NeuroGal

My reviews were: IM/BI E/VG E/G E/G = Honorable Mention They noted my publication history, undergrad GPA, reference letters, and how well thoughout the research proposal was. The BI didn't include enough clear plans and integration with my research.

Go for the fully funded offer. I know a couple of technical writers who only got their BA in writing so I would avoid large sums of debt for writing if that is the route you are going to go (they are at very large national companies!). I also know someone who got their MA in writing and racked up thousands of dollars in debt. She had to get an entry level job in marketing and that was a struggle for her. In short, if you can find a funded MA program, that is amazing! The body of work that you publish will mean much more than which university you went to.

You actually bring up an important point that should be touched on. A PhD is a transformative experience. The liklihood that her needs will stay the same after going through a PhD program will be slim. That plus her age and the fact that she has yet to come fully into herself means that she will change somewhat as a function of time and education. Who knows how much? What I know is that I went into a PhD program in a long term relationship and it has changed me in ways I never predicted. It has been difficult because my partner is not in academia and it is somewhat alienating. I wouldn't have changed my decision for the world, but he is also very supportive of my goals and dreams and we were able to compromise on the location. Had he not been willing, I don't think I would have been able to stay because for me personally, my educational goals are extremely important to me. I happened to find someone who was a good fit for me and who was equally as interested in my success as his own success and vice versa. Furthermore, there is an argument to be made that he is not at the moment fitting her needs perfectly. She wants to get her PhD, he is marginally supportive as long as it doesn't uproot his life. He's telling her she should be "content" with a MA, but higher education is a very personal decision. Although he may be content with an MA, she obviously isn't. Lastly, to assume that she would never find anyone else again is absurd. In a PhD program, you meet a lot of like minded people. I'd say the chances of her meeting someone else are staggering! Not to mention, women aren't usually lacking a selection of men. I've had wayyyy more opportunities for great relationships than I have had for PhD programs.

The administration is such a small part of your experience there I think it would be fine. It sounds like it would be a good fit for you! I know people who got their chemical engineering degrees from there and are set up with some pretty nice jobs.

In many neuroscience programs there are people with physics, CS, psychology, and biology backgrounds. You would not be hurt at all to lack a biological background, especially in computational neuroscience. Most of the neuroscience programs will focus on the biology/psychology aspect and not CS which puts you in a great position. In fact, all of the people in my program who are in computational neuroscience never had psychology or biology backgrounds. They either came from CS, physics, or engineering.

I think you will regret it if you don't pursue your PhD. You have to live your life for you and not for someone else. If he is meant to be with you and vice versa, he can wait. I know it's hard, but if he dies in 20 years and you are left on your own, what will you have to show for it? Will you be satisfied that you didn't achieve what you could have based on a potential husband?

Ignore the other post if it's here because it was no worded well. I submitted 2 abstracts to the biggest conferences in my field (2 years in a row) as an undergraduate and with the work I did as an undergraduate. Because I didn't know that these things could be rejected (!!), that shows me that my PI really helped me a lot. Do you have an advior who's name you could put on your work as an author?

double post

Well stated.

That is really an excellent program and a great school for that kind of work from my impressions of it. I'm not in the engineering field but I know people who think highly of that particular program. I believe that town is pretty small and "country" though.

I'm definitely happy in my PhD program! My life has really blossomed with academia and the student body is fantastic. I was worried that I would move all the way across the country and would feel alienated or overly burdened and stressed. Quite the opposite has happened! Although my sleep has suffered, my social life has not. My classes are engaging, the professors are intelligent, and approachable. The program is very collaborative and supportive. Most of the graduate students are stressed to normal levels, but nothing outlandish. I've been able to approach the program director and other professors that aren't my direct mentors for counsel in lab decisions and they all have been very eager to help. Of course some classes and some lectures are hit and miss, and the workload can be crazy, but in general, I'm really happy with picking the program I did.

Once you leave the workforce, you are going to have to work back up to where you are. I'd hate to lose progress unless you absolutely can't advance in your field unless you have a masters degree. In addition, graduate school takes an enormous amount of effort and dedication and should not be done because it is funded or convenient. You should go to grad school because you have an undying passion for it and it is necessary for your goals. Not because you think you should or because you can. There are some rough days and the work load is no joke. Because you are so up in the air, that tells me graduate school is not your passion, therefore I would recommend going for the job.

I agree, I can't imagine paying for graduate school! I decided if I couldn't get into the program I wanted I wouldn't go to graduate school. Thankfully, I didn't have to worry about that because my hard work as an undergraduate paid off. Go for the funding and make a name out of your hardwork and dedication. Contacts are not exclusive at Chicago, and in your field you will be meeting lots of people at conferences. You should make a name for yourself in the cheapest most viable way possible. Don't underestimate how crushing 100k in student loans can be! I was able to get out of undergraduate without many school loans. My university didn't have national prestige but I worked hard, published, etc, and got into a top PhD program with great funding! The point is, you can make a name for yourself anywhere.

I think offers mean a lot more to the applicant than they do to the admissions committee because the students are investing their entire lives into this whereas the school is investing a few years, if that at all. They don't really care and don't take it personally. I think what matters is that you tell them in a timely manner as it is more respectful that way. You can follow up with the people who interviewed you, but I don't think it's entirely necessary unless they thought you were going to join their lab.

I agree with the above poster. It's not a visible tattoo so it can be removed without anyone knowing any differently when the time comes!

Whew that sounds frustrating! I had a grant proposal recently that I had a hard time with. Mostly because the literature was so vast and I had trouble figuring out what to put in there and what to omit. In the end, I just put everything I thought was necessary and then edited it down to make it more succinct and fluid. Once you get your ideas out on paper you should have an easier time reworking them. For big goals like that, just try to have smaller peices. I remember trying to finish my last semseter as an undergraduate. I was in overtime on my credits as well as working and applying/interviewing for graduate school. There were several weeks I missed Wed-Fri for interview weekends and I thought I would never get my work done. It was overwhelming but the best advice I got was to focus on the smaller parts and over time the end will come. Try to work on one section or one paragraph. Then do NOT fix it until after that section is done! Just throw it all out there, no matter how bad it is. Your first draft is never going to be remotely usable so you can think of it like a mind dump. You have the self discipline to do graduate level work, apply that same discipline to refrain from obessing about perfecting your writing until you finish a section.

You could ask for feedback to see if there is a glaring issue or something you could fix that makes you undesirable. You could send an email asking what were 3 things you did well in and 3 things that you could improve.

That is personally not very appealing to me but that's because for graduate school I like a lot of stability in my life. Things are so stressful as it is that the thought of reapplying, moving, finding a place to live, etc, all while doing my studies seems a bit much. Because you are still struggling to come to a decision, you could always contact the graduate students in the Brown lab and ask for more details. As a graduate student I am more than happy to give honest advice and have always been given honest apprasials by the current lab members. Some things you could consider asking: What type of personality succeeeds best in this lab? What are the 3 struggles you have in the laboratory? What is the funding situation like (you can ask the PI this too)? What is the mentoring style of the PI? How often do you get to meet with the PI for a face to face? How does the PI handle conflict? What hours do you usually work in the laboratory? What hours are expected? What are the top 3 stregnths of the lab? How many years does it normally take a student to graduate if working on their thesis in this lab? How many students have transferred out of the lab? In addition, you should also ask the PI questions although realize that they will have a more biased view. I did this during my interviews for those I was interested in working with. How would you describe your mentoring philosophy? Are you more hands on or hands off? What expectations do you have for your graduate students? How do you handle conflict? What is your funding situation like for the next several years? What personality traits have your most successful students had?

My guess is (and this is just a guess) that Harvard is not in a position to want to negotiate. Given it's reputation, I'd imagine there is a line of people behind you who are more than willing to take out the loans necessary to pay for full tuition and/or living expenses. Unless you bring something to the table that they have to have, I doubt that there is much wiggle room on that front. Schools negotiate because they want you, in particular, to go there. It sounds like they want you but they may not have to have you in the same way that UW does.

If you're serious about applying for a PhD program in neuroscience, the obvious choice is to go for the masters in neuroscience. The applicant pool for neuroscience will be filled with people who have relevant experience. You have to think about your competition! A masters in physical therapy from an elite school is not going to be as good as a masters in neuroscience from a lesser school. A neuroscience ad comm will want to know if you can make it in their program. The only way you can prove that is by demonstrating your ability to conduct research and complete graduate level work in a relevant field.

I agree with the previous posters. On one hand I can see your motivation for excluding this information, but on the other, it is going to come back and bite you. In my PhD program my world keeps getting smaller and smaller! The same names come up, people know each other, and you start to be known in your field. You want to publish right? What if someone from your old program comes across and/or reviews one of your papers. They mention to someone in your program, "Hey, how is so-and-so working out? They dropped out of the program after one semester when they were here." Is it better to fess up or have your reputation tarnished for the rest of your career?

I can't speak to master's programs but you can always email the admission's director and ask. If you email them, tell them your situation, and ask for more information, you will find your answer. It makes sense from their perspective. If you are waitlisted that means you are a good enough candidate for their program and if they offer you admission it will likely be late. They don't want to offer someone admission who can't actually attend the program or who doesn't want to because that puts them in a bind of having a slot unfilled (potentially). So it's in their best interest to hear from you and know where you stand in all of this. If you say you can attend if you get financial aid, but if you don't then you'll have to decline a potential offer, they will want to tell you!

You're welcome! Glad I was able to provide perspective. These decisions can be very difficult. Lord knows where I'd be without counsel!

I agree with this. This has happened numerous times in my core course as my PhD program is interdisciplinary. People are coming in with different backgrounds and professors who teach a certain course are often not experts in that particular course. They teach it because they enjoy the subject or they want to learn more about it. Often times they will not have read the same literature or they have a different perspective. I do not at all think that Prof. Bob is failing as a professor to only have surface knowledge of a subject. As a graduate student you are supposed to be treated like a colleague not a an undergraduate. Therefore I would expect that at some point the graduate students would exceed knowledge in certain areas as they specialize.

I have a friend at UT Southwestern in a biomedical related science pursuing her PhD and she doesn't like the program as much due to the intellectual environment. It's apparently a bit alienating as a new student and without many collaborations. That's just one perspective though.