LMac

When I was interviewing last year, that's what I did. Just a quick thanks, and that enjoyed talking with them. Usually I tried to mention a little something from the conversation, so it seemed a little more personalized.

I had previously been told that the average rate of attrition for biological sciences-related PhD programs is around 50%. Since then I've found that it's much lower for the program I ended up attending, so I guess it depends on where you go.

Based on the email that Emory sent to current students, it looks like they're done with invites for on campus interviews. I think there's a chance that could change if a number of applicants declined. Sorry I don't have better news

If you're questioning that, I'd say take some time off. Either way, knowing in your own heart whether you really want this will only make you happier. Also, figuring out if you don't want it beforehand can only be a good thing. And that's totally ok too. I graduated with a 2.9, loved the idea of school but struggled with the reality of it. After taking a few years to try some other things, I was ready to go for it. Sometimes I kick myself for not going to grad school earlier, but then I remind myself that had I done it too soon I would have been miserable, and most likely unsuccessful. Going for a PhD isn't the end-goal, but knowing whatever it is that makes you happy and pursuing that, is.

As someone with a poor GPA history, I took informal "postbac" classes and volunteered in a lab for 2 years before applying. This way there were no admissions requirements since I enrolled as a "non-degree seeking" student. It gave me the flexibility to choose the classes I liked, and that would demonstrate that I could now get As in tough classes. That said, my poor grades were several years behind me, and I think that helped separate then and now in terms of my application. I think the big question for admissions committees would be if you actually want a PhD, when your grades suggest that you don't like school. You'll have to address that really well in your SOP. Anyway, that's just my $0.02. Best of luck

Did you fill it out before the deadline? Many programs tend to give you a date to respond by, and if you did before that date then I don't think you have anything to worry about. If it was after the date, maybe call the admissions office and apologize for the delay, and let them know how excited you are about the interview opportunity. Either way, you should be just fine.

Last year Emory Neuroscience accepted about 32% of those that interviewed on campus (not sure how many more had Skype interviews), but I'm sure this varies across programs

Yes, at Emory all programs under the GDBBS umbrella have separate admissions timelines, available spaces for new students and interview dates. The Neuroscience program sent an email to current students saying that invites for on-campus interviews had been sent. I don't know if that means something else for Skype interviews/international students/ etc, and I'm sure things can change but that's all I know.

I have to laugh, after going through this process last year I was so relieved to not have to do it again. And yet here I am checking the boards, anxiously following everyone's progress. Applying to grad school is not for the faint of heart. Best of luck to you all!

I love the subscribe and save option. I'm finally going to the grocery store once a week, instead of every couple days. It seems like the selection is dwindling though, as I suspect eating the shipping costs makes it quite a bit less profitable for the seller.

University of Maryland (GPiLS-PiN): 1/30-2/1 or 2/6-2/8 Michigan State University: 1/22-1/25 VCU (BSDP): 1/16-1/18 (many later dates available) UNC (BBSP): 1/23-25 Texas Austin: 2/20-23 UCLA: 2/8-10 UCSF: 2/14-15, 2/28-3/1(no bias for students on either weekend) UVA: 1/16-18 Vanderbilt (IGP): 1/9-11 (other dates unknown but available) UC Irvine: 1/23-25 Emory: 2/6-8 & 2/20-22 From Websites: Stanford: 2/26-3/2 UCSD: 3/5-7

They are different departments under the GDBBS umbrella, so I doubt the interview invite timelines are connected

Hey stmwap, glad to see you're still around here. How's Duke treating you so far? I thought I'd chime in here too. I'm a first year neuroscience student in the PhD program at Emory, and am happy to answer any questions as well.

Many fields will accept without an interview. Based on my experience, neuroscience is not one of them.

I'm not in your field, but my first rotation was in an Immunology lab and they were lovely. The work is hard, and complicated, and I was in over my head most of the time, but a PI/lab that understands that a PhD is a training degree and that sets realistic expectations will make all the difference. My only advice would be to just hang in through this rotation. It really might be that it's just this lab that sucks, and you might miss out on things you'd love based only on them. You worked hard to get where you are. For your other rotations, talk to students in higher years that rotated or joined those labs. Maybe they aren't comfortable writing what they really think in those reviews. You might get a more realistic idea of what a lab is like if you can get a face-to-face. When I started my program they told us that most of us would consider quitting more than once, and that's just because a PhD is really hard. If you make that decision, just make sure it's for the right reasons for you. Best of luck to you.

Just agreeing with previous posts. I went through this exactly last month. I directly asked the PI and when he said he didn't think he would be taking students, I told him thank you but I need to use my third rotation on a lab that will be taking a student. I believe that as long as you give a bit of notice, they should understand.

For me... Independent research experience, and being able to speak about it/answer questions in detail A strong personal statement that tells a compelling story LOR writers who can speak about you as an individual, not just you as an applicant Enthusiasm. They want people who are excited about the field, and most applicants are too busy worrying about being professional, and forget this And I couldn't agree more with the previous poster about getting others to edit your SOP. Best of luck to everyone!

At my highest weight I was 260 lbs on a 5'5" frame. I dieted for years, usually not eating enough and then giving up and gaining it back, plus some. I know it sounds cliche, but what finally worked for me was paying more attention to the nutrient content of food than to the calories. I gained initially, but my theory is that I had seriously jacked up my metabolism and it needed time to repair. My body was most likely primed for the next period severely restricted caloric intake. I find I also have far more energy after a long day than I used to...although still not quite enough for grad school. I exercise whenever I can, took up cooking (Strangely I found that PhD lab work opened me up to cooking. Recipes are just protocols anyway....), and today, granted years later, I'm holding steady around 135. It can definitely be done. Just be careful not to slip into the "quick fix" mindset. I completely understand the juggling act. I'm in the lab by 7:30am, before classes and I am in no way a morning person. I agree with the calorie tracker comments. I always used SparkPeople when I was keeping track and it's a good system for me to counterbalance what I thought I'd eaten with what you actually had. Anyway, best of luck to you!

I was surprised that even thought I KNEW I was applying to schools that were beyond my reach, it still hurt being rejected. Of course I was rejected, but it seems rejections still feels like...well, rejection. I really didn't think I'd take it so personally.

I'd heard 5pm on April 15th

This discussion is currently going on in the Coursework section

I agree with BPC. Just say they're your top choice and if admitted you would accept. No need to include anything additional. As far as chances, it's hard to say. Do you know where you are on the wait list? How many people they're accepting this year?

I'm meeting with a potential mentor for my first Neuroscience lab rotation today and was wondering if anyone had any tips. I plan to ask questions like... -what project would I be working on? -what is expected of rotating students? -who would be my go-to? -what happens if the project is not completed during the rotation? -what training needs to be completed prior to beginning? (Biohazard, IACUC, etc) Anyone have any other suggestions? Thanks in advance!

Unless you think your future options (PhD or job market) will be really limited by option B, I'd recommend avoiding serious debt. I don't know about your program in particular, but option B isn't exactly a low tier school (insert sarcasm here). Take advantage of everything they offer, work your butt off and shine. Then move on to whatever is next and save your $50k/yr for a house, travel, etc...

If you haven't already, take a practice test to see where you score now. Then you'll have an idea of what you need to focus on and how far you have to go. Good luck!