New Study: Group size affects your academic career. This is not surprising given that: 1⃣ Bigger groups = bigger productivity of the professor Productivity & citations of a professor correlates with their recognition and visibility. Such professors have stronger influence in the community. Their recommendation letters weigh MORE. And let’s not forget - recommendation letters are one of the major factors in the selection process for senior positions (esp. in the US). There are exceptions, but this trend is pretty visible. 2⃣ Bigger group = more collaborations & more papers per student This can play a big role because, let’s face it, finding a decent faculty position with 2-3 publications in your CV is not easy. 3⃣ Bigger group = more high-IF publications On average, bigger groups have more experience with “pushing” their manuscripts into high-IF journals. They also have more workforce to make a study shine. As a result, it’s easier to publish big papers in bigger groups. Yes, there are exceptions (and many), but overall this is my observation. 4⃣ Bigger group = more independence Students in such groups receive less attention from their advisors. It means that some students will not have sufficient mentorship and will quit academia. However, others may develop independence early on, which is vital for a successful academic career. 5⃣ Bigger group = more alumni Being part of the “alumni club” is great. Even in academia, it may matter because people are more open to advising and helping you. For industry jobs, it’s even more critical. 📍 So, which group to choose? Big or small? It’s simple - choose the one with a great advisor. Yes, the recognition & visibility of the advisor matter. Yes, the number of papers & collaborations matter. Yes, the university name also matters! But without a nurturing environment & support, your progress becomes slow and the outcome may not be worth it. The group size does matter. But only after the advisor's personality & visibility.