aw2015

Hi Everybody, I've been lurking around these forums for a while now, but haven't posted before. I'm stuck trying to make a decision about grad school that will no doubt affect the rest of my life, and could use some alternative perspectives. I've applied for Fall 2015 acceptance into a PhD program in Neuroscience at a variety (8) of schools, but have been rejected from four out of five of my top choices (Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Colorado). I have however been accepted at two of my less-desirable schools, both with full funding for the entirety of my studies (with my choice of RA or TA), along with benefits. I would certainly be happy working with the mentor at one of the schools in particular, but am uncertain whether I will end up regretting the decision if I attend there (especially since it is in the same city, but is not the same school as, where I got my undergrad degrees). Since applying this past year, I have accomplished a number of things which might be attractive to potential schools/advisors, which brings me to my dilemma: do I wait it out for another year and reapply, or go for it with the fall-back school? Since application season, I have completed a number of relevant (and often necessary) courses, such as Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry, Molecular Biology of the Cell, laboratories in Advanced Neuroscience and Optogenetics, and Physics, and earned an A in every one. I also changed my degree upon graduation from a double-major BA in Psychology and Neuroscience to two separate degrees (BA in Psych and BS in Neuro). On top of that, I recently received a Student of the Year award for the Psychology department, and will be publishing a short molecular biology paper as first or second author within the year. My question for you all is: how much will these more recent accomplishments affect my eligibility as a potential student? If I were to wait a year, gain more experience (either in the lab I have worked in for the last year, or as a paid RA in an imaging lab), and spend more time honing my SOP and GRE scores, would I have a much better chance at these (and other top-tier) schools? In case it matters, my credentials upon applying this year were as follows: -Undergrad BA Double Major at a large, middle-of-the-road-reputation state school -2+ years research experience in Neuroscience related labs -3.7 total GPA, with 3.9 GPAs in both of my majors, and straight A's for the past 3.5 years (out of 5) -93% Verbal, 80% Quantitative, and 60% Analytical Writing on the GRE (new) -Stellar LORs from two relatively unknown professors in their field, and one from a big-shot I would really appreciate some different perspectives on this. Thanks!