MHA Fall 2016: Accepted, Waitlisted, Rejected

[Hootenanny10]

School: Ohio State University
GPA: 3.41 SOPHAS, 3.5 HAMPCAS
GRE: 167 Verbal, 160 Quant, 5.5 Writing
Major: Medical Dietetics

Registered Dietitian, have experience with corporate wellness, acute patient care, long-term care, community health, healthcare management, and program development. Currently a dietitian for a health and wellness company

Applying: Minnesota (12/5), Saint Louis University, Missouri, Ohio State, Pitt (12/15), UIC
Interview: Minnesota (offered 12/16, set for 2/18), Ohio State (1/22)
Waitlist:
Rejected:
Accepted:
Attending:

I'm doing my SOPHAS/HAMPCAS stuff this coming week because I didn't take the GRE until just last week. I'm a little worried that I will miss the priority deadlines for a few schools like Minnesota and OSU; does anyone know how much that will affect the likelihood of getting accepted/financial support? Also may be applying to one or two other places than listed.

We'll be at OSU the same day. Look forward to meeting you!

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[linds_ko]

hoping to hear back about more interviews this week! Fingers crossed.... Out of curiosity, what are everyone's first choices at this point?

 

[Lisa1234]

Anyone else have their phone interview with Columbia MHA yet? How was it?

 

[215East]

hoping to hear back about more interviews this week! Fingers crossed.... Out of curiosity, what are everyone's first choices at this point?

I have my UNC interview on Friday so if I am lucky enough to be accepted I will have a very difficult decision to make between Hopkins and Carolina! Congrats on your SLU interview! Waiting really is the worst though.

 

[lonestarstro]

Hello all, I had a question for those accepted into Cornell's MHA program. When you received your acceptance decisions, how did you receive them? There is a letter on my graduate school application that says "Congratulations on your acceptance to Cornell Graduate School" and a field to designate whether I would like to accept or decline the offer. However there is no indication of my application to the MHA program, and I have not received a phone call, email, or regular mail letter. Should I take this with a grain of salt?

 

[peo965]

Hello all, I had a question for those accepted into Cornell's MHA program. When you received your acceptance decisions, how did you receive them? There is a letter on my graduate school application that says "Congratulations on your acceptance to Cornell Graduate School" and a field to designate whether I would like to accept or decline the offer. However there is no indication of my application to the MHA program, and I have not received a phone call, email, or regular mail letter. Should I take this with a grain of salt?

FWIW I received my info by the mail about a week after I knew I had been accepted. The admissions officer told me their mail has been really slow.

 

[lonestarstro]

@peo965 thanks for your response, i'm relieved to hear that. Congrats on your acceptance.

 

[Omega_Neo]

Hey guys! Any other applicants to Columbia's part-time MHA program? This has been my dream school/program for a long time now, so it's very a surreal feeling to know that my application has finally been submitted. I'm freaking out just a little bit, but more anxious than anything! Any other tips and suggestions from current students or applicants? I hear that your personal statement and experiences (CV or resume) count the most!

 

[max04]

Accepted to BU, waiting to hear from Columbia and yale.
theres no word about scholarship in the acceptance mail, when and how can i find out

 

[tarHeel16]

I have my UNC interview on Friday so if I am lucky enough to be accepted I will have a very difficult decision to make between Hopkins and Carolina! Congrats on your SLU interview! Waiting really is the worst though.

I have an interview scheduled at UNC for Feburary 8th! Would you mind giving a brief update on what your experience was like?

 

[wch0008]

School: Auburn University
GPA: 3.67
GRE: 147 V, 153 Q, 3.5 W
Applied: Tulane, Memphis and Univ. of South Carolina
Interview: Tulane (11/13), Memphis (12/1- Declined)
Accepted: Tulane (11/13)
Decision: Tulane (11/28)

I decided Tulane whenever I received the scholarship information. I declined Memphis because whenever I went to the interview at Tulane I knew the program was right for me personally. Please let me know if anyone else has been accepted and/or will be attending Tulane next fall!

 

[215East]

Got a UNC acceptance 4 hours after the interview

 

[215East]

I have an interview scheduled at UNC for Feburary 8th! Would you mind giving a brief update on what your experience was like?

It was a great experience! I went to UNC for undergrad so I already know I love Chapel Hill. There were a lot of opportunities to talk with current students and they were very friendly and receptive to any and all questions. The faculty were also very nice and seemed very involved. The actual "interview" was very relaxed- it was with a faculty member and a student. No crazy questions, just getting to know you more and what you want out of the degree and the program. I wouldn't stress too much over it! They are wanting to win you over just as much as you are trying to impress them!

 

[mats7]

School: Auburn University
GPA: 3.67
GRE: 147 V, 153 Q, 3.5 W
Applied: Tulane, Memphis and Univ. of South Carolina
Interview: Tulane (11/13), Memphis (12/1- Declined)
Accepted: Tulane (11/13)
Decision: Tulane (11/28)

I decided Tulane whenever I received the scholarship information. I declined Memphis because whenever I went to the interview at Tulane I knew the program was right for me personally. Please let me know if anyone else has been accepted and/or will be attending Tulane next fall!

How much was your scholarship for? Just curious.

 

[wch0008]

How much was your scholarship for? Just curious.

The scholarship was just under 50% of tuition. Each scholarship will vary.

 

[mhastudent987]

We'll be at OSU the same day. Look forward to meeting you!

Awesome! Hopefully we both do well.

SLU offered an in person interview to me earlier this week. As it stands, I'll be interviewing at OSU, SLU, and doing a skype one with Minnesota. Missouri and Pitt are currently reviewing my application, as well, so hopefully they contact me soon.

 

[mats7]

The scholarship was just under 50% of tuition. Each scholarship will vary.

Congrats! Tulane's a great school and a few of my friends are going there and loving it!

 

[linds_ko]

.

 

[jay28]

Logged onto wolverine access for UofM today and there was a "view decision" link so I clicked it and this message appeared

"An admission decision for your application to Health Management and Policy has been made. You will be receiving an official email from the University of Michigan School of Public Health."

Haven't got an email yet... anyone else have this?

mm did you apply for the MPH or MHA at the UM School of Public Health? Because as far as I know, the MHA program does interviews first before admitting any candidates, while the MPH program does not. (Also, I just realized you may have already done your interview with UM, and that's why you already gotten your notifaction lol if you did, when did you do so?)

 

[linds_ko]

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[jay28]

I applied to the MHSA program. I have not done an interview yet. I'm kinda thinking this might be a rejection...

Oh I meant MHSA when I used the general term, MHA.

Don't lose hope! You never know. I know the interview processes for most of the MHA/MHSA programs are generally informal, so hey, they could have accepted you without doing an interview, one never knows~

 

[peo965]

School: Northwestern University
Major: Cognitive Science/Global Health
GPA: 3.72
GRE: 167 V (97%), 163 Q (86%), 5.0 W (93%)
Applied: University of Washington, Rush, University of Minnesota, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Cornell, University of Michigan
Interview: Washington (12/4), Cornell (12/15), Rush (12/18), UNC (1/15), Minnesota (1/25), Michigan (2/5)
Accepted: Washington (12/11), Cornell (12/22), Rush (1/20), UNC (1/19), Minnesota (2/10), Michigan (3/2)
Waitlisted:
Rejected:

Extensive leadership experience in undergrad, but mostly in the non-profit sector regarding health education. Haven't taken any accounting or economics classes, but I have taken statistics. Luckily, one interviewer said my high quant score somewhat overrides that. I've been an AmeriCorps Vista twice. Wrote a thesis/policy analysis while in Paris regarding maternal mortality. Finishing up interviews before I make my official decision on where I want to go.

 

[mats7]

School: Northwestern University
Major: Cognitive Science/Global Health
GPA: 3.72
GRE: 167 V (97%), 163 Q (86%), 5.0 W (93%)
Applied: University of Washington, Rush, University of Minnesota, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Cornell. University of Michigan
Interview: Washington (12/4), Cornell (12/15), Rush (12/18), UNC (1/15), Minnesota (1/25)
Accepted: Washington (12/11), Cornell (12/22), UNC (1/19)
Waitlisted:
Rejected:

Extensive leadership experience in undergrad, but mostly in the non-profit sector regarding health education. Haven't taken any accounting or economics classes, but I have taken statistics. I've been an AmeriCorps Vista twice. Finishing up interviews before I make my official decision on where I want to go.

Where are you leaning towards? Any scholarship $$?

 

[peo965]

Where are you leaning towards? Any scholarship $$?

I received a scholarship to Cornell. I have a fair amount of scholarship money I've received from awards I've applied for this year, so luckily money won't be my deciding factor. Going to wait until I hear back from Minn and Michigan before I truly make a decision (even though I've lived in both states for extended periods of time, so I'm not terribly interested in them). Most likely going to choose between Wash and UNC. Honestly, I am mainly choosing based on where I'd like to live.

 

[linds_ko]

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[linds_ko]

Got invited for an interview at OSU today!

 

[peo965]

Just got invited to interview at Michigan. Excited to be done with this process soon!

 

[mphhca]

Logged onto wolverine access for UofM today and there was a "view decision" link so I clicked it and this message appeared

"An admission decision for your application to Health Management and Policy has been made. You will be receiving an official email from the University of Michigan School of Public Health."

Haven't got an email yet... anyone else have this?

Just out of curiousity, when was your UM app submitted and verified? I applied for the MPH HMP and I know that the same committee reviews these apps, so I wanted to get an idea when I'd receive a notification.

 

[peo965]

FWIW mine was verified 10/2 and I found out today.

 

[CLE514]

I received a scholarship to Cornell. I have a fair amount of scholarship money I've received from awards I've applied for this year, so luckily money won't be my deciding factor. Going to wait until I hear back from Minn and Michigan before I truly make a decision (even though I've lived in both states for extended periods of time, so I'm not terribly interested in them). Most likely going to choose between Wash and UNC. Honestly, I am mainly choosing based on where I'd like to live.

Did UW allow you to extend your decision making time? I thought they were due the first week of January?

 

[tarHeel16]

It was a great experience! I went to UNC for undergrad so I already know I love Chapel Hill. There were a lot of opportunities to talk with current students and they were very friendly and receptive to any and all questions. The faculty were also very nice and seemed very involved. The actual "interview" was very relaxed- it was with a faculty member and a student. No crazy questions, just getting to know you more and what you want out of the degree and the program. I wouldn't stress too much over it! They are wanting to win you over just as much as you are trying to impress them!

Thanks - glad to hear you had a good experience! And congrats on the acceptance! Hopefully, we will be cohort-mates

 

[peo965]

Did UW allow you to extend your decision making time? I thought they were due the first week of January?

At the time UW was my first choice, so I paid the deposit. If I change my decision, I will give up my spot (and the $500, obviously) before I pay the deposit elsewhere. I figured in the grand scheme of things, paying the deposit wasn't that big of a deal.

 

[linds_ko]

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[linds_ko]

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[jay28]

I also just got the email yesterday from umich for the visit days! Yay! Seems like those of us who got this email were amongst the first batch of people (at least from what I can see).

 

[aprill0]

Nah, I submitted my app within January and was invited.

 

[akki99]

I am a first year MHA student at the University of Florida if anyone has any questions about that specific program.

Some typical questions and answers:

1. Do rankings matter? : No they do not. The USNews rankings is based off a subjective 5 point scale done by professors. Nothing else. No other data like job attainment rates, knowledge, specific classes taken, average salary, gpa, etc. Again I will state again, they mean literally nothing. Refer to #3

2. Does going do a higher ranked school make any difference?: No. So if you are deciding between UAB and UMich or USC vs VCU, my answer would be attend whats cheaper, and if they are the same price, go with which has better weather. Refer to #3

3. What is most important thing you should look for in a school?: My answer would be job placement lists, as in where did the last years class get jobs? This list is usually easily found on the programs website. If the program says they do not track this data, thats is a red flag and typically means the school has no network/weak alumni base, do not attend any program that does not track recent graduates and where they end up. The whole point of attending a "good" program is that old and recent alumni will hire people straight out of the program.

4. Will I get in to X program with "insert gpa, gre, extra curricular"?: I honestly cannot tell you with any certainty. Apply broadly, and do not be afraid to apply to out of state, you never know they may offer you in state tuition or a waiver of some sort. I applied to 7 schools, got into half. I think it is a gamble applying to only 1-3 programs. Applying to more then 10 is kind of overkill.

5. Last year my inbox was flooded with Indian and Chinese nationals about rankings: "Should I attend UMichigan over UMinnesota"??. Again it wont make any difference, attend the cheaper program. No one will care what school you went to after a few years of work experience, and if the school has a good network (which a ton of schools have, not just highly ranked ones) then you will have no problem getting a fellowship or entry level job at a good system. Refer to #3

6. What should I put the most effort regarding my application: I would say personal statement, spend a lot of time going over, and having different people read it. This will be the only thing in most applications to make you stand out from the pack. Everyone already has a good gpa and good gre, how are you different? etc.

7. Does doing a dual degree have any effect/or is it worth it to get (MBA/MHA) or (MHA/MPH) or any similar combo? I will say no. Programs will try to sell you on having balanced education, but these dual degrees are a cash cow for schools. They are not worth it, especially when you factor in the extra year of tuition, rent, bills, and lost opportunity cost from not working after year 2, In fact I will say if you can attend a MBA program with a good network (top 25 ranked), do not waste your time getting an MHA or MPH, the MBA will have more value on its own, and will give you the option to switch sectors later if you get tired of healthcare. For 95% of people in this thread, just get the MHA.

Thats about all I can think of for right now. PM me or ask away. Again #3 is key here, nothing else really matters.

 

[akki99]

Hello. I am international student. I have a masters in pharmacy and wanted to pursue MHA. Could someone tell me what are the chances of getting admission after the interview process. I was interviewed by UW in 2 months back. Admission decision has been postponed twice and I am not sure why.
School:
GPA: 3.5(Undergrad) 3.81(Grad)
GRE: verbal(157), Quant(164), A/W-4.0. IELTS- 8.0/9.0
Major: Pharmaceutical Analysis and Quality Assurance
Applied: UW, Hopkins, UNC-Chapel hill, U-Mich, USC, St Louis & Penn state University
Interview: UW, U-Mich, St louis
Waitlist:
Rejected:
Accepted:
Attending:

 

[akki99]

Hi.
Congrats on ur Tulane admission. I have applied for Tulane very recently. Could you provide me brief note on the interview process. What exactly are they looking for. BTW my GPA- 3.8, GRE- V-157, Q-164, A/W-4.0, IELTS-8.0

 

[akki99]

Got a UNC acceptance 4 hours after the interview

Congrats.

 

[jay28]

Nah, I submitted my app within January and was invited.

Me too. I'm saying we were the first group of people to be invited for an interview.

 

[aprill0]

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[RPSJ1111]

School: Large, Private School in FL
GPA: 3.3 (Major was lower, but I don't remember what it is)
GRE: 160V/152Q/5W
Major: Neuroscience, Classics, Minor in Chemistry
Applied: SLU, JHU, GW, Tulane, USouth Carolina, University of MD, Mt. Sinai (MPH with specialty track)
Interview: GW (skype), SLU (On-site), Tulane (skype), USouth Carolina (Phone--I canceled the interview)
Waitlist:
Rejected:
Accepted: GW, SLU, Tulane, Mt. Sinai
Attending: SLU

I graduated 2 years ago and since graduation I have been working in administration, but not in the healthcare field. Just to note, I applied to Hopkins in November -- I have yet to hear back. At this point I don't care since I found the school for me, but I think it's extremely unprofessional to not reply to phone calls or return messages (I called at different times in the day over a 3 week period). Anyways good luck everyone! If anyone has questions about interviews, feel free to ask me

 

[grad_student_40]

Has anyone heard anything from VCU? If so when did you submit your application?

 

[KCMO2016]

School: Small Private School in TX
GPA: 3.2
GMAT: 28 (50%) V, 46 (77%) Q
Work: analyst for large EMR corporation (2 years)
Strong Recommendation letter & leadership opprtunities
Applied: Trinity University, Baylor University MBA (healthcare), Michigan, Yale, Johns Hopkins
Interview: Trinity University, Baylor, Michigan (2/19)
Accepted: Trinity, Baylor
Decision:

 

[akki99]

School: Large, Private School in FL
GPA: 3.3 (Major was lower, but I don't remember what it is)
GRE: 160V/152Q/5W
Major: Neuroscience, Classics, Minor in Chemistry
Applied: SLU, JHU, GW, Tulane, USouth Carolina, University of MD, Mt. Sinai (MPH with specialty track)
Interview: GW (skype), SLU (On-site), Tulane (skype), USouth Carolina (Phone--I canceled the interview)
Waitlist:
Rejected:
Accepted: GW, SLU, Tulane, Mt. Sinai
Attending: SLU

I graduated 2 years ago and since graduation I have been working in administration, but not in the healthcare field. Just to note, I applied to Hopkins in November -- I have yet to hear back. At this point I don't care since I found the school for me, but I think it's extremely unprofessional to not reply to phone calls or return messages (I called at different times in the day over a 3 week period). Anyways good luck everyone! If anyone has questions about interviews, feel free to ask me

Hi RPSJ1111.
It is really nice of you to share your experience. I would be glad if you could provide me some info on SLU. I have an interview scheduled in few days with one of the professors. What are they looking for? Is the interview basic or do they dig deep?

 

[RPSJ1111]

Hi RPSJ1111.
It is really nice of you to share your experience. I would be glad if you could provide me some info on SLU. I have an interview scheduled in few days with one of the professors. What are they looking for? Is the interview basic or do they dig deep?

Hi!
There were about 12 other applicants the day I went. We were split into two groups. For the first half, one group had 3 interviews 1-on-1 (Student, Alumni, and Faculty), while the other group tours the campus with first year MHA students. After about 1.5 hours you switch. The interview day is really meant for you to get to know the program and see if it would be a get fit for you. Come prepared with lots of questions! Between the students, faculty, and alumni you can ask different levels of questions or the same questions to get perspective. The tour guides are great to ask questions as well. We asked questions about where to live, what the cohorts did besides class, internships, etc. They only invite students that they believe are strong candidates. Like most interviews they want to make sure you match up to your application.

I don't want to give too much away because honestly you'll be fine It's a great experience and the atmosphere was very relaxed. The faculty are some of the nicest and most genuine people. They really want to get to know you so just be yourself. Socialize with the other interviewee's as well! I'm not from the midwest so I learned a lot from them!

 

[wch0008]

Hi.
Congrats on ur Tulane admission. I have applied for Tulane very recently. Could you provide me brief note on the interview process. What exactly are they looking for. BTW my GPA- 3.8, GRE- V-157, Q-164, A/W-4.0, IELTS-8.0

Hi,

I went on campus for the interview and it was much like all the other programs with a 3 part process. I interviewed with the program director, a professor and a current MHA student. They are looking for someone with a professional goal that is in line with the principles taught at Tulane. They are looking for you to be yourself and be confident. Good luck on the rest of the acceptance process!

 

[akki99]

Hi!
There were about 12 other applicants the day I went. We were split into two groups. For the first half, one group had 3 interviews 1-on-1 (Student, Alumni, and Faculty), while the other group tours the campus with first year MHA students. After about 1.5 hours you switch. The interview day is really meant for you to get to know the program and see if it would be a get fit for you. Come prepared with lots of questions! Between the students, faculty, and alumni you can ask different levels of questions or the same questions to get perspective. The tour guides are great to ask questions as well. We asked questions about where to live, what the cohorts did besides class, internships, etc. They only invite students that they believe are strong candidates. Like most interviews they want to make sure you match up to your application.

I don't want to give too much away because honestly you'll be fine It's a great experience and the atmosphere was very relaxed. The faculty are some of the nicest and most genuine people. They really want to get to know you so just be yourself. Socialize with the other interviewee's as well! I'm not from the midwest so I learned a lot from them!

Hii
Thank you for the info. It was really informative. Unfortunately, I am an international student so I will not be able to attend the onsite tour. I scheduled a skype interview. So, do u have any idea on the % of international students per cohort? Any one more thing will my admission decision be affected for choosing skype over onsite?

 

[215East]

Thanks - glad to hear you had a good experience! And congrats on the acceptance! Hopefully, we will be cohort-mates

The best part is you find out within 48 hours of the interview so the waiting isn't too terrible. But yes! Although I do have choice to make (that I am putting off) I am leaning towards staying in Chapel Hill for another two years. Best of luck on your upcoming interview!