MPH Fall 2015: Applied, Accepted, Waitlisted, Rejected!

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Hello everyone, first off congratulations to everyone who got into their desired programs.

I have a few questions.

1) I am waiting for Harvard's response. They said that they might make a recommendation to some students regarding whether they should switch their concentration, has this happened to anyone?

2) Now I have a very important question with regards to Harvard's Health and Social Behavior concentration. How many people do they take in this concentration?

3) Please someone tell me the major problems they have heard regarding Columbia. I know that New Yorkers can be rude and have attitude, but what else is there specifically about the program? Why exactly is Harvard superior to Columbia in some people's opinion?

I am so worried about Harvard, I really hope that I get in, oh god, oh god.

Happy Friday everyone
 
ph201516 said:
Hello everyone, first off congratulations to everyone who got into their desired programs.

I have a few questions.

1) I am waiting for Harvard's response. They said that they might make a recommendation to some students regarding whether they should switch their concentration, has this happened to anyone?

2) Now I have a very important question with regards to Harvard's Health and Social Behavior concentration. How many people do they take in this concentration?

3) Please someone tell me the major problems they have heard regarding Columbia. I know that New Yorkers can be rude and have attitude, but what else is there specifically about the program? Why exactly is Harvard superior to Columbia in some people's opinion?

I am so worried about Harvard, I really hope that I get in, oh god, oh god.

Happy Friday everyone
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Who told you that about #1? What program, MPH or SM?

As you can probably tell if you've read prior posts I am going absolutely neurotic about Harvard at this point...

I know NOTHING about HSB so I can't comment on one program over the other, but from my interactions with both it just seems the people at Harvard are much more interested in being helpful to students than at Columbia. And while Columbia is an excellent school, there really is no brand name better than Harvard.
 
So I heard about #1 from the admissions office, that they might sometimes see one applicant is more qualified for another concentration....and MPH specifically

Yes, what you say makes sense about Harvard being more helpful to students.
I really hope that both you, I, and others get into Harvard.

I can only hope that the admissions committee deems me a good fit for their Health and Social Behavior concentration.

I would prefer to live in NY much more than Boston, but I would love the name of Harvard over Columbia.

Im already in at Columbia, so Im excited, but I would choose Harvard if I got in.
 
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ph201516 said:
Hello everyone, first off congratulations to everyone who got into their desired programs.

I have a few questions.

1) I am waiting for Harvard's response. They said that they might make a recommendation to some students regarding whether they should switch their concentration, has this happened to anyone?

2) Now I have a very important question with regards to Harvard's Health and Social Behavior concentration. How many people do they take in this concentration?

3) Please someone tell me the major problems they have heard regarding Columbia. I know that New Yorkers can be rude and have attitude, but what else is there specifically about the program? Why exactly is Harvard superior to Columbia in some people's opinion?

I am so worried about Harvard, I really hope that I get in, oh god, oh god.

Happy Friday everyone
Click to expand...

Harvard switched my concentration from global health to quantitative methods. Likely because I expressed interest in taking some epi classes in my personal statement.
 
So in your acceptance, did they tell you that you had been switched?
Or did they first recommend if you wanted to be considered for Quan. Methods? Then when you said yes they reviewed and accepted you?

I wonder if they might consider me for Health Policy since I have some legal background
 
I got rejected by Yale today so I don't have any more decisions to stress over. Bizarre admissions results for me in the HPM world.

I was accepted with $25K scholarships to GW & WashU, accepted to Emory and Hopkins, and rejected from Vanderbilt and Yale.

I'm picking up an Orioles shirt later in March.
 
Occasional Gambler said:
I got rejected by Yale today so I don't have any more decisions to stress over. Bizarre admissions results for me in the HPM world.

I was accepted with $25K scholarships to GW & WashU, accepted to Emory and Hopkins, and rejected from Vanderbilt and Yale.

I'm picking up an Orioles shirt later in March.
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I'm sorry to hear about Yale, but congrats on finishing your admission's cycle!
 
Occasional Gambler said:
I got rejected by Yale today so I don't have any more decisions to stress over. Bizarre admissions results for me in the HPM world.

I was accepted with $25K scholarships to GW & WashU, accepted to Emory and Hopkins, and rejected from Vanderbilt and Yale.

I'm picking up an Orioles shirt later in March.
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Did you apply to Columbia's HPM?
 
Orchidmph said:
Can they do that? :eyebrow:
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Quite a few schools will switch your concentration if they feel like you're a good fit for a different one (essentially they reject you from the one you choose). It happened to me at Emory. There are a few posts scattered around this thread where it happened at various other schools as well. It is kind of frustrating though. 😡
 
ph201516 said:
So in your acceptance, did they tell you that you had been switched?
Or did they first recommend if you wanted to be considered for Quan. Methods? Then when you said yes they reviewed and accepted you?

I wonder if they might consider me for Health Policy since I have some legal background
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In my acceptance, they told me I had been switched.
 
IntriguedStudent said:
Quite a few schools will switch your concentration if they feel like you're a good fit for a different one (essentially they reject you from the one you choose). It happened to me at Emory. There are a few posts scattered around this thread where it happened at various other schools as well. It is kind of frustrating though. 😡
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I bet I'd be pissed... Its almost like being waitlisted... I would rather just be rejected. I hate feeling like sloppy seconds lol and I'm sorry that happened too you!


And on that note! SOPHAS FINALLY JUST VERIFIED MY APP thank you a million years later :clap:
 
Sorry about Yale, but at least you got into Hopkins, which is ranked #1.
I don't think I will hear anything from Harvard today.
Maybe next week...
 
Orchidmph said:
I bet I'd be pissed... Its almost like being waitlisted... I would rather just be rejected. I hate feeling like sloppy seconds lol and I'm sorry that happened too you!


And on that note! SOPHAS FINALLY JUST VERIFIED MY APP thank you a million years later :clap:
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It was definitely frustrating! It kind of did help things slide into place for me though, as it made me really look at all of my options. I'm really loving the direction I'm headed now, though. So I guess things work out for the best!

I'm glad to hear your app is finally verified! Hopefully you start hearing good news soon.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
@BPW1088

Thank you for you response. It did help me little.

Can you or anyone else please give me a little insight into the TUFTS - HPM program?
It says on the website that it is 18 months? is that true?
I've read somewhere that its mainly for students interested in academic or research (it was a blog i think). Can someone please tell me about this?
There is no ranking of the program which apparently is because it is a school. Where does the program stand? How good is it?

Any information will really be helpful...!

Thanks!!
 
Also... its a 13 credit program... most of the other schools are 40+ credits... why is that so? is there any drawback?

I am an international student and hence, pretty confused.
 
I thought visiting my top choices would help. Turns out it's just making me even more confused. 🙁:help:
 
Mks93 said:
I thought visiting my top choices would help. Turns out it's just making me even more confused. 🙁:help:
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Consider trying to systematize it. Come up with YOUR top three priorities in terms of what you're looking for. What those end up being is totally up to you. Is it research opportunities? Program curriculum? Faculty? Alumni/job placement support? Location? Cost of living? Cost/grant opportunities?

Some other possible factors: Do you want to work afterward or go on to a PhD? Do you want to remain in the area?

It's your call, just don't get carried away with the number of priorities. If everything's a priority, nothing's a priority.

Once you establish your top three priorities, get your list of schools down to your top three or four choices. This isn't too hard in most cases, as most options tend to have something or another that makes it fairly easy to rule them out. Once you do that, score each of your finalists against each of your top three priorities using a scale of 1-5 or 1-10 and go with the one that fares the best. You can even weight your priorities according to their relative importance.

Best luck...
 
Hello all!

I went to Columbia's Admitted Student's Day yesterday. I went in with some preconceived notions about their organization. However, their whole day was pretty organized. I met with administrators, faculty and students from the Epi department. Everything they said was pretty impressive. The extent of Columbia's practicum sites goes all around the world. I was most interested in firsthand accounts from current students. They said Columbia has really good connections with many institutions of public health. I was most intrigued by their relationship with the NYC Dept. of Health & Mental Hygiene since my goal is one day do research there. Many Mailman alumni are currently working there as well. I asked students about the organization of the program and some said that since the core curriculum was revised only 4 years ago, the school is working out some kinks in the scheduling. However, they said that this should not deter anyone from coming to Columbia. There are so many opportunities to connect with professors on their research or become TAs. Some even said that the core was the reason why they even came to Columbia since it is innovative. Students described similar experiences with admissions as some of us are having but they said once they started the program, it wasn't the same case. Also, financial aid said they should be sending out packages by next week. I'm a New Yorker, so I may be biased, but with my goals in mind, I feel like Columbia will be the right fit for me.

If anyone else attended the event, please tell us of your experience. We are all eager to hear what you have to say!
 
Hi y'all silly question!

on SOPHAS where is the decision button? They finally verified me yesterday, but I haven't seen a button to link me onto a "decisions page" from Universities.
 
Orchidmph said:
Hi y'all silly question!

on SOPHAS where is the decision button? They finally verified me yesterday, but I haven't seen a button to link me onto a "decisions page" from Universities.
Click to expand...

Decisions will come directly from the schools. SOPHAS has nothing to do with that.
 
agh2415 said:
Decisions will come directly from the schools. SOPHAS has nothing to do with that.
Click to expand...


Sometimes the decisions are posted on the portal... Not necessarily that SOPHAS has anything to do with it.
 
Does anyone know at Financial Aid works? If your EFC is zero does that mean your tuition is covered?
 
livelady73 said:
Does anyone know at Financial Aid works? If your EFC is zero does that mean your tuition is covered?
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Nope. You can get loans from the government for up to a certain amount. For grad school, programs generally don't give too much in the way of need based scholarships. 🙁
 
Mks93 said:
Columbia, UW, emory. And potentially a couple SUNY schools, although I don't think I'm going to do that.
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Oh that is tough. You definitely want to do a PhD after, correct? I guess the first thing I would do is decide if one of those schools sticks out as a place you would like to get your PhD from too, since it will pry be easier to get into the program if you do your masters there. Obviously there is a lot that goes into a decision like this, but location is a really important factor too. Those schools are in wildly different locals, so maybe you could narrow down based on that-especially if you want to stick around for your PhD. I am from the west coast and currently live in Oregon. If you have any questions about this region lemme know. If it were me, I would knock Columbia off the list because I don't want to live in NYC. Between Emory and UW, I would choose Emory, but that is because I want to work at the CDC. But that is really personal preference because all those schools are really awesome.
 
I've pretty much taken emory off the list. I had a strange experience when I visited...however, I realize how great the program is.

I'm okay with nyc. I'm from the northeast, so I'm used to the culture. I also know a ton of people living in and around the tri state area. The cost of living there is scary though. It's also really cool to tell people you go to Columbia. I hate to think that way, but that's how it is.

I loved UW. I'm actually still in Seattle. I just don't know how I can make the move here. I also don't know how I can say no to columbia....
 
Mks93 said:
I've pretty much taken emory off the list. I had a strange experience when I visited...however, I realize how great the program is.

I'm okay with nyc. I'm from the northeast, so I'm used to the culture. I also know a ton of people living in and around the tri state area. The cost of living there is scary though. It's also really cool to tell people you go to Columbia. I hate to think that way, but that's how it is.

I loved UW. I'm actually still in Seattle. I just don't know how I can make the move here. I also don't know how I can say no to columbia....
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What was strange about Emory or are you purposefully avoiding telling? Ha
 
KPZ said:
No one heard from SM2 Epi at Harvard?
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Got my letter of admission from them on Feb. 27 🙂 (the email they sent telling me to check the website went to spam, so I only saw the letter when I decided to spontaneously check the website two days later--imagine my shock! 🙂 )
 
Orchidmph said:
If we have the same definition of when Mid-March is lol
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I'm waiting on a decision from them as well! E-mailed them last week and they said all notifications will be out in the next couple of weeks.
 
KPZ said:
What was strange about Emory or are you purposefully avoiding telling? Ha
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I will just say that it would be difficult for me to get used to the south. The culture there is very different. I didn't think there could be such a thing as "too friendly," but I found it there. Both at the school and in Atlanta. I also felt like a show was being put on during the visit. Of course that's the point, but at UW I felt I was still being presented with the pros and cons of the program. Emory was like "too perfect."

That being said, it is a great program and is definitely right for some. I don't think its right for me though.
 
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Mks93 said:
I've pretty much taken emory off the list. I had a strange experience when I visited...however, I realize how great the program is.

I'm okay with nyc. I'm from the northeast, so I'm used to the culture. I also know a ton of people living in and around the tri state area. The cost of living there is scary though. It's also really cool to tell people you go to Columbia. I hate to think that way, but that's how it is.

I loved UW. I'm actually still in Seattle. I just don't know how I can make the move here. I also don't know how I can say no to columbia....
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Well sounds like you've almost made your decision 🙂. Columbia sounds like an awesome program and well it is Columbia, as you've said. I would say they are equal caliber programs (from my subjective opinion 🙂)-can't go wrong with either! Do you mind saying what was weird about your experience at Emory? - Oh see you just did!
 
Mks93 said:
I will just say that it would be difficult for me to get used to the south. The culture there is very different. I didn't think there could be such a thing as "too friendly," but I found it there. Both at the school and in Atlanta. I also felt like a show was being put on during the visit. Of course that's the point, but at UW I felt I was still being presented with the pros and cons of the program. Emory was like "too perfect."

That being said, it is a great program and is definitely right for some. I don't think its right for me though.
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I've been doubting my ability to acclimate to the culture of the South, being from a liberal city like Portland. I've been told a lot lately (by Southerners who know me well) that I "couldn't handle it".
 
Mismi2 said:
I've been doubting my ability to acclimate to the culture of the South, being from a liberal city like Portland. I've been told a lot lately (by Southerners who know me well) that I "couldn't handle it".
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I'm from upstate NY and even I don't think I could get used to the culture of the south. I would agree with what people are telling you.
 
TUFTS! I just got an e-mail from the cold, dead hearted people at Tufts saying a decision has been made and that this week I should get a login name and password for their online application portal, where I'll be able to see the decision and "move forward in the admissions process." This leads me to believe it is an admit, but only because if you're rejected there is no process. Though, as we all know, there is little if no logic in this process at times so who knows.
 
Orchidmph said:
@spanishkid @mhapplicant2015

Which concentration/program are you both waiting to hear back from?
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I have not heard back from Columbia yet either, I applied to the Epi department. But I'm not really waiting on them, since the other two programs I applied to and in which I'm much more interested have been much faster -- Harvard and JHU 🙂
 
lj8 said:
I attended UCLA's Admitted Student Day. I'm not in the Epi program, but I had a chance to talk to a student in their Epi program and they love it. I'm also a bit worried about housing if I do choose UCLA since I heard everything around school is pretty pricey. Apparently many students choose to live in Culver City and Santa Monica and commute!
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What concentration are you, if not Epi? And that's encouraging to hear about currents students loving their program!! That's what I've heard too. I've asked a handful of my friends, current grad students and undergrads, and so far, they've recommended Culver City apartments. Or Sawtelle? What are your top choices for attending??
 
Sabrosura said:
I have not heard back from Columbia yet either, I applied to the Epi department. But I'm not really waiting on them, since the other two programs I applied to and in which I'm much more interested have been much faster -- Harvard and JHU 🙂
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Congrats 🙂 much better programs I'm sure
 
brwneydRA said:
UCLA is currently my top choice - I received some generous scholarship offers from BU and GWU, but with in-state tuition and the fact that I want to live and work in California and probably Los Angeles after graduation, I'm 90% certain I'll end up at UCLA! I'm still waiting on full financial packages from all schools and decisions from Berkeley and Claremont before I make my official decision.

I went to their admitted students day and really enjoyed it - the students seemed to be really happy with what they were studying and the opportunities available to them. I live in Los Angeles and am probably going to stay in my current apartment and commute, but I have several friends who go to various UCLA grad programs and most of them live in Brentwood (more expensive), Culver City (medium), or the Palms area (cheapest). To be honest I don't know much about the UCLA housing options but you might want to email the department and ask if they can put you in touch with a student to talk about those things. The students we spoke with seemed really helpful in that regard! One thing that was pointed out to us - MPH students are NOT guaranteed housing, and the Fielding School only has 8 slots in the grad housing near campus to give to their students. Off campus, independently owned apartments/homes are probably your best bet unless you can figure out another way in!

If you have any questions about life in LA in general, feel free to PM me! I've lived here for about 7 years total now between undergrad and working full time and really love what LA has to offer. 🙂
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That's good to hear!! I wasn't able to attend the Admitted Day but I emailed one of the current students (from the panel) on the contact list that got sent out, and she says she also loves the program. In regards to waiting on the financial packages from the different schools you applied to - my former boss told me that I can actually email the different schools I got accepted into (UCLA and UCI) and go back and forth to see what financial package they can offer me? So, sort of like haggling for a better deal? Is that true? I would think that wouldn't be too professional, but I'm not sure..

And oh! One of my friends suggested Sawtelle in the Palms area as the best choice for me! Are you referring to University Village Apartments when talking abut the grad housing complex on Sawtelle?? I'm looking at the UCLA housing site for that one and it says its $1,248 for a one bedroom, one bath. Is that considered cheap compared to Westwood rents??? u___u

I'll definitely let you know if I have any questions about LA life 🙂 I live in the San Gabriel Valley, so not too far from everything in LA. I'm hoping to work around LA after graduation also. I hope things work out and you decide to attend!
 
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spanishkid said:
Epidemiology; they had said that decisions would be sent out in mid-February and mid-March so I guess it's mid-March for us! But I'm dying to know!!
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Ahhhh ok! Best of luck

I'm waiting for another program
 
mhapplicant2015 said:
I'm an MHA lurker haha
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Nice :highfive: I never too much understood the fundamental difference between an MHA and MPH-HPM... When I sat down with UMich not too long ago they said its practically the same thing just a few different courses... but my mind was telling me otherwise.
 
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