Hello, everyone! Lot’s of Neuroscience folks on here, huh? I just finished applying to most of these schools. I figured someone might be able to benefit from seeing my info here. If anyone has any opinions on how my stats match up with the programs I’ve listed, or on anything that looks detrimental to my acceptance chances, I would be extremely happy to hear them. I feel pretty clueless at this point. Thanks, everybody.
Undergrad Institution: Public R1, National Rank 150-200 (US News, for what that’s worth) Major(s): Psychology, BS Minor(s): Biology GPA in Major: 3.96 Overall GPA: 3.51 (Biology: 3.66) Position in Class: At least average Type of Student: Male, Nontraditional/Veteran, Late 20s GRE Scores (revised/old version): Q: 155 (59%) V: 163 (93%) W: 5.0 (93%) B: NA Research Experience:
Honors Research Project (1 semester) – I wrote a literature review synthesizing the two topics of reward neurobiology and the physiological response to psychological stress. I gave an oral presentation of my paper at a regional undergraduate research conference.
Undergraduate Research Assistant (2 years) – Neuropsychopharmacology lab [transgenerational epigenetic behavioral outcomes in addiction; medication development for substance use and PTSD, neuroinflammatory signaling in PTSD (personal project)]. We utilized rodent models of stress states and substance use. Approaches included animal behavior, histology/surgery, immunoassays, etc. (mostly behavior).
4 posters (1 local, 1 regional, 1 national, 1 international)
2 oral presentations (regional)
1 second author paper in submission
1 first author paper in preparation
Awards/Honors/Recognitions:
Dean’s list
Departmental scholarship (senior year)
University undergraduate research fellowship (senior year). Pertinent Activities or Jobs:
Academic Affairs Officer in international honors society
Undergraduate representative to departmental Undergraduate Education Committee
Co-founder and facilitator of departmental Undergraduate Journal Club
Physiological Psychology tutor Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Special Bonus Points:
Semi-famous recommender in a similar to field to that which I am applying (knows a lot of people)
Strong recommendation letters from PI (who is director of graduate program at home institution) and co-PI of the lab in which I work, as well as a former mentor and a PI of another lab (who invited me to sit on the Undergraduate Education Committee)
Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:
Poor grades and drop-out at community college (approx. 10 yrs ago)
Withrawal from Orgo II and C’s in Chem II, Orgo I, and Biochemistry (with higher grades [B+/A-] in the lab portions of these courses) Applying to Where (all PhD):
Emory University – GDBBS – Neuroscience
Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai – GSBS – Neuroscience
CU Boulder – Dept. of Psychology and Neuroscience – Behavioral Neuroscience
University of Houston – Dept. of Psychology – Developmental, Cognitive, & Behavioral Neuroscience
University of Maryland School of Medicine – GPLS – Neuroscience
UNC Chapel Hill – Dept. of Psychology and Neuroscience – Behavioral and Integrative Neuroscience
UNC Chapel Hill – BBSP
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston – GSBS – Neuroscience
Vanderbilt – IGP in Biomedical and Biological Sciences
Vanderbilt – Neuroscience Graduate Program (NGP)
