Computational neuroscience or theoretical EEB?

[Loisyyy]

Hi guys, I'm an international student with a major in biological sciences and minor in computer science. I'm currently in an exchange program in UCD. I had 1.5 years wet lab experience in my home institution and found out that I don't enjoy it at all. Then I turned to mathematical modeling and theoretical ecology (0.5 year lab experience). But I'm also quite interested in neuroscience and human mind, so I took two upper-division neuroscience classes in UCD. And I joined both a theoretical ecology and a computational neuroscience lab here and enjoyed both of them. I want to apply for grad school 2017, and it is a tough decision for me to choose from EEB and neuroscience. For both disciplines, I'm more interested in the behavioral aspect with a computational approach. 

 

More background info:

I got near top gpa back home and full 4.0 at UCD. I have taken a lot math/computer science classes. GRE scores are V158/Q170. Might have one 4th or 5th authored paper and a 1st-author publication from the theoretical ecology lab in UCD. I know UCD has very good reputation in ecology. Sadly no paper on computational neuroscience before application.

 

Programs that I would like to apply (where I can identify several interested faculties):

UC Davis: population biology/ecology, neuroscience (have a good chance getting into this neuroscience program since my PI is taking student next year)

UW: quantitative ecology, neuroscience

Princeton: quantitative biology/ EEB

Cornell: EEB

Indiana bloomington: cognitive and computational neuroscience

Umich: EEB

Uchicago: EEB

Other schools I might apply (but would be super hard): MIT BCS, Harvard system biology/OEB, UCSD, Stanford

 

Am I aiming too high? What can I do to increase my chance of getting into a top program? Any comments/ thoughts/ suggestions on choosing programs would be appreciated

[Loisyyy]

Should I take some gap years before entering grad school? But as a foreigner, it is hard for me to find a gap year job in the US. And research jobs related to these disciplines are rare in my country lol.

[Neuro PolarBear]

If you're interested in theoretical/computational neuroscience you should consider the Gatsby unit at UCL or the theory center at Columbia. However, given that most of the programs you've listed above are EEB ones, I get the sense that you're more interested in that, and maybe you'll be able to know that for sure by the end of the summer. I think you have enough experience to apply now, as well. You can certainly apply this cycle and see how you do and then decide to take a gap year if you don't find a program that works for you. If you want to switch over to neuroscience, perhaps taking a gap year and trying to do some more research in computational neuroscience could be beneficial. You can also reach out to some professors/program directors at each type of program to see what they'd say about your amount of experience.

[Loisyyy]

15 minutes ago, Micecroscopy said:

If you're interested in theoretical/computational neuroscience you should consider the Gatsby unit at UCL or the theory center at Columbia. However, given that most of the programs you've listed above are EEB ones, I get the sense that you're more interested in that, and maybe you'll be able to know that for sure by the end of the summer. I think you have enough experience to apply now, as well. You can certainly apply this cycle and see how you do and then decide to take a gap year if you don't find a program that works for you. If you want to switch over to neuroscience, perhaps taking a gap year and trying to do some more research in computational neuroscience could be beneficial. You can also reach out to some professors/program directors at each type of program to see what they'd say about your amount of experience.

Thank you! 

I didn't list a lot neuroscience programs, partly because I know most of the programs with a computational emphasis are very competitive ones, and I'm not very confident with my experience. Also I think I'm more interested in cognitive science rather than neuroscience, but I don't have much background in that or psychology. That discourages me, too. Anyway, I will definitely try reaching out to some professors later this summer/early fall.

By the way, would it be helpful to take a GRE sub? Is it better for me to take bio sub or math sub?

[Neuro PolarBear]

If your grades are good, which it seems like they are, then I don't think taking the subject tests would be that helpful, especially since the bio and math ones aren't that directly relevant to the programs you're applying to.

Especially if you're interested in theory, I think a lot of the neuroscience programs aren't as concerned about your experience. That is, they'll gladly take students from physics and computer science backgrounds, since it's probably easier to teach them the biology than vice versa. Other programs that you could consider that have strong theorists are Brandeis (see the Volen National Center for Complex Systems), and BU (which has strong theorists like Stephen Grossberg and Michael Hasselmo, also see CompNet), NYU (David Heeger and Eero Simoncelli), or UT Austin (Ila Fiete, and Alex Huk). I think you'll find that many of these programs and theorists have interests that span both neuroscience and cognitive science.

[Loisyyy]

2 hours ago, Micecroscopy said:

If your grades are good, which it seems like they are, then I don't think taking the subject tests would be that helpful, especially since the bio and math ones aren't that directly relevant to the programs you're applying to.

Especially if you're interested in theory, I think a lot of the neuroscience programs aren't as concerned about your experience. That is, they'll gladly take students from physics and computer science backgrounds, since it's probably easier to teach them the biology than vice versa. Other programs that you could consider that have strong theorists are Brandeis (see the Volen National Center for Complex Systems), and BU (which has strong theorists like Stephen Grossberg and Michael Hasselmo, also see CompNet), NYU (David Heeger and Eero Simoncelli), or UT Austin (Ila Fiete, and Alex Huk). I think you'll find that many of these programs and theorists have interests that span both neuroscience and cognitive science.

Thanks for recommendations! Hope I will have a decision by the end of this summer lol.