neuroscience phd personal statement examples

Free PDF: The 4 questions every SOP must answer → Master’s or PhD

How to Write Your Neuroscience SOP: A PhD Success Story

• By Jordan Dotson
• Updated: March 1, 2023

I fully admit, editing a neuroscience statement of purpose is a daunting task. When working with a PhD applicant, it’s even more intimidating. The research nuances are mindboggling. (Literally?) Molecular assays and signaling pathways – the  jargon is dense, and the details are important. It takes a great deal of work to make sure the SOP portrays the applicant in the clearest and most compelling way.

Luckily however, some students are so awesome they make this job a breeze.

As a former professional ballerina with a 4.0 GPA, two years of neuroscience research, and publications in TWO different majors, Martina is the type of student who makes the rest of us feel lazy. Yet, like most STEM students, Martina didn’t feel 100% confident about portraying her candidacy in writing.

I’m telling you, this task is hard for everyone.

This was especially true during the super-competitive 2020-21 admissions cycle, when lots of amazing PhD applicants received surprisingly unfortunate results.

Yet, coming from a small regional college, and with only two weeks of revision, Martina wrote, edited, and perfected one of the most amazing SOPs I’ve ever read. And her success speaks for itself.

The Results

Martina applied to 12 top-ranked R1 programs . She received interview offers from 10. She interviewed at 7, was accepted at 5, and ultimately enrolled at her top-choice school.

“I feel really lucky to have done so well during this crazy application season,” she said.

But in my opinion, luck had little to do with it. Instead, Martina’s success was born in her incredible work ethic, her research accomplishments, and her willingness to write the strongest SOP possible.

What’s great about this SOP?

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more perfect utilization of the Structure is Magic SOP template , and this is something that should inspire every applicant in every type of degree program or academic field.

• Two paragraphs in the Introductory Frame Narrative
• Two paragraphs for Why This Program
• Two paragraphs for Why I’m (Overly) Qualified
• One resounding frame narrative conclusion paragraph

The frame narrative starts with a highly memorable story. (She was a professional ballerina!) But like all great SOPs, it quickly moves into an intellectual journey. This journey concludes with a beautifully specific “academic goal.” It relates her research proposal to a larger humanistic issue, but lists the specific problems she hopes to explore in her PhD: “ I hope to continue elucidating hypothalamic metabolic circuits, and exploring how obesogenic diets affect long-term developmental outcomes in relation to the normal functioning of the satiety hormone leptin. ”

TIP: If you don’t know how to write a hyper-specific academic goal, the SOP Starter Kit will tell you exactly how.

Really, I love how Martina took great pains to elaborate her research proposal (just as I described in this previous article ). It’s a symphony of intellectual depth and research competence. As she describes her potential PIs’ work, she constantly links it to her own experience (and her future goals).

She doesn’t just say: “Dr. So-and-So’s work is fascinating, and I hope to contribute.”

Instead, she says: “[Dr. So-and-So’s work] has been critical to my understanding of sensitive periods for the trophic actions of leptin in the brain…[and] my experience with quantitative immunohistochemistry and RT-qPCR make me well qualified to contribute to such research…[and this is why] I am interested in studying the role LepRb and its developmental actions might play in leptin resistance and obesity in adulthood.”

Notice that 3-point argument? That’s the SOP in a nutshell.

• The professor’s work on X intrigues me…
• Because it correlates to my past experience in Y…
• And this is why I’m confident about studying the related topic Z at this university.

With every word, Martina crafts a persuasive intellectual argument. It’s not about her . It’s about the research . It shows that she has a solid understanding of how she might fit into these professors’ labs, and what they might accomplish together .

When Martina finally presents her credentials, it’s almost an afterthought. She’s written with such nuance and depth that the reader already knows she’s an incredible neuroscience researcher. Her successes as an undergraduate are icing on the cake.

Seriously, this essay makes me giddy. But enough of my rambling. Let’s take a look at the SOP that helped Martina achieve such awesome results:

A Brilliant Neuroscience Statement of Purpose

When I ended my career with the California Ballet in 2016, I looked forward to an academic experience studying the metabolic and neurological systems which had silently governed my physical reality as a performer for so long. Surprisingly, the opportunity proved more rewarding than I could have imagined. The perseverance I cultivated as a ballerina proved essential as I immediately dove into the Psychology, Biology, and Philosophy curricula at Stark University, and I soon developed an interest in the neural regulation of metabolic development. After joining Dr. Jean Grey’s research lab in my sophomore year (a position I have maintained ever since), I had the great fortune of studying the effects of obesogenic diets on conserved signaling pathways governing metabolic regulation in Drosophila melanogaster. Through this work, I have become singularly fascinated with the myriad factors that contribute to the growing obesity epidemic, and its developmental origins in particular.

The questions that underpin our work in the Grey Lab are compelling. How do critical or sensitive periods of neuroendocrine development contribute to long-term functioning in animals and humans at the behavioral and cellular levels? Interestingly, current research at Gotham University seeks answers to these very questions, and that is precisely why I apply as a PhD candidate to the interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience.

At GU, I hope to continue elucidating hypothalamic metabolic circuits, and exploring how obesogenic diets affect long-term developmental outcomes in relation to the normal functioning of the satiety hormone leptin. I am quite interested in the work of Dr. Jonathan Crane, whose research on the development of hypothalamic circuits, and how they regulate feeding behavior, has been critical to my understanding of sensitive periods for the trophic actions of leptin in the brain. I believe my experience with quantitative immunohistochemistry and RT-qPCR make me well qualified to contribute to such research. In fact, Dr. Crane’s continuing work on the molecular signals connecting postnatal overnutrition to abnormal development of hypothalamic circuits represents questions similar to those that drew me to studying the neurobiological aspects of feeding and development. It also defines the kind of work I hope to accomplish as a doctoral candidate. While Dr. Crane’s investigation into the necessity of LepRb for typical hypothalamic development is fascinating, I am interested in studying the role LepRb and its developmental actions might play in leptin resistance and obesity in adulthood.

Additionally, Dr. Otto Octavius’s research on the effects of high developmental sugar consumption on memory circuits is fascinating to me; it dovetails nicely with my experience using high-fructose corn syrup diets to mimic obesogenic conditions, while using both behavioral and molecular assays such as weight, food intake, and RNA sequencing to investigate physiological and neural changes. For these reasons, I believe I would be a great fit in either the Crane Lab or the Octavius Lab, given my experience researching metabolic development at both the behavioral and cellular level.

Having averaged 25 research hours per week during the last few academic years, and up to 50 during the summers, I believe I have acquired all the necessary tools to succeed as a graduate student at GU. I lead the developmental subdivision at the Grey Lab, a project investigating how the timing of a high-fructose diet during development affects cellular and behavioral outcomes in adult Drosophila as it relates to unpaired 1 – the Drosophila analog of leptin – and its downstream JAK/STAT signaling pathway. In investigating this evolutionarily conserved circuit, I created a new experimental protocol for carrying out developmental feeding experiments with Drosophila larvae, as well as performing behavioral assays related to feeding such as weight, two-choice feeding preference, and capillary feeding assays. Additionally, I have performed dissections and imaging with destabilized transgenic fly lines to quantify neuropeptide-f and STAT92E expression at both the cellular and terminal levels, hoping to elucidate the potential role of SOCS36E in receptor functioning. This work has lead to me identifying a unique obese phenotype related to early dysregulation of unpaired 1, of which I was slated to perform RNA sequencing prior to COVID-19 related disruptions.

Pursuing these research projects as an undergraduate has been a monumental task, I admit, so I am proud to have maintained a 4.0 GPA, all while achieving numerous successes in my second major, Philosophy. Having coauthored a paper in the American Journal of Bioethics, as well as winning the California Philosophical Association’s undergraduate award and presenting at their annual conference, I am all the more confident in my readiness to succeed at GU.

When my career in ballet drew to a close, I looked forward to fully devoting my time to the study of the human brain’s infinitely curious adaptive processes. Now, I find myself in a similar situation, once again eager to devote myself to the study of the developing brain and how it governs metabolic regulation. The rigorous standards of The Grey Lab, along with Dr. Grey’s strict belief in personal responsibility, have shown me that (like dance) true intellectual contributions are only possible through perseverance, determination, and a ruthless eye for weakness in both experimental design and execution. Balancing laboratory workloads with a full schedule of undergraduate classes has been a taxing endeavor, but this too has been essential to my growth as a researcher. Today, I look forward to the new intellectual challenges that Gotham University will provide, and I am sure that I will discover new passions, curiosities, and questions as I prepare for my hopeful career in academia, as a professor.

The SOP Symbolizes and Summarizes Your Entire Candidacy

Again, I admit that Martina is a rock star. Not all of us can mimic her remarkable undergraduate experience. But we CAN learn from the thoughtfulness of her writing.

Martina didn’t cobble together an essay and expect her credentials to win the day. Instead, she understood that this piece of writing, these 900 words, represent everything about who she is and what she aims to be. Her statement of purpose wasn’t just a part of her application, one more sheet of paper in the pile. It represents her entire application. It integrates all of her strengths and intelligence. It presents her research goals fully, and convinced no small number of readers that she is a clear communicator too.

Everything we NEED to know about Martina is in this SOP. There’s no fluff. No out-of-place material better left to the CV. It’s just 100% airtight writing about a talented scholar and her specific goals.

I’m incredibly grateful to Martina for allowing me to publish this (pseudonymized) SOP. Students like her inspire me every day, and I hope her example inspires you as well.

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• Neuroscience Personal Statement Examples

Below are very good neuroscience personal statement examples, as well as FAQ. Read and use these personal statements as inspiration to write your university application. 

Neuroscience Personal Statement Example

As a lifelong science enthusiast, I have always been fascinated by the complexity of the natural world and the mysteries that await discovery. From my early love of dinosaurs to my current interest in the intricate workings of the human brain, I have pursued my passion for science through my academic studies and personal pursuits. Now, as I embark on the next phase of my educational journey, I am thrilled at the prospect of studying neuroscience at university.

My BTEC in Science has provided me with a solid foundation in various scientific fields, including psychology , physiology, and biochemistry. However, it is the study of the brain that truly captivates me. I am eager to delve into the intricate connections between different disciplines that enable us to understand this complex organ and potentially cure illnesses that afflict humanity. My interest in neuroscience was further sparked by reading Louann Brizendine’s “The Female Brain” and following Dr Helen Fisher’s work on the biological basis of human behaviour.

My love of problem-solving and new inventions is evident in my interests outside of academia, including my passion for science fiction films like “Transformers,” “Inception,” and “Iron Man.” The engineering involved in creating sleek and fast cars like my favourite, the Maserati Quattroporte GTS, fascinates me and underscores my appreciation for scientific knowledge and its applications.

In addition to my academic pursuits, I am an avid sports enthusiast and have gained valuable experience in teamwork and leadership through my involvement in sports programmes. I obtained my Sports Leadership Award and shared my skills in basketball and other sports with children. I regularly participate in my local Kickz football scheme and have been featured in video clips for my local basketball team. I believe that teamwork and collaboration are essential to achieving humanity’s goals, just as the relationships between different scientific disciplines are vital to advancing our understanding of the world.

Having lived in Russia for nine years, I have developed a deep appreciation for different cultures and a desire to contribute positively to the world. My multilingualism in English, Urdu, Russian, Spanish, and French reflects my ability to communicate effectively with people from diverse backgrounds. My work experience at Office Angels Recruitment Agency taught me the importance of organization, focus, and teamwork in achieving goals.

As part of the Imagine Croydon scheme, I presented my ideas for improving my borough to the Mayor of Croydon Council, which reflects my passion for making a positive impact on the world. I am inspired by the allegory coined by Oliver Sacks about cognitive processes being akin to learning a new piece of music, and I am convinced that our plastic neural networks can be rewired to improve our cognitive abilities.

One of my primary aims in studying neuroscience is to gain a deeper understanding of the evolution of the brain and its development from childhood to adulthood. I believe that this knowledge holds the key to unlocking the mysteries of the prefrontal cortex and further advancing our understanding of the brain’s capabilities.

Despite facing medical challenges that impacted my ability to concentrate fully during my A-level studies, I found the subjects engaging and interesting. I have also been helping GCSE students in their science, Spanish, and English studies, which has reinforced my love of teaching and sharing knowledge with others.

I am excited to pursue my passion for neuroscience at university and apply my problem-solving skills, teamwork experience, and multilingualism to contribute positively to the field. I am confident that my love of science, combined with my curiosity and thirst for knowledge, will make me a valuable addition to any neuroscience programme.

Cognitive Neuroscience Personal Statement

From my early fascination with dopamine and neurotransmitters to my current interest in Alzheimer’s disease and its treatment, my passion for neuroscience has driven my academic and personal pursuits. I was inspired by a Psychology course in my fourth year and went on to study Chemistry and Biology, where I was captivated by the endocrine and neurological systems. My love of reading has led me to stay up to date on medical world affairs, with Ivor Browne’s autobiography and British journal articles on psychiatry illnesses and drug use among my favourite sources.

My interest in Alzheimer’s disease has motivated me to volunteer at Alzheimer’s homes, where I have performed for and entertained elderly patients. My enterprise class in transition year taught me essential entrepreneurial skills, including initiative, problem-solving, and pragmatism, and I led my group to be the only one to make a profit. Drama is one of my main hobbies, and I have performed on stage several times, particularly enjoying improvisation.

My EPQ explored the most effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, leading me to conclude that a combined treatment plan including pharmaceuticals and activities for healthy brain stimulation, such as music, might be most effective. I am also interested in using treatments that have not previously been considered for mainstream medical applications, such as curcumin, and postulated that hormone reduction played a vital role in the progress of Alzheimer’s disease.

My work experience with Dr Gregory Wildgoose and his research team at UEA allowed me to gain a better understanding of the industry I am hoping to enter, despite the electrochemistry I was working on not being directly connected to my field of interest. My greatest personal achievement has been travelling in Malaysia with World Challenge, where I raised funds to help redecorate an orphanage for disabled children and rebuild a hatchery on the site of a turtle conservation area, teaching me essential skills such as time management, budgeting, leadership, teamwork, and self-motivation.

I am excited to pursue a degree in Neuroscience and contribute to the field in the future. I am particularly interested in the narrow field of research and development and hope to be an eternal student, continually stimulated by everything I encounter. Studying at a university far from home is ideal for me, as I relish the idea of starting afresh and facing new challenges and responsibilities. I am quick on my feet, cope well under pressure, and pay attention to detail, all skills that will serve me well in the field of neuroscience.

In conclusion, my passion for neuroscience has driven my academic and personal pursuits, from my early fascination with neurotransmitters to my current interest in Alzheimer’s disease and its treatment. My enterprise skills, love of reading, and volunteering experience have prepared me well for the challenges of university study, while my achievements have taught me essential skills such as leadership, teamwork, and self-motivation. I am excited to contribute to the field of neuroscience in the future and am eager to learn every detail to continually be stimulated.

FAQ Neuroscience Personal Statements

A strong Neuroscience Personal Statement is important because it is typically the first opportunity for a university admissions tutor to get to know you beyond your academic record and test scores. It allows you to showcase your passion for neuroscience and demonstrate your suitability for the programme. 

A personal statement for the neuroscience course should highlight your academic achievements, experience, skills, and aspirations. It should demonstrate your passion for neuroscience and your understanding of the subject matter. You should explain why you are interested in neuroscience, what you hope to gain from the programme, and how it fits into your future goals. 

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Writing an Effective Personal Statement for PhD Graduate Programs

Personal statements should be a reflection of your academic skills, success, and goals.

By Kaela Singleton Doctoral Candidate in Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience

A personal statement is one of the most important components of any doctoral graduate school application. This post will guide you with some general steps to get you started with generating a personal statement that is concise, reflects your academic success, and emphasizes your goals for graduate school. The individual graduate programs will provide writing prompts that detail exactly what you should address in your statement, so be sure you touch on everything that they want you to cover!

Before you start writing

• Update your CV:  Having a complete list of your accomplishments will make it easier to include and exclude information from your personal statement. Your CV can be used as a timeline of your achievements, and therefore an outline to how your past experiences have prepared you for graduate school. For guidance on CV writing, see  7 Tips for Writing a Successful CV.
• Research Graduate Schools of Interest:  Gain insight into the coursework, faculty, and student life for each program you are considering. Using the program website, generate a list of qualities that appeal to you about each school you’re applying to. Emphasize how and why these qualities contribute to your decision to apply to this program. This list should include research and faculty members that interest you as well as any other pros (i.e. location, cohort size, post-graduate jobs etc.)
• Create a team of editors:  Your personal statement will be read by faculty members and graduate students studying different topics within the program. Therefore, your personal statement should be compelling to a broad audience. Ask peers, mentors and advisors from various disciplines well in advance to edit and provide feedback on your statement.

Now start writing

Introduction.

The goal is to engage your reader with a quick synopsis of who you are, what you want out of graduate school, and your qualifications to join this specific program.

• Introduce yourself and identify your academic interests:  Provide a brief introduction of yourself and your academic interests. If you have a personal anecdote that explains how you became interested in science and research, start there. These “narrative hook” anecdotes engage the reader and set up a great platform to describe the motivation behind your experiences. Then go into your academic interests, which can be a couple of sentences broadly stating your research interests.  
• Emphasize your skills and overall goals:  Use both your research on the program and CV to highlight how your skill set will complement and grow from participation in this program. Speak in broad terms, showcasing how your goals align with the overall mission of the program.

THE BODY PARAGRAPHS

The goal is to expand on the points you mentioned within the introduction. Provide concrete examples of how past and present experiences led you to writing this application.

• Explain how you became interested in your particular scientific field:  Highlight key moments that encouraged you to apply to graduate school. This can be the very start of your interests in the field or from skills and knowledge that you gained from internships, research experiences, or coursework and class discussions.
• Describe your prior research experiences and importantly what you learned from each experience:  Provide a past experience where you used and developed a new skill that is pertinent to your ability to conduct research. Be sure to explain how this skill will be useful for your future in graduate school. It is critical to discuss what you learned from experience and to be as specific and concise as possible.  For example: I worked with Dr. A at institution B. My work focused on C. The project entailed D, E and F techniques. From this experience, I learned G. This taught me F about my decision to attend graduate school. 

In the conclusion paragraph, you should discuss what you learned about the graduate school program that you are applying for. Highlight specific faculty members or courses listed that excite you, and re-emphasize your goals.

• Summarize your qualifications and experiences:  Bring everything together here. Emphasize the skills you currently have and how joining this program will aide in continuing your success. 
• Personalize:  In this final paragraph, include specific faculty and program qualities that appeal to you as an applicant. Show that you have researched specific faculty or courses that will aide in your future training. Also be sure to discuss your career goals. 
• Edit:  Proofread and edit. Send your statement out to friends, faculty advisors, and people outside of your discipline. 

Personal statements should tell your story and be compelling across fields. Remember that a PhD program trains you to build and utilize scientific skills to advance research. You won’t want to try to convince the reader that you’ll cure cancer or discover the flu vaccine. Instead, focus on persuading readers that graduate training is right for you, and that the accompanying enrichment of your research skillset will help you reach your academic and professional goals.

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How to Apply

Application.

All applications must be submitted online. Candidates interested in applying for the Neuroscience Graduate Program at Brown University must complete an online application at the Brown Graduate School website . Candidates interested in applying for the Brown-NIH Graduate Partnership Program must complete an online application at the NIH Graduate Partnership Program website . Any student wishing to apply to both the Neuroscience Graduate Program and the Brown-NIH Graduate Partnership Program will need to submit an application to both Brown University and the NIH by the December deadline.

Neuroscience Graduate Program Application Checklist

• Personal Statement - All applicants are required to submit a personal statement. The statement helps the Graduate Program understand who you are, what motivates you, and what you hope to gain from a Ph.D. You should also include a description of your research experience, current research interests, and explain why you are applying to the Neuroscience Graduate Program at Brown. You should limit your statement to no more than two pages, single spaced. The document should be uploaded in PDF format.
• Short answer questions - See prompts below.
• Graduate Record Examination Scores for the General Aptitude Test - GRE scores are not required.
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Score - International students must submit scores of the TOEFL unless they have completed their undergraduate studies in the United States, another country with English as its principle language, or attended a baccalaureate-granting institution that has its primary instruction in the English language. The TOEFL reporting code for Brown University is 3094 and the department code for Neuroscience is 30. Test results are valid for 2 years.
• Undergraduate transcripts (and others where applicable) - Brown accepts unofficial, self-reported transcripts and TOEFL scores for the initial submitted application. Official TOEFL scores are required for Brown's Graduate School to offer admission, an event that typically occurs after applicant interviews. Brown's Graduate School requires official transcripts for matriculation before the first Fall semester.
• Three Letters of Recommendation
• Application Fee of $75 - US citizens or permanent residents who can demonstrate either financial need or participation in certain specialized programs may apply for an application fee waiver. Please see the Fees and Financial Support  page for more information.

Short Answer Prompts

Brown University Graduate School Questions:

Applicants will choose one of the following prompts: (1) Discuss specific examples of how your background, knowledge, and life experiences would influence your ability to both benefit from and contribute to Brown’s inclusive academic community or (2) Discuss how you aspire to contribute to our mission to promote diversity and inclusion through your research, teaching, or service. 

NSGP Prompts:

• Troubleshooting and failure are inherent parts of research. Consider the most significant failure in your academic or research career. How did you handle this failure and what helped you cope with it?
• Undertaking scientific research requires both the ability to collaborate with others and work on a team. Discuss your most important strengths and weaknesses in this arena.
• To obtain a Ph.D., you must make an independent intellectual contribution to your chosen scientific field. Describe the most significant intellectual contribution that you have made to a research project thus far.

Dates and Deadlines

Applicants interested in the Brown Neuroscience Graduate Program must submit all application materials by the application deadline, which is usually December 1st. Applicants interested only in the Brown-NIH GPP must submit their application to NIH by the same deadline, specifying the Brown-NIH program. After interviews, selected GPP applicants will be invited to submit a formal application to Brown University. Applicants wishing to receive full consideration for both the Brown and the Brown-NIH programs should submit all application materials to both Brown and NIH by the posted December deadline.

Interviews for prospective students applying to the Neuroscience Graduate Program and the Brown-NIH Graduate Partnership Program take place in late February.

• Personal Statements
• Neuroscience personal statement

Neuroscience Personal Statement Example

Sample statement.

Studying Neuroscience means you’ll be on the frontline of new scientific discoveries and could lead to a highly rewarding career. However, you might find that writing your personal statement is the biggest hurdle.

To give you a push in the right direction here is an example personal statement of someone applying to study Neuroscience:

From an early age I was interested in science and thoroughly enjoyed creating “experiments” with home science kits and other household items. As I grew older I understood just how many ground breaking discoveries are made in the world of science every day and I know that a career where I can be a part of that is right for me.

At school I excelled in science subjects and relished the chance to study Biology and Chemistry at A Level. By studying these subjects alongside Psychology and Sociology gave me a chance to develop more in-depth knowledge of how the human mind works and how we form relationships with each other and the world around us.

During my time at college I worked part time as a carer in a nursing home specialising in elderly dementia and Alzheimer’s patients. This gave me first-hand experience of how fragile and complex the human brain is.

Outside of school I fit volunteering at my local charity shop around my studies and part time employment. This gives me the chance to build on my personal, teamwork, and communication skills that I have gained as a result of working in the care home.

I look forward to my time at university taking me to a new area where I can volunteer for another charity and continue to develop my skills and make new connections with local people.

My time at the care home has inspired me to want to help people who suffer with degenerative brain disorders and to strive to discover better forms of treatment, or even a prevention or cure.

I hope that a career in Neuroscience will allow me to improve the lives of others, if only in a small way.

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• v.16(3); Summer 2018

Demystifying Graduate School: Navigating a PhD in Neuroscience and Beyond

Linda k. mcloon.

1 Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455

2 Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455

A. David Redish

3 Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455

The decision to apply to a PhD-granting graduate program is both exciting and daunting. Understanding what graduate programs look for in an applicant will increase the chance of successful admission into a PhD program. It is also helpful for an applicant to understand what graduate training will look like once they matriculate into a PhD program to ensure they select programs that will help them reach their career objectives. This article focuses specifically on PhD programs in neuroscience, and while we use our program, the Graduate Program in Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota, as an example, most of what we describe is applicable to biomedical graduate programs generally. In order to ensure that our description of graduate programs is typical of neuroscience graduate programs generally, we surveyed the online websites of 52 neuroscience graduate programs around the U. S. and include our observations here. We will examine what graduate schools look for in an applicant, what to expect once admitted into a PhD graduate program, and the potential outcomes for those who successfully complete their PhD in neuroscience.

What Makes a Strong Application to a PhD Program in Neuroscience

A number of years ago, our Graduate Program in Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota performed a statistical analysis of what correlated with successful completion of our PhD program. Consistent with more recent analyses ( Weiner, 2014 ), we found that the strongest correlation was if the applicant had done research outside of the classroom setting. Given those results, at this point, our admissions committee will only consider applicants if they have some research experience. However, in our experience speaking to undergraduates, we find that undergraduates tend to underestimate how much research they’ve done. This issue of what counts as “research” appears to worry many applicants, who often feel that they have not done sufficient research to meet this requirement.

The most useful research experiences are not necessarily those which result in publications, or even those which find statistically significant answers. Rather, the most useful research experiences are those in which an applicant contributes to the research being performed, which involve grappling with questions which do not have known answers in the back of the book. These experiences are generally performed outside of a regular classroom setting, but a wide array of experiences can fulfill this research prerequisite. For example, an applicant might have done one or more summer internships in a laboratory. Others may have done a directed research project that was taken for academic credit but whose sole purpose was to perform independent research. Others may have done internships at companies. We often see applicants who have worked in laboratories or done independent original research projects in the context of their specific coursework during the school year. These courses are becoming more common, and these independent research-focused undergraduate classes can be great examples of independent research if the work provided the applicant with experience in doing research directly.

Some colleges do not have strong research opportunities available. Students in those situations should reach out to summer or other internship programs at other universities to gain that research experience. There are many such research programs. For example, the University of Minnesota runs a Life Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Program (LSSURP) that provides such opportunities across many fields in the life sciences (including neuroscience). Many universities have Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) programs available that are funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). These programs usually pay a summer stipend and living costs as well as providing research experiences.

However, it is not necessary for the research to be done in a formal setting. What matters is that the applicant has some experience with direct research. Similarly, the duration of the research done is not as critical a concern as having had the experience of performing research at all. The key question is: Does the student have real-world experience in doing research, and in spite of methodological difficulties and negative results in experiments, does the applicant still have a love for the scientific process? It does not matter if there were no conclusive results, if the project was left unfinished, or if the project was not published as an abstract or peer-reviewed publication.

While coursework in a graduate program is important, the “real” work of a graduate student is to learn to do science. The research experience demonstrates to the admissions committee that the applicant has a realistic sense of what it is like to work on an open-ended problem, which takes innovative thinking about experiments and controls as well as understanding the need for patience with the scientific process. It is important that both the applicant and the admissions committee know that if admitted, the applicant will not be surprised by the focus of graduate school on independently performed research.

Personal Statement

The personal statement is one of the most important aspects of an application to a graduate program. There are three main areas that need to be included in a personal statement, and if these are inadequate, it will have a negative impact on the ultimate success of that application. First, and most importantly, a personal statement must make it clear why that applicant wants to pursue a PhD in neuroscience specifically. A broad flowery description about the applicant’s interest in biology since they were 5 years old is not helpful. This statement is easier if the applicant has some laboratory research experience and can speak to why that research experience was motivating. A clear articulation of “why neuroscience” is imperative.

As noted above, the most important information in an application is the research done by the applicant. Thus, the applicant needs to provide a description of the independent research they have performed to date somewhere in the application. The research description should focus on the big picture: What was the big question? What choices were made in the experiments? What controls were done? Why were the specific controls used? The applicant should do this for each distinct research project. This shows the admissions committee how the applicant thinks about science; understanding the process is more important than if there were positive results.

The final part of the personal statement should state why they are applying to the particular program. A good way to show that the applicant has spent time looking at the specific graduate program and has thought about which programs were a good fit for their interests is by identifying programmatic strengths, such as the expertise of the faculty, or by identifying other specific or unique aspects that differentiate the program, such as, for example, our Itasca program [see below].

Finally, applicants should proofread their personal statements. Typographic errors, poor grammar, and other sloppy writing suggest an applicant who does not take the time or effort to ensure quality. It may seem silly to mention, but it is important to make sure that when mentioning programmatic strengths, the applicant should be sure that these are the programmatic strengths of the institution to which the application is sent.

Majors, Grades, and GREs

Neuroscience encompasses many different disciplines – from genetics and subcellular approaches to neural circuits and behavior. Most neuroscience graduate programs admit applicants with a broad variety of majors. Many of the applicants that we see majored in neuroscience, biology, or psychology as an undergraduate, but applicants with other undergraduate majors such as math, computer science, or physics have succeeded in our program. Many programs also admit applicants with degrees in the humanities, and we have found that many students with these broad backgrounds have succeeded in our program, some of whom only developed an interest in neuroscience after they graduated from college. However, successful applicants from the humanities need to have taken classes in the sciences before they apply to graduate school for a PhD in neuroscience.

The most important statement that we can make about grades is really in terms of the specific classes taken. While the major area of study is not critical, an internal survey of our program found that trainees were most successful in our PhD program if they had taken at least some biology, some physics, basic chemistry preferably through organic chemistry, and college level mathematics through calculus.

In our survey of over 50 graduate programs in neuroscience, most programs do not seem to have a strict GPA cut-off under which they will not admit someone; nevertheless, GPA is an important criteria being used by many admissions committees. While overall GPA is important, students who did poorly in their freshman and sophomore classes, but did well in their junior and senior years, can excel in their PhD training. Another example might be someone who had a very bad single semester or year due to extenuating circumstances, such as an illness of a death in the family. If one of these scenarios applies, it is imperative for this to be directly discussed in the personal statements that accompany a graduate program application. While most admissions committees do not explicitly rank schools, expected difficulty of the undergraduate program is usually taken into account when looking at grades, classes and GPA.

The use of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) in making admissions decisions to a neuroscience PhD graduate program is a complex issue and has become controversial in recent years. Although many recent studies have claimed to suggest that GRE scores do not correlate with successful completion of a PhD degree in the biomedical sciences ( Hall et al., 2017 ; Moneta-Koehler et al., 2017 ), other studies examining PhDs in more quantitative disciplines, including neuroscience, found that the portions of the GRE score are in fact correlated with successful degree completion ( Willcockson et al., 2009 ; Olivares-Urueta and Williamson, 2013 ). In a large meta-analysis of GRE scores and success in graduate school, Kuncel and Hezlett (2007) found that both the GRE and undergraduate grades were effective predictors of important academic outcomes even beyond grades earned in graduate school. It should be noted that all of these studies have been performed on programs that took GREs into account when making admissions decisions and thus are based on biased data sets. Following this, some neuroscience graduate programs have elected to remove the GRE from their admission decisions, while others have decided to weigh it less in their decision-making. Most graduate programs recognize that the GRE score is just a tool, and one of many that admissions committees use to make their admissions decisions. Our graduate program, for example, is currently in the latter group—we still require it but are weighing it less than other factors such as the personal statement, classes taken, GPA, and letters of recommendation.

Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation are some of the most important components of an application to graduate school. Who the student chooses to write for them and what those letters say are important factors considered by admissions committee members. The most important letters are those from research mentors with whom the applicant did independent research. A lack of letters from research mentors leaves open the question of the extent and value of that research experience. The best letters of recommendation are detailed and provide a clear indication that the mentor knew the student and can assess the student’s potential for success. The mentor’s comparison of the applicant’s abilities relative to others with whom they have worked is particularly useful.

Letters from other sources, such as athletics coaches or course directors, can speak to initiative, time management, ability to work under stress, and so forth; however, most admissions committees do not find these particularly useful, unless the course director can speak to exceptional academic achievement, such as an undergraduate shining in a graduate class. Least useful are letters from non-academic sources, such as faith leaders, employers, family friends, and the like. These letters cannot speak to the questions of success in a graduate program and have been known to detract from an application, because it implies that the student does not have sufficient academic mentors to provide the full complement of letters.

Should letters come from postdoctoral fellows or graduate students? In many large laboratories, the primary professor may not actually interact with an undergraduate research assistant very much. Instead, undergraduate research is often done under the supervision of a postdoctoral fellow or graduate student. While letters from senior postdoctoral fellows are acceptable to some programs, they are not for others. We advise the applicant to check with each program to determine if this is an issue for their admissions committee. Our program has accepted students with one letter from a postdoctoral mentor, but we found that these students were not eligible to be nominated for some university-level awards. Thus, there is a balance in having the letter come from someone who worked with the student directly but also having the letter come from a faculty member. We recommend that undergraduates in these situations get a single letter that is co-signed by both the postdoctoral fellow and the professor or senior mentor.

The Admissions Process

Most graduate programs in neuroscience use a two-stage admissions process. The first stage identifies a subset of students to invite for an interview/recruiting visit and then a subset of those students is provided offers. All graduate schools in the U. S. have signed the Resolution Regarding Graduate Scholars, Fellows, Trainees, and Assistants from the Council of Graduate Programs which says that students have until April 15th to make their matriculation decisions. In order to try to manage this, schools will admit more students than they actually expect to matriculate, and may place other students on a waitlist, trying to balance issues of getting too many students, producing a problem for budgets, or too few students producing problems of cohesion, and problems meeting the research needs of the program and university.

Interview and Recruiting Visits

Some graduate programs bring students out either singly or in small batches to visit their program, interview with faculty, and see what possibilities could come from matriculating into the program. Other programs bring students out all at once as a cohort in a combined interview/recruiting visit. Many programs combine this interview/recruiting visit with other program events; for example, we tie ours to our annual retreat. The method of organizing these interviews and recruiting visits is not particularly important, as the goal of these visits is the same – to provide an in-person look at the graduate program.

From the program side, the interview/recruiting visit allows the admissions committee to assess the fit of the potential students and to ask specific questions related to how they think about science. It is important for visiting interviewees/recruits to realize that graduate programs often have graduate students contribute to the governance of the program and provide input to the admissions committees. In our program, two current PhD students are full voting members of the admissions committee. Comments made during events where only graduate students are present do matter, and we have had a number of experiences where comments and behavior at dinners or other trainee-only events have led to rejection of the applicant.

From the visitor side, this is an opportunity to see what the program is like, as well as the living environment where the program is located. Important questions that applicants should consider include whether the students are getting the training and support that they need, whether the faculty members are engaged with the program, and whether there are faculty members to work with in the student’s area of interest. Generally, applicants should recognize that their goals, interests, and research directions may change. Ensuring that a program can accommodate those changes is an important thing when choosing a PhD program.

Choosing the Right Program

Graduate school, like most of life, is about finding the right fit. Every student is going to have to use their own judgement to determine which graduate school is right for them, but we have some suggestions about issues to consider.

First and foremost, are there a sufficient number of faculty members in their area of interest? Importantly, students should recognize that interests often change, either with experience or time or discoveries, so the student should also look at what other faculty members are around, and what opportunities there are to examine other research areas. For example, how collaborative are the faculty? What processes are in place if one needs to switch advisors? Does the program do rotations in different laboratories, or does the student have to choose an advisor immediately?

In our survey of over 50 neuroscience graduate programs in the U. S., all but one admit students into the program as a whole, rather than into specific laboratories. Students in the majority of programs spend the first year rotating through three or four different laboratories in order to get a thorough exploration of advisors and potential research areas. Furthermore, because students are admitted to the program as a whole and not into a specific laboratory, there are processes in place to handle the (rare) situation when a student needs to switch their primary research mentor.

An important consideration on picking an advisor is not only the research area of the advisor, but also the training and personal style of that PhD mentor. In our graduate program, we have 8-week rotations to give a student and an advisor sufficient time to determine if they can work together well. The duration of laboratory rotations varies between programs, but generally most programs have between 2 and 4 during the course of the first year. Choosing a PhD thesis mentor is not generally an issue of advisor quality, but rather one of style. Should the student and advisor meet daily? Weekly? Monthly? Is the goal a thesis that is a hoop to jump through on the path to another career or is it a magnum opus on which one will build a reputation? How are manuscripts written? How does the laboratory decide which projects to do? These questions do not have right and wrong answers, but a mismatch between styles can potentially make it difficult to complete the degree.

There are several other considerations. The applicant should examine the curriculum. How comprehensive or specific is it? Does it cover what the student wants to have as their baseline/background? Applicants should also look at publication requirements and expectations. Are students publishing first author papers? Trainee funding should also be evaluated. How are trainees supported? Is funding guaranteed or not? Part of the consideration relative to trainee funding is whether the program has training grants to help financially support students—these can include National Institutes of Health (NIH) T32 grants, and National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Traineeship (NRT) and Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) training grants. Training grant support from NIH and NSF is a good measure of how the PhD training program is viewed by external reviewers. It is also useful to see if the trainees are successfully competing for fellowship awards. This speaks to the quality of the graduate students as well as the quality of mentorship from their thesis advisors and the program.

Other issues to consider are the environment and social climate of the program and the career paths the program’s graduates take. In terms of social climate and environment, we suggest asking whether the trainees know and support each other, and whether the faculty members know the trainees. Science is increasingly a collaborative venture. Evidence could be the presence of co-mentored trainees, as well as research publications that are co-authored by members of the graduate program. Other evidence of the environment of a PhD graduate program is to determine how integrated the PhD trainees are in program decision making and leadership. Do they serve on committees, and if so, what are their roles? Self-reflective programs generally include multiple voices in making program decisions. This also speaks in part to mentorship of trainees, as participating in program governance provides the PhD trainee an opportunity to develop leadership skills.

In terms of outcomes, it is important to recognize that career goals change, but we recommend programs that provide opportunities for a variety of career paths. Importantly, programs should have processes that enable students to succeed in academia and elsewhere. As we will discuss in the following section, post-graduate paths for PhD trainees have always included a mix of academic and non-academic careers. This was also the recommendation of a workshop held by the National Academy of Science ( IOM, 2015 ), and in fact reflects the actual career choices of individuals who received their PhD in neuroscience ( Akil et al., 2016 ). Importantly, the career-space that our current graduates will face will look very different from previous generations. In particular, it will look very different from the previous generation when there were very few academic jobs available. The current career space is broader than it used to be, including some jobs, such as internet-related positions, that did not exist a generation ago. Furthermore, neuroscience academic jobs are opening up as baby boomers retire and universities invest in neuroscience. Whatever the student’s goal is, we recommend looking for programs that provide career facilitation support for a variety of outcomes, because, as noted above, career goals may change with experience.

While many students and many programs will look at time-to-degree as a criterion for program quality, we feel that this can be misleading. No one has ever asked us how long we took to get through graduate school. One way to think about graduate school is to realize that graduate students in neuroscience programs get paid to go to graduate school – being a graduate student in neuroscience is a job, and one that should provide a living wage in the area that one will be living in during one’s time in graduate school. The main problem with students taking too long to complete a degree is that it may indicate deeper problems in a graduate program, for example, when students are not graduating because their technical skills are needed in a laboratory. These situations are rare, but extremely long durations (e.g., 8 years) can be a sign to look for when making a decision. However, the difference between spending 4.5, 5.5, or even 6 years in graduate school is simply not important relative to the duration of a scientific career. In fact, there is a case to be made that taking an extra year to get additional publications can be a wise choice for students going into academic careers, since fellowships, awards, and other granting mechanisms, such as individual NIH postdoctoral training grants (F32) and individual NIH Pathway to Independence (K99/R00) awards, and the faculty level “early stage investigator” identifier at NIH, are based on date of graduation. Furthermore, few reviewers normalize number of papers by time spent in graduate school.

Additional Resources

The Society for Neuroscience provides useful resources to undergraduate students interested in a PhD in Neuroscience. One resource is the online training program directory that offers graduate program information on more than 75 top neuroscience graduate programs in North America, and provides a short summary of the characteristics of each program (e.g., number of faculty, student demographics, and research areas) along with a link to the program of interest. A second resource is available to prospective students who are able to attend the SfN annual meeting. Known as the Graduate Student Fair , it offers an opportunity for prospective students to meet face-to-face with representatives of many graduate programs.

The Gap Year Question

In recent years, we have seen that increasing numbers of applicants are taking a gap year between completion of their undergraduate degree and entering graduate school. We have not seen any correlation with success in graduate school from a gap year, and the Graduate Program in Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota does not require such a gap year. However, other neuroscience graduate programs have begun to require it. The gap year itself can vary, but often the recent college graduate enters a formal postbaccalaureate or “postbac” program, such as the one at the NIH, works in a laboratory, and participates in specific programs designed to increase readiness for graduate school. Many applicants have taken one or more years off from formal education to do research in an academic, government or industry setting. Whether a postbac year is useful or not is very much an individual choice.

There are two cases where a postbaccalaureate experience can be helpful for admissions into a neuroscience PhD program. One is when the undergraduate GPA is lower than a 3.0 or the student does not have the requisite science-related coursework. The other is when a student does not have sufficient research experience. Structured programs, such as the one at NIH, can be helpful in these situations. These postbac programs can provide an experience that is valuable for those students with limited research experiences. They can also provide opportunities for students who decide to transition to new fields late in their college career or after completion of their undergraduate degree. However, as noted above, in our experience, students underestimate their research experience and take gap years unnecessarily. To summarize, additional research training after a bachelor’s degree is not necessary for successful admission into a graduate program in neuroscience for the vast majority of applicants, nor does it appear to correlate with successful completion of the PhD.

What Trainees Can Expect During Their PhD Training in Neuroscience

A neuroscience PhD is a research-focused degree. This means that the student will spend the majority of their time as a PhD trainee working on research that can be published in peer-reviewed journals. However, that journey can look quite different from program to program. Most programs work through some structure that is a combination of coursework and early research exploration in the first years, punctuated by a written preliminary exam, followed by a thesis proposal, thesis research, and a thesis defense. In almost all of the programs we surveyed, the student is paired with an advisor that is the primary research mentor.

Throughout this section, we will use our program as an example and we will note where it differs from others. However, the general timeline is similar between programs.

In August before our “official” school year actually starts, we provide a month-long hands-on, state-of-the-art research experience for all our incoming PhD students at a research station owned by the University of Minnesota at Lake Itasca at the headwaters of the Mississippi River. This program is unique in our experience relative to other programs, and it (1) provides a neuroscience background experience for students coming from diverse intellectual backgrounds, (2) binds the class together into a cohort which helps to provide a strong support system during the transition to and experience of graduate school, (3) begins the trainees on a journey from student to colleague. They then return to the Twin Cities to begin their formal year 1 experience.

In the majority of neuroscience graduate programs, students spend their first year doing two to four laboratory rotations with faculty who participate in the neuroscience graduate program and complete a set of core classes. The four core classes we require are Cell and Molecular Neuroscience , Systems Neuroscience , Developmental Neurobiology , and Behavioral Neurobiology . Other programs require other classes that might constitute a “minor” in a secondary subject, such as pharmaceutics or computational methods. At the end of the first year, many programs have students take a written preliminary examination that is focused on the integration of the material taught in the core first-year classes. Generally, programs use this sort of examination as a check to ensure that students have integrated the knowledge from their first-year classes. Students in most neuroscience graduate programs also take a class that provides training in research ethics, writing experiences, and other important non-academic components that will be necessary for a research career. Starting in the first year, it is typical that the program directors have annual or semi-annual meetings with every trainee in the graduate program. In later years, a thesis committee will also meet semi-annually with students to provide oversight and mentorship. Some programs we surveyed have separate committees that monitor student progress in the PhD program independent from the mentor and thesis committees. We advise looking for a program that will provide the trainee with regular evaluations and clearly defined milestones to help the student complete their degree in a timely manner.

In year 2, students in the majority of graduate neuroscience programs have settled into a laboratory and are working towards writing their thesis proposal. The thesis proposal is usually the basis for the “oral preliminary exam.” In our program, we have students write their thesis proposal in the form of an NIH NRSA (F30 or F31) grant proposal which helps train students to write grant proposals.

Many programs have students take other elective classes throughout their second and sometimes even into the third year. In the second year in our program, students take one more required class, Quantitative Neuroscience that covers statistics, programming, and experimental design, but that then completes their class requirements. These types of quantitative classes are being introduced in many neuroscience graduate programs in response to the rigor and reproducibility issues that are being raised in the scientific literature and expected to be discussed as part of grant submissions to the NIH.

Most neuroscience graduate programs also have a teaching requirement. In our program, this occurs in the second year. Programs require different amounts of teaching, so this is a good question for the applicant to ask when they are interviewing. Many graduate students are interested in careers that include teaching as well as research, and additional teaching experience is important. We provide extra opportunities for teaching, where the trainee might run discussion sections or give course lectures. Often, these “extra” teaching experiences are paid beyond what the student receives from their stipend. For those interested in a more teaching-centric career, these experiences are very important. We recommend the applicant ask about how teaching expectations of the graduate students is handled in the programs to which they are applying.

Year 3 and Beyond

In the subsequent years, PhD trainees continue to do research, write and publish papers, present their work at conferences and in colloquia, and proceed on the journey to graduation. Graduate neuroscience programs generally have trainees meet with their thesis committee once or twice a year to ensure that they stay on track to graduation. The final stage, of course, is the thesis writing and thesis defense.

Presentations and Outreach

A key factor for a successful science career is the ability to communicate one’s discoveries, both to fellow scientists and to the public at large. In our program, students are required to present their research annually to the other faculty and students in the Graduate Program in Neuroscience. These presentations are opportunities to learn how to present work to a friendly audience who will push one scientifically, but still provide positive support. In our experience, students are often very nervous giving their first colloquium, but confident by the time they are ready to defend their PhD thesis. The final PhD defense is a public presentation in which the student presents and defends their research. The specific aspects of the PhD defense are accomplished in different ways amongst PhD graduate programs; however, in the end, all PhD programs require that the student be able to publicly present their research in a comprehensive and cohesive manner as well as field questions about their research.

In addition, neuroscience graduate programs provide many opportunities for outreach beyond the scientific community, although most do not require outreach explicitly. Typical types of outreach in many programs include volunteering to present science at K-12 schools, Brain Awareness Week programs sponsored by the Society for Neuroscience, or science museums as examples. We have found that these opportunities provide students learning experiences in how to present scientific data and ideas to a broader audience. Not surprisingly, the ability to present ideas to a broad audience translates very well to communicating scientific results to other scientists as well.

It’s a Job

We have found it useful for students to think of graduate school as a combination of college and career. Students should not have pay out of pocket for their PhD program. Most neuroscience graduate programs not only pay students a stipend but also provide tuition and health care benefits. For some trainees, conceptualizing graduate school as a job rather than as continued school can be important for dealing with family pressures to “get a job” rather than “continue in school.”

Where to Go from Here

Fundamentally, the goal of a PhD program is to teach the student how to think critically and how to determine if a new discovery is real or illusion. An undergraduate program is usually about how to learn from books and from teachers, how to determine if the text in front of you is trustworthy or not, and how to integrate knowledge from multiple sources. A graduate program is about how to determine if the discovery you just made is correct when there is no answer in the back of a book for you to look up. In practice, this means learning how to ask questions that are answerable, how to design appropriate controls, how to interpret results and integrate them into a scholarly literature, and, importantly, how to communicate those discoveries to other scientists and the public as a whole.

These skills are useful in a variety of careers. Much of the discussion of graduate school outcomes has suggested that graduate programs are designed to produce faculty for colleges and universities and bemoan the fact that (1) there are too many PhD trainees and not enough faculty jobs, and (2) that many students are forced into “alternative careers.” Both of these statements are wrong when one looks at the actual data.

First and foremost, we wish to point out that there should be no such thing as an “alternative career” — graduates should go towards a career and not away from one. We tell our students that we want them to do something important, whether that is becoming faculty at a research institution, teaching undergraduates at a liberal arts college, contributing to industrial research, analysis, or translation, becoming a writer and making research findings accessible to other scientist or lay audiences, or making policy in a governmental or non-profit setting.

Second, the complaints seen in many of these publications do not take into account very important demographic trends. Current students will see a very different world of faculty jobs than their professors did. Simply put, understanding the faculty situation requires considering the baby boomers (q.v. ACD biomedical workforce data ). In 1980, a 35-year-old young professor was born in 1945, while a 65-year-old was born in 1915. This means that the generation of senior professors in 1980 consisted of those who had survived two World Wars and the Great Depression, while the junior professors were baby boomers. With the blossoming of investment in science after WWII, there were lots of jobs, and the baby boomers filled them quickly. Mechanisms were developed for new professors to get initial NIH grants to help them set up their laboratories (q.v. NIH History of new and early stage investigator policies ). In contrast, in 2000, a 35-year-old was born in 1965, and a baby-boomer born in 1945 was 55, in the prime of their scientific career. There were fewer jobs and few funding mechanisms that focused on providing assistance for new, young investigators. In 2018, that baby-boomer born in 1945 is nearly 75 years old and likely retiring or retired. Thus, based on our own university as well as checking sources online such as Science Careers , there are faculty positions in neuroscience open all over the country. In addition, there are now specific programs at NIH to help new faculty get grants and transition into becoming successfully funded faculty quickly.

In practice, this has meant that there are many faculty positions for those who want them, at many different types of academic institutions. An undergraduate student who wants to take the next step into a PhD program should be encouraged to do so. PhDs have always gone on after their PhD to contribute to science in many ways. A recent survey published in Nature found that a scientific PhD had high value in the United Kingdom and Canadian job markets ( Woolston, 2018 ). In fact, when we look at the distribution of careers our graduating students have taken since graduation, we find that the vast majority (96%) are engaged in important, science-related jobs.

However, the essential benefit of a PhD is that it teaches one how to think critically about the world around them. Life is long and careers are long, and the needs of both society and technology changes. It is critical to remember that many of the jobs people are doing today literally did not exist when we (the authors of this paper) were in graduate school. For example, it is now possible to make a living running an educational website on scientific topics that gets millions of hits per month, reaching thousands of school districts around the country, but when we (the authors) were in college, the internet didn’t exist. A well-designed PhD program will prepare its trainees for whatever career they chose.

We cannot imagine the world 30 years from now, but we can state that PhD-trained scientists will not only be able to handle these changes but will in fact invent many of them. Huge technological innovations now allow investigators to see many individual neurons inside the brain, control the properties of neurons experimentally, to see effects of individual channels and proteins within a neuron or glial cell, and to observe the effects of these manipulations on behavior. Neuroscience is making amazing discoveries in the fundamental science of how the brain functions and the clinical and practical consequences of those discoveries. Simply put, it is an amazing time to be a neuroscientist.

The authors thank Drs. Robert Meisel, Timothy Ebner, Paul Mermelstein, Stephanie Fretham, Kevin Crisp, and Neil Schmitzer-Torbert for comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript.

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Neuroscience Personal Statement – Sample For Graduate School

EssayEdge > Blog > Neuroscience Personal Statement – Sample For Graduate School

My long-term goal is to dedicate myself to the research field of neuroscience. In order to achieve this goal, I hope to acquire my Ph.D. at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine starting in the fall of 2000.

In 1992, I obtained my MA degree in Molecular Microbiology from Indiana University, Bloomington. At I.U., I received intensive training by Dr. Roger Innes in experimental design, logical thinking, and molecular genetics techniques. After I graduated from I.U., I became a lab supervisor in the clinical cytogenetic laboratory at Tzu Chi College of Medicine, Taiwan. The lab is part of TCCM’s newly established genetic research team directed by Dr. Ming-Liang Lee. My responsibilities at the lab included training lab technicians, improving testing accuracy by consistently improving technical skills and knowledge, and managing the lab’s day-to-day operations. At TCCM, I also taught several fundamental biology courses, including general biology, cell biology, and medical genetics laboratory.

After five years of working, I decided to pursue more advanced research training in the latest techniques of microbiology. Since the fall of 1998, I have been taking several Ph.D.-level courses at New York University . I have performed very well in my studies there, which have been supported by a fellowship from Taiwan’s National Science Council. My courses at NYU are Biochemistry I and II, Molecular Principles of Evolution, Cell Biology, Molecular Controls of Organism Form and Function, Neuroimmunology Journal Club, and Physiology Basis of Behavior. I am also researching in Dr. Joseph LeDoux’s lab for credit. At this lab, I have been using immunohistochemistry to detect the activation of track receptors in rat brains after fear conditioning. One of the tracks, trkB, responds to BDNF, which is related to synaptogenesis and LTP induction in the processes of learning and memory. My results have shown that the phosphorylation peak of trk appears in the hippocampal CA1 area 24 hours after fear conditioning. Further blocking experiments using trk antagonist need to be performed in order to confirm this result.

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My laboratory experience has triggered my strong interest in studying cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neurological diseases. The majority of patients with these diseases have chromosomal and genetic abnormalities. Most genetic diseases lead to neurological symptoms, and several neurological diseases are associated with strong genetic predispositions. The genetic defects associated with Alzheimer’s Disease, alcoholism, Fragile-X Syndrome, Neurofibrmatosis, and Parkinson’s Disease have already been mapped. However, the links between genes, gene products, neuronal circuits, brain functions, and diseases are still unclear. I am eager to help uncover these links.

I think that Mt. Sinai’s Ph.D. program perfectly suits my interests. The faculty includes experts in several divisions of neuroscience. There is an especially large group studying neurological diseases. The group uses various approaches, animal models, and behavioral paradigms to search for the causes of diseases on the molecular, cellular, physiological, and system levels. I am particularly interested in working in Dr. John Morrison’s lab, which studies cortical organizations, glutamate receptors, and neurodegenerative disorders; Dr. Patrick Hof’s lab, which uses comparative neuroanatomy to study aging; Dr. Giulio Pasinetti’s lab, which studies cyclooxygenase and inflammation in Alzheimer’s Disease; and Dr. Charles Mobbs’s lab, which uses molecular, histological, behavioral, and electrophysiological methods to study basic mechanisms underlying metabolic diseases and aging.

Mt. Sinai School of Medicine also attracts me because of its location in an extremely nice area of Manhattan. In addition, the strong collaboration between its neuroscience program and its other departments, its affiliated hospital, and many other outstanding New York laboratories will enable me to receive much technical and academic support.

In order to sponsor my Ph.D. education, I have obtained a competitive Ph.D. fellowship from the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu-Chi Foundation, the largest nonprofit organization in Taiwan. The foundation is dedicated to helping needy all over the world, regardless of age, sex, race, and religion. Over the past decades, it has provided worldwide relief and assistance. Its missions focus on charity, medical care, education, and international relief. The founder, Master Chang Yang, was once nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. The foundation will support my Ph.D. education for at least four years.

After completing my Ph.D. education, I plan to continue my research and teaching in neuroscience. Thus far, most of the detailed work in studying neurological disease has of necessity been performed in experimental animal systems. However, the progress of human genome mapping might eventually make it possible to test whether the disease mechanisms discovered in animals function in comparable ways in humans. Consequently, in the future, I hope to apply my knowledge of the genes and proteins involved in neurological diseases to develop pharmacological treatment or genetic therapies. I am confident that one day we will have effective drugs to prevent memory loss or aging. We may even be able to cure currently intractable neurological diseases through gene therapies, either in utero or in live humans.

I am confident that Mount Sinai School of Medicine’s graduate program will enable me to successfully meet my goals. I also believe that if I am accepted to your Ph.D. program, I will contribute greatly to Mount Sinai’s learning environment.

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Personal Statement:Neuroscience With Psychology

Neuroscience with psychology personal statement.

What is the most extraordinary and complex creation in the universe? My answer would have to be the human brain. Capable of controlling what we do, what we eat, how we move, and storing our precious memories. I’ve always known from a young age that whatever I wanted to do in the future would include working with children, which is why I plan to train to become a neuropsychologist and specialise in paediatrics. How children have the ability to develop and grow has always fascinated me. I undertook work experience at St Margaret’s Primary School for two weeks and had the best experience possible. It interested me how children reacted in different situations, making my mind question the hows and whys of their development. I thoroughly enjoy my A level subjects; Biology, Psychology and English Literature. Biology and Psychology are two subjects I feel have influenced me. They have helped me to gain and develop my research ability and to carry out thorough investigations and experiments. Practicals have helped me learn how to study both independently and in a group and I have learnt how to complete detailed write-ups. Using different research methods, gathering data, analysing findings, drawing up conclusions and evaluations are some of the aspects of carrying out investigations I have learnt. I feel that this will help me in my chosen field because I also have to carry out research and investigations. Biology; the physiological study of living organisms and Psychology; the study of the human mind, thought and behaviour have continued to intrigue me throughout my time at sixth form. I particularly enjoyed the cognitive approach in psychology, how it gives an insight into human’s perception and their thought processes. I found the case of HM very interesting; not only did it revolutionise the study of cognitive neuropsychology, but it helped us to make links between memory, brain function and structure. All of my subjects have helped me to improve my essay writing, whether it was writing scientific reports in Biology or comparative essays in English Literature and Psychology. I feel this is helpful for my chosen course as I know that I have to write up my findings from studies I may have carried out and with my dissertation in my final year. I am actively involved in school life and the community, have officially done 40 hours of community service in my school and am an avid musician. I have been playing the trombone since 2001, am currently working towards Grade 8 trombone practical and have passed my Grade 5 music theory. I’ve taken part in every school musical production since my time at the school, am a member of both the school and borough orchestra and was part of the borough’s advanced choir. This relates to my course as I believe there’s a link between music and cognitive development. It has been proven in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development and in various studies for music psychology that music has a positive effect on the brain by increasing progress and efficiency. Reading is another hobby of mine. I feel that reading increases knowledge and cognitive development. I’ve always wondered how the human mind is creative enough to produce the most remarkable and riveting stories. I enjoy classical books such as Jane Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’. I particularly enjoyed a biography I read by Doctor Benjamin Carson, a gifted neurosurgeon and director of paediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins hospital in America; he was also the lead surgeon in one of the world’s first successful hemispherectomies in 1987. I currently have a part-time job at NEXT, which I enjoy very much. I feel that it has helped me to gain responsibility and manage money, which will benefit me for university. I look forward to the challenges I will face at university and am looking forward to exploring my course. I am conscientious and love to learn new things, enabling me to enthusiastically contribute to university life and what it has to offer.

Universities Applied to:

• University of Nottingham - Conditional Offer ABB
• University of Leicester - Conditional Offer ABB
• University of Westminster - Conditional Offer CCC
• University of Keele - Conditional Offer BBB  Insurance
• University of Manchester - Conditional Offer ABB  Firm

Grades Achieved:

• English Literature (A2) - A*
• Biology (A2) - B
• Psychology (A2) - B

General Comments:

My course at Manchester was Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology

Comments on the statement:

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Creative Neuroscience Personal Statements for Opportunities

Table of Contents

Are you considering a career in neuroscience? You may wonder how to write an effective neuroscience personal statement.

An excellent personal statement can be the difference between acceptance and rejection regarding your application for a job or college program. To help you get started, here’s an overview of what makes strong neuroscience personal statements and tips on how to craft yours.

What Is Neuroscience?

Neuroscience is the study of the nervous system, which includes the brain and all its functions. Neuroscientists investigate how different parts of the nervous system work together to produce thought, emotion, behavior, and other mental processes. In addition to researching neuroscience topics, neuroscientists also design treatments for neurological disorders.

Neuroscience Programs to Research

The field of neuroscience includes many different areas to research;

• Brain anatomy and physiology
• neurochemistry
• neuroimaging
• Neuropsychology, and more.

Depending on your interests, you should emphasize specific research topics in your personal statement .

What to Include in Your Neuroscience Personal Statement

The first thing you want to do when composing a neuroscience personal statement is to demonstrate your knowledge of the field. You should explain why you are pursuing this career path and discuss your experience. Explain what has driven you to pursue science as a profession. List courses, internships, or research experience that have prepared you for a career in neuroscience.

It’s also vital to demonstrate your enthusiasm for the field. Discuss any unique experiences or challenges that have helped shape who you are today. Talk about how these experiences have shaped your passion for science, what makes them relevant to neuroscience, and your future goals.

You should also highlight any awards or recognition you’ve received in the field, such as scholarships or research grants. This will demonstrate your commitment to the subject and show a track record of success .

Finally, include why you are a good fit for the program or job. Talk about how your experience and skills can contribute to their team and what unique value you can bring to them.

Tips on Writing a Neuroscience Personal Statement

Now that you know what to include in your neuroscience personal statement, here are some tips on how to write an effective one:

• Write clearly and concisely – avoid long-winded sentences and keep your language simple but direct.
• Proofread thoroughly before submitting – make sure there are no grammar or spelling mistakes;
• Be honest and reflective – make sure to be authentic in your writing and don’t exaggerate;
• Make it personal – avoid generic statements and focus on the things that make you unique;
• Tailor it for each application – customize your statement for each job or program you’re applying to.

Examples of Neuroscience Personal Statements

I have been fascinated by neuroscience’s complexities since I was a child. My interest in this field has only strengthened over time, and now I am determined to pursue a career in it. During college, I completed courses in neurophysiologist and neural networks. I also did a research project on the effects of food deprivation on cognitive performance. Additionally, I volunteered at my local hospital’s neurology department and gained invaluable hands-on experience. These experiences have fully prepared me for a career in neuroscience. It will help me contribute significantly to any team or organization I join.

My passion for neuroscience began when I was studying biology in high school. After enrolling in a neuroscience class, I realized that the complexity and breadth of the field genuinely intrigued me. Since then, I have completed a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience, and since graduating, I have researched at two renowned institutions. My work has earned me several awards and recognitions, including a scholarship from the National Science Foundation. In addition to my scientific experience, I have also worked as a mentor for science students. This has developed my leadership skills. My knowledge and experience make me an ideal candidate for any neuroscience-related position or program.

I have been passionate about neuroscience since I was in high school. After taking an advanced class on the subject, I knew this was the field for me. Since then, I’ve completed a degree in neuroscience and taken part in several research projects. This is where I worked to understand the functioning of the human brain better. My work has earned me awards from two universities and recognition from prestigious organizations such as the American Academy of Neurology. I have also volunteered at a local hospital’s neurology department to gain practical experience in my area of interest. With my knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm for neuroscience, I am confident I can excel in any role or program related to this field.

I have been interested in neuroscience since I was a child and this interest has only grown stronger over the years. During my undergraduate studies, I took courses on neural networks and neuropsychology. I completed an honors’ thesis project in which I studied the effects of food deprivation on cognitive performance. My research earned me recognition from a number of well-respected organizations in the field, including the Society for Neuroscience. Additionally, I also volunteered at a local hospital’s neurology department where I gained hands-on experience. With my knowledge, experience and passion for neuroscience, I am confident that I can make significant contributions to any team or organization I join.

Template to Try

My passion for neuroscience began when ___________. After completing my _(degree)_ in the field, I have gone on to work/research at _____ and received a number of awards and recognitions. Additionally, I have also volunteered/mentored at ____ where I developed valuable skills. With my knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm for neuroscience, I am confident that I can excel in any role or program related to this field.

Writing a solid neuroscience personal statement can be difficult, but careful thought and preparation can help set you apart from other applicants . Follow these tips to ensure your statement stands out and showcases why you’re the perfect candidate for the job or program! Good luck!

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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/r/neuro, involving neuroscience: Discussion and news pertaining to neurobiology, cognitive studies, clinical neuroscience, the laboratory, and anything else related. We're a bit laid back here, you're free to post anything about neuroscience as long as it doesn't break the rules. For more academic discussions of journal articles, /r/neuroscience is a great place.

Personal Statement for Grad School

Hello Everyone,

I am writing in hopes of receiving advice concerning my personal statement for graduate study in neuroscience from those who have been through the process themselves. I am finding this portion of the application to be by far the most difficult. Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated as I am really struggling with this. Let me give you some background about me.

I have 2 undergraduate degrees from a small state school - one in chemistry and one in psychology. I've worked in two different visual neuroscience labs - one project applying fractal analysis to eye movement, and another looking at how object perception and fractal complexity underlie natural scene aesthetics. Before that I spent a year and a half working on a computational chemistry project as part of a protein-research lab. My immediate goal in attending graduate school for neuroscience is to study vision at the systems level. My long term goal is to be a career researcher and college professor in visual neuroscience. I'm most interested in studying the neurophysiology, neural circuitry, and computational properties of the visual system (human or animal).

I have experience using tobii eye-tracker and TobiiStudios, MATLAB, SPSS, Python Programming, performing cognitive/behavioral testing of human subjects, many different chemistry softwares, and general biochem lab techniques like PCR, plasmid construction, western blots, cell culturing, microscopy.

Does anyone have advice on how to tie my research experience into my future research goals? I keep writing and writing, but I feel like I'm rambling and all over the place.

Thanks in advance for your help!

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Undergraduate Research in Neuroscience

Getting involved in research .

Doing research in a faculty laboratory is a way to experience the real process of science and the search for new knowledge.  Most Neuroscience labs have undergraduates as part of their research team.  Those students get to apply their classroom knowledge and problem-solving skills to help make discoveries.  Students usually work as part of teams supervised by PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, under the guidance of the faculty member.  Student research may involve hands-on experiments, working with human subjects, analyzing data, developing research tools, or working with computational models.  

How to find a research lab position

There are several ways to find a research position.  To start, talk to classmates, staff undergraduate advisers, and your graduate student instructors (GSIs).  Read about the research focus of faculty members on the Neuroscience Department faculty page , which gives links to individual lab research websites.   Think about what scientific questions or approaches you are interested in.  Then, either apply to a structured research program, or contact individual faculty to express your interest in their research and see if a position is available.

Structured research programs

University Research Apprenticeship Program (URAP)

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF)

Biology Scholars Program

Amgen Scholars Program

and more at the research.berkeley.edu website

Apply directly to a neuroscience faculty lab

This is the most common way that students find a research position in a neuroscience lab.  Here are tips on how to proceed:  Check out the Neuroscience Department faculty page , or the broader Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute faculty page , to determine which labs you are interested in.  Before contacting the professor, read the research description on their laboratory website, and review some of their recent publications.  (You are not expected to understand the articles completely, but if you understand the general questions and approach, you will be more convincing when you contact them.).  Then email the professor to express interest in their work and in joining their research team, and request an appointment.  It's a good idea to include your resume and unofficial transcript in the email.  

During your appointment, discuss what you find interesting about their work, tell them about your goals, and ask if they would be willing to accept you into their lab.  Remember, it can be competitive to get into a lab, so you should approach this with focus and professionalism like you would for a job search.

Non-Neuro and Off-Campus Research Opportunities

Neuroscience majors who want research experience don't have to limit themselves to NEU Department labs.  There are many positions available on campus in other departments, and off-campus.  You can apply either through the structured research programs, or by contacting individual faculty.  Other relevant departments at Berkeley include:

Anthropology

Bioengineering

School of Public Health

Off-campus, you can find many opportunities at UCSF , which includes laboratories at the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland.

Expectations for a lab research position

The specific expectations, including the number of hours per week and duration of commitment, vary from lab to lab.  It is common to spend 10-12 hours per week on your research project.  Many labs will ask for a 1-year commitment.  Student research can be for credit, or can be paid, or can be on a volunteer basis (see below).  This depends on the lab and their resources, and the type of project.  You will have a project supervisor within the lab who will train you on all the needed methods, and will supervise your work. You may also be required to complete training courses or certifications that are needed for your research.

Research credit and honors research

Students can obtain course credit for their independent lab research by enrolling in NEU 99/199 and NEU 191 courses

Outstanding seniors can also undertake the Neuroscience Honors program , in which students perform laboratory research in fall and spring of their final year, culminating in a research presentation and a formal honors thesis.  Honors students enroll in NEU 196A/196B for their honors research.  Students who are interested in pursuing honors are strongly encouraged to look for a research position in a lab during the first semester of their junior year.  Students typically perform a year of research in a lab before undertaking their honors research in that lab.

Gunther Stent Neuroscience Research Scholars Program

The Stent Neuroscience Research Scholars Program recognizes students who have a passion and strong talent for research, and provides financial support for them to conduct targeted research or scholarship in the laboratory of an established Neuroscience Department faculty member for one year.  The goal is to allow students who have shown strong initial success in research to be able to immerse themselves in a research experience with a leading faculty member.  

This research scholars program is named for Professor Gunther S. Stent, who was an early molecular biologist and visionary neuroscientist at UC Berkeley. 

The program provides financial support in the form of a research stipend ($7500 for the 2024-2025 academic year) to support an undergraduate research during their junior or senior year.  Students must have already identified a faculty mentor and demonstrated successful initial research in that faculty laboratory.  The award will recognize both the student and the faculty mentor.

Faculty mentors must apply on behalf of the faculty-student pair.  Students also fill out an information form.  Please see the Stent Neuroscience Research Scholars page  for more information.  The application deadline for AY2024-25 is Aug 23, 2024.  We anticipate funding two scholars for this year.  Interested students should contact their faculty mentor to apply.

Research Experience Pathways (REP) Program

The REP-Neuroscience Program (REP Neuro) is an inclusive undergraduate research program focused on connecting work-study eligible Berkeley undergrads with Berkeley neuroscience laboratories for research experience, career mentorship, and scientific training. 

REP is a year-long program.  Students apply to REP, and each accepted student is matched to a specific project in a faculty lab, and works with their graduate student mentor to learn the ins-and-outs of that research project. In the spring, each REP student participates in the REP spring colloquium to present a poster of their scientific work. During the year, students also join weekly seminars with their REP community -- learning alongside their peers about the field of neuroscience, the path to graduate school, and career opportunities that await them as neuroscientists. REP Neuro provides financial support for student research via payment to students based on work study. REP students must have minimal or no prior research experience, and must be work-study eligible. 

Applications are accepted each summer for the fall cohort.  The deadline for Fall 2024 was June 30, 2024.

For more details, see the  REP Neuro website  or email  [email protected]

AmygdalaGo-BOLT3D: A boundary learning transformer for tracing human amygdala

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Automated amygdala segmentation is one of the most common tasks in human neuroscience research. However, due to the small volume of the human amygdala, especially in developing brains, the precision and consistency of the segmentation results are often affected by individual differences and inconsistencies in data distribution. To address these challenges, we propose an algorithm for learning boundary contrast of 427 manually traced amygdalae in children and adolescents to generate a transformer, AmygdalaGo-BOLT3D, for automatic segmentation of human amygdala. This method focuses on the boundary to effectively address the issue of false positive recognition and inaccurate edges due to small amygdala volume. Firstly, AmygdalaGo-BOLT3D develops a basic architecture for an adaptive cooperation network with multiple granularities. Secondly, AmygdalaGo-BOLT3D builds the self-attention-based consistency module to address generalizability problems arising from individual differences and inconsistent data distributions. Third, AmygdalaGo-BOLT3D adapts the original sample-mask model for the amygdala scene, which consists of three parts, namely a lightweight volumetric feature encoder, a 3D cue encoder, and a volume mask decoder, to improve the generalized segmentation of the model. Finally, AmygdalaGo-BOLT3D implements a boundary contrastive learning framework that utilizes the interaction mechanism between a prior cue and the embedded magnetic resonance images to achieve effective integration between the two. Experimental results demonstrate that predictions of the overall structure and boundaries of the human amygdala exhibit highly improved precision and help maintain stability in multiple age groups and imaging centers. This verifies the stability and generalization of the algorithm designed for multiple tasks. AmygdalaGo-BOLT3D has been deployed for the community (GITHUB\_LINK) to provide an open science foundation for its applications in population neuroscience.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

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Biomedical science/neuroscience personal statement example.

The limitless potential of the life sciences and the opportunity for world-changing breakthroughs are both exciting and compelling to me. Upon hearing about a disease for the first time, I am eager to find out more about the precise ways in which it affects the body, which has led me to spend much time researching the details of various diseases. My desire to understand life on a deeper, biological level and to be involved in the analysis and diagnosis of disease first inspired me to pursue a career in medical science. The prospect of obtaining a diverse role in the medical field that holds a strong link to human biology makes it a natural path for me to take.

I am currently enjoying participating in a six week biomedicine course at the Newcastle Centre for Life. It has given me a clearer insight into the numerous disciplines within biomedical science and taught me about the involvement of various processes, such as microscopy and the handling of small patient specimens. This has given me a sense of the importance of attention to detail, a quality that I feel I naturally possess. The course has also involved practical aspects; an ultrasound machine was used to directly observe blood vessels within the neck of a participant, providing an applied example of the complexity of human anatomy. Reading has additionally played a large part in advancing my interest in biomedicine and I developed a particular interest in neuroscience upon reading 'The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat' by Oliver Sacks. This book opened my eyes to the progressive nature of neuroscience and the intriguing occurrences of such unique cases within the field of neurology.

At A-Level, my subject choices are varied, indicating my well-rounded capabilities, but Biology has without a doubt provided me with the most enjoyment. The first AS unit entitled 'Biology and Disease' seized my interest immediately and I most recently completed Unit 5, my favourite topics being muscle contraction and the nervous system, anatomical topics with undoubted links to biomedicine. Another chapter in Unit 5 was devoted to DNA technology, highlighting the technological advances in the medical field and holding particular relevance to my course choice due to the large amount of laboratory work that is based on the use of highly technical equipment. English Literature A-Level, although not science-related, has enabled me to write concisely and coherently. It has also largely developed my ability to be analytical and to successfully debate varying opinions and ideas. Psychology not only complements my other subject choices by being both scientific and essay-based, but it has provided me with abundant knowledge of research methodology, a particularly beneficial skill in science related sectors.

Aside from my academic studies, last year I was a member of the Sixth Form Student Council, which involved organising charity events within the school as well as running the Leavers' Ball and Yearbook, tasks which demonstrate reliability and heightened my independence and organisational skills. My resilience was tested while completing the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award expedition, as this was the section of the award that was the furthest from my comfort zone. Through completing it I have become more self-sufficient and developed my communication skills by working in a team, as well as proving that with determination and ambition, I can rise to formerly daunting challenges. I am also an NHS Mealtime Volunteer, working largely with elderly patients, many of whom suffer from dementia. Although not directly linked to biomedical science, this has heightened my interest in conditions that affect the brain, whilst demonstrating my ability to balance additional responsibilities with A-Level work. Seeing the debilitating effects of such a disease has ultimately confirmed my wish to play an essential role in the processes that lead to the cure or treatment of disease.

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This personal statement was written by Whetters for application in 2014.

Whetters's university choices University of Bristol The University of Nottingham The University of Manchester University of Leeds Nottingham Trent University

Green : offer made Red : no offer made

Whetters's Comments

I applied to Biomedical Science at three universities and Neuroscience at two.

University of Manchester - Biomedical Science - interviewed then offer received of AAB University of Leeds - Medical Science - offer received of AAA Bristol University - Neuroscience - offer received of AAB University of Nottingham - Neuroscience - offer received of AAB Nottingham Trent - Biomedical Science - offer received of 300 UCAS points

I am doing a third year of sixth form and my predicted grades for the end of this year are AAB.

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