gliaful

From what I've read, applying early helps your chances of hearing back earlier, if the program does rolling admissions. If you think about it, it seems like applying early at a rolling admissions school might be harmful. If these schools indeed review applications as they are submitted, your application will be judged among its chronological neighbors. It shouldn't be this way -- they should all be judged without bias -- but adcoms are human. This could be problematic in that the applicants who typically apply early are the aggressive, competitive applicants who really know what they want. Thus, applying early may place you in this crowd and could result in your application being viewed with a harsher pair of eyes. I would say applying late may have its benefits in this scenario. Those who apply late may just be scrounging up some backup schools that they aren't wholeheartely invested in, or may be indecisive about grad school and just "seeing what happens" if they apply. If these people are your application neighbors, and you're a competitive applicant, and there are a couple spots left to fill -- maybe your prospects are better.

It seems to be asking about your research experience -- but specifically, the questions you asked in those experiences and how you went about analyzing those problems. It's a really odd statement, especially the "ideally before starting your PhD" part. I would assume all "prior research experience" falls into this category if you are applying to a PhD program. I would promptly email the program advisor/coordinator and address your confusion. I imagine your deadline is approaching.

Were you told to do this because you've limited your applications to top tier schools? If so, the suggestion was probably meant for you to either 1) increase your likelihood of an acceptance, or 2) look more closely at your research interests and find schools that specifically match those. The second point arises from an assumption that students who only apply to top tier schools are more interested in prestige than finding schools that share their specific interests. If you're looking for cold, hard ratings, you can look at this link (below). It's from Sept 2010, so although it may not be completely accurate, it's likely an approximate reference. When using this tool, notice how there are various ranking criteria. This should indicate to you that "top tier" is a vague notion, and that the many components of a graduate education are stronger in some schools than in others. When I used this tool, I sorted schools by "S-rank" and "Students", because I wanted well-rounded programs with happy students. Then, I looked at those programs and tried to identify labs that I found interesting. If I couldn't identify 5-10 labs that I liked, I moved on. It's not all about rankings -- it's about fit. You'll hear that a lot. Here's that list: http://chronicle.com/article/NRC-Rankings-Overview-/124747/ If you would like to look at schools in a particular region or state, you can check out Peterson's: http://www.petersons.com/graduate-schools.aspx Peterson's has the advantage of being up-to-date (all admissions statistics/contacts are from the Fall 2014 season), although it doesn't rank the schools. I used Peterson's in conjunction with school-searching to get a quick snapshot of the program's research interests, admissions stats, if the school used rolling admissions, etc. Ultimately, I applied to schools that had cool research AND seemed to be in areas where I wouldn't mind living. Everyone has their own personal criteria in this respect.

I sense this activity is in my future. Like when December hits. So far, I've gone through all of my schools in the Results and mapped out when I might hear back from my programs. I keep checking Waiting it Out, but it seems kind of desolate (at least biology-desolate), but I'll keep lurking.

At what point do we migrate to "Waiting it Out"? I'm also done with all of my apps and am definitely feeling the fidgets/nervous excitement...

I took a graduate-level course in "writing in the biomedical sciences", led by my PI. The term project was a "mini" review -- not to be published, just to experience the process of reading EVERYTHING about a topic, organizing related works, and offering a conclusive perspective on the current state of research in that topic. I have always enjoyed writing and took the assignment a little farther than was ever my intention. My PI told me that my review was publishable and she helped me through the publication/peer review/tedious process.

I agree with biotechie about fit being of more importance than a top tier school (for the PhD, that is). I am in a very similar situation to the one that you are finding yourself in, although this is my final semester and I am finishing up my first year of research. My school doesn't have many labs that I am interested in and thus my research is only relevant in the broadest of senses -- the techniques are similar to those I would use in my preferred field. At the very least, email professors (chemistry and genetics if you're looking for biomarkers) and ask if you can volunteer or shadow in their lab. If you know the professor(s) already, you might add that you are thinking about graduate studies and you want to make an informed decision about whether you would like to do research (forever, basically). Asking to volunteer means that nobody needs to secure any funding for you, AND it's free labor, so I'm sure someone would love to have you. When it comes to applying to grad school, don't fret about the relevance of your research -- and certainly don't try to "apologize" or demonstrate that you know it's not relevant in your admissions essay. Instead, speak to the positives of what you did learn (techniques, self-discipline, whatever you can come up with) and how you are excited (!!) to apply this cool knowledge to the subject that interests you.

Undergrad Institution: Big state school. Anyway, I don't think this plays much of a role for anyone -- it's the school's reputation, not yours. Major(s): Biology Minor(s): Mathematics GPA in Major: 3.85 Overall GPA: 3.83 Position in Class: Top 5%. I only know this because I was nominated for commencement speaker (I rejected this), and this is the criterion used. Type of Student: Domestic female GRE Scores (revised): Q: 168, 95th percentile V: 164, 93th W: 6.0, 99th Research Experience: One year in a developmental biology lab, studying skeletal/cartilage development. Lab lacks a postdoc and my two labmates are grad students. Hence, this experience has been independent -- which was initially frustrating, as it would have been nice to have been shown how to do a few things. I proposed and attained funding for my own project after the finishing up a project for a past grad student. I will be working full-time in my lab next semester (spring 2015), for a total of 1.5 years of research experience. I have a first-author publication, but it's a review. I'm not sure if this makes it more or less significant. Certainly it signifies that my research has not been extensive enough to lead to a publication; nonetheless, reviews require a thorough (and yet concise) compilation of the current literature. Awards/Honors/Recognitions: I've been awarded three (smallish) grants, so I'm familiar with the process of applying. I'm also familiar with rejection Pertinent Activities or Jobs: I'm an adjunct faculty in the math department at my school. This is my last semester of undergrad and they asked me to apply. I'm teaching an algebra course and will be next semester as well. I've tutored math for the university's drop-in tutoring center since August 2011. I was a teaching assistant for Calc III (Multivariable & Vector Calc) for the 2012-2013 academic year, and a teaching assistant for Organic Chemistry during the 2013-2014 year. Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: I'm a certified pharmacy tech in my state and have been since Jan 2010 (when I was a high school senior). I worked in a hospital pharmacy preparing IV infusions and compounding oral formulations for 3 years. Special Bonus Points: Ain't got none of these here points. Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: I have a W in a 400-level math course. I withdrew because I realized that I needed to graduate (because I didn't have enough loans for this full academic year). I was a biology & math double major up until this point. Knowing that I would be going on in biology and that math was just a creative outlet, I dropped to a minor in math (although I'm 6 credits away from the degree...) Applying to Where: I have submitted applications for the following programs: Brandeis - Neuroscience University of Washington - Neurobiology & Behavior Univ of Utah - Neuroscience Oregon Health and Science Univ - Neuroscience CU Anschutz - Neuroscience Vanderbilt - Neuroscience (NGP) Univ of Pittsburgh - Neuroscience Univ of Iowa - Neuroscience I am insecure about how my research experience does not relate to neuroscience. Of course, it shares the general slew of molecular biology techniques -- cell culture, pcr, westerns, immunocytochemistry, electroporation, confocal microscopy, etc -- but I haven't ever sliced up a rat brain.

Some schools have rolling admissions, even if they don't explicitly make it known. Hence, they could have reviewed your application already, as a month is sufficient time for GRE scores to have shipped. The fact that they are paying for you to visit is something you should take positively. They wouldn't have you visit if they weren't interested -- say what you will about permeant attitudes toward diverse students. THEY LIKE YOU, SO GO. Have a great time, be prepared to speak about your experiences, and remember -- you are evaluating THEM as well. Congrats!

I heard that schools ask for this information to evaluate your interests -- to see if you would be a good fit for the research interests of their program. For instance, some neuroscience programs emphasize cellular/molecular/"basic science" neuroscience, while others focus on the so-called "systems neuroscience", which is much more psychological/behavioral in its approach. If I applied to a cellular/molecular neuroscience program and listed other schools notorious for behavioral neuroscience, they might suspect that I am unsure of where my interests truly lie.

All of the schools that I have applied to asked for the names/info of three recommenders within the application. Somehow, in my letter-requesting ventures back in September, I ended up with four letter-writers. On all of my applications, I listed all four of my recommenders. However, one of my writers has been quite busy this semester/difficult to get in contact with, and I have begun to fear the outcomes of having listed her on my applications if she does not write a letter. Put simply, schools asked for 3 recommenders I provided info for 4 recommenders one of my recommenders might not write a letter (but at least I still have the necessary 3 letters) will it reflect poorly on my application if I provided info for a letter-writer who turns out to be a letter-not-writer? Realistically, my application deadline is December 1st (for all of my schools) and she has plenty of time to submit letters for me. I'm just anxious, and evaluating worst-case scenarios often helps quell my anxiety.

I think those writers would be just fine for biomedical science programs. Biomedical science programs tend to be broad, and full of professors from many sub-disciplines. Those letter writers would be especially useful if you are applying to a school that focuses on translational (medical) research, or schools where the biomedical sciences program is held within the School of Medicine. It sounds like your writers know you well, so I wouldn't worry about it.

I think your psychology background is fine for some schools. I'm not familiar with the programs you listed, but in looking at a lot of Neuro programs I've come to realize some programs are staffed with many faculty who have PhD's in Psych. You could potentially retake the GRE, but I think that your vast experiences and GPA make up for it (and then some).

Hi there, I am also in the process of applying to Neuroscience PhD programs! I've gotten a lot of advice on my SOP and hopefully some of this will be of help to you. I'm kind of critical, so please take everything I say with several grains of salt. 1) References to high school are discouraged, even if AP Biology is a "college" level class. There are a lot of different ways to start SOPs, and the "cute anecdote" is definitely one of the more challenging introductions to pull off successfully. I recommend the "boring" introduction, because although it is very easy, it is also very easy to do WELL. Biomedical engineering is a UNIQUE undergraduate endeavor, so flaunt it! I studied math and biology in undergrad, so my introduction brags up my "quantitative reasoning" skills that only math folk, like you and I, can truly own in a statement of purpose. Neuroscience is interdisciplinary, and your background is, too. Embrace what you have. 2) It isn't too clear how you became interested in neuroscience. Perhaps you could provide a concrete example (something you learned in a class once?) 3) You write in the passive voice. If you don't know what this is, you may want to Google it. I could try to explain it but my English background is lackluster -- the passive voice means that you write as if things happened to you, rather than you happened to things (awkward phrasing, sorry). Take more credit for your experiences. Oh, you took some classes? I know plenty of people who have done that. Did you engage yourself, ask lots of questions, stay involved? Turn the stituation around -- YOU happened to those classes, YOU took a lot away from them. Own it! 4) Also, for the 2nd paragraph: these schools have your transcript. You don't need to talk about your record. Talk about why these classes were significant enough for you to think of them in the first place. Did they sculpt your interests, inspire your future direction? Say it! 5) Good description of your research. However, see #3. Even if you did "help" and "assist" and "volunteer", there is no need to put emphasis on those things. The schools that you are applying to are competitive and you may want to rephrase things. "My research in a motor neuropathy lab..." "I am working on behavioral testing..." etc. Let me know if you want more help with this. 6) 4th paragraph is good! Notice how you take more credit for the things you accomplished here. BUT, did you present the findings? Or did somebody else? If you didn't present them, I would leave it out. 7) Last paragraph. Do some quality brown-nosing...ERR, name dropping. For each of your schools, dig through the professors and name 3-5 of them that you would be interested in working with. Nobody will ever hold you to these names. It just demonstrates that you've done your homework and are applying for more than the school's name. 8) Overall: I think the structure of your SOP is logical, and you've got a good "skeleton" here. It may be wise to fill in each paragraph with a few details about WHY the experiences relate to your current interest in neuroscience. For my SOP, after paragraphs about research, I said something like "I found the challenge of research enjoyable and that's why I want to pursue graduate education". Sprinkling this shit throughout really aids in emphasizing the underlying message -- that you are wholeheartedly committing yourself to 5 years of this stuff. Please ask me if I can clarify any of my suggestions! I love editing!

I looked through all of the admissions decisions on gradcafe (neuroscience) and I became really nervous about my ability to get into ANY of my choice schools. I was wondering how to find admissions statistics for various schools. Here are my personal stats: Undergrad in biology + math minor, 3.83 GPA GRE: 164 Verbal, 168 Quantitative, 6.0 Analytical writing 1 yr research experience in a developmental bio lab, funded by 3 fellowships I was awarded (no big names, but semi-competitive) 1 publication (first author, review paper) Teaching experience (I teach a math class at my univ) I'm applying to UW, OHSU, U of Utah, Vanderbilt, and Colorado-Denver. I know these schools are moderately-selective, but I was hoping for cold, hard percentages. I was also curious if there are schools that are notoriously easier to be accepted to (as backups)? This is my first post here and I know that I've posed a few questions in this post -- I just need help, and reassurance, or something of the sort.