University of Washington-Neuroscience pHD program

Graduate School
1

<p>Ok I just have a few quick questions.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Does anyone know a lot about the program? How good is it? I can't seem to find any information about it when I search.....</p></li>
<li><p>When I graduate I will have a BA in neuroscience. Yes it's a BA, but I have to take ALL the same classes as the science majors, physics, Orgo, chem, etc. The only reason it's a BA is because my school is weird and neuroscience is a major under the school of arts and sciences. Will they see this? This may be a dumb question but they won't just throw out my application because it's a BA right? My mom keeps telling me it's bad but there's nothing I can do and I am taking the SAME classes as my BS friends.</p></li>
<li><p>I have a 3.7 gpa currently, and am trying to keep it there. Is this ok?? I am already in a lab doing research, got in summer of my freshmen year so I should get plenty hours of experience lined up. Currently I am a sophomore in college, so I really hope I can keep working at the level I am! </p></li>
<li><p>I'm worried about my extracurriculars....they're ok but I have friends who are like president of everything and in 8 million organizations and working 100 hours in the lab (joking but still) and are good. I did marching band, was on my hall government, and have participated loosely in several other clubs. I try to focus more on my studies and lab work though, because I'm someone who really needs to study a ton every day to keep my grades up, which means I have a lot less time to participate in activities. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>Maybe it's too early to be thinking about all this since I'm just a sophomore, but I would still love the advice!</p>

2

<ol>
<li><p>No. There are ways for you to research that. Too soon to pick. </p></li>
<li><p>Doesn’t matter.mom is right</p></li>
<li><p>Yes</p></li>
<li><p>Grad schools do not look at ECs. Stick to labs, research and TA is nice.</p></li>
</ol>

3

<p>That makes me so angry!! Why would a BA be looked down upon when it’s just a technicality of my school?? My friend is a bio major, in the school of biological sciences which does not offer a neuroscience major for some reason, and our 4 year schedules are EXACTLY the same, except I have to take added neuroscience electives. Ridiculous!!</p>

4

<p>I’m sorry, I read too fast, I take it entirely back. No meant it doesn’t matter.mom is wrong. They will look at the transcripts and what classes you took. So it only matters if you are missing key classes. If schools calls a&S majors BA no one cares.</p>

5

<ol>
<li><p>Don’t personally know anything.</p></li>
<li><p>It doesn’t matter at all. Some colleges are only authorized to award BAs, or they award BAs in some fields and only a BA. The name of the degree doesn’t matter - and your admissions committee might not even notice. What they’re going to be looking at is your transcript and the classes you’ve taken. It’s not even bad - even if you were at a college that offered a BS and chose to take a BA, it wouldn’t matter. What matters are the CLASSES you are taking.</p></li>
<li><p>A 3.7 is absolutely fine.</p></li>
<li><p>Non-research extracurriculars do not matter at all for PhD admissions.</p></li>
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