laurend

Thanks!!!

AHH! First interview invitation for UNC Chapel Hill BBSP! Sooo excited!

What are these postbacs everyone keeps speaking of that cost money? I am doing a postbac IRTA at NIH and I receive a stipend. I guess this must be something different and they just go by the same name! It was really starting to confuse me..

Thanks for the note! I definitely looked at some of the "big name" schools: Harvard, Yale, Columbia and Brown, but there were only 1 maybe 2 (as a stretch) people doing something I was really interested in so I figured why waste the funds! Thanks for your vote of confidence in my credentials though! Thats nice during this stressful time!

On my score sheet the registration number is a 7 digit number with a dash. Is the confirmation number the longer one? I couldn't imagine it would let you enter a number with more digits than it wants though. Call them I guess.

Most post-bacc programs (like the one I am in at NIH) are research programs. You go an work as a research fellow for 1-? years and gain some experience and maybe publications/conference presentations. Any neuro lab would benefit you greatly. Also, usually these are at research institutes or schools and you could take a few courses while you are there to beef up your neuro related coursework if you felt that was necessary. Once you get your research up, maybe a paper or two and some presentations you will be a much stronger applicant!

What is your field? Seems to me to be a very good sign! Not accepte I would say but should get you through to interviews if your field does them! Congrats!

I am mo exactly sure of the ranking of these schools for biology, but here are my thought.. Gre total is pretty good but better schools sometimes look for higher than 80th percentile so the quant score seems a little low. For research two summers is good especially because it was probably full time, but lots of people have good research. Did any research culminate in conference presentations or papers? That would increase his chances greatly. Otherwise he seems like he should be in the pack!

What is his field?

Two things: First I also took time off. I am in my second year of post undergrad research and it was exactly what I needed. I wasn't sure where to apply or what I wanted at first and now I definitely do. To musicforfun, when you are in graduate school you can defer your student loans. I got the chance to do it now since I technically have a graduate fellowship at my job. That way no interest will accrue while you are in school! Hope that makes you feel better!

I am definitely an addict! I need something to pass my time with a distract me so I don't go crazy!! I just need help getting through this week and then my lab work will pick up again and I should be okay!

I don't know for history, but for neuro I know we have our interviews january/february/march so pending the school can hear late december. If you don't interview and just get accepted, I am sure it will not be until february. Check the results page..it has the best info!

I applied where the research was. If there weren't 2-3 people I was very interested in I didn't bother. Didn't work out for me last time so I focused on what I want to be doing the next 6 years. People get very focused on "big names". A lot of the schools I applied to aren't big names but are awesome and very competitive neuro programs.

Not much of a story. I didn't get in anywhere. I was right out of undergrad and really wasn't sure what kind of researh I wanted to do specifically. Therefore I just chose schools with good programs and chose some research that seemed interesting but I don't have much of a poker face so when I interviewed I think it was pretty obvious I wasn't that interested. I didn't ask a lot of questions and such things. This year I was very careful, have lots of questions and am positive I will be able to talk intelligently about my/ their science with my POIs and other faculty.

That sucks! I was going to say, why didn't you ask Prof Famous and Uberleet to write letters! I think this is a nightmare for more applicants-that the letters will just never get it! Did they ever give you a reason?

Can't really comment on other people's fields since I do not know how competitive those programs are for those fields. I submitted my apps a LONG time ago and am still waiting to hear back. Some places have started reviewing apps already so I am hoping to hear before the holidays for at least a couple of schools, but not sure about the rest. Of course I want to hear today (or last week) but know it will be another week or two realistically. Applied to: UMich Ann Arbor Indiana University Boston University WashU Wake Forest University Emory University UNC Chapel Hill Here are my stats! GPA: 3.67 from a small, private college GRE: 610 V, 790 Q, 5.0 AW I worked in an unrelated psychology lab in college for many years (3 co-author posters at international conferences), and 2 years in a more related Neuro lab (one 3rd author paper, one co-author paper at SFN which is big for neuro). Did a summer full-time at NIH in a Neuroscience lab, and returned to a different section of that lab for post-bacc work. I am half way through my second year and should come out with one buried authorship and 2 first authors: one to be submitted soon, and one to be submitted closer to my end date. Not that nervous to hear about interviews. I am a second time applicant and got 4/8 interviews last time, but am concerned about a few small deficiencies in coursework. Oh well! Nothing to do now but wait!

Definitely choose someone who can speak to your academic abilities. For my field at least, most important if their knowledge of your lab work and research, next coursework and then your personality etc. I had some people that I worked for in a lab, some that I worked with and took courses with and one that I worked with, took a course with and knew very well (I have babysat his son before.) Hopefully it works out for me that I was able to cover all of those.

I thought I would start this up for this years application pool! All my thoughts keep returning to the adcom thinking *Good GRE, good GPA, great experience..WOW...but wait she didn't take calculus? And only one semester of physics, biochemistry and organic? Tsk Tsk!*

For Neuroscience interview invites are usually sent out mid december (this is pretty early though) through end of January or so. Interviews begin in January and go through mid March. Usually are expenses are covered.

Just thought I would add a post to see who else is waiting! I am getting anxious. I know I could heat from a few schools before the holidays but am checking my phone/ email all the time ever since it hit December since I know some places started reviewing apps on the 1st!

Sadly the above seems to be true...I turned in my apps a month or more before deadlines and thought I would hear sooner, but it seems like that isn't the case. I am still hoping for the later deadlines (january) I may hear a week or so before based on the results page, but not more than that!

Also just to add, the information I have been given suggests that having over a certain score isn't always the only hurdle. Some top tier schools look for percentages on both sections as well. I am sure if a professor vouches for you that may not be the case, but you definitely don't want to be tossed based on a 450 V.

I did not retake the test, but a friend of mine did. She did mostly for her AW score and essentially did not study at all for the other sections and increased both her scores by at 50 points. Study some for the verbal and retake it if you want, just don't freak yourself out about messing up your Q section. Worst case it goes down a little, but I am sure it will still be fine! Just be calm and you are bound to do better just with less nerves. That is my experience at least.

Well I applied 2 years ago and started getting calls for Neuroscience in early january. However, that time I got my apps in right at the deadline. This time I thought I would get it in early and hear much earlier, but I dont think thats the case. I do know that in past years people have heard back from a few of the schools I applied to mid December, other with later deadlines will have to wait until after the holidays!

I am completely finished as well! Sent in all applications end of October or so and my last letters were received about 2 weeks ago. It has been agonizing waiting. Especially because I know I could start hearing in the next week or two! It has magnified this week since it is now December and even though I know I probably will not hear about interviews until closer to the holidays I can't help but check my email every 10 seconds. Needless to say I am not getting as much work done in the lab as usual!