Deciding where to apply

[tarheel1025]

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Hi everyone-

I'll be applying this fall for MPH programs. How did you decide where you wanted to apply? There are just so many programs, I don't even know how to begin to sort through most of them.

I'm from North Carolina, so I'll be applying to UNC, but it's a difficult program to get into, and I'm not really impressed with the other programs offered in-state, so I'm looking out of state (open to pretty much anywhere location wise).

I want to do a Health Behavior and Education, or similar, program. I would also love the opportunity to work internationally. (I considered Global Health programs, but from what I've read on posts here, it's probably better to chose another discipline and then apply that globally. Thoughts welcome on that too.) I was a Biology major and graduated with a 3.4 and don't have any amazing work or internship experience, so I'm thinking top programs are out of my reach.

Any and all advice is welcome! Thanks for reading this long post!

 

[deleted462159]

This is how I decided where to apply. Because of time issues and wanting to make things very easy for my letter writers, I only applied to schools that are part of SOPHAS. I also wanted to stay in-state (California), if possible, which narrowed it down to 4 schools for me. If not, I was open to moving out of state (possibly Colorado or Texas, since I have friends there). After browsing their websites and requirements, I knew I did not want to go to Berkeley. So I applied to the remaining 3 CA SOPHAS schools (UCLA, LLU and SDSU) + one in Texas (because its inexpensive).

I had also considered other non-SOPHAS schools, such as UCI and CSULB (MHA program), though they did not seem like good fits.

 

[tarheel1025]

yea, definitely would like SOPHAS schools because of the convenience. Just another reason to look out of state, because none of the NC schools are on it for some reason.

I was looking at SDSU because I have a lot of family in San Diego. Where did you end up attending?

 

[deleted462159]

I will be starting my program at SDSU in August, so I can't tell you much about it yet. But the campus is decently nice and the people seem friendly.
I wish it were closer to the beach though.

 

[EpiWin]

I had a GPA and stats around yours, and I would say that it didn't hamper the quality of schools I was admitted to. You'll come to find that schools place a good deal of emphasis on your essays and reasoning for wanting to attend a program as opposed to fixating on hard numbers. Don't feel like you should limit yourself in this process.

A good way to start looking at programs is by visiting asph.org and spending some time browsing through programs to get a feel for what's available. From there, start narrowing down by categories you find important, and you'll find yourself with a decent list soon enough.