Serric

Wasn't aimed at me, but I don't think anybody's got any other information yet. They said we'd get our specific itinerary between one and three weeks before our interview weekend, so I'm thinking (hoping) either late this week or early next week. Also not aimed at me, but I'm looking at the neuroscience and human genetics concentrations, as well as the 'public policy' dual degree program. Check those out; they're actually pretty awesome, and you can take them in tandem with your Ph.D.

I agree with pretty much all of you: I hate mass e-mails that notify me that my application is still under review. I also hate the 'check your application' sites: they NEVER update, so it's just sort of useless having something there. Although I have to laugh. Duke has sent me two e-mails since I applied back in October; each of which was titled 'Weekly Status Update'. The first one was in mid-November; the second was two days after they invited me to interview (and informed me that my application was, in fact, still under review).

Well, thank you. I'll let you be the judge: http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f253/Enresshou/?action=view&current=Avatar-1.jpg&newest=1 http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f253/Enresshou/?action=view&current=102_2094.jpg&newest=1 (Bottle-feeding kittens) As for what else that's unique... -I have an eidetic memory for useless trivia (really, anything not related to the current coursework I'm working on). I can't recall it at will, but stick me in front of a half hour of Jeopardy! and I will out-score 90% of the contestants. This also applies to comics, science tidbits, quotations, lyrics, and drumbeats. I've gotten to the point where I can recognize virtually any song I've heard before simply by its drum-beats. -I'm like a real-life Stretch Armstrong. I'm roughly 5'10 or 5'11, but my arm-span is 6'2". I also never quite grew into my hands and feet, since I have size 13 feet and from wrist to fingertips my hands are more than 8 inches across (which has led to an ever-increasing amount of, "Oh, you should play guitar/piano!" over the years) -I've actually been trained to use/fight with nunchaku, so it's always a neat party trick to make impromptu nunchaku and give a demonstration.

I'm interested in three areas of neuroscience: neural stem cells, viral vector-mediated gene transfer (in regards to stem cells and therapies), and synaptic plasticity/development. I've always been interested in how the brain could be induced to regenerate, and how all the myriad synaptic connections form to make 'us'. I love studying and trying to understand human nature, and I feel this path is one of the purest I could take on the road to that knowledge.

Totally agree with the urban exploration part. My favorite thing to do whenever I move to a new city is to try and get myself lost, so I find stuff getting back that I never would have otherwise. A good sense of direction makes this a challenging task, but it's a blast spending three hours walking around somewhere new and finding a couple small curio shops or bistros you wouldn't have otherwise. I'm a heavy metal drummer (Devildriver's an inspiration for drums, and I'm trying my best to surpass his speed), but have an inordinate weakness for cute animals (note: I'm also a guy). One of the things I'm looking forward to about grad school is moving out of my current place and being able to have pets (i.e. a lionhead bunny). I'm off-white (half Puerto Rican, quarter Italian, quarter Irish), but I have foot-long dreadlocks that I often use to hit the crash cymbal when I drum. I have synesthesia. My particular version of it is that words have a physical shape and texture to me--'emerald', for example, has a soft, almost cotton-candy-like feel.

Pretty much this exactly. I've always found it ironic that the rote memorization of words for the GRE is a prerequisite to a degree where you need to think independently. I was an English major for two years, I have a HUGE vocabulary, and I still hadn't heard of ~35% of the words on the GRE's verbal section. A test that you can prepare for in three weeks and get a good score on is NOT an indicator of success of any type--only an ability to binge and purge. I don't think the GRE is biased, but I do strongly disagree with how commercialized it is. $140 to take a test, $12 to find your scores out over the phone, and--the worst part of all--$20 per school to send your scores out after the first four. Applying is enough of a drain on our resources, finances, and time; we shouldn't have to spend money on a mode of testing that should have ended in high school.

I agree in that most of my friends, and all of my family, are supportive to a fault. I love my dad, he's intelligent as hell and passionate about learning (he would have gone on to do a B.A. (and probably graduate) degree in History if my parents hadn't divorced), but I was actually happy when I got the rejection letter from UW Madison: it was closer to the bottom of my list, and it was finally enough to convince him that getting into a PhD program is more difficult than he thought. (He'd previously been saying how he knew I was going to get acceptances at all ten schools I'd applied to; but he still thinks I'm going to go 8 acceptances and 2 rejections) Funnily enough, only my current girlfriend and my ex-girlfriend understand what I'm going through. My ex was a chem eng. MS student, and knows what admissions are like this year; my current girlfriend's applying to vet school next year, so she knows very well how difficult admissions can be. It's nice to be able to bitch and have somebody not only understand, but bitch right back about feeling like she should start her SOP already.

I don't like too many forums, but I actually enjoy the community here. It's nice seeing a forum of intelligent people, tied together without a lot of the drama and crap that plague a lot of other forums (well, minus the drama/freakouts of applications, of course). Agreed. I got a lot of help with this forum, particularly the Results page (which has, so far, been accurate to within about a week of previous years), and I've appreciated all the help immensely. I intend on returning the favor to next year's applicants (assuming, of course, I'm accepted this year).

Numbers wise, nothing spectacular, but: -3.3 GPA, but opposite of the normal trend: okay grades in my lower division classes, nothing but A's in my upper division classes. -640 V, 770 Q on the GRE -Statement of Purpose and Personal Statement. Started on them six months in advance, did draft after draft, and have had every school I've gotten an interview from compliment me on them. -Fit. I spent an hour a day for nearly two months researching schools, so I know exactly why I want to go to each of these programs, why they would want me, and what I have to offer them. I did this for the school, the faculty, the area, the real estate, etc. Aaaand that's all I can think of at the moment.

I agree with the idea that you devote yourself heart and soul to the program, but I think your marriage analogy is a little bit flawed. Applying to one program, though it may seem like a good fit on paper, may end poorly if you can't find faculty you enjoy working with in the department (in terms of interpersonal interactions, not research interests and such). Rather, I agree with ScreamingHairyArmadillo in that it's more like casual dating. You apply to several schools; some reject you, some invite you on the first date (i.e. interview). They pay for dinner, you get to stay over at their place for a couple nights, and--if you perform well enough--a few weeks later they pop the question for you. I'm applying to as many schools as I did both to hedge my bets against rejection, but also to (hopefully) give me leeway in choosing a program that fits my best interests both professionally and personally.

My dad. He's always pushed me to excel, to find my own limits and step beyond them, and I wouldn't be anywhere near what I'm doing without him.

Unless they contact you by January 7th, I would assume rejection. They asked interviewees to notify them of faculty preferences/which interview weekend they'd attend by then.

I don't know what to be more stupefied about: the idea that someone actually wrote a letter of recommendation for themselves, or the idea that somebody asked THEIR TRAVEL AGENT to write one.

As much as I like the potential, I really wish I could just hurry up and find out for sure what I'll be doing come September (or, in the case of one school I've heard back from, July). Thankfully most of my programs seem to let people know within the next week or two.

My girlfriend's applying to veterinary school next year, and I'm applying to PhD programs this year. She has to stay in-state (California), so--unless I get an acceptance to UC Berkeley or UCSF--there's not much hope. I can't do distance relationships anymore, for a variety of reasons.

Any nightmares I've had lately have been as a result of playing too much Left 4 Dead 2 on my Xbox...I had a bizarre mish-mash where I was running through a zombie-infested version of my hometown and trying to go from friend's house to friend's house to avoid the hordes.

Same for me, actually. I was coming back home around 5 on Saturday, and saw the mailman dropping off a package. It looked like a wrapped book, so I thought it was a gift a friend had mailed me...turned out it was from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, inviting me to interview. I checked my e-mail, and I'd gotten the e-mail LITERALLY five minutes before the package had been dropped off. Spooky.

Taken--Liam Neeson will take your mind off applications as he kills his way to rescuing his daughter. Would've been more accurately titled "Liam Neeson Kills (nearly) Everyone". Kung Fu Hustle 'Rambo' series (it's fun to watch it go from justifiable to kill-tacular) Firefly (if you haven't seen this already, you can get a used copy of the entire series for ~$20. TOTALLY worth it.) Zombieland

I'm the opposite. I'd rather not hear anything back until I'm either invited for an interview or rejected. I hate opening my e-mail box, having my heart skip a beat or two at seeing the name of a school I applied to, and then realizing it's just a form letter letting me know that my application is under review.

I'm currently going through all the works of Carl Sagan; finished reading, "The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark" two weeks ago, "Pale Blue Dot" last week (hardcover, WITH the pictures), and I'm currently working on, "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors."

Useful websites for Minnesota and Duke: http://www.grad.umn.edu/programs/select_program.html?l=t and http://gradschool.duke.edu/about/stats.php Plus, if you go to the FAQ of most programs, you'll get an approximate applicants vs. those admitted. It won't list as detailed stats as these two, but it will help.

Good thing I love cold weather and find the Midwestern winters attractive!

I agree with Grad Hopeful; don't associate the two. The best way I can describe it (although might not be as helpful if you're not from California) is a (MUCH) cleaner, laid back version of Berkeley with fewer crazy hobos. Granted, I only spent three days there at the PREVIEW weekend, but I got the impression that it was quiet, safe, and had a lot of the 'big city' convenience (living 45 minutes away from SF, I'm spoiled for good ethnic food; and Ann Arbor does not disappoint) with the 'small town' feel (everybody was polite and friendly; people paused when you were taking a picture so they didn't ruin it; etc). It feels like a lively, friendly little college town with a LOT of personality for its size (once again, spoiled by my current area, and I was very pleased). All the faculty and students I spoke to while I was there absolutely loved it, including one professor who had originally thought of it as a 'stepping stone' and, now, can't imagine leaving.

My last quarter is a mish-mash of courses, mostly GE that either didn't fit into my schedule at the time or I was too lazy to take. So, currently, it's: Neurobiology (4 units) General Biochemistry II (4 units) Clear Thinking and Logic (4 units) Communications 1004 (4 units) Recreation 1001 (4 units) General Studies II and III (1 unit; pisses me off because I already took these courses, yet some snafu happened with the professor so I have to re-take them)

Ditto on the excitement, Bryan. I had a nagging terror at the back of my mind of what'd happen if I didn't even get any interview invites, but this has DEFINITELY helped me relax about the whole process (and it doesn't hurt at all that Michigan's my top choice). Also, we'll be getting the official e-mail with all the official info on either Monday or Tuesday. If it's PIBS and you took the late January weekend, I'll see you there as well on January 28th. I'll be the six foot white-ish guy with foot-and-a-half long dreadlocks. Have you ever been to UMich/Ann Arbor before?