MPH 2019: Applied, Waitlisted, Accepted!

[#notadoctor]

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I have! I've done exactly what you were contemplating; turned down Harvard (and a group of other offers) to attend Emory. Although I had a great visit to Emory, it actually wasn't what I anticipated choosing, but in the end i'm so psyched. I got a pretty bad vibe at Harvard and while it is a big name, the reality out in the work field is that people within a certain field know which programs are good. Those rankings are based on peer reviews and reputation, not necessarily on the value of the program or its "rightness" for your goals and personality.
Why i'm excited for Emory: great program, sense of community, lots of available and well-funded research, beautiful campus, amazing climate, and in terms of the rating, it's still in the TOP FIVE mph programs nationally!!!
Hope to see you there, feel free to reach out if you wanna chat!! Best of luck!

Hey! I know this is pretty late, but was wondering if you would care to elaborate on what you mean by a "pretty bad vibe" from Harvard? Was it similar to what others have said about it seeming like they were resting on the laurels of the "harvard" name and not really selling the program itself or something else?

 

[cookiemonster333]

Hey y'all, if there are any MD/MPH applicants who happen to see this please, please message me! I am applying this upcoming cycle (I'm an MS3 student) and my school doesn't really have many people who go this route so I'm on my own trying to navigate how to apply and where to apply. I would so, so appreciate any tips/advice any medical students can offer about applying to joint programs. Thank you in advance!

 

[Penguin89]

Anyone hear anything off of Harvard or Columbia's waitlists? Or have any idea when we should expect to hear back?

 

[kirkbowery]

Anyone hear anything off of Harvard or Columbia's waitlists? Or have any idea when we should expect to hear back?

Also waiting on Harvards MPH Health Management 45 waitlist decision, fingers crossed! What program did you apply to?

 

[MePleaseHokay]

Hey! I know this is pretty late, but was wondering if you would care to elaborate on what you mean by a "pretty bad vibe" from Harvard? Was it similar to what others have said about it seeming like they were resting on the laurels of the "harvard" name and not really selling the program itself or something else?

Sorry, late response!! Yea, it was a bit of an unfriendly feeling from the start, then at the student panel when asked to describe the mph program in 3 words, the students laughed nervously then one answered "stressful, competitive," and one other word I can't remember. That's NOT what I want from an MPH; public health is a field of collaboration, kindness, and the need for creativity and ingenuity. They also wouldn't even accept my application to the global health track as they strictly require a certain number of years of direct international public health experience, so I had to apply to another department (I can appreciate rewarding experience, but for most of us, isn't that why we're first attending an mph program.. to enter the field..?) Overall, just not a good match for me.

 

[MazKanata]

Sorry, late response!! Yea, it was a bit of an unfriendly feeling from the start, then at the student panel when asked to describe the mph program in 3 words, the students laughed nervously then one answered "stressful, competitive," and one other word I can't remember. That's NOT what I want from an MPH; public health is a field of collaboration, kindness, and the need for creativity and ingenuity. They also wouldn't even accept my application to the global health track as they strictly require a certain number of years of direct international public health experience, so I had to apply to another department (I can appreciate rewarding experience, but for most of us, isn't that why we're first attending an mph program.. to enter the field..?) Overall, just not a good match for me.

I definitely believe, I knew a Harvard MPH grad . . . very, very competitive and amazingly poor when it came to teamwork. I would expect to work hard at an MPH program but I enjoy learning the material, but it sounds like there are stresses beyond that with Harvard. I think there is a pressure for people from Harvard to be bold and push the boundaries, but how they go about doing it can sometimes leave something to be desired.

 

[#notadoctor]

Ah....pretty disappointing but not exactly unexpected....now I kinda wish I had had a chance to go to the admitted students' day, but ultimately Harvard was still my best option, I think. Still, thanks to your insights I can better use my time during the summer to prepare...Thanks to you both!

 

[PHnerd13]

I applied for on campus last night, but will only accept if I get apartment style, unfurnished. I think it would be so helpful not to have to go to New York to look for housing or deal with brokers and getting my parents to be my guarantor, but I’ve been out of school for a little bit and I don’t want to live with a kitchenette and dorm furniture. I’m wondering about how to go about finding a roommate to look for off-campus housing with. Do we have a Facebook page for that?

Hi, I am going to be attending Columbia this Fall too! Would love to chat more about info or advice you have?

 

[PHnerd13]

Committed to Columbia! Let me know if anyone wants to be roommates or talk about school! 🙂

Hey!!! I would love to talk about being possible roommates and about the school! Shoot me a message 🙂

 

[deleted853360]

Hi everyone,

I’m applying this upcoming fall for Fall 2020 MPH programs and was wondering if anyone could offer any advice for applying to Global Health, MCH, and Health Equity programs especially with a low gpa (~3.2)? I’m specifically looking at Emory, Chapel Hill, Boston, Georgia State, and Morehouse School of Medicine.

 

[Waterdesk]

Hi everyone,

I’m applying this upcoming fall for Fall 2020 MPH programs and was wondering if anyone could offer any advice for applying to Global Health, MCH, and Health Equity programs especially with a low gpa (~3.2)? I’m specifically looking at Emory, Chapel Hill, Boston, Georgia State, and Morehouse School of Medicine.

I'm an MPH student with a low undergrad GPA (2.58) and GRE (145Q, 155V); however, I'm studying epidemiology. Regardless, I think MPH programs lean more towards prior experience in public health or a related field, so you should craft your application to capitalize on relevant experience. For example, I studied molecular biology and I took several graduate courses in bioinformatics, so my statement of purpose focused on how these disciplines benefit public health, and then I expanded on these ideas. For my CV / Resume, I put down relevant work experience and strengthened those experiences by listing awards I received; such as employee of the month/quarter. To conclude, have a good grasp of what public health is all about, then use your experience to create an outstanding application. I think it's important to remember that public health is interdisciplinary, so admissions probably like to see how your unique experience applies to your desired program.

 

[deleted853360]

I'm an MPH student with a low undergrad GPA (2.58) and GRE (145Q, 155V); however, I'm studying epidemiology. Regardless, I think MPH programs lean more towards prior experience in public health or a related field, so you should craft your application to capitalize on relevant experience. For example, I studied molecular biology and I took several graduate courses in bioinformatics, so my statement of purpose focused on how these disciplines benefit public health, and then I expanded on these ideas. For my CV / Resume, I put down relevant work experience and strengthened those experiences by listing awards I received; such as employee of the month/quarter. To conclude, have a good grasp of what public health is all about, then use your experience to create an outstanding application. I think it's important to remember that public health is interdisciplinary, so admissions probably like to see how your unique experience applies to your desired program.

Thank you!

 

[hawkfan9]

Hello everyone,

I applied and was accepted to pursue an MS in Industrial Hygiene in the Environmental Health department at the University of Iowa College of Public health. I have a 2.63 GPA in Environmental Chemistry, and a 138 in the Quant, a 143 in the English, and a 5 in the analytical writing on the GRE. This program is fully funded with tuition and stipend. What lead me to this program is the research I completed as an undergrad, working in 3 research groups who produced a publication with each one, and a strong letter of recommendation.

I feel extremely fortunate that I have been accepted, and that I may be the exception. A bit of imposter Syndrome has taken over, and am curious if anyone has gone through this. What I believe got me in, is that worked in the lab doing research for my now advisor so I believe he pulled a handful of strings. I applied to one school knowing that my connections was my bet for grad school. Thank you all for reading and I'd love to hear from you all about your experiences with my headspace, and what I may be able to do to quell it.

 

[Dwan]

Ah....pretty disappointing but not exactly unexpected....now I kinda wish I had had a chance to go to the admitted students' day, but ultimately Harvard was still my best option, I think. Still, thanks to your insights I can better use my time during the summer to prepare...Thanks to you both!

I completed the Harvard MPH, and I don't see where people are getting the idea that it's a competitive environment. None of my classes ever had a curve, unlike in undergraduate. I focused my time on outside activities and interests, and primarily studied for the topics that were relevant to my field. For the majority of the exams, the class averages were hidden to avoid competition and comparison - the few times they were revealed, they were solid (B to A-) among the most rigorous statistics courses, and A for the softer courses. The GPA requirement to graduate was something like a 2.7 (for masters students) which is not very stringent considering graduate level inflation. While there may be some students who care about getting the best GPA possible, all whom I met were more focused on taking advantage of all the opportunities available at Harvard. I didn't know the GPAs of anyone I met there (no one cared to compare/compete with me), and while it's hard work, everyone accepted should have no problems passing. In terms of ECs and other opportunities, there are so much available in the field of PH, and people have such diverse goals, that it's very unlikely you'd be in direct competition with anyone for your particular interests.

 

[MazKanata]

I completed the Harvard MPH, and I don't see where people are getting the idea that it's a competitive environment. None of my classes ever had a curve, unlike in undergraduate. I focused my time on outside activities and interests, and primarily studied for the topics that were relevant to my field. For the majority of the exams, the class averages were hidden to avoid competition and comparison - the few times they were revealed, they were solid (B to A-) among the most rigorous statistics courses, and A for the softer courses. The GPA requirement to graduate was something like a 2.7 (for masters students) which is not very stringent considering graduate level inflation. While there may be some students who care about getting the best GPA possible, all whom I met were more focused on taking advantage of all the opportunities available at Harvard. I didn't know the GPAs of anyone I met there (no one cared to compare/compete with me), and while it's hard work, everyone accepted should have no problems passing. In terms of ECs and other opportunities, there are so much available in the field of PH, and people have such diverse goals, that it's very unlikely you'd be in direct competition with anyone for your particular interests.

It seems from your past posts that you have an MD and an MPH? If so, your viewpoint may be different than people who are just trying to make do with an MPH as a terminal stand alone degree. People doing the MPH at other good institutions like JHU even, point out how the job market is tough for MPHers. So, I'm thinking that some people at Harvard doing the MPH currently might face issues regarding the job market for strictly public health, also things might have possibly changed since you did the MPH there. Boston is oversaturated in terms of public health opportunities and while in the past Boston had the most biomedical jobs, the hub for that is in southern California now. Sometimes some not so good national public health policy has come out of Harvard and BU's public health schools, so maybe some people are wary about this, but there is definitely an ivory tower mentality that is more pronounced in Boston.

I'm not saying Harvard isn't a solid school for the MPH, I think it is legitimate for the policy side of public health. But everybody ranks schools differently, I think that if you are interested in public health purely, and want to focus on high-yield areas like global health, epidemiology or research related stuff then places like Emory, JHU, Tulane and others will do at minimum as good as a job and often times quite better than Harvard. I think it is important to go to a public health school that is both staffed by excellent faculty, but also grounded in reality and accessible to humbler, but more optimistic students who want to be global citizens and truly work on pressing global health issues, not just collect a fancy degree and go into something else.

Learning environment matters and affability and availability of professors and classmates matters too, Boston has never ranked high in these metrics, so I don't doubt that people are turned off by Harvard for this reason. I'm sure experiences vary, but people in Boston can be extremely rude . . . the burden is on you to get to know them before they'll respect you, but why not just go to a friendlier school to start with? From my experience, the Harvard MPHer I knew was uber competitive, and I think faculty even view students as their future competition and this is part of the stress.

 

[Dwan]

It seems from your past posts that you have an MD and an MPH? If so, your viewpoint may be different than people who are just trying to make do with an MPH as a terminal stand alone degree. People doing the MPH at other good institutions like JHU even, point out how the job market is tough for MPHers. So, I'm thinking that some people at Harvard doing the MPH currently might face issues regarding the job market for strictly public health, also things might have possibly changed since you did the MPH there. Boston is oversaturated in terms of public health opportunities and while in the past Boston had the most biomedical jobs, the hub for that is in southern California now. Sometimes some not so good national public health policy has come out of Harvard and BU's public health schools, so maybe some people are wary about this, but there is definitely an ivory tower mentality that is more pronounced in Boston.

I'm not saying Harvard isn't a solid school for the MPH, I think it is legitimate for the policy side of public health. But everybody ranks schools differently, I think that if you are interested in public health purely, and want to focus on high-yield areas like global health, epidemiology or research related stuff then places like Emory, JHU, Tulane and others will do at minimum as good as a job and often times quite better than Harvard. I think it is important to go to a public health school that is both staffed by excellent faculty, but also grounded in reality and accessible to humbler, but more optimistic students who want to be global citizens and truly work on pressing global health issues, not just collect a fancy degree and go into something else.

Learning environment matters and affability and availability of professors and classmates matters too, Boston has never ranked high in these metrics, so I don't doubt that people are turned off by Harvard for this reason. I'm sure experiences vary, but people in Boston can be extremely rude . . . the burden is on you to get to know them before they'll respect you, but why not just go to a friendlier school to start with? From my experience, the Harvard MPHer I knew was uber competitive, and I think faculty even view students as their future competition and this is part of the stress.

I'm not arguing that Harvard is the best school for everyone's goals, there are too many factors that go into that and many will be personal decisions. I'm just stating my experiences there for the MPH curriculum in particular. Most the faculty and students were kind and supportive, particularly because this is not a field anyone goes into for the money - it attracts a more humble crowd, and the prestige is not as relevant as in other fields. Even if you wanted to compete, you'd be hard pressed to find a way to - classes are not on a curve, no one cares about your grades, and there are an abundance of EC opportunities to be involved in. Many projects are collaborative and you'd only be screwing yourself by shooting down your talented classmates. Boston stereotypes don't really apply (even if true), as the class is highly diverse, many being international. Our graduates also have had success in getting jobs all over the world, so you're not confined to Boston, but the viability of a Harvard MPH degree is a whole different topic, and again, highly personal. If you don't like the city, that's obviously a good reason not to go. I do think epidemiology/research is one of Harvard's major strengths - the courses are rigorous and practical, and I was able to publish first-author papers in top journals during my time there. Harvard and JHU have by far the most NIH funding and research faculty of the PH schools - this doesn't matter if they don't have a PI of your interest, so other schools may be a better fit, it's just more likely they will have someone studying your topic. I worked with several research mentors on a niche topic I wanted to study, and they were all very strong and provided me with personalized guidance (regular weekly meetings, strong letters of support, scholarship/awards), that I had never received at other institutions. That being said, there are many excellent MPH programs, and most people will be happy wherever they end up.

 

[exopro]

Hey everybody! I took a look at the MPH admissions for UC Berkeley, and I was wondering if it's true (for Berkeley or MPH programs in general) that 40-50 people apply to the programs each year?

 

[belvedere]

Hey everybody! I took a look at the MPH admissions for UC Berkeley, and I was wondering if it's true (for Berkeley or MPH programs in general) that 40-50 people apply to the programs each year?

I really doubt that. UC Berkeley is the top UC and a fairly high ranked school. A lot of people on this thread alone applied to Berkeley. If you consider everyone in the United States and internationally, there are probably a lot of more applicants. Are you sure you didn't misread and see they only admitted 40-50 people each year?

 

[theshelbz]

I really doubt that. UC Berkeley is the top UC and a fairly high ranked school. A lot of people on this thread alone applied to Berkeley. If you consider everyone in the United States and internationally, there are probably a lot of more applicants. Are you sure you didn't misread and see they only admitted 40-50 people each year?

I can see where exopro is coming from. If you look at the "Admit Stats" tab for some of the Berkeley MPH concentrations , they list their acceptance rates pretty clearly to me. Their 2 Year Environmental Health Sciences MPH list an admissions ratio of 14/42 (33%), so it would appear that only 42 people applied to that specific MPH concentration and 14 were admitted. Adding up all of the MPH areas of study is a different story, although the numbers still seem small to me for such a competitive program.

 

[exopro]

I can see where exopro is coming from. If you look at the "Admit Stats" tab for some of the Berkeley MPH concentrations , they list their acceptance rates pretty clearly to me. Their 2 Year Environmental Health Sciences MPH list an admissions ratio of 14/42 (33%), so it would appear that only 42 people applied to that specific MPH concentration and 14 were admitted. Adding up all of the MPH areas of study is a different story, although the numbers still seem small to me for such a competitive program.

Thanks for the clear up. It was just odd that it said around 40 people applied. It gives me a bit of hope.

 

[caitaoconnor]

Hi! Just wondering if anyone has any insight on the accelerated policy and management program at Emory? Obviously getting out of school early is nice, however, I’m wondering if the program is doable.
Looking to apply for fall 2019

 

[saor0516]

So this might be a bit of a dumb question, but does anyone know if MPH students often dress relatively professional during classes and such? I'm not going to be having a teaching position, which I assume is something you would definitely dress up for a bit, but I'm very used to seeing PhD students on my campus dressed business casual, so I figured I'd check here to see what yalls thoughts are for MPH students lol

Would definitely like an answer to this as well!

 

[saor0516]

Accepted my Hopkins online/part-time admission offer today! Is there an admitted MPH online/part-time Facebook group? I’ll be starting in June in person so would love to connect with full-time folks too!

I'm about to accept my offer from JHU for the part time/online program! I'm starting November 🙂

 

[Cassatrass]

Would definitely like an answer to this as well!

I'm a student at Emory. I have been building a professional wardrobe, but generally wear business-casual or nice casual to classes (think Ann Taylor Loft). On days when I was working at the CDC I normally dressed a little nicer than on days where I wasn't.

 

[justhere]

I'm about to accept my offer from JHU for the part time/online program! I'm starting November 🙂

Hey, I'm starting part time/online in November too! See you in Barcelona 🙂

 

[alexela07]

Hi everyone! New here 🙂 I started applying later in the game due to certain circumstances. So far I applied to Tulane, JH, BU, Emory, and UF. I am accepted at UF...still waiting on Emory. PH seemed practical because it houses all my interests of national/biosecurity, health communication, and medicine. I have a couple questions:

1.)Have any of you applied/attended UF?
2.)Does it matter what concentration you choose? I'm looking at other schools whose classes I find really appealing...but at the end of the day, do certain classes carry weight over having the degree? Epi seems really fascinating but math is my weakest point :/
3.) If any of you applied to Emory in May/June, how long did it take to receive a response?

Thank you in advance! 🙂

 

[TheStreetKing]

Hello guys!

I hope you are doing great!

I am looking for my chances of getting accepted with a full scholarship. Did anyone of you here receive a full scholarship to pursue an MPH? Which schools offered you the scholarship?

Thank you in advance!

 

[Waterdesk]

Hello guys!

I hope you are doing great!

I am looking for my chances of getting accepted with a full scholarship. Did anyone of you here receive a full scholarship to pursue an MPH? Which schools offered you the scholarship?

Thank you in advance!

I don't have a full scholarship, but one of my friends does. She goes to CUNY SPH.

 

[TheStreetKing]

Hi guys!
I am an international medical graduate from Tanzania, East Africa. I am particularly interested in pursuing an MPH in Epidemiology or Global Health. I went to a medical school abroad with a full scholarship. I would like to hear your opinion about the schools I should apply to if I want to increase my chances of receiving a full scholarship or a substantial partial scholarship.
Here are my details
GPA: 3.96 (WES evaluated)
GRE: Q: 153 V: 152 W: 4.0
TOEFL: 106
Research/Experience
- Founding member and Regional Coordinator of the Pan-African Health Alliance (PAHA)
-1-year medical internship
- Undergraduate Research Assistant
-Undergraduate Teaching Assistant
-Presentations at regional and national conferences
-2 Best Student Presentation Award
-3 Awards of excellence (Genetics, Microbiology, Physiology)
I speak 5 languages ( I am fluent in Swahili, English and Spanish; beginner-intermediate in French and Portuguese)

I know the review process is holistic, and one's SOP carries a significant wait, but I will still appreciate hearing your insights.

Thank you in advance.

 

[username222]

Hi everyone! I know this is from last year's application cycle, but since you all went thought the process, any input would be great!
Advice on good safety schools I should apply to, if I am reaching, or should consider anywhere else for health behavior/community health and education concentrations, and potentially a certificate in maternal and child health!

Undergraduate School: large southeast state school
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.41/3.57/3.65
Major/Minor: Public Policy/Global Studies; concentrations on health policy & global health
GRE: will take in 3 weeks

Experience/Research/Extracurriculars:
-currently an AmeriCorps VISTA for a non-profit focused on alleviating barriers to food insecurity and inaccessibility (1 year position)
-1 semester studying abroad on a public health program in South America; interned at a pediatric hospital for a national program that ensures access to congenital heart disease treatment for uninsured children
-2 years on the executive board of a non-profit; taught health and nutrition lessons in low-income elementary schools
-1 semester (senior capstone) working with the Division of Public Health to analyze the influence of fatherhood programs on perinatal health & health equity
-3 years teaching in an elementary afterschool program

Interests: health inequities/disparities, maternal health behaviors affecting perinatal health; social determinants; food insecurity; breastfeeding disparities

Applying to: UNC (health behavior), U Washington (health services- social & behavioral sciences), U Michigan Ann Arbor (health behavior and education), Emory (behavioral sciences & health education), maybe NYU (community health science and practice-- thoughts??)

Considering U Pittsburgh, Boston University, Columbia ???

**Thoughts on these specific schools and others I should consider would be wonderful!!

 

[TheStreetKing]

Just got my full financial aid package from Boston University (with a need-based grant)! I'm very surprised and impressed that BU is quite generous with aid funding compared to other MPH programs, and it's definitely making it harder for me to decide between it and Brown University right now!

I am an international student, and I have just been accepted for admission to the Master of Public Health program at BUSPH (with a scholarship of 30% towards my tuition). How did you manage to secure a full financial aid? Thank you in advance.

 

[doctorjonesofhampton]

Hello guys!

I hope you are doing great!

I am looking for my chances of getting accepted with a full scholarship. Did anyone of you here receive a full scholarship to pursue an MPH? Which schools offered you the scholarship?

Thank you in advance!

maybe you should consider Wash U

 

[PSS_22]

Hello everyone!

I am an international student and have been accepted for the MPH program at Boston University (35% scholarship), UC San Diego, UC Davis, TAMU and DREXEL.

I am yet to make the final call and would love to get some insight on which university to choose!

Really confused between BU and UCD!

Thank you in advance!

 

[kwebb164]

I'm about to accept my offer from JHU for the part time/online program! I'm starting November 🙂

Weighing my choices now so curious to hear how the part-time JHU program is going?

 

[kwebb164]

I'm about to accept my offer from JHU for the part time/online program! I'm starting November 🙂

Curious how it is going? I was accepted to JHU part time/online and need to make a decision.

 

[dubbz09]

Hey, is there any interview for mba separately if applied for mph / mba dual degree ?

Hey, there was for Emory!

 

[new_here]

Does anyone know what programs do DC employers prefer hiring from? Federal agencies mostly. But also consulting firms