2019 Neuroscience PhD Applicants and Admission Results

[zzzz233]

1 minute ago, maya123z said:

I think I'm probably going to accept BMS and decline neuro. BMS has no scheduling conflicts and also fits a bit better with my interests. Still going to wait until the deadline though, just in case.

I see, I hope Stanford can send out their decisions earlier this year...

[Compneuronerd]

10 minutes ago, maya123z said:

I think I'm probably going to accept BMS and decline neuro. BMS has no scheduling conflicts and also fits a bit better with my interests. Still going to wait until the deadline though, just in case. Ideally would like to get another interview (maybe MIT?) before I decline anything.

When I visited UCSD, I was told that the neuro program is way more competitive than the other biology programs. I don’t know about BMS. With my career goals I would have accepted neuro. It’s a more specialized degree. Of course it’s your call. All the best!

[maya123z]

Just now, Compneuronerd said:

When I visited UCSD, I was told that the neuro program is way more competitive than the other biology programs. I don’t know about BMS. With my career goals I would have accepted neuro. It’s a more specialized degree. Of course it’s your call. All the best!

Yup I've heard that too. My main reasoning is that (according to people I've talked to) the neuro program coursework tends to be more focused on systems neuroscience, while I'm more interested in neuro disease research. I also like the added flexibility of BMS since you have more options for courses and faculty. We'll see though, I may still change my mind and end up accepting both interviews.

[_kb]

14 minutes ago, maya123z said:

I think I'm probably going to accept BMS and decline neuro. BMS has no scheduling conflicts and also fits a bit better with my interests. Still going to wait until the deadline though, just in case. Ideally would like to get another interview (maybe MIT?) before I decline anything.

When i was talking to a PI there about which programs to apply I was trying to choose between BMS and Bio- I ended up applying to bio and neuro. This is what he said about BMS-neuro track, it may be helpful but it depends on your interests and future goals! 

"I suggest Bio over BMS as it offers a more direct path to neuro labs and you will be part of a larger neuro-student community. BMS has the neuro/disease track but it is sparsely populated. In Bio the neuro track is solid. That and Neurosciences feed the neuro labs with grad students (~50/50). BMS students are more rare but they are around (~10%). That program offers different advantages, so it's all about your goals." 

[Emily2715]

Has anyone heard from CUNY?

[maya123z]

5 minutes ago, _kb said:

When i was talking to a PI there about which programs to apply I was trying to choose between BMS and Bio- I ended up applying to bio and neuro. This is what he said about BMS-neuro track, it may be helpful but it depends on your interests and future goals! 

"I suggest Bio over BMS as it offers a more direct path to neuro labs and you will be part of a larger neuro-student community. BMS has the neuro/disease track but it is sparsely populated. In Bio the neuro track is solid. That and Neurosciences feed the neuro labs with grad students (~50/50). BMS students are more rare but they are around (~10%). That program offers different advantages, so it's all about your goals." 

Thanks for the info!! My specific faculty of interest are pretty much all in BMS rather than bio, and their labs are mostly BMS students. Guess this varies a bit by subfield.

I'm also factoring in my goal of working in pharma, so BMS also fits better with that than neuro. But again, I'm still open to changing my mind. It may depend on whether I get any other interview offers before the RSVP deadline.

[neuronerd95]

Has anyone heard from Yale or Columbia neuro yet?

[Compneuronerd]

1 minute ago, maya123z said:

Thanks for the info!! My specific faculty of interest are pretty much all in BMS rather than bio, and their labs are mostly BMS students. Guess this varies a bit by subfield.

I'm also factoring in my goal of working in pharma, so BMS also fits better with that than neuro. But again, I'm still open to changing my mind. It may depend on whether I get any other interview offers before the RSVP deadline.

Yes. BMS makes more sense then. Which is the other interview conflicting with UCSD neuro?

[glialstar]

Just now, neuronerd95 said:

Has anyone heard from Yale or Columbia neuro yet?

A grad student at Yale told me it will likely be Jan 3rd for INP!

[Emily2715]

1 minute ago, neuronerd95 said:

Has anyone heard from Yale or Columbia neuro yet?

Not yet, I don't think Yale says anything until January

[Compneuronerd]

Just now, neuronerd95 said:

Has anyone heard from Yale or Columbia neuro yet?

I applied only to Columbia and not heard from them. I called the office the other day and it seemed like they are going to send it the invites in January. But I am not sure about that given the interviews are in January 

[neuronerd95]

1 minute ago, glialstar said:

A grad student at Yale told me it will likely be Jan 3rd for INP!

Oh great, I am so nervous!

 

Best of luck to everyone!!

[maya123z]

1 minute ago, Compneuronerd said:

Yes. BMS makes more sense then. Which is the other interview conflicting with UCSD neuro?

BU is Feb 25-27. Stanford technically overlaps too but I think you can make it work if you leave a little bit early.

I'd like to have an interview for at least one school in the Boston area, so I'm thinking if I get an interview for MIT then I'll just skip the BU interview and go to UCSD neuro instead. If not then I'll go to the BU interview. (Of course this is assuming I'll get an interview at BU, which I don't know yet.) Decisions, decisions!

[Compneuronerd]

5 minutes ago, maya123z said:

BU is Feb 25-27. Stanford technically overlaps too but I think you can make it work if you leave a little bit early.

I'd like to have an interview for at least one school in the Boston area, so I'm thinking if I get an interview for MIT then I'll just skip the BU interview and go to UCSD neuro instead. If not then I'll go to the BU interview. (Of course this is assuming I'll get an interview at BU, which I don't know yet.) Decisions, decisions!

Oh okay. All the best! It looks like you are doing pretty good

[maya123z]

2 minutes ago, Compneuronerd said:

Oh okay. All the best! It looks like you are doing pretty good

Thanks, good luck to you as well

[cam27]

1 hour ago, zzzz233 said:

Just got the invitation from Tufts, which again makes things difficult. Apparently they only have one interview day which is 3/1 and that's it... I don't know whether or not to accept it now since it again overlaps with Stanford ???? So far BU, Tufts, UCSD and Stanford all sort of overlap with each other.. 

Congrats! I chose group B for UCSD to leave the first half of the week open for BU (it says on BU’s website Feb 24-26). It would be cutting it close but I’m sure someone’s done it haha. 

Edited December 21, 2018 by cam27

[zzzz233]

15 minutes ago, cam27 said:

Congrats! I chose group B for UCSD to leave the first half of the week open for BU. It would be cutting it close but I’m sure someone’s done it haha. 

Congrats to you as well!!! For me, now it all depends on Stanford.. If I don't get an invitation from Stanford I will have time to go to all the other three...... ??Ugh...

[neuronerd95]

Also I know that Stanford sent out an email saying that they would begin contacting applicants during the week of January 7th, but does that just mean the official invite?

 

I just ask, because I see that people are posting interviews for other departments of stanford biomedical. Ah I don't even know why i'm asking - just super nervous haha

[maya123z]

18 minutes ago, cam27 said:

Congrats! I chose group B for UCSD to leave the first half of the week open for BU (it says on BU’s website Feb 24-26). It would be cutting it close but I’m sure someone’s done it haha. 

Ahh you're right! I had the BU dates one day off. Now I have to rethink my whole strategy lol.

[maya123z]

3 minutes ago, neuronerd95 said:

Also I know that Stanford sent out an email saying that they would begin contacting applicants during the week of January 7th, but does that just mean the official invite?

 

I just ask, because I see that people are posting interviews for other departments of stanford biomedical. Ah I don't even know why i'm asking - just super nervous haha

I didn't get that email. Could be a different department?

Edit: Just realized you meant the initial confirmation email. Yes it looks like they'll start sending out official invites the week of Jan 7.

Edited December 21, 2018 by maya123z

[neuronerd95]

Oh really? It was from Stanford neuro though, but it was sent shortly after application submission so it doesn't mean much. 

 

During the week of January 7, 2019, the committees will start to contact
applicants who have been selected for an interview.  The selected applicants will
be invited to interview, at our expense, arriving on Wednesday, February 27 and
departing on Sunday, March 3, 2019. This is our only interview session. Highly
qualified applicants residing in other countries and for whom a visit would not be
possible may be selected for a telephone interview. All applicants will be notified
of the decision on their application by the end of January.

[maya123z]

6 minutes ago, maya123z said:

Ahh you're right! I had the BU dates one day off. Now I have to rethink my whole strategy lol.

So I think the basic strategy is if you want to attend the BU interview, pick group B. If you want  to attend Stanford interview, pick group A. If you want to attend both, you'll have to decline UCSD.

[glialstar]

I see Weill Cornell BCMB sent out decisions today, has anyone heard anything about Neuro decisions? 

Edited December 21, 2018 by glialstar

[pipettestan]

I think I'm gonna get off GradCafe...haven't heard from any schools and I'm bummed out.

Best of luck to those who got interviews!

[blackprodigy]

2 hours ago, bkim346 said:

Hey, I wouldn't lose hope just yet. 

 

But a great next step would be continuing to get research experience. There are many postbac programs, such as the NIH prep through schools or NIH postbac IRTA at NIH, that will give you more experience and can help you next application cycle. Feel free to PM me if you'd like to know more about the NIH postbac program. I'm currently at NIH and really enjoy my experience here.

Also can hit me up. I'm an NIH PREP scholar now applying to schools.