2021 MHA: Applied, Interviewed, Rejected, Attending

[MHA2021IA]

I didn't see one for 2021! So I thought I would make one, Good luck!

School: Loyola University Chicago,
Major: B.S Healthcare Administration
GPA: Cumulative and Major 3.45/3.65 and SOPHAS is 3.10
GRE: N/A
Experience (professional or otherwise) Internship at a healthcare tech company and mandatory internship for seniors*
Special Factors: Refugee trip to the middle east, Private tutor, Asian minority,

Applied: JHU, UMN, OSU, SLU Applied to all on 9/3/2020 (Hopkins received my application and verification within 24 hours)
GWU 9/21/2020
VCU 9/22/2020
Xavier University 10/5/20
(Rescinded all apps and interviews except for JHU,Xavier and VCU)

Interview:

Xavier	10/16/20
JHU	10/19/20
SLU	12/4/20

Waitlist:
Rejected:
Accepted:

JHU	10/19/20
Xavier	10/21/20

Attending:

JHU

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[Damson]

Out of curiousity, what is your purpose of studying healthcare administration / obtaining a MHA?

 

[Leaht13]

I didn't see one for 2021! So I thought I would make one, Good luck!

School: Loyola University Chicago,
Major: B.S Healthcare Administration
GPA: Cumulative and Major 3.45/3.65 and SOPHAS is 3.10
GRE: N/A
Experience (professional or otherwise) Internship at a healthcare tech company and mandatory internship for seniors*
Special Factors: None

Applied: JHU, UMN, OSU, SLU Applied to all on 9/3/2020 (Hopkins received my application and verification within 24 hours)
Interview:
Waitlist:
Rejected:
Accepted:
Attending:

Thank you for making this!! Out of curiosity do you know if Hopkins has a rolling admissions or do they decide until the deadline has passed? Also I'm not sure if I should be taking the GRE or not! Any suggestions??
Thanks

 

[MHA2021IA]

Thank you for making this!! Out of curiosity do you know if Hopkins has a rolling admissions or do they decide until the deadline has passed? Also I'm not sure if I should be taking the GRE or not! Any suggestions??
Thanks

Hi Leah!
Hopkins Has rolling admission, so they’ll give you a decision soon after your interview which is nice. I’m actually not taking the GRE, a lot of schools are waiving the requirement cause of COVID. Lmk if you need anything else!

 

[MHA2021IA]

Out of curiousity, what is your purpose of studying healthcare administration / obtaining a MHA?

It’s really a specific focus on finance,operations,quality, policy, public health etc. it’s like a healthcare specific MBA, with an MHA you can get into manager or director positions at hospitals. Through your leadership and knowledge you can improve the overall patience experience and hospital system. Doctors and nurses primarily care for patients, whereas admins help out to make decisions that will improve care for patients as a whole rather than patience specific. Imagine working in a hospital systems and they want to open up a free clinic for the community, someone with an MHA will help identify the population, finances, staff, etc that will go into making that into a reality. These are just some examples on what an MHA can entail. If anyone wants to add more feel free.

 

[Leaht13]

Hi Leah!
Hopkins Has rolling admission, so they’ll give you a decision soon after your interview which is nice. I’m actually not taking the GRE, a lot of schools are waiving the requirement cause of COVID. Lmk if you need anything else!

Thanks for responding!! Appreciate it

 

[MHADD]

School: Brigham Young University
Major: B.S Public Health
Minor: Business
GPA: Cumulative and Major 3.84 / 3.94
GRE: N/A
Experience: Investment Banking fall Analyst, Equity Research Analyst, Wealth Management Intern, Patient Experience Intern at HCA Hospital, Data Collection Analyst, Contact Tracer, Teaching Assitant.
Special Factors: First Generation, Latino

Applied: Yale, UNC, Columbia University, Cornell, Ohio State, John Hopkins, Boston University, University of Minnesota, Emory University, & University of Pittsburgh
Interview:
Waitlist:
Rejected:
Accepted:
Attending:

 

[prospectiveMHA2021]

School: Brigham Young University
Major: B.S Public Health
Minor: Business
GPA: Cumulative and Major 3.84 / 3.94
GRE: N/A
Experience: Investment Banking fall Analyst, Equity Research Analyst , Wealth Management Intern, Patient Experience Intern at HCA Hospital, Data Collection Analyst, Contact Tracer, Teaching Assitant.
Special Factors: First Generation, Latino

Applied: Yale, UNC, Columbia University, Cornell, Ohio State, John Hopkins, Boston University, George Washington University, NYU, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, Emory University, University of Pittsburgh
Interview:
Waitlist:
Rejected:
Accepted:
Attending:

Do you know if UNC accept applicants straight from undergrad? Their website says relevant work experience is required, but I didn't know if that applies to internships completed during college.

 

[jomape]

School: Top 25 Public University
Major: Athletic Training
Minors: Biology, Chemistry
GPA: 3.881 - SOPHAS verified
GRE: N/A
Experience (professional or otherwise): Honors Program, Tour Guide, Physical Therapy Tech, Teaching Assistant for 2 classes, Executive Board for Dance Marathon, Student Athletic Training rotation, etc...
Special Factors:

Applied: Ohio State (11/7), Michigan (11/30), UAB (12/1), UNC (12/7), Johns Hopkins (12/8)
Interview: Ohio State (12/11), Michigan (12/14), UAB (1/15), UNC (2/22)
Waitlist:
Rejected: Johns Hopkins (12/28)
Accepted: Ohio State (12/18), Michigan (12/18), UAB (1/26), UNC (2/26)
Attending: UAB (3/22)

 

[vmha21]

Do you know if UNC accept applicants straight from undergrad? Their website says relevant work experience is required, but I didn't know if that applies to internships completed during college.

Hey! The answer is "yes". I've attended a few Prospective Student Info Sessions for UNC's School of Public Health and all of them say they accept directly from undergrad. Hope this helps!

 

[tryingtogetittogether2020]

Hi everyone, I'm so glad this thread has been made!!

 

[BC_mha]

Greetings MHA applicants, and congrats on starting your apps/looking at programs! I'm currently an MHA candidate at Cornell and would be happy to share any assistance during the application process and also more about the program here. This forum was a big help for me back when I applied and I'd like to return the favor.

Few basic tips:

1.) You won't get accepted if you don't apply.. give it a shot!​

2.) Be careful when you compare yourself to others on here. You're only limiting yourself.​

3.) Often times.. Your passion >> Your GPA/test scores. (I applied with a 3.05 gpa.. trust me here!!)​

I came straight from undergrad at Texas A&M, work experience in sports med, athletics, hospitality, and several student leadership roles, all of which I used to craft my narrative of why I'm passionate about healthcare. If Cornell's program is of any interest, check out some of these prospective student events. The best way to understand a program is to talk to people at the school, alumni, and people already in the field you're interested in. You're welcome to reach out if you have any questions and would like to chat. Best of luck!

Cheers, stay active stay healthy,
Blake

 

[mhascaries]

Hello everyone, what is everyone doing regarding taking the GRE? I'm really stressed about it and I've never been a good test taker so I'm probably going to score averagely

 

[prospectiveMHA2021]

Hello everyone, what is everyone doing regarding taking the GRE? I'm really stressed about it and I've never been a good test taker so I'm probably going to score averagely

I'm not taking it. Of all the schools I'm interested in, the only one still requiring the GRE is Rush, so I'm no longer applying there. I'd rather spend the time that I would studying on making the rest of my applications are strong as they can be.

 

[2021mha]

Hello everyone, what is everyone doing regarding taking the GRE? I'm really stressed about it and I've never been a good test taker so I'm probably going to score averagely

I'm also skipping it. I had the same fear after taking practice tests and realizing I'll need to study pointless high school math not relevant to the MHA for months before I'll be able to get up to where I want to be. None of the schools I'm applying to (UW, JHU, UNC, Tulane, maybe Columbia) require it. JHU, my top pick, says it's highly recommended but not required, which is the only thing that makes me a little nervous-- but if they reject me just because I didn't submit a GRE, then that's not where I want to be!

 

[MHA2021IA]

I'm also skipping it. I had the same fear after taking practice tests and realizing I'll need to study pointless high school math not relevant to the MHA for months before I'll be able to get up to where I want to be. None of the schools I'm applying to (UW, JHU, UNC, Tulane, maybe Columbia) require it. JHU, my top pick, says it's highly recommended but not required, which is the only thing that makes me a little nervous-- but if they reject me just because I didn't submit a GRE, then that's not where I want to be!

Agreed! Hopkins is my top choice, really hoping I get in. But wherever is best

 

[MHA2021IA]

Hello everyone, what is everyone doing regarding taking the GRE? I'm really stressed about it and I've never been a good test taker so I'm probably going to score averagely

Skipping it as well, a lot of schools are waiving the requirement and won't make any assumptions if you don't submit it. I'm applying to 6-7 schools that are waiving it. I see no point in taking the GRE if I'm being honest, just my personal opinion. I applied in the first week of September with everything submitted. Hopefully that helps me stand out and that it shows initiative

 

[2021mha]

What is everyone's timeline for applications/where are people applying? I know Hopkins is on rolling admission-- does that take spots away from people who apply closer to the deadline?
I'm not even close to submitting my applications or else I'd fill out the applied/waitlisted/rejected template, lol

 

[mhascaries]

What is everyone's timeline for applications/where are people applying? I know Hopkins is on rolling admission-- does that take spots away from people who apply closer to the deadline?
I'm not even close to submitting my applications or else I'd fill out the applied/waitlisted/rejected template, lol

Ahh this is my concern too, after looking through other forums I'm now shifting to wanting to submit my applications by mid-November. Props to those really ahead of the game, the GRE has bogged me down rip

 

[RobJones]

Where can you check your GPA verified by SOPHAS? They have received all my official transcripts and I have also entered all my grades manually.

Good luck to everyone applying this year!

 

[MHA2021IA]

What is everyone's timeline for applications/where are people applying? I know Hopkins is on rolling admission-- does that take spots away from people who apply closer to the deadline?
I'm not even close to submitting my applications or else I'd fill out the applied/waitlisted/rejected template, lol

A lot of schools are rolling admission, Hopkins hasn't started reviewing applications yet, they do so around the end of September and beginning of October. It definitely takes away spots which is pretty fair. I applied the first week of September, so ill have my interview date and admission decision (if I get one) significantly earlier than if you apply at the deadline.

 

[Leaht13]

I'm wondering if anyone can help me with an issue I've had during the application process. I have been going back and forth about whether I should take the GRE or if I'm wasting my time and should just submit my applications (I've basically finished every other part of my application). I have constantly been scoring in the mid 150s in verbal and low 150s in Quant, it seems like the GRE may only hurt my application but I'm not sure. Any Advice?? Thanks

 

[MHA2021IA]

I'm wondering if anyone can help me with an issue I've had during the application process. I have been going back and forth about whether I should take the GRE or if I'm wasting my time and should just submit my applications (I've basically finished every other part of my application). I have constantly been scoring in the mid 150s in verbal and low 150s in Quant, it seems like the GRE may only hurt my application but I'm not sure. Any Advice?? Thanks

Why don't you take it! If you score bad, leave it out of the application, if you score good put it in. They wont know if you scored bad if you don't put it in there haha

 

[2021mha]

Does anyone know if you can submit SOPHAS applications one at a time?

 

[Leaht13]

Does anyone know if you can submit SOPHAS applications one at a time?

I actually called SOPHAS about this and you can submit them one at a time but you will not be able to edit certain parts of the application once you submit your first application. I would give SOHPAS a call!

 

[InquiringStudent]

Hi Everyone, I've been here for the last 3-4 years and revisit threads such as this to help out incoming applicants. Some background about me: I did my MHA at Johns Hopkins from 2018 - 2020 (just graduated a few months ago). I applied to several top programs and received acceptances from most so I have decent knowledge of how the interviews were done back then and am happy to answer questions. If you prefer to ask via PM or schedule a call please feel free to reach out to me. I've spoken with about 60 individuals from the past 3 years and don't mind!

What is everyone's timeline for applications/where are people applying? I know Hopkins is on rolling admission-- does that take spots away from people who apply closer to the deadline?
I'm not even close to submitting my applications or else I'd fill out the applied/waitlisted/rejected template, lol

Don't read into this too much. For context, I applied to most of my programs early/mid December and didn't have trouble securing interviews. While a few slots may get filled for the rolling admissions, they recognize that most people will apply closer to the due date and keep slots open for that reason.

I'm wondering if anyone can help me with an issue I've had during the application process. I have been going back and forth about whether I should take the GRE or if I'm wasting my time and should just submit my applications (I've basically finished every other part of my application). I have constantly been scoring in the mid 150s in verbal and low 150s in Quant, it seems like the GRE may only hurt my application but I'm not sure. Any Advice?? Thanks

My take on this is if your GPA, extracurricullars such as volunteering, and work experience are competitive then it's probably not necessary for you to worry about the GRE. In addition, if you aren't a great test taker then not taking it can only help you. I would take a look at the schools you want to apply to and see what their average GRE score is, if you score higher than that then it may be worthwhile.

Does anyone know if you can submit SOPHAS applications one at a time?

You can but once you submit one application it locks in certain fields that you cannot edit for any of the schools. I would make sure what those are!



Best of luck everyone! I'm sure you all will do great. Feel free to reach out if you have questions.

 

[Leaht13]

School: University of Maryland, College Park
Major: B.S Psychology
SOPHAS GPA: 3.2
GRE: n/a
Experience:
-Currently working as an admin at a major hospital in DC and have been in this role for a little over 2 years
-Was an intern and shadowed a Sr. Clinical Analysts at a major hospital while in college
-Healthcare Change Leadership Certificate-Cornell University
-President of a club dedicated to teaching students about sexual health
-Research Assistant
-Fundraiser for the University of Maryland, raised $ 30k for low-income students
Recommendations:
-Business Manager (supervisor)
-Accounting professor (academic)
-Sr Clinical Analyst who I shadowed in my internship (mentor/internship supervisor)
Special Factors: POC

Applied: Johns Hopkins University(10/15), George Washington University(10/19), University of Maryland, Boston University (10/11), and Columbia University

Interview: JHU (date of interview: 10/28) GW (12/14)
Waitlist:
Rejected:
Accepted: JHU (10/28) GW (12/22)
Attending: JHU

I have been wondering if based on my stats all the schools I will be applying to are considered "reach" schools, was wondering if I should apply to more?? Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks and good luck to everyone

 

[syracuNC]

Hey guys, first post here.

I was just offered a Zoom interview next week from Johns Hopkins. Super excited!

Anyone else having an interview soon?

 

[darbrosne]

Hello everyone, what is everyone doing regarding taking the GRE? I'm really stressed about it and I've never been a good test taker so I'm probably going to score averagely

I spoke to Dr. Bittle, program director of the Hopkins MHA program. He told me that the GRE isn't required and encouraged me to not bother submitting it since it won't make a difference.

 

[mhascaries]

Hello, I've noticed that alot of students choose to apply to Boston University even though it is not directly a MHA program. I was wondering if anyone could explain their interest in their program!

 

[MHA2021IA]

Hey guys, first post here.

I was just offered a Zoom interview next week from Johns Hopkins. Super excited!

Anyone else having an interview soon?

Hey! That's awesome congrats! I submitted my application at the beginning of September, I'm a little worried i might get a rejection now haha. When did you apply?

 

[Leaht13]

Hey! That's awesome congrats! I submitted my application at the beginning of September, I'm a little worried i might get a rejection now haha. When did you apply?

I don't know if this helps but I emailed LaKeasha from JHU and she said they just started reviewing applications this week! They might not have gotten to yours yet.

 

[MHA2021IA]

I don't know if this helps but I emailed LaKeasha from JHU and she said they just started reviewing applications this week! They might not have gotten to yours yet.

Hopefully I hear good news by tmrw! Thank you so much!

 

[MHA2021IA]

Got an interview from Xavier University today! I love their tuition, and their students place extremely well post residency too. It’s a contender for me for sure

 

[Leaht13]

Hopefully I hear good news by tmrw! Thank you so much!

No problem!! Good Luck

 

[MHA2021IA]

Accepted into Hopkins!!! The interview is pretty laid back, it was really about the program and why I chose an MHA instead of an MBA and a little about my background. 99% chance I will be attending Hopkins, super excited. They're trying to engage more alumni, that to me is a huge plus now because I felt they were lacking in that aspect of their program. It’s nice they're looking to involve them more. Everything else seems great, feel free to ask me anything!

 

[vmha21]

Accepted into Hopkins!!! The interview is pretty laid back, it was really about the program and why I chose an MHA instead of an MBA and a little about my background. 99% chance I will be attending Hopkins, super excited. They're trying to engage more alumni, that to me is a downside of their program but its nice they're looking to involve them more. Everything else seems great, feel free to ask me anything!

Congratulations!

 

[mha_hoo]

Accepted into Hopkins!!! The interview is pretty laid back, it was really about the program and why I chose an MHA instead of an MBA and a little about my background. 99% chance I will be attending Hopkins, super excited. They're trying to engage more alumni, that to me is a downside of their program but its nice they're looking to involve them more. Everything else seems great, feel free to ask me anything!

Congrats!! That’s so cool that you have your first acceptance already, fingers crossed for more for you
Why is engaging alumni a downside for you?

 

[MHA2021IA]

Congrats!! That’s so cool that you have your first acceptance already, fingers crossed for more for you
Why is engaging alumni a downside for you?

Maybe i said it wrong, but it seems like their alumni are not active as much as they'd like. OSU and Minnesota have robust alumni networks, they have events every year and constant workshops. That is extremely important for programs, Hopkins is establishing or planning to establish an alumni network or committee from what it seems. I reached out to Alums on Linkedin and they're super responsive. They currently don't have too many engaged alumnis, once they do it'll be an even better program. Their only downside is not having that strong alumni network right now.

 

[InquiringStudent]

Accepted into Hopkins!!! The interview is pretty laid back, it was really about the program and why I chose an MHA instead of an MBA and a little about my background. 99% chance I will be attending Hopkins, super excited. They're trying to engage more alumni, that to me is a huge plus now because I felt they were lacking in that aspect of their program. It’s nice they're looking to involve them more. Everything else seems great, feel free to ask me anything!

I know we spoke already but as soon as you mentioned the engaging alumni I knew it was Dr. Dickson haha. Him and I spoke about that a few days ago when we were catching up. Glad to hear they're looking into that

Congratulations! Told you not to be worried Super excited for you.

 

[InquiringStudent]

Also, I know this is a tough and stressful time for many people but I promise you when you look back on this you'll wonder why you were worrying so much.

You all are going to end up in amazing programs and I can't wait to see where that is.

As always, if you want to reach out to get feedback, advice on your applications or the interview process etc please let me know. I'd be more than happy to speak with you. When I applied a few years ago I interviewed with a fair amount of schools so I may be able to shed some light.

Best of luck everyone!

 

[prospectiveMHA2021]

School: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Major: Community Health
GPA: Major/SOPHAS - 3.96/3.84
GRE: N/A
Experience: Administrative internship at hospital, volunteer at rehab facility, leadership roles in two organizations on campus
Special Factors: N/A

Applied: University of Michigan, Columbia University, University of Minnesota, University of North Carolina, Johns Hopkins University, University of Iowa
Interview: Hopkins, Minnesota, UNC, Michigan, Iowa, Columbia - all declined besides Hopkins & Columbia
Waitlist:
Rejected:
Accepted: Hopkins, Columbia
Attending: Hopkins

 

[mha_hoo]

Maybe i said it wrong, but it seems like their alumni are not active as much as they'd like. OSU and Minnesota have robust alumni networks, they have events every year and constant workshops. That is extremely important for programs, Hopkins is establishing or planning to establish an alumni network or committee from what it seems. I reached out to Alums on Linkedin and they're super responsive. They currently don't have too many engaged alumnis, once they do it'll be an even better program. Their only downside is not having that strong alumni network right now.

Ohh gotcha thanks for explaining! I actually got a JHU interview today (I submitted my app on Monday so I'm still in awe at that turnaround) but I was wondering if you could tell me anything else about the interview itself. Did they ask you any of the classic interview questions like "tell me about a time you disagreed with someone" etc? I hate those lol

 

[MHA2021IA]

Ohh gotcha thanks for explaining! I actually got a JHU interview today (I submitted my app on Monday so I'm still in awe at that turnaround) but I was wondering if you could tell me anything else about the interview itself. Did they ask you any of the classic interview questions like "tell me about a time you disagreed with someone" etc? I hate those lol

Oh no haha, he literally spoke about the program 95% of the interview. He asked me about my trip abroad and why I chose an MHA vs an MBA (just general). It really wasn’t anything intense.

you guys are soooo lucky, I applied so early so I was waiting for over a month haha. Applying early is key honestly, if you make it to the interview your chances of getting in are really good. Who’s your interviewer?

 

[MHA_2021]

School: Ohio State University
Major: Public Health with a specialization in sociology
GPA: Cumulative and Major 3.734/3.60 SOPHAS 3.80
GRE: N/A
Experience: Cancer research for 1 year and a student assistant in College of Pharmacy.
Other Factors: African American Minority

Applied: Johns Hopkins 9/29/2020, Xavier 9/21/2020, Pitt 10/7/2020, OSU, 10/7/2020, Cornell 10/18/2020

Interview: Xavier 10/02/2020, Osu 11/20/2020, Cornell 11/17/20, Pitt 11/19/20
Waitlist:
Rejected: JHU
Accepted: Xavier, Pitt, Osu, Cornell
Attending: Cornell

 

[jjjmha]

Congratulations on beginning the first step towards your MHA journey!

I am an MHA candidate at The George Washington University. If you have any questions about the program, living in DC/NOVA, etc. lmk!

 

[mha_hoo]

School: University of Virginia
Major: B.A Cognitive Science (Neuroscience concentration)
Minor: n/a
GPA: 3.78 (SOPHAS and HAMPCAS)
GRE: 161V 164Q 5.5AWA
Experience: currently a research assistant at Hopkins, former Research Assistant part-time job at UVA, summer internship as an administrative assistant at a rehab clinic, volunteer at free clinic, leadership roles in three clubs on campus

Applied: JHU (10/19), VCU (10/20), GW (10/20)
Interview: JHU (invited 10/23), GW (invited 12/10), VCU (invited 12/9, chose not to attend)
Waitlist:
Rejected:
Accepted: JHU (10/29, same day as interview), GW (12/15, informally same day as interview, officially 1/4)
Attending:

really appreciated JHU's quick turnaround bc it saved me from spending money on apps to more schools!!
please feel free to reach out and ask me anything, even if you're reading this a few years from when i posted

 

[2021mha]

Can someone ease my mind a little?? I submitted my application for JHU, only to find after submission the formatting for my resume was severely messed up during the document upload. SOPHAS couldn’t do anything so I emailed JHU explaining the situation with a properly formatted document attached (they aren’t taking calls), do you guys think this will hurt my chances?

 

[Focus_811]

I think I may have just been verified by HAMPCAS in record time. I submitted my application at about 10am Friday (10/30) morning. By a few minutes after 10am Monday (11/2) morning I received an email telling me my verification was complete. I'm literally shocked.

 

[MHA2021IA]

I think I may have just been verified by HAMPCAS in record time. I submitted my application at about 10am Friday (10/30) morning. By a few minutes after 10am Monday (11/2) morning I received an email telling me my verification was complete. I'm literally shocked.

Haha. Yeah, I applied on SOPHAS and was verified in like 12 hours the earlier you apply the quicker it is. Seems like apps are starting to come in now