kiakian

I am in this position where I will most likely turn down Ivys for a public university (albiet a good one, University of Washington) due to fit. However, I am curious whether undergrad presitge has any effect on job offers/careers post-PhD. They sound fancy to non-scientists but within academia, is there any bias (perhaps even unconscious) towards Ivy League schools?

I remember seeing this while applying and being very worried about my own UW application. Just wrapped up an interview here and I wanted to reassure future applicants. I'm not sure where the 900 number came from. The neuroscience program received over 300 applications (can't remember the exact number but I heard this from a professor on the committee). Also didn't talk to a single professor who didn't love going to work.

Thanks and congrats!

Has anyone heard from Yale yet? I heard back from all my other schools in mid-December so this last one is kinda driving me crazy. Whether I get the invite or not, I'm ready for the interview waiting game to be over!

I think the UW emails might be somewhat rolling. I saw people posting about UW before my interview invite email came through. Good luck and congrats!

Just heard from Northwestern as well. Congrats everyone!

I've only heard from UPenn so thats 1/9 for me. I'm pretty sure I remember reading that UPenn started reviewing apps before the final deadline. I turned mine in sometime mid-November so that's probably why I heard back so soon. I bet they'll do a second wave. I wouldn't worry yet.. most deadlines were December 1st and one week is a very short amount of time to review so many apps.

Thanks for the advice everyone! I took the gre awhile back but just remembered to update this in case anyone with the same question stumbles across this. I used my extra time to focus on writing things down during the math section. I wrote down every step while solving the problems and that actually helped a lot. I ended up with a 169V 166Q which was better than my practice tests. I would totally recommend using the scratch paper as much as possible if you're having trouble with careless errors.

I keep debating over how to end my SOPs. I would use some broad sentence about how the program fits my goals and how it's a great match for my research interests. However, I've already used sentences like that as transitions into my discussion of the research that matches, etc. I don't want to seem repetitive but I also feel like I need a good concluding sentence. If you feel like sharing, I'd love to hear how others have concluded their SOPs. I'll share mine as soon as I come up with a decent one. Thanks!

Does anyone have any good strategies or tips for preventing careless errors? I'm well prepared for the math section and I know how to solve all the questions. However, on each of my practice tests, it seems like I miss a few questions because of silly little errors when my math is correct. Examples: solving for x and not realizing the question is asking for 3x, not noticing absolute value signs, accidentally picking A when my math says B is greater... It seems like this would be so easy to fix but even when I have time to check over my answers, I don't catch some of my careless mistakes. I have ADHD (the inattentive type) which probably explains why I have a tougher time with this than most. Any advice would be appreciated though I'd be especially interested in hearing how people with ADHD manage careless errors. Thanks!