<p>I have applied to 10 programs in Neuroscience for a PhD. I heard back from 5, and interviewed and was accepted to 4 of them. The schools that have yet to get back to me about interview dates or rejections are: Vanderbilt, Cornell Weill, Duke, and Northwestern. Currently, I have one school from the ones I interviewed at that I am sure about and really love. However, I do not know if it is too early to accept now because I am not sure if the other schools are still hosting interview weekends. I think only 2 of the schools from that list really matched my interests perfectly (Cornell and Duke) so I am debating whether I should just accept at the school I am excited about or wait for solid answers from those schools first (interview invite or rejection).</p>
<p>Most neuroscience programs have completed their interview requests. I’m pretty sure that Duke had a single interview weekend at the beginning of February, but that may have been only for Cognitive Neuroscience. </p>
<p>You have until April 15, regardless. You can wait, just in case, or you can commit to the program that you love already.</p>
<p>Do you mind sharing your current favorite program?</p>
<p>Call up the neuroscience departments at the schools you are waiting to hear from and see what is going on.</p>
<p>I have emailed and called all four of those programs and only 1 got back to me (the answer was not very definite). I think I will wait one week and then accept at my program because frankly, none of the schools have shown an interest in getting back to me.</p>
<p>My favorite program is Pitt and I think a couple of those other schools only beat it by prestige (for my specific interest). The program is really well funded and the overall neuroscience publishing rate is very high (I saw a ranking recently in the Chronicle). I guess my praise for it sort of tells me exactly what I needed to know. </p>
<p>Thanks guys!</p>
<p>@Macevindaloo: I asked because I had a feeling Pitt might have been your top choice. My daughter was really impressed with their neuroscience program and has narrowed down her choices to Pitt and one other. Pitt was relatively low on her list until she visited – and she fell in love with the program.</p>
<p>I think the best you can do is estimate interview weekend dates and tentatively count yourself out if you haven’t received an interview after that date. I accepted a program’s offer last year before hearing back from Stanford, for example, but the department there most likely had interviews already. In the end, it didn’t really matter; Stanford on paper wasn’t as attractive to me as the program I ended up at after interviewing, so a late and unexpected acceptance to Stanford wouldn’t have swayed my decision.</p>
<p>From how you’re describing Pitt, it sounds like that might be your opinion, too. You can always wait as long as you need (up til April 15th), but I found myself feeling a lot of excitement and relief after finally knowing for sure where I would be in the fall.</p>
<p>If you have a good solid choice, go ahead and contact the other departments. If they are still considering you, the fact that you are trying to be courteous to the other schools should not hurt you. If they are no longer considering you, then at least you know. And since you already have a good one in the bag, if they go crazy and toss your app (highly unlikely) you still have a happy and safe harbor.</p>
<p>Alternately, if you are a little gun shy, go ahead and accept. At this point 90+% of all spots in all fields are essentially taken, and if one of those 10% comes back with a can’t-turn-it-down offer, you have up until 4/15 to rescind your acceptance (although you will lose any deposit).</p>
<p>Yea, I think perhaps I will attempt to call the schools again tomorrow. I think it might be a little late to get interview offers at this point, but I will just give it a shot. I do have a question though: when schools move students off the wait list, is it from the people they interviewed and did not accept or the overall applicant pool? </p>
<p>Regardless, thanks everyone for the input. It was greatly appreciated!</p>
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<p>In most, if not all, cases, the “wait list” admits come from those who interviewed but who did not hear back yet. I’ve never heard of a rejection being reversed.</p>