Applying for Neuroscience/Neurobiology Ph.D. programs for Fall 2015

[bananaicecream]

For anyone that likes reading these...

 

Undergrad Institution: top liberal arts college in the US

Major(s): BA Linguistics and Cognitive Science
Minor(s): technically psychology? not official

Overall GPA: 3.7
Position in Class: don't know
Type of Student: Domestic white female, 1st generation college grad

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 159 - 74%
V: 162 - 89%
W: 4.5 - 80% 

Research Experience:

 

1.5 year undergraduate in a child attachment/emotion/relationships type of lab which ended with 2 poster presentations and publication in progress(?) not involved or interested any more.

2 year post graduate in a biomarkers and neuroimaging lab at UCLA studying alzheimer's - lots of posters, oral presentation at an international conference, 3 coauthor publications in review, 3 coauthor publications in draft, 2 first author publications in draft

 

 

Not crazy about my quantitative GRE - I definitely should and could have done better.

I didn't take basic sciences besides gen chem as an undergraduate which I'm pretty sure will hurt my chances. the gen chem course was an EXACT repeat of my high school AP course which made me feel like I was wasting my time as an undergrad when I could be learning something new so I didn't take bio or physics. But I got A's in chem and I work with genetics/biomedical sciences now which I'm hoping shows that I'm capable. Oh also my PS was a mess and I was ashamed to submit it - and my interests might be too narrow. Obviously I'm having lots of doubts : P

Hoping to get one of my publications out to journals in a week or so and send that update to places. Any thoughts on whether I'm competetive or not?

 

I sort of went wild and applied to lots of top programs with no safety schools so here we gooooo

[SingingInTheColdRoom]

 

I sort of went wild and applied to lots of top programs with no safety schools so here we gooooo

 

I did exactly the same thing. I've been kind of ashamed so I haven't posted a stats thing haha.

[PeterPanComplex]

Who posted that they were accepted to UCSF on the results page, eh?

 I am new to this place. Where is this results page and how can I read it? haha

[PeterPanComplex]

On the "seasoned interviewees" topic (in the Biology thread), peachypie and others said that there's usually more than one weekend. An invitation email might just say one weekend, but you should ask if there are others before you assume that you can't go at all. I would think that there would be multiple weekends especially at schools that receive a lot of applicants, but that's just speculation.

Wow pasteltomato! You have really read all of these threads thoroughly! Thanx!

[gliaful]

 I am new to this place. Where is this results page and how can I read it? haha

Go to the top of the screen (on this page will work). Under the big, rectangular "thegradcafe.com" logo, look for the tab that says "Results Search".

[Dedi]

Looks like another person got an interview invite from UCSF (in case people have applied to that school).

 

I'll probably start getting nervous in January. Most of my applications are due later and I won't get response from most of them until March. Just trying to keep rational (at least for now).

[monkeybrains]

Has anyone else noticed the red stats diamonds appear for a split second and then disappear on the results screen?

[melc_hammer]

Looks like another person got an interview invite from UCSF (in case people have applied to that school).

 

I'll probably start getting nervous in January. Most of my applications are due later and I won't get response from most of them until March. Just trying to keep rational (at least for now).

 

Thanks for freaking me out now- it is wayyy too early for this kind of anxiety. ***hits refresh button for email all day***

[chibimolinero]

Thanks for freaking me out now- it is wayyy too early for this kind of anxiety. ***hits refresh button for email all day***

 

Ugh, this. Saw people had heard back from UCSF. Saw nothing in my inbox. Proceeded to use my rage while lifting this morning haha.

[melc_hammer]

Ugh, this. Saw people had heard back from UCSF. Saw nothing in my inbox. Proceeded to use my rage while lifting this morning haha.

 

Unfortunately, I didn't see the news until after leg day this morning… Now on top of being sore, I'm sad. 

 

Fingers crossed for some sort of good news today!

[gliaful]

I only see 2 results for UCSF's Neuro so far...so they probably didn't release all of their invites at once. I believe in you guys!  

[chibimolinero]

Unfortunately, I didn't see the news until after leg day this morning… Now on top of being sore, I'm sad. 

 

Fingers crossed for some sort of good news today!

 

Boo, I'm sorry. I hit a new squat PR Fingers crossed for both of us!

[tito balisimo]

Boo, I'm sorry. I hit a new squat PR Fingers crossed for both of us!

While it's extremely early still, I mentioned in another thread that this was expected from top schools like MIT, Duke, Harvard, UCSF, and Stanford. In one year for the neuro program at UCSF, they had well over 400 applicants and accepted around 20. Despite this fact, countless posters on here apply to the same program with this <5% chance. There is a chance, but there's a better chance of many other odd things happening before that happens. This is why whomever attends these programs really has my admiration. Someone who applied to these programs got but hurt when I mentioned this on another forum topic, but don't be. If anything feel proud you got accepted to one of these elite places or somewhere else. UCSF is no joke.

[gliaful]

While it's extremely early still, I mentioned in another thread that this was expected from top schools like MIT, Duke, Harvard, UCSF, and Stanford. In one year for the neuro program at UCSF, they had well over 400 applicants and accepted around 20. Despite this fact, countless posters on here apply to the same program with this <5% chance. There is a chance, but there's a better chance of many other odd things happening before that happens. This is why whomever attends these programs really has my admiration. Someone who applied to these programs got but hurt when I mentioned this on another forum topic, but don't be. If anything feel proud you got accepted to one of these elite places or somewhere else. UCSF is no joke.

Did you see any stats on the number of interviews they conducted prior to accepting those 20 applicants?

[NWFreeheel11]

While it's extremely early still, I mentioned in another thread that this was expected from top schools like MIT, Duke, Harvard, UCSF, and Stanford. In one year for the neuro program at UCSF, they had well over 400 applicants and accepted around 20. Despite this fact, countless posters on here apply to the same program with this <5% chance. There is a chance, but there's a better chance of many other odd things happening before that happens. This is why whomever attends these programs really has my admiration. Someone who applied to these programs got but hurt when I mentioned this on another forum topic, but don't be. If anything feel proud you got accepted to one of these elite places or somewhere else. UCSF is no joke.

 

Yo Ted, I didn't reply when you started this conversation in the other thread, but now you are starting it again. Why on earth do you feel compelled to have this conversation? We know its competitive, so leave it at that. Does it make you feel better to make others worry like crazy? I didn't even apply to any of the programs you are referring to, but I find this repetitive post irritating as heck. 

 

Can we agree to stick to positive posts since we are all pulling our hair out anyway? We know its a tough game. 

Edited December 12, 2014 by NWFreeheel11

[melc_hammer]

Boo, I'm sorry. I hit a new squat PR Fingers crossed for both of us!

I'll keep you updated!

[NWFreeheel11]

Boo, I'm sorry. I hit a new squat PR Fingers crossed for both of us!

 

I spent two hours in the gym today hoping to be away from my email so I could avoid obsessive checking. Now, obviously, I am back at my computer and command^r is my life right now. 

Edited December 12, 2014 by NWFreeheel11

[tito balisimo]

Yo Ted, I didn't reply when you started this conversation in the other thread, but now you are starting it again. Why on earth do you feel compelled to have this conversation? We know its competitive, so leave it at that. Does it make you feel better to make others worry like crazy? I didn't even apply to any of the programs you are referring to, but I find this repetitive post irritating as heck. 

 

Can we agree to stick to positive posts since we are all pulling our hair out anyway? We know its a tough game.

I'm just explaining the situation. We are adults, presumably, and a ton of people are freaking out over UCSF. I'm trying to rationalize to these people that you shouldn't freak out over this because it is extremely competitive and it's pointless to worry over something like that. As I wrote before, be happy for those accepted, and proud if you get in anywhere you applied. Be positive, and stop the nervousness, it riles up everyone else like a herd of Buffaloes that see a lion.

[NWFreeheel11]

I'm just explaining the situation. We are adults, presumably, and a ton of people are freaking out over UCSF. I'm trying to rationalize to these people that you shouldn't freak out over this because it is extremely competitive and it's pointless to worry over something like that. As I wrote before, be happy for those accepted, and proud if you get in anywhere you applied. Be positive, and stop the nervousness, it riles up everyone else like a herd of Buffaloes that see a lion.

 

Well luckily, with all the squats and working out going on in this group of people, together we can whoop any lion coming our way. 

 

I'll go work on my bench again just in case...

[tito balisimo]

Well luckily, with all the squats and working out going on in this group of people, together we can whoop any lion coming our way. 

 

I'll go work on my bench again just in case...

LOL, Cheers mate!

[melc_hammer]

Well luckily, with all the squats and working out going on in this group of people, together we can whoop any lion coming our way. 

 

I'll go work on my bench again just in case...

 

I used up all my "positive votes" for today, but for this, you get 5. 

[joeypotatoes]

While it's extremely early still, I mentioned in another thread that this was expected from top schools like MIT, Duke, Harvard, UCSF, and Stanford. In one year for the neuro program at UCSF, they had well over 400 applicants and accepted around 20. Despite this fact, countless posters on here apply to the same program with this <5% chance. There is a chance, but there's a better chance of many other odd things happening before that happens. This is why whomever attends these programs really has my admiration. Someone who applied to these programs got but hurt when I mentioned this on another forum topic, but don't be. If anything feel proud you got accepted to one of these elite places or somewhere else. UCSF is no joke.

A very close friend of mine was accepted to UCSF, Duke, UPENN, Columbia and MIT last year, all for neuro. She really was one of the smartest people I have ever met, but as far as being the overachieving type, that wasn't her. She said she had an okay gpa from Princeton, psych major, perfect GRE, summer research in Mexico, 2 years of post bacc research at a top institution. I would say the thing that got her interviews at these schools was her LOR from her PI, who is very well known in the Alzheimer's disease field, it probably said something along the lines of "so and so is in my opinion a genius, one of the most creative people I have ever met and has on her own developed a novel method of distinguishing tauopathies from post mortem tissue."

 

What I'm trying to say is that these schools get all of the best applicants as far as statistics, and in my opinion awards and grades don't matter, what they are looking for is who can set themselves apart as a scientist. 

[GABA-daba-doo]

While it's extremely early still, I mentioned in another thread that this was expected from top schools like MIT, Duke, Harvard, UCSF, and Stanford. In one year for the neuro program at UCSF, they had well over 400 applicants and accepted around 20. Despite this fact, countless posters on here apply to the same program with this <5% chance. There is a chance, but there's a better chance of many other odd things happening before that happens. This is why whomever attends these programs really has my admiration. Someone who applied to these programs got but hurt when I mentioned this on another forum topic, but don't be. If anything feel proud you got accepted to one of these elite places or somewhere else. UCSF is no joke.

 

https://graduate.ucsf.edu/programs/neurosci-admissions

 

UCSF is like 10% but yeah... very elite school and a very awesome program! 

[fluttershy]

I spent two hours in the gym today hoping to be away from my email so I could avoid obsessive checking. Now, obviously, I am back at my computer and command^r is my life right now. 

 

It doesn't help when you work at a lab full-time and are constantly reminded of grad school (and have friendly people around constantly asking if you've heard anything yet).... Need a distraction so I don't go insane. Trying so hard to be patient and let things work out how they will 

[joeypotatoes]

It doesn't help when you work at a lab full-time and are constantly reminded of grad school (and have friendly people around constantly asking if you've heard anything yet).... Need a distraction so I don't go insane. Trying so hard to be patient and let things work out how they will 

I agree, I think my productivity has gone down like 10 fold in the past week from the anticipation and nerves about interviews.