blackboard to discuss things? Are the professors good at teaching? How big is the program? Is there a lot of collaboration? Is there a consortium with other schools nearby? How difficult are quals and can you pass out of them? Does the school accept transfer credits? How many hours a week do grad students in your field spend working on research? How many papers do they usually publish by graduation?
If you don't know the answers to these questions, find them out. Look online. Email professors. Email grad students. Video call professors. Video call current grad students. Visit the school in person. Do whatever you are able to to help you make this decision.
And don't forget to decline offers you're not taking once you've made it!