2017 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[Bioenchilada]

27 minutes ago, blc073 said:

On paper, you look look great. Your success will depend on your LORs and your SOP. Harvard BBS treats international students the same as domestic students. 

I second this.  

[biochemgirl67]

16 hours ago, myhairtiebroke said:

I should clarify: I applied 2013, 2015, and reapplying now. It wasn't two years in a row, and my 2013 was admittedly shoddy compared to 2015. I had a lower GRE score, and aside from my undergrad PI's LOR I had two professors I only knew as instructors, so those letters likely weren't that great. I also didn't have a first author publication at the time (project was ongoing during 2013 grad apps.)

Point taken on the GRFP. I will be more rigorous in getting feedback on my applications this year. I will also try expanding my list of schools. My strategy (last year) for picking schools was finding professors I liked, seeing which schools they were at, and then evaluating whether programs were a good fit (mostly whether or not there were other professors in the same program I wouldn't mind working with.)

Is that ok to do? I get that they're old letters of rec, but I'm pretty sure my LOR writers aren't going to drastically change the letters for this cycle.

Okay, but you shouldn't have been straight up rejected from every school you applied to, especially with 3 good letters and a first author publication and good statistics.  The problem is that theoretically, you should have gotten something and that says to other people that you aren't seeing something about your application.  And your LoRs will probably be exactly the same... professors are as lazy as regular people, unless something new has happened with them and you in the past year.  You should definitely ask to see them, although you want to be careful because it could come off like you're saying that they might have been the reason for your rejection last year.

Maybe change the way you're approaching choosing grad schools?  Something isn't clicking with your profile and the schools you applied to.  I think you should apply to them and also about 5 more programs that aren't as competitive.  If I remember correctly, you wanted to do host-microbe stuff?  That's really common (which is a good thing) meaning that you should be able to find some schools with a strength in it.

[Edotdl]

@myhairtiebroke You mentioned that you also reached out to some professors. How did that go? If they seem to be interested, they might be able to provide some insight on why you were rejected previously and may be able to help with your application. 

[myhairtiebroke]

10 hours ago, biochemgirl67 said:

Okay, but you shouldn't have been straight up rejected from every school you applied to, especially with 3 good letters and a first author publication and good statistics.  The problem is that theoretically, you should have gotten something and that says to other people that you aren't seeing something about your application.  And your LoRs will probably be exactly the same... professors are as lazy as regular people, unless something new has happened with them and you in the past year.  You should definitely ask to see them, although you want to be careful because it could come off like you're saying that they might have been the reason for your rejection last year.

Maybe change the way you're approaching choosing grad schools?  Something isn't clicking with your profile and the schools you applied to.  I think you should apply to them and also about 5 more programs that aren't as competitive.  If I remember correctly, you wanted to do host-microbe stuff?  That's really common (which is a good thing) meaning that you should be able to find some schools with a strength in it.

Ok, will do. Now that you mentioned it, my undergrad PI's 2015 LOR was likely identical to the 2013 one (he submitted them within minutes.) I'll talk to and update them on new stuff that I did. My NIH LORs were fairly involved. They sat down with me and talked about my goals with grad school, and before leaving the NIH they also mentioned they were open to more discussion to ensure I could get in somewhere this cycle, so I feel good on that end. And I will definitely expand on the programs I'm applying to.

3 hours ago, Edotdl said:

@myhairtiebroke You mentioned that you also reached out to some professors. How did that go? If they seem to be interested, they might be able to provide some insight on why you were rejected previously and may be able to help with your application. 

It was variable. Last year, most replies boiled down to "good luck, and we can talk if you get invited for an interview," so they likely weren't too interested. I spoke to one over the phone, and another over Skype who were very helpful and seemed interested. I've emailed both of them this year, but I'm waiting to hear back. It's been over week, so I might bug them again next week or wait for October - I think I emailed them as the semester started so they're probably swamped. I've only just started reaching out to professors this year, but the one reply I got so far was essentially "good luck, and we can talk if you get invited for an interview."

[Bunny_sua]

no one replied to my previous topic  so im posting again!!

Undergrad Institution: Best school in country
Major(s): Biomedical Informatics
Minor(s): none
GPA in Major: 6.7/10 (8 last 2 years) (overall gpa from program is 5.2 tho)
Overall GPA: - 
Position in Class: maybe top 25% 
Type of Student: International Latin-american female

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 162
V: 152
W: 4.5
B: - 

TOEFL Total: 102

Research Experience:
    - 1 year undergrad fellowship in one lab (epidemiology/cse)
    - 1.5 years undergrad fellowship in another lab (proteomics/bioinformatics/cse)
    - 1 year on student junior enterprise (quality intern/cse)
    - 1 summer intern at a nyc hospital (bioinformatics/translational medicine/cse)
    - just started a trainee in a local small programming consulting agency(I don't think this helps for bioinformatics, but is helping me save for tuition, salary is great)

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: 
    - 1 year full exchange scholarship (us state school)

Pertinent Activities or Jobs:
    - 1 year tutoring kids 

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: 

Special Bonus Points: 1 famous recommender and another one is the chair of the department of cse at my school (?helpful)

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:
    - It could matter that I already graduated last month, so I'm sort of taking a gap year for MS school since I'm applying for fall season. I don't know if I should mention this one the sop. This gap year was originally based on some personal/family reasons but came at hand for me to save for msc abroad.
 

Applying to Where:

U. of Toronto - Computer Science - Computational Biology
McGill U. - Computer Science - Bioinformatics
Western U. - Computer Science - Bioinformatics
York University - Computer Science - Bioinformatics
U. of Calgary - Chemistry and Biochemistry - Bioinformatics

 

I don't know what are the chances for internationals to get a masters in canada. And I'm concern about my low grades and poor gre score!! Please share your thoughts with me.  

[biochemgirl67]

13 hours ago, myhairtiebroke said:

Ok, will do. Now that you mentioned it, my undergrad PI's 2015 LOR was likely identical to the 2013 one (he submitted them within minutes.) I'll talk to and update them on new stuff that I did. My NIH LORs were fairly involved. They sat down with me and talked about my goals with grad school, and before leaving the NIH they also mentioned they were open to more discussion to ensure I could get in somewhere this cycle, so I feel good on that end. And I will definitely expand on the programs I'm applying to.

It was variable. Last year, most replies boiled down to "good luck, and we can talk if you get invited for an interview," so they likely weren't too interested. I spoke to one over the phone, and another over Skype who were very helpful and seemed interested. I've emailed both of them this year, but I'm waiting to hear back. It's been over week, so I might bug them again next week or wait for October - I think I emailed them as the semester started so they're probably swamped. I've only just started reaching out to professors this year, but the one reply I got so far was essentially "good luck, and we can talk if you get invited for an interview."

How long has it been since you emailed them?  If it's been over a week, it's not a lost cause but it doesn't look good for affecting your application.  Also, I believe that emailing faculty does not in any way help you get an "in"  into a program. Unless you're going to be a direct admit, but those require more of a relationship and also aren't common in the biological sciences.  I mean look at it this way, faculty want to choose their grad students from a pool of qualified people and so use the admissions committee as a filtering mechanism so they know in general everybody in the program is academically qualified and has a demonstrable aptitude/interest in science.

So my point is, email faculty if you have a valid question about the institution, the program, or their research, not if you're looking to get a leg up in the competition (not that you are, just PSA).

Have you looked into microbiology programs at University of Iowa, University of Tennessee, university of Utah, or other similar schools?  They have great research but aren't necessarily University of Wisconsin-Madison competitive in microbiology.

[myhairtiebroke]

9 hours ago, biochemgirl67 said:

How long has it been since you emailed them?  If it's been over a week, it's not a lost cause but it doesn't look good for affecting your application.  Also, I believe that emailing faculty does not in any way help you get an "in"  into a program. Unless you're going to be a direct admit, but those require more of a relationship and also aren't common in the biological sciences.  I mean look at it this way, faculty want to choose their grad students from a pool of qualified people and so use the admissions committee as a filtering mechanism so they know in general everybody in the program is academically qualified and has a demonstrable aptitude/interest in science.

So my point is, email faculty if you have a valid question about the institution, the program, or their research, not if you're looking to get a leg up in the competition (not that you are, just PSA).

Have you looked into microbiology programs at University of Iowa, University of Tennessee, university of Utah, or other similar schools?  They have great research but aren't necessarily University of Wisconsin-Madison competitive in microbiology.

I've been emailing professors for 1.5ish weeks now, but very slowly, lol. So far, only four. Two were the ones I spoke on the phone/Skyped with last year, but I'm still waiting for responses. One suggested which programs I should I apply to in order to rotate through her lab and said we would talk if I got an interview, and the last professor asked me to email them again in October when they are less busy. The latter two responded within the day I emailed them.

What do you mean by "If it's been over a week, it's not a lost cause but it doesn't look good for affecting your application"?

I understand that emailing won't help with actual admissions. I think every program I have applied to does rotations as well so professors wouldn't be able to have a say in admissions. I email to check if professors I am interested in are even considering taking on new students, and to get a better feel for their research - mostly current research and potential future projects.

Lastly, thanks for the school suggestions! I will check them out.

Edited September 22, 2016 by myhairtiebroke

[biochemgirl67]

4 hours ago, myhairtiebroke said:

I've been emailing professors for 1.5ish weeks now, but very slowly, lol. So far, only four. Two were the ones I spoke on the phone/Skyped with last year, but I'm still waiting for responses. One suggested which programs I should I apply to in order to rotate through her lab and said we would talk if I got an interview, and the last professor asked me to email them again in October when they are less busy. The latter two responded within the day I emailed them.

What do you mean by "If it's been over a week, it's not a lost cause but it doesn't look good for affecting your application"?

I understand that emailing won't help with actual admissions. I think every program I have applied to does rotations as well so professors wouldn't be able to have a say in admissions. I email to check if professors I am interested in are even considering taking on new students, and to get a better feel for their research - mostly current research and potential future projects.

Lastly, thanks for the school suggestions! I will check them out.

I simply mean that in a week, if they haven't gotten back to you, there is a good chance that the email is buried in their inbox.  I mean, it's possible they'll clean it out and see it if they've been gone at a conference.  

Also, it's grant time now, so some of the less-well-funded professors won't be able to say whether they are taking students or not.  I'm just worried that it might be a bit presumptuous to ask what you might be working on in their lab.  I guess if what you are working on is so specific you can't find 10 ish faculty in the program you might be interested in, then emailing is a good idea.

[myhairtiebroke]

1 hour ago, biochemgirl67 said:

I simply mean that in a week, if they haven't gotten back to you, there is a good chance that the email is buried in their inbox.  I mean, it's possible they'll clean it out and see it if they've been gone at a conference.  

Also, it's grant time now, so some of the less-well-funded professors won't be able to say whether they are taking students or not.  I'm just worried that it might be a bit presumptuous to ask what you might be working on in their lab.  I guess if what you are working on is so specific you can't find 10 ish faculty in the program you might be interested in, then emailing is a good idea.

I see. Is it worth emailing them again after a week if I haven't heard back? I'm worried about annoying them and seeming eager - even though I am.

Hopefully I don't seem presumptuous when asking about their research, lol. I certainly don't try to frame it like that. Is 10ish faculty really the goal for applying to a program? I've been happy with finding 3-5, so am I being too specific?

[Bioenchilada]

3 minutes ago, myhairtiebroke said:

I see. Is it worth emailing them again after a week if I haven't heard back? I'm worried about annoying them and seeming eager - even though I am.

Hopefully I don't seem presumptuous when asking about their research, lol. I certainly don't try to frame it like that. Is 10ish faculty really the goal for applying to a program? I've been happy with finding 3-5, so am I being too specific?

You don't have to look for 10, but the more the merrier. 

[biochemgirl67]

9 hours ago, myhairtiebroke said:

I see. Is it worth emailing them again after a week if I haven't heard back? I'm worried about annoying them and seeming eager - even though I am.

Hopefully I don't seem presumptuous when asking about their research, lol. I certainly don't try to frame it like that. Is 10ish faculty really the goal for applying to a program? I've been happy with finding 3-5, so am I being too specific?

I mean, it's up to you but I wouldn't email them again.  Most people have email on their phone (my PI currently has his synced to his watch) and therefore see it when you email them.  Of course, there can be circumstances like traveling and whatnot.  If you are really interested in the lab and haven't gotten a reply from them, I might try emailing the graduate students.  They'll be really honest and also can tell you if the PI is traveling or not.

I think that as long as you don't ask, "So what would I be doing if I were to join your lab?"  you should be fine.  Ask about future directions, sure, but the question about projects that you could do is kind of misplaced.  They can't tell you because they might have students joining this year that might want to work on the project so they don't want to promise anything.

I shot for 10 at the bigger programs.  If it was a smaller program, say for instance Rockefeller, I didn't really pay attention that much because I knew how amazing the research was there and also I knew there were only about 10 people total (maybe) that did anything in my field, so it was obviously going to be reduced.  Also worth considering, I was open to researching a topic that wasn't in what I thought I wanted to do (immunology) so I counted those people.  But if you're committed to your research topic, then I think you interest count will obviously be lower.

[biotechie]

13 hours ago, Bioenchilada said:

You don't have to look for 10, but the more the merrier. 

The more, the better! But also never limit yourself to your "PI list." I ended up going the lab of a PI that was nowhere near on my radar; in fact, he wasn't even a PI at the school yet when I applied.

[myhairtiebroke]

7 hours ago, biochemgirl67 said:

I mean, it's up to you but I wouldn't email them again.  Most people have email on their phone (my PI currently has his synced to his watch) and therefore see it when you email them.  Of course, there can be circumstances like traveling and whatnot.  If you are really interested in the lab and haven't gotten a reply from them, I might try emailing the graduate students.  They'll be really honest and also can tell you if the PI is traveling or not.

I think that as long as you don't ask, "So what would I be doing if I were to join your lab?"  you should be fine.  Ask about future directions, sure, but the question about projects that you could do is kind of misplaced.  They can't tell you because they might have students joining this year that might want to work on the project so they don't want to promise anything.

I shot for 10 at the bigger programs.  If it was a smaller program, say for instance Rockefeller, I didn't really pay attention that much because I knew how amazing the research was there and also I knew there were only about 10 people total (maybe) that did anything in my field, so it was obviously going to be reduced.  Also worth considering, I was open to researching a topic that wasn't in what I thought I wanted to do (immunology) so I counted those people.  But if you're committed to your research topic, then I think you interest count will obviously be lower.

Just after I read this, one of the PI's I was waiting on a reply from got back to me - they had been traveling! lol

Thank you for all your help. I think I'll have to reevaluate how important having a particular research topic is to me, or how much I'm willing to stray from it for grad school.

[biochemgirl67]

6 hours ago, myhairtiebroke said:

Just after I read this, one of the PI's I was waiting on a reply from got back to me - they had been traveling! lol

Thank you for all your help. I think I'll have to reevaluate how important having a particular research topic is to me, or how much I'm willing to stray from it for grad school.

For what it's worth, I think you should be relatively flexible in your research.  Shoot for general areas that aren't a specific topic simply because 100% of PhDs I've met changed their research from grad school into the rest of their career.  You want to look for interesting questions that will produce publishable data with a good mentor.  But just my thoughts!

[biotechie]

22 minutes ago, biochemgirl67 said:

For what it's worth, I think you should be relatively flexible in your research.  Shoot for general areas that aren't a specific topic simply because 100% of PhDs I've met changed their research from grad school into the rest of their career.  You want to look for interesting questions that will produce publishable data with a good mentor.  But just my thoughts!

I wholeheartedly second this. I wanted to go into immunology and epigenetics, maybe with some cancer biology. I joined a lab where now I work on metabolism and heart disease, and I'm so glad I did. I focused on my fit with the school as a whole when I applied an interviewed, and then in rotations I focused on my fit in the lab and how well I thought the PI would mentor me. My dream project? Last thing on my list. Now I can't believe I ever wanted to limit myself to just immunology and I plan to stay in metabolism when I graduate, but I think I'll grab some epigenetics when I go to post doc. Please message me if you want to talk more one-on-one about it.

[SysEvo]

Undergrad Institution: Big Ten, strong in bio 
Major(s): CS (currently working on)  Biochem; Genetics( earned a BS earlier)
Minor(s): Physics
GPA in Major:3.85
Overall GPA:3.77
Position in Class: no idea, near top?
Type of Student:  international female studying in the us

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 167
V: 166
W: 3 (screwed...)
B: won't take


Research Experience: (At your school or elsewhere? What field? How much time? Any publications (Mth author out of N?) or conference talks etc...)

2.5 yrs experimental, thesis project

8 months computational, 2nd author paper published

1 yr (on-going) theoretical, biophysics/quantitative biology, modeling and simulation, may turn into a paper later, but definitely after the application season.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: (Within your school or outside?)

Within school scholarships, dean's list.

Phi Beta Kappa for my 1st BS in bio

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: (Such as tutor, TA, SPS officer etc...)

Coursera Community TA for bioinformatics

Lead a voluntary translation group to translate MOOCs, actively collaborating with a targeted U biology department.  (will this help??)

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:

Conference poster presentation?

 

Special Bonus Points: (Such as connections, grad classes, famous recommenders, female or minority status etc...)

Have met and talked with several interested PI, received good feedbacks. Strong recs from somewhat famous recommenders. Connections between current mentor and potential mentor. 

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:

Applied once on 2013. Turned offers down, and went to work on another BS to become more quantitative. Very interested in physics, and will only consider PIs with a physics PhD.

Applying to Where:

Haven't finally decided yet. 

Princeton: Quantitative Biology

Yale: Molecular Biology?

Harvard: Systems Biology

MIT: Computational and Systems Biology

UCSD: Quantitative Biology

Georgia tech: Systems biology

Rockefeller: biophysics

UIUC

UMich 

MSU

Edited September 26, 2016 by SysEvo

[Edotdl]

3 hours ago, SysEvo said:

Very interested in physics, and will only consider PIs with a physics PhD.

This seems odd to me. It doesn't make sense to me to only limit potential PIs to having a physics PhD. While I understand the sentiment, there are most likely plenty of PIs strong in physics who do not have a physics PhD.

[SysEvo]

1 hour ago, Edotdl said:

This seems odd to me. It doesn't make sense to me to only limit potential PIs to having a physics PhD. While I understand the sentiment, there are most likely plenty of PIs strong in physics who do not have a physics PhD.

Not for PIs in biology department, though...

[AGradStudentHasNoName]

On 9/25/2016 at 5:11 PM, SysEvo said:

Undergrad Institution: Big Ten, strong in bio 
Major(s): CS (currently working on)  Biochem; Genetics( earned a BS earlier)
Minor(s): Physics
GPA in Major:3.85
Overall GPA:3.77
Position in Class: no idea, near top?
Type of Student:  international female studying in the us

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 167
V: 166
W: 3 (screwed...)
B: won't take


Research Experience: (At your school or elsewhere? What field? How much time? Any publications (Mth author out of N?) or conference talks etc...)

2.5 yrs experimental, thesis project

8 months computational, 2nd author paper published

1 yr (on-going) theoretical, biophysics/quantitative biology, modeling and simulation, may turn into a paper later, but definitely after the application season.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: (Within your school or outside?)

Within school scholarships, dean's list.

Phi Beta Kappa for my 1st BS in bio

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: (Such as tutor, TA, SPS officer etc...)

Coursera Community TA for bioinformatics

Lead a voluntary translation group to translate MOOCs, actively collaborating with a targeted U biology department.  (will this help??)

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:

Conference poster presentation?

 

Special Bonus Points: (Such as connections, grad classes, famous recommenders, female or minority status etc...)

Have met and talked with several interested PI, received good feedbacks. Strong recs from somewhat famous recommenders. Connections between current mentor and potential mentor. 

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:

Applied once on 2013. Turned offers down, and went to work on another BS to become more quantitative. Very interested in physics, and will only consider PIs with a physics PhD.

Applying to Where:

Haven't finally decided yet. 

Princeton: Quantitative Biology

Yale: Molecular Biology?

Harvard: Systems Biology

MIT: Computational and Systems Biology

UCSD: Quantitative Biology

Georgia tech: Systems biology

Rockefeller: biophysics

UIUC

UMich 

MSU

Interesting/weird background. I like weird. 2 separate bachelors degrees? Like, you went to college and then you graduated and then you went back to undergrad in a different subject? Pretty strange. I am not one to talk since I have a CS undergrad and MD and am now looking to do a PhD.

And the physics thing is also a bit strange. There are going to be PI's in top biology departments that are solid in physics but have a PhD in physics or biophysics or bio or chem or math or cs or engineering or bioengineering (and more)... And then there are going to be PI's in bio departments who have a phd in physics whose research is now unrelated to physics. Or are you just looking for the level of rigor / mathematical know how? Also there are many computational biology/bioinformatics/biomedical informatics/biophysics programs that might fit that better. Like why Harvard systems biology instead of Harvard biophysics if that is what you are interested in? And it should go without saying that you should judge PI's based on their research and not their degrees.

[SysEvo]

1 hour ago, AGradStudentHasNoName said:

Interesting/weird background. I like weird. 2 separate bachelors degrees? Like, you went to college and then you graduated and then you went back to undergrad in a different subject? Pretty strange. I am not one to talk since I have a CS undergrad and MD and am now looking to do a PhD.

And the physics thing is also a bit strange. There are going to be PI's in top biology departments that are solid in physics but have a PhD in physics or biophysics or bio or chem or math or cs or engineering or bioengineering (and more)... And then there are going to be PI's in bio departments who have a phd in physics whose research is now unrelated to physics. Or are you just looking for the level of rigor / mathematical know how? Also there are many computational biology/bioinformatics/biomedical informatics/biophysics programs that might fit that better. Like why Harvard systems biology instead of Harvard biophysics if that is what you are interested in? And it should go without saying that you should judge PI's based on their research and not their degrees.

Yes, I went back for another BS, to learn more physics and to make myself more quantitative. Choosing CS as my major instead of physics is due to time limitation. I'm way more interested in physics than in CS.

I should say I am looking at those who are cross-hired by both bio and physics departments, those applying statistical physics in studying biological systems, and they all happen to have a physics phd. My background is weak for biophysics programs, as I don't have a degree in that, though will only missing 1 or 2 courses. 

Edited September 27, 2016 by SysEvo

[biochemgirl67]

3 hours ago, godspeed said:

Undergrad Institution: Top 10 liberal arts school (good reputation in undergrad education, but not known in research field)
Major(s): Honors in neuroscience and behavior
GPA in Major: not calculated but I calculated as 3.65/4.0
Overall GPA: 3.4/4 (strong upward trend, 3.9 senior year)
Position in Class: average? 
Type of Student: (Domestic/International, male/female, minority?) Asian male

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 160 (76)
V: 151 (51)
W: 4
B: not taken

Is it worth taking again to raise Verbal score??

Research Experience:

2 years in a autism lab @ undergrad institution (3 conference posters, thesis paper, 1 third author paper)

1 year in a behavoiral lab @ undergrad institution 

1 summer at a top alzheimer's lab @ top research university

1 year at a top neurodegenerative lab @ top research university (IVY), full-time RA (1 first author paper, 1 second author paper)

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Received honors distinction in major. Research grant awardee during Undergrad (2k)

Special Bonus Points: I think my recommendations are going to be the strongest point of the application. Two of which are my current PIs (couple hundred publications between them) and one is a professor who I worked with for my senior thesis. I took a break from research the last 2 years to work in pharmaceuticals but now ready to pursue a PhD. Significant other lives in NYC and looking primarily at schools in NYC.

Applying to Where:

Neuroscience PhD Program at the following institutions

Cornell

NYU

Columbia

Icahn

Sloak K.

Oxford/NIH

Rockfeller

Yale

Harvard

Princeton

MIT

Upenn

Brown

I just want to know if my stats are good enough to have any shot at these schools, please help... 

Is it worth taking the GRE again?

Should I be looking at some mid-tier schools at well? Any recommendations?

Thank you guys

Your experience in pharmaceuticals is a great addition to your profile, as is the fact that your academics seem solid.

I mean if you're really focused on NYC and the general area, maybe take Yale and Princeton off and add Cornell Weill and Albert Einstein.  Yale is not somewhere you'd like if your preference is to live in a place like NYC.  And Princeton is very basic science oriented.  Strong but definitely basic and your other choices seem to have a medical tilt.

Also, and maybe this is just my perception, but Brown doesn't actually have the super strong research the other schools on your list do.  But maybe go look at pubmed and see the papers published out of the department there and see what kind of impact journals the papers are in.  In 4 years and some serious paper reading, I've never seen anything in a high impact journal from there.  I know someone who went there and from what she said, the emphasis always seemed to be on the undergraduate students' experiences.  But again, do the journal thing and don't just take my word for it.

Otherwise, I think you're competitive.  Though I would take the GRE again if you can stomach it, and try to get your scores over the 75th percentile.

[dalamplighter]

Undergrad Institution: Ivy League (non-HYP)
Major(s): Neuroscience (expected w/ honors)
Minor(s): Cell Biology
GPA in Major: 3.9
Overall GPA: 3.7
Position in Class: Top third
Type of Student: Domestic, white male, current senior

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 170
V: 168
W: 5.5
B: nope

Research Experience:

3 years in neurogenesis lab, working autonomously on project as essentially a grad student. 1st Author paper submitted, currently revising

6 months at UCLA in big name research lab for summer internship, 1st Author on systematic review currently in preparation

3 years in high school working in cancer biology lab, 2 publications (one 1st author, one 4th, both in low-prestige journals)

Awards/Honors/Recognitions:

Honors List (equivalent to Dean's List), 2 undergraduate research grants from my institution

Pertinent Activities or Jobs:

President of undergraduate science journal, TA in introductory genetics class, EMT

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:

Siemens competition finalist in high school (don't know if I should include or not)

Special Bonus Points:

My summer research PI was a big name connected to everyone who matters in the field, will receive LoR from him and have a paper coauthored with him

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:

Currently on the executive board of my fraternity, nothing else interesting

LoRs from two most recent PIs, one from professor I served under as a TA

Applying to Where: (trying to work under PIs studying learning and memory at all institutions)

MIT

Columbia

UCSD

Harvard

Rockefeller

NYU

UCLA

UPenn

Johns Hopkins

Am I aiming too high? I feel like my list is a bit top-heavy, but I cannot think of many other programs in the field with many professors doing interesting research right now.  Are there any good learning and memory programs in neuroscience flying under the radar I may not know about? Any other school recommendations? Thanks!

Edited September 28, 2016 by dalamplighter

[biotechie]

1 hour ago, dalamplighter said:

 

Am I aiming too high? I feel like my list is a bit top-heavy, but I cannot think of many other programs in the field with many professors doing interesting research right now.  Are there any good learning and memory programs in neuroscience flying under the radar I may not know about? Any other school recommendations? Thanks!

I'd say your aim is fine, however, you're also missing out on lots of great faculty that are at great schools elsewhere. I recommend looking up some of the institutions in Texas Medical Center; I know there are several PIs working on learning and memory related areas at University of Houston and Baylor College of Medicine (both neuroscience and BCM's interdisciplinary programs). TMC is a really great place to be as a grad student (or postdoc or PI, for that matter) as you can find just about anyone doing anything. This is particularly beneficial if you're working on interdisciplinary projects. Message me if you would like to know more!

I don't know about UH, but I know BCM has a FREE application.  

[Bioenchilada]

2 hours ago, dalamplighter said:

Undergrad Institution: Ivy League (non-HYP)
Major(s): Neuroscience (expected w/ honors)
Minor(s): Cell Biology
GPA in Major: 3.9
Overall GPA: 3.7
Position in Class: Top third
Type of Student: Domestic, white male, current senior

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 170
V: 168
W: 5.5
B: nope

Research Experience:

3 years in neurogenesis lab, working autonomously on project as essentially a grad student. 1st Author paper submitted, currently revising

6 months at UCLA in big name research lab for summer internship, 1st Author on systematic review currently in preparation

3 years in high school working in cancer biology lab, 2 publications (one 1st author, one 4th, both in low-prestige journals)

Awards/Honors/Recognitions:

Honors List (equivalent to Dean's List), 2 undergraduate research grants from my institution

Pertinent Activities or Jobs:

President of undergraduate science journal, TA in introductory genetics class, EMT

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:

Siemens competition finalist in high school (don't know if I should include or not)

Special Bonus Points:

My summer research PI was a big name connected to everyone who matters in the field, will receive LoR from him and have a paper coauthored with him

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:

Currently on the executive board of my fraternity, nothing else interesting

LoRs from two most recent PIs, one from professor I served under as a TA

Applying to Where: (trying to work under PIs studying learning and memory at all institutions)

MIT

Columbia

UCSD

Harvard

Rockefeller

NYU

UCLA

UPenn

Johns Hopkins

Am I aiming too high? I feel like my list is a bit top-heavy, but I cannot think of many other programs in the field with many professors doing interesting research right now.  Are there any good learning and memory programs in neuroscience flying under the radar I may not know about? Any other school recommendations? Thanks!

Based on your credentials, I'd be surprised if you didn't get an interview invite from almost all the schools you applied to. You have ample research experience and really good numbers.  You really cant go wrong with the schools in your list since I feel they all have amazing neurobiology programs-- not really sure about memory and learning faculty being abundant though .  Maybe you could benefit from dropping one since a lot of schools have conflicting interview weekends. 

I only applied to two schools on your list, but if you'd like help with your SOP, I can provide assistance of some kind. Or if you'd like me to tell you more about Penn lol  

(Note: My comments are constructed under the assumption that you'll have really good rec letters from your PIs and that your SOP-writing skills are good) 

 

[eagb]

Undergrad Institution: Top 20 Public, well known for research
Major(s): Neuroscience, History & Philosophy of Science
Minor(s): Chemistry, Computer Science
GPA in Major: 3.8
Overall GPA: 3.8
Position in Class: no idea
Type of Student: Domestic, hispanic male, current senior

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 164
V: 167
W: 5.5
B: n/a

Research Experience:

3.5 years thesis project in neuroscience lab, developing computational analysis approaches in a non-computational lab. Will get a different type of bachelor's degree for completing this after thesis defense. Also writing a paper (I will be first author or co-first author, but probably won't be submitted until Dec.)

1 Summer at Univ of CT, wrote a first author paper about pine tree genomics, but it is still in review.

1 Summer at prestigious REU, wrote a first author paper, developed software package, presented two posters relating to it at major genomics conference

1 Summer at Yale working in very well known bioinformatics group. 

~2 years - job at undergrad institution (10hr/week) as a bioinformatics analyst, not necessarily research but definitely relevant experience as I design pipelines, computational experiements etc, might eventually get on a paper. 

Awards/Honors/Recognitions:

Dean's List, 3 research grants from undergrad institution, 2 travel grants for a conference, honorable mention in Goldwater Scholarship last year.

Pertinent Activities or Jobs:

2 years as bioinformatics analyst

Working with local public school system to develop and implement a bioinformatics supplement to high school biology classes (my proposal, I'm teaching and designing these lessons, and will eventually publish them under an open source license)

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:

President of campus organization relating to public health, lots of volunteering, a handful of outreach things. Biggest outreach activity is the open-source teaching project mentioned above. 

Bilingual (english/spanish)

Special Bonus Points:

PI at REU and PI at Yale both are very well known in bioinformatics/genomics, and both are writing me a recommendation. 

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:
mmm 4 letters...2 from summer mentors, 1 from thesis advisor, 1 from supervisor at bioinformatics job

Most CS experience is practical, I did pick up a CS minor, but I have only a few classes completed/on my transcript at the moment.

Applying to Where:
MIT Computational and Systems Biology

Columbia Computational 

UCSD Bioinformatics

Berkeley Comp Bio

Stanford Biomedical Informatics

Harvard BIG and BBS

Yale BBS

Cornell Tri-I CBM

U of Washington

NYU Sackler

Johns Hopkins

***no idea if this is a silly list of programs to apply to. Personal opinion is that it's way too top heavy. Top choices probably are Berkeley and MIT. 

Edited September 29, 2016 by eagb