2020 Neuroscience PhD Applicants and Admission Results

[neuroguy177]

2 hours ago, siguy said:

Does anyone know if CNBC (CMU-PITT neural computing program) has sent all the invites yet, or has even started sending?

I received an invite last Friday so they’ve def started sending them

[neurob]

4 hours ago, Zaphos said:

I have interviews for Rutgers (Jan 17th) and Uni of Cincinnati (Jan 31st). I have yet to hear anything from UCLA, UCI, Brandeis, OSU, and Case Western (Any update on info being sent out about these five would be highly appreicated).

GPA: 3.7

Uni: Division 3 small Uni (My Neuroscience class size is ~10 lol)

Research: 3 Years

Summer: 2 summers of research (one at Rutgers Medical School)

Pub: 2 soon to be published

Present: 3 times (one only author at SfN Main Floor)

Thanks for the info everyone!

I don’t think UCLA has sent anything out yet, I’m waiting on them too and they’re my #1. I got an interview invite from UCI on the 17th and they let you pick from two January weekends. I arranged my travel this week. I think it was a mass email—that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the only one, but I don’t see any indication that there’s another round and those January interview dates were the only ones listed online.

[schaffercolls]

UCLA sent out a couple weeks ago.

[neurob]

3 hours ago, schaffercolls said:

UCLA sent out a couple weeks ago.

I believe someone contacted them and they said they aren’t done sending them out. 

[smous]

Anyone knows if NYU is planning a second round of interview invites in January?

[neurob]

1 hour ago, smous said:

Anyone knows if NYU is planning a second round of interview invites in January?

Someone earlier in this thread said they typically do. 

[tbk86]

1 hour ago, neurob said:

Someone earlier in this thread said they typically do. 

From NYU 

Thank you for the follow up. While we have sent some invitations to interview, we have not sent any acceptances or rejections. Our interview dates are January and February, so you could hear from us anytime between now and the end of February.

[lencarn]

The silence is deafening ?

[nerdyneuron]

So I think that when you get rejected from a University, it's hard to pinpoint why exactly you were rejected. Many people can have a great GPA, but some of those people get invitations, while others don't. This also makes it hard to know how the committee chooses who they want to give invitations to.

But is it possible that that your specific research interests may have an influence on the committee's decision? For instance, if I talk a lot about my research experience and my interest in studying neurodegenerative diseases ... is it possible that the University may not be looking for many people who want to study neurodegenerative diseases so this reduces my chances of getting accepted? Maybe because, for example, there's not a lot of professors at the University who study neurodegeneration? 

[glialstar]

On 12/27/2019 at 4:32 PM, Fruit Flies said:

Did anyone else get invited to both Brown and Brown-NIH? I’ve heard that they only accept to one but not both. Is this true?

Current student! I can ask to confirm, but fairly positive that they’ll try to determine your preference during interviews, and ask which you are leaning towards. The NSGP and GPP have different funding mechanisms, and thus different numbers of slots per year etc, so you’d likely just receive an offer from one of them rather than both. The first year/coursework is identical for both, so its really just about preference for location/resources for the remainder of your PhD (RI vs Maryland). Let me know if you have any questions, look forward to seeing you! 

[lil_neuron]

13 hours ago, tbk86 said:

From NYU 

Thank you for the follow up. While we have sent some invitations to interview, we have not sent any acceptances or rejections. Our interview dates are January and February, so you could hear from us anytime between now and the end of February.

Thank you for sharing!!  Is this regarding the Neural Science program?

[blacknnerdy]

6 hours ago, nerdyneuron said:

So I think that when you get rejected from a University, it's hard to pinpoint why exactly you were rejected. Many people can have a great GPA, but some of those people get invitations, while others don't. This also makes it hard to know how the committee chooses who they want to give invitations to.

But is it possible that that your specific research interests may have an influence on the committee's decision? For instance, if I talk a lot about my research experience and my interest in studying neurodegenerative diseases ... is it possible that the University may not be looking for many people who want to study neurodegenerative diseases so this reduces my chances of getting accepted? Maybe because, for example, there's not a lot of professors at the University who study neurodegeneration? 

Yeah, I remember reading while applying that fit is an important part of the admission decision. You may have all the right stats for a school, but if the school doesn't have any professors that are doing research in your area of interest or if the professors that fit aren't taking students, then you're probably not going to be accepted, unfortunately. Tbh, you wouldn't want to go to that school anyway. That's why it's recommended to determine fit or reach out to professors before applying so you don't waste your time.

[neurolog]

I got rejected from UCSF, Northwestern, Washington, Pitt, Brown, Chicago and Johns Hopkins. Havent heard back from CMU. I am so damn depressed. 

[masha18]

42 minutes ago, neurolog said:

I got rejected from UCSF, Northwestern, Washington, Pitt, Brown, Chicago and Johns Hopkins. Havent heard back from CMU. I am so damn depressed. 

Did Brown and Pitt send you a rejection? Or is it just that they didn't send you an interview invite? I haven't heard anything from either (or from any other schools I applied to at all yikes).

[schaffercolls]

10 hours ago, nerdyneuron said:

So I think that when you get rejected from a University, it's hard to pinpoint why exactly you were rejected. Many people can have a great GPA, but some of those people get invitations, while others don't. This also makes it hard to know how the committee chooses who they want to give invitations to.

But is it possible that that your specific research interests may have an influence on the committee's decision? For instance, if I talk a lot about my research experience and my interest in studying neurodegenerative diseases ... is it possible that the University may not be looking for many people who want to study neurodegenerative diseases so this reduces my chances of getting accepted? Maybe because, for example, there's not a lot of professors at the University who study neurodegeneration? 

I think above a certain threshold of “stats”, it boils down to research interests and luck. If the people you have a good fit with aren’t accepting students from the 2020 cohort, you’re SOL. However, the person who may rank slightly below you stats-wise may get an invite because that person wants to work with a PI who is desperate for students, so is accepting upwards of 2 students from 2020, etc.

One of my best friends and I both applied to UCSF and Berkeley. We have worked in the same lab for the same amount of time, and we edited each other’s papers, applications, and our stats are extremely similar. The only difference in our apps is research interests. However I got an invite to UCSF and got rejected from Berkeley while the opposite happened to her. i think the key takeaway is that you shouldn’t give up because your “stats” are not the best, or because you are getting rejections from a couple schools. If even one person likes your application and thinks you are a good fit, it means you have a chance!

[tbk86]

6 hours ago, lil_neuron said:

Thank you for sharing!!  Is this regarding the Neural Science program?

The BBS Neuroscience track offered through Sakler

[smous]

2 hours ago, tbk86 said:

The BBS Neuroscience track offered through Sakler

I don't know if the invites are sent separately, but there is a single admission committee for CNS and Sackler. I assume that the @tbk86's statement is for both departments.  

[tbk86]

1 minute ago, smous said:

I don't know if the invites are sent separately, but there is a single admission committee for CNS and Sackler. I assume that the @tbk86's statement is for both departments.  

I think so but the person who responded to me was from Sakler.Wishing you the best ....

[tommychan]

A little late to the party. I applied to 

CU Boulder

CU Denver 

Penn State (rejected)

Michigan State

Ohio State

NYU Sackler

UNC (interview)

 

Applying to IUSM very soon which is where I’m working as a tech right now. Has anyone heard back from anywhere of these? NYU is killing me.

[mathbio]

I have applied to

Rockefeller University - Bioscience (N/A)

Harvard - Neuro (no invite, messed up a LOR e-mail )

Harvard - BBS (no invite)

Washington University in St. Louis - Neuro (interview)

Northwestern - NUIN (no invite)

U of Michigan - Neuro (interview)

Yale - Neuro (N/A)

Duke - Neuro (interview)

Mt Sinai - Neuro (interview)

Johns Hopkins - Neuro (interview)

Emory - Neuro (interview)

UC Boulder - Neuro (N/A)

U of Wisconsin - Neuro (interview)

U of Wisconsin - CMB (interview)

 

I will update further as interviews and rejections come!

[spineyneuron]

11 hours ago, neurolog said:

I got rejected from UCSF, Northwestern, Washington, Pitt, Brown, Chicago and Johns Hopkins. Havent heard back from CMU. I am so damn depressed. 

Did you get an email from Hopkins?

[Syesdnil11]

4 hours ago, tommychan said:

A little late to the party. I applied to 

CU Boulder

CU Denver 

Penn State (rejected)

Michigan State

Ohio State

NYU Sackler

UNC (interview)

 

Applying to IUSM very soon which is where I’m working as a tech right now. Has anyone heard back from anywhere of these? NYU is killing me.

I also applied to MSU. Hear anything back yet?

 

edit: nvm, didn’t read this post right the first time... You’re asking the same question as me

Edited December 31, 2019 by Syesdnil11
Typo

[tommychan]

1 hour ago, Syesdnil11 said:

I also applied to MSU. Hear anything back yet?

 

edit: nvm, didn’t read this post right the first time... You’re asking the same question as me

Yeah. Not being able to know about anything is pretty worrying right now haha.

[Edub1234]

Is anyone writing letters of continued interest that hasn't heard anything yet?

[rejectionkween2020]

Does anyone know if CU Boulder and UC Berkeley are done sending out interview invites? I emailed CU Boulder like 2 weeks ago and they haven't responded to me.....