Crucial BBQ
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Posts posted by Crucial BBQ
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On 10/20/2022 at 10:34 PM, saqibm128 said:
Hello, I'm more neuroinformatics/biomedical informatics/idk anymore, but would love some advice on if neuroscience programs make sense.
Degree- Double Major in Biomedical Engineering and Comp. Sci. from Georgia Tech
Research- I did 5 semesters of undergraduate research, I had a chance to do an REU at a prestigious biomedical informatics program over the summer, and I will have done 2 years of a postbac at the NIH.
Publications- Unfortunately, mostly just abstracts. I have 3 abstracts posted on my Google Scholar, and 1 that apparently is in a conference but isn't listed. I am first author on two of them. I also won a competition that got a paper published, but im essentially 20th author out of 25 authors.
Extracurriculars- I did industry work for about a year as a software engineer, became a postbac where I helped organize a lot of the postbac activities.
GRE- all above the 90th percentile.
Awards- Cum Laude graduation, Stephen Brossette Scholarship, and won a Parkinson's disease competition once
LORs- Three research mentors
My main issue is I want to continue work on applying neuroinformatics, and statistical analyses onto neurological data, but computational neuroscience seems to be a completely different thing than what I should look to apply to (I really am not interested in the theoretical activations of systems of neurons).
I'm planning on applying to:
- UChicago: Medical Physics program, seems they have a lot of MRI informatics work
- NIH-GPP for Brown Neuroscience: Would love a chance to continue work at NIH, plus the Brown program looks really good
- Harvard BBS+BIG: I think I am interested in some of their neuroinformatics labs... also I kinda ogle at the Harvard name
- MIT Comp Sci: A lot of MRI informatics professors were telling me to look into this
- Emory Biomedical Engineering: TRenDS MRI data science initiative involving GSU, EMORY, GT
- Georgia Tech CompSci: Some professors do functional connectomics from a very graph theory heavy POV... also TRenDS
- GSU CompSci: TRenDS MRI data science initiative involving GSU, EMORY, GT
- UPitt DBMI/Neuroscience: They have a lot of cross-collaboration, but also not sure I want to live in Pittsburgh for 5 years
- USC: LONI is located here, is massive for neuroinformatics
- UCBerkely/UCSF: The bioengineering program here has a lot of MRI informatics stuf
- UPenn Bioengineering: I'm interested in the CBICA program here.
I legitimately don't know whether I should include more neuroscience or add more schools to my list. Also, should I include more safety schools?
Where did you do postbacc at NIH? I am assuming Building 10. If you want to continue to work at the NIH, consider applying for a PMF in the future.
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On 12/7/2019 at 3:35 PM, alraun said:
Hi everyone! Many programs do not require GRE scores this year, however they write that if the score will be submitted it still will be reviewed. So my quantitative score is 164 (86 percentile), verbal 158 (80 percentile), analytical writing 4.0 (59 percetile). Should i use them? I am not native speaker and doubt that I can further enhance my verbal or analytical writing scores.
Not sure if you had already applied or not, so for future reference your scores are pretty good overall. When considering GRE scores, one has to consider them from the perspective of the respective discipline. In particular, what is the average for the programs you are applying to? I mean, for math, physics, and perhaps engineering a Q 164 might be low (or it might not be, I dunno), but for biology students it is on the higher end. I am also pretty sure it is difficult to score a 6 on AW.
Anyways, your scores won't hurt your application[s]. If they will help, I dunno, but might still be in your interests to send them along.
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Research into how cancer may be a form of evaluation already exists.
You will also be hard-pressed to find any human volunteers to say, 'yeah, lets keep this cancer going!'
Yes, I do think your point will eventually be the case. That is to say we are likely to reach a point where mutating the mutations is the best treatment.
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On 9/26/2021 at 11:03 AM, anthro_eco said:
Hey man! we're a small group so good to see more EEB people around here.
All the best for your TOEFL! I took mine in July.
If you're 100% confident that you're getting in that uni I'd say that's cool, otherwise you should definitely look at other places as well.
Yes, very small.
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I got a basic Brother B/W laser printer, prints both sides. If I need color, I'll just print at school. I gave up on ink/inkjet printers years ago.
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In my opinion, the best prep materials -both free and paid- for the GRE come from ETS itself.
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As a student who went from in-person to online back to a combination of in-person and online, here are my suggestions:
1. Keep regular office hours regardless if the course is synchronous or asynchronous. Zoom of course, and depending on the policies of your school, still allow for in-person office visits.
2. If the course is asynchronous, try to post lectures and other new materials at the same time on the same day of the week.
3. If the course is asynchronous, be clear on when the week begins and when the week ends (Monday to Sunday? Wednesday to Tuesday?).
4. Be clear on due dates.
5. Use the Discussion Board feature! Seriously, give students a way to hang out, discuss the materials, present ideas, and so on.
6. If synchronous, hold the class meeting over Zoom or related software.
7. Unless whatever online classroom software you are using automatically does this, email the class when you post new lectures/materials online.
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I dunno. Yes, there is still a stigma around ADHD, but it seems to be lessening year by year. Still, I wouldn't mention it. What one professor says you need to do, another professor (or ten more), might not care that much about it. Your progression from a 2.96 to a 3.9+ would be evident, so you shouldn't focus too much on it. If you do want to offer an explanation, Something along the lines of, "I found adjusting to college life difficult, it took two years for me to find my rhythm". Or, something like that.
Your best bet may be to have those writing your LORs, who are familiar with your story, handle it in their letters.
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On 3/19/2021 at 2:14 PM, sn_ said:
Brown EEB program director says they haven't made all of the decisions yet.
Yeah, got the rejection this past Monday. Although most likely a form letter, I have to say that I am impressed by what the letter had to say. I mean, it didn't read as generic as I had thought it would.
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On 3/31/2021 at 8:22 AM, Chelsea Rogers said:
I hope we all got admission, where we want to study.
Yes, I am hoping everyone gets in.
As for me, six applications and still no word either way.
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On 3/2/2021 at 1:24 AM, dobzhansky said:
thanks! the designated sequencing center is something i'll have to look into. i don't do medical stuff though (my area is pop gen and evolution). does your recommendation still hold in light of that?
Just a heads up, not sure about UMich, but for EEB and related fields with a Bioinf aspect in general, it all costs money. The cooler the 'toy', likely the more it costs to use.
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California dedicates a large portion of the State's budget towards higher education and most California residents do not pay tuition (they pay fees instead). Because the costs are heavily subsidized by (Californian) tax-payer dollars, California tends to favor California residents above everyone else, including Americans from other States. It's simply cheaper for the UCs (and PIs) to do so.
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You can focus on gene regulation at any program. Any program can lead to a career in cancer genomics.
Out of your list I would select UC Santa Cruz, but I am from NorCal and have bias towards redwoods, hiking, Monetary Bay, and their mascot is the slug. UCSC was a major player in the human genome project, too.
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On 3/2/2021 at 3:16 PM, sn_ said:
I don't see very many confirmed rejections or acceptances from Brown EEB, I don't see any update in my applicant portal either, is anyone else in the same boat?
Yeah, same with me.
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On 5/31/2019 at 3:23 PM, catalysis said:
advice on my new laptop: Macbook Pro or Macbook Air?
I'm going to do a Chemistry PhD, specifically organic chemistry, so no need for fancy modeling software, just office and some chemdraw or data analysis (plus TA duty, but that shouldn't require much horsepower). I'm leaning toward the Pro at the moment, because it would be more futureproof and also because a dual core CPU doesn't "feel" enough... idk, anyone using chemdraw or other heavy software on a 2018 macbok air?
I am still using my 2013 MacBook Pro. A little slow by today's standards but still faster than the 2018 MacBook Air. You likely got something by now but if you (or anyone) is still considering an Air, the M1 Air is a better deal but not sure if ChemDraw will run on it.
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Just now, solonsreforms said:
Thanks @ClassicsCandidate. I have a car! uloop seems to be very undergrad oriented. I am actually considering commuting from Baltimore (1 hr 20mins) where I currently live. I would need to do the commute about 3x a week for seminars, but I'm not sure how often TA duties would require me to be on-campus, especially with COVID.
I also applied to UDel and currently live in Maryland... where if I get in and go, I would likely still live in Maryland if possible.
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Not to be cheeky, but why did you apply to your list of programs in the first place? I mean, don’t you have reasons for each program?
For myself, I looked at location and selected programs in areas that I was already familiar with, or did extensive research into the area. I also dug deep into programs looking for anything I could find over what I might expect if I were in attendance. I read student handbooks, blog posts, personal websites, social media, newsletters, and so on.
I too have found that most students and faculty will stick to saying good things about the program, so why not ask them directly? It’s okay to ask if there is anything they don’t like about the program or a particular advisor. You can also ask what students do in their free time or what ECs they may be involved in. Doing so will also give you a good idea into the nature of the program.
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On 1/25/2021 at 9:24 PM, tallgradstudent said:
Uptown is insane. I pay about $2300 for a 1-bedroom + den. Granted, there is a pool and gym, as well as paying extra for my cats and $100 for underground parking. Still, I live on the outskirts of uptown. Getting more on Hennepin is nuts regarding prices. Definitely recommend Northeast, and you can ALWAYS find a cheaper yet new apartment in Dinky.
I lived on Emerson Ave. S. between 35th St. and 36th St, paid $900/month for a two bedroom at 850 sq ft. Granted, this was over a decade ago. Uptown has changed a lot since then even though it was still hipster back in the day, it was a lot rougher around the edges. Uptown used to be a pretty tough neighborhood, it has come a long way since its glory days of drugs and crime.
Northeast MPLS was always the place to be for the cool kids who fled South MPLS.
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On 1/23/2021 at 8:43 PM, MyCortisolLevelsRVeryHigh said:
The standard decision date is April 15 (I’m pretty sure this applies to all PhD programs, but could be wrong), so you have plenty of time! Def don’t feel pressured to respond right away with anything other than acknowledgment/appreciation for the offer if you need time to think about it. But if you know you won’t go to a school you’ve gotten an acceptance to, it’s nice to let them know ASAP so they can offer your spot to someone else
It's only the schools that are members of the Graduate School Consortium, which is most of them. Some programs will still try to push you to make a decision before 4/15, though.
Prior to 2020, offers that came with funding were difficult to withdraw from (just lengthy, not impossible). Because of Covid-19, the GSC had made it easier to withdraw an acceptance before and after the 4/15 deadline. Hard to know if this change will continue into 2022 and beyond, but it is still an option for 2021.
Yes, informing the program of your decision ASAP is the best policy.
*edit*
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A good number of people in marine biology come zoology, biology, ecology, a few from statistics, and others here and there.
One of my professors during undergrad has his Ph.D. in ecology, is all about animal behavior and studies deer and migratory birds. He also studies jellyfish and considers himself to be a marine biologist.
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You post a lot of info here, so I might be able to touch on it all.
Off the bat, you already have a solid background so no need for the NIH postbacc unless you specifically want to do biomedical or chem-med. Doing it simply for the LOR is a waste of your time, the potential PIs time, and you may take a spot from someone who legitimately needs the postbacc. You already have 'plenty to talk about in your SOP' and it is perfectly acceptable for a third letter to be from a professor.
Ph.D. programs are internships. They are on-the-job training with the goal of training you to do things the way that they do them; one reason why fit is so important. "Perfect' applicants say nothing about their ability to be trained, only that they test well. Not all applicants have published papers (to be frank, this pretty rare for those applying straight from undergrad), and the average amount of research ranges from one summer to one year. Ph.D. students drop out all the time and for a variety of reasons, one of which is the realization that they ultimately do not like doing research (because it is different than from what they thought it would be). That is the whole point for having research experience prior to applying to grad school, so that you know the ins and outs and can see yourself doing nothing else for a career. You don't have to produce anything, it is all about the experience, and I know this may sound odd but that second research experience of yours was not a failure. It's likely to not only be a strength to your application, but a very strong one at that. Screwing up in research and other setbacks are common and good lessons to learn before you embark on a Ph.D. Instead of looking at this as a failure, reframe it as a lesson learned.
You took Calc I and II just so you could take PChem, after deciding to double-major knowing it would add a year to your program! How many other applicants do you think did that? Or would do something like? Close to zero. This alone puts you a head of the rest as it shows drive and passion.
Your typical applicant, even those accepted into top programs, have pretty much average undergraduate careers. That is to say they took (and only took) the required courses for their programs with an elective or two out of interests (but still within their field), did perhaps one (or two) summer REUs, and got good grades and GRE scores. Obviously, they wrote a good SOP and had good LORs (with one or two of them likely being from professors, not research PIs).
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13 minutes ago, SUCHISLIFE said:
A follow-up question: I just have another high profile professors who are willing to provide me with an STRONG recommendation letter. Do you think it's worth the efforts to contact all of the schools, explain my situations, ask them to use the new letter instead? For the schools I have been rejected, I really think I can fit well. What's the probability they will reconsider if I'm going to appeal my case and provide this new letter? I know damage has already done but what's the best way to do the harm reduction?
You can always try if you like. A better idea would be to contact the programs directly and ask them. For those programs you have already been rejected, it is likely too late. You say that for those you were rejected from you '...think you can fit well.' Maybe, maybe not, but it may be worth reapplying to these programs again next year.
You took a chance on applying like everyone else and unfortunately you cannot contest a decision unless you can prove that a gross error was made that you had no part in. Unless you learn that the bad letter was really bad, perhaps inflammatory, there is really nothing you can do.
*edit to add:
Even if you can contest the rejections, that does not mean a new decision will be positive.
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This is an odd predicament seeing as you do not know which of your LORs was the dud. It's even odder that it would be only one out of four considering only three are needed. And then what is really odd about this is one "bad" letter out of three (or four) shouldn't be that big of a deal yet suggests to me that the bad letter came from a known professor at the prestigious university. I have never heard of anyone willing to write a bad letter. Boiler plate, sure, but not intentionally bad. To answer your questions:
1. You'd have to ask your writers to retract the letter. This creates too much of a mess and is not worth it.
2. If your applications are already submitted, no. If you already have one extra LOR, a second extra won't 'off-set' the bad LOR. You'll come across as desperate and/or egotistical. Those on the admissions committee are going to read a lot of applications. Asking them to read a potential fifth LOR may not sound like much from your perspective but think of it from theirs. When they have a stack of apps to go through and are on a time constraint, asking them to read one more letter is not a good way to get them on your side.
3. It is common knowledge that a good, but not stellar, LOR can be the kiss of death. However, that also implies that it may not be. If all three (or four) of your LORs were good but generic, then yes, that would be bad. In reality one generic letter is not that big of a deal and is why we are asked to submit three letters. Did you waive your right[s] to view the letters?
4. This likely was not a good idea. You always want to remain in good grace with your LOR writers in case you need to use them again in the future.
You have no idea exactly how your choice of LOR writers impacted your applications so far. It could be as simple as you said A in your SOP while one (or more) of your writers said B.
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On 12/29/2020 at 1:23 AM, entoemma said:
Hi there! I'm interested in agricultural ecology/ applied insect ecology. I applied to ecology and entomology PhD programs this cycle: Cornell, UC Davis, UC Berkeley, Rutgers, UMD, and UW-Madison. So far, I've been invited to Cornell's recruitment weekend/ interview thing. Haven't heard anything else yet...
By UMD do you University of Maryland? And if so, the MEES program?
2023 Neuroscience PhD Applicants and Admissions Results
in Biology
Posted
1. These days I would expect Zoom, but some still do in-person on campus. If you can't find the info on the website, email the program[s] and ask how they are doing interviews this year.
2. Business casual at most. Ties would be optional, but you likely might be the only one wearing one.
3. These types of interviews are informal. They are a chance for you to get to know them (and other students both potential and current), and for them to get to know you. Ignore whatever interview prep advice you may have heard. The 'interview' is going to mostly consists of you and them talking about science, research interests, and that sort of thing. But ask them questions! Ask about mentoring style. Ask students who is cool and who is the jerk you want to avoid. That sort of stuff. Try and get a general vibe of the program.
4. Can't say most, but yeah. The general consensus is that if you are invited to interview you are pretty much in. Not always, though. They may think you are psycho once they meet you, or that something about you in-person doesn't match up with your application. Or they may be interviewing a few more people than they have space for. You might also think the program, after all, sucks and it is not for you.