MPH Harvard Epi vs. Emory Epi: Cost vs. Name Recognition

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emeyeseekayeewhy

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Hi Everyone! I am having a really hard time deciding between Harvard's MS2 Epi program and Emory's MSPH Epi program and would love some input. I attended both open houses and feel like both schools offer some awesome opportunities, so I am really torn. The biggest factors for me are that Emory offered me some scholarship money, which brings down the tuition a bit, and my family lives in Atlanta so I would be able to live with them for a very minimal cost. Thus, Emory's program will be significantly cheaper than Harvard's.

However, there is no denying that Harvard has established an incredible brand name and I am not sure if in the end the name recognition will end up being worth it. So many people tell me that I shouldn't turn down the opportunity to go to Harvard no matter what, though most of them are not in the field of Public Health so I wanted to get some opinions from this forum.

I am also concerned about the fact that Harvard's program is much more specifically tailored to Epidemiology, while Emory's program provides a more generalized overview of all areas of public health. Finally, while Harvard's program allows me to obtain some incredible research experience, the work experience available is limited. Meanwhile, through the Emory REAL program I would be able to obtain more real world work experience before graduation.

Thanks so much for any help or suggestions you can provide! This site has been so helpful throughout the whole application process and I wish everyone the best of luck in their future endeavors!
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I have that same problem with Columbia vs Michigan vs Emory. Harvard and Columbia are both Ivys and world recognized, so if we decide to go to a different field, unrelated to public health, that brand name can play a key role towards working in a different industry. I'd like to know how much "brand name" matters in public health, and elsewhere.
 
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I would definitely say Harvard UNLESS you want to work in Atlanta/CDC after graduation. Harvard has an unbelievable network when it comes to getting a job and will obviously look great if you want to get a PhD since it so many well-known researchers.

I think brand name does matter quite a bit, maybe unfortunately, but it is the reality. Most employers do not have the US news rankings out when they are looking at resumes, and Harvard and Yale will obviously pop out way more than Emory/Michigan.
 
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I would definitely say Harvard UNLESS you want to work in Atlanta/CDC after graduation. Harvard has an unbelievable network when it comes to getting a job and will obviously look great if you want to get a PhD since it so many well-known researchers.

I think brand name does matter quite a bit, maybe unfortunately, but it is the reality. Most employers do not have the US news rankings out when they are looking at resumes, and Harvard and Yale will obviously pop out way more than Emory/Michigan.

You're right in that most employers do not have US news rankings out, but for the sake of debate, don't these same employers, if they are familiar with Public Health, know about Emory and Michigan, or is it just that Ivys supercede everything?
 
Thank you so much for the helpful and honest answers, everyone!
 
Here's my take as someone who graduated from Mailman and is looking for a job. No one is falling over themselves because I went to Columbia, what I think is getting me these interviews is the fact that I am currently interning with the federal government. Our egos really get fluffed up by these schools with brand name recognition, their resources, etc but there are still plenty of us that graduated in December unemployed.

People know Emory and if I were you, I would really look into getting a federal internship. CDC also has the 2 year fellowship program post graduation.
 
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If you had a full scholarship from Emory, then I'd say definitely go to Emory. Assuming there is not a huge cost difference, the networking and connections at Harvard are way stronger than at Emory. It's not just about the on-campus recruiting, but the students you can make connections with (also at the business school and law school, all world class) that will help you after you graduate and along your career. Also, Boston is full of amazing opportunities...there are a TON of health care organizations, start-ups, public health initiatives going on in Boston. The city gov't has put a lot of funding into public health over the past several years. As Emsy mentioned, your internship and work experience will help getting a job and Boston provides way more opportunities to do that over the school years. Also, I would not say Columbia's brand name is equivalent to Harvard's, so I don't think it's fair to compare. Again, if your goal is CDC, then Emory is the place to be. Otherwise, I don't think you should pass up Harvard.
 
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Here's my take as someone who graduated from Mailman and is looking for a job. No one is falling over themselves because I went to Columbia, what I think is getting me these interviews is the fact that I am currently interning with the federal government. Our egos really get fluffed up by these schools with brand name recognition, their resources, etc but there are still plenty of us that graduated in December unemployed.

People know Emory and if I were you, I would really look into getting a federal internship. CDC also has the 2 year fellowship program post graduation.

Glad for your insider's take. I'm surprised that you said that there are still plenty of graduated students that are unemployed. When I went for Columbia's visit day, they told me they had a 90% employment rate within 6 months. Is that true?
 
I'm sorry, but I disagree. Yes, Harvard has a lot of opportunities, but so does Emory. Unless your ultimate goal is to do a doctorate at Harvard, I wouldn't discount Emory. I've worked with grads from both places (and other schools) and we were all in similar level positions. Emory's program has a top notch reputation and it would allow you to graduate with less debt. Honestly an MPH is not worth significant amounts of loans.

What do you plan on doing after you complete your degree?

Agree that it is not wise to be in a lot of debt for your MPH. I was just assuming the OP has to take out significant loans either way, so a ~10k difference isn't that huge of a deal in the end.

Also, perhaps you can look into TA or RA positions at Emory or Harvard? Not sure if that's a possibility, but I'll be going to Berkeley and have a research assistantship lined up which covers my tuition/health insurance + a stipend. It's a great deal and I highly recommend this route for all MPHers.
 
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Do employers know about UMN? I am between Michigan and UMN and have it in my head that Michigan is more of a reputable brand. However, UMN has cost appeals for me. Any insights?
 
Glad for your insider's take. I'm surprised that you said that there are still plenty of graduated students that are unemployed. When I went for Columbia's visit day, they told me they had a 90% employment rate within 6 months. Is that true?

The last employment numbers I saw were from 2012 and probably based on 2011 numbers. I just looked a few weeks ago as I work with a current Mailman student and we were curious about it. Personally, I would like to see the breakdown for those that graduated in early 2013 from the first year of the accelerated MPH.
 
I also wouldn't discount Emory. As someone that lived in Atlanta for a few years, I can confirm that the area is also very strong in the healthcare field, mostly because of the CDC.
 
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I think it ultimately depends on what you want to do in the future. If you are certain that you only want to work in the particular healthcare field of your MPH (or maybe healthcare in general), I guess both schools are excellent. However, if you ever want to branch out to other areas (professionally or geographically), I think Harvard will give you an edge that might be worth the premium cost. Just my 2c.
 
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Do employers know about UMN? I am between Michigan and UMN and have it in my head that Michigan is more of a reputable brand. However, UMN has cost appeals for me. Any insights?

If you want to work In minnesota, I'm sure UMN has a great reputation. Outside of that, I'm not so sure. I work at a large healthcare system in chicago and we have plenty of Michigan SPH grads working here, but I have never met a UMN grad.
 
Thanks for the help everyone! I really appreciate all the responses. :) I am interested in zoonosis and emerging infectious diseases, though I am honestly not 100% sure what I want to do after graduation. At the current time I am about 80% sure I will try to go on to a phD program and I have some interest in possibly working in academia or for the cdc someday.

While my scholarship at Emory isn't huge, if I stay in Atlanta I will be able to live with my family who would allow me to live at home rent free (they are awesome!). For Harvard, I would need to take out loans to cover my living expenses, which are pretty steep in Boston. So in all it does come out to a pretty substantial cost difference. :/ anyway, thanks so much again for all the help! As someone above mentioned, it is really nice to get some insider opinions!
 
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Thanks for the help everyone! I really appreciate all the responses. :) I am interested in zoonosis and emerging infectious diseases, though I am honestly not 100% sure what I want to do after graduation. At the current time I am about 80% sure I will try to go on to a phD program and I have some interest in possibly working in academia or for the cdc someday.

While my scholarship at Emory isn't huge, if I stay in Atlanta I will be able to live with my family who would allow me to live at home rent free (they are awesome!). For Harvard, I would need to take out loans to cover my living expenses, which are pretty steep in Boston. So in all it does come out to a pretty substantial cost difference. :/ anyway, thanks so much again for all the help! As someone above mentioned, it is really nice to get some insider opinions!

I think this is a no brainer for Emory. Just because you go to one school for your doctorate does not mean you will necessarily get into that school for the PhD. Funding is especially tight these days--many schools have had their T32's not renewed and many folks are having troubles getting their T31's granted. So... take the sure thing. You may also find out you don't want a PhD after your finish up the MPH.
 
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I think Emory is the best choice given that both schools are kinda evenly ranked (Harvard isn't *the* best public health school, JHU and UNC rank above it), and Emory I would think is better for infectious disease stuff.
 
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Just accepted Emory's offer for admission! Thanks again for all the help everyone! I am so excited, relieved, and don't have any regrets. I know I will have an awesome experience at Emory and will receive a phenomenal education. Time to celebrate the end of the admissions process!! :hardy:
Good luck to everyone still making decisions in the next few days. I wish you all the best and know that whatever you choose will end up working out great! :biglove:
 
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