kierkegoth

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!

Program of Interest: PhD Cognitive Neuroscience/ Social and Affective Neuroscience Schools I'm Applying to: Chicago, Princeton, Boston, NYU, Stanford, Ohio, UCLA and Williams and Mary's, Villanova, and Chicago for a back up terminal masters Worried About: lack of publications. I'm trying to get research jobs, which are few and far between at this level. Not Worried About: 2 years research experience as a project manager and research assistant in two neuroscience labs. Helped teach psychophysiology as an undergrad for teaching experience. 2 Great letters of rec. 3.7 gpa from a tier 1. I applied to very competitive programs last year, knowing that I could not leave my fiance for anything less than an amazing opportunity (Harvard). Now, I am studying to raise my GRE score and find paid research gigs to boost my CV. I volunteered in a great lab with a shaky PI who hasn't published in a while. I gained a lot of technical skills, but have nothing to show for my 2 years of work. So, now I am stuck trying to optimize my approach any advice would be lovely.

Just realized I applied to the wrong area of study at UCLA, as the social cognitive neuroscience major people are listed in social psychology and not the cognitive neuroscience area. At least I am already receiving concrete ways in regards to improving my application for next seasons cycle lol.

Hey guys, First of all, congrats to everyone who has received invites thus far. I can feel the positivity in the forums, and its uplifting. I've been thinking about a question to ask ya'll that I believe a lot of people could benefit from information or first-hand accounts on. As people who have seen my application post know, I applied to some competitive schools (probably the most) and I haven't seen updates on the grad cafe forums about those programs yet. Would it seem too impatient to email a POI or the program directly for updates? Has anyone does so before? even more so, have people emailed POI's who they have or have not been in contact with before the application cycle for an update? I'm itching to ask professors from my alma mater if they need any research associates or even volunteer for more experience. Or, to begin re-studying for my gre while I still have subscriptions.

My professor assured me that most grad programs expect letters to trickle in past the deadline. This reassurance was coupled with the information that he was too swamped to reply to my emails and would submit my LOR this past weekend or early this week. Now, our relationship is strained at this point, and I am trying to respect his position, so I don't want to push even harder. However, it would really help my insomnia if I knew they wouldn't throw out my application, and the money I squeezed for them, out because the letter is arriving way past the deadline (3 days now). Does anyone have any experience they can share that relates to late letters and the admissions process?

Hey everyone, I am missing my last letter of rec three days past the deadline and my professor is unresponsive. So, I thought I'd share my story and see if anyone had additional horror tales of getting letters from professors to help me calm down. After emailing all the professors I really admired and did well with, I received some great advice. Paraphrasing, it was something along the lines of ask people in your lab, if you've done research with them their opinion matters exponentially more. It just so happens that I worked in two labs, but I had to leave one due to a huge personal crisis that took away time needed to do quality work. Although I did not think the professor liked me as a result, I decided to go for this professor so I would have 3 letters from professors whose labs I'd been in. He agreed to do it surprisingly and I sent my cv and statement of purpose to him 3 weeks prior to deadline. It's worthy to note that this professor is a sweetheart and he did like me until I had to quit. Then, 5 days prior to the deadline, I realized that the email I used for his letter of rec address online was completely WRONG, so he never received a reminder or instructions for submission. He probably thought that i went with a professor who didn't waste time training a research associate. I changed it right away and emailed him, no response. I emailed his other email with some irrelevant content, no response. I legit tracked down his class, waited for him outside his lecture two days later, ran after him, and asked about his letter the day before the deadline was. Said he'll do it this weekend and turn it in early next week. Monday morning is here I haven't heard from him in 4 days and I don't know what steps to take next, but await my miserable fate and denial letters. The horrible part is its mostly my fault. it's really impossible to get a professor to write one last minute too, and my only hope is to get grad student friends, who have offered to write one last minute because they have been there, to help. However, I just in all honesty have no idea where i stand with the last letter, so meh.

Program of Interest: PhD Cognitive Neuroscience/ Social and Affective Neuroscience Schools I'm Applying to: UCLA, Harvard, Berkely, Stanford Worried About: lack of publications, low gre score 158(80th) V 153Q(51st) (315 overall), applying to all reach schools, possibly too personal in my SOP tbh but I like to portray myself as I am. 1 shaky letter of rec. Not Worried About: 15 months research experience as a project manager and research assistant in two neuroscience labs.Helped teach psycho physiology as an undergrad for teaching experience. 2 Great letters of rec. A average GPA for a difficult major (BS in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience) at a top tier school. I'm shooting for my top 4 this year and applying to 8 next year with a higher gre score (only studied for 3 weeks for my most recent exam) if my dreams are shattered I thought I'd post this as a reference next year in case anyone wanted to see if an average GRE score or one shaky letter of rec can make or break a decent application from a fresh, baby-faced graduate.