BayesianBrain

Thanks! Good questions. In fact, great questions. I didn't have the second entry of my research experience "(2) 1-year research in machine learning algorithms and mathematical electrophysiology" last year. I have taken a number of grad-level computer science/engineering courses since last year. My current university unfortunately doesn't have many people doing theoretical neuroscience, so I guess most of my preparation for the PhD is done through coursework, rather than research participation. I chose those programs because they have PIs whose research interests match mine. I actually made connections with 4-5 PIs at some of those schools prior to applying last year - they sounded so welcoming in their emails to me, but that didn't really make a difference in the end.

I am from a psychophysics background but want to do my PhD in computational neuroscience. I applied last year but it turned out to be a total disaster – I was not invited for an interview by any of the six programs I applied to. I am wondering if my background and experience looks completely irrelevant, and I cannot be accepted into a neuroscience program no matter what. Undergrad Institution: Foreign – possibly not very well-known to US professors…. Major(s): Psychology & Neuroscience Minor(s): Computer Science GPA in Major: 4.15/4.30 Overall GPA: 3.98/4.30 Position in Class: Not ranked Type of Student: International female GRE Scores (revised/old version): Q: 96% V: 96% W: 54% B: N/A Research Experience: (1) Active research involvement in psychophysics since freshman year (4 international conference posters/talks; 2 first-author manuscripts under review) (2) 1-year research in machine learning algorithms and mathematical electrophysiology (3) No wet-lab research experience, sadly. Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Dean’s List every year; a couple of other academic awards/prizes. Pertinent Activities or Jobs: TA’ed for two terms Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Nothing might help me anymore Special Bonus Points: Two very supportive recommenders, but neither is a neuroscientist. Not sure if they are extremely ‘well-known’. Both got an h-index on Google Scholar of about 45. I got a lukewarm third recommender last year. Definitely going to replace him this year. Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: Applying to Where: Berkeley: Neuroscience/Vision Sciences Brown: Neuroscience Columbia: Doctoral Program in Neurobiology and Behavior Harvard: Neurobiology MIT: BCS NYU: Neuroscience Princeton: Neuroscience Rochester: BCS Yale: BBS (Neuroscience Track) UCSD: Neuroscience UT Austin: Neuroscience U Washington: Neuroscience U Michigan: Neuroscience And anywhere else that has a Swartz Foundation affiliation, e.g., Brandeis, Caltech, CSHL, UCSF

Many - MIT, Princeton, Berkeley, to name a few.