Kansas or Michigan?

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Keego

Keego

Diamond Member
Aug 15, 2000
6,223
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My friend has job offers to go to graduate school in both Kansas and Michigan, and she cannot decide, and they need to hear a decision by MONDAY! Where would you go? University of Kansas and Michigan State University are the choices. She's split right down the middle, and she even made an excel chart listing the pros and cons, and they both are dead even! :Q
 
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darkswordsman17

Lifer
Mar 11, 2004
23,444
5,852
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What are they going to grad school for?

That should be what the deciding factor is. Choose whichever school has the more accredited program for that and then go there.

Also, have they visited either school yet?
 
Keego

Keego

Diamond Member
Aug 15, 2000
6,223
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81
Originally posted by: darkswordsman17
What are they going to grad school for?

That should be what the deciding factor is. Choose whichever school has the more accredited program for that and then go there.

Also, have they visited either school yet?
Click to expand...

They're going to graduate school for higher education student affairs administration. She's seen both campuses, and MSU has a better academic program, but KU has a better work enviornment!
 
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IgorFL

Senior member
Jul 23, 2001
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Why does she have to decide by Monday? I thought all graduate schools followed the April 15th deadline, as a rule.
 
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AgentEL

Golden Member
Jun 25, 2001
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The 2006 Rankings were released today by US News. There is a lot of valuable information there. If it helps, these were how the Education programs were ranked overall:

14. Michigan State University
30. University of Kansas

There are specialty rankings as well. Hope this helps.
 
Keego

Keego

Diamond Member
Aug 15, 2000
6,223
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Originally posted by: IgorFL
Why does she have to decide by Monday? I thought all graduate schools followed the April 15th deadline, as a rule.
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For the assistantship (job), they want to fill the spots faster. The graduate school admission isn't the bottleneck.
 
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IgorFL

Senior member
Jul 23, 2001
351
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Originally posted by: Keego
Originally posted by: IgorFL
Why does she have to decide by Monday? I thought all graduate schools followed the April 15th deadline, as a rule.
Click to expand...

For the assistantship (job), they want to fill the spots faster. The graduate school admission isn't the bottleneck.
Click to expand...

Gotcha - in that case, I really think she should weigh two factors more heavily than the others:

1) Quality of life - I've met too many graduate students who make choices solely on the basis on perceived departmental prestige, only to end up miserable in their surroundings and dropping out. It's nice to believe that you'll spend every waking hour in the library, dedicated to the sole idea of becoming the greatest specialist in your discipline in the world... but that's not reality.

2) The future relationship she'll have with her advisor. Graduate school can be an extremely political place (moreso than the business world, in fact). Without an advisor who can help your friend steer clear of the pitfalls and professional jealousy that is all too common in dysfunctional departments, it can be daunting to finish the degree... and that's the whole point to begin with :)

Anyway, I'm sure there are other views. Those are the major factors that have served me well in my graduate school experience thus far, however.
 
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Landroval

Platinum Member
Feb 5, 2005
2,275
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Whenever you are thinking about grad schools an important factor (often THE most important) is WHO you want to study with. What faculty in each of those places has she made contact with and is top in the area she wants to go in?
 
EvilYoda

EvilYoda

Lifer
Apr 1, 2001
21,198
9
81
State's got a great education program, but it's still State...if you had said UM, i would've said congrats to her. Otherwise, depends on what kind of atmosphere she likes.
 
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tami

Lifer
Nov 14, 2004
11,588
3
81
i haven't been to either, but if i had a choice, i'd definitely go to michigan over kansas.
 
EvilYoda

EvilYoda

Lifer
Apr 1, 2001
21,198
9
81
wow...way to resurrect the dead.

I apologize for misspellings...I'm drunk.

michiga state.
 
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rgwalt

Diamond Member
Apr 22, 2000
7,393
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I did my undergrad at KU, and I've visited Michigan State a few times. Personally, I'd go to KU, but I'm biased. Lawrence is a really fun, cool, artsy college town. East Lansing looks like it could have some good college-type areas, but since I haven't explored the area, I can't be sure.

Where did she end up going?!?

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fatty4ksu

Golden Member
Mar 5, 2005
1,282
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Originally posted by: rgwalt
I did my undergrad at KU. Personally, I'd go to KU, but I'm biased. Lawrence is a really fun, cool, artsy college town.
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Click to expand...

:thumbsdown:
 
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