Your friend might also want to talk to either recent graduates or current students at the programs under consideration. Since I hold degrees from both University of Iowa and University of Wisconsin-Madison, I get calls from people asking me to compare the two programs. I would be glad to talk to your student or respond to her e-mail. In addition to Mark's list of criteria, I would recommend looking to see what types of archives or other research facilities are attached to the program (such as the Selznick collection at the University of Texas-Austin, the United Artist collection at UW-Madison, the George Eastman House in Rochester, or the many holdings in the L.A. area.) These materials can be important in shaping what type of dissertation you write. You should try to see what kind of track record the program has in placing its graduates in the job market, since whether we like to admit it or not, we want to get some kind of employment when all of the education is done. Some programs have solid track records, some well regarded programs are little more than diploma mills with limited commitment to their students when their coursework is finished. You might also want to look for opportunities to participate in the editing of journals, such as the Velvet Light Trap which is edited by students at UW and UT-Austin, or the Spectator out of USC. These journals give you a chance to gain professional skills apart from those in the classroom and to make broader contacts within the discipline. Henry Jenkins Ast. Prof, Film and Media Studies MIT