Nomad1111

You stats look awesome! Have you thought about Columbia for neuro? They have a strong program and incredible reputation/PIs

You should check out MIT Brain and Cognitive Sciences!

For what it's worth, my uGPA was about the same as yours and I'm at Harvard. So there are many factors at play and I'd say it's always worth throwing down a few reach apps

Hey all! Wasn't quite sure where to put this, but I was hoping someone could tell me when the MIT Media Lab program (MSc/PhD) starts, is it late August like most programs? Thanks!

Check in with your program to see if they have any resources at orientation to help you choose. I was going to start contacting PIs, but I spoke to a current student in my program and found out that there's a poster session at the beginning that is a really awesome way to narrow down your list and find out what available PIs are up to.

I'm currently in Boston, as an international student, and can definitely appreciate the housing stresses! I've also lived in Canada, where we'd usually see places going up 30 days before, but in Boston I'm asked months in advance (usually 3-4) if I'll be resigning my lease. There is a short period of answer turnaround, and then the place is listed if I don't resign. This does vary a bit place to place, but this seems to be reasonably standard for real estate companies, whereas private landlords seem to post places closer to the vacancy date (this information is solely based on my own personal experiences and those I've seen from my friends and colleagues). I had a lot of luck renting with Copley. They didn't ask me for much documentation, just ID and my social security card, although a friend of mine was able to sign a lease when she explained she didn't have a SSN. They did require first and last months rent plus a brokers fee, but no damage deposit. All of those payments had to be made using a certified check from my bank, so you'd need to have those funds in your bank account to acquire the check. If you're looking to get the lay of the land before you dive into the renters market in Boston (and gather al your funds together!), I would suggest subletting for a few months. This is what I did, and it made the transition a lot easier. Just be aware that move in day at the end of August is a city-wide event, and it can be a difficult and chaotic time to acquire a lease. I'm part of a bunch of MIT/Harvard subletting groups, feel free to PM me if you'd like me to send you the links!

PS UVic is the best Beautiful place to study.

I have family members on the admissions committee, have you not heard back?

Exactly

You've travelled a lot, you've gone backpacking, you've had plenty of time. Others likely haven't, so why sweepingly say that travelling is a waste and you strongly advise against it? You're approaching it from one of many angles but others are in different positions coming at grad school from different angles.

I totally disagree that travelling is a waste of the summer! If you have the time and money, do it! It's going to be very difficult to find that chunk of time during your PhD, you've likely worked your butt off to get into programs, and travelling is a wonderful way to grow and mature as a person. Sure, prep too if ya want, can't you do both? Globally calling it a waste seems a bit closed-minded?

Awesome, good luck with your move It's extra exciting when it's a whole new set of experiences! I've been here for about a year, so it'll be turning a temporary situation into a more permanent one

Congrats! Are you from the area, or is this going to be a move for you? So exciting! I'm going to be attending Harvard's BBS program

Travelling! Backpacking around Europe for 2 months. We worked hard to get acceptances, and are going to work even harder once we begin our programs

Hang in there! It's not April 15th yet