Is it wrong to choose one graduate school to apply to?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the decision to apply to only one graduate school, specifically Clemson University, and the implications of such a choice. Participants explore factors influencing this decision, including personal happiness, location, and the competitiveness of graduate programs.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a strong preference for Clemson due to its proximity, program focus, and personal comfort, questioning the necessity of applying to other schools.
  • Another participant argues that location is a significant factor for success in graduate school and suggests applying to other schools as a safety measure in case of rejection from Clemson.
  • A different viewpoint emphasizes that if the participant is comfortable with the risk of not attending graduate school if not accepted to Clemson, applying elsewhere may not be necessary.
  • Some participants recommend applying to other schools, noting that Clemson's selectivity may increase and suggesting connecting with faculty or current students to strengthen the application.
  • Concerns are raised about the participant's commitment to pursuing a PhD, with some suggesting that applying to only one school may indicate a lack of drive for graduate studies.
  • One participant shares a personal anecdote about choosing a graduate program based on location due to a weaker academic profile, indicating that happiness in the environment can be a valid criterion.
  • Another participant suggests that applying to a similar school could provide leverage for negotiating funding with Clemson if accepted elsewhere.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of opinions, with some advocating for applying to multiple schools while others support the idea of focusing solely on Clemson. There is no consensus on whether it is advisable to apply to other programs.

Contextual Notes

Some participants highlight the importance of personal happiness and environmental factors in choosing a graduate program, while others question the implications of applying to only one school on the participant's commitment to graduate education.

trickslapper
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I know the school that i'd like to go to(Clemson) it's close to home, the program is more applied than theoretical, the campus has a nice home-y feeling to it, i very much like the graduate programs that I'm looking at (mathematical sciences and computer science), etc.

I know people say that you shouldn't pick a school for its location or the weather so that's why I'm asking this question.

I've been trying to find other schools that i'd like to attend, but I'm just so sure that Clemson is the school i'd like to go to for my graduate studies that i don't even want to apply to other schools. I guess i almost feel that if i went to another school i wouldn't be too happy.

What do you guys think? Should i at least apply to some other schools?
 
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Who ever told you that location isn't a factor obviously values different things than you. You'll find that being happy at a location will be vital in your success at graduate school. For some people that means being at the best ranked school or working with professor x, for others that means being near home or enjoying the environment.

You should apply to other schools just for the in case Clemson rejects you. It never hurts to have a safety.
 
trickslapper said:
What do you guys think? Should i at least apply to some other schools?

As long as you are fine with not going to graduate school at all, there is no need to apply to more than your first-choice school.
 
You do need to apply to other schools. Clemson isn't all that hard to get into if you've got good grades, general GRE scores (they don't require the physics GRE), and research experience, but you might want to connect with someone on the faculty there - get a tour of the lab, meet other grad students, let them know you're really interested. They are getting more selective as the school gains in the rankings (overall, not so much in physics, but they've really got a good, if small, program). There are other schools you can apply to with similar weather - U South Carolina, UNC Chapel Hill, U Georgia, UF.
 
If you don't apply to other schools, then you're making a decision that if you don't get into Clemson, you won't be starting grad school the coming year. If that's a conscious decision on your part, then that's fine. It's not an irrevocable decision -- if you don't get in, you can always apply to more schools the following year.

trickslapper said:
I know people say that you shouldn't pick a school for its location or the weather so that's why I'm asking this question.
Why would you not take those criteria into account? You're going to be living there for something like 5 years, and you don't want to be miserable.
 
I agree with Ben, although this does raise a bit of a red flag. It raises questions about how badly one wants a PhD. (If the answer isn't "pretty doggonne badly", your odds of completing the program go way down)
 
I think location is not a bad way to sort graduate programs, if sorting by reputation would not be possible due to a weak application. My buddy really wanted a phd, but he had a sort of weak gpa (3 < GPA < 3.4), so he applied to schools he thought he could get into in beautiful areas of the country. He now goes to a decent school in a great climate, and he's very happy.

I think only applying to one program for your reasons shows a questionablecdrive to go to grad school.
 
Vanadium 50 said:
I agree with Ben, although this does raise a bit of a red flag. It raises questions about how badly one wants a PhD. (If the answer isn't "pretty doggonne badly", your odds of completing the program go way down)

I don't want a PhD at all. I do want my masters degree but I'm not in any rush (i have a pretty nice CS job right now)
 
If you know you want to go to that school, I don't see any harm in not applying anywhere else. HOWEVER I DO recommend you apply to a similar school because if they offer you funding you can use that as a way to barter with Clemson to give you a better deal!
 

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