toyingwithathought

If anybody is still waiting to hear from Northwestern or Vanderbilt NGP, I called both programs today. Northwestern said they had sent out their invites/rejections, but there are a handful of people that are still under review and they will hear by the end of the week. Vanderbilt just said that they are still reviewing applications, and didn't give a time frame of when we should hear back.

Do you know if NUIN sent out all their invitations to interview then? Last I heard they had multiple interview weekends and were doing rolling admissions.

Thanks for the advice! I've worked in this PI's lab as an undergraduate and a research technician, so I know what he's like as a boss and know that he will be supportive of my work. The applied research would also be interesting to me, but not nearly as interesting as the basic science questions. He's been at the university for about 2.5 years, and he's published 2 papers in decent journals(impact factor ~7), and has had several others papers come out from his previous work. The lab will probably have at least 2-3 more papers sent out this year. Honestly, I'm not sure how to gauge if this is considered productive or not. The lack of a major R01 or other funding source is what freaks me out a little bit, and I'm not sure whether that's valid. How risky is it to join the lab of a pre-tenured faculty member without major funding?

I am considering joining a relatively new lab run by an assistant professor. The PI is fantastic, the research is right up my alley, and I know I'd be more than content in the location. The only concern I have is the funding. Since this is a newer lab, the research is being supported by small grants that have to do with disease states. The research I'm interested in doing is more along the basic science track. This PI has already acknowledged that if he can't secure funding for the basic science questions, that the lab may have to "change direction" and pursue more clinical/translation research. I know this is sort of a loaded question, but I'm wondering how heavily this should weigh into the decision making process? I've heard people say that regardless of the project, the most important factor is having a good PI. However, I am sort of nervous about having to do research that isn't necessarily interesting to me. Has anybody been in a similar situation, or does anyone have any thoughts about whether or not I should be concerned about this?

Does anybody know when Vanderbilt NGP will be sending out invites? Also, is Northwestern already done sending out invites? I know some people heard back in late December, but it seems like a lot of people haven't heard from them yet.

Congrats to everyone on their interview invites! I've only heard back from one school(Wisconsin-Madison) and was rejected. I'm still waiting to hear from Vanderbilt NGP, Northwestern, and UIllinois.

I'm applying for PhD programs this semester, and I'm in the process of writing my personal statement. For my opening paragraph, I wanted to share a light-hearted anecdote about a conversation I had with a friend, in which I excitedly explained my research and they looked repulsed and totally bewildered by how I would ever find such work interesting and exciting. I think this does a decent job of conveying the idea that not everybody gets as excited as I do about research. I intend the story to come off as mildly humorous, which is why I'm a bit concerned. I know that most people advise to avoid humor in personal statement, in case it is misinterpreted. Does it seem like a bad idea to start with this, and should I opt for something more formal?

I am hoping to apply for neuro PhD programs for Fall '13 and am looking for advice on improving my application qualifications. Here are my stats as of right now: 3.33 overall GPA Bachelor's in Molecular and Cellular Bio with Distinction(from major state school) GRE scores: Verbal (164-- 96th%) and Math (160-- 84th%) 1 year research experience while in school, completed with a thesis I am taking this coming year off and working full time in a laboratory as a research assistant-- I should have my own project and have been told that I will be treated as a graduate student, essentially. I decided to take the year off in order to improve my research qualifications and to hone down precisely what areas of neuroscience I am most interested in. To date, I know that I am interested in auditory systems in general, as well as music perception and cognition. My main concern is my GPA and potential letters of recommendation. My grades were all over the place throughout college, with some semesters of straight As and some semesters of nearly all Cs(no real reason for this, just varying levels of laziness!). I also only have one professor(the one that I am currently doing research with) that I know on a personal basis and would be comfortable asking for a LoR. In all my classes, I was simply too shy to approach the professors and ask questions. Any advice on how to secure those other letters of recommendation? Or any other weaknesses in my application profile that may need to be addressed? Any help is MUCH appreciated!