obi Posted November 30, 2011 Report Share Posted November 30, 2011 Hey guys, so i've finally started considering my grad school application because i've been really enjoying my thesis project so far. My question is basically how do I go about comparing grad programs? From Western i've been to seminars from a bunch of different departments and it seems like I could work with the same prof in quite a few of them which leaves me wondering which department to pick within 1 school.. Couple that with the grad programs at other schools and it just seems like there are too many options How did you go about deciding where to apply? What kind of factors influenced you? Did the school you end up at even matter or was it just about the department? Cheers, Obi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satsuma Posted December 1, 2011 Report Share Posted December 1, 2011 For research-based grad programs, you essentially go where the lab/prof is that is doing the work you want to do. If there are multiple places that have profs doing research you are interested in, then you need to figure out which interests you more. Even if the research is similar, it won't be identical. Also, consider who your supervisor will be. You need to get along with your supervisor! Try and see if other grad students in the labs you are looking at are happy. Consider also productivity. If your supervisor is productive, chances are you will get further in your own work. Caveat - if they are near retiring, they may have been productive in the past, but not so much now. So get a sense if they are actively publishing etc. And then there is funding, you want to be in a lab that is well funded. When comparing different departments, look at course requirements. You may be able to do the same research in your lab but depending on the program you are in, may have more course-load. (could be good or bad depending on your perspective). Which department has more funding - and so potentially offering more stipends/internal scholarships. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benge88 Posted December 1, 2011 Report Share Posted December 1, 2011 I'd say, try to speak to the current members of any lab you are in about their experiences - you can hear some very interesting things! You really don't want to find yourself in a negative environment for your degree Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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