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esoryma

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Everything posted by esoryma

  1. I just (as in, 10 minutes ago) sent the official email declining my alma mater's offer of admissions. It is a little sad, but the faculty I am most close with here were completely understanding that it would be in my best interest to accept another, better offer if I were to receive such (which I have! yay!). In the interview weekend at my alma mater, I met some really great people who will flourish in the program (probably more than I would have--it really wasn't the best fit for me research-wise) but who were wait listed. I'm mostly happy to be giving someone else a chance at a program they loved!
  2. esoryma

    Orono, ME

    Yes, it's extremely common for people to commute from Bangor. There's also a bus (free for students!) that goes between campus and Bangor pretty often if you're into public transportation. The drive to Boston is around 4 hours.
  3. esoryma

    Emory

    I haven't accepted my admission to Emory NS yet, but I will soon!
  4. esoryma

    Orono, ME

    I've lived in Orono for the past 4 years, and if you can handle walking to class/lab in -10* temps for a few weeks per year, it's not that bad of a place. Most of the winter is *ok*...just lots of snow and not a lot of stuff to do besides drink and work. There's pretty good skiing a couple hours west if you're into that, too. In the summer, it's beautiful...the weather, the town, the campus, and the nearby parks. Most undergrads don't get to see it in the summer, which is a shame. The summers by far make up for the miserable winters, I think. The campus is large...I think it's roughly 1 mile by 1 mile, but that's not really problematic if you're a grad student spending most of the time in one building. The facilities are pretty good depending on department (i.e., the engineering buildings are really nice, but the social science buildings are not). There's an awesome new rec center that all students have access to, as well. Orono itself is a nice little town...there are surprisingly good restaurants and a few bars and boutiques. It's definitely a live-able town, as well as safe and relatively friendly. It's about 15 minutes from Bangor. Cost of living is really quite low...there are a lot of options for apartments within a 5- or 10-minute drive from campus, and even more in Bangor. Most people I know pay around $300-500 per month with roommates. Parking is not really a hassle, especially if you're not an undergrad. I've heard rumors that grad students can get faculty/staff parking permits for pretty cheap ($30 or $50 for a year). Otherwise, student permits are $50/yr., and you have to compete with undergrads.
  5. I'm assuming that you've already had the interview, but if not: I have done 3 phone interviews, and the first one was with the director of the program. Her research interests are not even in the same subfield as mine, but it was more of an introductory interview and less research-focused. She talked to me about my research interests, yes, but it definitely wasn't with the intent of recruiting me into her own lab. I got the feeling that she was checking to see if I would be a good match for any of the other professors, and to give me the opportunity to ask any questions I had. That interview was followed-up with two further phone calls: one from my POI, and one from another admissions committee member.
  6. A couple of weeks ago, I received an invitation to interview at my top-choice school. Of course I accepted the invitation, indicated my weekend-of-choice (they had two options), and the office made travel arrangements for me (flights, hotels, etc.). However, I just received an invitation to interview at another school (which is still *one* of my top choices). They only have one interview date option, and it is the same weekend as School #1. As School #1 is my very top choice, and School #2 sent their invitation way after my travel arrangements were already made, I am going to decline the invitation from the latter and ask if a phone/Skype/rescheduled interview would be possible. However, I am not sure if it is kosher to tell them why I can't make the formal recruitment weekend...do I tell them it's because I'm interviewing at another school? Or should I just be vague and say that I have "a previous commitment that cannot be rescheduled" or something like that? (It's especially frustrating because the schools are in the same city! They're literally a 15 minute drive from each other...I wish their days overlapped a little differently so I could attend both in one trip...)
  7. A couple of weeks ago, I received an invitation to interview at my top-choice school. Of course I accepted the invitation, indicated my weekend-of-choice (they had two options), and the office made travel arrangements for me (flights, hotels, etc.). However, I just received an invitation to interview at another school (which is still *one* of my top choices). They only have one interview date option, and it is the same weekend as School #1. As School #1 is my very top choice, and School #2 sent their invitation way after my travel arrangements were already made, I am going to decline the invitation from the latter and ask if a phone/Skype/rescheduled interview would be possible. However, I am not sure if it is kosher to tell them why I can't make the formal recruitment weekend...do I tell them it's because I'm interviewing at another school? Or should I just be vague and say that I have "a previous commitment that cannot be rescheduled" or something like that? (It's especially frustrating because the schools are in the same city! They're literally a 15 minute drive from each other...I wish their days overlapped a little differently so I could attend both in one trip...) Sorry, I posted this topic in the wrong spot. Clearly I am awesome at the internet.
  8. I went to the Society for Neuroscience meeting last year (as an undergrad, with a group of other undergrads), and many of our conversations were as follows: Others: So, why are you in San Diego? Us: We're here for the Neuroscience meeting! Others: Oh, so you're neurosurgeons! Us: .....Yes. Yes, we are indeed neurosurgeons. On the plane back from the aforementioned meeting, the guy next to me on the plane found out I study neuroscience and we had this conversation: Plane Guy: Oh, so you're going to be a neurosurgeon? Me: No, I'm going into neuroscience research. Plane Guy: Okay so can you tell me why I have so much rage? I got a concussion once, is that why I am always so angry now? Me: ....uh....I don't know.... I'm a psychology major so I've gotten all of the classic psychology examples, such as...: Person 1: Oh-ho! So-and-so can be your first patient!! Person 2: So can you read my mind? Person 4: Can you tell me what's wrong with me? *Insert a description of bizarre personality traits*. ...as well as some stranger examples, such as: Person 5: D'you think it'd be okay if I stopped taking my SSRIs? I don't like the side-effects. Person 6: I think I'm autistic. Should I tell my doctor? I was also a research assistant in a goldfish social behavior lab one summer: Me: I study the social and sexual behavior of goldfish! Person 1: Goldfish only have 3-second memories, they don't have social lives. Person 2: So you watch goldfish porn all day?
  9. I'm glad I just found this forum! Kind of wish I had found it about three months ago, though... I applied to 9 schools for neuroscience (both behavioral and cognitive): Emory, Michigan State, OHSU, GSU, University of TX - Austin, UMaine, Vanderbilt, Rutgers, and Dartmouth. I've been invited to interview at Dartmouth and Emory (!), and also heard back (and was rejected) from OHSU. I was surprised with the Emory invitation being so soon, as the application deadline was Jan. 3. I didn't anticipate the post-application anxiety...my first reply came as a total surprise, and ever since then I've been checking my email and phone about thrice an hour.
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