"backdooring" into Psyc/neuroscience Grad school

[Efinkel]

Sorry if this post seems a little gradcafe-naive. I am pretty new and so far have done little forum lurking.

I was just wondering what people thought of my chances of "backdooring" into a Phd program at a very prestigious neuroscience/psyc program given my following situation:

Stats:

-McGill University undergrad

-Major: Psyc

-Minor: Bio

-CGPA: 3.75

-Psych GPA: Closer to 3.9

-graduated with "Distinction"

-Accepted into the two year honors psyc program starting my junior year and graduated from it with "first class honors"

-Worked for two years in a behavioral neuroscience lab studying learning and memory and wrote a junior and senior thesis

-Volunteer RA in another behavioral neuroscience lab for one semester

-havent taken the GRE yet (worried because I'm not a phenomenal standardized test taker)

-Two letters of rec that I think are pretty solid

I applied for a research technician position at a very prestigious school in the lab of a researcher who many consider (including my former supervisors) as the best of the best in the field of learning and memory. Much to my delight and surprise the lab is inviting me for an interview and are even offering to pay for the flight. The researcher even asked me if I was interested in pursuing graduate school in his lab, which he followed by saying that it was fine with him as long as I was willing to dedicate two years to the job. I dont know if this matters or not but they also invited me to their lab's "summer social" event after the interview (which I hope means that I have all but been officially offered the job).

However, after looking at some of the stats of people who got into the Phd neuroscience and psych programs at this school, they are more often than not significantly better than mine. So I was wondering if I should keep my fast growing expectation of acceptance into the phd program in check or not (especially since I might not get a stellar GRE score ). Also has anyone with stats similar to mine managed to either be directly accepted to a top tier psyc or neuroscience program (say at UCSD, JHU, Yale, MIT, Duke, ect) or be accepted through this type of backdoor method?

Thanks in advance

Edited July 12, 2011 by Efinkel

[neuropsych76]

Sorry if this post seems a little gradcafe-naive. I am pretty new and so far have done little forum lurking.

I was just wondering what people thought of my chances of "backdooring" into a Phd program at a very prestigious neuroscience/psyc program given my following situation:

Stats:

-McGill University undergrad

-Major: Psyc

-Minor: Bio

-CGPA: 3.75

-Psych GPA: Closer to 3.9

-graduated with "Distinction"

-Accepted into the two year honors psyc program starting my junior year and graduated from it with "first class honors"

-Worked for two years in a behavioral neuroscience lab studying learning and memory and wrote a junior and senior thesis

-Volunteer RA in another behavioral neuroscience lab for one semester

-havent taken the GRE yet (worried because I'm not a phenomenal standardized test taker)

-Two letters of rec that I think are pretty solid

I applied for a research technician position at a very prestigious school in the lab of a researcher who many consider (including my former supervisors) as the best of the best in the field of learning and memory. Much to my delight and surprise the lab is inviting me for an interview and are even offering to pay for the flight. The researcher even asked me if I was interested in pursuing graduate school in his lab, which he followed by saying that it was fine with him as long as I was willing to dedicate two years to the job. I dont know if this matters or not but they also invited me to their lab's "summer social" event after the interview (which I hope means that I have all but been officially offered the job).

However, after looking at some of the stats of people who got into the Phd neuroscience and psych programs at this school, they are more often than not significantly better than mine. So I was wondering if I should keep my fast growing expectation of acceptance into the phd program in check or not (especially since I might not get a stellar GRE score ). Also has anyone with stats similar to mine managed to either be directly accepted to a top tier psyc or neuroscience program (say at UCSD, JHU, Yale, MIT, Duke, ect) or be accepted through this type of backdoor method?

Thanks in advance

Congrats on the research job offer! Sounds awesome

If I understand you correctly: you are worried that your "backdoor" acceptance might be at a university that is not as good as top tier schools. So you are not sure if you want to take this acceptance (or likely acceptance) or chance for better schools?

If that's the case I think you are getting a little ahead of yourself. You may end up loving the lab you are working in and absolutely want to go to this school. Esp. if you think the professor your working for is the best of the best since that is more important than school name. Don't get too caught up in the name of the school or stats of other applicants. If you have a chance to work with a top professor in your area of interest and like the school than that seems like a pretty good fit.

Plus, you can still work in their lab without going to grad school there. You can still apply to other places even if they offer you admission. You have lots of options!

Good luck!

[gellert]

It honestly sounds to me like you have nothing to worry about. Stop thinking about other people's stats and focus on your own -- which are great, by the way! You'll likely be above all cutoffs (and adcomms take your undergrad institution into account when looking at your GPA, which is fine for any school and fantastic for McGill), and with your experience + your current work in the lab in question, I seriously doubt there'll be an issue. Congratulations in advance!

Edited July 12, 2011 by gellert

[Efinkel]

On 7/12/2011 at 11:34 AM, neuropsych76 said:

Congrats on the research job offer! Sounds awesome

If I understand you correctly: you are worried that your "backdoor" acceptance might be at a university that is not as good as top tier schools. So you are not sure if you want to take this acceptance (or likely acceptance) or chance for better schools?

If that's the case I think you are getting a little ahead of yourself. You may end up loving the lab you are working in and absolutely want to go to this school. Esp. if you think the professor your working for is the best of the best since that is more important than school name. Don't get too caught up in the name of the school or stats of other applicants. If you have a chance to work with a top professor in your area of interest and like the school than that seems like a pretty good fit.

Plus, you can still work in their lab without going to grad school there. You can still apply to other places even if they offer you admission. You have lots of options!

Good luck!

Sorry I guess I wasnt clear. I meant backdooring into the top tier neuroscience program at the school in which this researchers lab is based by first working with him as an RA. My worry is that im getting my hopes up and almost expecting that I will be accepted as a grad student into the lab of this researcher after working in his lab as an RA even though it is by no means guaranteed, especially given the fact that my stats are relatively low when compared to those posted by others who have been accepted by this school's neuroscience program. So my question is whether people with stats similar to mine have been accepted to top tier neuroscience programs such as Duke, WashU, MIT ect. using this backdoor method of first RAing in a lab associated with those programs.

[neuropsych76]

On 7/12/2011 at 12:29 PM, Efinkel said:

Sorry I guess I wasnt clear. I meant backdooring into the top tier neuroscience program at the school in which this researchers lab is based by first working with him as an RA. My worry is that im getting my hopes up and almost expecting that I will be accepted as a grad student into the lab of this researcher after working in his lab as an RA even though it is by no means guaranteed, especially given the fact that my stats are relatively low when compared to those posted by others who have been accepted by this school's neuroscience program. So my question is whether people with stats similar to mine have been accepted to top tier neuroscience programs such as Duke, WashU, MIT ect. using this backdoor method of first RAing in a lab associated with those programs.

Oh, I see

Well yes, people do get into top tier programs with your stats. Your stats are good enough and you have the connections already with the program. I know someone who worked in a top tier lab one summer and then was accepted into the PhD program the next fall. Her stats were strong but the connection (or "backdooring" i've never heard of this term ha) helped her get in though.