Hi all,
I'm interested in experimental condensed matter physics. I have offers from Purdue, Vanderbilt, and U Mass Amherst for Physics PhD programs (with funding), and I'm on the wait list for a few other schools (U Minnesota, Stony Brook).
I visited Vanderbilt and enjoyed it, but generally speaking Vanderbilt has lower rankings than Purdue. How seriously should I take these rankings? I'm assuming I can be successful with a degree from either program, but I've heard that grad students at larger schools generally have a harder time getting individualized attention from PIs / get worked to death with TA-ing huge classes / use their qualifying exam to just weed out the weaker students after a few years of teaching undergrad labs. Vanderbilt seems to have good faculty and facilities (I haven't visited Purdue) - can anyone out there compare the two?
I don't know if it matters, but I've also heard that outside of Purdue/UMass Amherst there's essentially no city at all...I'd like for a more urban environment and Vandy delivers there.
Thanks for the input.
Purdue vs. Vanderbilt vs. UMass Amherst
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Re: Purdue vs. Vanderbilt vs. UMass Amherst
So cause no one else is replying I'll try and add some information to this as I'm doing my undergrad at UMASS and I've spent quite a lot of time around Vanderbilt (but not with the department).
UMASS is a great school and has a great department, I don't think there's any of the faculty that I've ever had a problem with. The amherst area can definitely be nice though, fall is amazing but the winters are rough. Just this recent winter alone we've had about 3-4 ft of snow in less than a week.
Vanderbilt, while I've never had any experience with the actual school only the campus and the Nashville area as far as I have had experience with is very nice. You won't run into such harsh winters in Nashville which is very nice. I think the worst thing I've ever experienced there was in 2007 when they had a dusting of snow and it closed down the entire city. Like you mentioned I also like being in a campus that is adjacent to everything you could possibly need because it is in downtown Nashville. Just judging between these two schools (never been to Purdue), I'd honestly take Vanderbilt. I love UMASS but I've had enough of the winter, Nashville was a great city when I lived nearby, and I kind of hate being away from everything in western MA.
UMASS is a great school and has a great department, I don't think there's any of the faculty that I've ever had a problem with. The amherst area can definitely be nice though, fall is amazing but the winters are rough. Just this recent winter alone we've had about 3-4 ft of snow in less than a week.
Vanderbilt, while I've never had any experience with the actual school only the campus and the Nashville area as far as I have had experience with is very nice. You won't run into such harsh winters in Nashville which is very nice. I think the worst thing I've ever experienced there was in 2007 when they had a dusting of snow and it closed down the entire city. Like you mentioned I also like being in a campus that is adjacent to everything you could possibly need because it is in downtown Nashville. Just judging between these two schools (never been to Purdue), I'd honestly take Vanderbilt. I love UMASS but I've had enough of the winter, Nashville was a great city when I lived nearby, and I kind of hate being away from everything in western MA.