how important are undergrad "fit" factors when selecting a grad school?

kryptonsa36
Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:31:31 +0000

Your future advisor is important, but don’t choose a school because a specific faculty member is there (you have no idea if you’d even end up working with that person).

Fit is therefore everything. But “fit” is a broad term. My decision was based almost entirely on my “fit” with the following: the faculty (as a whole), and the students (current AND interviewing). The program that happened to be the best fit in those areas also had an ideal class size and location for me, so that worked out nicely.

I think the “fit” of the research community, the people, around you trumps everything else. Less-than-great location or school size are tolerable as long as you enjoy interacting with all the faculty and your grad student colleagues there. And if you like the faculty in general at your program, then it will not be difficult to find the one person who would make for a great advisor.