Dedi

Okay, I'm having a problem with putting down research experience on my CV that grad schools will look at. Basically, I go to a university where there are no labs to apply to and join. If I want research experience, I'd take research-based classes or happen to have strong connections with professors that have something to offer me (which is true in my case). However, should I even bother putting down any research-based courses taken for credit? The research-based courses that are not one-on-one with a professor? The research-based courses with a lecture component? Research-based courses that do not pertain to what I want to study in the future? I realize that there is a blurred line between what would be helpful on a CV or what is a waste of space. Most of my research experience (with the exception of two ongoing projects) have projects that are a semester in length, I present a poster at the university's academic conference and am done with it. Do I just briefly describe the two ongoing projects (and hopefully more to come)? I really should ask my advisor for his advice, but we end up talking about other things (even during advising yesterday!). I'm curious as to what this forum has to say, though.

Oh cool, another animal behavior enthusiast! Have you ever considered being a certified applied animal behaviorist specializing in dogs? Not all people are "pet psychologists"; some do work in academia, like this person: http://www.pugetsound.edu/faculty-pages/rfoster More info of being a CAAB: http://www.animalbehavior.org/ABSAppliedBehavior/what-is-applied-animal-behavior-1 Okay, that's enough advertising :3 I want to be a CAAB myself, looking into applied research at zoos. As for faculty and schools, you might want to do a bit of research on your own for that (google is your friend). Look into anthrozoology programs as well an animal behavior. You might find something there.

I had the phone chat before being able to apply, but the questions were around the same. The only thing I really didn't ask about is funding. I figured that would be something to ask about after I apply. And, you're right. The POI I talked to gave me sort of a mini-interview, but didn't ask anything difficult. I wasn't as nervous at first because he called me an hour earlier than expected (time zone differences), so I wasn't ruminating as the time approached. Overall, we talked about applying to the programs and life in the lab (including current and future projects). We tried setting up another phone chat but we were both too busy and our schedules kind of clashed. Apparently it is normal for the Cell and Systems Biology faculty to do phone chats with prospective grad students before they apply (meaning you have to e-mail them ahead of time) because fit is probably extremely important to them. I don't think they do formal interviews there...

I'm a future applicant, but good luck to everyone applying this season! My research interests lie in behavioral neuroscience, even if U of T doesn't exactly have a neuroscience degree. Getting ready for GREs, writing my first draft of my SOP, it's all so intimidating...

Congrats! I had a phone chat with my POI a month ago (probably around the same time you posted this topic). I know this is very delayed, but I'm curious on how it went (: Also, as I've found, if you come up with questions after the chat, you can e-mail your POI. Mine doesn't seem to mind since many of my questions aren't on the website anywhere (and I'm very naiive about grad school).

I wonder about the second question as well. I think you shouldn't make any promises to either professor. They should know that it's not personal if you don't choose them. If they take it personally, that's their loss. That reminds me, I should contact a POI I want to work with for a post-doc...

I contacted my POI last fall and last month we decided on doing a phone call. He did a informal interview with me and apparently I did fine because he wanted to continue interacting with me (I am volunteering at his lab this summer. If that doesn't say, "Hey, I want you to be in my lab for graduate school" I don't know what does). I haven't even applied to the program yet, but the informal interview is common with the program I plan to apply to, according to the website. It could be that POIs interview a lot of people for a few spots, or just interview people that they know they would have spots for should they do well (I have a feeling that my POI does the latter). It might be worth asking, either in the interview or by e-mail. Whichever you are more comfortable with.

That's interesting -- I never had such a problem with LORs when I've applied for scholarships. In fact, the letters are written so fast that I wonder if they are fully thought out. One of my professors did say that it isn't hard to find good qualities about me to write about, which does dampen the anxiety a bit. Still, I wonder...

My advice to you is to not think about the motive of getting recommendation letters. In my opinion, it can make professor-student relations seem a bit forced and not genuine. I am a shy student myself, and sometimes I can feel my heart pounding in anxiety before I go to a professor's office (or it could be the three flights of steps...), but once I go there and start chatting the anxiety goes away. I regularly send my professors articles of interest to discuss, especially if they're new and relevant to the topic we are on. I also go to office hours to discuss certain matters (whether they are academic or not). You need to be comfortable with your professors and let the relationship go where it wants to go. Don't feel rushed; you have almost a year to establish something with a few of your professors. As long as you do well in class, I don't see why the professor would be reluctant to talk with you. However, I come from a private liberal arts college, so my view might be different from what the large university subculture is like.

My POI recommended me to apply to the two programs that he was appointed in (psychology and biology) because I would have a higher chance of getting into one or the other rather than choosing one and putting my full faith into it. It's not necessarily frowned upon. I would be an international student, so I'm at a disadvantage because the university can take only so many international applicants. One program might be able to take me in while another cannot. It can depend on circumstances.

I guess I should separate the major GPAs: My Biology GPA is 3.18 and my psychology GPA is 3.875. This is due to the nature of the courses: over here, biology courses tend to be more rigorous than psychology (which seems to be true in many places). I got an A in biopsychology, but it was listed under psychology. I probably won't list experimental psych as part of my research projects, but I think I'll put down the research in biology, research methods for animal behavior, and research seminar in psychology as research experience (maybe behavioral ecology, too?) in my CV. I'll probably mention my first project with zebrafish in my SOP as I gained a lot of experience in research from that.

As I read more and more sample CV's and other people's research experience, I realized that a liberal arts education is quite different than a research university. In fact, I have never heard of anyone outside of my college doing an independent research project for a class, while it's quite normal to get research experience that way here. We don't have research labs (though we have course labs which isn't the same) with RAs and grad students (The grad students go to a different building, as far as I know). It's just the faculty and the undergrad students. With that being said, would I put those research projects that were a part of a course into my CV as research experience? Anyone is free to answer that, but if someone from a liberal arts college is able to answer that, I'd be eternally grateful. Sorry if I sounded aloof, I was tired when I wrote that previous post.

Hello, I'm going to a small, private, liberal arts college and I'm double majoring in psychology and biology (and technically satisfying the animal behavior major core classes). I'm going to apply for a PhD (Or a Masters leading to a PhD) program, after a year and a half, in neuroscience or animal behavior. I have a couple choices in mind, but I wonder if they are as far of a reach as I've been told by other students at my university (Stanford, UC-Davis, Purdue, and McGill (Canada)). Unless I find them to be a perfect fit, I will not apply to any "just in case" schools (I don't even look for prestige in the schools, I just look into research topics). My topic of interest is narrow, and also look at required classes (cores and electives) to see if I will enjoy taking them. I'd rather wait another year being a research assistant somewhere than waste my time with research that does not interest me. I hate when people tell me I should apply for more than four schools. My research interest is the neural basis of caged stereotypies (e.g. a tiger pacing back and forth) and how to assess and prevent them in zoos. I also have a specialized interest in behavioral epigenetics, as I believe they are a key to my main research interest. I've been looking at grad schools since last year and I finally found a decent number of contacts. I'm also looking forward to going to the Zoo Animal Welfare conference next year as a PI I'm interested in was in there this year and last year, and may possibly be there next year. If not, I'll be able to at least widen my network of people I might like to work with. Anyways, I've tried contacting all Professors I would like to do research with. I've gotten some feedback: most that replied said their labs are full. The only Professor that responded to me that is in my top choice was Stanford (Though I just recently found out about McGill), and I learned from e-mailing him that a lot of professors don't like the "one size fits all" interest e-mail. I tried that with him and got no response. But, when I asked him questions about his research (twice), both times he replied. I'm trying to personalize my e-mails by looking closer into their publications, which I really should have been doing from the start. Oh well, I'm still learning. Okay, credentials. I currently have a ~3.36 cGPA and ~3.45 in my major courses. My lowest grades were from Freshman year; in my sophomore year, I averaged about a 3.8 for both semesters, with a 4.0 spring semester. I've been practicing the GRE and am going to get a study guide and study hard like I've done for my ACT (which was a composite of 29, if that forecasts how well I might do on the GRE). I'd like to take it this winter, so I have time to retake it if I don't do so well. I finished up an independent research project with zebrafish welfare that was for a course but beyond what was expected of me. I presented a poster in the university conference and am getting it set up as a preliminary report in the Tri-Beta undergraduate journal as a sole author (my professor is helping me and will certainly be in the acknowledgements). This fall semester, I will have 3 separate research projects: two as part of my research in biology (one will be continuing my zebrafish studies, the other will be a collaborative project on amphipods with one of my advisors) and an experimental psychology course that is mainly project work (nothing really related to my research interests, but required for the psych major. Plus it's just good experience). I'm hoping that the biology projects will be sufficiently successful to write a publication on. Next spring semester, I'll be doing a Research in Animal Behavior course, and I think I have an idea on what I want to do for that. Next year summer is full of uncertainty. I'm hoping to participate in the SSRP (Stanford's REU in the Biosciences) or do one on one research with my neuroscience professor considering he doesn't have any other committments (He's supposed to let me know in Fall semester, but otherwise it's an "of course"). He's usually quite successful in submitting publications. Should I even bother trying to get into the SSRP if my neuroscience professor will be willing to work with me? I don't know what I'll be specifically be doing for research my senior year, but I know I'll have an independent research project in Behavioral Ecology and Microbiology. I'll also be doing a research seminar in psychology with my other advisor who also does animal behavior. So, with the variety of professors I'll be working with, I should have some decent LORs. I have already chosen my two advisors (since I'll be taking their classes and researching with them, they should have a good idea of my work ethic and dedication) and my neuroscience professor (even if I don't research with him after all, he knows me quite well and we discuss neuroscience topics a lot face to face and e-mail). Generally, professors here like me. I've even had a history professor that taught my honors cultural seminar (I dropped out of the honors program because of my freshman grades. I would qualify now, but I wouldn't go back) that was in my first semester volunteer himself to write a recommendation letter for an REU (I didn't get in; there was >2% of a chance of being chosen). I didn't even have to ask. As for experience, I was a biology lab assistant last year (and is also my top choice for next year) so I have some idea of lab techniques (we are a small school, however). I was part of the local shelter's "Mod Squad" which is a behavior modifcation for dogs program for about 6 months. I was basically an elite volunteer at the shelter and got to experience an interview. This year I would like to volunteer at the local zoo (which is more flexible than Mod Squad) to make environmental enrichment objects. I want to eventually, by the time I graduate, become part of the animal watch program (looking for behaviors). I got an invitation for an interview for a research assistant position at the nearby medical college, taking care of zebrafish. Because I don't live near there for the summer, I told them I'll happily accept if the position isn't taken by the time I get back to college. I should've just accepted the invitation and start working in the fall, since it's only a 3 hour drive, but I can't find a way to contact them back. Human Resources told me they don't have a record of calling me. Okay, I think I'm done. Any comments on what may be my weak points and should improve upon? I know my GPA isn't the best. However, with the trend that's going on right now, I should be able to get it to at least 3.5.