agrizz

hmmm.... this post is so applicable to my predicament... FWIW: While in my second year of a PhD program, my father passed away, forcing me to reevaluate the poor fit I'd found with my PI. My performance subsequently lagged and I eventually took a masters from the program and left. For the last three years, I've been working in a laboratory setting, upping my prestige through conference presentations and publications from two distinct laboratories. I even enrolled in a doctoral level class while working as a laboratory manager to ensure to myself that I was ready to return to a doctoral program. This said, I now have multiple publications, including 3 first-authored pubs, and more en route, as well as "stellar"/"glowing" LORs from three profs I've worked with since leaving grad school. Nonetheless, I did not ask anyone from my former PhD program to write any LORs and listed only my teaching advisor from the department at my former grad school as a reference on my CV. I've been terrified of what the OP is talking about here. To those that have responded, do you think the last three years have been sufficient to negate whatever influence my former PI could hold over my current apps? Or should I do (have done) more?

Question for those of you still attending to this post: When you applied, did you seek out PIs that you wanted to work with ahead of time? If so, did you seek to ensure they had funding? Did the school(s) you applied to have mandatory lab rotations that influenced this preemptive communication?

First of all... you people make me sick. Nothing like making an already nerve-wracked applicant more anxious than seeing such a collection of stellar applicants... At least I didn't have the balls to apply to the same programs most of you did, so maybe I'm a bit more competitive in my own right. Secondly, I wish I'd discovered this forum months ago... it would've informed my decisions greatly, but also not left me feeling like I was the only one pacing around my cell phone and constantly checking my inbox/spam folder for as long as I have. As it is, I stumbled on this website tonight as I felt I could get some reprieve from relevant internet searches... Success!!! FWIW: Undergrad Institution: Small, private liberal arts school. < 3000 students Major(s): BA - Psychology Minor(s): Sociology GPA in Major: 3.5 Overall GPA: 3.0 Position in Class: *shrugs shoulders* Type of Student: Domestic male Grad Institution: Very large private school in TX Major: MA Behavioral Neuroscience (PhD program) Minor: Statistics GPA: 3.5 GRE Scores (revised/old version): Q: 152 - 48% V: 157 - 74% W: 4.0 - 56% Research Experience: 6+ years of relevant experience. 3 years (as graduate student) - whole-cell, patch clamp e-phys, various behavioral techniques. 3 institutional poster presentations, 1 accepted at SfN. 3 years (post grad school---present) as laboratory management in neuroscience/neuroendocrinology lab in medical school at large state school in FL - various behavioral and biochemical techniques 2 second authored publications, 2 first authored pubs in prep, 1 second authored pub in prep, 1 SfN poster presentation, several institutional presentations 3 years (post grad school---present) primarily as volunteer scientist at VA hospital in FL - various behavioral and biochemical techniques 3 first authored publications, 1 second authored pub, 2 first authored pubs in prep, 1 second authored pub in prep, 3 SfN poster presentations, 2 other minor conference poster presentations, 2 institutional poster presentations. Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Not much - research assistantship in grad school, teaching assistantship in grad school, lump sum bonus as lab manager for 3+ years of excellent performance reviews. Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Volunteered for independent laboratory at VA while working full time as lab manager and supervising scientist. Paid statistical consultant for various grant applications for VA. Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments/Information that Might Help: Left graduate school due to poor fit after reevaluation when my father suddenly passed away in my second year. Founded a fraternity in undergrad. Worked at sleep disorders clinic in undergrad. Applying to Where: UT Austin Texas A&M UTHSCSA UGA UT Knoxville UKY LSUHSC-S Note: not all are "neuro" specifically, but may be umbrellas or are biological/experimental psychology programs. Having developed the research history I have, I felt it more important to apply to programs that had more to offer in terms of behavioral neuroscience with PIs that were able to ensure funding upon matriculation/when appropriate. PPS: I'm hoping that my research experience overshadows the inadequacies of my mediocre GRE and GPAs. Any thoughts?