how i got into an ivy school | let's get a neuroscience phd!!
Summary
TLDRIn this engaging video, Bianca, a soon-to-be neuroscience PhD student at Columbia, shares her journey and offers invaluable advice for undergrads aspiring to enter competitive graduate programs. She emphasizes the importance of creating opportunities, such as joining labs and internships, and demonstrating independence and initiative. Bianca also discusses the significance of publications and research experience, while candidly addressing the challenges of the application process. Viewers are encouraged to ask questions about grad school applications, as Bianca promises to delve into her personal experiences, including her stats, rejections, and acceptances, in an upcoming video.
Takeaways
- 🌟 Bianca is moving to New York to start her neuroscience PhD at Columbia University in August.
- 🧳 She's currently dealing with the stress of moving, including finding an apartment and adjusting to New York life.
- 🎓 Bianca emphasizes that undergraduate institution ranking is less important than what you achieve there for grad school admissions.
- 🔬 As a STEM student, she advises finding labs to work in and creating your own opportunities if none are available.
- 💡 Networking and making connections are crucial for finding research opportunities and future career paths.
- 📚 She stresses the importance of independence and initiative, showing graduate admissions committees you're ready for a PhD.
- 📈 Bianca shares her own experiences, including publications, posters, and talks, to illustrate how to stand out in grad school applications.
- 🏢 She mentions the value of working in larger labs for increased publication opportunities.
- 🌐 For those not getting published, she suggests other ways to demonstrate independence and research excellence.
- 📅 Bianca will share more details about her grad school application process, including stats and experiences, in an upcoming video.
Q & A
What is the title of the video?
-The title of the video is not explicitly mentioned in the script, but it seems to be related to Columbia University and the speaker's experiences.
What is Bianca's educational background and future plans?
-Bianca is a neuroscience PhD student at Columbia University starting in the upcoming August.
What challenges is Bianca facing as she prepares to move to New York?
-Bianca is facing challenges such as finding an apartment, buying new furniture, moving her entire life, and adjusting to life as a New Yorker.
What is Bianca's perspective on the weather in the northeast?
-Bianca mentions that the weather in the northeast has been warm but suddenly turned cold.
Why does Bianca mention 'window ac drippings'?
-Bianca mentions 'window ac drippings' as an example of something gross she expects to experience in New York.
What advice does Bianca give to undergraduates interested in pursuing a master's or PhD?
-Bianca advises undergraduates to focus on making their own opportunities, gaining research experience, and not letting their undergraduate institution limit their ambitions.
What does Bianca suggest for finding a lab to work in as an undergraduate?
-Bianca suggests emailing professors of interest, asking professors you have a good relationship with, and utilizing your network to find labs.
How does Bianca define a successful student or researcher?
-Bianca defines a successful student or researcher as someone who seeks out opportunities, isn't afraid to fail, and is willing to put themselves out there.
What is the most important trait to show graduate admissions committees, according to Bianca?
-The most important trait to show graduate admissions committees is independence.
What does Bianca suggest to demonstrate independence in research?
-Bianca suggests understanding the purpose behind your research, the bigger picture, and the limitations of your project.
What does Bianca mean by 'make your own opportunities'?
-Bianca means that one should actively seek out and create opportunities for themselves, such as finding labs, gaining experience, and networking.
Outlines
🎓 Transition to Columbia University and Grad School Application Insights
The speaker, Bianca, introduces herself as a future neuroscience PhD student at Columbia University starting in August. She discusses the challenges of transitioning to New York, including finding an apartment and adjusting to the city's lifestyle. Bianca shares her concerns about securing accommodation in July due to the majority of listings being for immediate move-ins. She also humorously addresses the discomfort of wearing Invisalign and its impact on her speech. The video promises to cover Bianca's personal grad school application process, including her resume, GPA, research experiences, and the schools she applied to. She invites viewers to ask questions in the comments, which she will address in the video. Bianca emphasizes the importance of making one's own opportunities, especially for first-generation immigrants who may not have guidance on higher education and career paths.
🔬 Finding and Making Opportunities in Research
Bianca advises undergraduates to seek out lab experiences to enhance their resumes for future graduate studies. She shares her own experience of finding a lab as a freshman with no prior research skills. She suggests emailing professors and leveraging one's network to find opportunities, even if it means reaching out to nearby schools or hospitals. Bianca stresses the importance of creating opportunities, being proactive, and not being afraid of failure or rejection. She encourages students to market themselves by excelling in their coursework and understanding the techniques they learn. Bianca also emphasizes the value of networking, learning from lab supervisors, and being involved in the lab community to build long-lasting relationships and mentorship.
📈 Demonstrating Independence for Graduate School Admissions
Bianca discusses the importance of showing independence in research to impress graduate admissions committees. She explains that understanding the bigger picture behind research techniques and projects is crucial. Bianca advises students to think critically about their projects, consider their place in the field, and propose new directions. She shares her own accomplishments, including publications and presentations, which demonstrate her independence and research capabilities. Bianca also suggests that while publications are helpful, they are not a requirement for admission. She encourages students to show their independence and passion for research in other ways if their lab does not provide opportunities for publications. She concludes by motivating students to work hard, create opportunities, and join labs or gain relevant work experience to stand out in their applications.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Columbia
💡PhD
💡Ivy League
💡Grad School Application
💡Research Experience
💡Undergraduate Institution
💡Publications
💡Co-op
💡Independence
💡First-Gen Immigrant
💡Networking
Highlights
Warm weather in the northeast suddenly turned cold
Introduction to Bianca, a neuroscience Ph.D. student at Columbia
Bianca's upcoming move to New York and the challenges of adjusting to the city
Bianca's experience with the stress of securing an apartment in New York
Bianca's recent use of Invisalign affecting her speech
The importance of focusing on undergrad achievements for grad school applications
Bianca's advice on making your own opportunities as an undergrad
How to find a lab or research position as an undergraduate
The value of creating your own opportunities and networking
Bianca's journey from a mediocre high school performance to a successful grad school applicant
The importance of independence in research and grad school applications
Bianca's advice on how to show independence in research
The significance of publications, posters, and talks in grad school applications
Bianca's experience with grad school applications and her acceptances
The role of perseverance and hard work in achieving grad school goals
预告下一期视频内容:Bianca将分享她的个人研究生申请过程
Invitation for viewers to like, comment, share, and subscribe for more content
Transcripts
title of the video
video 39 something about columbia these
last few days have just been so warm in
the northeast but i don't know what
happened it just got so cold all of a
sudden going from
sweating to chilly weather or i guess
you can say sweater weather oh wait wait
what
what is this
i'm going to colombia hello everyone my
name is bianca and i will be a
neuroscience phd student at columbia
this upcoming august only a few more
months and you'll see scenery changes
set changes and maybe a slightly more
haphazard demeanor as i try to find an
apartment buy all new furniture move my
entire life and figure out how to
actually be a new yorker without turning
into a puddle of window ac drippings
that's kind of gross but i guess i'll
experience those random drops of water
from the sky aka window ac units in new
york but since moving and program
logistics are at the forefront of my
mind what a perfect way to show everyone
my sanity slowly unraveling from the
stress of not being able to secure an
apartment until july
because most listings are for immediate
move-in only oh the joys of new york
living in an overpriced box without
modern amenities but i guess that's most
cities at this point this video
ah if you if you hear a lisp i just got
invisalign and it's really hard to speak
this video is going to be a bit
different than my usual content but if
you guys want more sneak peeks into
parts of my life beyond just language
content you'll see them scurrying across
my channel like those insane new york
rats
but how did i get into colombia and how
can you get into colombia we will tackle
those questions today and in this video
we'll go through what to focus on as an
undergrad if a master's or a phd is
something that you want to pursue in the
future next week i'll go through the
nitty gritty details of my own personal
grad school application process my
resume gpa research experiences schools
that i got into schools that i got
ghosted from et cetera and hopefully
it'll give you a better idea of what to
expect and how to tailor your
application for any schools that you may
be interested in and if you have any
particular questions that you want
answered feel free to leave them in the
comments so without further ado
if you are an undergrad or perhaps a
recent graduate
how can you get into an ib grad program
how do you make your cv as op as mob and
the body improvement club if you are a
first generation immigrant like myself
you may have heard your parents say
something along the lines of get good
grades in high school get into an ivy
league college become a doctor or
perhaps a lawyer depending on your
parents basically ivy or bust well guess
what
i did not go to an iv undergrad and i'm
doing pretty great for myself i'm making
six speakers right now working at a
biotech company and i am giving it all
up for a barely livable stipend in one
of the most expensive cities in the
world
look at me now with my future doctorate
of philosophy let me philosophize all of
your neural issues
and after my mediocre high school
performance i got into a pretty good
private university and thank goodness i
got a full ride or else i would be
drowning in student loan debt but i
didn't go to an iv or a top 10 or even a
top 20 school i was not valedictorian
and i wasn't top of my class i didn't
get all a's my first two semesters were
actually pretty trash and why do i say
this well in the eyes of the graduate
school acceptance committees
the undergraduate institution you went
to matters less than what you did at
said institution grad school is
competitive you should do as well as you
can and even at your best you may not
get into your dream programs but if you
want to get into great masters or phd
programs don't let your undergraduate
institution limit how high you dream so
how do you get into colombia
make your own opportunities
i am a stem girl so my first move when
going to college was to try to find labs
that i could work in and being a
first-gen kid i kind of had to navigate
college and figure out what the hell i
needed to do on my own and luckily i did
have an older sister that went through
the process a few years ahead of me and
helped me out oh i guess i still have an
older sister
english is a pretty weird language but
regardless i had to learn pretty quickly
that if i want to get a good job i need
experience and what is the pseudo
currency that justifies our worth in the
eyes of employers as less than qualified
undergraduate students
can you guys guess what undergrad i went
to
and if you did not ascribe to the co-op
cult it's basically internships and
part-time work throughout undergrad now
how does one find a lab let alone a lab
that actually pays you when you're a
freshman with absolutely no usable
skills besides staying up for 36 hours
right before a major exam i can also eat
an entire box of extreme flavor bath
blasted flavored blasted goldfish in an
hour and i'm not talking about the small
bags but those huge cardboard boxes of
goldfish that are bigger than your head
but one way to go about finding a lab is
to just hold email professors of
interest go through your professors and
see what their research is about take
note that you may get ghosted by certain
professors but you can also ask a
professor that you have a great
relationship with but labs may not
always be available they may not have
enough funding to take another student
even if the fit between you and that lab
is amazing so if you're looking at your
current undergrad situation and you just
can't find a lab that fits you at all
what do you do just resign to the fact
that you'll never be able to pursue your
research dreams no you make your own
opportunities if you're in a city find
nearby schools or hospitals that have
labs that you're interested in called
email professors or even ask your
professors if they know anyone in their
network that has research interests
aligned with yours it may take a bit but
utilize your surroundings utilize
everyone in your network although it may
be small at this point in your career it
will continue to grow and grow make
opportunities for yourself it's really
challenging to get into your first lab
because you don't have any legitimate
skills so market yourself well by really
paying attention to your biology chem
genetics labs in your courses yes all
the experiments fail some fail
spectacularly but i used to do western
lots all day back in my first academic
lab knowing about and being able to talk
about the techniques and their utility
in the specific area of research you're
looking to get it into will put you
ahead of the pack even if your technique
is not there yet because they always
fail during your courses
so what is the mark of a successful
student
a successful researcher a successful
person
someone that seeks out the things that
they're looking for
someone that isn't afraid to fail or get
rejected or get ghosted someone who was
willing to put themselves out there so
now you found a lab that you can join
but what's next make your own
opportunities wait i i thought we
already did that throughout your career
and just life in general the overarching
thesis is this make your own
opportunities especially in career you
can't slow down on creating new avenues
for yourself everyone jokes about
networking but it's actually a really
important skill to have once you get
into your lab learn as much as you can
from your supervisor post-doc boss
whatever you want to call it ask them to
teach you things beyond the scope of
your project show interest in the other
projects that they're a part of watch
them do other things pay attention to
how they present things ask to be
involved seek out other postdocs in the
last ask them what they're doing ask
them to teach you techniques be as
involved as you can in the lab be a good
co-worker and help out wherever you can
people love seeing passionate students
and are willing to go to bed for you if
you show interest in what they do view
your lab members as future co-workers
research is really small so if you stay
in the field you'll probably work with
them again i've already worked with four
former co-workers at three separate labs
and i am only 25. treat everyone with
respect and not just because you want
those letters of recommendation humility
goes a long way and will help you to
make long lasting relationships and
mentors that you can reach out to years
later for career advice or anything else
that you may need once you're in your
lab and have a good relationship with
your coworkers what is the most
important thing to do how do you improve
your cb in the eyes of the graduate
admissions committee independence what
is the point of a phd to make you an
independent researcher
so how do you impress that com showing
them that you're already
an independent researcher don't just
view your lab as a daily task list to
check off and leave this will be more
challenging advice but if you want to
get into competitive graduate programs
you will need to put in the effort
depending on your field and especially
for stem you need to differentiate
yourself amongst other students that
also have research
and how do you do that by showing
independence now technically
research isn't a requirement to get into
programs phd is supposed to teach you
how to be an independent research don't
just learn how to do techniques learn
why that technique is being used in that
particular situation what's the bigger
picture
what's the question that we're trying to
answer why do we even choose this
particular experiment what are the
limitations don't just learn about your
project how does your project fit into
the field and what are the limitations
of said project what questions can we
answer within the scope of this project
can you propose new project directions
considering the unknown knowledge of the
field what are these questions teaching
you how to basically write papers to
write grants independent researchers
drive projects which culminate in the
formation of grants and the publication
of papers how do you convince adcom or
future employers that you're able to do
more independent research by being able
to talk about your research beyond
superficial techniques by understanding
the purpose behind your research through
publications posters and talks upon
applying to graduate programs i had
seven publications four posters and four
talks two publications i was a second
author and the rest were middle authors
and for those of you unaware of
publication culture and science first
authors are the main project lead it's a
huge accomplishment so it looks amazing
for more junior members like me
anywhere in the top four authors is
really great and middle authorship means
that you contributed a bit but it wasn't
a major project for you so try to get on
as many papers as you can remember what
i said about reaching out to other lab
members to learn techniques and to help
them out with their work this is another
reason why you should do that everything
you do for a project will give you a
higher authorship on the resulting paper
although you should note that not
everything you do will result in a paper
unfortunately now when you're choosing a
lab check out the publication history
because some labs just don't publish
that frequently which will make it
harder to get on papers generally
postdoc heavy labs will publish more
papers
larger labs will probably publish more
than smaller labs
but although publications are very
helpful to increase the competitiveness
of your resume it's not a requirement if
your lab doesn't give you those
opportunities that's all right try to
show independent research in other ways
make your own opportunities not everyone
in my cohort has papers on their resume
but they were to show excellence and
passion and independence in other ways
the reality is that grad school is
competitive especially the cycle the
reality is that you'll probably have to
put in a lot of effort you will probably
have to put in late nights and you will
definitely have to work hard but it's
not an impossible dream to go to an
amazing grad program throughout your
undergraduate career if you're able to
one join a lab or internship or work
experience that corresponds your area of
interest and two create opportunities to
show independent work and you'll be
ahead of the pack but what does four to
five years of putting this framework
into practice look like
tune in next week where i'll go through
my grad apps and show all my stats all
my rejections all my acceptances and my
thoughts about the overall process
but if you enjoyed this video please
give me a like comment share and
subscribe and let me know if you have
any other questions about the grad
school application process
i won't have all the answers but i will
do my best to answer them from my
experience
i only know
about the biology side of phd programs a
little bit about the kensai because they
have people in my current company who
have told me about their chemistry phd
applications but granted it was like 10
years ago
so we'll we'll see but if it's more
general info maybe i'll know if it's for
different fields then i may not have the
answer but i will try my best but thank
you so much for watching this video um
check out my patreon if you're
interested it's different content but
maybe i can start incorporating some of
my science stuff in there too if you
guys are interested just let me know in
the comments and i'll figure that out
but i hope you have a great rest of your
day and i will see you next week bye
[Music]
you
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