I got the big envelope...and then a day or two later I got the smaller one. From my understanding the big one is from the graduate school at USC and the smaller one is from the program in particular. From what I gathered, the scholarship info was included in the big envelope. Since I did not receive anything regarding scholarships I'm under the assumption I did not get any assistance.
MHA admissions Fall '14
- Thread starter prashgopal
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I got the big envelope...and then a day or two later I got the smaller one. From my understanding the big one is from the graduate school at USC and the smaller one is from the program in particular. From what I gathered, the scholarship info was included in the big envelope. Since I did not receive anything regarding scholarships I'm under the assumption I did not get any assistance.
Thats definitely worth a swing...I think I will definitely give that a shot, thank you! I actually did call USC and asked about potential graduate assistance positions where I could work to get some of my tuition covered...but that didnt really help since they usually offer those to PhD sutdents. I feel that the only thing that is holding me back is that I have a low GRE score. My grades are good, particularly my last 2 years and my major. My work and internship experiences also. Just my GRE score I feel really did me in...wonder how much that is taken into consideration
@CFL407 May I ask why?
And for anyone who is considering MHA, if COA was not a factor which would you choose? Tulane or Georgetown?
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I just paid my deposit to Hopkins this week. For me, it didn’t come down to UNC or Hopkins, but I'll still speak to my choice and hopefully it may help.
Mainly, it came down to what school was going to give me the best ROI and set me up for a solid long term career. With the reduced tuition of the second year and paid residency, it will likely be my cheapest option (this will depend on my salary in year two) and I believe it will lead to similar job prospects as other MHA programs both in the short and long run (for what I am interested in, this may not be the case for everyone). This is based on research regarding what positions alumni hold, and scouring forums like this one. The fact that they have a 100% placement in the 11 month residency and pair with some great companies/ healthcare organizations is HUGE.
The structure of the program is obviously what sets it apart from other top schools. For those that want to jump right into a career, it’s great. For those interested in a school with great student life, clubs, some flexibility in course work, etc, it may not be the best option. Have you talked to any current students at Hopkins or UNC to see why they chose their respective schools? If not, that may be a good idea. I'm sure someone from admissions could get you in contact with current students if you don't know any already.
I should add that my short synopsis of the main difference between Hopkins and other programs is biased by my own interests and the impact I believe it will have on my life while in school. Other people may have a different opinion.
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One thing to consider is that Hopkins is more practice management focused, while UNC has a fair amount of students who enter consulting (Hopkins does actually have good relationships with consulting firms, though, for the residency,it's just that they have less of them). I think both will set you up for a great career. I applied only to schools I felt would be amazing options for me- UCLA, Yale, Hopkins, UNC, and to a lesser extent George Washington (though I found that it wasn't really the best fit for me when I interviewed compared to my experiences with the other institutions). I think the students who excel at Hopkins know what they want and are ready to hit the ground running. I also know that UNC will offer more of a policy background than Hopkins could. Here's my ultimate opinion: If you feel that you need the time for reflection, a slower building of skills/network, and a broader policy/public health education than is possible at Hopkins and that you want to enjoy your last two years of education before hunkering down in a career choose UNC. If foregoing policy background isn't so much of a sacrifice and you feel like the Hopkins name and network will get you where you want to go and that you might get frustrated spending two years in didactic learning rather than one, choose Hopkins. There are certainly other personal factors that might be necessary for you to throw into the mix, but I think, in general, those are the differences that are helping me choose...besides financial aid, of course.
Quick add on to this regarding focus of programs and placements-- Teresa mentioned in my interview (with JHU) that they usually have more consulting opportunities than they have students to fill them. So the number of students going into hospitals/ practice management is in part due to student choice. It sounds like the opportunities are there for students who want them.
Did anyone hear from Columbia today? Acceptances , rejections , wait list ? I'm getting so anxious. Deadlines are fast approaching and I feel like I may not have enough time to weigh my options.
So happy for everyone that has decided. Send out those rejections to the schools you won't attend. Lol
So happy for everyone that has decided. Send out those rejections to the schools you won't attend. Lol
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Another point - UNC had a huge number of grads go into consulting this year, but the previous year a ton went into fellowships. It varies class to class and year to year and UNC's CSO says it's a result of self-selection.
Thanks for all the replies! Ideally, I would like to go into consulting for 3-4 years and then transition over to strategic planning for a hospital/health system. I have talked to students at both Hopkins and UNC and all had good things to say. I am trying to figure out which school puts me in the best position to land a consulting job, which I think might be Hopkins. To me, it seems like both programs place the same percentage of people in fellowships and consulting firms, but it seems like Hopkins students go to a wider variety of firms (does anyone else get that impression?).
I guess I'm struggling because there is no bad choice (tough problem to have, i know) and both programs will cost me the same amount of $$.
I guess I'm struggling because there is no bad choice (tough problem to have, i know) and both programs will cost me the same amount of $$.
Seriously. It's like comparing one delicious apple with another equally delicious apple. Honestly, I don't think either school has an edge over the other with what you want. It's not like the school is going to determine whether or not you'll get into consulting. If you got in to Hopkins and UNC, you clearly have what it takes to achieve your goals, and both schools have great recruitment. Have you considered your personal learning styles and lifestyle needs?
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I had to choose between Hopkins and UNC as well. Even though both schools would have given me what I ultimately wanted, I chose UNC over Hopkins solely because of my history and experiences with Chapel Hill. I honestly don't think you could go wrong with either one. They both have great reputations, job placements, student body, etc.
Good luck!
Good luck!
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anyone else get waitlisted @ Columbia? also, what can I do from here to improve my chances of getting off the waitlist? anyone know how many are typically on the waitlist? is it ranked? many thanks in advance 🙂
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Does any one have an idea as to when we could expect to hear from Columbia on scholarships and aid?
I asked yesterday and they said within two weeks.
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thank you JQH! You are so helpful to everyone in these forums, i've noticed that you take time to answer any questions you can that others have - regardless of whether or not these questions pertain directly to your particular situation. This doesn't go unappreciated 🙂
My fingers are crossed - its in God's hands now
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Thanks. Did they mention anything about issuing us id's and passwords so that we could fill out the second financial aid form?
No, but from past year's forums, they said that sometimes they do not have you fill that out.
My email said they were working on getting id's in place for that
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Torn between UMich and Georgetown. Waiting to hear back from Hopkins after a recent interview. Decided to say no to Carnegie Mellon, UNC, Columbia, and Cornell. Columbia's program is too new and seems disorganized already (had to reschedule my interview bc my interviewer forgot!), Cornell has good placement and curriculum but no big hospitals in the area to learn from (middle of nowhere Ithaca) and Carnegie Mellon accepted me without an interview or any attempts to make sure I was really right for their program (plus Pittsburgh and $$$). Some medical professionals I spoke to said UMich and Hopkins are the most highly regarded in terms of how incredible their health care systems are. Bahhh! Help me?!
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I hope this doesn't come off as rude, but am I missing something with Georgetown? I know they have solid lay prestige for undergrad, but they're not ranked particularly high and they are really expensive. Georgetown and Michigan aren't peers at all, unless I am misunderstanding. It sounds like you're picking between one of the top programs (and it's a state school so it's significantly cheaper) and a good program that is probably like, twice as expensive. Is Georgetown offering you a significant scholarship?
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You make a lot of sense. Honestly, I think I'm waiting for Hopkins because it's got everything I want (I thrive under more practical settings). Haven't heard from either yet about fin. aid. What is tripping me up is that Michigan has a combined MPH-MHA class, with not that much distinction in training (also, it's like 70 students). Georgetown has 20ish students, connections to nine hospitals, integration between medical professionals early, and DC exposure. Urghh :'( Plus, rankings are important but what you mold opportunities into is really what sets you apart. I am just really, really puzzled.
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To me, this whole process is about:
1A) Getting a job
1B) Minimizing debt
Specialties, curriculum, etc don't matter if you can't get a job at the end. I would go to the place that is cheapest that maximizes your job outlook. I know nothing about Georgetown's employment (they may very well be strong, I have no idea) but I do know that sticker price for Georgetown is expensive.
Michigan is actually really expensive for a state school -unless you have instate tuition (which you might have, lucky!) and so is Georgetown. I think it comes down to where you want to be, what you want to do after school, and how much job experience you already have. For me, Michigan is a good fit because I'm looking for the classroom experience after working for health care systems for a few years. If you want to be in DC then Georgetown is definitely a good choice. I'm also worried about attending a larger program like Michigan but with that also comes a larger network. Either option is a good choice, but those are some things to consider.
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Very true. I need to hunker down and make a solid pros and cons list before making any moves. Any thoughts on Cornell's Sloan Program?
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Speaking of Georgetown, everyone should be familiar with their student debt calculator:
http://www.law.georgetown.edu/admis...er.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&pageid=61621
As we get ready to take the plunge it's important to go in with eyes open. Remember that interest accrues while you're in school.
http://www.law.georgetown.edu/admis...er.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&pageid=61621
As we get ready to take the plunge it's important to go in with eyes open. Remember that interest accrues while you're in school.
Connection to an amazing health system is one thing, but it doesn't really mean great job placement. At the least it means you get to tour some of the country's top health facilities and at the most be considered for residencies for a few of the spots they reserve for their MHA students. It sounds like you think Hopkins would be a great fit but since you haven't heard back you can't commit to it. Georgetown and Michigan are some of the most expensive programs (sucks that Michigan is crazy expensive for a state school if you're out-of-state). How did you decide against UNC? They place quite a few students in DC, are less expensive and a top program (Obviously, I'm biased because I love that school).
Great resource. Speaking of loans, if any of you are alumni of a Greek organization, I found out mine gives scholarships for grad schools. It's definitely worth checking out.
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What's the cost of attendance at Georgetown? A Google search suggests about 43K a year in tuition + cost of living expenses. Michigan's out of state tuition is roughly 34K in tuition + living expenses. Assuming the accuracy of the Georgetown number and conceding that Michigan is expensive for an out of state school, it's still roughly a 20K difference without taking into account that Ann Arbor is a lot cheaper to live in than DC.
Or to put it another way, you could pay off your Michigan debt and have a nice house down payment in the time that you would just pay off the Georgetown debt. And that's assuming you don't get in-state tuition at Michigan for year 2, which would drop it another 10K or so.
A scholarship or need-based institutional aid changes this equation some, of course.
EDIT: I think I might be off on the Michigan OOS number though so they may be closer than in price than I'm thinking, but you could likely get in-state residency your second year.
Or to put it another way, you could pay off your Michigan debt and have a nice house down payment in the time that you would just pay off the Georgetown debt. And that's assuming you don't get in-state tuition at Michigan for year 2, which would drop it another 10K or so.
A scholarship or need-based institutional aid changes this equation some, of course.
EDIT: I think I might be off on the Michigan OOS number though so they may be closer than in price than I'm thinking, but you could likely get in-state residency your second year.
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Michigan OOS is $20K per term, AKA roughly $40K a year. Although I'm sure it is much cheaper than DC, housing costs in AA are more expensive than you'd think- if you want to live near-ish to school and live in a semi decent place.
I did not get the impression that it would be easy to get instate tuition the second year- I actually remember Dr. Lictenstein saying that it is very difficult to do and not usually an option- althoug I would be so excited if it was a possibility.
GRADUATE STUDENTS : In-State : $19,792 OOS: $39,818
http://www.finaid.umich.edu/TopNav/AboutUMFinancialAid/CostofAttendance.aspx
b. Circumstances that do not demonstrate permanent Michigan residence
The circumstances and activities listed below are most often temporary or indeterminate and do not demonstrate permanent residence in Michigan. Individuals whose claim to Michigan residence is based solely on one or more of the following will generally not be found to be Michigan residents for tuition purposes:
- you are enrolled in a high school, community college, or university in Michigan;
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This makes me glad I'm going to a state school that has friendly in-state procedures.
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Agreed with this post. I went to Michigan for undergrad and I was an OOS student. You can't get instate tuition if you are going to UMich for school. There has to be other reasons which demonstrate that you will LIVE in the state. I might be wrong unless the rules have changed.
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Sorry for the double post.
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Because of personal reasons, I chose not to attend school in North Carolina. I have heard UNC is a great program! Hmm, talking with you folks is really shaking up my mind (in a good way). Based on my personal calculations as of now, Gtown and UMich are in the same boat financially. Cornell is actually the most cost effective for me (as of now) since with scholarships, my TOTAL cost is $55,000. Their placement is solid too. Hopefully once fin aid decisions are in, decisions will be more clear. Emma, you going to UNC for sure?
Sky Glider, I forgot that you asked about Cornell earlier- I know someone who just graduated last year and really liked the program. He said the only downside was the lack of real world training- just the summer internship, which is all a lot of schools have. He wanted me to apply but I didn't want to live in Ithaca or be in the Northeast after school!
@SkyGlider3: Did you get your official notification from Georgetown? Did they offer any financial aid?
