Choosing Between Graduate Program Offers: A Practical Guide

This paper offers practical advice to prospective graduate students about how to evaluate offers of admissions and make decisions about which graduate program is the best "fit" for the individual's interests, needs and goals. Specific decision criteria are described to help individuals evaluate both the personal and academic fit of each institution, along with advice for interpreting and comparing offers of financial assistance. While the specific focus of this paper is on comparing offers to graduate programs (Master’s or PhD) in engineering in the United States, the general principles may be helpful for a wide variety of post-graduate applicants.