Evaluating mentor and research match

[somedude14]

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So, I've been fortunate to have received several options for attending graduate school next fall. I've visited all of the schools I was hoping to attend. All had pros and cons but there was one, lets call it school X, who had a mentor doing the research EXACTLY like I wanted to. As far as research and training opportunities (I want to do fmri research, its a major focus at school X) there is no better school for me.

The thing is, even though I visited this school, I felt like I liked some other schools a little better. (the actual campus/surrounding area/psychology building/students/other professors ect.) But for school X, the POI there was absolutely perfect.

I've visited ivy league and other schools with lots of money so when I visited, maybe the money thrown at me, nicer buildings, and more prestigious faculty stood out more. School X is just a nice state school from the south, albeit an absolutely perfect research match for me.

So my question, does research match really trump all other factors? I'm going to be doing this research for 5 years and it will set me up for my future career (i want to go into academia). I know research interests can change but right now, the research at school X is exactly what I want to do.

Thanks for any feedback!

 

[LM02]

It's hard to say without more detail, but I will say this... fMRI is still a pretty limited resource with high demand. And given its price, there are usually a lot of different researchers sharing the magnet. Hence, there is usually a lot of jockeying for magnet time. I've seen it get ugly!

If that's what you want to do, you will want to ensure that you will have the maximum access to the magnet to do your research. If school X is a perfect match, and your mentor has seniority in terms of magnet time priority, I would very seriously consider this... you don't want to lose out if your mentor doesn't have enough direct access or clout to get you the magnet when you need it. Then you'll be at a potentially higher prestige program, but unable to do the research...

Good luck!

 

[kea2115]

I always have been a big proponent of going with your intuition and relying on your gut feeling. Which program feels right? In the grand scheme of things, nice buildings and a nice campus won't mean much when you are 5 years removed. (Let alone the small fact that you'll probably be holed up in the library for the majority of your time anyway!). It does really come down to fit/match, and it seems as though you know the answer yourself.

 

[lifesanillusion]

I agree with the posters above. Good research fit is paramount, especially if you are aiming for academia. Nice buildings and slightly better funding will not matter much in the long run. I'd go with the good fit.