<p>Basic stats:
BA in psychology at UC Berkeley, graduating in spring.
Junior transfer--my GPA at CC was 3.94-3.95-ish, my GPA at Berkeley is a 4.0.
I haven't taken calculus or any any major's level biology, chemistry, or physics. </p>
<p>Possibly relevant classes:</p>
<p>Community college, lower-division: non-major's biology, non-major's human biology, introductory psychobiology, and experimental psychology (cognitive science).</p>
<p>UC Berkeley, upper division: cognitive psychology, registered for cognitive neuroscience.</p>
<p>I'm hoping to take a couple more cognition, brain, and behavior upper division classes next spring since that's when most of them are offered. I'm going to try to get a research assistant position at one of the cognition, brain, and behavior labs.</p>
<p>Would I need to go back to community college and make up all the biology, chemistry, physics, and calculus? Is that going to look really bad? Should I try to find work in research for a year? How likely am I to get into a good grad school?</p>
<p>Thanks! :)</p>
<p>Yes, you will need to make up the biology, chemistry, calculus, and possibly physics. How much you need to make up will depend on the kinds of programs you are aiming for and what you want your neuroscience specialty to be in.</p>
<p>It may be worth it to do try to do research for at least a year (more likely 2 years, since you will likely need at least a year to take the classes you need). You are very unlikely to get into a neuroscience PhD program if you don’t have any neuroscience research experience, and only 1 year of experience (really, about 3 months when you apply) will make you uncompetitive for these programs. So I would plan on taking at least 2 years off to do some research and take those classes.</p>
<p>Oh, yes absolutely I was definitely planning on taking at least one year off, but I would hope no more than two… I do know it would be very difficult to finish all of it in a year. I’d have to take biology, chemistry, physics, and math every quarter/semester. My worry is that I’ll put all that time into it and still be disadvantaged in admissions because I would probably have to do it all at community college… do you know how grad schools look at applicants who completed prereqs at a CC after graduating from a 4-year?</p>