<p>Columbia UG/ Harvard PhD vs. Princeton UG/Yale PhD
in physical science area.</p>
<p>Which combination is better ? Two of my friends with those degrees are arguing about this ...</p>
<p>It’s a pointless argument and highly field dependent. A PhD from Yale would be superior in my area of study, but for someone in Celtic Studies a PhD from Harvard would obviously be superior.</p>
<p>this made me lol.
your friends are arguing about pointless things. I would think both of them are really impressive, and the difference is negligible in most areas.
tell them to forget about it. they should congratulate each other on their success and um, go for a drink or something.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Columbia UG in Applied Physics/ Harvard PhD in Physical Chem
Princeton UG in Chem /Yale PhD Chem</p>
<p>UG = who cares?</p>
<p>Harvard med > Yale med. gg.</p>
<p>You’re still too idealistic about school and studies to realize this but grad school will suck. I’ve realized this and as a result I’m only applying to schools in nice climates. If i had to spend the next 5-7 years in New Haven, I would kill myself (there are more things wrong with New Haven than the weather tho…).</p>
<p>However, the most important point is: YOU’RE NOT EVEN A FRESHMAN YET! The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.</p>
<p>columbia， gogogogo</p>
<p>Grad school doesn’t suck. It’s rigorous, demanding, draining and sometimes demoralizing. Okay, sometimes it sucks, but it’s not altogether sucky.</p>
<p>In any event, it makes much less sense to apply to graduate schools solely for their climate – or rather, it makes no sense at all to only apply to schools in nice climates. A Ph.D program lasts on average 5-7 years. It is far smarter to spend 5-7 years in an undesirable place to turn around and be competitive for the best positions in the most desirable places than it is to do it the other way round – go to a mid-tier school in a good place, but only be eligible for adjunct positions in Podunk for the rest of your life.</p>
<p>I’m in a Ph.D program at Columbia and I love it. Sure it’s freezing in the winter relative to Atlanta, where I went to undergrad, but it is an absolutely amazing school and my job prospects after I graduate will be great, since my program is in the top 10 in its field.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Do you know anyone in grad school who is truly happy? I don’t. Columbia at least has the city to make up for the awful winters and the same can be said of Harvard. </p>
<p>About the climate thing tho, I should clarify I’m only applying to good schools in good climates (a few of the UCs, etc). I’ve heard from a great number of sources (all have PhDs) that if you don’t get your PhD from 1 of the top 30 schools then you will be stuck in Podunk for the rest of your life, as you said. </p>
<p>The point of the thread is still that the OP isn’t even a freshman and really should be worrying more about keeping grades up than where to go to grad school.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I don’t think the point of thread is that-- sounds like it’s about two real people, not OP.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The correct answer is that the “better” person is the person who published more and was in a more impressive laboratory. Assuming they both want to be academics, those are the things that will matter.</p>