Choosing the best graduate program in neuroscience

Graduate School
1

<p>So I have a dilemma. I can't figure out were to go for graduate school in neuroscience. My top choices are Brown and UC Berkeley.
I think that UC Berkeley has a better program overall, in terms of courses, competitiveness and structure. Nonetheless, I have worked already in Brown and had the chance to work with one faculty member in particular who is really well known and does very elegant work. In addition there is another faculty member whose research interests are very similar to mine. Although UC Berkeley has a very strong faculty, I really don't think that they can compete with the Brown faculty member I worked with in terms of publications and recognition.
So what do you guys think? Should I give more importance to the institution's ranking and program quality or should I pay more attention to the faculty members? </p>

<p>I really appreciate your help</p>

2

<p>If you’re confident about your research interests, you should pick based on faculty members, absolutely.</p>

<p>The lab you pick as a grad student will impact the rest of your career to a much greater degree than the overall quality of the department to which you belong. Your PI is responsible for funding your research, and a great PI can give you opportunities to publish well, to present your work at conferences, and to interact with the other important people in your subfield. When you graduate, it’s your PI, not your institution, who will help you find a postdoc.</p>