UC Merced versus UT Dallas

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abhispace
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2018 4:44 pm

UC Merced versus UT Dallas

Post by abhispace » Mon Mar 11, 2019 11:07 am

I have been accepted into UC Merced and UT Dallas and am having a tough time deciding between the two.

Here are the offers:
UC Merced:
Field - Not sure; probably biophysics since there are so many people there doing it.
Funding: 28k for five years guranteed
Pros: Funding; young department (only 15 years old)
Cons: Young department

UT Dallas:
Field: Not certain; have talked to an exoplanet Prof. and he is interested
Funding: 19k per month and summer not guranteed
Pros: Exoplanet research or well established materials science group
Cons: Low funding

How do I decide?

Cosmicomic
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Sep 18, 2014 8:52 am

Re: UC Merced versus UT Dallas

Post by Cosmicomic » Thu Mar 14, 2019 2:57 am

I don't know much about Dallas, but I know a little something of Merced.

Its California, but its a very agricultural area and not as well off as the more known parts of the state. Winters can be foggy. The air often smells like a mix of cows and chemicals. In the summer its very hot. Merced has some not so good areas (esp near the 99), but the University is actually located a ways outside of town. The plus side is the area is inexpensive. The CA university system is also funneling lots of money into the school to make it on par with the other UCs. A number of the faculty as well as people that had a hand in planning out the school are directly from Berkeley. I'm 100% convinced the school will rise up through the ranks to probably just below Riverside in the coming decades.

I'm less familiar with the research going on there, but in that regard its always best to talk to, and preferably meet with, the groups you're interested in. You're going to be spending half a decade or more working there, so you really should check that its a good fit.



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