MPH Fall 2017: Applied, Accepted, Waitlisted, Rejected!

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Members don't see this ad.
I haven't even heard from Yale re: admissions and everyone's already getting aid & scholarship offers +pity+ haven't heard from anyone re: finances & it's killing me slowly. I want to make plans to go visit schools I've been accepted to (namely Emory, Columbia), but not about to go fall in love with a program I won't be able to afford. Anyone else going to be at UCLA next Friday??
 
*** Final Update***

Undergrad School: St. Lawrence University
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.52 (SOPHAS same)
Major/Minor: Psychology/Political Science, English Literature
GradGPA (if applicable):
Grad Studies (if applicable):
GRE (including date taken) or Other Test (if applicable): 163V, 154Q, 5.5W
Experience/Research (please, be brief):
Honors psychology research project - 1 year, undergraduate
Counselor for youth with moderate to severe psychopathology - 3 years
Crisis hotline - 2 years
ER volunteer - 1 year
Hospital Intern - 1 year
Project coordinator - 1 year
Research assistant - 1 year

Special factors???

Interested in:
Applied: JHU, Yale, BU, GWU, Tufts, Penn, Dartmouth, Brown, UMD
Accepted: GWU, JHU, Yale, BU (20k), GWU (20k), Tufts, Penn, Dartmouth (15K), Brown (25% scholarship), UMD
Rejected:
Waitlisted:
 
Anyone trying to decide between Yale and Harvard? I know all about Yale but Harvard is difficult to get a sense of. I know Harvard has a large number of physicians, but as someone with no interest in med school, I'm worried the curriculum/networking is more focused on that. Any insight is much appreciated, PM me if you'd like.
 
late_apply said:
Harvard has a large number of physicians, but as someone with no interest in med school, I'm worried the curriculum/networking is more focused on that. Any insight is much appreciated, PM me if you'd like.
Click to expand...

I attended an info session at Harvard and definitely got the impression that their program was originally designed for current & future MDs. Like you, I have no interest in med school. I think Harvard is trying to recruit and appeal to a larger base these days, which is why they no longer have requirements about how long applicants need to be out of undergrad to apply. They talked a lot about how much their MPH programs had changed in terms of student age/education diversity, which I think could be a real strength and provide interesting network opportunities just within your cohort. That said, I do think they emphasize academia and research over workforce-ready skills, which is part of the reason why (barring a funding miracle) I will probably pass on them. I could be swayed into getting a PhD/DrPH someday, but I don't see my MPH as preparation for that and want to focus on making myself appealing to future employers over future admissions committees. I think the Harvard name would open pleeeenty of doors for me, but I want to make sure I really know what I'm doing when I get through those doors, y'know? The other big con for Harvard for me is that their program is only 1.5 years long. I'm entering from a totally different field after quite a break from school, and think I would do better with a two-year program to re-orient me to being a student and give me enough time to learn totally new skills and concepts. I got the feeling it was 3 semesters because they are assuming a baseline knowledge of the healthcare industry that I just don't have but an MD/med student would.

I didn't apply to Yale simply because I have personal reasons for avoiding CT, so hopefully someone else can weigh in on comparing the two. And rereading my paragraph above, I seem super critical of Harvard, but this is really nitpicky stuff. I wouldn't have applied if I didn't think it was a great program that could create tons of opportunities for me even as someone who is less interested in a future in research.
 
swamp.witch said:
I haven't even heard from Yale re: admissions and everyone's already getting aid & scholarship offers +pity+ haven't heard from anyone re: finances & it's killing me slowly. I want to make plans to go visit schools I've been accepted to (namely Emory, Columbia), but not about to go fall in love with a program I won't be able to afford. Anyone else going to be at UCLA next Friday??
Click to expand...

YIKES just got an email & I'm in at Yale for EMD!!!!

That's 6 for 6 and I'm in everywhere I applied 🙂

Now to wait and see about $$$, but I don't have a great feeling about aid from Yale since they took so much longer to decide on me
 
If anyone is waiting for financial aid from Minnesota, the first round has been sent out.
The financial offer can go from mid-Feb to about June depending on how many students accept the offer and what not.

Anyone know for Emory?
 
wwmmkk said:
That said, I do think they emphasize academia and research over workforce-ready skills, which is part of the reason why (barring a funding miracle) I will probably pass on them.
Click to expand...

Thank you for such a detailed response! This is really useful. What gave you the sense they emphasize academia and research over workforce skills? I have research experience in academia and I have no interest in continuing down that route. Don't want a PhD or to do research and wouldn't waste my money on a masters program if I did (I'm a bit biased on this point).

I'm with you on all the other aspects. Really I'm just looking for the program that would open the most/best doors before joining the workforce. Harvard name carries a big weight even if the education isn't that different from other schools. So it has been really hard to cross off my list.
 
OysterIndicator said:
I went to Emory today to visit, and I was pretty blown away! Everyone was super friendly, I loved talking about the program I'm interested in, and I loved the campus! Looks like I'm going to end up in Atlanta!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
Click to expand...
did you visit Minnesota by any chance?
 
wwmmkk said:
I attended an info session at Harvard and definitely got the impression that their program was originally designed for current & future MDs. Like you, I have no interest in med school. I think Harvard is trying to recruit and appeal to a larger base these days, which is why they no longer have requirements about how long applicants need to be out of undergrad to apply. They talked a lot about how much their MPH programs had changed in terms of student age/education diversity, which I think could be a real strength and provide interesting network opportunities just within your cohort. That said, I do think they emphasize academia and research over workforce-ready skills, which is part of the reason why (barring a funding miracle) I will probably pass on them. I could be swayed into getting a PhD/DrPH someday, but I don't see my MPH as preparation for that and want to focus on making myself appealing to future employers over future admissions committees. I think the Harvard name would open pleeeenty of doors for me, but I want to make sure I really know what I'm doing when I get through those doors, y'know? The other big con for Harvard for me is that their program is only 1.5 years long. I'm entering from a totally different field after quite a break from school, and think I would do better with a two-year program to re-orient me to being a student and give me enough time to learn totally new skills and concepts. I got the feeling it was 3 semesters because they are assuming a baseline knowledge of the healthcare industry that I just don't have but an MD/med student would.
Click to expand...

I don't have much to add. I live in the Boston area and have met with a couple HSPH professors and I also have the impression that it is academically-focused and that they haven't totally transitioned away from their MD-based structure. The opportunities you get at Harvard seem to be research-based. Many of the faculty are also MDs and/or have other positions at Boston-area medicial institutions. I think if you're looking for more qualitative experience, program implementation/eval, communications, etc experience it's best to look elsewhere.
 
Hey guys, wondering if you can decipher the Emory scholarship for me. So I got a partial scholarship and a REAL award "distributed over two years," so does that mean that the scholarship/REAL I was offered will be divided by 4 and applied to each term?
 
Earm001 said:
Hey guys, wondering if you can decipher the Emory scholarship for me. So I got a partial scholarship and a REAL award "distributed over two years," so does that mean that the scholarship/REAL I was offered will be divided by 4 and applied to each term?
Click to expand...
That's the impression I got. At least for the scholarship I believe it is distributed equally across terms. The REAL funding I suspect starts when you start working through a REAL position but that's just speculation.
 
jason1212 said:
That's the impression I got. At least for the scholarship I believe it is distributed equally across terms. The REAL funding I suspect starts when you start working through a REAL position but that's just speculation.
Click to expand...

Thank you!
 
late_apply said:
Anyone trying to decide between Yale and Harvard? I know all about Yale but Harvard is difficult to get a sense of. I know Harvard has a large number of physicians, but as someone with no interest in med school, I'm worried the curriculum/networking is more focused on that. Any insight is much appreciated, PM me if you'd like.
Click to expand...

Just my opinion, but I would choose Harvard and never look back. The Harvard-Longwood Campus is the center of the medical universe. You have four world famous hospitals a stones throw away and MGH is nearby. The comments that Harvard is more geared toward MDs doesn't make much sense to me. Even if there are more MDs in the program, everyone's learning public health.
 
teamspirit810 said:
Congrats on COPHP! I'm attending this Fall 🙂
Click to expand...

Hey! I realize your admissions process was a bit different from mine as you applied early action, but I was wondering how long after you received your admissions call you got your formal admissions letter/more information via email? My caller said to expect an email the following day. That was last Monday...am planning to give them a week and then reach out to see what may be going on. It makes me nervous that I've not received the email yet!
 
late_apply said:
Thank you for such a detailed response! This is really useful. What gave you the sense they emphasize academia and research over workforce skills? .
Click to expand...

It was more in what they emphasized in the examples they gave about what students are doing during their time in school and after than anything else. Like, they talked a lot about career preparation, but the examples were all along the lines of "this MD now has the skills to respond to cholera outbreaks in his native country on a grand scale" and "this HSB grad is now continuing her education with a Sociology PhD" and "this biostat student is working with Professor X to design new methods to analyze study data from Beth Israel [Harvard's research hospital]." I totally agree with what @nikkster627 added, basically.

The other part of my impression was that literally right after attending this massive info session at Harvard, I went to Tufts for an info session. That one turned out to be a 1:1 meeting with the head of the department I was considering applying to, and the vibe was just so, so different than Harvard's. She really emphasized the work that her colleagues do in the Boston community over their research interests and really sold the school to me as an intimate, supportive environment. We talked about Tufts vs. Harvard vs. BU, and she said that in the Boston area, Harvard is where you want to go for name recognition & research but that Tufts and BU offer a more hands-on type of public health education.

Edited to add: In response to what @samnicholson said, I would totally agree that if you eventually want to work in the Boston medical complex, Harvard is definitely the choice to make over Yale. If you don't see yourself in hospital or research work in the Boston area, though, I don't think it matters as much.
 
Last edited:
wwmmkk said:
It was more in what they emphasized in the examples they gave about what students are doing during their time in school and after than anything else. Like, they talked a lot about career preparation, but the examples were all along the lines of "this MD now has the skills to respond to cholera outbreaks in his native country on a grand scale" and "this HSB grad is now continuing her education with a Sociology PhD" and "this biostat student is working with Professor X to design new methods to analyze study data from Beth Israel [Harvard's research hospital]." I totally agree with what @nikkster627 added, basically.
Click to expand...

I guess I would add that if you thought you would be happier or more comfortable at Yale, that is a very valid reason to choose it over another school.
 
I just got some unexpected and significant funding from Emory! That complicates things (my partner and I have been pretty much set on moving back to CA where we're from) but I'm so excited!
 
nikkster627 said:
I just got some unexpected and significant funding from Emory! That complicates things (my partner and I have been pretty much set on moving back to CA where we're from) but I'm so excited!
Click to expand...
Congrats! Did you find out via email or OPUS? or did they send an actual letter?
 
nikkster627 said:
I just got some unexpected and significant funding from Emory! That complicates things (my partner and I have been pretty much set on moving back to CA where we're from) but I'm so excited!
Click to expand...

Congratulations! Is that the MCH Fellowship or the Lanier award? Those are amazing feats! I'm hoping for a Lettie Pate award myself!
 
Hey guys, do you know about how the MPH program at Temple University is? I applied there as a safety school and recently got accepted and wanted to know how the program is?
 
Including notes from my campus visits, thus far - hope this is helpful and not annoying.

Drexel:
I was pleasantly surprised with Drexel. They are clearly really investing in their program.
  • Nice new, large building where most of the classes are housed
  • 400 students, 4 departments, 74 faculty
    • 97 first-year MPH, 4 MD/MPH
    • 50/50 mix of direct students from undergrad and work experience students
  • 3 campuses in city with shuttle services
  • Focus on community involvement
  • Two year program:
    • 56 quarter credit hours
    • 5-quarters (reduced the academic program by 1 quarter) end in March
    • New core programs
    • Have public health minors (ex: maternal child health)
    • Quarter: 10 weeks. 3rd week in September, first week of December
  • Focus on practice-based learning
    • Integrated learning experience 4-6 credits. Epi would be more data analysis
    • Ex: partnering organizations → CHOP, glaxosmithkline. Have a dedicated person for enabling this.
  • Sample Project Titles seem a little vague and summary/intro type
  • Mission: health disparities
  • 85% of Masters graduates had a full time jobs or were enrolled in an advanced degree
  • $38, 800 + 23,300 (first year, 2nd year costs)
  • Research Assistant positions
  • Sample Class - Intro Epi: Good quality lecturer. Very theory based. Would have appreciated more references to real studies, but appreciated her toxicology background and view point. Class from 10am-12:00pm. People seemed to be engaged but because of the large lecture style, nonparticipitory
Emory: Two words- Beautiful facilities. It is also right across the street from the CDC. It is clear the University has really invested in this program and it is truly a crowning jewel rather than an afterthought.
  • Certificate programs (like a minor) - apply in the fall
  • 800 alumni at CDC
  • Lots of student organizations - encourage student community. Discussed Thursday mixers. It is clear the students know and socialize with each other - not just attend class.
  • **557 entering students (2018 graduating class)
  • 67% with work experience, the rest straight from undergrad. People who visited today tended to be more straight from undergrad
  • MPH Epi - 3 semesters $22,000
  • 30% govt, 20% academic, positions after graduation
  • Appear career oriented
  • Panel of Students
    • One premed, with focus on health services research and social determinants of health
    • One potentially pre PhD - BSHE with interest in Health Policy. Made clear that Rollins works with students to help them hone their experience to their interest.
    • Good work program “REAL” that seems primed to set students up with potential post graduation job opportunities (If not truly reducing the burden of cost - they quoted earning $2000/semester).
  • Cons (for me): tends to attract many people who would like to live in the South longterm - 50% of graduates stay for work/school in the South. Obviously, working at the CDC sounds pretty great, so I feel silly for saying this is a con for me. But I was raised in Atlanta, and I'd like to end up elsewhere. Also, tended to attract a larger proportion of students straight from college or earlier in their career.
  • Overall, this is an amazing option and it would be top of my list if I were a little younger, and didn't already have career ties to California.
 
Last edited:
sjane said:
hope this is helpful and not annoying.
Click to expand...

This was very helpful, thank you! This is the first information like this I've seen about Drexel. I'll be visiting in a couple weeks and will post my notes too because it's so hard to find info on this school.
 
sjane said:
Including notes from my campus visits, thus far - hope this is helpful and not annoying.

Drexel:
I was pleasantly surprised with Drexel. They are clearly really investing in their program.
  • Nice new, large building where most of the classes are housed
  • 400 students, 4 departments, 74 faculty
    • 97 first-year MPH, 4 MD/MPH
    • 50/50 mix of direct students from undergrad and work experience students
  • 3 campuses in city with shuttle services
  • Focus on community involvement
  • Two year program:
    • 56 quarter credit hours
    • 5-quarters (reduced the academic program by 1 quarter) end in March
    • New core programs
    • Have public health minors (ex: maternal child health)
    • Quarter: 10 weeks. 3rd week in September, first week of December
  • Focus on practice-based learning
    • Integrated learning experience 4-6 credits. Epi would be more data analysis
    • Ex: partnering organizations → CHOP, glaxosmithkline. Have a dedicated person for enabling this.
  • Sample Project Titles seem a little vague and summary/intro type
  • Mission: health disparities
  • 85% of Masters graduates had a full time jobs or were enrolled in an advanced degree
  • $38, 800 + 23,300 (first year, 2nd year costs)
  • Research Assistant positions
  • Sample Class - Intro Epi: Good quality lecturer. Very theory based. Good use more real life references to real studies. Class from 10-12:00.People seemed to be engaged but because of the large lecture style, nonparticipitory
Emory: Two words- Beautiful facilities. It is also right across the street from the CDC. It is clear the University has really invested in this program and it is truly a crowning jewel rather than an afterthought.
  • Certificate programs (like a minor) - apply in the fall
  • 800 alumni at CDC
  • Lots of student organizations - encourage student community. Discussed Thursday mixers. It is clear the students know and socialize with each other - not just attend class.
  • **557 entering students (2018 graduating class)
  • 67% with work experience, the rest straight from undergrad. People who visited today tended to be more straight from undergrad
  • MPH Epi - 3 semesters $22,000
  • 30% govt, 20% academic, positions after graduation
  • Appear career oriented
  • Panel of Students
    • One premed, with focus on health services research and social determinants of health
    • One potentially pre PhD
    • Good work program “REAL” that seems primed to set students up with potential post graduation job opportunities
  • Cons (for me): tends to attract many people who would like to live in the South longterm - 50% of graduates stay for work/school in the South. Obviously, working at the CDC sounds pretty great, so I feel silly for saying this is a con for me. But I was raised in Atlanta, and I'd like to end up elsewhere. Also, tended to attract a larger proportion of students straight from college or earlier in their career.
  • Overall, this is an amazing option and it would be top of my list if I were a little younger, and didn't already have career ties to California.
Click to expand...
Hahahah I bet we were in the same group at Emory! I was one of the two boys lol!
 
Update on appealing to Yale: Did not work. The whole process turned me off them-good for anyone who got aid from these peeps-rock there! I'll be declining.

"This is the reality of most master's programs." said the Admission's Director, when I said that what they are currently offering (0 aid, 0 scholarship) is prohibitively expensive. What a wonderful attitude to have about your job! According to the Admission's Director at Yale, the vast majority of students can therefore either:

A. Be fabulously wealthy
B. Take on an outrageous amount of loans that the school admits! is a poor (no pun intended) option! As I said in my email,
"The financial aid letter you sent is tantamount to a rejection letter stating, "You can't afford to attend this school."

I also think she is wrong. Yale is by far the most expensive school for me, and so far, the ONLY school who has refused to provide any aid or scholarship. Granted, this is personal experience. However, if anyone can find a school of public health more expensive than Yale, I'd be entertained to hear about it 🙂

I try not to let anger dwell, but this experience has left me feeling outraged for the 'average applicant' who cannot pay out of pocket. As I said in my email to them, "It seems apparent to me that you are, in practice, offering attendance to primarily those who can already afford it."

Loans are a reality of graduate school - but there's a limit that is manageable. When a school asks a student to take on more loans than they will earn in annual income, I believe that is unethical. I believe that demonstrates that the university does not consider the well-being of its students (or at the very least, considers it a very low priority).

Finally, if you feel that a Yale MPH is worth 100K in debt, than you are more than entitled to that opinion! These are my frustrations and thoughts regarding what I have found to be a callous and drawn-out rejection.
 
EKRmha2 said:
Where do those who are attending Columbia plan to live? Close to 169th St or pretty much anywhere?
Click to expand...

eek_ said:
so far, the ONLY school who has refused to provide any aid or scholarship.
Click to expand...

Hey! just wondering if Columbia offered you aid? They told me they gave out all their merit scholarships. I'm thinking of showing them a half tuition offer I got at another program and seeing if they could in any way match it! but im not sure if that is allowed?
 
So I emailed Emory to ask about scholarships (not gonna buy a flight to ATL for Admitted Students Day if there's no chance I'll end up attending the school), mentioning that I did have an offer from another school and just wondering if I was still under review or if I had already been rejected from scholarship consideration, and also mentioning that I know what's stated on the website (finalists find out by early March), and all they replied with was "Thank you for your interest. As the website states, finalists are being considered at this time and scholarship information will be available by early March."

Emory's communication has really frustrated me throughout this process.
 
123publichealth said:
Hey! just wondering if Columbia offered you aid? They told me they gave out all their merit scholarships. I'm thinking of showing them a half tuition offer I got at another program and seeing if they could in any way match it! but im not sure if that is allowed?
Click to expand...
The worst they could say is no! It never hurts to ask.
 
eek_ said:
Update on appealing to Yale: Did not work. The whole process turned me off them-good for anyone who got aid from these peeps-rock there! I'll be declining.

As I said in my email to them, "It seems apparent to me that you are, in practice, offering attendance to primarily those who can already afford it."
Click to expand...

I understand your frustration, but it sounds like your email to them was written in your outrage. To anyone else considering Yale, I've found that polite and kind emails go a long way with them, and I would strongly consider politely approaching them if you're upset with your package. Don't let these generalizations scare you off, this is only one person's perspective. My experience with Yale has been the opposite, I got a ton of financial aid, would graduate with <$40k in debt, and they have been so kind and helpful to me. Just wanted to offer an alternative opinion, and share that kindness goes a long way with these schools
 
Last edited by a moderator:
sev321 said:
I understand your frustration, but it sounds like your email to them was written in your outrage. To anyone else considering Yale, I've found that polite and kind emails go a long way with them, and I would strongly consider politely approaching them if you're upset with your package. Don't let these generalizations scare you off, this is only one person's perspective. My experience with Yale has been the opposite, I got a ton of financial aid, would graduate with <$40k in debt, and they have been so kind and helpful. Just wanted to offer an alternative opinion, and share my two scents that kindness goes a long way with these schools
Click to expand...

I am glad that gave you aid! I should have prefaced- I have had many interactions, wholly polite and amicable throughout the past few months with Yale. I also found them to be, outwardly amenable and friendly. Throughout their conversations they repeated over and over how they work to help students receive as few loans as possible by offering need-based aid, work-study positions, and merit aid. You may imagine my surprise then, when I received my (lack of) package. I am not saying they are lying, but I have found their words to be pretty meaningless. Reading previous years' threads seems to strengthen this finding. You seem to be a bit of an outlier. 🙂

That being said, when I believe someone or an institution is acting unethically, I will speak my mind, even if it is critical of them. Anger has a place, and I believe the way they treated me (and many others!) warrants this outrage.

In Yale's defense, they did say they appreciated my critique of their financial aid package email and were working to adjust it. So, if my harsh words cost me any aid (though I doubt it) at a place run by people I morally object to, so be it. It sounds like, at the very least, I may have saved future applicants from getting the poorly worded, and hurtful email.
 
Hey guys! Any suggestions as of what should I do as a waitlisted student? I got into HPM at BU(+20K), Emory and Tulane, and got waitlisted at Yale and Dartmouth. My top choice is Yale. The only suggestion that their admissions office gave me was to sit tight and wait. Any thoughts?
Thanks.
 
late_apply said:
Anyone trying to decide between Yale and Harvard? I know all about Yale but Harvard is difficult to get a sense of. I know Harvard has a large number of physicians, but as someone with no interest in med school, I'm worried the curriculum/networking is more focused on that. Any insight is much appreciated, PM me if you'd like.
Click to expand...

Many physicians end up getting an MPH at some point in their career, most of which are funded by their hospitals. It is natural that they would go to the big ivy programs for their degree, especially with the MD advantage when applying. Don't let that deter you from going; just means you'll learn from your peers, and not just from professors. In no way is the program catered towards MDs. Everyone gets to say their piece, and no one is left unheard. There is professional diversity there, from JDs to experienced journalists to war veterans, and so on and so forth. Everyone who enters through Harvard's (or any Ivy's) doors experience imposter syndrome at first, regardless of how much they've achieved. That quickly fades, because they make you very comfortable.
 
Last edited:
Side note - If you want your applied/accepted/attending info to automatically appear in all of your posts you can type it into the signature section in your profile. This can be pretty helpful context for everyone reading your posts :whistle:
 
Last edited:
guys silly question:

is financial aid always in the form of loans?


Also, any thoughts on Harvard for Columbia? For someone who wants to do global health policy
 
123publichealth said:
guys silly question:

is financial aid always in the form of loans?
Click to expand...

Not always loans. You can be awarded a need-based grant, merit scholarship, work study, or some sort of assistantship. This varies by school, of course.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

J
MPH / MSPH 2024: Applied, Accepted, Waitlisted, Rejected, Attending
Replies
3
Views
7K
catch-22
catch-22
D
2024 Public Health Doctoral Programs ( PhD, DrPH, ScD): Applied, Accepted, Waitlisted, Attending, Rejected
Replies
0
Views
4K
drph2024
D
J
MHA 2024: Applied, Interviewed, Rejected, Attending
Replies
5
Views
4K
MHAApplicant2024
M
MedGrl@2022
MPH MD/MPH without residency interested in a public health career
Replies
2
Views
4K
EthylMethylMan
EthylMethylMan
She-Hulk
MPH / MSPH 2023: Applied, Accepted, Waitlisted, Rejected, Attending
2 3
Replies
103
Views
29K
Nicole Brown
Nicole Brown
Top