Prospective student here. Both programs are incredible fits in my sub-field, with relatively comparable funding packages (given the difference in cost of living).
Which would you pick?
Harvard or Michigan?
-
For the long answer, read here and ignore everything about Berkeley:
http://www.socjobrumors.com/topic/h-b-or-mThe short answer comes from c17e in that thread:
Seriously, don't overthink this. Figure out who your chair would be at each school. Figure out who it would be if that person leaves. Figure out who it would be if THAT person leaves. Figure out if you like the atmosphere and you would actually enjoy coming to the office to see these people. Figure out if the mentoring you'd get is going to mesh with your personality (tough love vs. supportive vs. leave-me-alone-and-figure-it-out).
-
agree with @d6a6.
it comes down to who YOU would work with. and who you would work with if you couldn't work with that person, etc.
all things being equal, pick the dep with the mentor who is going to be better for your career, and it that is equal, the person who is better *for you*.
-
agree with @d6a6.
it comes down to who YOU would work with. and who you would work with if you couldn't work with that person, etc.
all things being equal, pick the dep with the mentor who is going to be better for your career, and it that is equal, the person who is better *for you*.This is great advice.
-
^yes. mind you, HU is in a much higher cost of living, but Michigan offers an exceedingly generous package and a union that continues to power-broker for better everything. Michigan grad students get almost the same healthcare as faculty. The stipend is tethered to inflation, there are childcare subsidies, etc. The only diff is that Michigan requires teaching unless you buy out and the private institutions tend to have more affiliation perks overall.
But package to package let's not pretend that Harvard is somehow shoulders above the competition. Michigan wins out on students who were also recruited by Harvard all the time.
-
truth.
i was a lazy grad student at Michigan who only decided to care about the job market once I was on it. Landed an R1 MRM as an ABD. Had a friend who was a very promising and accomplished Harvard ABD who did everything right. She landed an R1 MRM...
Plus Michigan students are just all around better people. And not just in Soc, but throughout the entire graduate school the grad students are like a massive tribal support system in a town where everyone their age is also a grad student.
choose harvard if you want to brag to your non-academic friends you "go to harvard", but don't actually care about academic job placement
-
One thing about Michigan is that they will pay for most of your child care if you are a parent. That is a huge benefit, and I've heard from Harvard grad students that the department is NOT family friendly. Also, the health insurance is great - no deductibles or premiums for a whole family. The stipend is about 2k a month during the academic year with summer funding available.
-
I may also add this: Harvard has some better material resources in terms of wine & cheese parties and many more department-sponsored dinners. If wine, cheese, and department sponsored dinners are your thing, definitely go to harvard.
But in terms of libraries? Even
Research Institutes: Michigan (come on. ISR and ICPSR)
Public Policy: Even. Kennedy is no better than Ford unless you're talking about the men themselves.
Reputation: Harvard wins outside of academia. Michigan wins inside of academia.
Placement: They have both placed each others top students at each others' departments, but obviously
Michigan's record speaks for itself. Hint: you are not going to be the top student at either department.
Location: HU wins of course.
Cost of Living: Michigan strikes back.
Family considerations: No better place to be a grad student parent than UMich. Hands down.
Mentorship: they both suck egregiously at actual hands on mentorship. Pick your poison.
Faculty: Ehhh too close to call. Depends on sub-area.
Stipend: Even for amount, Michigan wins for added subsidies and health insurance with lower CoL
Libraries: Both world-class. Michigan will deliver books to your office, though. Remember that when it's -12 outside.
Undergrads: HU undergrads get a bad rap for being cardboard prepster cut-outs from elite boarding and day schools. No, i'm sorry, that stereotype is well-earned. Michigan undergrads are more Range-Rover driving long island and north shore chicago rich kids who went to wealthy public schools. The *average* Michigan undergrad is not as smart as the average HU undergrad, but the smartest UM students are exactly as smart as smartest HU students. HU students are more diverse internationally, Mich students are more diverse by class and race (but barely). -
Michigan will deliver books to your office, though. Remember that when it's -12 outside..
What the hell?! Whenever I go to Wisconsin's social science library to check out a laptop (can't afford one of my own, hah), the head librarian asks me to put down a contact phone humber "either yours or your parents."
I am in my 30's. I haven't lived with my parents in 15 years. The entire university is structured to infantilize graduate students.
Book delivery? As if! We don't even have offices to deliver books to!
-
If you intend to follow an academic career, answer is a no-brainier:
http://www.socjobrumors.com/topic/placements-this-year-by-programIf you make your decisions based on one year of placement data, don't attend michigan or Harvard, just get out of academia altogether.