Neuroscience applicants for Fall 2013

[hippo74]

How many professors do you typically interview with during a weekend? I thought the average was like four, but I have seven at Berkeley o_O

 

And how much preparation do you typically do for each professor? I was planning on skimming a couple recent papers for each one and looking at lab websites but will I look like an ignant fool if I only do this????

first interview I met with four but i have one coming up where I'm meeting with 5 or 6.  I personally felt that reading the lab website was plenty of preparation.  I focused more on reading up on some of the background of my current research.  As long as you know the basics of their research, generating questions won't be too difficult.  But it probably can't help to read up on their current projects a bit

[hippo74]

Is anyone who's going to UCSD staying for saturday? I'm super excited about the list of activities they sent out!

I decided against it since UCSD is at the end of a 2 week period of 4 interviews with a total of 2 days off.  I figured I'll be exhausted but I'm curious...what kind of activities will I be missing out on?

[dendy]

The choice of activities was kayaking, hiking, the zoo, or a brewery tour :D Also choice of on-campus or off-campus housing tour in the morning.

[nibblingsushi]

How many professors do you typically interview with during a weekend? I thought the average was like four, but I have seven at Berkeley o_O

 

And how much preparation do you typically do for each professor? I was planning on skimming a couple recent papers for each one and looking at lab websites but will I look like an ignant fool if I only do this????

 

After you experience a few interviews, you realize that 30 minutes flies by crazy fast- you'll most likely only have time to talk about your research and discuss why you want to attend the school. There won't be time for many questions directed towards the professor. 

Edited January 30, 2013 by nibblingsushi

[NeuroTU]

Got an interview with Tulane. Just waiting to here from 2 more schools!

[hippo74]

Just got an interview at UCLA (Behavioral Neuroscience, psych dept).  Saw on the results page someone is listed as accepted to that program...any chance you're on here? Did you get an official acceptance or an invite to the recruitment weekend?

[claudlachapelle]

Still no Georgetown invites? 

[gradschooloptimist]

@claudlachapelle - I was wondering the same thing....

[claudlachapelle]

@claudlachapelle - I was wondering the same thing....

 

Have you been in contact with anyone? I know they have a smaller program and a less structured process but I am starting to get worried! 

[literally gaussian]

Just got an acceptance from Harvard via phone! Friends - Keep your phones charged and nearby!

[stmwap]

Congrats!!!!!

[nibblingsushi]

Just got an acceptance from Harvard via phone! Friends - Keep your phones charged and nearby!

 

Congrats! Just heard back from them as well! 

[ruvna]

Hey all, Congrats to all who've received acceptances thus far! I had a quick query about Stanford though - the rejections, were they by email or snail mail?

[powderpig]

Hey all, Congrats to all who've received acceptances thus far! I had a quick query about Stanford though - the rejections, were they by email or snail mail?

They mail them via postal service. My online Stanford application from last year still shows up as "submitted," and I never got anything electronic about it.

[ruvna]

They mail them via postal service. My online Stanford application from last year still shows up as "submitted," and I never got anything electronic about it.

Thanks! But man... I'm an international applicant and so it's really going to take ages to reach. Guess I'll just have to assume I've been rejected.

[Solnce]

Thanks! But man... I'm an international applicant and so it's really going to take ages to reach. Guess I'll just have to assume I've been rejected.

Contact the program administrator Ross Colvin by e-mail. He will tell you.

[hippo74]

I am hoping for a bit of advice.  My current interview schedule has me at JHU on Feb. 25 and 26, I fly to San Diego on the 27th for their interview on Feb 28 and March 1.  I just found out I have been invited to an interview at UCLA on March 1 and 2 however.  I would be able to change my return flight from san diego to be from LA on March 3 for free but I would still miss the first day (the one with actual faculty interviews) at UCLA.  My other option is to try and switch the UCSD interview to their first option (Feb 27th and 28th) and skip some social events (dinner and night out with students) at JHU to fly out to SD the night of the 26th (still no fee to change flight).  My question is will asking UCSD if it is possible to switch the interview date be a problem? I know they have probably started making plans and have already assigned me a student host so I don't want to frustrate them or make it seem like I do not care about their program as much. Should I just deal with missing a day of UCLA?  I would skip one and attend the other but neither one is a higher choice for me at the moment.

 

Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated!

[itodam]

Hello everyone! This is the first time I'm posting on gradforum, but I've been reading through this thread and others that have been very helpful and was hoping for some advice..

 

I applied to 10 neuroscience programs, got rejected from 3 and have not heard from any of the other schools. My PI told me that I might have applied to programs that were too competitive and failed to apply to some safety(?) schools.. (I'm waiting to hear back from Chicago, Case Western, WashU, BCM, Emory,Rochester and Brown) Does anyone know if these schools are still sending out interview invites?

 

I've been so anxious and depressed and slightly hopeful all at the same time for the last two months..

If I get rejected from all programs... what should I do?!

I want to eventually work in the industry, in a lab that does research related to drug therapy for autism or neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's.

 

Any advice will be greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance!

And congratulations to everyone who got interviews and acceptances!

[hippo74]

I can't provide any real information about if those specific programs are still sending out invites.  You can always check the results section to see when/if the programs have sent out invites. 

If you don't end up getting in anywhere...are you applying directly out of college?  If so joining a lab as a technician for a year or so is one possibility and can have some definite advantages for your application.  a) It gives you full time research experience which can look much better on an application than the more limited hours of undergrad research, a.)  it gives you some time off from school which can definitely be nice, c) it gives more time to fill in any holes in your application, retake GRE if necessary, etc. d) gives you a chance to get some publications or conference presentations onto your CV , e) spending more time in a lab can mean a much better LOR from your PI.  This is of course only one of many options.

[epsilon]

I am hoping for a bit of advice.  My current interview schedule has me at JHU on Feb. 25 and 26, I fly to San Diego on the 27th for their interview on Feb 28 and March 1.  I just found out I have been invited to an interview at UCLA on March 1 and 2 however.  I would be able to change my return flight from san diego to be from LA on March 3 for free but I would still miss the first day (the one with actual faculty interviews) at UCLA.  My other option is to try and switch the UCSD interview to their first option (Feb 27th and 28th) and skip some social events (dinner and night out with students) at JHU to fly out to SD the night of the 26th (still no fee to change flight).  My question is will asking UCSD if it is possible to switch the interview date be a problem? I know they have probably started making plans and have already assigned me a student host so I don't want to frustrate them or make it seem like I do not care about their program as much. Should I just deal with missing a day of UCLA?  I would skip one and attend the other but neither one is a higher choice for me at the moment.

 

Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated!

i dont think SD will have a huge problem, its just a day different. but contact them sooner rather than later!

[epsilon]

I know some of these deadlines are later than some of the programs people have heard the most from, so that wave of invites may come later. Stay positive!

[Neuron17]

@hippo74- Do you happen to know the post-interview acceptance rate for Johns Hopkins' Neuroscience Program? Thanks!

[tifoz]

also @hippo74 (you're a popular guy ) - for JH Neuro, applications through the medical school but if I recall you mentioned that you are a neuro lab tech but up at the undergrad campus. Where is neuro grad research typically carried out?

[hippo74]

@Neuron17 sorry I'm really not sure what the acceptance rate after interview is.  If anyone else knows this information I'd be happy to know it too.  

 

@tifoz The majority of labs are on the medical campus.  There are a few labs associated with the program where the lab is primarily in the psychology department and these labs are on the undergrad campus.  There is also a small institute with about 10 small labs (Mind Brain Institute -this is where I have been working) that focuses on systems neuroscience...mostly electrophysiology with some computational stuff being done. I would guess that probably close to 90% of grad students are at the medical campus. 

[ruvna]

Well, looks like there was no need for getting worried. I got my letter from Stanford today. Reject it is. By the way, I saw that someone posted an interview for GPN (Computational Neuroscience) at Boston University today. I'm guessing it was mccamel. Congrats man! By the way, do you know if they're done giving out interview calls or something?