2019 Neuroscience PhD Applicants and Admission Results

[neuronerd95]

Does anyone have any idea on when Stanford is coming out?

Also I really think that programs should send rejections at least relatively soon after their interview invites. It’s really not that difficult to automate and would save a lot of anxiety 

[_kb]

19 minutes ago, neuronerd95 said:

Does anyone have any idea on when Stanford is coming out?

Also I really think that programs should send rejections at least relatively soon after their interview invites. It’s really not that difficult to automate and would save a lot of anxiety 

Stanford sent an email after their deadline that they will send invites the week of Jan 7. 

And I totally agree about rejections! Lol 

[Raindrop]

Been reading this thread and freaking out so decided to create an account. I applied to 6, been officially rejected from 2 and I think silently rejected from 3 more. Been a tough month. Sounds like everyone else is doing quite well with their apps though so congrats to those of you getting interviews

[dexter9543]

1 minute ago, Raindrop said:

Been reading this thread and freaking out so decided to create an account. I applied to 6, been officially rejected from 2 and I think silently rejected from 3 more. Been a tough month. Sounds like everyone else is doing quite well with their apps though so congrats to those of you getting interviews

I am in the same boat. I applied to around 6-7 and so far didn't get any interviews. I believe there are a lot of people like us and it might seem like everyone else is doing great but the only people posting here are the ones getting interviews. The ones not getting anything are silently watching in sadness so don't beat yourself up too much on it. We will come back stronger next year!

[Raindrop]

1 minute ago, dexter9543 said:

I am in the same boat. I applied to around 6-7 and so far didn't get any interviews. I believe there are a lot of people like us and it might seem like everyone else is doing great but the only people posting here are the ones getting interviews. The ones not getting anything are silently watching in sadness so don't beat yourself up too much on it. We will come back stronger next year!

Thanks for the words of encouragement,  but if I'm being honest I think this will likely be my last time applying for further education. I've really done all I can do to improve my application at this point (aside from building a time travel device to fix the mistakes of my youth). If it's meant to (or not meant to) be then such is life.

[FirstYear]

10 hours ago, fearfulocelot said:

Nope, round number 3 in 4 years! Goddamn but I've earned putting 'tenacious' on my personal statements. 

What have you done in the years in between?? I get the feeling I'm about to be in the same boat soon and don't know if I should commit to a 2 year post-bac or try working for a year

[neuronerd95]

Just now, Raindrop said:

Thanks for the words of encouragement,  but if I'm being honest I think this will likely be my last time applying for further education. I've really done all I can do to improve my application at this point (aside from building a time travel device to fix the mistakes of my youth). If it's meant to (or not meant to) be then such is life.

I wouldn't lose hope! From what I have heard of very few people from undergrad get directly into phd programs nowadays. also if you're not in undergrad, I'd say the same. It seems like most programs have a 2-5% acceptance rate especially this year with more applications being sent in. There is definitely more people not hearing back then people hearing back.

For example, one of my grad student supervisors in my lab in undergrad got rejected from all phd programs the first time - the next time he was somehow accepted to all of them and choose to go to a top 3 program

 

[FirstYear]

4 minutes ago, neuronerd95 said:

I wouldn't lose hope! From what I have heard of very few people from undergrad get directly into phd programs nowadays. also if you're not in undergrad, I'd say the same. It seems like most programs have a 2-5% acceptance rate especially this year with more applications being sent in. There is definitely more people not hearing back then people hearing back.

For example, one of my grad student supervisors in my lab in undergrad got rejected from all phd programs the first time - the next time he was somehow accepted to all of them and choose to go to a top 3 program

 

This is what I needed to hear. I worked very hard through undergrad to try and avoid taking time before my grad program, but it seems like I can't avoid it now

[Raindrop]

3 minutes ago, neuronerd95 said:

I wouldn't lose hope! From what I have heard of very few people from undergrad get directly into phd programs nowadays. also if you're not in undergrad, I'd say the same. It seems like most programs have a 2-5% acceptance rate especially this year with more applications being sent in. There is definitely more people not hearing back then people hearing back.

For example, one of my grad student supervisors in my lab in undergrad got rejected from all phd programs the first time - the next time he was somehow accepted to all of them and choose to go to a top 3 program

 

Perhaps I just don't really know what grad schools want in an applicant. I'm also an international student which has consistently hurt my chances in the past. I appreciate the encouraging words though. With a 2-5% acceptance rate, I probably should have just kept my money in my wallet haha

[neuronerd95]

8 minutes ago, FirstYear said:

This is what I needed to hear. I worked very hard through undergrad to try and avoid taking time before my grad program, but it seems like I can't avoid it now

I know very few people straight from undergrad in neuro phd programs - I know people in other fields but not in neuro.

 

Also, if you look at the profiles of current phd students at the top programs, almost nobody is straight from undergrad - there's usually only one

[neuronerd95]

9 minutes ago, Raindrop said:

Perhaps I just don't really know what grad schools want in an applicant. I'm also an international student which has consistently hurt my chances in the past. I appreciate the encouraging words though. With a 2-5% acceptance rate, I probably should have just kept my money in my wallet haha

being international definitely doesn't help and it's also not something you can really change.

So they claim that they are looking for people with the capacity to do really great research so having good letters of recommendations from a top lab, publications, extensive research etc really helps. However, I learned this year that that alone will not get you into the top programs. Unfortunately it seems like a lot of programs do have GPA cutoffs and with a subpar GRE such as myself that's not great.

I think that the applicant most likely to get in already has top grades - if you look at the profiles on people at gradschool cafe I notice that almost everyone getting interviews has a 3.7-3.8 and great GREs. I thought that this wouldn't necessarily be the case, but it seems like it is. It's probably this and then a connection to a lab at the institution

[_kb]

14 minutes ago, FirstYear said:

This is what I needed to hear. I worked very hard through undergrad to try and avoid taking time before my grad program, but it seems like I can't avoid it now

Between the neuroscience labs I've worked in, I only know one graduate student who went to grad school directly from undergrad and he's in his 6th year now so that was a very long time ago... from my understanding it's actually recommended to take one or two years in between to get experience and really grow as a scientist. I only took one gap year but that's because I went to a school that offered 6 month full-time internships alternating with class semesters. Even with this experience, I was still encouraged to take two gap years (I didn't listen) but honestly it probably would still have put me in a better position. So I think there is no shame in taking gap years, as long as you're working to strengthen your application and figuring out if it's something you actually want to commit the next 5-6 years of your life to. From what I've heard, schools are looking for students who are pretty much already functioning at the level of graduate students and that have the potential to jump right in to the science.  From personal experience, after my experiences in undergrad I thought I wanted to study solely cell & molecular biology but now I work in a systems neuro lab and my interests have completely shifted. Overall, don't lose hope and don't be discouraged if you need to take a gap year- if that ends up being the case you will be happy you did and you may have better insight into what you actually want to do... Im not trying to preach but just some perspective   Hope thats helpful! 

Edited January 4, 2019 by _kb

[neuronerd95]

1 minute ago, neuronerd95 said:

being international definitely doesn't help and it's also not something you can really change.

So they claim that they are looking for people with the capacity to do really great research so having good letters of recommendations from a top lab, publications, extensive research etc really helps. However, I learned this year that that alone will not get you into the top programs. Unfortunately it seems like a lot of programs do have GPA cutoffs and with a subpar GRE such as myself that's not great.

I think that the applicant most likely to get in already has top grades - if you look at the profiles on people at gradschool cafe I notice that almost everyone getting interviews has a 3.7-3.8 and great GREs. I thought that this wouldn't necessarily be the case, but it seems like it is. It's probably this and then a connection to a lab at the institution

Getting a really high GRE will automatically pull up your grades, I wish I had spent more time on that now

[aurlito]

23 minutes ago, Raindrop said:

Thanks for the words of encouragement,  but if I'm being honest I think this will likely be my last time applying for further education. I've really done all I can do to improve my application at this point (aside from building a time travel device to fix the mistakes of my youth). If it's meant to (or not meant to) be then such is life.

Me too. I've applied to 6 schools not a word from any of them . I emailed about ten of my favorite professors discussing my research background, NONE responded. I have just finished Medical School in my home country with above average numbers, so I know I'm not that dumb .....but still......?

[fearfulocelot]

28 minutes ago, FirstYear said:

What have you done in the years in between?? I get the feeling I'm about to be in the same boat soon and don't know if I should commit to a 2 year post-bac or try working for a year

I'm an RA/lab manager. This would be my third year in this position. I meant to go straight from undergrad to PhD, worked as an undergrad RA for many years and even published as an undergrad, but I got very sick senior year of university and wasn't able to apply. Worked for a year as a medical lab tech, applied to grad school, got into a few places but realized I had no idea what I was doing and probably wasn't in a good place to start graduate school, and the school that accepted me wasn't a great fit anyway.

So I turned down that school, quit my job, took a job in research, worked a year, applied again, rejected without interview from 13 schools (still trying to work that one out, tbh), applied for jobs, decided to stay in my job, applied to schools again, with much more luck this time. I'm also trying to publish a first author manuscript sometime in the next couple months. My personal statement makes it out to be like, a coherent narrative but really life is weird and things are complicated.

As an undergrad, I was terrified of joining the workforce instead of professional school because it seemed so open-ended, but it really hasn't been so bad as long as you have a goal in mind and a plan B (mine is to go into industry--at this point I have 6+ years of bench experience and can go in as a master'a equivalent). I don't think I would've been a very good grad student if I had gone straight from UG to grad. I've learned a lot of useful things as a technician/RA/lab manager, both bench things and general life management skills. You get one run at a PhD generally, it doesn't hurt to be a more prepared, experienced, and mature researcher.

Edited January 4, 2019 by fearfulocelot

[FirstYear]

6 minutes ago, fearfulocelot said:

I'm an RA/lab manager. This would be my third year in this position. I meant to go straight from undergrad to PhD, worked as an undergrad RA for many years and even published as an undergrad, but I got very sick senior year of university and wasn't able to apply. Worked for a year as a medical lab tech, applied to grad school, got into a few places but realized I had no idea what I was doing and probably wasn't in a good place to start graduate school, and the school that accepted me wasn't a great fit anyway.

So I turned down that school, quit my job, took a job in research, worked a year, applied again, rejected without interview from 13 schools (still trying to work that one out, tbh), applied for jobs, decided to stay in my job, applied to schools again, with much more luck this time. I'm also trying to publish a first author manuscript sometime in the next couple months. My personal statement makes it out to be like, a coherent narrative but really life is weird and things are complicated.

As an undergrad, I was terrified of joining the workforce instead of professional school because it seemed so open-ended, but it really hasn't been so bad as long as you have a goal in mind and a plan B (mine is to go into industry--at this point I have 6+ years of bench experience and can go in as a master'a equivalent). 

I would very much like to go into industry as well, even after my PhD. I guess part of my hesitation is that I now have to tell my mentors that I did not get into my schools. I've had a lot of failures in life, but they're not usually associated with my work. I assume this is a hump that a lot of us have to get over at this point in time, but boy was I not ready for it lol. It helps to know I'm not the only one!

[royal95]

Did anyone get a call from Yale BBS Neuro Track? Or just the INP program? Or are they the same? Thanks! 

[glialstar]

1 minute ago, royal95 said:

Did anyone get a call from Yale BBS Neuro Track? Or just the INP program? Or are they the same? Thanks! 

They are the same! People got calls yesterday, in past years they did invites all in one day and sent mass rejection via email/portal a few days later

[Raindrop]

The one upside to all this is its now safe for me to book some vacations for next month

[zzzz233]

3 hours ago, BabyScientist said:

 

They will likely already have your CV in front of them. I printed out a bunch and over 7 schools and who knows how many interviews never had to pull one out.

As far as previous research: if there's something about your research that's really not easy to talk about without visuals, feel free to bring a visual aid, but it really isn't otherwise necessary. You're having a conversation, not giving a presentation. If you can just discuss, that works.

You don't really have to have read about any of their work or have preset questions about their work. They'll tell you about it there and you can ask whatever you want to about it. If you happen to be super interested and just have a question that you didn't plan, great, ask it. It shouldn't seem inorganic. I read a ton of papers before my first recruitment weekend, couldn't keep em all straight in my head, and they never came up because they all just started telling me about their work without asking if I already knew about it. Didn't prep for the rest of the recruitment weekends.

I have to emphasize that it's supposed to be a conversation with someone who could one day be your mentor. They know you're academically qualified. They want to see your enthusiasm and personal skills. They want to get to know *you*, so be yourself.

Thank you so much, your words made me much more confident . I was thinking that I should just be myself, instead of trying to please the interviewers and the program. Ultimately both I and the programs are looking for the best fit. Especially as a student, I will only be able to attend one school on the end. 

[_kb]

1 minute ago, zzzz233 said:

Thank you so much, your words made me much more confident . I was thinking that I should just be myself, instead of trying to please the interviewers and the program. Ultimately both I and the programs are looking for the best fit. Especially as a student, I will only be able to attend one school on the end. 

Hi I see that you got "rejected" from UCLA? I was under the impression they were sending out another round of invites ? did you get an official letter or just no interview?

[blackprodigy]

54 minutes ago, Raindrop said:

The one upside to all this is its now safe for me to book some vacations for next month

Dont give up! A lot of schools are looking for more now. Many great programs are dropping the GRE requirement. Also, I know you may have your ideal schools but applying to more safety schools can be the trick. Placing all your hopes in 7 schools doesnt mean as much if they're Stanford, Harvard. Yale, or UC-whatever. Apply to more within reach or mid tier schools. Reach out to some faculty you're interested in working with.

 

Edit: it's okay if you dont go to a top 10 grad school. What's important is the work you get done and what you learn and the experience. You can always do top 10 for postdoc

Edited January 4, 2019 by blackprodigy

[alwaysNeuro]

57 minutes ago, fearfulocelot said:

I'm an RA/lab manager. This would be my third year in this position. I meant to go straight from undergrad to PhD, worked as an undergrad RA for many years and even published as an undergrad, but I got very sick senior year of university and wasn't able to apply. Worked for a year as a medical lab tech, applied to grad school, got into a few places but realized I had no idea what I was doing and probably wasn't in a good place to start graduate school, and the school that accepted me wasn't a great fit anyway.

So I turned down that school, quit my job, took a job in research, worked a year, applied again, rejected without interview from 13 schools (still trying to work that one out, tbh), applied for jobs, decided to stay in my job, applied to schools again, with much more luck this time. I'm also trying to publish a first author manuscript sometime in the next couple months. My personal statement makes it out to be like, a coherent narrative but really life is weird and things are complicated.

As an undergrad, I was terrified of joining the workforce instead of professional school because it seemed so open-ended, but it really hasn't been so bad as long as you have a goal in mind and a plan B (mine is to go into industry--at this point I have 6+ years of bench experience and can go in as a master'a equivalent). I don't think I would've been a very good grad student if I had gone straight from UG to grad. I've learned a lot of useful things as a technician/RA/lab manager, both bench things and general life management skills. You get one run at a PhD generally, it doesn't hurt to be a more prepared, experienced, and mature researcher.

5

That was really encouraging! I really appreciated your experience. And if you don't mind, could you please share with us how you got your first job in a research lab after graduation? 

[blackprodigy]

46 minutes ago, Raindrop said:

The one upside to all this is its now safe for me to book some vacations for next month

This thread and others like it is a great tool for people at the same stage to help each other and ease the stress of applying and matriculating. I hate to think that the sharing of good news for some brings so much sadness to others. Keep your head up. It's not over until it's over.

[Raindrop]

1 minute ago, blackprodigy said:

Dont give up! A lot of schools are looking for more now. Many great programs are dropping the GRE requirement. Also, I know you may have your ideal schools but applying to more safety schools can be the trick. Placing all your hopes in 7 schools doesnt mean as much if they're Stanford, Harvard. Yale, or UC-whatever. Apply to more reach schools. Reach out to some faculty you're interested in working with.

I didn't apply to any schools that required the GRE which I think hurt my chances, need something to set myself apart I think. And yeah, I totally get what you are saying about applying to safety schools, but I also want to go to a school that's a good fit for me at the end of the day. If it's a safety school, I've already deemed it to not be what I want in my mind, so I think its just not the right choice. To be fair, I actually got into medical school this year but wanted to give neuroscience PhD a shot as I love research and have worked in research for the last 5 years. So, it's not like I'm stuck or anything. Just wish this would've worked out so I could really explore research as a lifelong career.