MPH MPH Applications/Programs: Q/A with 1st-2nd year MPH students

[redvelvet94]

Hi everyone! I'm a first-year MPH Epidemiology (Infectious Disease Epidemiology certificate) student at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. I utilized this forum extensively last year for both emotional support and program questions, and it was an incredibly helpful resource as I made it through the MPH application process. Having said that, I wanted to create a thread to enable all of you prospective MPH program applicants to connect with first and second-year MPH students (if there are any other than me on this forum), who can answer questions, share some perspective on the application process, as well as maybe describe what life is actually like at specific MPH programs or just in general.

I, personally, would be happy to answer questions about Columbia's MPH program to the best of my ability with what I've experienced so far or talk about anything else MPH program/application-related!

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[Pudu2009]

I would also be happy to answer any questions about admissions as well as any specific questions about GW's program. I too am a first-year MPH epidemiology student.

 

[ambivalent]

I am interested in applying for MPH programs, although not for Epi but for Health Policy & Management. Given that, I've taken a number of Econ classes (no Epi) and I was wondering if having a prior Epi or stats/quant background is absolutely needed for the Epi concentration? Was thinking of taking a few classes in it, other than the required core classes.

 

[Pudu2009]

I did not have any public health related courses before I started my program. I do know that several programs want you to have taken Calculus and some basic biology classes in order to declare an epidemiology concentration. However, everyone needs to to take some form of Intro to Epi, and there are no prerequisites for core courses, so I doubt you will have any problems taking extra epi courses. Just make sure you have all the necessary prereqs for the courses you want to take, and that your concentration specific courses take priority.

Good luck

 

[totesk]

I, personally, would be happy to answer questions about Columbia's MPH program to the best of my ability with what I've experienced so far or talk about anything else MPH program/application-related!

I'm applying for my Epi MPH at Columbia, but they're not my top choice -- mostly due to cost and the fact that I currently live in NYC and would like to get out, hah. Why did you choose Columbia over the other schools you were accepted? How has the program been so far?

 

[DrDumbledore]

This may sound stupid & I apologize if it does, but how can I know if SOPHAS has received my TOEFL/GRE scores and WES evaluation? There is no particular tab in the SOPHAS application page where it gets notified whether the scores have been received or not.

I can submit my GRE score after I submit my application (& before the deadline obviously), right? I am thinking of re-taking the GRE, but I plan on submitting my application before October end, as it'll give at least 4 weeks to SOPHAS for verification.


These are my current stats. Any advice if I should retake the GRE? My goal school is UTH-Houston Epi. I was initially looking into Biostats, but there is a pre-requisite of calculus which I don't fulfil.

-Dentist with just over 3 years of experience (including 1 year of voluntary work)
-GPA: 3.7
-GRE: 154 V, 158 Q, 4.5 AW
-TOEFL: 111
-LOR: 2 should be strong, no idea about the other 2
-SOP: Currently working on it

Can anyone aware me on good Epi &/or Global Health MPH schools which are on the lower spectrum in terms of tuition fee?
Also, how high can I aim with these scores? I just found out that I'm eligible to apply for the 45-credit MPH program at Harvard. But to be honest, I know it's hilarious to be even contemplating Harvard, as I'm not going to be anywhere near getting in with my stats.

 

[Pudu2009]

As far as I know, you should be able to view the status of your application materials via your SOPHAS main page. Look toward the right side of the page to see what materials they have received already. That is how it worked last year.

I think when reporting your GRE scores there should be an option to say when you are taking the GRE. You can always input your current scores and then submit your new ones after SOPHAS is verified. Check out the SOPHAS FAQ page for more info.

Your GPA is very high, so I think you should be okay GRE-wise, but if you have your heart set on retaking it, that's fine too. My previous GRE scores were fine too, but because my GPA was really low, I still had to retake. I think you should be fine for UT-Houston with your stats.

I am not sure if I can answer your last question as my school is not cheap tuition or living-wise.

 

[Saloommamado]

I have a question regarding funding my studies through private loans and I-20 form. Do banks provide the loan for all the study expenses (including the living expenses) or only for tuition? And does this method work for F1 visa purposes?

I hope someone have got an experience with this to help me

 

[DrDumbledore]

Thanks @Pudu2009 for your response. Couple of things..
I couldn't find the materials received section anywhere on my SOPHAS page. If anyone could help me with this, I'll be thankful.

Regarding my GPA score. I see GPA's mentioned in the 3.8-3.9 range and even a perfect 4 here, so I don't know if mine is good enough or not. I hope it'll be sufficient to compensate for my below average GRE score.

One of my friend doesn't have an account here, so he asked me to have you people's opinion on this. The first GRE he took, he got scores of 153V and 157Q. The second time, he got 151V and 159Q. Both the times he scored a 4 in AW. So now his V+Q score is 310 in both the exams. Talk about the probability of this happening. Truly it's a standardized test!
Which one should he select to send with his application? Is it more important to have a higher Quantitative score, or does it not matter if the sum total is same? Any opinion on this?

 

[Pudu2009]

Thanks @Pudu2009 for your response. Couple of things..
I couldn't find the materials received section anywhere on my SOPHAS page. If anyone could help me with this, I'll be thankful.

Regarding my GPA score. I see GPA's mentioned in the 3.8-3.9 range and even a perfect 4 here, so I don't know if mine is good enough or not. I hope it'll be sufficient to compensate for my below average GRE score.

One of my friend doesn't have an account here, so he asked me to have you people's opinion on this. The first GRE he took, he got scores of 153V and 157Q. The second time, he got 151V and 159Q. Both the times he scored a 4 in AW. So now his V+Q score is 310 in both the exams. Talk about the probability of this happening. Truly it's a standardized test!
Which one should he select to send with his application? Is it more important to have a higher Quantitative score, or does it not matter if the sum total is same? Any opinion on this?

First of all, your GRE score is 312. That is NOT mediocre. Second, I got into a top 15 school with a 3.0 GPA. I'm sure your GPA is higher than mine, and even if it's not, you will still do fine. Not to mention you are a dentist, which gives you a unique experience. Don't be so hard on yourself; I did that to myself last year and it was useless worrying. Remember that any school is a good school; you don't have to attend a top 10 to be competitive for jobs.
Apply with what you have, apply smart, and you'll be fine.

I think it's funny how your friend got the same combined score both times he took it. I think he has to send his most recent score, and he has the option of sending in previous scores too. I'm not too sure on this though.

Sorry I couldn't help you with your first question. My SOPHAS application has expired, so I can't go on without creating a new one, and I really don't want to start the process again if I'm not actually applying. I'm sure there is a way to find out whether they have received your materials or not.

 

[Saloommamado]

@DrDumbledore

To know about you applications status (material recieved or not), press on the "Manage my Programs" in the left side of the dashboard (under the big two zeros. then on the right side of the next page you will find "Program Status" click on it and you will find all the details.

 

[DrDumbledore]

First of all, your GRE score is 312. That is NOT mediocre. Second, I got into a top 15 school with a 3.0 GPA. I'm sure your GPA is higher than mine, and even if it's not, you will still do fine. Not to mention you are a dentist, which gives you a unique experience. Don't be so hard on yourself; I did that to myself last year and it was useless worrying. Remember that any school is a good school; you don't have to attend a top 10 to be competitive for jobs.
Apply with what you have, apply smart, and you'll be fine.

I think it's funny how your friend got the same combined score both times he took it. I think he has to send his most recent score, and he has the option of sending in previous scores too. I'm not too sure on this though.

Sorry I couldn't help you with your first question. My SOPHAS application has expired, so I can't go on without creating a new one, and I really don't want to start the process again if I'm not actually applying. I'm sure there is a way to find out whether they have received your materials or not.

Thanks for the encouraging words.

Ok, so do you have any idea if the recommendation letter is supposed to be signed by the evaluator or not? Actually, I have asked for a professional LOR from my employer, but since he hasn't written any LORs before, he doesn't know if he is supposed to sign it or just upload the Microsoft word format of the letter. If he has to sign it, then is he supposed to take a print out, then sign it and then scan it? Or is it supposed to be signed electronically somehow?

Do extra co-curricular achievements matter? For example, prizes at the University level in Sports and Music? I have a couple of those, but I'm not sure if it's of any relevance to the MPH application. If I do upload those certificates, it might seem desperate. Or maybe anything extra might turn out to be an advantage over other applicants.

@DrDumbledore

To know about you applications status (material recieved or not), press on the "Manage my Programs" in the left side of the dashboard (under the big two zeros. then on the right side of the next page you will find "Program Status" click on it and you will find all the details.

Thanks for the help. But I did check in there, and it doesn't show anything since I haven't submitted my application yet.

Btw, I read your stats. You have good scores! Are you an MD doctor or MBBS?

 

[Pudu2009]

Ok, so do you have any idea if the recommendation letter is supposed to be signed by the evaluator or not? Actually, I have asked for a professional LOR from my employer, but since he hasn't written any LORs before, he doesn't know if he is supposed to sign it or just upload the Microsoft word format of the letter. If he has to sign it, then is he supposed to take a print out, then sign it and then scan it? Or is it supposed to be signed electronically somehow?

Unfortunately I don't know if the letter has to be signed or not. I have never written an LoR and I waived my right to see mine, so I've never seen what one looks like. Sorry.

Do extra co-curricular achievements matter? For example, prizes at the University level in Sports and Music? I have a couple of those, but I'm not sure if it's of any relevance to the MPH application. If I do upload those certificates, it might seem desperate. Or maybe anything extra might turn out to be an advantage over other applicants.

You could consider adding these awards in the additional experience section. I'm not sure though if they are appropriate to add in the main experience section since they are not public health related. I didn't know you could upload award certificates into SOPHAS.

 

[redvelvet94]

I'm applying for my Epi MPH at Columbia, but they're not my top choice -- mostly due to cost and the fact that I currently live in NYC and would like to get out, hah. Why did you choose Columbia over the other schools you were accepted? How has the program been so far?

Yeah totally understood! I chose Columbia for a few different reasons. First, I wanted to be in a city where I could see myself living and working after I graduated, and after visiting the school last year, I really liked the feel of NYC. Going along with that, I wanted to go to a city where there were plenty of good opportunities for practicum placement and work experience relevant to my field of interest (epidemiology), and in NYC, there are so many different organizations (non profit, private, and government) that recruit directly from Columbia Mailman School of Public Health specifically for practicum and job placement. Aside from the city, I was really impressed at the admitted students' day when I learned about Columbia's first semester "Core" curriculum. Having experienced a good portion of the Core already, I am really appreciative of how integrative and cross-disciplinary the core curriculum is because the classes hit on such a variety of important core public health topics from ethics, health economics, program planning, quantitative methods, biological determinants of health, to life-course studies, just to name a few of the smaller class sets. I know that all public health schools have a basic core curriculum and I obviously can't speak to what those curriculums are like; however it's clear to me so far that the Columbia professors who teach the Core classes are really focused on making sure that first year year students develop an appreciation for and a clear understanding of the various public health specialities and how to consider solving public health issues with a solid conceptual foundation as well as a cross-disciplinary lens. I think, in general, the organization of the program works really well. Additionally, I really liked that they had an infectious disease epidemiology certificate which fit very well with my interests! The Epidemiology department also hosts monthly seminars and speakers for each of their six main epidemiology research areas so that has also been a component that I've really enjoyed. So far, the Core professors have been great, and the classes themselves have been really interesting and interactive! I heard things, before I began the program, about professors not being approachable or always being busy, and I haven't found that to be an issue thus far. I've met with a couple different professors so far and they have all been incredibly open and receptive to questions that I have had and very willing to put me in the right direction if they couldn't help me.

That was really long (sorry!) but I hope that helped. Definitely let me know if you want me to expand on anything I mentioned!

 

[c.y]

These are my current stats.
-Dentist with over 4 years of experience
have done workshops on TII and OCF
-GRE: 153 V, 159 Q, 4 AW

What are my chances of getting into some of the top ranked universities like johs hopkins, yale,boston,UCLA,columbia,UNC

 

[c.y]

I am planning for MPH in epidemiology

 

[Pixie9689]

Hi I am an IMG from India, GPA 3.81, GRE 30, AWA 4.0, I applied to Minnesota, Boston, Tufts, Thomas Jefferson, UMass Amherst , Temple and Claremont.
I got into Minnesota, Boston , Thomas Jefferson , Temple and Claremont.
Still haven't heard from UMass and Tufts.. really confused where to go .. Please help

 

[Saloommamado]

I have a question, do schools ask for proof of what we write in our CVs? or I should have provided all that documents in my SOPHAS application?

 

[Pudu2009]

I have a question, do schools ask for proof of what we write in our CVs? or I should have provided all that documents in my SOPHAS application?

I think you might be overthinking this a bit too much. Just submit your CV, maybe expand upon it in your SoP if it's relevant to the application, and fill out your experience section thoroughly. The only thing schools should be contacting you about are your admission status (accepted, waitlisted, rejected) and financial aid/scholarships. The application process really is not that stressful if you don't make it be.

 

[huangc3]

I would also be happy to answer any questions about admissions as well as any specific questions about GW's program. I too am a first-year MPH epidemiology student.

Hi Pudu2009,

I'm interested in learning more about admission to GW's MPH program. I'm actually interested in the online program and have questions about the GRE scores. I have low scores (took it twice, barely made a difference -- V- 146, Q- 144, AW- pending) but I have a 3.46 undergrad GPA and 1.5 years of work experience in the field. What do you think my chances are? TIA!

 

[Pudu2009]

Hi Pudu2009,

I'm interested in learning more about admission to GW's MPH program. I'm actually interested in the online program and have questions about the GRE scores. I have low scores (took it twice, barely made a difference -- V- 146, Q- 144, AW- pending) but I have a 3.46 undergrad GPA and 1.5 years of work experience in the field. What do you think my chances are? TIA!

Unfortunately, I cannot tell you what your chances are as I do not work in admissions. Frankly, I don't like WAMC threads as each person is unique, and it is impossible to judge based on GPA and test scores. When did you make each GRE attempt, and how hard did you study? If you studied really hard (eight hours a day for a month), then don't bother retaking it as I doubt you would do better. If you studied minimally (few hours a week or the night before), then study smart and try again. I can't even compare admissions for the on-campus versus online programs as the on-campus program has concentrations with their own admissions requirements, while the online program has no concentrations.

I'm sorry that I could not be of much help.