Where To Go?!

Here I am, at a crossroads in my educational career. Currently, I am weighing three different PhD programs: Illinois, Iowa, and Utah (ECS or ELP). At face value, I would probably choose Illinois because of its prestige and the program is reflective of what I want to study. At Iowa, I would be studying with one of the top scholars in the area of student retention, Ernie Pascarella. At Utah, I am working with a fantastic professor and the Associate Dean of Diversity, Dr. William A. Smith. My interests in the sociology of higher education are aligned with his and I feel extremely comfortable within the college. In addition, I am supported both financially and academically. I am inclined to stay at Utah because of the amazing support, but part of me is leaning toward Illinois partly due to the reputation and possible job prospects after four years. I am still waiting for information on funding at Iowa and Illinois, which is a major component of my final decision. To add to the mess, I am on the waiting list at UCLA and University of Michigan. Where to go?! What to do? Who knows!?

Luckily, I will have my spring break (in Michigan) to contemplate the future and work on the thesis.