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brmcfarland

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  • Location
    Philadelphia
  • Application Season
    2016 Fall
  • Program
    Neuroscience

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  1. Hi everyone I am a rising senior about to apply to graduate school. My GPA has been a concern for me, and I wanted to see if it will prevent me from getting into a PhD program in neuroscience. Program applying to: Neuroscience PhD program Schools considered: Drexel University (#1 choice, has been for a couple years), Temple University, University of Vermont, and a few others around the same academic level. Major: Neuroscience and Psychology double, Biology minor GPA: 3.20 (3.42 major GPA) GRE: Only have taken a diagnostic practice test - 155 Q and V, 4.5 on essays. (with practice aiming to get it to about 161+ Undergrad school: Ursinus College, rigorous science program here. Study abroad: None Years since undergrad: Rising senior Work/internship experience: I will graduate working in 3 research labs at once. 3 years in a neuropsychology lab, 2 years in a neurobiology lab with also summer research fellow on Parkinson's disease, and 1 year in an organic chemistry lab working with carbon-nanotubes and neurotransmitters. I also mentored a community college student through an HHMI grant. I am planning to work on an Honors project (not positive if I will get it so don't hold too much weight to it) in the neurobiology department, but if I don't get approved to work on honors then I will still continue my project anyways. I have presented at 6 or 7 conferences. Coursework: Cell biology (C+), cellular neuroscience (A-), genetics (C+) behavioral neuroscience (A-), cognitive neuroscience( B ) organic chemistry (hard AF, C-), gen chem (A), psychopharmacology (A-). I will graduate also taking molecular biology and developmental neurobiology. I aim to get at least a B+ in developmental, and B+ in molecular. I feel my cellular neuroscience A will make up for my C+ in cell biology. I could have done much better in genetics and organic chem, but I am so busy that I didn't have time during those semesters to study as much as I would have liked to. My psychopharm and cellular neuroscience classes were taken last semester, and my behavior was taken the semester prior. So those C+'s were from my freshman and sophomore years. My psychology classes I did well in, lowest grade in the major has been a B+. A+ in statistics. I have consistently outperformed my peers in my research labs in terms of dedication and time put into my projects. My professors all have written me outstanding LOR's. SoP: I can write very well LoR: My LoR's will be very very strong from all three of my research advisers. I have completed 2 projects in my neuropsychology lab and one of them won 2nd place at a conference in Philadelphia (about 10 other schools were invited), and I will have completed a very involved project in my neurobiology lab (Parkinson's research), and I have a poster to present for my organic chemistry lab. Concerns: Definitely think my strongest asset is my research experience, I feel 3 years of experience in 3 different labs is so helpful and not many other students can claim this. However, I feel that my GPA will prevent me from getting into a graduate program. Everything else about my application is extremely competitive. I do not know any other student who has been capable of doing maintaining a full course load, working in 3 research labs at the same time, working 3 jobs, and being on the executive board of 3 clubs on campus. Other: I am the co-founder and co-president of my schools Neuroscience club, I am recruitment chair of my fraternity, I am an executive board member of a suicide prevention organization on campus. I am a senior fellow for my school, which means I work in the admissions office and interview seniors in high school who have applied to Ursinus. I also give families information sessions and tell them how to apply to Ursinus and then after that, I rate the student and give my opinion of it they should be admitted to Ursinus or not. I am the senior in charge of the Campus Safety office on campus, and I train new dispatchers and hold bi-weekly meetings as well. I am also a tour guide on campus. I have been invited multiple times to speak to the Board of Trustee's and I am on a first name basis with the Dean's of the campus because of how closely I work with them. The ONLY aspect of my application that is low is my 3.2 GPA, but I am a very busy student and I know if I didn't do anything else on campus that I could easy surpass a 3.6 GPA. I do not know any other student who can maintain a full course load and also been HEAVILY involved in all aspects of campus. Am I competitive for graduate school? I interview very well.
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