I’m currently a Junior at a top 5 public University majoring in Neuroscience & Chemistry.
Research & Volunteering: Lab experiences = 1.5 years in Neuroscience lab (very good relationship with mentor), 2.5 years of volunteering at local animal shelter
Extra Curric’s = 1 year in Pre-Pharmacy frat (was my original career path, decided I didn’t want to be a pharmacist), 1 year of chess club, Plan to join Neuroscience club this spring
My foster son was accepted with a full fellowship to a PhD neuroscience program last winter and just completed his first semester. He had 3.9 GPA, 4 years of hands on research, 2 summers of programs at UPenn and Rutgers. Excellent letters of recommendations, and he is Hispanic. Even with all of those qualifiers - it was extremely competitive, and he only got one offer, for which he interviewed and was accepted.
To be quite honest with you, with your GPA and the low grades in the more advanced classes, I think you would be wise in doing a summer program, applications are due end of January, so I’d hunt for one NOW. I’d also work to identify some post BACC opportunities and apply for them at the same time you apply for grad school. Many grad schools are accepting more seasoned applicants - those who have post- BACC or master’s degrees.
I frequent a website called GradCafe, and if you visit there, and search neuroscience, you can find information about applicants’ stats and acceptance rates. Pretty much all the offers for the class of 2020 have been issued, so now is a great time to look and use that as a baseline. For example, Harvard said the number of applicants to their Neuro program increased 30% compared to last year. Stiff competition.
Disagree. For top programs you’ll need more A’s to bring up your cumulative and research with your name on it. Speak to your advisor about authorship of research.
Consider working for a year and applying later so you can get a full year of senior grades, hopefully A’s.
(did you consider retaking Analytical Chem? Does your college offer grade replacement?)
“Extra Curric’s = 1 year in Pre-Pharmacy frat (was my original career path, decided I didn’t want to be a pharmacist), 1 year of chess club, Plan to join Neuroscience club this spring”
Extra Curr’s are of NO help in getting into PhD programs. So drop them asap and focus on your grades and getting as much research done before you apply to graduate school.
Doing as much research as possible while you are undergraduate, especially during the summer, is vital.
Ask the profs who are willing to write LOR’s if you can do lots of research with them next summer.
Top 20 + PhD program acceptances are very competitive and acceptance decisions are decided by the Profs in the program. Great LOR’s, grades above 3.75 in your major, hi GRE’s and lots of research are all necessary to have a shot at a top 20 program.
Remember that 50% of all accepted PhD applicants at the most competitive programs are from overseas, because Science Graduate school programs have no informal “quota” system regarding acceptances based on race/ sex/ country of origin.