David Gray Widdera bunch of my friends are choosing between PhD programs. here's my advice to them:
it is FAR more important to work with someone who is kind, than someone who does exactly the research you want to do or is at a prestigious institution.
Cedar@davidthewid would like to add that kindness sometimes boils down to personality fit. For example, you may have an advisor who "kindly" tries to tell you exactly how to do every little step in your research. You may appreciate it because you are that kind of person. Or it may kill your soul because you're not.