<p>Hello,
I have receieved all of my decision letters and am currently in the decision process. I am interested in planetary science and space exploration (primarily through spacecraft instrumentation). I could use some outside opinions.</p>
<p>My choices are:
ASU (SESE)
Berkeley (Astronomy)
Caltech (GPS)
Cornell (Astronomy)
MIT (EAPS)</p>
<p>My fiance and I have logistical reasons that lean us toward MIT. Does anyone have any strong opinions on MIT's strength in this field relative to the other programs (given recent professor vacancies and number of missions in department)?</p>
<p>Thanks for any ideas you may have!</p>
<p>MIT is ranked as the highest Geoscience institue in the US according to AGI. However, I do know that ASU has one of the best (if not the best) Planetary Science groups in the country.</p>
<p>Those I know from the geology department (well professors yielded from it) at CalTech are a strange bunch (again, those I've met...). But they are very well respected and have lots of support from JPL (big plus).</p>
<p>Berkeley is listed as the #2 school for geoscience (I don't know about astronomy since I'm a metamorphic petrologist) by AGI and produce a great number of professors.</p>
<p>If I were you, I'd stick with either ASU or MIT. Since it will work out better with your fiance I'd choose MIT, but it will cost more to live there...something definately to check out first before making a final decision.</p>
<p>Ophiolite,</p>
<p>Are you confusing ASU with UArizona?
I have a PhD in astrophysics (from Berkeley), and UArizona is known as being one of the very best, if not the best, for planetary astronomy... ASU is good, but not nearly at the same level.</p>
<p>Specifically for planetary astro, Cornell & Caltech are very, very highly regarded. MIT astro is, suprisingly, relatively weak... they have strengths in x-ray astronomy & cosmology... but that's about it.
Berkeley is in the top 3 in astrophysics, but specifically planetary astro is a little bit weaker.</p>
<p>For planetary astro... I'd go with Caltech or Cornell. Caltech has the HUGE advantage of being connected to JPL, which operates many solar system exploration projects...
You can't go wrong with any of these choices though... so quality of life issues could be dispositive... I turned down Harvard, MIT, Caltech to attend Berkeley for this reason.</p>
<p>harvard<em>and</em>berkeley and ophiolite, thank you for your replies.</p>
<p>My interests walk the line between science and engineering. I want to be the communications link between the disciplines during planetary missions. Another way to put it is that I am interested in being a true experimentalist. These interests make me want to create an interdiciplinary program that includes hands on hardware and instrumentation development in addition to science.</p>
<p>ASU is starting a new school known as the School of Ocean and Space Exploration (SESE). SESE is a merger of the Astronomy, Geology, and Aerospace Engineering Departments at ASU. The school opens its doors this fall for undergraduates. I truly feel that it will be top in the country in a few years. The problem is its not completely developed yet.</p>
<p>I have another question for you:
Given that I'm interested in science and engineering, I have spent a good deal of time putting together an interdisciplinary program at MIT (I've got EAPS and the engineering departments talking). The problem is, as you have stated, MIT is not as strong in planetary right now (they have recently lost some key professors). However, I've still put the time into making sure I'd have the egineering aspect.</p>
<p>Caltech has JPL, but its not as easy as one might think to work over there as a graduate student. I do not have the engineering link at Caltech that I have at MIT.</p>
<p>So I find myself stuck between the right education at MIT, but the right research opportunities at Caltech. Am I really going to hurt myself in the future (relatively) if I went to MIT for spacecraft instrumentation?</p>
<p>As for Cornell, it would be the perfect match. Its just that I've spent five years there already.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice.</p>