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2019 Neuroscience PhD Applicants and Admission Results


veldter

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So one of my programs (Penn) offers guaranteed funding for your entire PhD--in other words, even if you lab loses its grant funding you'll still receive your stipend from the program. However none of my other accepted programs offer this guarantee. Usually the program funds you for your first year and then the responsibility shifts to your lab after rotations end. So in theory there's a small chance your lab could lose funding and you'd have no stipend. Have any of your guys' accepted programs offered guaranteed funding? Or is Penn more the exception than the rule on this?

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1 hour ago, maya123z said:

So one of my programs (Penn) offers guaranteed funding for your entire PhD--in other words, even if you lab loses its grant funding you'll still receive your stipend from the program. However none of my other accepted programs offer this guarantee. Usually the program funds you for your first year and then the responsibility shifts to your lab after rotations end. So in theory there's a small chance your lab could lose funding and you'd have no stipend. Have any of your guys' accepted programs offered guaranteed funding? Or is Penn more the exception than the rule on this?

I think most rotation-based programs (at least the ones I've looked into) have a "safety net" in case that happens. Like usually your funding switches to the lab after rotations but in case of emergencies the program will foot the bill, they wouldn't leave you without a stipend. Some places advertise this as "guaranteed funding" while others put it slightly differently so it doesn't hurt to ask. Both Duke programs I applied to had this but each phrased it slightly differently.

Edited by earsnbrains
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1 hour ago, maya123z said:

So one of my programs (Penn) offers guaranteed funding for your entire PhD--in other words, even if you lab loses its grant funding you'll still receive your stipend from the program. However none of my other accepted programs offer this guarantee. Usually the program funds you for your first year and then the responsibility shifts to your lab after rotations end. So in theory there's a small chance your lab could lose funding and you'd have no stipend. Have any of your guys' accepted programs offered guaranteed funding? Or is Penn more the exception than the rule on this?

I believe Brown also has this. In fact, I didn't realize Penn also had such a strong guarantee. I know that when it comes time to choose a lab after rotations, you have to make sure your lab of interest has funding (which is just common sense honestly).

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22 minutes ago, earsnbrains said:

they just sent em out 

Do you think Vanderbilt will send rejection emails as well, or at all? I’m assuming I’ve been rejected as I didn’t get an acceptance email, but I’d like the closure of being told so explicitly. Thanks for sharing so much info re: this school + program throughout this process btw

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1 minute ago, neko98 said:

Do you think Vanderbilt will send rejection emails as well, or at all? I’m assuming I’ve been rejected as I didn’t get an acceptance email, but I’d like the closure of being told so explicitly. Thanks for sharing so much info re: this school + program throughout this process btw

No problem! I have no idea to be honest. I haven't even received the official letter yet so I wouldn't entirely lose hope yet. Did you interview? They will definitely send out rejection emails at some point. Also realize that you could be waitlisted and that you could still have a good chance of getting in if thats the case. If it helps im having super conflicting feelings about Vandy because of the sketchy MeToo related stuff coming out of the neuro department right now and that might be the case for others accepted which would probably be good news for waitlisted people. 

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5 hours ago, maya123z said:

So one of my programs (Penn) offers guaranteed funding for your entire PhD--in other words, even if you lab loses its grant funding you'll still receive your stipend from the program. However none of my other accepted programs offer this guarantee. Usually the program funds you for your first year and then the responsibility shifts to your lab after rotations end. So in theory there's a small chance your lab could lose funding and you'd have no stipend. Have any of your guys' accepted programs offered guaranteed funding? Or is Penn more the exception than the rule on this?

I think most schools offer this, but word it differently. Berkeley says "This offer includes full guaranteed support for the entire duration of the program for all students in good academic standing" which im assuming means the same thing? Good question- definitely something I'd ask for clarification about from your other offers.

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16 hours ago, CindyO_O said:

Has anyone heard back from mit bcs?

Not yet.. I emailed the PIs I talked to and one replied saying they hoped to get offers out by (last) wednesday.. so a little annoying they're waiting so long since they were one of the last interviews 

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Just accepted my offer from UCSD Biomedical Sciences, I’m so excited!!!

Also PSA: if you get in to UCSD be sure to ask your department to nominate you for the SHORE program, which allows you to live on campus for your entire PhD (normally just a 2-year limit).

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19 hours ago, maya123z said:

Just accepted my offer from UCSD Biomedical Sciences, I’m so excited!!!

Also PSA: if you get in to UCSD be sure to ask your department to nominate you for the SHORE program, which allows you to live on campus for your entire PhD (normally just a 2-year limit).

Hey congrats! I'm curious, what was the reasoning for choosing bms over neuro? Faculty, funding?

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35 minutes ago, cam27 said:

Hey congrats! I'm curious, what was the reasoning for choosing bms over neuro? Faculty, funding?

It was a pretty touch choice TBH, both programs are amazing! Mainly just came down to coursework and the general vibe of the program, since most of my labs of interest are accessible through both programs (funding is the same as well). I felt that Neuro was better suited for people interested in cognitive/behavioral/computational etc while BMS is a better fit for neuro disease research, which is my area. BMS also seemed more closely-tied to industry which is a plus for me. But those are pretty small things overall, honestly if Neuro had offered me SHORE and BMS didn't then I'd probably have chosen Neuro.

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How are you guys declining your acceptances? Are you emailing the people you interviewed with as well and thanking them for their time? I am unsure of the proper etiquette 

I want to decline at least a few this week to open up spots for people on waitlists. However, I am not sure if emailing all POIs is overkill. I definitely want to keep the connections I made open.

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25 minutes ago, neuronerd95 said:

How are you guys declining your acceptances? Are you emailing the people you interviewed with as well and thanking them for their time? I am unsure of the proper etiquette 

I want to decline at least a few this week to open up spots for people on waitlists. However, I am not sure if emailing all POIs is overkill. I definitely want to keep the connections I made open.

I just sent an email to my potential PI at each place (not everyone I'd met with). I just said I appreciated the time they/the department spent considering my application, enjoyed learning about their research/etc, but had found a better fit. Everyone was supportive and wished me the best.

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1 hour ago, neuronerd95 said:

How are you guys declining your acceptances? Are you emailing the people you interviewed with as well and thanking them for their time? I am unsure of the proper etiquette 

I want to decline at least a few this week to open up spots for people on waitlists. However, I am not sure if emailing all POIs is overkill. I definitely want to keep the connections I made open.

I am also just emailing people that I had substantial interactions with at/after interviews - at one school this was just one POI who I interviewed with and who notified me of my acceptance, at another it was two POIs I interviewed with, one of whom I emailed with several times post-interview and one whose research I was really excited about.

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Hi everyone! Any advice on updating my recommenders that I haven’t been accepted to any programs? I believed that my recommendations were strong, but after being rejected this cycle, I’m starting to doubt if that’s true. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 4/3/2019 at 12:41 AM, Ryan_Goshipping said:

Is there anyone heard from Northwestern Neurobiology master's program? They said they began reviewing in March, but I haven't got any updates. :ph34r: 

I heard back from them last Thursday or Friday. I believe interviews are being held this week over phone. 

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Seems like there's not many people on the thread anymore but does anyone have any information comparing BU's GPN and BU's BBC programs for neuroscience? I'm still waitlisted for the GPN but have received the generous offer to be let into the BBC program if I don't get admitted to the GPN. Thanks in advance!

Edited by HawaiiLee808
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6 hours ago, HawaiiLee808 said:

Seems like there's not many people on the thread anymore but does anyone have any information comparing BU's GPN and BU's BBC programs for neuroscience? I'm still waitlisted for the GPN but have received the generous offer to be let into the BBC program if I don't get admitted to the GPN. Thanks in advance!

It's more of a psychology/neuroscience hybrid program. If the program allows you to work with the same faculty/faculty you're interested in, then it doesn't necessarily matter which program you're in.

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