So around December I applied to UT and UofO for grad school (PhD in chem). UofO got back to me in late January and told me I got in. I waited and waited and heard nothing back from UT, not so much as a "we received your application and all your materials" email. Flash forward to the beginning of March. I still have not heard anything from UT. I figured I was rejected and thought nothing of it. UT is the number 12 chem program in the country and they have some really cutting edge stuff. I figured they were way too high up and it was my reaching school. My GPA isn't so hot, and my GRE scores were only in the 1300 range. So, I send out a letter of intent to go to Oregon. Done and done right? No. Earlier today I get an email from UT saying that I was accepted for the fall term into a PhD program. Now, I'm just really split. Oregon was nothing but amazing all throughout the application process. My graduate coordinator even took me out to lunch before I even submitted the application! UT on the other hand was distant and rarely if ever contacted me. I loved the staff up at UofO and I even know which professors I want to work for up there. My family on the other hand is so star struck by the fact that they are a top tier school that they are hell bent on me going there. Am I being irrational? What would you do in my situation? The worst part in all this is that I have 2 weeks to decide where I want to go because I have until April 15th to rescind my letter of intent without any consequences. That's hardly even enough time to come out and visit in the midst of a busy semester... UGH!
I am currently an undergrad student at UT, so I can say from firsthand experience that UT is so big that the administration can feel very cold and distant sometimes, as it has to deal with over 50k students. However I've always heard school prestige and rankings matter much more in graduate school and you also need to take into consideration that you've only had this bad impression from the admissions office, which doesn't necessarily translate to your relationships with professors, etc. which is much more important. Also you said you won't have time to visit campus and look around but Austin is a great city in general and I've never met someone who has regretted coming here.
I think Austin and Eugene are really similar and I do agree I think I will love Austin. I just do not want to feel lost in the shuffle in grad school. Arizona is a pretty big school too, so it won't be a culture shock to end up at UT, it's just I guess I have a sour taste in my mouth right now... But thanks for the advice, I really do hope some how I can swing a visit out there.
Your comment that school prestige and rankings matter more in graduate school is not necessarily true. It depends on the field. In my field, psychology, what matters is the research productivity of your mentor. Overall, while UT may be the better school, if you have a productive mentor at University of Oregon, you'll still have a valuable experience. Also, congratulations to the OP despite your dilemma!
I can't imagine any PhD program is a zoo of people, so you're going to be working closely with your mentor/advisor and the various the professors. I would say that and what type of work you'd be doing would be the most critical to making a decision. That and lifestyle choices - cost of living, what part of the country you want to live in, etc could play a role since you'll be there for many years. I wouldn't worry too much about the application / acceptance process - that's administrative stuff and won't really be a big part of your actual educational experience.
I'm not too familiar with the Chem PhD program but I know they just built a new state of the art nano-tech/sciences building, along with the fairly new biomed building.
congrats. having graduated from UT, it is difficult not to be lost in the shuffle - sheer numbers make it difficult. but the facilities, name-brand recognition (if you want to stay in texas especially), and weather/college environment/music is top notch.
I went through something similar for law school, though not at UT (they rejected me with great efficiency). LSU really put on the charm, even gave me a scholarship, but in the end, UH came in at the last second and admitted me and I went to the better ranked school, even though they did not (nor did they ever) treat me well. I don't regret it because getting stuck practicing law in Louisiana was too great a risk, and UH is still a much better ranked program. Quality grad schools in Texas don't need to treat their applicants well, because there are plenty of people lining up to go to school in our state, as long as the program is well ranked. Don't factor in the application process at all, as it has nothing to do with the faculty or the students. The prestige of your institution will have a major impact on future job searches, but there are other things to consider. Don't let the bad taste in your mouth from an arbitrary admissions process cloud a decision that will affect the next 30 or so years of your career.
First off, only you can answer this question. Which campus did you like more? Secondly, where do you plan on working? If you plan on working in Texas, then you should definitely go to UT. Networking is a big deal when it comes to jobs. As far as "being lost in the shuffle"- grad school is nothing like undergrad. You will be a part of a much smaller community, and I don't think that will be an issue once you start since your subset of the school mainly keeps to itself. You will have your own set of facilities and faculty that you will have to go through to get your degree. Finally, is cost an issue? If so, I'm betting Texas is cheaper than anywhere else. While most of the things I'm saying are pointing in UT's favor, if you really love what Oregon has to offer, go there. Like what other people have said, you can't go wrong.
I did my undergrad in biochem at UT and saw that a lot of what matters is which lab you end up in - i.e. how the professor is and how the people in the lab are. So if you like what a certain lab does, you should go for it, regardless of the school. Which field in chemistry/professors are you interested in at UT?
Getting into UT is usually the hardest part. Admissions deals with such a volume of applicants, it's almost inevitable that some applicants get lost in the shuffle. It's not necessarily indicative of the school in general, and I would imagine is NOT what you'll experience in a Phd program. And science degrees from UT carry quite a bit of cache.
i got lost in the shuffle in the MBA admissions process.. I got in off the waitlist super late. No way I should have been so much later than certain people.. at any rate, I've found the administration lacking in general--logistics, policies, etc. are not their strongsuit during the admissions process or otherwise. But the overall experience has been great, and I'm happy about it. Clearly could be different in your program, but my point is that you can separate the 2 as others have said and try and evaluate the school ignoring the admissions process if that's possible for you. (I'm still bitter about it at times, but not so much that it changes my opinion of the school or my experience)
^this is often overlooked. remember that you're going to spend the next 5+ years with whichever adviser you choose. you're going to be working with those same labmates for a long time. my personal advice is to find a lab you can really enjoy working in. the graduate science community is so small that your adviser's reputation is often more important than your school's. the better their reputation, the better their network will serve you when you graduate. i'm not saying prestige/rankings don't matter--some people care and others do not. it's up to you to prioritize what's important, be it prestige, stipend, location, research facilities, etc. i would suggest not putting too much emphasis on the admissions process though. are you being recruited at UT? can you visit the campus, meet with potential advisers/labmates?
If you decide to go to UT, get there early in the summer and try to find a place in Clarkesville. As a student, I always wanted to live in that neighborhood -- it was a quiet neighborhood, but was always near-full capacity. I ended up living in Hyde Park, similarly quiet, bohemian-ish, and a few minutes from campus. Whatever you do, stay away from West Campus and "Fraternity Row" -- nice place to visit, but you do not want to live too close to the parties. I would say UT is probably the most liberal campus in the South. It is a large school, but anonymity can be a good thing, too.
For grad school, don't you apply directly with the department instead of with a central admissions office. Just saying lost in shuffle shouldn't carry much weight. Of course you can't assume the professors are like the admissions staff.
Congrats on getting into a top program. I'm always glad to see a fellow Wildcat do well. I think you should really make every effort to try and visit UT before making your final decision. If you like it there, and you think you can be just as happy with your life there as at UofO, I would recommend going to the more highly regarded school. UT likely has more research options for you and probably has a better funding situation (I'm just guessing here). If you end up staying in the academic world after getting your PhD, the name brand of the school will probably help in getting a better postdoc. If you leave academia, the name brand of the school will definitely help you get a better job going into industry. I say this as someone who went to the top PhD program in my field and had some success looking for both academic and non-academic jobs.
Thank you all so much for your advice. I have contacted UT to see if they can arrange for me to come out and visit. After some buffalo wings and a good nights rest I feel like my frustration has subsided a bit. I am still leaning more towards Oregon for a multitude of reasons, but if I ended up in Austin I think I could still be happy. To those that asked, Austin is offering more money, but at the same token I think the cost of living might be a tad bit higher than Eugene (no sales tax), but don't quote me on that. In the end, what guides my decision is not going to be the money or my family or friends (who both say go to Austin), it will be the relationships I build down their when I visit. If I feel like I could work with some of those professors toward a PhD then I will gladly jump at the opportunity. As for the name and prestige of University of Texas, it is only as good as the research I do. I want to stay in academia forever and to do that I will have to work extremely hard for the next 5-8 years of my life. I feel like I can accomplish that goal at either place, but there is no doubt at Texas I may be in a better position to do so. I have repped you all (except SBK and Steve_Francis_Rules, it's making me spread rep before I rep you again) and really thank you for your input. Here's to being a Duck or a Longhorn.
I'm in a fairly similar circumstance. I applied to Kansas and Oregon. Kansas has been slobbering all over me since day 1, very responsive, extremely helpful, organized and efficient. Meanwhile, Oregon has been sluggish, lethargic, and almost rude at times in communicating with me. Even if I got into UO at this point, I'm leaning towards KU because of how well they seem to run the show over there. Hope you figure it out in due time.
