tito balisimo

After all this talk of post bacc stuff after I already applied bummed me out, especially since I got published. Petersons said they have an 8% acceptence rate also. Prolly even more applications than last year so at this point I feel like it's not likely that I'll get an interview,, even though I had made a great contact with my poi.

Thank you, I hope you're right. I just don't want to be in a situation where I'm forced to decide if I want to attend a program before I had a chance to interview with my top choice, since there's no guarantee to either.

I have a question for the veterans. My school of choice has shown interest in my app, so much so that a faculty called me and asked if I want to work in their lab. But they don't interview until March, and I already have a couple interviews with other schools. My question is, how long do I have to either accept or reject an admissions acceptance? My concern is the other schools interview in February and offer admissions shortly after. If I hold out for my school of choice, there is a possibility that I don't get accepted and I just blew off other schools in the process if they offer admittance. Thank you.

Impressive resume, I am curious to see where you end up going with those kinds of credentials. I am surprised you didn't apply to Caltech with your physics & computer skills. I don't know what research your specifically interested in, but MIT is pretty renowned for computer/engineer/physics research. Good luck to you.

Ya, I asked this same thing months ago, and to no avail really. You are going to have to possibly reschedule or ignore one of them and go to the other. If you are really hoping for a particular interview but haven't heard back, but your other schools are sending you invites, contact your school of choice and let them know your concerned. It never hurts to ask, but right now I have two interviews and a third on the way once their deadline passes. I am also worried about conflicting times. Don't agree to ANY dates if they ask which date you would prefer until more invites come your way. In the case that two dates conflict and there is no leeway between them, then pick the school that you would rather go to and the one you feel like you have more of a shot with if your are stuck between two schools. Good luck.

LOL, Cheers mate!

I'm just explaining the situation. We are adults, presumably, and a ton of people are freaking out over UCSF. I'm trying to rationalize to these people that you shouldn't freak out over this because it is extremely competitive and it's pointless to worry over something like that. As I wrote before, be happy for those accepted, and proud if you get in anywhere you applied. Be positive, and stop the nervousness, it riles up everyone else like a herd of Buffaloes that see a lion.

While it's extremely early still, I mentioned in another thread that this was expected from top schools like MIT, Duke, Harvard, UCSF, and Stanford. In one year for the neuro program at UCSF, they had well over 400 applicants and accepted around 20. Despite this fact, countless posters on here apply to the same program with this <5% chance. There is a chance, but there's a better chance of many other odd things happening before that happens. This is why whomever attends these programs really has my admiration. Someone who applied to these programs got but hurt when I mentioned this on another forum topic, but don't be. If anything feel proud you got accepted to one of these elite places or somewhere else. UCSF is no joke.

Absolutely, I hope to see you there! I wish you the best too in your applications!

I'm interested in the molecular and cellular mechanisms behind genetic disorders. I wish I had a chance to work in a computational lab, but genetics is fun too.

I guess different departments did different things, but University of Arizona's Neuroscience program offered me a skype interview for more info on me, and it was received through email. I don't know if that helps or not at all.

Congrats!

Thank you, awesome!

Univ of Arizona neuroscience skype interview next week!

This is straight from your link on MIT's site "The number of students admitted into the graduate program annually is around five percent of the total number of applications received." I wont clog up the chat anymore, you can be as optimistic as you like, but in reality programs like MIT, Stanford, and UCSF admit 5% and lower. UCSD is up there as well.

Well folks I just got my first interview!!!! University of Arizona for Neuroscience skype interview. It says that my application was favored by the department and I can pick a time block next week!!!!!!! Apparently they want to do a pre-interview, and if its favorable they will invite me for the recruitment weekend.

You just confirmed what I wrote. If 20 people enroll after 400 applicants on average, thats 5% admissions. 20 is being generous, as you said 15 can be on the lower end which is close to 1%. I mentioned my understanding of a few of them, not all, but they are all Ivy-tier, and similar in most ways. UCSF had over 350-400 applications for the neuro program, and invited around 30-40 people. They admit much less than that. 10% invited, and < 5% admission. Its even worse for MIT and Stanford. This is my point, you have to match their criteria and be a good research fit, and only then do you stand a shot. Despite these facts, hundreds apply. Some of the aforementioned even have there stats on Peterson's and its less than 5% admissions. I read a few of these forums, and it seems that many people apply to these schools. Based on these facts, I will say that many will be dissapointed with the outcome. By the way, your data came from a biology program. Neuro programs are usually even more competitive as the biology is more general. Some schools like Princeton and Brown admit less than 5 people in some years. I did the research on this, this is actually an optimistic thought, not a pessimistic one. There are a lot of other factors that lower your chances like race, international status, and school you got your undergrad from.

What I find fascinating is that so many of the people that posted their stats are applying to the same schools: Harvard MIT Duke UCSF WUSTL Stanford Johns Hopkins This doesn't even include the many people that do not even know this forum exist, or the people that get accepted/invited. From my understand of a few of these schools, at least their neuroscience programs, they end up admitting about 4-7 people and sometimes FEWER. It is not always the case, and it varies year by year. But there are going to be a ton of unhappy individuals based on how many of you applied to these campuses. Even if they admit over 10 people, they get over 200-300 applications, and sometimes more. That really is about a 1% chance if you meet their qualifications. With that being said, congratz to those who get invites from these schools, you are in an elite class and deserve to be there.

Very nice!

Yup, the neuro program! Don't worry, almost every school I applied to doesn't even look at applications until next week. You will probably won't hear from then until late December or even until January. It is still early, and I haven't received 1 invite yet.

OHSU just sent me an email saying that on Dec 15th there will be an admissions committee get-together and they will send out emails shortly after with their decisions. I am hoping that the professor I reached out to regarding my research remembers me and I get an invite. Its crunch time, people!

Absolutely. I am going to use the same approach if I receive multiple invites that will occur in the same time span. Glad to hear that other people have this mentality.

Me too.

Hello, I just thought I'd ask a question since you applied to many of the same schools as I did, and your major is Psych. Did you apply to cognitive neuroscience programs or want to do research with in a cognitive psych lab? I only ask this since your research experience is in that field and your a psych major and neuroscience programs require a background in biology and chemistry. I majored in psych but took all of the things bio and neuro majors take, but if you don't have that background it may be disqualifying unless your applying to cog psych/neuro programs. I don't know your situation, but I thought I'd mention it.

From what I am seeing, only a few people received an invitation, and that was only 1 out of their 10+ applications. So for the select few that received a single invitation, congrats, but the process is barely beginning now. I believe most schools haven't even got together and decided which group of people will get invites, and won't do so until the 15th of December or later when finals are done. Everyone should just be patient and not worry about those select few who got an early invitation. Realize they only have a single invitation and none of their other schools have even responded back yet.