Viva

Thank you for the encouragement. I have some small schools on my list. I am looking at some universities in big cities and others in smaller cities. At this point, I am really looking forward to the anonymity I will have after moving to a new state. I have been in Florida way too long and run into way too many people I would rather not see. I think moving to a new city (small or big) in a different state will be somewhat liberating. When did you discuss your depression with your PI? I have been struggling with the urge to tell my prospective advisors about my depression and also whether I should write about it in my SOP. There is a noticeable gap in my transcripts due to the year I withdrew and I am wondering if I should explain that. I also have the incompletes that I am uncertain if I should explain. I have already submitted two SOPs and in hindsight I am wondering if I made a mistake by not mentioning these things. Any advice would be appreciated. At least I can make the upcoming SOPs better.

As far as jargon is concerned, the first time you introduce a term spell it out and then put the acronym or abbreviation in parentheses next to it. Then from that point on, use the acronym or abbreviation. I had to do this a lot for my NSF fellowship essays and I assume that it would be appropriate for the SOP as well. If I am wrong, someone please correct me. And you do not sound dumb. I understand what you are going through as I often struggle to stay under the maximum word/page limit due to verbosity. I spoke with a prospective advisor last week about the SOP and he said that reviewers hate it when applicants write long-winded SOPs. If there is a word limit, stick to it. I suggest having professors and graduate students you know read over your SOP and asking them to highlight what is superfluous in your essay. That can be very helpful in reducing the word count.

LOL. Great explanation.

Is anyone applying to a neurobiology or behavioral neuroscience program for Fall 2010? I am still looking at programs but I will come up with my final application list soon.

Thank you so much for your post and the link to your blog. It is comforting to know that there are other people struggling with depression and yet succeeding despite of it. I am so glad for you and I wish you all the best. For my field animal behavior / neuroscience, I am actually finding it quite difficult to locate master's programs and most of the advisors I find at institutions offering master's tell me to go for a doctorate instead. So no matter how hard I try to find a master's program, everything seems to be pushing me towards a doctorate which I ultimately wanted anyway so I suppose I have to face my fears, apply and see what happens.

You're welcome and thank you for your kind reply. I do not have much of a support system so I truly appreciate everyone's feedback. That is good advice to get in touch with the health center and a therapist as soon as I arrive. I feel like I am at war with myself everyday and I know I will benefit from that kind of help in a new (and probably stressful) graduate environment. I have been working on my SOPs and you are correct that fear can motivate one to improve but I really struggle with writing about myself. When your opinion of yourself is as low as mine, it is very difficult to write in a positive light. I feel like if I do not acknowledge my inadequacies that I am being fraudulent but I know this is probably not the best way to approach writing an SOP. I tend to be too candid about certain things. I am not sure whether I have to explain why I have not graduated yet because I have four incompletes on my transcript from Spring 2009. I am worried the adcomm will view me negatively because of the incompletes which I probably will not finish until December (at the earliest). Lately my depression has intensified which makes it difficult to do anything especially considering I have these incompletes and am applying for the NSF fellowship as well as graduate school. Has anyone been in this type of a situation? Applying to graduate school with incompletes? Did you mention why you had the incompletes in your SOP?

I am rather cynical so I would be wary of posting my SOP on the internet. I am working on fellowship applications and SOPs and I know how strong the desire is to get feedback from different people. But the people you ask to read your SOP should be people you know well rather than strangers. I realize the value of these forums and truly appreciate all the advice and help I have received but I would not post my SOP here. I recommend approaching your professors or advisor and asking them to read it. Also, do you know anyone who is in or has attended graduate school? Ask them to read your SOP. I am not sure how structural engineering graduate programs work (I am interested in biology) but is it customary to contact prospective advisors? Sometimes, if they are enthusiastic about your application and are not busy, they could be willing to look over an SOP and give you feedback. (Just today, I had a prospective supervisor volunteer to read my SOP and give me advice.) Also, you may want to consider contacting graduate students at the program to which you are applying. Initially ask them about the program and their advisor and eventually ask them if they would mind reviewing your SOP. I have done similar things regarding my fellowship applications and most graduate students were very willing to read my essays. And if they say "no", thank them for their time and look for someone else to read your SOP. You have many options that are much less susceptible to plagiarism.

I do not know anything about artificial intelligence programs but here is a tip for finding potential programs and advisors: Go to Google and type the following: artificial intelligence site:.edu By entering site:.edu Google will only list university sites referencing artificial intelligence. I used this tactic to look for programs and advisors in my field of interest. I hope this helps.

I concur. I will likely always struggle with personal doubt and ambivalence but I will be more disappointed with myself if I "sell myself short" as you put it. I am supposed to have a number of phone interviews with prospective supervisors today, this weekend and next week so I am hoping my communication with them will also give me some more encouragement and confidence. Thank you for writing.

Wow. I have never heard of impostor syndrome but after reading about it today, I must say that I identify with it quite well. Thank you for bringing that to my attention. I am going to read more on the subject. I also appreciate your kind remarks about my statistics and experience. I think I will apply to a number of programs (master's and PhD) this year and see what happens. I am quite afraid of failure and am arriving at the conclusion that life is a series of disappointments punctuated by occasional bouts of satisfaction but ultimately I think I will be more upset with myself if I do not apply for the programs I would really like to be in (at least when I am not doubting myself). Thanks again for your feedback.

Where do I begin? Recently, I have experienced a major reduction in confidence and am wondering whether I should pursue a Master's rather than a PhD. I eventually want to pursue a PhD but think I may need more experience before I go that route. I have contacted numerous prospective supervisors and almost all of them have told me to apply as a doctoral candidate for funding reasons and because of my research experience. Despite this, I still feel conflicted. I struggle with depression which is at times debilitating and I have accumulated incompletes and even withdrew from my undergraduate program for a year because of it. I know that I want to go to graduate school (because frankly, biology is one of the few things that motivates me to deal with the depression rather than give up) but I feel like I might need to take progressive steps rather than jumping into a PhD. My uncertainty is also rooted in my fears that I will not be admitted into my top choice universities and I think that if I am not accepted to those universities, a Master's at a less appealing university would suffice until I apply again for a PhD. But lately, I have been thinking that even if I got into my top choice school, I am not prepared (experientially or mentally) to pursue a PhD. I am writing because I would welcome any advice from people with similar circumstances or anyone who would be willing to give me a different perspective on my situation. Here is some more information about me and my statistics: Research Interests Neuroethology, neuroendocrinology, magnetoreception, animal navigation and migration, and polar biology. Statistics Major: Marine Science / Biology Minor: Chemistry GPA: 3.96 Major: 3.93 Minor: 3.88 GRE: 670 V / 650 M / 5.0 A Research Experience: I have worked in 3 labs and completed 1 REU project. I have volunteered at an animal sanctuary and as a field assistant in Argentina. No publications, unfortunately. 1 oral presentation. 1 poster presentation. Teaching Experience: I was a teaching assistant for a HHMI lab one semester. Universities I am interested in In no particular order: U.S. Universities University of Chicago Cornell University University of Indiana – Bloomington Michigan State University Virginia Tech University of Massachusetts - Amherst Bowling Green State University Wake Forest University University of Maine University of Wisconsin – Madison University of Minnesota University of Michigan Texas A&M University Scripps Institute of Oceanography, UCSD University of Alaska – Fairbanks University of California – Davis University of California – Santa Cruz University of Maryland University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill University of North Carolina - Wilmington University of Washington Canadian Universities Dalhousie University McGill University McMaster University University of British Columbia I would also welcome any information from people who have applied to or attended any of the aforementioned universities. Do my statistics make admittance into these universities possible? I truly appreciate your comments and assistance.

Major: Marine and Atmospheric Science (essentially a double major in marine science and biology) Minor: Chemistry GPA: 3.96 cumulative / 3.94 major / 3.88 minor GRE: 1320 (670V ; 650Q ; 5.0 A) Schools I will be applying to: University of Washington - Seattle; Scripps Institution of Oceanography - UC San Diego; University of Alaska - Fairbanks; Texas A&M University - Galveston Interests: Polar biology; neuroethology (two very disparate fields but I hope to unite them) How do my prospects look? Is anyone applying to or has been accepted by one of these institutions? Thanks for your help.

Hello Everyone! I am an undergraduate with strange circumstances and would like some advice. I am applying for the NSF GRFP but I have incompletes on my transcripts due to illness last semester. I am currently out of college and volunteering with a research group in Argentina. Since I am in Argentina for the next 5 months, I cannot make up the incompletes until March 2010. Has anyone applied for the NSF GRFP with incompletes on their transcripts? If so, did you win or receive honorable mention? I am concerned that this will negatively impact my application and am wondering if it would behoove me to address the incompletes in my personal statement essay. Any opinions would be much appreciated! Also, past recipients of the NSF fellowship, would you be willing to review application essays and give advice? Thanks for your help!