Biosciences: Application information (old results thread)

Graduate School
401

<p>I took a slightly different approach in my SOP (I’m also applying to Stanford, which to me seems like the standard SOP in terms of what they want). I didn’t talk at all about my coursework. I think it is very evident from my transcript, so what’s the point. I made a draft of it and it just sounded like a list because I’ve taken so many relevant courses.</p>

<p>I just talked about my research experience, which was the bulk of it (50%), another 25% about what I want to do (I have pretty specific interests within neuroscience) and career interests, and 25% about why that school (faculty, program). I didn’t talk about ‘how’ it shaped my research interests. I just talked about WHAT I was interested in (~150-200 words I’d say). I don’t know why I like it, I like it because what I’m interested in is, as I wrote, some of the most fundamental questions in neuroscience. There, that’s it. I don’t know. I hope they get that of course my courses and research experience (all in neuroscience and all related to what I want to research) has shaped my interests, but I personally feel that talking about my projects is more important than spelling out why I like what I like. In retrospect, I made a few brief statements on it but I hope they see that my interests are sort of a mix between my two research experiences. Personally, whenever I made drafts and talked about what shaped my interests, it sounded so fluffy and stupid. In reality, it is been more than anything, conversations with people who’ve commented on my personality and how that fits into what research I am/would be interested in, plus going to talks and going “WOW”. But I don’t know how to write that without sounding foolish. </p>

<p>For those just briefly talking about your research, what DO you talk about? I tried very hard to talk about things that couldn’t be found elsewhere in the app. </p>

<p>The “most important project” bit I just summed up the project I spent the longest time working on.</p>

402

<p>OH! Is anyone else having problems today accessing their applications with are through the ApplyYourself site?? Is it just me? I didn’t have this issue last night but now I get this error msg that says (when I click on the “!”) that “this site contains information which is note secure…” etc.</p>

403

<p>I guess it depends on who you are…In my case I am almost a triple major in biology chemistry and maths…So, I have my own story about how I ended up in a cancer biology field…mine is kinda like a story from where I come from to where I ended and where I want to go from here…But like safetypin00, bulk of it is my research experiences…</p>

404

<p>^ Makes perfect sense. </p>

<p>nvm about my applyyourself thing. it works now! wee :)</p>

405

<p>not gonna lie, i have a pretty damn good SOP… :-)</p>

406

<p>@safetypin00 - Yes that happened to me too. I freaked out momentarily. I tried different browsers and a different computer. And then I just started mentally listing down all the different ways this could be bad, and all the different ways I could deal with it.
Ah, I guess this time of the year we all can get a little neurotic like that.</p>

407

<p>speaking of sops, I wonder what they want us to write within 500 words. I mean we can barely touch upon the research projects and interests within that limit, how can the sop be so important if they do not let us explain anything. I get that they want to be able to be concise yet articulate, but I don’t see the point of merely brushing over the interests and research experience, does anyone feel this way, or any other way? I am just curious about this.</p>

408

<p>500 words? The shortest limit imposed by any of my standard-SoP-requiring schools is 1000 words, which is just enough space.</p>

<p>Only UCSF (Tetrad) restricts me ~500 words, but not without providing a separate section, also restricted to ~500 words, to detail just my research experiences.</p>

<p>Are you sure the school limiting you to 500 words isn’t asking you to put the bulk of what would go in a stanford SoP elsewhere?</p>

409

<p>indiana U also wants it 500…</p>

<p>:S</p>

410

<p>Hey all,</p>

<p>Sorry I didn’t check the blog out over the weekend. In terms of the whole fraternity thing( . . .) I helped start a new one with a bunch of my friends. It was a great experience and we are like top at our University now (. . .). But, sorry to start some hard feelings, always a touchy subject. </p>

<p>I am totally hating SOP as well. Stanford’s was definitely the hardest because of the limits, plus its my top pick which just ups the pressure. </p>

<p>Has anyone completed the DUKE SOP, it asks about your strengths and your weaknesses. I was advised by one of my English professors not to write more than one weakness, because they are just looking for reasons why they should toss you in the “pass” file. The whole process is so nerve racking, wish I could just start with interviews, feel I am much more charismatic in person. </p>

<p>Did anyone else go through the “roller coaster” effect during their applications? You start feeling like you don’t have much of a chance of getting in anywhere, then you start feeling better like you will get into all your fall backs no problem, then you just go back down. It sucks, can’t wait to get some interview invitations.</p>

411

<p>Stanford’s limit is 2 pages… how is that not one of your more generous schools?</p>

412

<p>Columbia is ~ 500 words. I’m thinking 600 is okay. Mine was ~540.
Cornell is one page, single spaced - ~600-650 words or so. </p>

<p>But for those they don’t seem to ask too much about what you want to do/why. More your research experience. I actually didn’t have too much trouble with them. </p>

<p>A lot (princeton, harvard) have 1000 words max.
The best are Stanford, UChicago (2500! but mine was still 1300), MIT which, unless someone points me to the limit, doesn’t apperantly have one… (I’m still not going over 1200 though). Places like Baylor and Northwestern which separate your research from what you want to do/career objectives. So it is like 3 pages! Rockefeller ~1200</p>

<p>I’m definitely going through feeling like I’ll get in to most places to feeling the opposite.</p>

413

<p>Yah, I definitely look forward to hearing how you all do, and potentially seeing some of you at interviews. Have no clue what I will do come December when there is nothing left to do except wait. </p>

<p>Has anyone extensively tried to contact potential mentors? I have only tried at Stanford, with not so great responses, such as: “Not taking Graduate students at this time”. Any strategy tips. I am not 100% sure on my topic and I am open for many research areas in cancer, just not sure how to pinpoint potential mentors.</p>

414

<p>Hey guys just had a brief question on how to mention a paper that is just about to be published? So me and my PI just wrote up a paper and have sent it to various profs for a review before submission. Im not sure how the process of submiting a paper works so how can I mention this stage of work??</p>

415

<p>choijae, write the title and authors like normal and in place of journal write submitted.</p>

416

<p>^^ right now your manuscript is “in preparation” so you would write the author list, the title, and then “(in preparation)” – if you have submitted it to a journal prior to handing in your apps you would write the author list, the title, the journal and then “(submitted)”</p>

417

<p>Yikes, I’m new(ish). I posted on CC when I was applying to undergrad and just remembered it today. Here’s my profile:</p>

<p>Interest: Cognitive neuroscience</p>

<p>School: Graduated from a LAC-- not top 10</p>

<p>Major: Neuroscience</p>

<p>GPA: Cumulative: 3.76 Major: 3.69 (My intro sciences dragged it down, especially Chemistry and Physics, but I did well in my upper-division Neuroscience and Psychology classes)</p>

<p>GRE: 700 Verbal, 790 Quantitative, 5.5 Writing. No subject GRE :(</p>

<p>Research: ~4 years? I worked in labs all 4 years of undergrad as well as over 3 summers, and I’ve been working as a research assistant for the past year and half. Only the most recent 2 of those years have been in Neuroscience-related fields, though.</p>

<p>LORs: Should be fairly strong. All three are from PIs with whom I’ve been published. Two of them were my letter-writers when I was applying for my current job, and the third is my PI now.</p>

<p>Publications: 3 total. One 1st author, one 2nd author and one 5th or 6th author.</p>

<p>Schools:
I… Okay, here’s the thing. I’m not applying to any “safeties” (do safeties even exist in graduate school parlance? Let’s just say REALISTIC schools) , so I’ve actually been too embarrassed to tell people where I’m applying because I usually get the “pssssh” eye-roll. I’m only applying to 5 schools this year-- 3 for Neuroscience, 2 for Psychology, and all of which are highly competitive reach schools for which that I would be incredibly excited to even get to the interview stage. If I don’t get in this year, I’ll just stay at my current job for another year, take the Psychology subject test and maybe get another publication under my belt before trying again next year.</p>

<p>I just sent out my third application (it seems that I’m lagging behind most people on this forum) and I get a little more freaked out every day. I know it’s not the end of the world if I don’t get in this year, but the prospect of getting nothing but rejections is never pleasant… Especially from the schools of your dreams!</p>

418

<p>What are you worried about? your stats are spectacular for any schools…If you are worried about the deadline, you still have 5 days to submit the rest of your applications…</p>

419

<p>just wondering…</p>

<p>if schools say deadlines are dec 1st tuesday then can I submit my app at tuesday or at monday nov 30?</p>

420

<p>They usually specify a time of day as well.</p>