Neuroscience Application Preparation

[neuro_ole]

Hi all,

 

I'm currently a first-year student at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN majoring in neuroscience. I know it is a little early to be posting here, but I was hoping to get some advice from all the neuroscience students who will be off to grad school. I was wondering what are some experiences that are good prep for grad school and help on an application. I've listed experiences I have had thus far and predictions as to my next few years.

 

First-Year:

Volunteer Researcher - St. Olaf Colllege Psychology Department (2012-2013)

Research Assistant - St. Olaf College Behavioral Neuroscience Lab (2012-2016)

Peer Reviewer - Impulse Undergraduate Neuroscience Journal (2013-2016)

Member (Elected President for next year) - St. Olaf Neuroscience Club (2012-2016)

 

Summer 2013:

Research Assistant - Univ. of Minnesota, Law and Neuroscience

Undergraduate Researcher - Univ. of Minnesota, Monkey Electrophysiology

 

Future:

Monkey Electrophys will continue in my sophomore year, but only working once or twice a week

Hope to do REU's or CURI (St. Olaf version of REU) next couple summers

Plan to complete independent research my junior and senior years (neuroscience topic)

Working intermittently on a Mayo Clinic Research Project related to neuroscience

Various Lab Aide and TA experiences

Possible co-authorship this summer and plan on authoring (a) paper(s) on my own research

Numerous conferences and poster presentations

 

My GPA will be my only catch as I predict (but obviously don't know) that it will be between 3.2-3.6.

I'm also involved in other non-neuroscience related groups.

 

With these kind experiences, is there anything I can do to improve? With the 4 years of research experience, what kind of programs should I be aiming towards?

 

Thanks for any help!