I applied for several PhD programs in English and have gotten a few offers (fortunate enough to have secured more than a couple of them in this cycle as an international). The two offers looking attractive to me are NYU and University of Maryland. Which one should I go for?
NYU is of course highly ranked but UMD has given me one of their most prestigious fellowships on top of a base stipend, so financially they are almost similar. Research fit is almost similar at both places too.
Would appreciate genuine suggestions, and will share more details if required.
Thank you.
Comments
I don’t know anything about English at either program but will say cost of living will be drastically different. Congrats on the offers!
Both will lead to unemployment. Do you prefer to be unemployed with 200k in debt or no debt.
Who would be your advisor in either place and how supportive would they be? Begin with that question. Maybe email a few current grads and try to understand how well they feel supported.
Have you taken into account the absurdly high cost of living in NYC when comparing them financially?
Sorry this might go against the waves here but I don’t understand why you’re hesitating for NYC. That would be a straight yes for me. Have you ever been there? NYU has the prestige, faculty, and it’s in one of the best cities in the world. You said your advisor would be a great connection and financially it’s the same. What’s not to like?
I also think NYC would be an upgrade in terms of an arts hub where you can flourish artistically and make connections.
Look at what their former students are doing. If you want an academic career you need to find an advisor that has a track record of successful alumni. It is very common for tt hires to be selected from only few prominent groups.
Additionally it’s my understanding that in the humanities, fellowship are even more essential at the PhD and postdoc level than they are in the sciences. It would probably be good to check what resources each university has for helping their students acquire them. I know that certain private schools offer much more support with that than public schools (also you can ask fellow students for help if your cohort is in general more successful).
You go to the one which will cost you less and which has an advisor you are excited to work with.
Pick your humanities PhD based on probable dissertation advisor.
Choose NYU because it can provide better connections than UMD, based on location alone.
The cost of living in both places is relatively expensive when compared to the stipend payment. The way around that is to secure a residential life graduate assistantship, even if it is a halftime GAship, they usually include private housing and a meal plan. You can spend your other 10 hours working within your department.
Both schools are great options and located close to major employment sectors (UMD is close to Washington, DC). Obtaining relevant internships and experiences should be easy.
NYU, because you’ll have a better opportunity to marry rich while you’re there. I am no joking