Things to consider when picking a Grad School that is right for you:
Picking a grad school that is right for you is an extremely important decision that will affect a large part of your personal and professional development. The following blogs may be helpful to help you make your decision:
Also, consider the following:
1. The cost of living in the surrounding area
Can you reasonably live off of the provided stipend for assistantships or will you need to take out loans?
2. The number of research groups you are interested in joining
Unfortunately, not everyone will always get their top lab choice. Consider whether you want to attend a program with one research group option or multiple.
3. Whether the current graduate students feel supported
Do the graduate students in the program as well as the research groups you are interested in feel supported by their advisor and department community? Graduate school is tough, but having a supportive community makes it all the better.
4. Additional benefits
Health insurance packages (medical, dental, and vision) are often provided by universities for their graduate students. These packages
range from bronze to platinum. Be sure to evaluate the quality of each universities health insurance plan. This will give you a better idea of how much you will have to pay towards your health insurance on a monthly basis as well as your out of pocket costs. Parental leave policies should be reviewed if you are interested in having a family while in graduate school.
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