pro/con list

as requested, here are some pros and cons about each school

School #1: (Washington, DC) There is definitely a "snob factor" at this school, which can be expected since tuition is $27k per student every year. Incredibly wealthy plus incredibly privileged equals at least some amount of snobbery. However, this also means that I have an unlimited budget for labs and whatever else I want. (They recently bought the chemistry teacher a class set of brand-new laptops, just because she asked for them.) And I can deal with snobby pretty well. And I would be teaching AP Physics and Freshman Physics, which I would LOVE. It's the only school where I'd only teach physics and no chemistry. That's a plus for me.

School #2: (Washington, DC) It's a little bit farther out of the city, and pretty rural. VERY close-knit community, where I will run into my students likely on a daily basis at the grocery store and other places around town. Nice, but may be a little much for me. And the pay's not fantastic, but they said they're willing to make some adjustments if it will encourage me to accept the job. Quite possibly the most welcoming people I've ever met.

School #3: (Tampa) Cost of living is way lower, I would have a huge say in how the science department is run, and what equipment to buy for the new labs they're building, and the guy who interviewed me was very excited about me. Which is flattering. Also a very small school, but apparently pretty good, because they have some graduating seniors who have already been acceted to Yale, Brown, Princeton, and other impressive universities.

School #4: (Tacoma, WA) While I know very little about the school, Washington sounds cool. And it's gorgeous out there. I do, however, love the east coast so I'm hesitant to leave it for something I know very little about.

And there you have it. My future, in your hands.