[Fit vs very close to home]

Any advice for choosing between a better fit, but 5-10 hours from home and a school that is a good fit, but very close to home and close to where you went to undergrad (people in the area you know)? Looking to gauge the value of being close if anyone has experience with that one way or the other.

Thanks!

[2018 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results]

10 hours ago, blc073 said:

@Philsgross 

Your numbers and experience look great! I think you have a good shot at all the schools you listed. You could maybe even add more top tier programs. I know Harvard has a great neuroscience program. I've also heard great things about the UC schools (Berkeley and SF, in particular).

Your admissions will come down to your SOP and your LORs. If you can really talk about your research in your essays and have LORs that support what you write, you should be set. 

I will say, I am concerned about having LORs from post-docs. Typically, you will receive a single LOR from a lab, with each post-doc with whom you worked giving input and the PI submitting the letter. Do you have another LOR you could submit in lieu of the two post-docs? 

Thanks! One post doc is technically an "Instructor" now on faculty, and one of the post-docs is an MD-PhD if that makes a difference. I can get a letter or two from elsewhere (past professors), but I don't think they'd be able to speak as much about my ability as a future scientist. Would it not be better to have a great letter from them or a decent one from a past professor? 

[2018 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results]

Can anyone advise on my list for neuroscience PhD programs Fall 2018? Too ambitious for my resume? Plan on trimming a couple of the programs. Looking to do neuroimmune research. 

 

Undergrad Institution: University of Maryland
Major(s): General Biology
Minor(s): Neuroscience
GPA in Major: 3.3 (so) to 3.5 (ju) to 3.8 (se)
Overall GPA: 3.40; 3.60 upperclassmen 
Position in Class: N/A
Type of Student: domestic, caucasian male 

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 161 (80%)
V: 158 (78%)
W: 4 (60%)

Research Experience: 

2 years as a volunteer/class credit at a neuroplasticity lab on campus.

Intern for summer at AstraZeneca subsidiary doing autoimmune research (1 publication non first author, in Science translational med, another submitted). Continued part time for senior year of college.

1+ year (currently employed) as a full time research assistant in a neuroimmunology lab at University of Texas MD anderson cancer center, with 3 very well-known/cited PIs in neuroimmunology. (1 publication currently, 2 more in prep. 2 more posters/abstracts). 

 

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: 

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: 

See experience.

Special Bonus Points: 
 

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:
Will be getting a very strong letter of rec from my internship, and then 3 from my current job (one from a PI whose name will carry weight in PNI community, 2 from Post docs who I work closely with daily and should write glowing reviews)

 

Applying to Where:

Ohio State University

University of Pennsylvania

Illionois Urbana

Oregon Health and Science University

Miami University 

University of Chicago

Georgetown University

Columbia University

West Virginia University

 

[2017 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results]

Can anyone advise on my list for neuroscience PhD programs Fall 2018? Too ambitious for my resume? Plan on trimming a couple of the programs. Looking to do neuroimmune research. 

 

Undergrad Institution: University of Maryland
Major(s): General Biology
Minor(s): Neuroscience
GPA in Major: not sure
Overall GPA: 3.40
Position in Class: N/A
Type of Student: domestic, caucasian male 

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
V: 158
Q: 161

W: 4
 

Research Experience: 

2 years as a volunteer/class credit at a neuroplasticity lab on campus.

Intern for summer at AstraZeneca subsidiary doing autoimmune research (1 publication non first author, in Science translational med). Continued part time for senior year of college.

1+ year (currently employed) as a full time research assistant in a neuroimmunology lab at University of Texas MD anderson cancer center, with 3 well-known PIs in the field (1 publication currently, 2 more in prep. 2 more posters/abstracts). 

 

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: 

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: 

See experience.

Special Bonus Points: 
 

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:
Will be getting a very strong letter of rec from my internship, and then 3 from my current job (one from a PI, 2 from Post docs who I work closely with daily and should write glowing reviews)

 

Applying to Where:

Ohio State University

University of Pennsylvania

Illionois Urbana

Oregon Health and Science University

Miami University

Columbia University

University of Chicago

Georgetown University

University of Virginia

West Virginia University

University of California-Davis