MPH 2019: Applied, Waitlisted, Accepted!

[Cassatrass]

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Hi everyone! I've been reading these threads for a while and I'm excited to be applying myself! Here are my stats:

Undergrad School: BU (graduating in May)
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.83/3.771
Major/Minor: Political Science/Public Health
GradGPA (if applicable): N/A
Grad Studies (if applicable): N/A
GRE (including date taken) or Other Test (if applicable): V 158 (80%), Q 162 (80%), W 4.5 (82%) (October 2018)
Experience/Research (please, be brief):
-summer internship in local government
-6 months as president of my school’s public health association (been involved for 2 years)
-2 ½ years volunteering for Relay for Life/American Cancer Society
-working on honors thesis on the development of social policies
-current research assistant for an epi study (started at the beginning of this semester)

LOR: one from my thesis professor, one from my PI, one from my internship supervisor

Interests: epidemiology, noncommunicable diseases, health disparities, social determinants of health
Applying: BU (epi/biostats), GW (epi), Yale (chronic disease epi), Drexel (epi), Pitt (epi), Brown

I'm a little worried since I don't have a lot of experience, especially since I'll be straight out of undergrad. Am I reaching? Do I have a chance at any scholarships? Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

I don't think you're reaching at all-- you have strong GRE scores, a high GPA, and experience that is relevant to your interests. You're honestly probably on the safe side-- I think you could add a few more top schools if they have relevant research & faculty members. As such, if you can convey your interests well, I do think you have a chance at scholarships-- especially at the tier you're currently applying for!

 

[php2019]

Undergrad School: Big 10 (2016)
Undergrad GPA: 3.78 (SOPHAS verified)
Major/Minor: Conservation Biology and Spanish (double major)/Environmental Studies
GRE (including date taken): V 158 (80%), Q 151 (42%), W 4.5 (82%) (September 2018); V 156 (73%), Q 157 (65%) W unknown (unofficial scores, taken October 2018)
Experience/Research (please, be brief):

-2+ years full time work experience at State health department as a public health educator and research analyst (will be 3 years once enrolled)
-Research fellow at a Medical Entomology laboratory (through work at health department)
-Research assistant in 3 ecology laboratories on campus during undergrad
-Interned at environmental nonprofits in undergrad
-Volunteer ESL tutor for 1 year

LOR: one from current supervisor (epidemiologist), one from former supervisor (epidemiologist), one from PI on landscape ecology work in undergrad

Interested in: MPH/MURP dual degree program
Applied/Applying (include the date of application): UC Berkeley (Environmental Health Sciences), UNC (Health Behavior), Michigan (Environmental Health Promotion and Policy)

I'm nervous about my GRE scores. I took the GRE a second time to increase my quant score and my verbal score decreased slightly. Thoughts on sending both scores? I'm not sure how schools handle multiple scores, or if my improvement in quant will be looked at positively or not/if it's worth it to send both for a two point decrease in verbal?

Am I reaching too high with some of these schools? I'm a bit limited with the dual degree program, and these are by far my favorite programs.

 

[Nb30]

Hello everyone! QUICK QUESTION!!!
For SOPHAS experience section and achievements section, did you guys write these in resume format? Did you copy and paste from your resume or is this suppose to be written differently?
thanks!!

 

[publichealth22]

Hello everyone! QUICK QUESTION!!!
For SOPHAS experience section and achievements section, did you guys write these in resume format? Did you copy and paste from your resume or is this suppose to be written differently?
thanks!!

I don't think it matters much! I changed some of the language in mine but do whatever feels comfortable and you have time to do 🙂

 

[Jc2356]

GWU sending out decisions! Got accepted couple hours ago =D

 

[armchair_cosmonaut]

Joined the forum just to add in my app/experience and join the wait.... I put in comparatively such little effort into my undergrad apps that this worrying is a completely new experience, lol!

Undergrad School: Ivy
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.76/3.82
Major/Minor: Public Health-esque major (more social science-y though)
GRE: 8/4: 169V, 162Q, 5.0W
Experience/Research (please, be brief):
Postgrad: 1.5 years (two by matriculation) working as lead RA on NIH RO1 grant (epidemiology project)
----
During undergrad:
-MCH qualitative thesis
-3 years working in very underresourced high school
-Tons of other service

LOR (4): Epi dept head at top school, current boss, undergrad thesis advisor who I had a great relationship with, and volunteer supervisor

Special factors:
-2 publications, 2 more in review, and in process of writing 1st author paper

Interested in: Perinatal epi, social epi, health disparities, mixed methods
Applied: (All 10/26) Harvard: MS-80 Epi, JHSPH ScM Epi, Yale MS CDE *and* MPH CDE, BU Epi/Biostats MPH, Emory MSPH Epi, Michigan MPH Epi, UMN MPH Epi, Pitt MS Epi, UW MS Epi, UCLA MS Epi, Berkeley MPH MCAH
Accepted:
Rejected:
Waitlisted:

My wallet is hurting from all those apps, but I'm throwing a wide net because one of the most important factors will be scholarships awards. I think I have a good chance for merit scholarships, but it's still a crapshoot. I think Harvard and JHSPH are my top choices, but again, totally dependent on scholarships. I know I will be pursuing a PhD later, so I reallllyyy don't want to take on loans before I spend 4-5 years earning sub-30k.

note on Berkeley: I visited campus and met with professors in the MCAH dept and LOVED it. At same time, had bad experiences with Epi/Biostats (got the impression they were overworked, disorganized, and uninterested in recruiting students). After talking with some students, I switched my app to MCAH.

Additional note: SOPHAS verified my applications within 4 hours. Submitting at this time of year seems to be a good idea.

 

[Nb30]

Is it possible that SOPHAS can verify my app with just one letter of rec? I saw one post on SDN that this happened to one person but can't find the post. I submitted 10/27, but 2 of 3 of my LoRs deadlines are 11/2 and I already asked them to submit asap but don't think they will.
Side note, none of SOPHAS FAQ websites will open on my computer. So their website has been extremely unhelpful for me. Anyone else?

 

[Missaayyyy]

Is it possible that SOPHAS can verify my app with just one letter of rec? I saw one post on SDN that this happened to one person but can't find the post. I submitted 10/27, but 2 of 3 of my LoRs deadlines are 11/2 and I already asked them to submit asap but don't think they will.
Side note, none of SOPHAS FAQ websites will open on my computer. So their website has been extremely unhelpful for me. Anyone else?

Yes, I think you can submit to schools and SOPHAS will verify as long as the parts that are your responsibility are done. The LORs and test scores don't have to be in to submit, but schools themselves won't review the applications until they receive the full app so I'd get those LORs in before the deadlines/ASAP. (I asked this question at Berkeley's Prospective Student Day)

 

[php2019]

I took the GRE twice:
Q157 V154 AWA 5
Q159 V151 AWA 5.5

Would you mind telling me if you submitted both GRE scores, and if so, if you know how most schools handle multiple scores?
Thank you!!

 

[jes3dz]

GWU sending out decisions! Got accepted couple hours ago =D

Hey, where did you receive your decision? Email or through SOPHAS? Also when did you submit?

 

[Jc2356]

Hey, where did you receive your decision? Email or through SOPHAS? Also when did you submit?

Hey! I received my decision via email. I submitted all my college applications through SOPHAS on 08/30 and had them verified on 09/16.

 

[SunshineSarahbelle]

Hey all! I just submitted my SOPHAS apps today, 10/29. I'm hoping they will be verified fast... anyone have any info on how quickly their app was verified? I just took my GRE on 10/25, so I can't send in my scores until they are posted (a week most likely). All my transcripts and LORs have been submitted.

 

[Uniqueusername13]

Hey all! I just submitted my SOPHAS apps today, 10/29. I'm hoping they will be verified fast... anyone have any info on how quickly their app was verified? I just took my GRE on 10/25, so I can't send in my scores until they are posted (a week most likely). All my transcripts and LORs have been submitted.

Submitted first one last Thursday and verified in under 24 hours. Submitted 2 more yesterday and verified within an hour.

 

[Nb30]

Hey all! I just submitted my SOPHAS apps today, 10/29. I'm hoping they will be verified fast... anyone have any info on how quickly their app was verified? I just took my GRE on 10/25, so I can't send in my scores until they are posted (a week most likely). All my transcripts and LORs have been submitted.

what is the status on your application?

 

[Dmohr21]

Would you mind telling me if you submitted both GRE scores, and if so, if you know how most schools handle multiple scores?
Thank you!!

I did submit both scores but have no idea how the schools look at them.

 

[Missaayyyy]

I did submit both scores but have no idea how the schools look at them.

@php2019 I know some schools only look at the test with the highest quant score (like Berkeley) but I'm not sure what other schools do with multiple scores.

 

[SunshineSarahbelle]

Submitted first one last Thursday and verified in under 24 hours. Submitted 2 more yesterday and verified within an hour.

Great to hear! I hope it will be quick for me too, then. Once you send in your GRE to each school's sophas code, will it tell you on Sophas that they received it?

 

[SunshineSarahbelle]

what is the status on your application?

It says that it is complete for each school

 

[EnviroJusticeWarrior]

Hey guys,

So SOPHAS calculated my GPA and my overall GPA seemed to take a plummet while my major GPA went up. I had an awful freshmen year but changed into public health my sophomore year
Overall: 3.13
Public Health GPA: 3.87
GRE Scores (for reference): 155 V (69%)160 Q (74%) 4.0 W (59%)

How do you think this will impact my application? I am applying straight out of undergrad (am graduating in December) but have a lot of experience via internships, an award-winning poster presentation, and a couple manuscripts.

Also, for everyone that got accepted so far, first of all congrats!!! When did you get your applications verified and how long afterwards did it take to hear back? I heard on GW's website for example, it's 6-8 weeks after completion of application but looks like everything is moving faster than anticipated 🙂

 

[oacljv]

note on Berkeley: I visited campus and met with professors in the MCAH dept and LOVED it. At same time, had bad experiences with Epi/Biostats (got the impression they were overworked, disorganized, and uninterested in recruiting students). After talking with some students, I switched my app to MCAH.

Additional note: SOPHAS verified my applications within 4 hours. Submitting at this time of year seems to be a good idea.

This is breaking my heart. I submitted my first application last night to Epi/Biostats at Berkeley, and was feeling really good. Then I see this... Would you mind expanding a bit on what you heard from students?

Also, of the people applying to Berkeley, did anyone have issues with formatting on the Personal History Statement? For some reason it had to be copied and pasted in (instead of uploading a document). Despite efforts to format it into paragraphs, it turned into one huge block of text upon submission. It's embarrassing and far less readable, and I'm hoping they will understand what happened.

On a more positive note, I'm still missing a recommendation letter, and was worried about whether SOPHAS was going to verify my app, since they say contradictory things all throughout their FAQs. But within just a few hours (in the middle of the night...), I got the email saying my coursework had been verified! So at least that's one less thing to worry about...

 

[kingorange9]

Accepted to JHSPH 11-month MPH Program!

 

[armchair_cosmonaut]

This is breaking my heart. I submitted my first application last night to Epi/Biostats at Berkeley, and was feeling really good. Then I see this... Would you mind expanding a bit on what you heard from students?

Basically what happened:
-met with professors in MCAH health and had a wonderful time. They were super accommodating and I felt the program really matched my goals (and that they were interested in me). Students in the program raved about it. Additionally, it seems GSR positions are readily available for MCAH students since it's such a small program and the professors hire students.
-spoke with a student in Epi/Biostats who liked the program but said professors were super busy
-heard from a friend here that she had been put off from applying to the program for similar reasons
-I made a mistake with time zones when scheduling a meeting with an Epi/Biostats prof, and when I waited to see if I could catch ~5 minutes of her time later, was given a very curt reply. I tried to schedule a phone meeting with the epi head but it was an incredibly weird exchange where I repeatedly gave him times of availability and he would respond back with a vague message but not schedule a time. I eventually gave up. For me, that gave the message that they are unorganized/overworked, and/or uninterested in recruiting.

For me, the mixed feelings about the Epi/Biostats program combined with how much I liked my visit to the MCAH program made it an easy switch. The MCAH program is smaller and the professors are obviously very involved with the students. Granted, this is from an experience with a handful of professors and maybe the epi/biostats people were just extra busy or having a bad day or whatever, but it didn't reflect well.

I think if you are set on the Epi/Biostats program, I wouldn't let my experience make your decision but I would try to get your own sense of the program before committing. For me, accessibility of professors is a big deal, which is why I made the switch to MCAH. From reading your other posts--the campus is definitely gorgeous at Berkeley. They also just built a new building that SPH is housed in that's super nice with giant windows giving you a view of the bay.

I would also love to hear from others who have attended/visited the epi/biostats program. I am not sure if my experience is an outlier, but it was enough to make me switch my application.

 

[TD2018]

For anyone wondering about SOPHAS timing. I submitted yesterday and was verified early this morning. Super quick.

 

[oacljv]

For me, the mixed feelings about the Epi/Biostats program combined with how much I liked my visit to the MCAH program made it an easy switch. The MCAH program is smaller and the professors are obviously very involved with the students. Granted, this is from an experience with a handful of professors and maybe the epi/biostats people were just extra busy or having a bad day or whatever, but it didn't reflect well.

I think if you are set on the Epi/Biostats program, I wouldn't let my experience make your decision but I would try to get your own sense of the program before committing. For me, accessibility of professors is a big deal, which is why I made the switch to MCAH. From reading your other posts--the campus is definitely gorgeous at Berkeley. They also just built a new building that SPH is housed in that's super nice with giant windows giving you a view of the bay.

Thank you so much! Professor involvement isn't really a deciding factor for me, so nothing you described is a complete turnoff, though it's still not ideal. And yes, the Berkeley campus is beautiful!! I visited in high school and fell in love with the school (though they didn't reciprocate come application time 😛). I'll try to visit again if Berkeley ends up being a top choice.

 

[Uniqueusername13]

This is breaking my heart. I submitted my first application last night to Epi/Biostats at Berkeley, and was feeling really good. Then I see this... Would you mind expanding a bit on what you heard from students?

Also, of the people applying to Berkeley, did anyone have issues with formatting on the Personal History Statement? For some reason it had to be copied and pasted in (instead of uploading a document). Despite efforts to format it into paragraphs, it turned into one huge block of text upon submission. It's embarrassing and far less readable, and I'm hoping they will understand what happened.

On a more positive note, I'm still missing a recommendation letter, and was worried about whether SOPHAS was going to verify my app, since they say contradictory things all throughout their FAQs. But within just a few hours (in the middle of the night...), I got the email saying my coursework had been verified! So at least that's one less thing to worry about...

You should find the thread for 2018 applicants and search for Berkeley applicants. There were some negative comments last year if I recall correctly. Things like the dean having been let go. Funding cuts. I’d definitely look into it more.

 

[Cassatrass]

You should find the thread for 2018 applicants and search for Berkeley applicants. There were some negative comments last year if I recall correctly. Things like the dean having been let go. Funding cuts. I’d definitely look into it more.

Yeah, there were a lot of questionable things in the thread last year-- plus they charge a high supplemental fee

 

[twinkysaur]

Undergrad School: State school
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.41 undergrad/3.67 major/ SOPHAS 3.36
Major/Minor: Health Sciences major & Biology minor
GRE: 10/2/18 - 146 V, 152 Q, 4.0 W
Experience/Research
- volunteer hospital transports, 120+ hours
- summer research in molecular biology lab
- 2.5 years as lab assistant
-2 internships working at a water company, involved with water distribution system and water quality lab
- 4 years student athlete and team captain for three seasons
- 1 year senior mentor for freshmen student athletes
- currently taking a gap-year and working as a wastewater lab technician

Letter of Recommendations: Physics professor who is quite fond of me, water company supervisor from internships, and molec. bio professor I did summer research with

Interested in: Epidemiology
Applied:Submitted 10/21 and verified 10/30! Emory, BU, UPitt, UIC, Ohio State University, University of Kentucky, GWU (11/5)
Accepted: Ohio State University (11/30), GWU (12/6), BU (12/14)
Rejected:
Waitlisted:

I know my GRE scores for quant and verbal are horrendous but this was my second attempt. I'm quite terrible at taking standardized tests and there's no way that I would be willing to do it over again for a third try. I'm hoping that my experiences, personal statement, and LoRs will help compensate for that but I'm not sure 🙁

Any chances that I might be able to get into one of these schools?

 

[suecakep]

HI, guys, I have a question. From my undergraduate, my GPA was 3.13, but when SOPHAS calculated it, it went down to 2.97, but major GPA is 3.5. I have repeated some classes but SOPHAS does not count the repeated class and put everything into the overall GPA. It freaked me out because most programs require min 3.0. Do schools see transcript from college, not just SOPHAS GPA? Do they also look at the major GPA? I had some family situation in my 2nd and 3rd year but I've got all good grades from my 4th year...

Should I email the adcom about this? explaining my situation? or do you think I should just apply to the rest of the schools and let them decide my fate?

 

[sammph]

Hey guys..
I really need help
I am an international student,finished my doctor of medicine degree from a recognized university.
My GPA is 3.15
Gre scores-V:150,Q:150,AW:3.5
TOEFL-yet to be given
What are my chances of getting into epi/biostats programs?
Can u suggest me some universities which I can get into(also considering scolarships)
Im scared regarding my credentials as im considering epi/biostats
Can u please help me with this ..as I am in short of time.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Nb30]

So I did something super stupid and I'm kinda freaking out about it. A week after I already sent in my application, I was adding another experience in the experience section for a job I just got. I started writing gibberish as a placeholders for something I would go back to. Before I was even finished I clicked "publish" or whatever not realizing what I did. The experience published and now there's no way to delete it because I already submitted my application!!! My first experience listed literally says "eblkbflksjdbf" and I am so mortified. So I tried not to freak out because I already sent in my application and I thought it wouldn't be on it, but I just checked the PDF because my GPA just got verified and there is the gibberish on my application!!!!! So obviously I'm going to contact the school and tell them what happened and to please ignore it. But do you guys think there's anyway that SOPHAS would do me a solid and delete this experience for me??

 

[EnviroJusticeWarrior]

So I did something super stupid and I'm kinda freaking out about it. A week after I already sent in my application, I was adding another experience in the experience section for a job I just got. I started writing gibberish as a placeholders for something I would go back to. Before I was even finished I clicked "publish" or whatever not realizing what I did. The experience published and now there's no way to delete it because I already submitted my application!!! My first experience listed literally says "eblkbflksjdbf" and I am so mortified. So I tried not to freak out because I already sent in my application and I thought it wouldn't be on it, but I just checked the PDF because my GPA just got verified and there is the gibberish on my application!!!!! So obviously I'm going to contact the school and tell them what happened and to please ignore it. But do you guys think there's anyway that SOPHAS would do me a solid and delete this experience for me??

you can call them, they're really helpful and quick at responding! Good luck!

 

[Dmohr21]

HI, guys, I have a question. From my undergraduate, my GPA was 3.13, but when SOPHAS calculated it, it went down to 2.97, but major GPA is 3.5. I have repeated some classes but SOPHAS does not count the repeated class and put everything into the overall GPA. It freaked me out because most programs require min 3.0. Do schools see transcript from college, not just SOPHAS GPA? Do they also look at the major GPA? I had some family situation in my 2nd and 3rd year but I've got all good grades from my 4th year...

Should I email the adcom about this? explaining my situation? or do you think I should just apply to the rest of the schools and let them decide my fate?

I think that your GPA is close enough to a 3.0 that most schools won’t dismiss your application because of this. Did you mention anywhere on your application that you had outside factors that influenced your grades? In the classes relevant to an MPH did you perform better?

 

[suecakep]

I think that your GPA is close enough to a 3.0 that most schools won’t dismiss your application because of this. Did you mention anywhere on your application that you had outside factors that influenced your grades? In the classes relevant to an MPH did you perform better?

I tried to find the place to explain that on SOPHAS, but couldn't find the right spot. This is why I'm considering emailing them... But on my transcript, it shows I got good grades from all public health classes and my major GPA is 3.5 so.. I didn't mention that on my SOP because it was meant for my achievement. Do you think I should email each school and explain briefly of my situation?

 

[Dmohr21]

I tried to find the place to explain that on SOPHAS, but couldn't find the right spot. This is why I'm considering emailing them... But on my transcript, it shows I got good grades from all public health classes and my major GPA is 3.5 so.. I didn't mention that on my SOP because it was meant for my achievement. Do you think I should email each school and explain briefly of my situation?

Does any of the schools you applied to require a supplemental application? Sometimes it’s on there. I had failed a class and briefly mentioned it in my SOP and it ended up not impacting my application at all. I don’t know if emailing them would be the thing to do, but I would definitely as your advisor or someone from the pre-health center at your university. They’d have a better idea of how to handle this.

 

[suecakep]

Does any of the schools you applied to require a supplemental application? Sometimes it’s on there. I had failed a class and briefly mentioned it in my SOP and it ended up not impacting my application at all. I don’t know if emailing them would be the thing to do, but I would definitely as your advisor or someone from the pre-health center at your university. They’d have a better idea of how to handle this.

Only one school, UC Irvine, requires a supplemental app and personal history statement which I will include my explanation. For other schools, no. But I only submitted app for one school for now and I could add details in my SOP for each school. Do you think it's okay?

 

[Nb30]

I tried to find the place to explain that on SOPHAS, but couldn't find the right spot. This is why I'm considering emailing them... But on my transcript, it shows I got good grades from all public health classes and my major GPA is 3.5 so.. I didn't mention that on my SOP because it was meant for my achievement. Do you think I should email each school and explain briefly of I my situation?

I spent so long trying to find a place to explain my GPA on the SOPHAS app. I finally found it though. You can explain in 600 characters in this section: "supporting information" --> "additional experiences" --> "Description of other information relevant to the Admissions Committee:"
Tulane told me to do this!

 

[suecakep]

I spent so long trying to find a place to explain my GPA on the SOPHAS app. I finally found it though. You can explain in 600 characters in this section: "supporting information" --> "additional experiences" --> "Description of other information relevant to the Admissions Committee:"
Tulane told me to do this!

What if I already submitted the application? It says it cannot be edited after submission...
okay I just talked to SOPHAS and they said once I submitted the app, it is locked and cannot be edited.. Do you think it's best to email each school about this? Is it appropriate to discuss this via email? I'm panicking..

 

[Nb30]

What if I already submitted the application? It says it cannot be edited after submission...
okay I just talked to SOPHAS and they said once I submitted the app, it is locked and cannot be edited.. Do you think it's best to email each school about this? Is it appropriate to discuss this via email? I'm panicking..

Yes, definitely email the schools. One school offered me to send them a PDF of an addendum and attach it to my application.

 

[suecakep]

Yes, definitely email the schools. One school offered me to send them a PDF of an addendum and attach it to my application.

Great. Will do. Thank you so much!

 

[basicbaka]

Hi everyone! I'm new here but I was hoping you guys could give me some advice. For the past two years I've been focusing on applying to medical school but I've decided to go back to my original plan of pursing an MPH in Epidemiology. I know I'm a bit late in terms of applying but I would like to know my best chances. I've done some research but not sure where I stand with some schools. I live in NY and would prefer to stay on the Northeast/East Coast but I want to keep an open mind to other schools as well. After reading thru many posts, I feel very underwhelming as an applicant especially in terms of experience/research so any advice/help would be appreciated!

Undergrad School: Syracuse University 2016
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.5 / (will update)
Major/Minor: Biology major
GRE: 9/17/16 - 155 V (69%), 151 Q (42%), 4.0 W (59%), Planning to retake GRE end of December (is that too late?)
Experience/Research
- NYPres Columbia ED volunteer, 120+ hours
- Volunteer Ambulance Corps, 5+ years
- Certified EMT since 2013
- Receptionist and Medical Assistant at Internal Medicine office, 2+ years
** I realize I have no research experience... I'm currently looking for research positions. Will this hurt my chances?**

Letter of Recommendations: Bio professor that got me interested in Epi (wrote LOR for me when I was applying to med school), Strong letter from Internal Medicine office, Strong letter from volunteer ambulance corps

Other information: WOC (Asian), first in family to graduate from university, daughter of immigrants, MCAT: 502

Interested in: Epidemiology - Columbia, SUNY Downstate, CUNY, NYMC, Cornell, NYU, BU, UMass Amherst, Tufts, UPitt, Drexel, Emory
Applied: (in the middle of preparing applications, I'm still not 100% on my schools yet but trying to apply to less than 10 schools)
Accepted:
Rejected:
Waitlisted:
Any guidance or school suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[wwmmkk]

Hi everyone! I'm new here but I was hoping you guys could give me some advice. For the past two years I've been focusing on applying to medical school but I've decided to go back to my original plan of pursing an MPH in Epidemiology. I know I'm a bit late in terms of applying but I would like to know my best chances. I've done some research but not sure where I stand with some schools. I live in NY and would prefer to stay on the Northeast/East Coast but I want to keep an open mind to other schools as well. After reading thru many posts, I feel very underwhelming as an applicant especially in terms of experience/research so any advice/help would be appreciated!

Undergrad School: Syracuse University 2016
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.5 / (will update)
Major/Minor: Biology major
GRE: 9/17/16 - 155 V (69%), 151 Q (42%), 4.0 W (59%), Planning to retake GRE end of December (is that too late?)
Experience/Research
- NYPres Columbia ED volunteer, 120+ hours
- Volunteer Ambulance Corps, 5+ years
- Certified EMT since 2013
- Receptionist and Medical Assistant at Internal Medicine office, 2+ years
** I realize I have no research experience... I'm currently looking for research positions. Will this hurt my chances?**

Letter of Recommendations: Bio professor that got me interested in Epi (wrote LOR for me when I was applying to med school), Strong letter from Internal Medicine office, Strong letter from volunteer ambulance corps

Other information: WOC (Asian), first in family to graduate from university, daughter of immigrants, MCAT: 502

Interested in: Epidemiology - Columbia, SUNY Downstate, CUNY, NYMC, Cornell, NYU, BU, UMass Amherst, Tufts, UPitt, Drexel, Emory
Applied: (in the middle of preparing applications, I'm still not 100% on my schools yet but trying to apply to less than 10 schools)
Accepted:
Rejected:
Waitlisted:
Any guidance or school suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Some thoughts--

1) What are your school's deadlines? Many of them are probably in December, which would make retaking the GRE then too late. You should sit the GRE no later than 3 weeks out from your earliest deadline because it takes ETS and SOPHAS a while to process your scores. I'd sit it again ASAP if you're truly worried about your score.
2) Related to the above, what do your grades in stats or math look like? If they're good, you probably don't need to retake the GRE. Even if they're only okay, you can probably improve your chances for Columbia (the only really competitive school on your list) more by focusing on your statement of purpose.
3) What type of epi are you interested in doing? That should help you narrow down your school list. I'd look hard at whether you'd be happy at SUNY Downstate, Cornell, UMass Amherst, and Tufts. I know a little about UMass and Tufts-- unless your interests align very well with their research focuses, I'd skip them since the programs are a bit small and niche. As for SUNY Downstate and Cornell, they're not frequently discussed on these forums or known for public health. Again, unless there's a specific reason you'd like to go to each, I'd skip them. The only East Coast schools that I think match well with your stats and aren't on your list are George Washington and Brown.
4) It's totally ok not to have research experience. Most MPH applicants do not.
5) I would strongly recommend focusing on your statement of purpose. Make sure your interest in epidemiology/public health is clearly communicated because it will be somewhat obvious from your application that you prepared for med school but are not going.

Good luck!

 

[rap15]

Hi everyone! I am not applying this cycle (probably entering fall of 2020) but I am still ~casually~ doing my research. I think I am interested in women's health, reproductive/sexual health, or maternal/child health. I also am interested in sexual assault/violence prevention. I know that JHU does violence prevention research (including campus sexual assault), but has anyone come across other schools with similar research opportunities/focuses? Seems to be a pretty niche topic...

Edit: I should note that I'll have 2.5 years of work experience when I am applying, so JHU's MPH is an option.

 

[rnostdnt]

Can anyone tell me how to view the SOPHAS verified GPA or when that shows up? I just finalized my transcript, my official one has been in for about a month now, so I am just curious when/where that will appear.

 

[Nb30]

Can anyone tell me how to view the SOPHAS verified GPA or when that shows up? I just finalized my transcript, my official one has been in for about a month now, so I am just curious when/where that will appear.

After you submit your first application to a school, paid the app fee, wait until the app has been verified, then you can view your GPA in the school app PDF

 

[dubbz09]

Hi everyone! I'm a bit late to the conversation but looking for some guidance please!

Undergrad School: International MBBS
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.55 (WES Evaluated 3.62)
Major/Minor: Bachelors of Medicine, Surgery (Hons.)
GRE (including date taken) or Other Test (if applicable): V 160, Q 160, Writing 4.0 taken on 9/17
Experience/Research (please, be brief):

- Medical Dr x 2y
- Community outreach projects
- Director of marketing at local health centre
- Assist on a few research projects

Letter of Recommendations:
HOD of dept I worked in x 2, supervisor at local health centre, supervisor for elective at US hospital

Interested in: Health Policy and Mgmt
Applied/Applying (include the date of application): BU, JHU (MPH/MBA), Yale (mph/mba), Emory (mph/mba), Columbia (all sent 11/2, verified 11/6) || GWU, Brown, UPitt (all sent 11/11, verified ?11/14)
Accepted: GWU (11/26) JHU (11/27) UPitt (12/4) Emory MPH (12/12) BU +$ (12/14) Brown + $(25%) (01/11) Emory MBA (1/23) Columbia (2/4)
Rejected:
Waitlisted:

So far I've only received confirmation of receipt of application from JHU - is this normal? Or do I have to call? I know it's only been 2 days but they responded so quickly so I'm worried.
Also, to bolster my chances I'm wondering if I should broaden my reach. Considering GW, U Pitt, Brown and USF.

Any thoughts? Advice?
Please help!!!

**Edited to reflect final selection of schools and responses.

 

[athaw1]

Undergrad School: U of Washington
Undergrad GPA: 3.26 (Verified, upward trend, about 3.5 in the final year)
Major: Biology/Physiology
GRE: V: 157 (76%), Q: 170 (96%) W: 3.0 (17%)

Experience/Research (please, be brief):
- Volunteered at a special education center in rural China, teaching children how to write and read. (2 years)
- Co-founder of a student organization focuses on helping international students getting familiar with living and studying abroad. (3 years)
- Member of a non-profit organization helping children with disabilities in Kenya (1 year)
- Peer teaching assistant (2 quarters ~5 months in total)
- Worked as barista and cashier (8 months)
- Cancer care wig fitter in a nation's top 10 cancer care hospital (started this July)
- Patient escort at a local hospital (started this September)

LOR: Two from my professors in the Biology department that I've known quite well and one from my supervisor at the cancer care hospital.

Interests: MPH in Epi

Applying: UCLA (epi), Emory (health policy and management), JHU (epi), GWU(epi), Tulane(epi), Columbia(epi), Yale(chronic diseases)

Accepted: UCLA, Emory, JHU, GWU, Tulane, Columbia

 

[Dmohr21]

Hi everyone! I'm a bit late to the conversation but looking for some guidance please!

Undergrad School: International MBBS
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.55 (WES Evaluated 3.62)
Major/Minor: Bachelors of Medicine, Surgery (Hons.)
GRE (including date taken) or Other Test (if applicable): V 160, Q 160, Writing 4.0 taken on 9/17
Experience/Research (please, be brief):

- Medical Dr x 2y
- Community outreach projects
- Director of marketing at local health centre
- Assist on >2 research projects

Letter of Recommendations:
HOD of dept I worked in, supervisor at local health centre, supervisor for elective at US hospital, Dean of med school (pending)

Interested in: Health Policy and Mgmt
Applied/Applying (include the date of application): BU, JHU (MPH/MBA), Yale (mph/mba), Emory (mph/mba), Columbia (all sent 11/2, verified 11/6)
Accepted:
Rejected:
Waitlisted:

So far I've only received confirmation of receipt of application from JHU - is this normal? Or do I have to call? I know it's only been 2 days but they responded so quickly so I'm worried.
Also, to bolster my chances I'm wondering if I should broaden my reach. Considering GW, U Pitt, Brown and USF.

Any thoughts? Advice?
Please help!!!

It took Yale a month to give me confirmation and Emory took a while too. You should be fine!

 

[dubbz09]

It took Yale a month to give me confirmation and Emory took a while too. You should be fine!

Thanks a mil! Do you think I need to broaden my reach given my stats? Just need to make sure I get in somewhere lol

 

[el.mo19]

Hi everyone! I'm a bit late to the conversation but looking for some guidance please!

Undergrad School: International MBBS
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.55 (WES Evaluated 3.62)
Major/Minor: Bachelors of Medicine, Surgery (Hons.)
GRE (including date taken) or Other Test (if applicable): V 160, Q 160, Writing 4.0 taken on 9/17
Experience/Research (please, be brief):

- Medical Dr x 2y
- Community outreach projects
- Director of marketing at local health centre
- Assist on >2 research projects

Letter of Recommendations:
HOD of dept I worked in, supervisor at local health centre, supervisor for elective at US hospital, Dean of med school (pending)

Interested in: Health Policy and Mgmt
Applied/Applying (include the date of application): BU, JHU (MPH/MBA), Yale (mph/mba), Emory (mph/mba), Columbia (all sent 11/2, verified 11/6)
Accepted:
Rejected:
Waitlisted:

So far I've only received confirmation of receipt of application from JHU - is this normal? Or do I have to call? I know it's only been 2 days but they responded so quickly so I'm worried.
Also, to bolster my chances I'm wondering if I should broaden my reach. Considering GW, U Pitt, Brown and USF.

Any thoughts? Advice?
Please help!!!

I reached out to BU because I was verified on 10/08, received an email on 10/10 with a supplemental application and was told that in 7-10 days I would receive a confirmation email. I haven't still haven't gotten my official confirmation email, and finally reached out on 11/2. They said they are still processing Spring 2019 apps and haven't started fully processing Fall 2019.

When I reached out to Emory (verified 10/14) on 10/25 and was told "if I had receive an email from SOPHAS, that I would receive one from the admissions team in the coming weeks".

I feel like your stats are pretty strong and as long as your SOP and letters are strong you should stand a good chance! I'm not too familiar with dual degree stats, but I don't think it would hurt to add another school if you could see yourself attending there/are really nervous!

 

[el.mo19]

Undergrad School: U of Washington
Undergrad GPA: 3.19 (Not verified, upward trend, about 3.5 in the final year)
Major: Biology/Physiology
GRE: V: 158 (80%), Q: 163 (83%) W: 3.0 (17%) (Will retake on the 20th, is it too late?)

Experience/Research (please, be brief):
- Volunteered at a special education center in rural China, teaching children how to write and read. (2 years)
- Co-founder of a student organization focuses on helping international students getting familiar with living and studying abroad. (3 years)
- Member of a non-profit organization helping children with disabilities in Kenya (1 year)
- Peer teaching assistant (2 quarters ~5 months in total)
- Worked as barista and cashier (8 months)
- Cancer care wig fitter in a nation's top 10 cancer care hospital (started this July)
- Patient escort at a local hospital (started this September)

LOR: Two from my professors in the Biology department that I've known quite well and one from my supervisor at the cancer care hospital.

Interests: MPH in Epi or Community Health, chronic diseases in specific

Applying: UCLA (community health or epi), Emory (health policy and management), JHU (epi), GWU and UBC still haven't decided yet...

My biggest concerns are my low GPA and lack of research experience especially when I'm going for Epi programs. I feel like most of the school I'm currently applying are a bit of reach. I was wondering if you guys can give me some feedback on what my chances are, and should I change my focus to community health? I feel like my experience is more fit to that program.

Thanks!

I think your application is definitely stronger than you're giving yourself credit! Your upward trend will totally be noticed, and you have great GRE scores! Your experience is public health related, and as long as your SOP demonstrates your interest in Epi, I think you'll be fine! This forum does a great job at intimidating people (myself included) but my biggest take away from reaching out to schools is that they truly are holistic and want people who are genuinely interested in PH.