brainsandeggs

Thank you so much! (Also congrats to you I saw you got some big acceptances also

Finally got an acceptance! From Mount Sinai Neuro !

I don't think so - I'm i the same situation, but I chose not to do the hotel just so I can get ready and everything in my own house - but I don't think the school will care either way IMO.

I am (neuro though) Yeah I saw that - til midnight OY (I live in Brooklyn so will be commuting back home afterwards, a train ride that'll take me an hour at that time...so might have to skip out on Ph.D: The movie...). I was planning on wearing nice pants and blazer type thing for the actual interview day, including heels so I'm probably going to bring a change of clothes (like dark pants and boots with my collared shirt) to change into after the interviews and faculty parts are done so I'm not in bizness wear all night during "fun activities".

They sent me an invite before christmas, and still haven't sent me anything re: travel also...I think I''m gonna take a bus but still

ahhh time to break out the smirnoff ices - thanks for letting us know!

Awesome!!! Congrats!

YUUUP. If hotwire sends me one more promotion for a 600 dollar vacation to puerto vallarta I'm going to lose it.

Well I was going to do several papers per PI and then make sure all the technical details of my own research are completely in my memory so I don't forget something obvious when i'm sitting there all nervous but I'm not sure how much preparation is necessary - anyone who has interviewed before have any perspective on how detailed we need to get for this stuff? I posted something on the other thread but any neuro-specific advice would be welcomed! What is your plan if I may ask?

I have a question! In your interviews, how detailed did they get in their questions re: your research and your planned projects? I had an informal meeting with a POI before apps season started, and she REALLY grilled me about technical stuff - she wanted me to draw out diagrams and describe how I arrived at equations for stuff. It turned out okay in the end, but I was just totally unprepared for how in detail she would go, and it wasn't the smoothest meeting. I've been working in the same lab for almost 5 years now, so I expect they will want me to have every little thing down pat, but I get really nervous in person and I"m worried I will flub something and blow an interview! So I've been trying to memorize everything, but I"m not sure if I"m overdoing it. Do you remember what kinds of things most faculty members wanted to know about your research? Was it big picture stuff, or did they want the nitty gritties? Also - same question for their own research - I know people have said that they don't expect you to know stuff about their work, but I worked hard to make sure each faculty member I identified in my SOP was PERFECTLY aligned with my current research, so I"m worried they will be asking me technical questions about their stuff too since it's so similar to mine. Thanks in advance! I know things must be crazy busy if you are writing a publication! I am just trying to figure out how to best use my time to prepare for interviews.

Congrats!! Damn! Thats awesome congrats! I was hoping for that one but this is the time to get up off my butt and stop waiting for phone calls and start studying for interviews I did get - feeling grateful regardless

OHO! Perhaps not all hope is lost -- Thanks!

This is sad for me, no invite from NYU Last year the neural sciences ones came out first week of January, but I guess that was before they combined the adcoms and whatnot?

Me too! According to the survey, looks like last year all of the invites were sent out via phone call on the Friday of the first week back from break - so I am giving myself til the end of the week to wallow in wine coolers. ETA: sorry this was for Neuroscience BTW

Youre right that neuro masters are few and far between - I knew I wanted to do a neuroscience Ph.D program, but I think at most Biology MA programs you will be able to sort of pick and choose amongst the faculty at that school to find a good advisor for a neuro-themed thesis on the biology side of things (at least for me). As for your SOP, I said this earlier in another thread but I think what helped me tailor my SOP really well was looking up prospective POIs funding application information to see what they were asking for money to study in the upcoming year, (use grantome.com) so i could use that information to make the app reflect skills that I had that a POI would need in their laboratory moving forward. This might help in tailoring your SOP better. Things like "world-class faculty", "diversity", and "great facilites" apply to all these schools, so when people talk about tailoring your SOP, they really mean demonstrating that you have done your research into the program and can provide the skills they are looking for to build up the labs of faculty with careers that are moving in the right direction - find those lab heads that have recently won big awards or consistently get R01s renewed etc, or that are mentioned often in the news or field-related media. These are the people that can get you into a program, and making yourself attractive to them is the key to getting noticed. They don't have to be the big nobel winning labs either - labs that are rapidly expanding with a relatively young PI are an easy mark! Take my advice with a grain of salt though - I'm still at the interview stage! I think you'll be just fine!

HI, for what its worth, I was in a similar (but much much worse) boat as you when I graduated (GPA 2.4). Since I was so far from a decent undergrad GPA, i chose to work in a laboratory and go for a Masters (GPA 4.0 in molecular Bio), so I have about 5 years research experience and a shiny new GPA. I've been doing fairly well so far with Neuro program interviews, much better than I ever expected. I think the MA really did help me, but again, I was in a different situation. It's my belief that psych programs are so much tougher to get into, so you might find that a biology masters (funded if at all possible) will be both easier to get into and give you some basic science cred. If you can afford to get a MA at one of the top schools you want to go to, and make connections there in a lab, so much the better. Of course a MA is not necessary by ANY means, especially if you already have so much research experience and a GPA above the line. You can work on getting your GRE up, plus one extra year of experience and maybe a boost from additional non-matriculated courses could do the trick just as well. I agree with peachypie, the SOP is a major piece of the puzzle for someone with a lower GPA - work work work. Good luck!

Excellent! Congratulations!

Hi there - I heard back from them - the date I chose was Jan 26th since its midweek to make room for other stuffs, but they also have a weekend date. They could be doing rolling invites since a wave went out super early (like December 6th) and I can't believe they got all their spots that quickly. Could go by POI...

Congrats! Thats awesome!

Oh btw did you indicate Sackler or Neural science as your preference? Maybeee theres still things to be sent out??

Oh congrats!! This is a heartbreaker for me though as NYU is definitely at the top of my list . I was really hoping for that one!

awesome!! I got Belfer so could be? I figured they gave me the mid-week one because I'm in the city already, but that makes more sense

Weill cornell neuro just emailed an invite- fyi for scheduling they offered me jan 20th but they have other weekends !

Weill Cornell sent an invite via email this evening - interview very early, jan 20th

Wowwee! Thats amazing! Congrats Did they phone you?