Logic

Hey everyone, I'm just making this post to tell everyone I've been rejected everywhere in the U.S., but received a few offers from Canada and Europe. I have decided to start my PhD in computational neuroscience at University of Toronto this Fall (2020). I applied to these programs in computational, theoretical, and mathematical neuroscience. Rejections: Boston University California Institute of Technology Carnegie Mellon University-University of Pittsburgh University College London University of California, San Diego University of Chicago University of Oregon University of Washington GPA Undergraduate: 3.3 (Physics major from Indiana University-Bloomington) Includes: thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, quantum physics, mechanics, electricity and magnetism, linear algebra, calculus, differential equations, neuroscience, biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, epistemology, logic, poetry, ethics, and philosophy of science. Post-baccalaureate: 4.0 Research 2 first-author manuscripts and 1 second-author. 4 years of bioinformatics research during undergrad Includes two summer REU's: one in bioinformatics (Cornell University) and one in computational neuroscience (U Chicago) 2 years of NIH postbac IRTA: 1 year of bioinformatics and 1 year of computational neuroscience Two bioinformatics contest awards and one national research award Dozens of GitHub repositories with over ten thousand commits showcasing my work in mathematics, physics, philosophy, computer science, biology, neuroscience, and other areas. It shows my R, python, MATLAB, and Haskell skills in data science, software engineering, machine learning, visualization, pipelines, and other techniques that span computational disciplines. This includes self-study and work from previous labs and internships.

How is a research statement different from a motivational letter? There's a PhD position in Switzerland I'm applying to and they require me to attach both. Thanks in advance.

I haven’t received any interviews yet. Should I start worrying now?

Sorry to hear that, mate. Hope the others go well!

Does anyone know of any summer opportunities (internships, classes, etc.) to stay productive or similar during the summer before starting a PhD? For context, I just submitted all of my PhD applications in computational neuroscience so if I could find something to do in that area, it'd be great.

I'm applying there and other comp neuro places, too. Good luck! Here's my profile and school list if you're curious:

It seems like you're trying to read into this very deep. It's certainly possible people can give you a canned, generic response, even if your application is less than stellar. It would be different if they said some pre-written, vague response like "We review all parts of the application and encourage you to apply" that doesn't tell you anything and doesn't mean anything. Unless there's some detail in the communication that you can pick up on in your communication that you find peculiar or out-of-the-ordinary (e.g., the professor asks about something you didn't provide, seems to avoid talking about something that you brought up, or ignores part of what you're saying, etc.,), I wouldn't think about it too much. You should pay close attention to what they're saying, though. Most professors don't really strike me as the type of people who would speak without careful, deliberate thought on what they're going to say, anyway. Just don't jump to conclusions on anything.

Nice application. Looks like you'll have good chances. Are you considering studying philosophy alongside neuroscience in graduate school? I ask because I was a physics major in undergrad but I took all the coursework for a second major in philosophy. (During my senior year, I found out one of my classes wouldn't count for the philosophy major so I ended up graduating only with a Physics major). You can see my stats and where I applied in this thread, but, if things work out, I'm definitely considering performing philosophy research alongside neuroscience in graduate school. I worry that I'm already so niche (in mathematical/computational neuroscience) that it'll be difficult. But whatever happens happens.

I applied to UCSD NGP, and received it. It’s weird... I wonder why they would ask that when they already have our applications.

I posted in this thread before, but here area my stats now that I've finished applying to all the PhD programs in computational neuroscience on my list: Boston University California Institute of Technology Carnegie Mellon-University of Pittsburgh Princeton University University College London University of California, San Diego University of Chicago University of Washington (one in Applied Math and another in Neuroscience) Here are my stats: Academics Undergraduate GPA: 3.3 Post-baccalaureate GPA: 4.0 Undergraduate and post-baccalaureate years include: thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, biophysics, quantum physics, mechanics, electricity and magnetism, linear algebra, calculus, differential equations, neuroscience, biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, epistemology, logic, poetry, ethics, history, philosophy of science, and lab coursework in physics and chemistry. GRE: 161V, 164Q, 4.5W Research 4 years of bioinformatics research during undergrad Includes two summer REU's: one in bioinformatics (Cornell University) and one in computational neuroscience (U Chicago)  2 years of NIH postbac IRTA: 1 year of bioinformatics and 1 year of computational neuroscience 3 publications (2 first-authors and 1 second-author) Two bioinformatics contest awards and one national research award Dozens of GitHub repositories with thousands of commits showcasing my work in mathematics, physics, philosophy, computer science, biology, neuroscience, and other areas. R, python, MATLAB, C, and Haskell skills in data science, software engineering, machine learning, visualization, pipelines, and other techniques that span computational disciplines.

Sure. My blog is http://hussainather.com

Thanks! GRE isn't the best (GRE: 161V, 164Q, 4.5W) but honestly I don't think it'll make much of a difference

Dangit, sorry for the double post, but I forgot to mention I have 3 publications: 2 first-authors and 1 second-author.

I'll be applying to programs in theoretical, computational, and mathematical neuroscience this Fall. My list is: Caltech, Carnegie Mellon, Cold Spring Harbor, UC Davis, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, U Chicago, U Oregon, and U Washington. I might trim it down as the deadlines approach, but I've been drafting essays now and hope to submit them as soon as the deadline window opens. My stats: GPA Undergraduate: 3.3 (Physics-Philosophy double major from Indiana University-Bloomington) Includes: thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, quantum physics, mechanics, electricity and magnetism, linear algebra, calculus, differential equations, neuroscience, biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, epistemology, logic, poetry, ethics, and philosophy of science. Post-baccalaureate: 4.0 Research 4 years of bioinformatics research during undergrad Includes two summer REU's: one in bioinformatics (Cornell University) and one in computational neuroscience (U Chicago) 2 years of NIH postbac IRTA: 1 year of bioinformatics and 1 year of computational neuroscience Two bioinformatics contest awards and one national research award Dozens of GitHub repositories with thousands of commits showcasing my work in mathematics, physics, philosophy, computer science, biology, neuroscience, and other areas. It shows my R, python, and MATLAB skills in data science, software engineering, machine learning, visualization, pipelines, and other techniques that span computational disciplines. This includes self-study and work from previous labs and internships. Misc I've been drafting essays that strongly emphasize my work as a scientist-philosopher as it relates to my purpose as a computational neuroscientist. It includes how I view science through a philosophical lens in ways that are especially pertinent for neuroscience. These essays are extremely tailored towards individual schools for their culture, research, coursework, faculty, purpose, etc. I've deduced these features of each school through a close examination of the research, faculty, etc., from the schools themselves. I have a blog about neuroscience and philosophy that gets thousands of hits a day. My blog also shows off my research in a presentable fashion. I'll apply as a California resident, but I have no idea if that makes a difference. I appreciate any advice, feedback, questions, or anything related to my post.

I plan on applying to PhDs in computational neuroscience this Fall. I graduated with a physics undergrad degree (3.3 GPA) two years ago. In the time since graduating, I've taken coursework (4.0) during my post-baccalaureate program. How should I address my low undergraduate GPA? Is it okay to say something like "I struggled with personal problems as an undergraduate, but have since overcome them." ?

I know I'm responding to this super late, but here's a really helpful list of comp neuro programs: https://github.com/eselkin/awesome-computational-neuroscience

I graduated college with a 3.3 GPA (Physics major) two years ago. This Fall I plan on applying to PhD’s in computational and theoretical neuroscience. In the years since I graduated I’ve been performing research and taking courses as a postbac at the NIH over 2 years with a 4.0 GPA. But it’s only 5 courses. (It’s hard to take many courses while working full-time.) Is this enough to show an improvement?

If it interests you, I've done research in bioinformatics and my CV is here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bx-Anz53UhD1ek9xd0dudVVpTzQ/view In response to your questions: 1. I wouldn't put a separate line for each. 2. Preprints are fine. Make sure you mention that it's a preprint, though. 3. You can definitely include Coursera work. Whether people take it a serious work, though, is a different story. 4. I think you can definitely include those things. On my CV I've explained my science writing experience, even thuogh it's not directly related to my work as a researcher. 5. There's no page limit, but be as concise and succinct as possible.

Thanks I appreciate it. I'm going to continue working on things with my therapist and psychiatrist so hopefully I'll be in the best shape possible for graduate school.

TL;DR: Just a rant/vent about how, after not doing very well in undergrad, I'm incredibly concerned about grad school. I graduated in spring of 2017 with a Physics B.A. (gpa 3.3) from an R1 school after performing computational research during my four years as an undergrad. I was lucky to receive a postbac offer from the NIH IRTA program to prepare myself for PhD's in computational neuroscience. I won't go into detail or make excuses about my undergrad academic performance, but I was dealing with some personal (read: psychological). Still, my education is my responsibility. It's my responsibility to take things seriously. I was only able to figure out the depth of my personal issues during my two years after college (while working at the NIH) as I sought professional help from a therapist. I was also fortunate to take courses across several disciplines over the course of these two years at the NIH graduate school such that my gpa here (4.0) could offset my undergrad gpa in admissions. I've even gotten a first-author paper and have shown my research through my publicly available code on GitHub so that anyone can see my work. But the truth is I still felt anxiety in all its forms throughout my NIH work, and I still feel it. I was constantly worrying about what caused me to become so disillusioned with my university that my GPA fell during college years from a (3.8 during my first 2 years to a 3.3 by the time I graduated) while my psychological health deteriorated. I was even so shaken that, during the Fall of 2017, I checked myself into a psych ward for a few hours one night. I was so worried that I as physically shaking so much. It wasn't just about getting into a good PhD program. It was about my entire success and capability as a student/researcher. I used to have panic attacks every evening and even on the weekends too when I tried relaxing. After analyzing my undergrad performance, I became worried that research just wasn't right for me. I was even worried that there was something inherent or intrinsic I was doing that was wrong that would prevent me from succeeding as a researcher. Fortunately I'm doing much better personally as well these days. My health has been much better, and I've been taking care of myself (diet, exercise, hobbies, social relationships, etc.) much better than how I was in college. I've had to reckon with the truth of traumatic things I experienced during my childhood and teenage years that caused my psychological health to suffer in college. But I've been learning how to overcome those things. I plan to apply to computational neuroscience PhD's this fall (a mix of top and mid-range programs). I'm thoroughly researching programs, faculty, and other factors so that prestige of the university will have absolutely no place in my decision. The truth is I still worry. I'm absolutely terrified of the PhD life where I'll be learning at an incredibly fast pace while working through lab rotations, teaching positions, and whatever else is planned for me. I'm absolutely worried my undergrad psychological issues may manifest themselves again. I still doubt myself on everything I do, and I'm just hoping my graduate admissions and career will both be very successful. Thank you all for reading.

That's what I'm planning on. I just meant I'd look for programs that better suit my physics background.

Ty, I'll be sure to ask questions in the bio forum as I come up with more questions. I'll be applying to computational science programs, but probably not PhDs in computer science - seeing as how my background doesn't appropriately fit them as well as it could other programs (unless I feel ready to prove my CS knowledge in classes I haven't taken). Instead I'll focus on programs that are physics-based or maybe even engineering-based.

Ty for both of your responses. After giving some thought to things, I've decided not to apply for PhDs in computer science. Instead I'll focus on areas in physics and engineering (as that matches my background more appropriately) and pursue computational neuroscience research through those departments.

ty. do you have any suggestions for how I could take those courses? I finished my undergrad in spring of 2017, and since then I've been working as a post-bac at the NIH (IRTA). Would it have to be through a local university?

I plan to apply this Fall to PhD's in applied math and computer science. I want to specialize in bioinformatics and computational neuroscience. I majored in physics so I took calc I-IV, linear algebra, stats, and diff eq 1-2, programming, and even a biophysics course. I also took thermo, quantum, stat mech, and e & m. But all my research is in bio and neuro labs (not math/physics/cs labs) in computational research. My recommendations, too, would be from bio and neuro prof's, but they've supervised my programming/computing abilities. Am I prepared for the quantitative/computational part of PhD's in applied math and computer science? Or am I just being unnecessarily anxious? Many thanks.