Columbia MPH waitlist

[tryingtogetin]

Hey everyone,

I just found out from Columbia that I am on the waitlist for the health policy stream of their MPH program.

I wanted to know what are my chances of getting in? They said to wait until may 1st, this is a very long time period lol.

Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

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[tt13]

Hey everyone,

I just found out from Columbia that I am on the waitlist for the health policy stream of their MPH program.

I wanted to know what are my chances of getting in? They said to wait until may 1st, this is a very long time period lol.

Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

wow that's a long time to wait. do you have any back-up plans? i'm not sure how that will play out, given that they don't know who's officially registering until april 15th (deadline for response). if you have other options, i would definitely send in the deposit to another school... and if you must, wait until you hear again from columbia.

 

[Gavin1911]

Hey everyone,

I just found out from Columbia that I am on the waitlist for the health policy stream of their MPH program.

I wanted to know what are my chances of getting in? They said to wait until may 1st, this is a very long time period lol.

Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

oops
they have already had admission&waiting-list now? I got no info back from them so far -- that means...problly rejection?

 

[Polita]

Hi Gavin, don't panic yet.
I called Columbia last week and asked how many students were on the wait list and she said she couldn't tell me because students were still being placed on the wait list.... hopefully you will get an acceptance and no wait-list or rejection....I was placed on the wait list and was very disappointed... all I can do now is wait

 

[tryingtogetin]

Yea, i emailed Columbia as well and they told me that they can not reveal any information regarding the waitlist.

 

[LPedrazzi]

I got the strangest email today...
I was waitlisted 2 days ago for HP&M, and today they send me this:

Upon reviewing your application, the Admissions Committee feels that your educational background and experience might be better suited for the Environmental Health Sciences Department in either the Environmental Policy track or the Molecular Toxicology track. Are you interested in having your application reviewed for one of these options?

HUH?!?
I was a pre-med student, my letters are all reflective of this, my personal statement is reflective of this...There is nothing in my app to indicate I would be a good fit for Environmental Health... is this just an attempt to fill an un-popular track? If I say no to this, are they going to just outright reject me? Anyone else get an email like this?

 

[tt13]

I got the strangest email today...
I was waitlisted 2 days ago for HP&M, and today they send me this:

Upon reviewing your application, the Admissions Committee feels that your educational background and experience might be better suited for the Environmental Health Sciences Department in either the Environmental Policy track or the Molecular Toxicology track. Are you interested in having your application reviewed for one of these options?

HUH?!?
I was a pre-med student, my letters are all reflective of this, my personal statement is reflective of this...There is nothing in my app to indicate I would be a good fit for Environmental Health... is this just an attempt to fill an un-popular track? If I say no to this, are they going to just outright reject
me? Anyone else get an email like this?

I think you being waitlisted is separate. They probably just think that your interests may be more suitable through a different track from HPM... I know when I applied to GWU, I applied to the MPH, but they thought I'd be more fitting for the MHSA degree and asked me if I'd like to change my application to that degree. I ended up doing so after looking at the program and seeing that it was more of what I wanted.

 

[LPedrazzi]

Thanks, tt13... I hope you're right that this isn't indicative of a rejection from the policy and management department...
I am truly befuddled as to what would make them think I was a good fit for Environmental Health (they even suggest a focus in Molecular Toxicology?!). Looking at the courses, many are entitled "Air Pollution" or "Physics of Diagnostic Radiology" ...I was a Neuroscience major and had your standard pre-med classes, nothing environmentally-focused, not even any environmental volunteer work. Maybe I don't have enough business-related courses for a management-related track? I dunno. I thought HP&M was a popular choice for pre-meds.

Best of luck to everyone on the waitlist From the look of other forums, it seems like many are jilted with Columbias lack of financial assistance to their accepted students, so maybe there will be lots of spots!

 

[tryingtogetin]

I got the strangest email today...
I was waitlisted 2 days ago for HP&M, and today they send me this:

Upon reviewing your application, the Admissions Committee feels that your educational background and experience might be better suited for the Environmental Health Sciences Department in either the Environmental Policy track or the Molecular Toxicology track. Are you interested in having your application reviewed for one of these options?

HUH?!?
I was a pre-med student, my letters are all reflective of this, my personal statement is reflective of this...There is nothing in my app to indicate I would be a good fit for Environmental Health... is this just an attempt to fill an un-popular track? If I say no to this, are they going to just outright reject me? Anyone else get an email like this?

I received the exact same mail from Columbia yesterday, with options for the exact same alternates. Haivng done my undergraduate in Biochemistry I can see why they would think Molecular Toxicology. Upon looking at the other choices, they seem like they have a stronger focus on molecular science, which is what I have been dealing with throughout undergrad.

I emailed them regarding what would happen if I decided to switch. Is this an indirect rejection to my waitlist status to HP&M? I really wanted this stream. We'll see what they say.

 

[LPedrazzi]

Funny, seems like we are in the exact same boat here!
I hope we are still being considered for HP&M...
not that there is anything wrong with Env. Sci, I just fail to see how it will make me a better doctor

 

[tryingtogetin]

we'll see what happens. I too am interested in medicine and that's why health policy would have been great. Columbia seems to be very hush hush with regards to their admissions. If only they provided us with an exact number on the waitlist.

 

[Lucille]

Okay, I received basically the exact same e-mail on Friday! I guess that makes three of us. I haven't been able to get more info on the status of my app yet - haven't been rejected, accepted or waitlisted. EHS must be unpopular this year.

 

[tryingtogetin]

Seems like it is. FYI apparently there were a record number of applicants for the health policy and managment stream this year. That's what the admissions lady told me

 

[jjright212]

i am rejecting the HPM school, so hopefully my spot goes to one of you guys.

 

[LPedrazzi]

Haha... thanks jjright, I hope so too...

I emailed back to check, and we will still be considered for HP&M if we apply for Environmental Health Sciences. I really don't think I am going to apply for this though...it increasingly seems like they were just lacking applicants this year and, more importantly, it isn't going to make me a better physician. I can see the confused look on my interviewers faces as to why I am studying air pollution...

Plus, they want us to write a new personal statement for the track...and what? Create a fake career goal to reflect why we need an Environmental Health degree?

 

[tt13]

i am rejecting the HPM school, so hopefully my spot goes to one of you guys.

ditto! best of luck guys. and very true, you shouldn't compromise your intentions in order to get into a school.

 

[jjright212]

Haha... thanks jjright, I hope so too...

I emailed back to check, and we will still be considered for HP&M if we apply for Environmental Health Sciences. I really don't think I am going to apply for this though...it increasingly seems like they were just lacking applicants this year and, more importantly, it isn't going to make me a better physician. I can see the confused look on my interviewers faces as to why I am studying air pollution...

Plus, they want us to write a new personal statement for the track...and what? Create a fake career goal to reflect why we need an Environmental Health degree?

Unless you think you can get in, and transfer out of that track (which seems increasingly difficult - i remember reading a post from a current mailman student). In my opinion, I think they are trying to get more applicants to the programs that didn't receive enough applicants (remember, they even changed the deadline, which might give this theory some backing). Dont settle, especially if you are planning to go in 60k deep.

 

[sasha12]

I was put on the wait-list but got an e-mail last week that I would be better suited for the Environmental Health Sciences -- Molecular Toxicology or Environment Epidemiology track....Don't know whether I should consider being reviewed for that track??

 

[Generals]

Just wanted to say that this thread inspired me to decline my offer of admission to HPM at Columbia today. I hope that spot goes to one of you guys!

 

[Polita]

oh Generals I hope I get your spot ;-) Where have you decided to go now?

 

[Generals]

oh Generals I hope I get your spot ;-) Where have you decided to go now?

Good luck to you! It is between Harvard and Hopkins for me, and I am hoping to finalize my decision at their accepted students' days.

 

[shruts1116]

Like General, I was inspired by all you guys and gave up my spot at Columbia today too! Hopefully one of you will get my spot in the HPM 2008 cohort! goodluck

 

[tryingtogetin]

Hey everyone,

Has anyone on the wailtlist for HP&M heard anything from Columbia yet? Does anyone know if Columbia is waiting to see how many people decline and then offer out more acceptances?

 

[LPedrazzi]

Hey tryingtogetin--
I have still heard nothing, save more emails asking me to apply to EHS, which I am not doing. Did you decide to apply for EHS?

 

[tryingtogetin]

Hey tryingtogetin--
I have still heard nothing, save more emails asking me to apply to EHS, which I am not doing. Did you decide to apply for EHS?

Like you, I have not heard anything yet. As for the EHS stream, I'm still undecided. I don't think I would do it because it is something that i'm not truely interested in, but perhaps more research into the stream may sway my opinion.