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eeee1923

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  1. Downvote
    eeee1923 got a reaction from ahffk in Parents at Orientation   
    At this point you're pretty much an adult (unlike when you started college). I really can't think of a reason why you'd need your parents there. Just let them explore the campus or town while you attend the orientation. 
  2. Upvote
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    eeee1923 got a reaction from scientific in Chances for a top program??   
    It will really come down to how well you can sell yourself to the adcomms at these institutes (i.e. your SoP) and the strength the LoRs submitted on your behalf. Take your GRE, write a strong SoP and apply to any place that has interesting research being conducted (i.e. 3-5 PIs/institute). Also if you are in the midwest why don't you look at Ohio State IBSG and the IUPUI IBMG programs?
  4. Upvote
    eeee1923 reacted to littlemoondragon in Divide between grad students and undergrads?   
    I echo what @Demeter and @rising_star have said. In addition, I think there is another divide caused in private universities, because of finances.

    To clarify, I attend a private university where the endowment is HUGE (in the billions). I came from a very poor public university for my undergrad (the tuition is ~$4,000 a year versus over $50,000 a year). A lot of graduate students I meet are like me. We are not from super rich families and we did not attend super fancy, private universities for undergrad. We came to our current graduate institution ,because of the research and also 99% of graduate students are fully funded (awesome!). However, the undergraduates are from rich families. Not all, but a lot of them are well off. I see a lot of undergrads that I feel I should punch them in the face, because they walk around like they are God's gift to Earth. There are more than a few self-entitled shit heads. I taught a full class one semester and I was advised heavily not to be too harsh (whereas in my undergrad when I TAed, I could be very strict and even kick students out) or else piss off some random donors' child. D:
    I'm not at Princeton, but I have a couple friends who are and it sounds like they are in a similar boat. This divide of economic culture causes graduate students to be "stand-offish" toward the undergraduates.
  5. Upvote
    eeee1923 got a reaction from sqxz in 2016 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results   
    I had a prof like this when I was interviewing. All I can say is ignore them - this is YOUR future. They're already have their PhD. It's unfortunate when profs aren't supportive (especially when you're having a successful application cycle). I ended up getting a B+ in the class from that prof but it didn't make much of a difference when I got all my acceptances. Good luck @MusMusculus! Work hard on your school work but make sure you do well on your interviews.
  6. Upvote
    eeee1923 reacted to Yav Friendly in Is being young a detriment?   
    If you study mathematics then you probably are already too old.
  7. Upvote
    eeee1923 reacted to tcmazer in 2016 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results   
    Got accepted at Universtiy of Alabama at Birmingham's CMDB program!
    Holy shit, I'm actually going to grad school.
  8. Upvote
    eeee1923 reacted to rising_star in "Valley of S*^%"   
    I want to link to this excellent post because I think we all need to reminded when we lose perspective and confidence in ourselves that this is a time that will pass. I've never heard it phrased this way before but, the sentiment is excellent. Hopefully, it'll help the community out!
  9. Upvote
    eeee1923 reacted to Effloresce in 2016 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results   
    First acceptance!! Got an offer from UVa a week after interviewing!
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    eeee1923 reacted to ghanada in Is the debt worth it for Boston University's MPH   
    Interesting post, and you make some valid arguments. I am not in public health, but I am getting a Masters too at BU and my gf graduated from Harvard last year with a MPH. I agree that BU is extremely expensive and I am sure the school is profitting from you expenses. However, why is this so different from any other school? You should realize that your cost is not just paying an hourly rate for somebody to teach you material. You are paying for resources, networks, recruitment events, a grad experience, access to profs in your field, and most importantly a degree with a school's name attached to it. I don't think you realize the value of having that piece of paper. I know there are successful people without fancy degrees, but that is not the norm and there are plenty of employers that won't even consider you without that degree. Now, I am not saying this is the way life should be, but I recognize that is how it is at this time.

    You should also realize that you are doing a professional degree and for the majority, these are always non-funded and quite expensive. Think of MBAs, law school, med school, etc. They accumulate A LOT more debt than you and they aren't complaining. They realize this is the way it works and what you are paying so much for has value.

    If you are upset with BU and their program, that is one thing. But to be surprised that you are doing a professional Masters that is expensive and be mad about that is your own fault. Most people spend lots of time thinking about costs and benefits and decide beforehand if it is worth it to them. If you didn't do this planning and just jumped into $60k+ debt, that was your responsibility.

    Thousands of people make this choice each year and accept what that means and are fine with it. I have the same amount of debt as you from my Masters but I am not worried about it as I know the degree will pay for itself. My gf has that same amount of debt too, but got a consulting job after getting her MPH and she makes well over $100k salary and now she will pay that off in like 2 years. I can guarantee you she would not have gotten her job without paying for that expensive degree. She even told me that her company ONLY goes to recruiting events that aren't opened to the public and therefore you can only access them if you goto top institutions. This is the type of thing you are paying for. Of course anyone can read books and teach themselves the material for really ANY degree if you are bright enough. But to tell people there is no value in a degree because of the cost is misleading.
  11. Upvote
    eeee1923 got a reaction from I.Kant in Two bachelor degrees; two master degrees?   
    Do you mean like going for another masters in Economics? If so, I would just ask why - it seems a bit repetitive (you could just aim at PhD at that point).
  12. Upvote
    eeee1923 reacted to rising_star in how does this teaching thing work long term?   
    Streamlining grading for papers is actually not that hard, provided you focus on quality and not quantity. That is, 3 really good assignments are better than 5 or 6 mediocre ones. In addition, think really carefully about the length of each assignment. First and second year students are going to struggle to write decent papers of more than 4-5 double-spaced pages so, if you're asking for that, you're putting yourself in a situation where you'll need to give a lot of feedback because they're struggling to do what you've asked. In my writing intensive second year course, there's only two assignments (the midterm and the final) that are more than 4 pages double-spaced. Everything else they write is under 750 words (I use word maximums, rather than page numbers) and several are capped at 300 or 500 words depending on the task. (300 words is if they're summarizing something; 500 if they have to do summary and analysis.) I've found that limiting how much they can write in this way forces them to be more concise which gives me less to grade. I've even had students thank me for forcing them to cut all the fluff out of their paper (aka, they hit the word maximum but realized they hadn't said what they wanted to say so they had to go back and edit heavily). 
    For grading, use rubrics and a timer. The rubric makes it easier for you to know what to deduct for and also gives some consistency to the grading. I use rubrics for all of the papers I assign. If you go the rubric route, provide students with the rubric in advance (definitely before the assignment is due) so that they know how they are being evaluated. Some instructors even have students score themselves based on the rubric and turn in that self-assessment with their paper. I'm planning to try that out next semester so, ask me in May how that went. 
    The timer is seriously the key to grading efficiently. Read through one or two papers without commenting and see how long it takes you. For a 500 word paper, the answer for me is like 3 minutes. So then, I'll give myself 6-8 minutes to read, provide feedback on, and grade each paper. I'll keep an eye on the timer so that I know when I'm about to run out of time. When time is running out, it's almost always because I'm filling a paper with comments. Too many comments will actually overwhelm a student so it may not be helpful in the long run. The timer keeps me from doing that. If I finish before the timer goes off, then I give myself a break to surf the web, change the music, pet the dog, etc. Then I get right back into it. I typically grade 5 papers in a block then take a mini break before getting back into it (think pomodoro technique). It really helps, I promise.
  13. Upvote
    eeee1923 got a reaction from PlanB in What to do better next time.. Masters before PhD?   
    IMO I think that going for a master's is helpful in giving one a taste of what graduate research is like - that way you really know if you'd be to go all the way down the path. As long as you do one with a thesis option you should be fine by the time you apply for PhD programs.
  14. Upvote
    eeee1923 reacted to biotechie in 2016 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results   
    Hi guys! 3rd year PhD student in Molecular Bio, here. I lurk this thread each year to add my 2 cents or help out when you guys get lost or are freaking out.

    What Azia said is very true. I'm lucky to be in a place where there are several graduate institutions close together, so I get to see not only students that come into my own program, but also those that come into other programs. GPA and GRE are important, but only to a degree. The things that seem to be most important these days are your ability to show that you know what you're in for in a research PhD (aka, you've done real research for more than 6 months), that you're a good person, and that you have people who can vouch for all of this and that like you (letter writers are possibly the MOST important). There is rumor that some adcoms which remove the school names, and gender/other identifying information from applications before they submit to the committee, though I haven't seen evidence of that with my own eyes. I think it is a positive step for the future of science that they're focusing more on you rather than your numbers; some people don't test well, but you put them in the lab and they solve huge problems.
    I've seen students, and actually interviewed with some of them, that had beautiful applications as far as the numbers go, but when they interviewed, the person in their personal statement didn't match with the person. They were not good fits as they essentially lied, and I wouldn't have wanted to be in a program with students like that. When I got here, they were not. Then there are applicants with mediocre scores who accidentally gave a muted version of themselves in their personal statement, but their letter writers gave them their due credit. Then when they interview, you see how amazing they really are, and they get in. They go on to do wonderful science.

    I am an example of a student who came from a state school with a mediocre GPA and GRE scores, and I am doing well in my PhD studies. I won't comment on my application essays as I can't ever compare my own work to others. I'm biased. I passed my qual at the end of my first year and will soon have a paper out. I have no doubt that I will graduate. Yes, I came in with 6 years research experience because I worked in labs all of undergrad and MS, but that didn't teach me to survive in a PhD program. Why am I successful? I work hard, just like the other students in my program, which come from varying backgrounds from all types of different schools. Your previous experience may help you a little, but you all start on square one, no matter where you came from, and to me this makes it even more essential to pick a place where you feel comfortable. I did NOT choose my program based on rank. I chose programs to apply to that had research I was interested in and appeared to have an environment I wanted to be in. Some were top 25, some were ranked below 50. For me, rank doesn't matter. I also chose a mentor who doesn't only focus on the success of the research, but also focuses on my career development and my progress as a student. This is important; many a PhD student has gotten lost because their PI can't be there for them when they are needed.
    Okay, end rant. Message me or reply to this if you have questions.

    For those of you worried about interview notifications. In fall 2012, I got my first invitation and rejection on December 20. Then I didn't hear from anyone else until the second week of January. My last two schools didn't send invites until February. You've got time. Try to relax.
  15. Upvote
    eeee1923 reacted to Sarahjc in 2016 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results   
    I got an interview at Duke. I got a call from a PI I had mentioned in my personal statement and then he emailed to confirm.
  16. Upvote
    eeee1923 got a reaction from Mystic_Fog in Apps Sent, Now What?   
    "Out of Site, Out of Mind". Live by this credo for the next few months (it will be one of the hardest things to do but you must). Try to relax and finish off the school year strong.
  17. Upvote
    eeee1923 got a reaction from TheKinaser in Rockefeller University -- PhD research in Immunology/Virology/Biochemistry   
    You should be fine. As long as you have 3.7+ you're considered a solid applicant. Just make sure you do well on your GRE (80th+ percentile), write a strong SoP (that's where your passion will show) and get strong LoRs. 
  18. Upvote
    eeee1923 got a reaction from TheKinaser in Rockefeller University -- PhD research in Immunology/Virology/Biochemistry   
    If you don't plan on attending then don't waste the space either. Yea $60 may mean nothing to you, but if you get into the program - you'd be taking up a spot that somebody else would like more than you. Also just because you told one of your recommenders you'd apply does not mean you signed a blood oath to do so. The application cycle will be hectic already without you adding unnecessary complications to your life by applying to a program you have no intention of considering. You would also be wasting the time of potential PI's that may be interested in someone with your training. 
     
    Take away message: Don't waste your time or the UTK PI's time by applying if you know you aren't considering the program.
  19. Upvote
    eeee1923 got a reaction from mrchemistry in Chemical Biology Application - Help!   
    Private schools tend to be more accepting of international applicants on average
  20. Upvote
    eeee1923 reacted to rising_star in Will going to a lower tier school hurt me later?   
    Wait, are you saying that I didn't attempt to answer your question. I'm pretty sure I did. I said "I'd be concerned about a WGU degree either counting as a negative or a headscratcher for people looking at your qualifications for graduate school." Wasn't your original question about how a MS from WGU would be perceived if you went on to apply for a MPP? The reference to your resume was to get you to think about things beyond your current employer and current situation. If you're thinking about doing a MPP down the line, you're already thinking about your future somewhat so why not think about it more broadly? That WGU degree is going to be your only graduate qualification for a while (correct me if I'm wrong) so, any time a job advert specifies a preference or need for a graduate degree, you're either going to have to list it or risk not meeting the basic qualifications. If you're applying to grad school, you are generally required to list all institutions attended. If you don't and they find out, they can kick you out of the program for lying on your application.
    Look, people (especially academics) don't trust WGU precisely for the reasons that you find attractive. I find it hard to believe that a self-paced, online master's which you can complete in six months is equivalent to completing a 2 year online or in-person master's degree from a bricks-and-mortar institution. Other academics are going to view WGU similarly. We can be somewhat sympathetic when it's clear that it was the person's only option (e.g., living abroad, stay-at-home parent, etc.) but, even then, they'd prefer if your online work was done at a more respected institution. Prestige matters when you're applying to grad school. I view a WGU degree as something I could completely bullshit my way through in a few months if I were willing to pay the money. Is having a degree that people think of like that going to help you get into grad school? Probably not. Is it going to hurt you? It will in the eyes of some. 
    To get to telkanuru's point, I'll point out that it seems like you've already decided to do the WGU degree because of the opportunity at work. That's fine. But, don't come here and expect us to tell you it will present zero problems later on for you when that really may not be the case. 
  21. Upvote
    eeee1923 got a reaction from Bioenchilada in 2016 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results   
    No real benefit. If you meet the minimum acceptance criteria you will reach the next stage of the application process (e.g. interviews) regardless of submission date - as long as you submit by the program's deadlines. When I turned in my applications, I only got 2 submitted about a week early and the remaining on the day they were due - it didn't affect my interviews/acceptances. 
  22. Upvote
    eeee1923 got a reaction from gughok in Should I reschedule the GRE for earlier?   
    You should be fine. Most applications will let you have the self-reported scores submitted for the initial submission with the understanding that the official scores will be sent once they're available. 
  23. Upvote
    eeee1923 got a reaction from Fartre in Should I wait to publish before applying?   
    I would guess that it depends on the quality of the publication. You don't necessarily have to have the publication to be admitted but if your stats are that on the fence it may help. If you are able to get strong LoRs at this point and write a strong SoP - you may already have what it takes to get in right now. But this is all speculation and you won't know if you don't try. The most you can do is finish applying this year and see where the chips land. If you end up getting into Chicago, then the publication in the spring will just be an added bonus that would go on your CV and potentially help you get fellowships later on. 
  24. Upvote
    eeee1923 reacted to LaSombra in My time at MIT   
    So, this is more of me letting my thoughts out/ranting, ...here goes. 

    I work in a certain lab at MIT, my official title is "technical assistant" and boy if things could not be more true and vague! My work is within the realm of cognitive neuroscience and thinking back on everything, I can't imagine how difficult my first year in a graduate program in cognitive neuroscience would have been w/o the experience I've had. 
     
    What I'm in charge of as a technical assistant....I run fMRI experiments as the "primary" person in charge at the moment of data acquisition, this means I'm in charge of setting up the scanner, getting the participants in and out, running the experiment and everything in between. The above also applies to an MEG study I'm part of. I'm also in charge of various types of analysis, and while I may have hoped to say at the start of my work , that this would only be simple t tests, this couldn't be more far from the truth. I've been handed the tasks of doing everything from simple correlations and t -tests to full, from start to finish analysis of fMRI data. We're talking directory structure set up, preprocessing, post processing, PPI analysis, ICA, PCA, & MVPA analysis. I've had to learn python, R, javascript(and consequently html, css, & php), matlab, & the unix shell & so much statistics!. I'm not a programmer, in fact my undergraduate degree was purely in psychology. I trouble shoot for pretty much everyone in the lab, other techs, post docs, grad students, the under grads, you name it. I've created and implemented analysis pipelines which are now widely used by my members of my lab, I've written a good number of the scripts we use to make life less of a pain (when you're dealing with fMRI data, programming skills are a must, else you'll hate yourself for spending so much time on button clicking). 

    I've presented a poster at SFN, & I'm proud to say that on a handful of papers that have been published, by members of my lab, the primary fMRI analysis was done by me. I've definitely had a love / hate relationship with this job. Never have I been challenged to such an extent! Thinking back, I realize just how much faith was placed in me! & I must admit I'm a bit baffled, one by the fact that the faith was actually there and two that I was  able to get the work done. Which leads me to a conclusion I had not considered before. Often I see people say "it is the work you do that defines you" to undergrads partaking in research before they apply to grad schools. But for you to do great work, you have to be afforded the opportunity to do so! This means that a lot of trust has to be placed in you, and your PI / post doc has to be willing to take a big chance on you. If the demand for great work is not there, it seems difficult to supply it, simply out of pure will and desire. Therefore, if I have some advice for undergrads looking for research opportunities, find a place that is willing to give you big tasks, I'm not talking about scoring behavioral responses(although that may also be a part of your job), but rather coming up with experimental paradigms and implementing them, handling the full spectrum of data analysis, drawing conclusions from your results, etc. Essentially a place where your supervisor is willing to say "hey X, I'm going to essentially treat you as a colleague and not a cog in the wheel towards the end goal of getting my grunt work done" 

    This entire experience has changed a few of my outlooks of graduate school. The most significant change being my view of prestige, I now care far less about where I go, simply because I know I have a bit of a start and know how on how to use the tools in my field which are necessary to do great work. Perhaps people may say this is obvious, and that really only pretentious people would think otherwise but I suspect this may be an implicit bias as to why we so often gravitate to more prestigious institutions  when it comes to the application process. 

    To reiterate my sentiment at the start of this, I can't imagine being a grad student with little experience of the technical side of things. And trust me there are plenty of those in every program, regardless of program rank. Why can't I imagine it? Well simple, you're expected to do well on all of your demanding as heck course work while learning the ins and out of the technical side of dealing with fMRI data. I surely wouldn't be able to pull it off! 

    This experience has been great, and I owe so much to my PI & post doc & lab. I'm now very much excited to tackle graduate work in the field I've been working in. Before this, I would probably say that having "research experience" was simply a check on a list of things one should have before applying to grad school but now I see carries a lot more value. 

    I think my brain is mad at me for having it work so hard these past years, but my future is smiling(maybe lol) at me for taking on the challenge. ;]

    The end. 

    P.S..... There is always free food on campus...like always, there's actually a myth that someone was able to go a full year w/o having to buy any food on / around campus because of this. 
  25. Upvote
    eeee1923 reacted to fuzzylogician in .   
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