Neuroscience Profile Review, 2022

[Cophysneurec]

Hello, I am interested in Neuroscience programs, particularly computational ones such as UCSB DYNS. Please let me know what schools would be in a reasonable range for me! My undergrad started off very poorly but I have been turning things around.

Type of Student: White Male

Undergrad Institution: Top 3 UC. 
Major: Economics
GPA: 3.4 Overall, 3.77 after Sophomore year (including Post-bacc)

Key Courses by Year:

1st-- Calc 1 (B-), Calc 2 (B), Calc 3 (C), PChem1/2 (C+/B), Cells&Tissues (C-)
2nd-- Calc 4 (C-), OChem1 (C)
3rd-- OChem2 (B)
4th-- Linear Algebra (B+), Differential Equations (A-), Stem Cell Biology (A-), Cell&Molecular Bio (A), Genes&Evo&Ecology (A)

Post-bacc: 

Math-- Real Analysis (A),  Graduate Topology 1 (A), Graduate Real Analysis 1/2 (A/A+), Extremal Combinatorics and Graph Theory (A+), Proof Based Linear Algebra (A), Abstract Algebra 1/2 (A/A)

Other-- Electricity and Magnetism (A), Systems and Signals (A), Introduction to Control Systems (A), Neuroanatomy and Physiology (A), Neural Mechanisms Controlling Movement (A)

Programming: Used Python professionally and in neuro research + numerous Coursera certifications. Used Matlab for engineering courses (Systems and Signals, Intro to Control Systems).

GRE Q/V/W: 168/164/4.5

Programs Applying: Neuro/Computational Neuro

Research Experience:

• 14 months neuroscience research (EEG data analysis) with solid writing sample to show for it, extensive programming, data analysis and literature reviews. 
• 12 months grant apps and research in behavioral psychology and neuroscience with professor at high-ranking program with 2 coauthors on behavioral psychology papers.

Work Experience: Close to 1 year work experience as Analyst where I did ARMA forecasting, market research and data automation for a startup. 

Letters of Recommendation: 

• Professor of Graduate Real Analysis 1/2. Class of 7 students and I was at the top every quiz/test. Participated actively in class and prof got to know me fairly well, and saw me interact extensively with peers. 
• Psychology Professor with whom I did 12 months research. Know each other personally, and spoke on zoom for 1 hour every weekday as he was paying me to help with research.
• Head of neuroscience lab, lecturer and MD at undergrad program. I know for a fact that this letter is very strong.

Research interests: Networks and complex dynamics, conscious access, brain-machine interfaces, brain disorders (e.g. Parkinson's)

School List: 

• JHU
• Columbia (Neurobiology and Behavior)
• UCSD (Neuro -> Computational Neuroscience)
• UCB
• University of Washington
• University of Pittsburgh (Neuro -> Computational Neuroscience)
• USC
• UCSB (DYNS)

I am still working on finishing up the post-bacc, so some grades above are hypothetical, although things are looking great so far. I plan on applying to programs this year.

[ManifoldsAreMadeUp]

My profile, background, and interests are extremely similar to yours! I have worse grades however but maybe not by much. I had much more extensive research experience. 

GPA 3.1 overall (2.9 in math major/3.0 in biochem major), 3.75 last two years (includes masters in math)

GRE: 167/163/6.0

Post-bacc (Masters): 9 graduate applied math courses: scientific computing, numerical linear algebra, convex optimization, complex analysis, PDEs, dynamical systems, etc

Research experience: 3 years undergrad neuroendocrinology, one third-author IF of 5. 3.5 years post-bacc sys. neuro. unrelated to MS with 5 mid-author papers (IF 5 to 22). 

Programming: 8 years of experience (6 in Python, else in MATLAB). Some professional experience in software development without the title. 1 year consulting on time series forecasting too. (Told you we had similar profiles!)

LoR's: two great and one average. All research advisors.

Papers: 1 3rd (IF 5), 1 2nd (IF 3), 6 mid-author (IF 22 to 5). Many posters several first-author at SfN.

 

Here's how I did for schools:

Rejections: UW, Stanford, Harvard, MIT, CMU/Pitt (PNC), Columbia, NYU, Princeton, UCSF, UCSD

Rejected/Waitlisted after Interview: CMU Bio, BU GPN

Accepted with fellowship: UO neuro (bio dept.), SUNY Stony Brook

 

Frankly, I think your grades are on the cusp of okay but will still get you filtered out from many of the top schools (and you're shooting probably too high). Be sure to network early and often especially with new PIs who will appreciate your interest and be more willing to take on a student. They can send the committee a message saying "so and so is perfect for my lab. Please at least bring them to interview." You'll also want to take a look at direct admit programs. UCSB is one of them and on your list.

[Cophysneurec]

Wow, you weren't kidding! I really appreciate your input, so thank you. 

How did you go about contacting/networking with PI's when you were applying?

[ManifoldsAreMadeUp]

12 hours ago, Cophysneurec said:

How did you go about contacting/networking with PI's when you were applying?

Honestly, Twitter was the best resource. I follow PIs whose work I'm interested in to keep up to date but importantly they will retweet when a colleague is starting a lab somewhere. If that lab was interesting to me, I contacted the new PI and expressed interest and asked if they wanted to chat over Skype or in-person at SfN. Out of the PIs (not just new ones) I contacted, roughly half responded and I chatted with most. I chatted with every new PI. I also went to SfN that year and met about 6 or 7 in-person but unfortunately the conference probably won't happen this year (probably virtual). I'm still friendly with a lot of the new PIs I talked to! They really *really* appreciated the earnest interest in them before they even appeared on the department faculty pages. They still come to my posters and retweet papers I've written! 

DM me and I will send you a link to my blog with a ton of intimate details about my application process.