In 2019 and 2020, neuroscience graduate students at several programs across the country (NYU, MIT and Princeton to name a few) started application assistance mentorship programs to help prospective graduate students through the process of applying to PhD programs. 

Inspired by these programs, we started SNAAP in 2020. Over the years, we have offered 1-on-1 interview and application review services as well as general information on demystifying the process of applying to Stanford program and graduate school in general. 

We recognize that there is an implicit knowledge gap and an inequity in access to resources amongst students from differing backgrounds applying to graduate school. We hope that working 1-on-1 with someone who has experience in the process can bridge this gap at the crucial juncture of the application stage. Inspired by application assistance programs nationwide and at other universities, the Stanford neuroscience community wants to provide a similar service.

The Stanford Neuroscience Application Assistance Program (SNAAP) intends to contribute to the diversification of academic science through recruitment of talented researchers from historically underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds. Our goal is to address disparities in access to critical information, resources, and mentorship.

Important information and disclaimers:

SNAAP is a volunteer organization initiated and run by Stanford University graduate students and post-doctoral scholars. We are not, in any way, affiliated with admissions for Stanford for any graduate program. Stanford students and community members who are affiliated with admissions are prohibited from working as SNAAP mentors. Participation in SNAAP is not required for admission to any Stanford graduate program. Participation in SNAAP also does not guarantee admission to any Stanford graduate program.

All advice given by SNAAP mentors are opinions and there is no one “correct” way to approach graduate school applications/interviews. Our opinions are informed by personal experience and the experiences of our peers, but that can still be limited in scope

All information shared with SNAAP leadership for matching or with SNAAP mentors during 1-on-1 sessions, office hours, etc. will be kept strictly confidential.

As of now, our experience is overwhelmingly biased towards graduate applications for programs in the United States. We are limited in our ability to advise you on applying to schools outside of the US. Similarly, we currently have very few SNAAP volunteers we are/were international students. For this reason, we’re limited in our ability to assist with aspects of the application process that are specific to international applications. We can, however, still help with the parts of the process that are the shared (personal statement, interviews, etc). Finally, we are most suited to advise you if you’re applying to neuroscience PhD programs. We also know that some folks apply to multiple program types. The application process is very similar for most US rotation-based biological science programs, but the further your field of interest differs from neuroscience the less we’ll be able to help (if at all). For instance: Cellular/Molecular Biology or Immunology - we can probably help out okay. Psychology or Statistics - it’s possible we have a volunteer or two that could assist, but the chances are more slim. Mechanical Engineering, Medical/Law School, or Art History - we cannot help at all.

Please keep in mind that SNAAP volunteers are busy graduate students and post-docs. None of us are compensated and it is nobody’s full time job to work for or manage SNAAP.