vallaboop

Hi all,
I just wanted to share this in case some of you weren't aware. There is a growing movement, #GRExit, where biology/biomedical programs are no longer requiring the GRE for admission! To me this is fantastic, standardized tests are biased and useless. Not to mention expensive and anxiety provoking. There is a Google docs spreadsheet that is currently maintained by Joshua Hall, PhD who is the director of the school of medicine at UNC. Here is the link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MYcxZMhf97H5Uxr2Y7XndHn6eEC5oO8XWQi2PU5jLxQ/edit#gid=0
Good luck to everyone applying in the upcoming application cycle! 

I'm still feeling the pain of rejection of this years application cycle but I will be reapplying for Fall 2019. I'm graduating next month with my MS in clinical psych with a 4.0 (unless I have an epic stumble in the next few weeks). I'm a full time research assistant for a prestigious institution since 2015 for psychiatry, we focus on psychosocial rehabilitation, smoking cessation, and clinical trials for cannabis use disorder for people with serious mental illness. As of right now I have one publication and two poster presentations. I just submitted a manuscript and I am working on another paper and an abstract for a conference. 
My interest is in behavioral neuroscience but I am worried that my lack of hard science background was a detriment this time around. I majored in psychology and in neuroscience in undergrad and I took pre-med courses. However, my grades are all over the place. I would get B's and A's in hard science classes but then not did well in easier classes. This was mostly due to personal issues. My GRE scores are also abysmal. My boss and coworkers keep telling me to take a prep course and retake them. I know that I should but I just don't know if I can afford it.
This past cycle I applied to 13 schools and only had one interview. This time around I will probably stay around the same number but I honestly have no idea where to apply. I want to reapply to some of the same schools but I don't know if that's a bad idea or not. Thoughts?
Good luck everyone! I can also help answer questions since this isn't my first rodeo.   

I'm still feeling the pain of rejection of this years application cycle but I will be reapplying for Fall 2019. I'm graduating next month with my MS in clinical psych with a 4.0 (unless I have an epic stumble in the next few weeks). I'm a full time research assistant for a prestigious institution since 2015 for psychiatry, we focus on psychosocial rehabilitation, smoking cessation, and clinical trials for cannabis use disorder for people with serious mental illness. As of right now I have one publication and two poster presentations. I just submitted a manuscript and I am working on another paper and an abstract for a conference. 
My interest is in behavioral neuroscience but I am worried that my lack of hard science background was a detriment this time around. I majored in psychology and in neuroscience in undergrad and I took pre-med courses. However, my grades are all over the place. I would get B's and A's in hard science classes but then not did well in easier classes. This was mostly due to personal issues. My GRE scores are also abysmal. My boss and coworkers keep telling me to take a prep course and retake them. I know that I should but I just don't know if I can afford it.
This past cycle I applied to 13 schools and only had one interview. This time around I will probably stay around the same number but I honestly have no idea where to apply. I want to reapply to some of the same schools but I don't know if that's a bad idea or not. Thoughts?
Good luck everyone! I can also help answer questions since this isn't my first rodeo.   

I've been advised to apply to at least 10. I know it's expensive but it can be worth it.

That's good advice, thanks!

hmm, a first look at my competition *glares*. I kid, of course, best of luck!

Thanks, everyone! I really appreciate your responses, this was really helpful. @H1ppocampus I didn't even think of it that way! That definitely helps especially because I was wondering what the protocol was on reapplying to the same schools.

I would wait a couple of weeks and then reach out to POI's individually, rather than to departmental coordinators, as others have said. This can really work to your favor (especially if you had interviews and were waitlisted) because it shows POI's that you are serious about wanting to work with them and that you are willing to do whatever it takes, within reason, to enhance your credentials for the next application cycle. I took this approach last year and was pleasantly surprised by how helpful several professors were.
Don't let this round discourage you- keep your long-term goals in mind. Wishing you all the best.

I too agree with the others that it doesn't do any harm to reach out and ask, but I would not exepect a response. These interview cycles are such a crapshoot sometimes, and it may have come down to something as simple as you being equally as qualified as another person but the advisor liked the other person more. One thing we often don't think about is that when we committ to an advisor and they committ to us, they are making a 5+ year committment (and really, a potential life-long committment) to be your mentor. That is pretty huge, so advisors (and trainees) should make sure the fit is excellent academically and personally, otherwise it could be a living hell. 
 
One other thing that might be the case is not stressing enough to a program during your interview that you actually want to go there. For future cylces, I would only do this for your top 1-2 choices. My advisor at my very well respected clinical program told me that me saying that I wanted to go to this school and train with them made a HUGE difference when thinking about me as the student she wanted to take on last cylce. If you are wishy-washy, people may be heistant to make an offer because if you hold onto that offer and don't wind up going there you may wind up screwing them out of a student that year (as all backups may have moved on before you let go). 
 
Just food for thought! I am always happy to talk more over DM if you have specific questions about either of those things.

I also did this - I only heard back from one faculty who I actually interviewed with.  I will say it wasn't super helpful for me in terms of pinpointing specific areas to improve (I got a "you seemed really qualified, this was just not a good year for you," which was really frustrating).  However, she did emphasize networking before applying, and making sure to email all the faculty you want to work with to hear about 1)what their current research is, and 2)what they are looking for in a student.    
If you're struggling for what to say in the email, here's basically what I said: 
Dear Dr. XXXX,    I want to first thank you for reviewing my application for the XXXXX program for this admission cycle.  I enjoyed getting to meet you and the students in your lab on interview day (change this sentence if you did not interview, obviously).  Unfortunately, I had an unsuccessful admissions cycle this year . If at all possible, would you be willing to provide any feedback on my application?  Were there areas of weakness in my application (e.g. research experience, personal statement, or my letters of recommendation)? I would appreciate any feedback on how I might be able to improve myself as a candidate for the next submission cycle.    Thank you for your time, 

I've heard great things about Magoosh and am planning to buy it in the next couple of weeks. They supposedly guarantee a five point improvement or your money back (I'm really hoping all five of those points end up on my quantitative score haha). There is also a GRE prep online course offered through ed2go, I haven't heard anything about it, but its only $109 so I'm going to give it a try ! I looked at the Kaplan courses but just couldn't justify the cost....

When I asked my rejected schools for more information regarding their decision, the crucial details were always my lack of citations and presentations. I've read here previously that the people who select cohorts try to create diversity, so there are spots for people with masters and bachelors etc. It sounds like you are a very strong candidate on all fronts, even for the master degree holder spots, and I would bet the GRE is your only problem! Buy the 1lb gre prep book and squeeze some money for MAGOOSH if you can! I last minute decided to apply for 3 schools 1 month before the deadline, rushed to get all my LOR, my SOP, and finish magoosh in three weeks. I ended up getting a 158v 155q, which was at least at the cutoff. I am pretty good at tests, but magoosh is VERY GOOD at explaining cognitive and logical shortcuts on quant and verbal.
 
UCSD is my Alma Mater! I worked in two labs there and am hoping to intern this summer at another if I stumble up my 2nd interview at a traumatic brain injury lab off campus! It's a great school and if you want any information regarding anyone's lab, just reach out. I was close with a few professors, but have the first-hand experience with most of the cognitive science and psychology department members. I will probably be applying to there as well. I was curious about your post-grad position. Were you a volunteer or a paid research associate? I've been looking for three months, and have only found 1 lab opening that was quickly taken by in-house hiring of an intern over myself, and now I'm hoping that I stand a chance at this super competitive position with TBI. Also, I would definitely throw your accomplishments and skills in your SOP!

If your GRE scores are really "abysmal," you should definitely retake them before trying again. I think it's quite likely that the reason you had such difficulty getting interviews was that you fell below cutoff points for the schools where you applied. If your GRE scores were below a certain threshold, they may have immediately scrapped your application without reading about your other excellent credentials. Prep courses are probably very expensive, but you can do a lot if you dedicate yourself to practicing on your own before retaking the GRE. You could also look into hiring a private tutor on a session-by-session basis (more tailored to your needs and don't have to commit to the cost of a full course).

The first time I applied I was 21 (senior in college), I was completely naive about the whole process and was ultimately rejected from the 4 programs I applied to. I'm 28 and about to graduate with my MS. Unfortunately it was a no go on PhD programs this cycle but I will be trying again. I've worked at a prestigious institution as a research assistant for the past 3 years and I am going to continue working on my publication list and gaining experience. Although it has taken me longer than I would have liked, I'm glad I took the time to get real world experience and mature before I enter such a rigorous program. However, it all depends on who you are and if you are mentally prepared for how challenging it is. 

I agree, just let me know one way or the other so I can move on. It's frustrating

The first time I applied I was 21 (senior in college), I was completely naive about the whole process and was ultimately rejected from the 4 programs I applied to. I'm 28 and about to graduate with my MS. Unfortunately it was a no go on PhD programs this cycle but I will be trying again. I've worked at a prestigious institution as a research assistant for the past 3 years and I am going to continue working on my publication list and gaining experience. Although it has taken me longer than I would have liked, I'm glad I took the time to get real world experience and mature before I enter such a rigorous program. However, it all depends on who you are and if you are mentally prepared for how challenging it is. 

The first time I applied I was 21 (senior in college), I was completely naive about the whole process and was ultimately rejected from the 4 programs I applied to. I'm 28 and about to graduate with my MS. Unfortunately it was a no go on PhD programs this cycle but I will be trying again. I've worked at a prestigious institution as a research assistant for the past 3 years and I am going to continue working on my publication list and gaining experience. Although it has taken me longer than I would have liked, I'm glad I took the time to get real world experience and mature before I enter such a rigorous program. However, it all depends on who you are and if you are mentally prepared for how challenging it is. 

The first time I applied I was 21 (senior in college), I was completely naive about the whole process and was ultimately rejected from the 4 programs I applied to. I'm 28 and about to graduate with my MS. Unfortunately it was a no go on PhD programs this cycle but I will be trying again. I've worked at a prestigious institution as a research assistant for the past 3 years and I am going to continue working on my publication list and gaining experience. Although it has taken me longer than I would have liked, I'm glad I took the time to get real world experience and mature before I enter such a rigorous program. However, it all depends on who you are and if you are mentally prepared for how challenging it is. 

The first time I applied I was 21 (senior in college), I was completely naive about the whole process and was ultimately rejected from the 4 programs I applied to. I'm 28 and about to graduate with my MS. Unfortunately it was a no go on PhD programs this cycle but I will be trying again. I've worked at a prestigious institution as a research assistant for the past 3 years and I am going to continue working on my publication list and gaining experience. Although it has taken me longer than I would have liked, I'm glad I took the time to get real world experience and mature before I enter such a rigorous program. However, it all depends on who you are and if you are mentally prepared for how challenging it is. 

Started undergrad at 33, master's at 38, starting a PhD program at 40.  Professors I inteviewed with said my life/work experiences were what caught their attention.  

Thank you! I am definitely going to keep trying until it happens. Hopefully things will work out in the end, I just need to shake it off (which has been tough).

There is a 99.9% change this application cycle is not going to work out for me. After not hearing about an admission decision a month after interview I decided to email my POI. He said "After careful consideration I have decided not to have a student from this cohort join my lab." I was unbelievably upset. I also still haven't received an official rejection which is weird. Not sure why they're keeping me in limbo. I need to lick my wounds and start getting prepared for next cycle but I am just so sad. Anyone else feeling similar? 

Those are vastly different, I'm not sure if I can provide any insight to help you decide :/ I guess if you are interested in both fields you can decide by who provides better funding, which area would you rather live in, how well known are the professors you would be working under, which program would allow you more opportunities to be published and/or first author. As for me, my interests are in serious mental illness and degenerative diseases. The etiology of these diseases, psychopathology, neurobiological underpinnings, epigenetics. 

There is a 99.9% change this application cycle is not going to work out for me. After not hearing about an admission decision a month after interview I decided to email my POI. He said "After careful consideration I have decided not to have a student from this cohort join my lab." I was unbelievably upset. I also still haven't received an official rejection which is weird. Not sure why they're keeping me in limbo. I need to lick my wounds and start getting prepared for next cycle but I am just so sad. Anyone else feeling similar? 

There is a 99.9% change this application cycle is not going to work out for me. After not hearing about an admission decision a month after interview I decided to email my POI. He said "After careful consideration I have decided not to have a student from this cohort join my lab." I was unbelievably upset. I also still haven't received an official rejection which is weird. Not sure why they're keeping me in limbo. I need to lick my wounds and start getting prepared for next cycle but I am just so sad. Anyone else feeling similar?