<p>I have been admitted to the CS (Graphics) PhD programs at Harvard and CMU, both with full funding, etc. I am titled towards Harvard, but CMU's strong CS ranking pulls me back. Any suggestions about where I should finally go? </p>
<p>I am a bit concerned about how the employers (in industry research and academia) would look at a CS Harvard PhD vs that from CMU (a traditional stronger CS university)</p>
<p>For computer science it is CMU all the way! (I am in CS industry research).</p>
<p>Post this in the parent’s forum - there’s a frequent poster there (can’t remember her username) whose son chose CMU over Harvard for CS.</p>
<p>I don’t know about PhDs, but my son had to make that choice four years ago for undergraduate work. He picked CMU. He had no regrets and is working at Google now.</p>
<p>I think the Dean of SCS really sets the tone of the place and he’s an incredibly dynamic charismatic guy. That said, I don’t know enough about the strength of Harvard’s comp sci department in graphics to say much more than that.</p>
<p>(I’m the poster whose name phantasmagoric can’t remember.)</p>
<p>Thanks for replying everyone! I think they are both great schools. Just that I like my adviser at Harvard, but am not sure about it at CMU and hence the dilemma. Anyway thanks again!</p>
<p>^Here’s my advice if you are at Harvard now. Go to CMU. I really think there’s a huge value in getting to know a whole new crop of professors and a new part of the country. The people I know who left the Harvard bubble for grad school had much more successful careers than those who stayed. Departments often get dominated by one point of view - you may not even realize it until you leave. CMU has so many professors, I don’t think you’ll have any trouble finding an adviser there. Really.</p>
<p>(If you were at CMU now, I’d tell you to take a good luck at Harvard BTW.)</p>
<p>Actually, I am neither of the places right now 
But I see your point. I have some research experience and after a very thorough search for a good professor for me at CMU, I like the one at Harvard more!
If I were to start an undergraduate course today, all these points would totally make sense and I would have probably gone to CMU without a doubt.</p>
<p>For a PhD, your adviser is enormously important. If you like the Harvard adviser more - go to Harvard and don’t look back.</p>