Neuroscience Applicants 2013 Discussion
Hi! I suppose I'm a bit early on this but I'm so excited for Uni so thought I'd start up a thread regarding the course I wanted to do. Anyone applying/thinking of applying for Neuroscience? It sounds amazing!
I have some questions to anyone who's doing the degree currently- I see UCL only admit about 25 applicants per year, is competition massive? They say AAA-AAB but realistically what grades do they want to ensure a place?
What jobs can you come out to do? What work experience/extra curricular stuff would be favourable and what books are reccommended reads for PS's?
I've nearly finished year twelve, studying Chemistry Biology Physics and Art and am predicted A's in art and chemistry and b's in physics and biology. I plan to drop physics next year so at the moment it's AAB, but I worked really hard for biology and got an A in my ISA, so hopefully I can secure the A! And I'm going to aim for an A* in art. I have 7A*'s 5 A's and a B GCSE. I have bronze & silver DOE, Grade 5 trumpet (Taking six this summer), I work part time helping children read and count at a KUMON centre, and I go to Girls Brigade and Church and Bible study classes in my spare time. I've also preached once at my church and about to do so again next week. At school I'm a prefect, a member of the photography events team, leader of Christian Union and help run medical society sometimes. I also sing in a girls choir and play trumpet in a band.
Bulking out my PS
Work experience wise, I used to want to be a vet so I've done a lot in the animals field. Is that relevant? I volunteered on fridays every week at my local medivet, watching consults etc for about a year and a half before I gave up the idea. I also did 4 saturdays at a kennels, 2 days at another vets, and rode and helped a bit at a stables for around four years. This summer I have two weeks placement at my local university hospital in the biochemistry an microbiology department. I've also done a week at the citizens advice bureau, shadowing a housing law solicitor. (I've played around with a lot of career options)
Is this relevant/Can I put it down?
What's everyone elses interests and work experience? What subjects do people take and what grades?
ATM- I like the look of UCL/Kings/Edinburugh/St Andrews and Nottingham, and I think I'm gonna apply to Queen Marys as a insurance for biochemistry as it's 300 Ucas points (Triple B or ABC, hopefully the A in art is guaranteed haha). Anyone looked around there? Kings was fully booked for me and scotland seems to far for an open day!
Please reply!
Charlotte
I have some questions to anyone who's doing the degree currently- I see UCL only admit about 25 applicants per year, is competition massive? They say AAA-AAB but realistically what grades do they want to ensure a place?
What jobs can you come out to do? What work experience/extra curricular stuff would be favourable and what books are reccommended reads for PS's?
I've nearly finished year twelve, studying Chemistry Biology Physics and Art and am predicted A's in art and chemistry and b's in physics and biology. I plan to drop physics next year so at the moment it's AAB, but I worked really hard for biology and got an A in my ISA, so hopefully I can secure the A! And I'm going to aim for an A* in art. I have 7A*'s 5 A's and a B GCSE. I have bronze & silver DOE, Grade 5 trumpet (Taking six this summer), I work part time helping children read and count at a KUMON centre, and I go to Girls Brigade and Church and Bible study classes in my spare time. I've also preached once at my church and about to do so again next week. At school I'm a prefect, a member of the photography events team, leader of Christian Union and help run medical society sometimes. I also sing in a girls choir and play trumpet in a band.
Bulking out my PS
Work experience wise, I used to want to be a vet so I've done a lot in the animals field. Is that relevant? I volunteered on fridays every week at my local medivet, watching consults etc for about a year and a half before I gave up the idea. I also did 4 saturdays at a kennels, 2 days at another vets, and rode and helped a bit at a stables for around four years. This summer I have two weeks placement at my local university hospital in the biochemistry an microbiology department. I've also done a week at the citizens advice bureau, shadowing a housing law solicitor. (I've played around with a lot of career options)
Is this relevant/Can I put it down?
What's everyone elses interests and work experience? What subjects do people take and what grades?
ATM- I like the look of UCL/Kings/Edinburugh/St Andrews and Nottingham, and I think I'm gonna apply to Queen Marys as a insurance for biochemistry as it's 300 Ucas points (Triple B or ABC, hopefully the A in art is guaranteed haha). Anyone looked around there? Kings was fully booked for me and scotland seems to far for an open day!
Please reply!
Charlotte
Scroll to see replies
I got into UCL for Neuroscience MSci, my offer is AAA and a pass in my AS. I've already got A* in Maths, and this year I'm predicted A* for Chemistry, A for Biology and A for Further Maths AS.
Also this year there's 30 places and there may be a few more for next year, not quite sure. I suppose it is very competitive so the main thing is to show your interest, why you want to study it, and show that you have already read some books etc. This year they sent out a questionnaire instead of an interview for this year but they said it took forever so they're going to go back to interviewing. I had previously thought about doing medicine so had some clinical work experience in a hospital and medical centre as well as done some voluntary work at a primary school but I actually asked about work experience at the open day and I was told that they know you can't really do much for neuroscience work experience so it was a better idea to read some topical books and do a bit of research into what you're interested in.
I plan on getting a PhD after my masters and then either going into research (if there's funding) or alternatively going into the pharmaceutical industry. Also for your PS, you might want to keep most of your extra-curricular work quite relevant to your future interests.
About the vet work, I'd say it's good as long as you're ok with using animals in lab work and experiments.
Overall, I'd say you're a strong candidate as long as you get to grip with the basics of neuroscience and read around the subject. And obviously get your grades
Also this year there's 30 places and there may be a few more for next year, not quite sure. I suppose it is very competitive so the main thing is to show your interest, why you want to study it, and show that you have already read some books etc. This year they sent out a questionnaire instead of an interview for this year but they said it took forever so they're going to go back to interviewing. I had previously thought about doing medicine so had some clinical work experience in a hospital and medical centre as well as done some voluntary work at a primary school but I actually asked about work experience at the open day and I was told that they know you can't really do much for neuroscience work experience so it was a better idea to read some topical books and do a bit of research into what you're interested in.
I plan on getting a PhD after my masters and then either going into research (if there's funding) or alternatively going into the pharmaceutical industry. Also for your PS, you might want to keep most of your extra-curricular work quite relevant to your future interests.
About the vet work, I'd say it's good as long as you're ok with using animals in lab work and experiments.
Overall, I'd say you're a strong candidate as long as you get to grip with the basics of neuroscience and read around the subject. And obviously get your grades
Whoah, that's a lot of a*s. do you know anyone with offers who are predicted a bit less than that?
That's cool though, any books you recommend?
How much animal testing is involved? I reckon I'd be okay with most of it, but I suppose you never know until you're put in that position.
What made you choose ucl? Where else did you apply?
Good luck and thank you!
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That's cool though, any books you recommend?
How much animal testing is involved? I reckon I'd be okay with most of it, but I suppose you never know until you're put in that position.
What made you choose ucl? Where else did you apply?
Good luck and thank you!
This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
Original post by charlotteadamss
Whoah, that's a lot of a*s. do you know anyone with offers who are predicted a bit less than that?
That's cool though, any books you recommend?
How much animal testing is involved? I reckon I'd be okay with most of it, but I suppose you never know until you're put in that position.
What made you choose ucl? Where else did you apply?
Good luck and thank you!
That's cool though, any books you recommend?
How much animal testing is involved? I reckon I'd be okay with most of it, but I suppose you never know until you're put in that position.
What made you choose ucl? Where else did you apply?
Good luck and thank you!
I don't actually know anyone else's predicted grades, but if they're a bit lower you should be fine as long as your personal statement is up to scratch.
Book-wise, my favourites are Brain Story and The Private Life of the Brain by Susan Greenfield, Brave New Brain by Nancy Andreasen and The Three-Pound Enigma by Shannon Moffett. These are all on the 'books for inspiration' section of the reading list for first year UCL neuroscientists.
Throughout studying and researching later in your career, you will be using animals. They will be treated humanely, but you have to be ok with using animals and their nervous systems in your work. This can include mice, cats and monkeys.
I chose UCL because I loved the course structure, UCL is the best uni for neuroscience in Europe, and globally I think it's second only to Harvard. It generates a huge amount of neuroscience research - more than Oxbridge does - and it's in London, which I love despite expenses!
I also applied for NatSci at Cambridge because my mother forced me to...(pooled post-interview then rejected) and I have Edinburgh as my insurance, and I withdrew from Bristol because they would only give me an offer I trekked over there for the open day, as well as KCL, who gave me an offer within about a week of me applying (I don't blame them, they're competing against UCL for London-based neuroscientists).
Good luck with your application, if you need any more reading suggestions, let me know.
I like the sound of those books! Will definately give them all a read.
Ucl does look amazing. I'm visiting there on the fourth of July and have tickets for the neuroscience talk
We're writing our personal statements soon! Any help on that? A ucl standard personal statement to look at for reference would be great haha
And that's fine about the animals. Ive seen them being put down, and I was fine with that so I should be okay with this.
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Ucl does look amazing. I'm visiting there on the fourth of July and have tickets for the neuroscience talk
We're writing our personal statements soon! Any help on that? A ucl standard personal statement to look at for reference would be great haha
And that's fine about the animals. Ive seen them being put down, and I was fine with that so I should be okay with this.
This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
Original post by charlotteadamss
Ucl does look amazing. I'm visiting there on the fourth of July and have tickets for the neuroscience talk
We're writing our personal statements soon! Any help on that? A ucl standard personal statement to look at for reference would be great haha
This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
Ucl does look amazing. I'm visiting there on the fourth of July and have tickets for the neuroscience talk
We're writing our personal statements soon! Any help on that? A ucl standard personal statement to look at for reference would be great haha
This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
Well for the talk I'd just say that that really is your chance to have any questions answered.
For the personal statement, I just really can't emphasise enough how important it is that you show your interest, perhaps through demonstrating some knowledge of areas of neuroscience that you find interesting - combined with academic and extra-curricular activities.
I'm predicted AAB, but at AS I didn't work too hard and I got ABCD 
. Any chance of me getting into uni this year, providing I'm retaking 3 modules in January?
. Any chance of me getting into uni this year, providing I'm retaking 3 modules in January?If you've got a good personal statement maybe. Where are you applying?
KCL
Nottingham
Bristol
Sussex
Keele
Nottingham
Bristol
Sussex
Keele
I don't know, I think it's good to have a varied amount of uni choices, so I have one that is higher than my as grades, two spot on, one one grade lower and one two grades lower for my insurance
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Original post by charlotteadamss
I like the sound of those books! Will definately give them all a read.
Ucl does look amazing. I'm visiting there on the fourth of July and have tickets for the neuroscience talk
We're writing our personal statements soon! Any help on that? A ucl standard personal statement to look at for reference would be great haha
And that's fine about the animals. Ive seen them being put down, and I was fine with that so I should be okay with this.
This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
Ucl does look amazing. I'm visiting there on the fourth of July and have tickets for the neuroscience talk
We're writing our personal statements soon! Any help on that? A ucl standard personal statement to look at for reference would be great haha
And that's fine about the animals. Ive seen them being put down, and I was fine with that so I should be okay with this.
This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
Hey, also a 1st year Neuroscientist at UCL. Personally, my advice would be to focus on the reading you have done, why the subject interests you, and why your extra curricular activities (musical instruments, sports etc.) are relevant to university life. The universities (particularly UCL) will be far more impressed with somebody who sees their extra curricular activities as a secondary to the course than somebody who lists everything they have ever done in an attempt to impress. Show why you would be successful on their course, because that is what they are looking for. The top universities don't want people who have done incredible amounts of other things, they want people who are genuinely interested and talented in the field they are applying for. Therefore, select your extra curricular activities to fit the course, rather than feeling you have to put everything in.
By the way, UCL is the place to be. The neuroscience course has everything you need. Its small, so everyone is looked after, but the amount of research that goes on here is huge, so there are plenty of top class lecturers.
Hope this helps, if you need anymore help, feel free to inbox me!
Hey! Just sent off my ucas today, hopefully everything is okay and have applied to ucl! Hopefully I get an offer what where your predicted grades/actual grades?
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what where your predicted grades/actual grades?This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
Original post by charlotteadamss
Hey! Just sent off my ucas today, hopefully everything is okay and have applied to ucl! Hopefully I get an offer what where your predicted grades/actual grades?
This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
what where your predicted grades/actual grades?This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
I had AABB from AS, my predicted grades were A*AAA, and I went on to get AAAA
Four subjects!! What were they?
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This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
Original post by charlotteadamss
Four subjects!! What were they?
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This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
Maths, Chemistry, Physics and Biology
Has anyone sent off their application yet??
I sent mine to my school last Wednesday yet still no ucas confirmation so I guess they haven't sent it off.
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Original post by charlotteadamss
I sent mine to my school last Wednesday yet still no ucas confirmation so I guess they haven't sent it off.
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This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
Same here, I sent it to school last week, but they still haven't sent it. I'm getting a little worried because a lot of people last year sent their applications in early october.
My tutor said he'd finished my reference so hopefully it will be sent off today! I know, I'm nervous cause Glasgow is one of my choices and they've been sending out early offers
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This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App
I sent off my application today! Has anyone gotten offers yet? My tutor said she'd be finishing off writing references by this Tuesday but I think she's written mine so hopefully mine will be sent to UCAS by the weekend. I'm worried because everyone on here seems to be really quick off the mark, haha
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