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aspiringphd01

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    2023 Neuroscience PhD Applicants and Admissions Results

    in Biology

    Posted

    8 minutes ago, funk_engine said:

    NYU and UC Davis are doing interviews at the same time and both are VERY resistant to rescheduling. Anyone got advice from similar situations? I don't want to be forced to choose between programs before I've even met with them. :(

    I'm in the same situation with UW and Stanford. No idea which one I'd pick if both refuse to reschedule! I hope it works out for both of us.

    2023 Neuroscience PhD Applicants and Admissions Results

    in Biology

    Posted

    4 hours ago, neuro-min said:

    Hey y’all, I think Stanford has begun sending out interview invites. I received a phone call today!

    (Also, does anyone know if MIT BCS and Mt. Sinai are done sending out interview invites?)

     

    2 hours ago, Astrogli said:

    I received a phone call too! Have you received an email from the program at all??

    Congrats to both of you!! I'm just going to assume I got rejected. I don't think they interview very many people since they only accept around 20-25 each year.

    2023 Neuroscience PhD Applicants and Admissions Results

    in Biology

    Posted

    2 hours ago, astra said:

    By the way, does anyone know if Stanford is expected to send out interview invites this week or next week? I've heard that in previous years they sent out phone calls first?

    According to the Stanford biosciences PhD admissions FAQ: "During the week of January 9, 2023 (and the weeks that follow), the Home Programs will start to contact those applicants who have been selected for an interview. The selected applicants will be invited to interview virtually February 14-16, 2023. This will be our only interview session. Those admitted will be invited, at our expense, to an in-person visit March 16-19, 2023."

    I'm not sure about phone calls, but I wouldn't expect anything until next week :) Good luck!

    2023 Neuroscience PhD Applicants and Admissions Results

    in Biology

    Posted

    1 hour ago, NeuroscienceTheoretically said:

    I think that's terrible advice honestly. Non-committal or vague sounds like you're hiding that you don't really want to go there and are just interviewing for fun/practice (in previous years, students would do it for the food and flight). I received two fellowships attached to two of my offers because I acted very interested (which I was) and never intimated that I was non-committal. I got those fellowships (they had one or two to give out each year) because I was on the high-end of their typical interviewees but also was interested enough they knew I wasn't a lost cause. Programs WANT students who are interested! Acting like you're too good for MIT isn't really a winning strategy. There's always a bigger fish when you're at the top. Every year there's some absolutely bonkers students that have crazy shit like a Nature/Science/Cell first author. Besides, which will they have an easier time rejecting, the student who is ambivalent about their program or the student whose dream it's been to go to MIT? If you don't believe me, then take it from my friend on BCS recruitment this year: "we like people who really want to come here". It might be MIT but remember that they're still competing against Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, etc so they're still concerned about getting you to accept as well. I'm at a highly-coveted (but not as high as those) school and our top criterion during interviews is "what's their level of interest?". Acting too good for the other party doesn't work in dating and it doesn't work in grad admissions either.

    I completely agree with you. I didn't realize that being vague about where I'm interviewing would show disinterest in the program... I thought it would show that I just want to focus on THEIR program while I'm interviewing there, so that's good to know it can come off like I'm hiding something! Honestly, I just feel fortunate to have interviews at top schools because I don't think I'm a "stand out" applicant by any means.

    2023 Neuroscience PhD Applicants and Admissions Results

    in Biology

    Posted

    29 minutes ago, NeuroscienceTheoretically said:

    Ah this is right my bad I misinterpreted what I was told by a friend on BCS recruitment. I was just told there would be two events (the first virtual and second in-person) but I clarified that only the first is an interview. As a little tip for a reward, I've been told that BCS strongly prefers those that make MIT known as their top choice. Makes sense given that lots of their applicants have good options especially with a peer institution (Harvard PiN) nearby.

    In the year that I interviewed, all my schools had an offer rate of about half or less. Granted, they offered those who were top of the interviewees with the highest levels of interest (i.e. no offers to those with "better offers" and only those below that that indicated the interviewing school as their "top choice"). Lots of jockeying for good students and yield protection for those considered "out of reach".

    Thanks for this! I have gotten a wide variety of advice. Some people have even mentioned it's good to be "non-committal" to have a better chance of getting departmental fellowship offers. But I think they said that because I have a tendency of acting way too interested in everything lol. Someone else told me that if I'm asked where else I applied or where else I'm interviewing, I should be vague.

    I plan to err on the side of being too interested though.

    2023 Neuroscience PhD Applicants and Admissions Results

    in Biology

    Posted

    2 hours ago, NeuroscienceTheoretically said:

    It is extremely significant to get an interview; you can't get in without one! However, many schools are changing the way they interview so no one quite knows how to assess it. Traditionally, an interview was only in-person and they would have offers dependent on yield rate. If the school had low yield, they might offer everyone they interview; if they were high yield, they might have offers for only half or less. Post-pandemic, schools have realized that students are willing to do virtual interviews so some are now exclusively virtual which allows for many more invites than applicants. Other schools (like MIT this year) are doing two rounds: virtual first round and an in-person second round.  A place like MIT (or other comparably tiered school) is high-yield so you will probably have about as many offers as there are in the incoming class size which is similar year-to-year.

    Admits this year have been extraordinarily competitive so top schools are seeing sub-5% admissions rates

    I was invited to interview for MIT BCS, and they are only doing one round of interviews (virtually) in March. If you're admitted, you are invited to go visit in-person "at a time that's convenient to you with costs covered by the department."

    I agree that at a lot of top programs, you should not count on getting accepted if you are offered an interview. A friend of mine a few years back was interviewed at several top schools and was rejected from all of them. I plan on practicing quite a bit for my interviews because I don't want to have regrets!

    2023 Neuroscience PhD Applicants and Admissions Results

    in Biology

    Posted · Edited by aspiringphd01
    grammar

    15 minutes ago, Neurosa said:

    Does anyone else still waiting to hear back from UCSD? I still haven’t received a rejection nor an interview invite but the spreadsheet says the department has finished notifying all applicants? 

    I wouldn't trust the spreadsheet (anyone can update it and it seems wrong sometimes), but I did receive an invite to UCSD on a mass email. I have no clue if they are done with invites and just haven't finished rejecting people or if they are going to do another round of invites. Good luck!

    2023 Neuroscience PhD Applicants and Admissions Results

    in Biology

    Posted

    10 hours ago, neurogradapp said:

    Does anyone know if UW sends out secondary invites ever? I have heard nothing of rejection, but did not get the email last week either. Anyone hear from Duke Neurobiology or NIH GPP @ Brown yet?

    I was invited to interview for both the UW Neuroscience and Duke Neurobiology programs. I'm not sure if they are done sending invites, but the UW interview is on Feb 14-16 and Duke is on Feb 2 or Feb 3 (they haven't decided which one yet).

    2023 Neuroscience PhD Applicants and Admissions Results

    in Biology

    Posted · Edited by aspiringphd01

    13 minutes ago, compneuro2023 said:

    Does it look like the email is only sent to people in specific tracks (e.g. systems or cell/molec) or to all BCS interviewees? I applied to computation/cog sci and am wondering if I'm rejected or not...

    They don't mention the track at all, but this email was directly sent to me (it wasn't a mass email or anything). My guess is that they will be sending out invites over time because I don't have to respond until Jan 31!

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