Applying for Neuroscience/Neurobiology Ph.D. programs for Fall 2014

[emguth]

Congratulations!!! Hopefully I'll hear from them soon =) That's the one I'm feeling least confident about... I didn't have as great a match with PI's and I don't feel like the application really allowed me to show what I've got. That's ok though, I'll be fine either way! 

 

I wish you luck! It's one of my top choices because I feel like I match really well. Met with a prof there over the summer, and we shared a lot of research and methodological interests.

[NeuroGirl042]

I wish you luck! It's one of my top choices because I feel like I match really well. Met with a prof there over the summer, and we shared a lot of research and methodological interests.

 

That's awesome! What did you think of the campus? I've heard it's gorgeous there =) 

[Althonse]

Hey Althonse, if you don't mind my asking, what did you change between last year and this year, since it seems you've been very successful!

 

 

You should be excited!!  It sounds like you've really improved your application in just a short year's time.  It's awesome to see success stories. (This is my second go as well, though only one neuro program; the rest are psych or interdisciplinary psych/neuro. Last time I, too, got zero interviews.  This time I at least have one! )

 

Thank you!! It took a lot of work...basically I changed every aspect of my application that I could. I'll rattle it off.

 

I graduated last January, and since then have been working in a well known lab at a top university. I have a publication that I did not have last year. I retook the GRE, and my score improved from 158Q /159V /4 AW to 168Q/ 162V/ 4.5 AW. My undergrad institution was a decent school, but far from top for neuroscience. I did independent research as an undergrad, but didn't have any publications from it. My GPA was and still is a 3.7, though this semester I took a class at the university I work at. I am told that some committees can be very snobbish about which schools people come from, so the class here might have helped combat that attitude (as well as the improved GREs).  I definitely have an improved feel for the field now, and think that reflected in my essays and such. Looking back at my SoP from last year makes me cringe a little bit.... I also I think that your application gets better just by applying again, which shows dedication in wanting do science.

 

Anyway...I think that's everything. I was honestly surprised to receive the interviews that I did. Everyone was sure that I would do fine this time around, but I really thought I was a competitive candidate last year too so all my bets were off.

[imitosis]

OHSU Neuroscience Graduate Program sent out some invites today!

[Der Strudel]

Thank you!! It took a lot of work...basically I changed every aspect of my application that I could. I'll rattle it off.

 

I graduated last January, and since then have been working in a well known lab at a top university. I have a publication that I did not have last year. I retook the GRE, and my score improved from 158Q /159V /4 AW to 168Q/ 162V/ 4.5 AW. My undergrad institution was a decent school, but far from top for neuroscience. I did independent research as an undergrad, but didn't have any publications from it. My GPA was and still is a 3.7, though this semester I took a class at the university I work at. I am told that some committees can be very snobbish about which schools people come from, so the class here might have helped combat that attitude (as well as the improved GREs).  I definitely have an improved feel for the field now, and think that reflected in my essays and such. Looking back at my SoP from last year makes me cringe a little bit.... I also I think that your application gets better just by applying again, which shows dedication in wanting do science.

 

Anyway...I think that's everything. I was honestly surprised to receive the interviews that I did. Everyone was sure that I would do fine this time around, but I really thought I was a competitive candidate last year too so all my bets were off.

Good for you man. I was 2/8 last year for interviews, but no acceptances. Looking back at my SoP was nauseating. I probably should have retaken the GRE too, but overall my app is much stronger. Any how, 3/11 so far and much more confident this time around. 

[obaka]

For anyone hoping for an OHSU interview, they will be sending more invites after Jan 2nd (when people who haven't accepted their invites will have them rescinded). And of course I don't know if they're done sending their first round of invites yet.

[leealex0201]

Hi guys. I have been here one year ago and got no interviews at that time. Now I have applied for Neuroscience program again and then finally got one interview from UNC. What I have done during one year is submitting the paper to the journal, working as a research assistant in the neuroscience lab. I am pretty sure that was reflected on my SOP well(pretty sure since I have written all technical terms on SOP, which I did not do for the last year's SOP). I noticed there will be one or a few more waves of interview calls. I will keep crossing my fingers

[lirr]

anyone hear from jhu yet?

 

As far as I know, no one's heard anything from JHU. I haven't heard anything personally, or seen anything on this forum, or heard from other applicants I know offline. Fingers crossed for both of us!

Edited December 21, 2013 by lirr

[HopefullyNeuro]

Hey everyone,

 

I went through this all last year, so maybe I can answer some of your questions! Waiting is definitely the worst part, interviews are one of the best, try to enjoy it. 

[moonchild1093]

For those of you who haven't seen my post on the results page, UW neurobiology and behavior has sent out all interview invitations. Congrats to those invited! If not, sorry, and I'm right there with ya! We gotta stay positive, though! 

[braaaaaiinnns]

UC Berkeley sent out invites about 1.5 hours ago. There will be 2 interview dates (Sunday through Tuesday), feb 2-4 and feb 23-25. They said they have reviewed all of the applications but didn't say whether they were sending invites out in waves. The deadline to RSVP is January 7th, so I imagine another round of invites might go out shortly after. Best wishes to everyone who applied!!

Edited December 23, 2013 by braaaaaiinnns

[moonchild1093]

Interview at NYU!!! Thrilled. It's my first invitation. Anybody know about their interview process, or their ratio of acceptances to interviews?

[Solnce]

For those of you who haven't seen my post on the results page, UW neurobiology and behavior has sent out all interview invitations. Congrats to those invited! If not, sorry, and I'm right there with ya! We gotta stay positive, though! 

Hi! What is the 'results page'? People keep referring to that but I have no idea what's page it is

[mmw77]

Has anyone heard from University of Kentucky IBS?

[neuneuro]

Hi! What is the 'results page'? People keep referring to that but I have no idea what's page it is

 

Click on "Results Search" at the top of the page. This shows the acceptances, rejections, interview offers, and other contacts to programs and schools that people have posted. 

[sn2]

Columbia!!

 

(sorry I'm late to the party....)

[Solnce]

Click on "Results Search" at the top of the page. This shows the acceptances, rejections, interview offers, and other contacts to programs and schools that people have posted. 

Thanks!

[lirr]

Johns Hopkins has started sending out invites! (I'm not sure if they have more or if this is all…) Interviews are Monday & Tuesday Feb. 10-11. 

[Althonse]

Congrats!! Also strange, I didn't think anyone would be sending them the day after Christmas!

Edited December 26, 2013 by Althonse

[lirr]

Congrats!! Also strange, I didn't think anyone would be sending them the day after Christmas!

 

Yeah, I totally wasn't expecting to hear anything today! Makes me think they probably didn't do them all at once, because it would be such a weird day to pick.

[nerdfighter]

UC Berkeley sent out invites about 1.5 hours ago. There will be 2 interview dates (Sunday through Tuesday), feb 2-4 and feb 23-25. They said they have reviewed all of the applications but didn't say whether they were sending invites out in waves. The deadline to RSVP is January 7th, so I imagine another round of invites might go out shortly after. Best wishes to everyone who applied!!

 

I'm interviewing there, too! Which interview date did you take?

[braaaaaiinnns]

I'm interviewing there, too! Which interview date did you take?

The first one, I'm really hoping to get an interview at Stanford which is feb 26-3/2 or something like that so i wanted to space things out. Same with UCSF (which I see you got an invite to as well)! We may get to know each other fairly well this season if we choose the same dates!

[uberneuron]

Does anyone know whether MIT BCS already sent out all the interview invitations? If not, which track are those people who got interview invitations in? Thank you!!

[AxonAxoff]

Does anyone know whether MIT BCS already sent out all the interview invitations? If not, which track are those people who got interview invitations in? Thank you!!

 

If I recall correctly, one person here received an invite to interview at MIT and had expressed interest in only the cellular and molecular track. But from previous years' results, I expect that the majority of invitations will be sent out either late this week or next week. The interview seems to be the weekend of 3/7.

 

As a side note, it appears that you and I will bump into each other quite a bit this season. 

[elanorci]

Came here just to say: AxonAxoff, I love your username