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

[fizzyologee]

So from the postings, I can see at the least, two rounds of rejections have gone out for Emory. Is anyone else still not rejected but waiting to here back something from Emory?

[kyrios]

In case anyone was wondering about USC interview invites, I called on Thursday to inquire. They said they are still in the process of sending them out to domestic students and not to worry yet.

 

So they're through with sending out invites to international students? Or was that just how you phrased it?

[kyrios]

And for UCI, what's their acceptance rate for students they interview? 

Anyone have an idea?

Edited February 1, 2014 by kyrios

[NeuroGirl042]

I'm not sure if anyone else applied to Tulane Neuro, but I just got the interview invite. It's Feb 20-23, and includes a Saturday retreat. It sounds pretty nice, and I wish I could make it! They send their invites rather late to expect people to make a single weekend, though.

[rbroni88]

Did anyone get accepted/interview invites to University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign's Neuroscience program? If so I am just curious what an acceptance letter reads like because their rejection letter was border-line offensive.

[pachel]

Did anyone get accepted/interview invites to University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign's Neuroscience program? If so I am just curious what an acceptance letter reads like because their rejection letter was border-line offensive.

 

Curiosity: what did it say? If you don't mind sharing. I've gotten one rejection so far and their stock letter was quite nice about it (it was hard to make our decision, we wish you well, etc. etc.)

[rbroni88]

Curiosity: what did it say? If you don't mind sharing. I've gotten one rejection so far and their stock letter was quite nice about it (it was hard to make our decision, we wish you well, etc. etc.)

 

There was no subject and this is not even edited. The ... is how it came and to preface I am a male (I did not accidentally mark female in my app either, I checked)

 

Dear Ms. ... ,

I am writing to let you know that we are unable to invite you to interview with us, and that most likely your application will be denied.

Each year we receive high quality applications from many more students than we can admit, or even interview, and we must make difficult decisions about whom to interview. Thus, our decision does not mean that you are not fully qualified for graduate study, only that we have identified applicants who appear to be better qualified or more likely to fit in well with our program.

I am sorry to give you this news, but I wish you success in finding the right graduate program and career path for you.

Yours sincerely,

Samuel N. Beshers, Ph.D.

Neuroscience Program Coordinator

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

[pachel]

Ouch. At least the middle section was...sort of nice about it? Sorry though.

 

EDIT: Based on the results page, looks like you're not the only one to get that and reasonably take offense to it.

Edited February 3, 2014 by pachel

[ScannerBrainly]

So they're through with sending out invites to international students? Or was that just how you phrased it?

I honestly don't know if USC has finished sending out all of its interview invitations to international students yet, but I was told that they began sending them out to international students first.

[pachel]

Man, nothing but rejections on the results page when I search "neuroscience"...

 

Has anyone heard from Ohio State's NGSP? I got an email 2 weeks ago saying they would make their decisions by the end of January, but nothing yet.

[ihavenoidea]

Man, nothing but rejections on the results page when I search "neuroscience"...

 

Has anyone heard from Ohio State's NGSP? I got an email 2 weeks ago saying they would make their decisions by the end of January, but nothing yet.

 

Also applied to Ohio State's NGSP and got that email about 2 weeks ago. It looks like in years passed, people have found out between February 1-6th. I'm anxiously waiting as well but have not heard anything yet.

[fizzyologee]

Looks like UCLA is done with invites...as are most programs at this point I'm assuming?

 

I'm still waiting for my imminent rejection of several more schools lol

Edited February 4, 2014 by fizzyologee

[Socrates1]

I honestly don't know if USC has finished sending out all of its interview invitations to international students yet, but I was told that they began sending them out to international students first.

 

Wait, so USC hasn't even done interviews, you're saying? I've been assuming this already happened and I'm getting rejected. I certain;y haven't heard anything.

 

 

Looks like UCLA is done with invites...as are most programs at this point I'm assuming?

 

I'm still waiting for my imminent rejection of several more schools lol

 

I haven't heard anything from UCLA. I'm also assuming I'm about to receive a barrage of rejection letters.

[rbroni88]

Illinois neuroscience program just sent out apology letters for the first email so that was nice...however I received someone else's rejection letter as well. I am actually rather glad to not be part of a program like this simply based on impressions.

[CafeFlorentine]

Hi friends,

I'm going to throw out a few relatively unspoken-about schools.

Has anyone heard from

 

Boston University Graduate Program for Neuroscience (GPN)

Tufts University Neuroscience Program

University of Chicago Neurobiology

 

Thanks for any help you can provide!

[thegirldetective]

Hi friends,

I'm going to throw out a few relatively unspoken-about schools.

Has anyone heard from

 

Boston University Graduate Program for Neuroscience (GPN)

Tufts University Neuroscience Program

University of Chicago Neurobiology

 

Thanks for any help you can provide!

 

Chicago Neurobio sent out a round of invites awhile back - I can't say for sure, but I certainly didn't get the impression they were sending more. I don't know about Boston GPN, other than the one result on the Results page from about a week ago, but historically they send out invites now-ish.

[MarionCobretti]

Hi friends,

I'm going to throw out a few relatively unspoken-about schools.

Has anyone heard from

 

Boston University Graduate Program for Neuroscience (GPN)

Tufts University Neuroscience Program

University of Chicago Neurobiology

 

Thanks for any help you can provide!

 

I heard from Tufts in early January, but the interview date isn't until Feb. 28th, so I suppose there's still time. However, I haven't heard anything from BU either, though I think I saw something about interview invites in the results page last week. They also have a later interview date, early march I believe. 

[zeph22]

I heard from Tufts in early January, but the interview date isn't until Feb. 28th, so I suppose there's still time. However, I haven't heard anything from BU either, though I think I saw something about interview invites in the results page last week. They also have a later interview date, early march I believe. 

I haven't heard from BU either...and I remember their interview dates are March 3-4. Sigh...I am guessing they must have already sent interview invites.

[zeph22]

Anyone has heard from UCI Cognitive Neuro and UTD Cognition and Neuroscience, as well as Purdue MCCS

[kyrios]

Anyone has heard from UCI Cognitive Neuro and UTD Cognition and Neuroscience, as well as Purdue MCCS

 

 

Yea I heard from UCI Cog Neuro a week back or so for an interview in March. I don't know about the others.

[madamimadam]

Anyone hear back from Caltech Computational and Neural Systems or know if they're done sending out invites?

[rbroni88]

Here is a question that I have been wondering about. Does it really matter what department you get a PhD in neuroscience from? I have applied to several schools, some of which that have neuroscience departments and others where it is through the psychology/biology/biomedical departments. The part that really confuses me is when schools have both a neuroscience and a behavioral neuroscience focus where nearly all the professors are the same. I discussed this with a potential POI and all he said was that at his university if you go through the psychology department you get some better funding opportunities. 

 

At the end of it all will, will it matter which department I went through?

[neuroneurotic]

The most important thing to look at is the focus of the research.  Depending on the school, they may actually be quite different.

[thegirldetective]

Here is a question that I have been wondering about. Does it really matter what department you get a PhD in neuroscience from? I have applied to several schools, some of which that have neuroscience departments and others where it is through the psychology/biology/biomedical departments. The part that really confuses me is when schools have both a neuroscience and a behavioral neuroscience focus where nearly all the professors are the same. I discussed this with a potential POI and all he said was that at his university if you go through the psychology department you get some better funding opportunities. 

 

At the end of it all will, will it matter which department I went through?

 

For long term job prospects, all that matters is what you publish and where you publish it (and, unfortunately, who you know.) No one cares what department you are technically in, especially for a field like neuroscience that tends to house faculty members in a range of departments.

[zeph22]

Yea I heard from UCI Cog Neuro a week back or so for an interview in March. I don't know about the others.

Thanks. I see that you are not in US, so do you have a skype interview? Any clue if this is an interview or a final admitted list...