I'm not sure if this is OK, and Andya please let me know if it's not. But since this thread went quiet, and I do have related questions, I'll post here.
I'm looking for advice on how to enter a Ph. D program. Below is my story and what I've been trying to do. I've been failing, so any suggestions would be welcome!
Anyway, here's my story: I'm a ... guy... trying to get back into graduate school. I've been out of school since 1999, when i graduated with a Computer Science degree.
Since 2003, I've been studying to enter a Ph. D program in cognitive neuroscience. I went to school for a while (at the University of Washington), but I left in order to come to Japan. While in Japan, I've been studying ... at home.
But apparently my approach is not working--I haven't been accepted to my top choice schools. My recommendations are mostly old (one from University of Washington is new) and I don't have any academic papers to submit. I have about 9 months of university lab experience. Mostly I've just been reading primary source papers and books on the topic.
Next week, I'll be returning to the US, and I'll go to summer school at one of my preferred schools. I'm hoping to establish connections there, as well as enter a lab (hopefully for a paid experience, I'm poor now, but I'm up for volunteering if necessary). Outside of this, however, I don't know what to do.
I am also interested in studying in Japan, but I know even less about that. Studying in the UK may work for me... but I do have a girlfriend here, so I'd have to work out that situation.
It's been over two years, and I'm not in school yet, and I'll go through my third round of applications in 6 months. Any comments / suggestions would be VERY welcome.
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