• Getting to know the students while a tech

• Life in La Jolla, vibes and community of students and faculty, world renowned research and facilities 

• I liked how collaborative it was 

• The students are genuinely happy and San Diego is a beautiful place to do research. NGP is a great community and you can always find support. 

• The students are truly a community and have varied interests outside of neuroscience 

• Vibes

• I knew this was a place where I could be my happiest self

• I picked UC San Diego because I felt the mythical "click" while I was meeting my future classmates at my interview! In terms of the NGP I was also drawn to the program because as an MD-PhD student I wanted a program with a strong history of support for dual degree students.

• It was a gut feeling. UCSD was the one place I could imagine myself being really happy (and also doing super cool science)

• Student body seemed the most genuine :)

• The students were so happy

• location, amazing student community, program support, minimal teaching requirement

• The students here are so happy with what program, the research is high impact, and the location is perfect for grad school. 

• seemed like a happy program 

• You can work on pretty much anything and everything

• The research, the location, the vibes

• I loved all the people I met on my interview and it was so easy to picture myself and my life here.

• The vibes

• Great community, many great researchers here, supportive but not toxically competitive

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYOKMUTTDdA

• The feeling I got from interacting with current students! Faculty, too. The community is exceptional. Can't beat San Diego!

• Dream school since high school; best science + location + life style 

• I had a blast during interviews, both in the interviews themselves and the social events with grad students and faculty outside of the interviews. Plus, the weather here is incredible

• mainly breadth of research labs i was interested in and the student vibes

• I chose NGP because of the students, community, and breadth of research labs. and the location, can't beat San Diego weather :) 

• Because of what I learned from a grad student in my lab

• The diverse faculty and research areas; the high-quality program; the location.

• My PI

• It's an amazing program in the best location! Also the people were so fun and social-  they seemed to actually have passions outside of their research life.

• I really connected with the current students and got the impression that for the most part, they had the work-life balance they desired

• The students seemed happy and San Diego is amazing (weather+beach)!

• San Diego is amazing!

• Amazing community of students, and the location can’t be beat! 

• Best funding, most prestige

• Amazing neuroscience community and training in a beautiful place

• Part of my decision to join NGP was for a lot of the obvious reasons - breadth of research labs, opportunities for collaborations (Salk, Scripps, Sanford Burnham, Sanford Consortium, all the biotech companies in the area), etc. I would say what really made NGP stand out to me was the happiness of students, work/life balance, and engagement in the program.

• It seemed like the happiest place on earth.

• The students were so much happier here than anywhere else I interviewed.

• Student life was the major factor that made NGP win over my alternatives. While interviewing, the students in NGP seemed much more personally connected with each other and the program than anywhere else I interviewed. They also all had outside interests/hobbies which they maintained throughout grad school. The faculty also appeared to be in major support of helping students to attain a healthy work/life-balance. After being here 5 years, I can attest that these are fundamental aspects of the program and not just an interview gimmick.

• I thought this program would best prepare me as a successful scientist and hopefully a PI eventually. I was also drawn to the fun and friendly community of students and faculty I met during interviews.

• Student community and being able to live in San Diego while doing research I am excited about. 

• As a lab technician at Salk during my gap years, I was fortunate to be surrounded by current/past NGP students. Everyone in the program that I met prior to applying to graduate school was friendly, supportive, and incredibly honest, and I admired their brilliance and passion for their research. On top of that, I respected that people in NGP valued their lives outside of research and made it a priority to set boundaries. Now that I’m in the program, albeit just in my first year doing rotations, I can say this absolutely holds true. I feel supported and motivated by my peers and encouraged to have a healthy work-life balance. Everyone in NGP brings something unique to the mix, which makes for a very intellectually stimulating and fun environment. NGP rocks!!

• For every good reason you can think of. The people, the PIs, the school's reputation, the work life balance, the surfing and of course the burritos.

• I picked NGP because of the diverse student population, small and community based program, also the faculty and staff are just overall great and supportive.  

• I felt like I could be sane here.

• They had a great selection of faculty members studying interesting topics, great research and learning opportunities, and a positive atmosphere.

• I thought it was a place where I would be personally and professionally supported. 

• It seemed like it had the perfect combination of rigor and community.

• Location - Proximity to my family and much better weather and environment than my undergrad (Boston). Recommended - my previous postdoc went to UCSD and my PI highly recommended it. Stipend/Housing -Much nicer housing than other programs, stipend was a lot compared to cost of living in other places. Ethnic makeup  - California in general made me feel like the Latino/Black community was vibrant and supportive.

• The amazing year-round weather and San Diego culture.

• It was so unique to see students that had such amazing research and yet had the best work life balance of any place I interviewed. The students seemed like they genuinely believed that their program supported them and took care of them which I had yet to hear on my interview cycle. 

• I wanted a place where I would be happy during my PhD, UCSD showed me that you can work hard but also enjoy life to the fullest… even in a pandemic (thank you San Diego weather)! 

• The huge number of labs to choose from, the closely-knit research community, great program vibes, and awesome weather.

• Excellent neuroscience research and resources in one of the most beautiful and livable places I've been, hard to beat. Plus a friendly atmosphere and huge breadth of research areas.

• Top research institution that is really large so they are plenty of good labs with openings. Also, the program culture and city is great for good work/life balance - lots of opportunities to get outdoors swimming / hiking. 

• It truly was the ~vibes~. I had SO much fun on my interview with students of all years. Plus can't complain about the opportunity to attend such a prestigious program in a city that is 1. beautiful and 2. has a lot of opportunities for different careers post grad.

• It was such a tough decision because there are some great programs out there but I'm so glad I made the decision I did. I chose this program because I thought all of the students seemed so relaxed. Nobody felt like they were trying to be the best or come across as impressive, instead everyone seemed like they were chasing their passions and looking for their own niche while respecting the journey that everyone else was on. It felt communal but not competitive. 

• The social culture of the program, huge breadth of fantastic labs to choose from, and the location!

• After seeing all the things available to do in the area and the work/life balance that both the students and PIs have, I knew I could be happy here.

• How happy the students are! Matters so much to be in a program where people are generally happy

• I really enjoyed the science and the community here! Everyone was so positive during interviews and I figured it had to do with the program.

• Mostly vibes

• Amazing community. Amazing science.

• Diverse research in my sub-field of interest and the option to rotate in labs.

• I fell in love with the area and really enjoyed the people I met during my interview (I’m sad we’re not having in person interviews anymore). I just felt at home here

• Loved the students and faculty I met during interviews!

• I liked the course work, the breadth of research that aligned with my interest and San Diego is a vibe

• Strong program and students seemed happy when I visited

• Vibes

• Students, location, lots of cool research going on

• The people, the atmosphere, the high quality research with high quality people in a superb location. Year-round sunshine, year-round happy, healthy, intelligent people.

• The viiibes!~

• Honestly, the people here are amazing! I knew I’d be happy with the science and the people really sold me.

• Truly it was the community. I think our grad students are the nicest, most fun, talented, coolest group of people.

• NGP people, location, labs/research

• Perfect alignment with my interests

• To live in La Jolla so I can surf and play beach volleyball and enjoy the sun, subsidized grad housing/SHORE, immaculate vibes from students and professors, world renowned faculty and prestige, structure of courses

• The people, the faculty were excellent and the students were kind

• SHORE offer, location, students seemed happy

• I wanted to choose a location I would be happy living in for the next 4-6 years, and the quality of life here is hard to beat. I was also drawn to the diversity of San Diego compared to other locations, as well as the breadth of science at UCSD (in addition to lots of biotech in the SD area)

• renowned for computational neuroscience and multiple specific labs I was interested in, but mostly I got an amazing vibe from the students here and it felt like home the second I got here (even moving here from New England)

• I loved how the students knew one another so well and had good things to say about the program. Everyone was friendly and outgoing and seemed like a fun time. Also great research opportunities :)

• Students generally seemed the happiest, most upper years still participating in recruitment events, most labs I was interested in compared to other schools, SAN DIEGO

• People seemed like they had lives outside of the program, and the lab dynamics seemed generally more chill. There were also a lot of labs studying drugs & addiction which is what I was interested in studying

• The sense of community here was very striking when I interviewed and visited. I was seeking that in a grad program and I really valued the student-driven nature of this program. The lab rotations combined with the large number of labs to choose from (150!) was also appealing, especially the opportunity to try a lab before committing. I was also interested in the computational neuroscience specialization. The weather, access to nature, and the beaches were also a plus!!

• i wuv brwains

• Great student community, amazing location, minimal teaching requirement.

• Mentor. Comp Neuro Specialization. Life outside the lab. Weather/Nature.

• Probably the aquarium dinner RIP

• I visited the east coast after virtual interviews to survey all the offers in the east. A week in the east coast made me certain of UCSD. Everyone here seems happier, the culture is more positive, and San Diego is the most beautiful place to live out of any offer I had. 

• When I talked to the current graduate students.

• The interviews

• Karaoke with the current students - they seemed so fun and so unpretentious  

• When I was going to the San Diego airport to fly home from my interview, instead of feeling tired and burnt out (like all my other interviews), I was sad to leave my new friends! 

• When Iris answered all my questions with so much personality

• Just feeling like the people were kind and interesting during interviews

• landing in San Diego on a sunny day after interviewing at a school out east that was cold, dark, and rainy.

• Hanging out with the students during interviews made me realize how chill and happy they were compared to all other schools. 

• interacting with grad students here 

• People running into the ocean in the middle of a bonfire social

• The NGP music videos on youtube

• The aquarium dinner was a very special moment for me

• Social hours during my visit

• Sitting in the Salk courtyard, social events with students, Brad being Brad

• SD Zoo rocks. Seeing surfboards in labs - speaks to work life balance!

• The interview experience as a whole

• it came down to choosing between two programs, and everyone I interacted with here (students and faculty) were laid-back and kind, whereas I sensed more competition and judgement from people in the other program.

• Interviews and the social events during that week really solidified by decision. You could tell the students were friends and did stuff together outside of lab/NGP, and that made me want to join.

• overall interview weekend

• Karaoke at Rock Bottom Brewery. RIP you will be missed :(

• How obvious it was during recruitment that everyone loved hanging out with each other

• Seeing the baby seals in La Jolla cove during interview week 

• During interviews, when Jess Haley was driving me and another interviewee (Emma!) to Coast grad housing to see her place - I remember we were driving along La Jolla Shores Dr and listening to (More Bounce In) California by Soulkid #1 with the windows down and overlooking the sparkling ocean and wow, you really cannot beat that view. It was just such a happy, carefree memory - all my stresses about interviewing dissolved away and I felt like I could just relax around people in NGP. 

• I just felt at home with the people and they seemed like they had good work-life balances. 

• Tim Gentner's speech at the aquarium dinner - (hopefully he will deliver an equal caliber speech over Zoom)

• The first social with the grad students in the program was so much more welcoming, friendly, and lively than anywhere else I interviewed (for some programs, getting grad students to attend interview events seemed like pulling teeth). I knew that this was a program I'd fit into well socially, and I knew that would be critical for me to succeed without burning out.

• The conversations I had with current graduate students at various social events during the interview visit really convinced me that this was the right fit for my own interests, both academic and personal. 

• The socials helped demonstrate the strong student community UCSD NGP has and how easy going it was to talk to everyone. There is a variety of interests and hobbies amongst the students, so it was nice meeting multiple people I felt connected to and supported by. 

• It was during interviews, we were all at the birch aquarium dinner, and a bunch of PIs at my table talked about how much they enjoyed the students and enjoyed being faculty there. It was this barebone honest truth that I wasn't getting from other places that really helped me decide. 

• I decided during interviews that this program would be the best fit when I was able to engage with students and faculty in academic and casual conversations

• During interviews, I saw how much fun current students were having (especially at Karaoke night), and I really didn't want to go home. This was a sign to me that NGP was the right fit. 

• During interviews- meeting with the students and knowing they were my kind of people.

• I flipped a coin and was disappointed in the answer.

• Talking to the experiences of upper year students

• Touring the lab spaces and realizing just how close everything was to the beach! I felt like if I ever got stressed or had a bad day at work, I could walk outside and center myself in nature. It was a slower, and calmer vibe than the ones I got in NY, Boston, etc.

• Getting to see all the grad students interact on my trip. I saw how awesome they all were and how well they all got along and liked each other. 

• Going rock climbing during recruitment!

• Watching baby seals at sunrise at La Jolla cove during interviews.

• The whole interview/recruitment weekend was just the best. Also probably Tim’s aquarium dinner speech :’)

• Being at Salk Institute one moment and in five minutes strolling out to a massive cliff side ocean view at the glider port. 

• When everyone around me was smiling 

• Tim's speech at aquarium dinner during my interview

• Watching the “post-doc me now” video

• The interview experience as a whole.

• I think I most clearly remember the Saturday social of recruitment weekend. We went to the zoo and got burritos and it felt like such a snapshot in the life of what it's like to live in SD. Afterward, at the grad party, one of the students set up a giant bubble that she'd built herself for Burning Man and we all crowded inside (seems so weird in COVID times!). It was a great example of how quirky and creative the students are. I love that vibe and I think you see it all the time in our lives outside of lab. 

• Meetings with current students after interviews were over :)

• Karaoke at Rock Bottom Brewery during interview week might have been a pivotal moment...

• Being in a different program... 

• Probably the aquarium dinner at interviews. Meeting all the other students and seeing the ocean was really cool.

• The interview when I met a bunch of students who had lots of hobbies and great work/life balances

• While interviewing, I went to Hennessey's and go to meet up with potential classmates. While there, I got to talk science and truly get to know the science that everyone was working on. I think that moment solidified it for me.

• Visiting

• Talking to other students in the program versus other programs.

• When I got an admit from another program I really liked, the option to rotate in different labs before selecting one, tipped the balance for me. Besides that, the research in NGP is very diverse, with over 160 faculties affiliated with the program. Plus, San Diego is a wonderful place.

• The whole Interview Week was a blast

• I'm from here so I was hoping to stay here

• Talking to current grad students

• Interview week! Students and faculty were all so nice and seemed really happy here.

• Realizing the grad students here were normal and had passions outside of research + the faculty respected work-life balance. Also the ocean-view dinners.

• Interview weekend

• The visit weekend!

• I’m going to date myself here but there was a group of students who had a band called DMT and I thought they were so talented and down to earth. I loved that people were doing kick ass science BUT ALSO had talents, hobbies, interests outside of that. I’ve always thought NGP students are so creative and I think that’s an underrated but crucial part of being a top-tier neuroscientist.

• Bonfire night during visiting week

• My faculty mentor during a summer internship at Princeton told me that I should choose a place where I want to actually live for the next 5 years of my life. He told me that your research interests (which were better aligned with some east coast schools) will change, but the location and the program itself will not. He was right - I completely switched research fields....and I love it here.

• I honestly thought I was going to choose a school with a more "prestigious" name... but then once I thought I had made my decision, I realized it was the wrong one! I knew I would be happier in San Diego and at UCSD. Happy scientists complete the best science :)

• When I visited another school afterwards, I kept comparing it to UCSD and realizing it fell flat of what I was looking for. That confirmed for me that I really wanted to attend UCSD. Also the active lifestyle of the students was also a big factor!

• All the fun I had during the accepted students weekend

• I mostly just wanted to move back to California : )

• When people told me about surfing yet I haven't surfed smh.

• Getting to hang out with current students during the visit and experiencing the close-knit community really solidified my decision.

• Interviewing

For a scientific approach, please refer to NGP alum Scott Cole's exhaustive study on the matter at https://srcole.github.io/100burritos/ 

For subjective opinions, see below... 

• Roberto's Taco Shop

• Las Cuatro Milpas

• Colima's

• Los Panchos

• I don't eat burritos

• Tacos el G

• La perla

• Belindas food truck comes to grad housing twice a week - quality + convenience is unmatched

• Sayulitas

• El Veganito

• Benny’s

• The Taco Stand

• Go to Mexico!

• Spitfire 

• El Rey Moro Taco Shop 

• Don Carlos

• Lucha Libre

• Los Ruiz

• Oscar's 

• Taco Shack

• El Zarape

• Tacos El Gordo

• Marcy's Mexican food

• Java Earth

• Sombrero’s

• El Patron

• Lolita’s

• me

• Lucha Libre

• Without Question: Robert's Jalepenos 11835 Carmel Mountain Rd, San Diego, CA 92128

• Ask Grace lol

• The Taco Stand

• Taqueria Revolucion

• Still looking

• Surf and Turf burrito from Mike's Taco Stand 🤤

• There is not one burrito to rule them all, BUT alllllll the burritos here are just in general wayyyyy better than every other area of the country

• Pueblo PB

• Chipotle

• Early bird!! which is super close to campus actually

• Blacks beach?

• Blacks beach at sunrise with clean swell

• Point Loma/Mitch's Seafood

• Balboa Park and La Jolla Shores 

• The beach 

• Fiesta island dog park

• Pacific Beach boardwalk

• Mount Soledad 

• SO MANY! Probably Sunset Cliffs. Or the Sandbox on Patriots game days. 

• Any of the thousands of little walking trails with a view of the ocean. :)

• Not sure I’ve explored enough yet to give a good answer but if you go to the swing above the Birch aquarium (especially for sunset) there’s a really beautiful view of the beach/La Jolla/ocean. And a nice short walk/hike to get there 

• Coronado Beach

• Convoy

• Mission Trails regional park, or in San Diego county I like Anza borrego state park

• North Park

• Del Mar Dog Beach

• 7th Street in Del Mar

• Blacks Beach

• kate sessions park

• Del Mar

• Balboa park

• Kate Sessions Park

• Eclipse Chocolate

• Ranchos penasquitos canyon

• The taco stand

• That part on the 101 driving south past Del Mar looking toward Torrey Pines

• Coast walk trail

• Little Italy!! Best neighborhood ever!!

• Marine Street Beach - beautiful sand, always quiet, easy parking. But don’t tell anyone else (:

• Menya Ultra

• Sunset cliffs with a vegan milkshake from PPFF :) 

• the beach

• Still exploring!

• Calumet Park/Birdrock

• Sunset cliffs

• Ocean beach. You've got breweries, great food, the beach, and so many dogs!

• Balboa Park

• North Park

• Convoy St 

• La Jolla cove 

• Brigantine in Del Mar, overlooking the ocean

• Mission Trails Regional Park

• Coronado dog beach 

• Balboa park

• Convoy

• Mission Bay Park

• Tierra del sol

• Top of Mount Woodson 

• Torrey Pines Gliderport

• Liberty Station/Point Loma 

• La Jolla Cove

• Sunset Cliffs

• Brigantine brunch

• Torrey Pines

• OB dog beach

• Scripps reserve

• PB boardwalk with a burrito and surfboard. Anywhere with good vibes 🤙

• North park 

• Windansea

• Brewskies

• Tourmaline Beach 

• Scripps Coastal Reserve

• Scripps beach at sunset

• Black's Beach

• Spruce Street Suspension Bridge

• Encinitas meditation gardens

• Kate Sessions Park 

• Balboa Park

• Mount Soledad 

• Torrey Pines Gliderport and all the 30th st breweries

• Anywhere with waves

• Children's Pool in La Jolla (with the seals)

• Little Italy farmer’s market

• Torrey Pines Beach (but especially if you can get down to the Mushroom House)

• San Diego Zoo

• Tourmaline/Law Street Beach!

• Blacks beach at sunrise

• Farmer's markets

• Gliderport

• Black's Beach

• Sunset cliffs in the early mornings!

• Torrey Pines Beach

• Mission Beach

• Ocean beach

• Mission Bay

• Del Mar dog beach

• Windansea

• Windansea beach

• Menya Ultra

• Torrey Pines beach-each or Downtown

• Little Italy

• Mission beach

• Sunset cliffs

• Sunset cliffs

• Mission beach

• Anywhere I can take my dog

• Gliderport/ Blacks beach

• The beach :)

• Even though it’s so touristy I still love La Jolla cove. Especially early in the mornings or the off season when you can escape the tourists.

• Pacific Beach Tower 12

• Hillcrest

• La Jolla Shores

• South end of blacks beach

• Mission Trails East Sycamore

• Kate Sessions Park

• Black's beach

• Dog beach :)

• 7th Street

• San Diego Zoo

• Hillcrest ace hardware

• Salk!

• Del Mar dog beach

• Black's Beach Lookout, or really any place that overlooks the ocean - the nature and views are spectacular!

• Blacks

• Coronado beach

• Mt. Soledad

• 5 years is a long time to live in one place. Choose a location and a program where you’ll be happy that long, outside of the program and research. For me, that was UCSD without question. 

• Everyone is going to have a program that is the best fit for them based on what they value. UCSD NGP values work life balance and student happiness. I love waking up to go to lab every day - I've never been happier and more fulfilled. 

• I moved from Boston to San Diego with my partner, and I'm more than happy to chat with prospective students about moving with a partner and/or starting a family during graduate school!

• Enjoy your interviews! Try not to stress - if you’re here it’s because you deserve to be and people really just want to get to know you/talk about science. We’re all nerds here :)

• YOU ARE ACCOMPLISHED NO MATTER WHAT

• UCSD has good healthcare and the copay for mental health care is great! 

• Ask current students as many questions as you can!

• Join UCSD NGP

• Trust your gut, ask around for good and bad info about labs of interest

• School and research is important, but prioritize choosing a place/program where you will be happy as a person

• San Diego vibes are simply immaculate; something for everyone! I’m more “bookish” than “sporty / outgoing ” but the small business / local farmers market / cute cafes & restaurants / isolated beach scene is phenomenal 

• I wish I could do karaoke with you all!

• Don’t forgot to prioritize picking a program where you not only can grow as a scientist but also as a human/adult. A lot of life (good and bad) happens when you’re in grad school and you should pick a program/lab/location where you can invest in those aspects too!

• People in NGP very much so want to bring you up. There is no sense of cut-throat competitiveness, and NGP (both the students and admin) offers a ton of support for you to succeed!

• Get different perspectives during interview week.

• Even if you have no idea what you want to do, you will find a great lab at UCSD.

• I say "Location, Location, Location"  really matters when you are picking schools. I think the quality of life in San Diego is better than anywhere (beaches, schools, the outdoors, family friendly city, etc.) . Also, it's not only the best place to live, but it has many opportunities ranging from industry to startups to academia.

• You will always find a group you fit in here.

• You don't need to know or want to surf to come here and have fun!

• Burritos 10/10 and there are doggos everywhere

• All the positive vibes I got from the interview weekend turned out to be 100% genuine :) I’ve sincerely loved my graduate school experience, and I’m not sure that would’ve been the case just anywhere.

• I didn't realize it before joining, but the two week long bootcamp is perfect for bonding with your classmates and learning more about interesting labs to rotate at. 

• Make the decision to go to school where YOU will be happy. As long as you are flexible, you can find a lab anywhere. Just remember that you'll be in that place for 6 years of grad school, so you also need to know that you can build a happy life where you end up.

• Sorry you have to interview during COVID! I hope you can get the feel of our program (and others) and make the choice that's right for you! 

• This is a truly special program because of how many people are invested in it. Students, faculty and staff alike put in tons of effort and care to make this an environment where science and community flourish.

• You don't have to learn to surf if you come here if you don't want to

• Talk with students in the program.

• Weight your options wisely. Everyone has a different priority. Know what you would value the most and pick programs that you think would nurture you better.

• Take good notes during your interviews so you can remember what you like/don’t like at each place.

• i <3 ngp

• You really need a car in San Diego

• Talk to as many students as possible in each program to get an honest opinion on their lives in the PhD program and in their labs. Choose the school where the students seem the happiest, and where you think you'll be the happiest. I'm biased, but NGP is a great choice.

• Consider where you want to live for 5 years and who you want to spend your time with. These things matter just as much as research fit.

• Choose the school where the students (that are most like you) are the happiest! this was advice from an advisor, and I think it holds true. Interviews are a chance for the school to learn more about you, but also for you to learn about the school, so take advantage of it!

• NGP is an extremely inclusive environment. Older years are very supportive of new students and I have always felt welcomed. The program is not competitive and everyone is rooting for your success. This is a very unique program and I know I made the right decision!

• I believe this is a program in which you can truly grow as a scientist, not only through top-notch research available at your fingertips, access to broad networks of scientists across several departments and outstanding institutions, extensive career development resources, lots of intellectual stimulation/engagement, and support for neuroscience experiences beyond the traditional academic path, but with a community of peers that really care about one another and value health and joy.