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UCSD vs JHU for Cond. Mat

Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2012 11:34 pm
by alphanumeric
Anyone care to weigh in on these two schools? I've been doing frustrated magnetism which matches excellently with IQM at JHU, but I'm not 100% sure I want to spend my life doing that and I wouldn't mind being able to sample a larger program such as at UCSD.

Anyone have input? what would you choose?

Re: UCSD vs JHU for Cond. Mat

Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 2:01 pm
by kangaroo
You won't even care once you get into Stanford/Caltech.

Re: UCSD vs JHU for Cond. Mat

Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 5:51 pm
by alphanumeric
a bold prediction, but I appreciate your confidence. I'm a bit more realistic, however...

Re: UCSD vs JHU for Cond. Mat

Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:57 pm
by kangaroo
Well point is it is too early to think about this. At least wait till all your schools have given you an answer, and you have visited all the schools you are interested in, before worrying about which program to pick.

Re: UCSD vs JHU for Cond. Mat

Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2012 2:47 am
by bfollinprm
alphanumeric wrote:Anyone care to weigh in on these two schools? I've been doing frustrated magnetism which matches excellently with IQM at JHU, but I'm not 100% sure I want to spend my life doing that and I wouldn't mind being able to sample a larger program such as at UCSD.

Anyone have input? what would you choose?

They're close enough that for me it would require a visit to both schools to break the degeneracy. Though, quality of life speaking, I can say:

La Jolla >> Baltimore for most everything other than cost of living. Hopkins is in a crap (though improving) neighborhood, which means (a) low rent, (b) high property crime, and (c) not a huge choice of dining/nightlife/coffee shops. UCSD is in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the US, and so people often have longer commutes to lessen cost of living. But as a consequence, I think there's better comraderie between people in the department, since you all tend to eat/relax/hangout at/around campus instead of near home. But prepare to be broke, since the cheapest place I could find was 1200/1BR, or at least 800 to share a room.

Re: UCSD vs JHU for Cond. Mat

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 9:30 pm
by alphanumeric
Well, now that it's all gone down, it's still down to these two choices for me.
bfollinprm wrote: They're close enough that for me it would require a visit to both schools to break the degeneracy.
I've been to UCSD and San Diego in general several times and overall I like it. I have yet to hear much about JHU, but I've had a lot of contact with one faculty member who is well respected and with whom I would be working. I am interested in opinions on their new joint venture with princeton, IQM, and what sorts of involvement JHU grad students have... I'm visiting the school in a week and a half.
bfollinprm wrote: Though, quality of life speaking, I can say... ...prepare to be broke, since the cheapest place I could find was 1200/1BR, or at least 800 to share a room.
I currently live somewhere on par with the expenses of SD/la jolla, so I'm not worried about that. I will go from being income neutral to having some income, so for my wife(a nurse) and I, our quality of life will improve rather significantly at either location...

Mostly what I am interested in is the general opinion of these institutions with regard to grad student life/outcomes as well as CMT prestige. e.g. does either place have particularly nasty quals and drops students or profs that are impossible to deal with, does one have better lead into academia/industry, etc. Basically the info that I can't find via google/wikipedia/etc.