Graduate School (or OMG Will I really be a PhD?)

[rollfrenzy]

Well, My time as an undergraduate is quickly coming to a close. I have decided to continue my education to the doctorate level. I am going to Major in Behavioral Neuroscience or Cognitive Neuroscience. I have an excellent GPA and am currently doing research in the field. Which means I should have my choice of graduate schools. Which is my problem. I don't really know where to begin looking. I know of a few schools I am applying to as default, definatly will get in. but I want to go to the best school I can. It's a long process, But I was hoping for some advice on where to start looking, how to rate things like program prestige, and any basic advice about applying , taking GRE, personal statements or wahtever.

Thanks for the help in advance. :smallbiggrin:

edit::Oh yeah, I am looking for schools in North America, but regionally anywhere, location isn't a big issue, until I get it narrowed down further.

[Dragonrider]

Well...um...I can't help you much but uh...congratulations, or whatever. :smalbiggrin:

When my mom got her PhD I was four and I was scared to talk about anything medical around because I knew she was a doctor now and I didn't want to get anything wrong and embarrass myself....:smallamused: I didn't get the whole "doctor of philosophy" thing I guess.

[RTGoodman]

Are you looking to start grad school in the Fall? Is so, you may be a little late. I know a lot of grad school (at least, for medieval studies) had their application deadlines back in December. Also, you have to plan to take the GRE way ahead of when you actually want to take it, so that could possibly (though don't quote me on this) keep you from some places if the deadline is before you can get it done.

I found out at the end of November that I'm actually finishing my undergraduate work this May, which came as a shock. I thought I wouldn't finish until December, so it was a pleasant surprise, at least. Of course, that made it a little late to start applying for grad school, so my plan is to take a year or so off, maybe travel abroad, and do some independent research (i.e., learn a lot of foreign languages), and then apply for Fall 2009.

As far as getting information, the biggest thing I can think of is to find someone at your university who has a PhD in what you're looking at, and meet with them. I actually met with one of my professors and mentors back in December for about 3 hours just talking about possible grad schools, what they look for in candidates, and other stuff like that.

[rollfrenzy]

Yeah, The deadline was in December for this fall Iam actually going through similar situation as you RTG, I was surprised by how close I was to graduating. I am planning on doing independant research and stretching things out a while so as to avoid a year off though, since I want to stay "fresh". I am currently doing research with my Universities lead scientists in Neuroscience, so I do have them as a resource. I am just trying to figure out where to start looking.

[Telonius]

I think that UCSD is good for cognitive neuroscience and that Columbia is big on behavioral neuroscience. There are several National Academies members specializing in those fields at those universities anyway. Beyond that I really have no idea where the hot schools are. Any of the big state schools will have at least some kind of neuroscience program. Best of luck to you!

[rollfrenzy]

Thanks!!

I had heard about UCSD as well as UCLA, those are two of the schools I am looking into for sure. Add Columbia to the list as well.

[unstattedCommoner]

Get out! Get out while you still can! (http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=53)

But seriously, good luck with that.

[Mad Scientist]

I can give a bit of advice on the whole application part. For the personal statement - make it personal and specific. What exactly do YOU find interesting about research. If you haven't had any lab experience, that's ok, just say why you think it would be interesting (ie you enjoy puzzling out answers to complicated problems, a favorite lab experience in a class, etc). Be specific and make sure that your personality shows.
For the GRE, the format for the reading/writing/math exam has changed in the last few years. So, know how the exam will be graded. if you did well on the SAT you will rock the GRE. I'm not sure if you will need/want to take a subject-specific exam. For that one I would get a study guide and do some practice tests.
Just some advice from someone who's been there!

[Thes Hunter]

LET'S GO BLUE!!





Actually I have no idea what the rankings are of my school, which is the University of Michigan. But I do know we have an excellent overall reputation, and the medical school is one of the best in the country.

So at least give them a looksy, because Ann Arbor is a kickin' place to live.

[RTGoodman]

So at least give them a looksy, because Ann Arbor is a kickin' place to live.

How's the rest of Michigan, though? I'm looking seriously at Western Michigan, but I'm not sure I could live in a place called Kalamazoo, regardless of whether or not it's home to one of the largest medieval conferences (http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/) in the world. :smalltongue:

[Thes Hunter]

How's the rest of Michigan, though? I'm looking seriously at Western Michigan, but I'm not sure that a place called Kalamazoo, regardless of whether or not it's home to one of the largest medieval conferences (http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/) in the world. :smalltongue:

I have never lived in K-Zoo myself, but I have heard good things about it.

They certainly get a lot more snow on that side of the state vs. Ann Arbor.

[Rare Pink Leech]

As far as getting information, the biggest thing I can think of is to find someone at your university who has a PhD in what you're looking at, and meet with them. I actually met with one of my professors and mentors back in December for about 3 hours just talking about possible grad schools, what they look for in candidates, and other stuff like that.

I'll echo this advice. I'm sure the people at your university will know a lot more than (most) of the people on the board, and besides, talking with them in person will be a lot easier than an extended conversation over the boards, PM, or email.

[Serpentine]

...You guys have different unis for postgraduate studies? :smallconfused: Sure, I'm thinking of looking at other unis for Honours, but that's only because mine has gone down the sheethole...
er
Congratmutations!

[rubakhin]

DON'T GO TO YALE. DON'T GO TO YALE. DON'T GO TO YALE.

Holy God, don't go to Yale. The people there are all so awful. I squatted in a Yale dorm for a while, because it was winter and I was cold and the dorms/dining halls are easy to sneak into. I only managed to live there for a few months. Come March I snapped. I remember standing on top of the steps of the New Haven Public library screaming "THIS ENTIRE CITY IS CONSPIRING AGAINST MY HUMANITY!" as church bells clanged in the distance. It was that bad.

I don't know, if your family has money and you went to prep school, traveled worldwide, etc., you might get on with them. Otherwise, they will never let you forget that you are subhuman, and you will hate them for having every privilege in the world handed to them on a silver platter despite the fact that they are bad people and as dumb as rocks. Honestly. Most of them were as dumb as rocks. You only have to talk to them to know that there is not one original thought floating around in their pea brains. Also, I ended up living with a couple of professors, one of whom taught Russian lit, and I read some of her class term papers. Dumb as rocks. I wouldn't accept papers like that from high school freshman! And I myself (I don't even have a GED) ended up ghost-writing a term paper for someone there who fell ill and couldn't do it himself, on the Dostoevsky, which got an A and impressed the hell out of the instructor. Because I had the smallest of original thoughts! They are all stupid, stupid, stupid!

Oh, and I snuck into a few lectures while I was there, mostly on world history and architecture. The education's nothing to write home about either.

Perhaps go to Harvard. All I know about Harvard is they hate Yale, so they must be smarter over there.

[Serpentine]

Either that or they're exactly the same, but with different school colours and mascots...

[Annarrkkii]

Yes, and any benefit that would have is offset by the fact that their different school colors ARE their different mascot. Who wants to be The Crimson? I mean really...

Kalamazoo is actually a very nifty place, and Kalamazoo College is quite cozy, but I seriously doubt they can offer the caliber of instruction that UCLA and Columbia can.

[Telonius]

...You guys have different unis for postgraduate studies? :smallconfused: Sure, I'm thinking of looking at other unis for Honours, but that's only because mine has gone down the sheethole...
er
Congratmutations!

Well, kind of. Our universities are all split up into "schools." A big university might have an undergraduate school of "arts and sciences," an undergraduate school of business, an undergraduate school of nursing, a graduate school of business, a graduate school of medicine, a graduate school of law, and a graduate school of (insert specialist scientific field). Each school is fairly autonomous within the university, and each has its own entrance requirements. For example, I went to Georgetown University school of Foreign Service for my undergraduate. They have a very different course of study, and different acceptance rate, than Georgetown University Nursing School. You apply to study at the individual school, not at the university in general.

Not all universities have terrific schools throughout. One university might have a great undergraduate program in psychology, but might have a mediocre graduate psychology program (or it might not have a graduate psych program at all). It's not uncommon at all for a student to do their undergraduate work at one university, and their graduate work at another. There's usually no expectation by the university that you'll stay on for your graduate work, though they're happy when you do.

[RandomLogic]

The GRE is pretty easy. I think it cost me $130 to take it at some testing place (they did more than just the GRE) but you can go online and download some software that allows you to take two actual exams.

Often is more of a formality that they have a score on record than an actual you must beat this score or we'll throw away your application! Or at least it was in my case.

[RTGoodman]

Not all universities have terrific schools throughout. One university might have a great undergraduate program in psychology, but might have a mediocre graduate psychology program (or it might not have a graduate psych program at all). It's not uncommon at all for a student to do their undergraduate work at one university, and their graduate work at another. There's usually no expectation by the university that you'll stay on for your graduate work, though they're happy when you do.

Yeah, that's basically it. Here, we supposedly have the top graduate (i.e., Masters and PhD) program in the country for Maritime Archaeology (or Maritime Studies or whatever they call it), which incorporates History, Coastal Resource Management, Anthropology/Archaeology, and other hard sciences (Oceanography, etc.). Our undergraduate programs, though, aren't that exciting - especially the History department, if you plan on studying anything besides American history (e.g., we have one medievalist in the whole department).

Also, I'd say that not only is it common for people to do graduate work at a different place than undergraduate work, I'd say it's probably what most people do. I mean, a lot of people start their college career without any idea about what they want to spend their life studying. Most probably just go to whatever school sounds good for their main idea (say, history), and then pick a grad school later based on what narrow topic they want to study (Scottish Military History of the 17th century, or something like that).


Of course, I have no idea if it's different for you science or math types, so I could be wrong about that.

[Solo]

May I recommend the College of William and Mary for grad school?:smallamused:

Just cause I can.