Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 00:52:44 -0400
From: Thomas F Brown <tombrown@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu>
Subject: Re: getting into Ph.D. programs
To: socgrad@csf.colorado.edu
Message-id: <97Jun11.005245edt.2626-1@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu>
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
A recent study (I've forgotten the exact citation) concluded
that the most significant factor determining who gets hired
to tenure track jobs is prestige of one's phd granting institution.
The second factor was prestige of undergrad degree. Number of
publications was a distant third. Nothing else was even
statistically significant.
 
Those of you now choosing a phd program might want to
keep this in mind. Forget about the weather and
how close to home you'll be--this is your future
career on the line. The choice of a phd program
is the single most important determinant of
where and even if you'll get an academic job
when you graduate.