In need of some guidance please

[eaw4408]

Hi everyone! I am going to be applying for MPH (most likely with an epi concentration) for the 2018/2019 school year. I am unfortunately going to be applying quite late (Mid December) because of some unforeseen circumstances. I am going to be moving to NYC and it is my dream to get into Columbia or NYU. However, I do not think I am anywhere near qualified. I am graduating with my bachelors in public health this May so I am contemplating taking a gap year to better my chances of getting accepted. I should have strong LOR's from professors and my former internship supervisor. I just want be realistic as to whether or not I am a strong/weak candidate. My GPA is far from impressive but I hope to make up for it with my GRE scores. I am extremely passionate about epi as well as working with underserved/marginalized populations and hope to convey this in my personal statement.

Undergrad School: Private Liberal Arts School
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.3/3.6
Major/Minor: Public Health
GradGPA (if applicable): N/A
Grad Studies (if applicable): N/A
GRE N/A Taking on Dec. 4th
Experience/Research (please, be brief):

• 120 hours of community service/ volunteer work at local humane society and working with special needs children.
• 180 hours of public health internship working at the community health division of my hospital specifically with health education/community outreach program for senior citizens.
• Co-wrote a grant for a community wide program targeting untrained caregivers.
• Member of Eta Sigma Gamma National Health Education/Health Science honor society where I have participated in numerous community outreach programs such as health fairs, etc. along with assisting a professor with a research project on flu vaccines.

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[She-Hulk]

Why do are focused on NYU and Columbia? Is it the Schools or more about wanting to live in New York? I would guess that if you had a gap year, got some good work experience in public health (it seems public health schools love work experience), and did well on the GREs you could get into a number of good schools if you apply broadly.

I would advise against NYU as it appears to be a new program, isn’t even ranked, and their Cross Continental program is more of a money making deal by the administration at NYU and is criticized by NYU’s own academic faculty for lack of academic merit.

Don’t sell yourself short! Apply to a range of schools.

Hi everyone! I am going to be applying for MPH (most likely with an epi concentration) for the 2018/2019 school year. I am unfortunately going to be applying quite late (Mid December) because of some unforeseen circumstances. I am going to be moving to NYC and it is my dream to get into Columbia or NYU. However, I do not think I am anywhere near qualified. I am graduating with my bachelors in public health this May so I am contemplating taking a gap year to better my chances of getting accepted. I should have strong LOR's from professors and my former internship supervisor. I just want be realistic as to whether or not I am a strong/weak candidate. My GPA is far from impressive but I hope to make up for it with my GRE scores. I am extremely passionate about epi as well as working with underserved/marginalized populations and hope to convey this in my personal statement.

Undergrad School: Private Liberal Arts School
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.3/3.6
Major/Minor: Public Health
GradGPA (if applicable): N/A
Grad Studies (if applicable): N/A
GRE N/A Taking on Dec. 4th
Experience/Research (please, be brief):

• 120 hours of community service/ volunteer work at local humane society and working with special needs children.
• 180 hours of public health internship working at the community health division of my hospital specifically with health education/community outreach program for senior citizens.
• Co-wrote a grant for a community wide program targeting untrained caregivers.
• Member of Eta Sigma Gamma National Health Education/Health Science honor society where I have participated in numerous community outreach programs such as health fairs, etc. along with assisting a professor with a research project on flu vaccines.

 

[eaw4408]

Why do are focused on NYU and Columbia? Is it the Schools or more about wanting to live in New York? I would guess that if you had a gap year, got some good work experience in public health (it seems public health schools love work experience), and did well on the GREs you could get into a number of good schools if you apply broadly.

I would advise against NYU as it appears to be a new program, isn’t even ranked, and their Cross Continental program is more of a money making deal by the administration at NYU and is criticized by NYU’s own academic faculty for lack of academic merit.

Don’t sell yourself short! Apply to a range of schools.

Thank you very much! Columbia is my top pick overall because of its excellent and highly ranked MPH program, connections and professional development that can occur due to its locational, etc. I honestly had no idea that NYU wasn't a good choice, I thought the global health concentration there was appealing. However, I will reconsider, so thank you for providing insight on that. I am also applying for some smaller schools throughout NYC, but Columbia is my dream school.

 

[n3t]

I understand the desire to live in NYC, but I would highly recommend applying more broadly if money is a concern. Columbia has very strict cutoffs with merit scholarships. When I applied, you had to score above the 80th percentile for the GRE (or higher based on the top scores of the admitted students) and be in the top GPA percentage of the incoming class. Then, those top students compete for limited scholarships based on other aspects of their application. I spoke with financial aid at Columbia about this. Additionally, Columbia is the only school out of the four I applied to that did not provide any need-based financial aid. Others I have spoken with had the same issue. I received good to great financial packages at other comparable schools. The lack of funding plus the price of living in NYC made Columbia substantially less appealing than other programs. It is, of course, a great program, but I would apply to other programs even if it is your top choice so that you can weigh pros and cons after seeing your packages!

 

[eaw4408]

Thank you very much for your reply! That is definitely something to take into consideration. I am going to be applying for 4 schools total in NYC, so Columbia is definitely not my only choice, just my dream one! Haha. However, finances to me outweigh any rank or prestige because I definitely will be in need of financial assistance. What other schools do you recommend throughout NYC?

I understand the desire to live in NYC, but I would highly recommend applying more broadly if money is a concern. Columbia has very strict cutoffs with merit scholarships. When I applied, you had to score above the 80th percentile for the GRE (or higher based on the top scores of the admitted students) and be in the top GPA percentage of the incoming class. Then, those top students compete for limited scholarships based on other aspects of their application. I spoke with financial aid at Columbia about this. Additionally, Columbia is the only school out of the four I applied to that did not provide any need-based financial aid. Others I have spoken with had the same issue. I received good to great financial packages at other comparable schools. The lack of funding plus the price of living in NYC made Columbia substantially less appealing than other programs. It is, of course, a great program, but I would apply to other programs even if it is your top choice so that you can weigh pros and cons after seeing your packages!