robbie1981 wrote:
Thank you Praetorian. Reading your post has been extremely useful for me.
It seems that the brand of the school in which you pursue your Phd is not so important to get a good placement if you manage to publish on a top journal. Attending a Phd at a certain elite school will not bring you into a top school's faculty by itself, but since such elite school should provide you better training to become a good researcher.
My conclusion is that a strong program (coursework, advisors, environment) is a far more critical success factor than a strong school brand.
Brand does matter in that there is a strong correlation to the quality of faculty, funding, industry partnerships. However, the Ph.D is the students responsibility. The brand will help you get noticed, but if you cannot publish or are too dependent on your advisor for ideas, it will hurt you.
Expect no one to offer you help in the program. I like to think of the Ph.D as starting your own small business. It is your baby. Expect to do everything from cold-calling your customers to picking up the trash. You will need to survive the first two years. In fact, it is very important that the first two years be challenging. It is very difficult to learn anything new once you start your dissertation or go on to a faculty position. You will be expected to take a lion's share of the responsibility of doing research. The faculty and the univ. do provide a formal support system, but they have a thousand other things to worry about.
Remember that even though it is a 4 year program, you really only have 3 years to prepare yourself for the job market. The 4th year is the time you look at your research, your dissertation and ask yourself if you are ready.
Publishing in a top journal is a big IF. You will definitely need the advice and support of your advisor. Its a bold and the right step to take. Many students take an extra year and complete their Ph.D in five years. This allows them to build up a nice portfolio of papers accepted or under review by the time they are ready to go onto the job market. I personally think taking an extra year is a great idea. Its much better to go into the faculty position with a paper or two under your belt. The process of tenure is probably 10 times as difficult.
Finally, definitely try to work with a well known professor in the field. Reputation means a lot of academia. Careers are built on it. In some cases, it is possible to work with a professor from another university. But nothing like someone on the inside. The challenge you will run into when working with a genius prof. is that you have to be really at the top of your game to keep them interested.
Its not as dramatic as it may sound. But it definitely is a challenging experience.
Hope this helps