Neuronista Posted March 2, 2015 Posted March 2, 2015 Hi everyone.So this is my third application season. I want to attend a PhD program in neuroscience, and I applied to 8 schools and so far heard from two (one acceptance - SUNY Buffalo, one rejection - U Kansas). I've been interviewed at Baylor College of Medicine before, but then rejected "due to limited funds." No news from them this year yet. Now while I'm very happy and grateful that I've accepted at least somewhere this year, I'm worried. I did do some research about the program and I do like the biomedical sciences program there. I also have a few professors in mind with whom I'd like to work, but I'm worried that the ranking of the university is not so high (as Baylor, for example). Am I wrong about that? And does this matter anyway? Also, how is the life in Buffalo like? I've seen a lot of people on this forum ranting about how gloomy and poor the city is. Is that true? Does this necessarily mean poor facilities at the university? Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend the recruitment weekend, so I won't be able to meet professors and see the campus for myself. Is it acceptable to e-mail current students to ask them about their experience there and about the academic and research environment in general? What advantages they gett? What they like and dislike about their program? Also, can I e-mails POI's (even before I accept the offer) and ask them about some details regrading their research? What other questions should I ask, and whom should I ask? Any advice would be appreciated. Also, if anyone is accepted into SUNY Buffalo Biomedical Sciences this season (or is already attending), please share your thoughts and opinions!
GJA Posted March 3, 2015 Posted March 3, 2015 Considering this is your third application season, are you really willing to do another round of applying? Also, would you gain anything that would build your CV and application with another year? If not, then why wait another year to be in the same position you are now. In regards to your concern about Buffalo. Never been there. However, I have to imagine that it is more exciting than many of the typical college towns around the country. As long as the cost of living is reasonable, I don't see the problem. Neuronista 1
Sarochan Posted March 3, 2015 Posted March 3, 2015 In regards to the gloominess, it is central New York, so the winters will be cold, snowy, and probably cloudy a lot of the time. (I've been a resident of CNY for five-ish years, so I am well-acquainted with the weather here.) However, spring, summer, and fall can be lovely! Summers can be quite warm, somewhat humid (but still nice), and last well into September. Falls are very nice, especially with the foliage changing color! My personal favorite is spring, because it's always so nice to see the leaves and flowers coming out and the temperature rising. I haven't lived in Buffalo myself, but my SO went to college there, and he says that the campus and school facilities are nice. There are some parts of the city that are probably less safe (just like many large cities). I don't think that that necessarily means that the school or its facilities are poor. I wish I could help with your other questions.... But if you have any questions about the environment/area, feel free to ask! Neuronista 1
.letmeinplz// Posted March 3, 2015 Posted March 3, 2015 As far as the weather in Buffalo, lake-effect snow make winters pretty crazy (especially if you are from an area where there is no snow). I love snow but I don't think I could do Buffalo. Having to shovel snow so your roof doesn't collapse under the weight of it all seems like a little more maintenance than I would like to put up with. Neuronista 1
idiochromatic Posted March 3, 2015 Posted March 3, 2015 Friend was considering Buffalo. Cost of living is very cheap and grad students can live well there (some even buy houses, really, it's true). Neuronista 1
smpalesh Posted March 3, 2015 Posted March 3, 2015 Why would you apply to a school if you didn't think it was good enough to attend? I would assume you researched the program before deciding to apply so why doubt your decision now? Like you said, it's your 3rd year applying. Personally I would be happy for the acceptance and start making plans to attend. it's an IR world, Neuronista, biotechie and 1 other 3 1
Shanleigh17 Posted March 4, 2015 Posted March 4, 2015 Hi Neuronista, I can tell you that Buffalo is a great place to be, and that SUNY Buffalo is a great school. I just recently got accepted to their PhD program as well, and I am thrilled! Don't listen to anything about the weather, I have lived here my entire life and although it is difficult at times, there are so many more benefits that outweigh weather. We have an extremely low cost of living, very nice suburbs and in my opinion, we have made some awesome improvements to our city. We have great nightlife and diversity. You also cannot beat our team spirit, we love sports here. Feel free to reach out with any questions you may have! And congratulations! Neuronista 1
Buffalofan4255 Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 I'm a senior at UB right now and will be attending the University of Toronto next fall for my masters (global top 20). UB is a really fantastic school actually, and is a really comprehensive school (largest in NY state and is the flagship public school of the state). Architecture, dental, medicine, engineering, business, education, law, public health, planning, etc. UB's alumni are pretty well regarded too...including the CEOs of Paramount Pictures, A&E Networks, Coca Cola, j crew. Wolf Blitzer and the former prime minister of Somalia are also alum...and the school was founded by the 13th president of the US, millard Fillmore. As for buffalo, the city has a ton of history, and was for a while one of the top 5 wealthiest cities in the US. Buff right now is going through a cultural and economic "Renaissance" and is attracting smart people who are involved in re-building and developing the region. I'm originally from Boston, MA, and I've grown to absolutely love the Buffalo region. The people are friendly, the community is strong, and you can have a stake in something here. As for UB, the students are smart. In terms of medical, Buffalo is becoming a center for top medical services in the country. UB is getting brand new medical facilities downtown in 2016 and the Buffalo Niagara medical campus is thriving. About $3 billion has been invested over just the last 5 years. UB is also a very wealthy University, and has the largest endowment over any public in the northeast ($730 million). Jeremy Jacobs (an alum) is the current chair of the UB council, he's a billionaire and owns the Boston bruins. Buffalo is quickly becoming a top place for young people too, there's a recent NYtimes article that showcases top places where college graduates are going to, and buffalo was in the top 3. UB is also about 30% international students, and buffalo brings in thousands of UN refugees, so the city is actually extremely diverse. Come check out what's going on in Buffalo...you'll love it im sure Neuronista 1
Buffalofan4255 Posted March 6, 2015 Posted March 6, 2015 Fyi, there's a reason why Obama came to UB to announce his plan to reform higher education in August of 2013 Btw, the city's population might look small (290,000), but each town surrounding buff is 100,000. It's crazy actually how big the suburbs are....I believe the population of the region is about 1.7 million. Neuronista 1
rising_star Posted March 7, 2015 Posted March 7, 2015 The Boston, MA area is far snowier than Buffalo this season: http://goldensnowglobe.com/all-snowiest-us-cities/ Think ice wine, Niagara Falls, and a short drive to Toronto. Buffalo isn't that bad. I'd totally move there! Neuronista 1
Neuronista Posted March 7, 2015 Author Posted March 7, 2015 Hey everyone! Thank you so much for your replies, encouragement, and help! I really appreciate all your responses. Considering this is your third application season, are you really willing to do another round of applying? Also, would you gain anything that would build your CV and application with another year? If not, then why wait another year to be in the same position you are now. In regards to your concern about Buffalo. Never been there. However, I have to imagine that it is more exciting than many of the typical college towns around the country. As long as the cost of living is reasonable, I don't see the problem. I guess you're right. It would be stupid to decline an offer at this point for no real reason other than my anxiety! I've already improved my CV since my last application season (better GRE scores, more research experience, publications) so I think it's time Neuronista 1
Neuronista Posted March 7, 2015 Author Posted March 7, 2015 In regards to the gloominess, it is central New York, so the winters will be cold, snowy, and probably cloudy a lot of the time. (I've been a resident of CNY for five-ish years, so I am well-acquainted with the weather here.) However, spring, summer, and fall can be lovely! Summers can be quite warm, somewhat humid (but still nice), and last well into September. Falls are very nice, especially with the foliage changing color! My personal favorite is spring, because it's always so nice to see the leaves and flowers coming out and the temperature rising. I haven't lived in Buffalo myself, but my SO went to college there, and he says that the campus and school facilities are nice. There are some parts of the city that are probably less safe (just like many large cities). I don't think that that necessarily means that the school or its facilities are poor. I wish I could help with your other questions.... But if you have any questions about the environment/area, feel free to ask! Thank you so much. Where I currently live, it hardly even rains! So I think this will be a huge change for me. Clouds and cool weather actually make me happy since they are rare events here, but I'm not sure how I'll like if they last much more than I'm used to. I'll be sure to ask you if I have any questions later, especially when I'm getting ready to leave since I'm not sure what kind of clothes to pack! Thanks again! Neuronista 1
Neuronista Posted March 7, 2015 Author Posted March 7, 2015 As far as the weather in Buffalo, lake-effect snow make winters pretty crazy (especially if you are from an area where there is no snow). I love snow but I don't think I could do Buffalo. Having to shovel snow so your roof doesn't collapse under the weight of it all seems like a little more maintenance than I would like to put up with. WOW these pictures are scary especially that I come from a place where there is ZERO snow! Neuronista 1
Neuronista Posted March 7, 2015 Author Posted March 7, 2015 Friend was considering Buffalo. Cost of living is very cheap and grad students can live well there (some even buy houses, really, it's true). Thanks for your input! I think I'll be living on-campus for some time, then I might consider other options as I get used to the city and surroundings. Neuronista 1
Neuronista Posted March 7, 2015 Author Posted March 7, 2015 Why would you apply to a school if you didn't think it was good enough to attend? I would assume you researched the program before deciding to apply so why doubt your decision now? Like you said, it's your 3rd year applying. Personally I would be happy for the acceptance and start making plans to attend. I guess you're right. I did research the school before applying. At that time, and after applying to many places with no success, ranking and presitge were not major criteria for me. All I wanted was to get into a place where people are doing research that match my interests and experience (and therefore more likely to accept me). Now that I'm accepted and things became real, I started to doubt my choices! I guess it's weird human nature, or perhaps weird me! Neuronista 1
Neuronista Posted March 7, 2015 Author Posted March 7, 2015 Hi Neuronista, I can tell you that Buffalo is a great place to be, and that SUNY Buffalo is a great school. I just recently got accepted to their PhD program as well, and I am thrilled! Don't listen to anything about the weather, I have lived here my entire life and although it is difficult at times, there are so many more benefits that outweigh weather. We have an extremely low cost of living, very nice suburbs and in my opinion, we have made some awesome improvements to our city. We have great nightlife and diversity. You also cannot beat our team spirit, we love sports here. Feel free to reach out with any questions you may have! And congratulations! I'm a senior at UB right now and will be attending the University of Toronto next fall for my masters (global top 20). UB is a really fantastic school actually, and is a really comprehensive school (largest in NY state and is the flagship public school of the state). Architecture, dental, medicine, engineering, business, education, law, public health, planning, etc. UB's alumni are pretty well regarded too...including the CEOs of Paramount Pictures, A&E Networks, Coca Cola, j crew. Wolf Blitzer and the former prime minister of Somalia are also alum...and the school was founded by the 13th president of the US, millard Fillmore. As for buffalo, the city has a ton of history, and was for a while one of the top 5 wealthiest cities in the US. Buff right now is going through a cultural and economic "Renaissance" and is attracting smart people who are involved in re-building and developing the region. I'm originally from Boston, MA, and I've grown to absolutely love the Buffalo region. The people are friendly, the community is strong, and you can have a stake in something here. As for UB, the students are smart. In terms of medical, Buffalo is becoming a center for top medical services in the country. UB is getting brand new medical facilities downtown in 2016 and the Buffalo Niagara medical campus is thriving. About $3 billion has been invested over just the last 5 years. UB is also a very wealthy University, and has the largest endowment over any public in the northeast ($730 million). Jeremy Jacobs (an alum) is the current chair of the UB council, he's a billionaire and owns the Boston bruins. Buffalo is quickly becoming a top place for young people too, there's a recent NYtimes article that showcases top places where college graduates are going to, and buffalo was in the top 3. UB is also about 30% international students, and buffalo brings in thousands of UN refugees, so the city is actually extremely diverse. Come check out what's going on in Buffalo...you'll love it im sure Fyi, there's a reason why Obama came to UB to announce his plan to reform higher education in August of 2013 Btw, the city's population might look small (290,000), but each town surrounding buff is 100,000. It's crazy actually how big the suburbs are....I believe the population of the region is about 1.7 million. The Boston, MA area is far snowier than Buffalo this season: http://goldensnowglobe.com/all-snowiest-us-cities/ Think ice wine, Niagara Falls, and a short drive to Toronto. Buffalo isn't that bad. I'd totally move there! Thank you all for your comments and encouragement. I feel much better already and even excited! I really feel that there will be a lot of opportunities for exploration, especially that I actually do like exploring and wandering about. And for those still waiting on decisions, I wish you the best of luck! However, no-one has yet answered this question: is it acceptable to contact current students to ask about their impressions regarding the program? Neuronista 1
Buffalofan4255 Posted March 7, 2015 Posted March 7, 2015 FYI, UB's research in behavioral economics, neuroeconomics, neuro (general), and psych is among the best in the country. Some of the top researchers in these fields are at UB...and many professors have 300+ pubs (check out Dr. Leonard Epstein for example...some of the most innovative behavioral research out there). A lot of UB's research in these areas have been presented in major ted talks alongside research from top tier global institutions... http://medicine.buffalo.edu/content/medicine/departments/neurology/faculty/profile.html?ubit=lwrabetz Neuronista 1
rising_star Posted March 7, 2015 Posted March 7, 2015 Thank you all for your comments and encouragement. I feel much better already and even excited! I really feel that there will be a lot of opportunities for exploration, especially that I actually do like exploring and wandering about. And for those still waiting on decisions, I wish you the best of luck! However, no-one has yet answered this question: is it acceptable to contact current students to ask about their impressions regarding the program? Yes, it is absolutely acceptable to talk to current grad students. In fact, I'd think it odd if you didn't talk to them. Neuronista 1
Neuronista Posted April 10, 2015 Author Posted April 10, 2015 Hi everyone! Just wanted to let you all know that I've accepted my offer from the University at Buffalo. Thanks all for your help and advice! qeta and brown_eyed_girl 2
brown_eyed_girl Posted April 10, 2015 Posted April 10, 2015 Hi everyone! Just wanted to let you all know that I've accepted my offer from the University at Buffalo. Thanks all for your help and advice! Congrats on your decision, glad it worked out!
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