Wait a Year?

[aw2015]

Hi Everybody,

 

I've been lurking around these forums for a while now, but haven't posted before.  I'm stuck trying to make a decision about grad school that will no doubt affect the rest of my life, and could use some alternative perspectives. 

 

I've applied for Fall 2015 acceptance into a PhD program in Neuroscience at a variety (8) of schools, but have been rejected from four out of five of my top choices (Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Colorado).  I have however been accepted at two of my less-desirable schools, both with full funding for the entirety of my studies (with my choice of RA or TA), along with benefits.  I would certainly be happy working with the mentor at one of the schools in particular, but am uncertain whether I will end up regretting the decision if I attend there (especially since it is in the same city, but is not the same school as, where I got my undergrad degrees).

 

Since applying this past year, I have accomplished a number of things which might be attractive to potential schools/advisors, which brings me to my dilemma: do I wait it out for another year and reapply, or go for it with the fall-back school?  Since application season, I have completed a number of relevant (and often necessary) courses, such as Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry, Molecular Biology of the Cell, laboratories in Advanced Neuroscience and Optogenetics, and Physics, and earned an A in every one.  I also changed my degree upon graduation from a double-major BA in Psychology and Neuroscience to two separate degrees (BA in Psych and BS in Neuro). On top of that, I recently received a Student of the Year award for the Psychology department, and will be publishing a short molecular biology paper as first or second author within the year.

 

My question for you all is: how much will these more recent accomplishments affect my eligibility as a potential student?  If I were to wait a year, gain more experience (either in the lab I have worked in for the last year, or as a paid RA in an imaging lab), and spend more time honing my SOP and GRE scores, would I have a much better chance at these (and other top-tier) schools?

 

In case it matters, my credentials upon applying this year were as follows:

 

-Undergrad BA Double Major at a large, middle-of-the-road-reputation state school

-2+ years research experience in Neuroscience related labs

-3.7 total GPA, with 3.9 GPAs in both of my majors, and straight A's for the past 3.5 years (out of 5)

-93% Verbal, 80% Quantitative, and 60% Analytical Writing on the GRE (new)

-Stellar LORs from two relatively unknown professors in their field, and one from a big-shot

 

I would really appreciate some different perspectives on this.  Thanks!

 

 

 

[MidwesternAloha]

My perspective is this: if you find $100 on the ground, do you leave it there and hope find $1,000 down the street? No. You pick up the $100 and move along. Sometimes, you don't get that second chance, and then you've lost everything you could've had.

Edited February 23, 2015 by MidwesternAloha

[amaa]

I am in a very similar situation. I went on six interviews and have been accepted at one school, waitlisted at another, and am waiting to hear from others. The school I was accepted into was not at the top of my list as far as research interests go and it is geographically extremely far, so I am thinking of applying again next year, too!

I couldn't disagree more with the above response. I am sure that may be a good philosophy for some, but as for me, I don't think of getting into graduate school as picking up cash from the floor. Getting into graduate school is much like getting into a relationship with someone for the next 5-6 years. Do you want that to be an amazing relationship or a mediocre one? Are you willing to get rejected a second time? Will you have regrets if you didn't try harder down the line? Maybe. I know I will, so I am applying again. 

 

I would be happier waiting a year, getting more experience, publishing another paper, and trying my very, very hardest to get into schools that I LOVE! That's just me though. The way I think of it, if they want to reject you a second time, then so be it, at least you gave it your all!! The decision is completely up to you, don't let others tell you what you should or should not do. Make sure you are ready to get into a relationship with the right graduate school, the right PI, and the right research match! It's like picking Mr. Right vs. Mr. Right now. 

 

To me, it sounds like your new experiences are wonderful and will help increase the chances of you getting in! I wish you the best of luck!

Edited February 24, 2015 by amanv

[nugget]

You are still waiting from one more school that's your top choice? I'd say, it's not over til it's over. You still might get accepted. Otherwise, I'd be inclined to ranking the four offers and asking your top choice to defer for one year and reapply to your favourite 5 again next year. If you don't get in two years in a row then it might be time to move on.

[GJA]

I say that as long as you think the "fit' is right at any of those two schools you did get accepted, I would go for one of them. 

 

However, if you truly feel like those new accomplishments will boost your chances, I would wait the one year, reapply. If you have the time and financial security to do so. 

[have2thinkboutit]

 

I've applied for Fall 2015 acceptance into a PhD program in Neuroscience at a variety (8) of schools, but have been rejected from four out of five of my top choices (Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Colorado).  I have however been accepted at two of my less-desirable schools, both with full funding for the entirety of my studies (with my choice of RA or TA), along with benefits.  I would certainly be happy working with the mentor at one of the schools in particular, but am uncertain whether I will end up regretting the decision if I attend there (especially since it is in the same city, but is not the same school as, where I got my undergrad degrees).

 

 

The question I have for you is this - what has changed your mind about these 2 schools that made them rather undesirable to you between the application and now? Did you visit them and felt uncomfortable about something or figured that the people there may not be the right "fit" for you to work with? I'm asking because I think there must have been something great about them for you to apply in the first place and it might be a good idea to think about these things again.

 

Whatever your reasons are - if you cannot see yourself working there for at least 5 years, it may be wiser to reapply next year. And looking at the things you have accomplished I think that you have a lot going for you! Of course, there is no guarantee you'll get in anywhere next time around, but I do think that fit matters a lot and you don't want to be at a place that is making you feel miserable. 

 

You may want to visit these 2 schools (if you can and haven't already done so) in order to see how comfortable you would be there. Because sometimes things may look good on paper (like a top-tier school) but turn out to be not the best choice for you. And other times you may feel kinda 'blah' about something before you see it up close and realize it's the best thing ever. And remember that this is a long-term commitment and that it's mainly up to YOU how you shape your experiences wherever you end up going!

 

I hope you'll make the best choice for yourself! Good luck! 

[JW83]

To amaa:

 

I'm just wondering, why apply to a program at all if you'd rather work for a year and try again for your top choice? What's the point of filling out an application, paying the fee, and going through interviews if you would rather work than attend that school?

[HashtagKitKat]

To jw83: 

 

For me, what made a school undesirable (even though I was offered admission) was meeting my potential colleagues. Some of them were incredibly offensive with their racism and hatred/dismissal of trans people. The violent/hostile climate would definitely make me not want to go there and stay there for 5+ years- but those are things you cannot learn by just reading a website/program overview.

[pannpann]

I've said it before another thread, but if you applied to the school something must have appealed to you about it. Take the opportunity to try it there, and if you don't like it you can always transfer. You may be a stronger candidate after you've got some more experience under your belt for those top choices. Or you may find that those schools you weren't as keen on were a great fit in the end. Just remember, you aren't ever really stuck anywhere.