How To Flip A Coin
March 28, 2019
When my friends struggle with a tough decision (usually one where both options are so wonderful they can’t choose between them), I usually tell them to flip a coin.
…
I get a lot of weird looks.
But here’s my philosophy, which I’m pretty sure I stole from a movie or something at some point.
If you’re contemplating two things, and flip a coin to choose between them, there’s a moment after you throw the coin in the air where you realize you’re hoping for one outcome or another.
And that’s the one you should pick.
Are you struggling with a decision? Flip a coin. I’m serious.
Because sometimes, you just know.
That’s what happened when it came time for me to pick a Ph.D. program.
I’m lucky. I was admitted into all four doctoral programs to which I applied, and each acceptance came with great offers such as fellowships and stipends and relocation funding and the like. So I went to visits.
Ph.D. program visits are like nothing I’ve ever done before. Each one included flights, cars, lodging, dinners, drinks, and meeting so many brilliant people it felt like my brain would seep out of my ears. Each school gave campus tours and presentations and anything else it felt would draw me there. It was strange to me. I had only applied to one undergraduate program because I knew I’d get in to my #1 choice. So there was no tough decision to be made.
This time, it was different. I had several competing offers in excellent programs. In the end, it came down to my gut.
I’m a big fan of Say Yes To The Dress. (I’m also a big fan of noting that using SYTTD as an analogy for choosing a Ph.D. program is a very Erin Truesdell thing to do.) Even when clients love the first dress they try on, they are encouraged to try on others before making a final decision. That’s what picking a graduate school felt like. I fell in love with Georgia Tech, which also happened to be the first school I visited. The urban atmosphere, funding options, and faculty felt like the right fit. But I couldn’t just make a decision right then – after all, I had other schools competing for my attention.
I made a point of stopping by the Catholic Center. 
The department. 
A lovely evening in ATL.
So I went on two more visits, to campuses with wonderful communities of students and excellent programs.
And, after I finished my last visit, I knew. The gut feeling I had at GT was the right one.
I’ll be moving to Atlanta in August to begin work.