MPH Fall 2018: Applied, Accepted, Waitlisted, Rejected!

[pusheen323]

Thank you so much! Are you planning on attending on 3/23? If I get in, I don't think I can get PTO approved from work in time before then but that just means I will be eagerly reading other people's notes!

I haven't been able to find anyone on the forum who applied to the same program as me - I am hoping for UNC's Public Health Leadership Residential MPH. I was a late applicant (submitted 2/3) so I know I have to be a bit more patient, but I'm hopeful it will be in the next 2 weeks! I did hear that next week is their Spring Break though so I'm guessing not next week...

I won’t be attending their Admit Day on the 23rd because it’s too expensive and complicated for me to make it (I live in CA and am still in my undergrad). Next week is their spring break, but I also heard that a lot of departments don’t really get the week off and may still be active during this time. But, I feel that if you don’t hear back next week, you’ll definitely hear back the next one (hopefully)!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[vodkaaunt]

Just got into Michigan for HPM. I’m ecstatic and grateful although I wish schools would notify students early enough for them to plan to attend admit day. If anyone is going to Michigan’s admit day tomorrow can you post your notes here?

Here are my notes for Michigan's accepted student day. (Take them with a grain of salt because I'm 99.9999% sure I'm going there):

1. 9:1 student:faculty ratio
   1. There's ~1200 in the entire public health program, including undergrad and PhD students
   2. For epi there's about 270 current students, 76% of them MPH students, thus the 9:1 ratio comes from I believe 270 epi students/28 epi faculty (and then for specific epi concentrations, such as global health, the number goes down to about 45 in your section)
   3. This was a lot of number talk focused only on epi so just apply that to your specific section
2. Very research focused. They said it was the #1 public health research institution.
   1. If research isn't your thing, I don't think Michigan is the place for you. One of the current students said she wished she knew just how research heavy the program was. On the research/practice balance, Michigan leans more heavily on the research side.
   2. They do work and research in Flint and Detroit, but both of them are at least 45 mins away so if you're looking to be in an urban city, Ann Arbor isn't the place. It's definitely a (large) college town.
   3. If you /do/ like research, one of the students told me it's super easy to join a research lab.
   4. The hospital is right next door to the public health buildings so if your research/interests are hospital focused it's really easy to get involved.
3. UM has a strong alumni base and reputation in the hiring world. They also said 94% of their grads were employed/seeking further schooling/etc within 6 months of graduation.
   1. It also sounded like they put a lot of time and resources into making sure their students are hired (probably because they want to uphold their reputation!) Some of the students mentioned how they constantly got emails about job openings, how they got resume help and wardrobe help, one student mentioned they taught her how to negotiate her salary offer. They also collect resumes and send them to employers and have recruiters that seek out Michigan grads.
4. They go through your personal statements to match you up with a faculty adviser with similar interests, but you can also reach out to other faculty too.
5. Lots of the students said they took classes outside their degree. Some took business classes, one took a ballet class etc. Sounds like it's just a matter of fitting it into your schedule. Your tuition is also the same for 9+ credits so it's the same cost if you take 15 or 20.
   1. They also have 6 certificates you can take if you want, or some people get dual degrees.
6. Speaking of cost....
   1. Sounds like if you don't have a scholarship, your options are work study or loans. They kept stressing how rare it is to get a teaching position or GSRA position, but not impossible.
   2. You won't qualify for in state tuition your second year. UM has some of the strictest residency rules. Basically "you have to be in Michigan for a reason other than school to qualify" (I've lived here since 2002, went to college out of state for 3 years, came back and have been working in Detroit for 2.5 years and I still had to apply for in state tuition. I got it but /jeez/. I had to send in my tax forms.)
   3. Their calculated "real cost of attendance" (including tuition, rent, food, transportation, etc) is ~70k per year for out of state. They budgeted 15k a year for rent which I think you can get lower if you find something in the city (will be hard at this time of year but easier to look in Nov for year 2), or if you live in Ypsilanti/other surrounding cities and take a bus in. Otherwise....yeah.
7. My other general impressions were that the faculty seemed really invested and happy to be there and talk with us and had a collaborative air. It seemed like the program focused on the little things and the program/faculty are really there to support you. During our lunch break we sat at tables with our sections (eg global epi admits for me) and got to talk to a professor in that concentration for an hour.

There's my novel of a post! Hopefully this is helpful for some of you. Personally, I'm really interested in research heavy & strong biostatistics programs, so Michigan is a good fit for me I'm happy to try to answer more questions, and I also have info papers they gave us that I can upload if people are interested.

 

[numbersloth]

Here are my notes for Michigan's accepted student day. (Take them with a grain of salt because I'm 99.9999% sure I'm going there):

1. 9:1 student:faculty ratio
   1. There's ~1200 in the entire public health program, including undergrad and PhD students
   2. For epi there's about 270 current students, 76% of them MPH students, thus the 9:1 ratio comes from I believe 270 epi students/28 epi faculty (and then for specific epi concentrations, such as global health, the number goes down to about 45 in your section)
   3. This was a lot of number talk focused only on epi so just apply that to your specific section
2. Very research focused. They said it was the #1 public health research institution.
   1. If research isn't your thing, I don't think Michigan is the place for you. One of the current students said she wished she knew just how research heavy the program was. On the research/practice balance, Michigan leans more heavily on the research side.
   2. They do work and research in Flint and Detroit, but both of them are at least 45 mins away so if you're looking to be in an urban city, Ann Arbor isn't the place. It's definitely a (large) college town.
   3. If you /do/ like research, one of the students told me it's super easy to join a research lab.
   4. The hospital is right next door to the public health buildings so if your research/interests are hospital focused it's really easy to get involved.
3. UM has a strong alumni base and reputation in the hiring world. They also said 94% of their grads were employed/seeking further schooling/etc within 6 months of graduation.
   1. It also sounded like they put a lot of time and resources into making sure their students are hired (probably because they want to uphold their reputation!) Some of the students mentioned how they constantly got emails about job openings, how they got resume help and wardrobe help, one student mentioned they taught her how to negotiate her salary offer. They also collect resumes and send them to employers and have recruiters that seek out Michigan grads.
4. They go through your personal statements to match you up with a faculty adviser with similar interests, but you can also reach out to other faculty too.
5. Lots of the students said they took classes outside their degree. Some took business classes, one took a ballet class etc. Sounds like it's just a matter of fitting it into your schedule. Your tuition is also the same for 9+ credits so it's the same cost if you take 15 or 20.
   1. They also have 6 certificates you can take if you want, or some people get dual degrees.
6. Speaking of cost....
   1. Sounds like if you don't have a scholarship, your options are work study or loans. They kept stressing how rare it is to get a teaching position or GSRA position, but not impossible.
   2. You won't qualify for in state tuition your second year. UM has some of the strictest residency rules. Basically "you have to be in Michigan for a reason other than school to qualify" (I've lived here since 2002, went to college out of state for 3 years, came back and have been working in Detroit for 2.5 years and I still had to apply for in state tuition. I got it but /jeez/. I had to send in my tax forms.)
   3. Their calculated "real cost of attendance" (including tuition, rent, food, transportation, etc) is ~70k per year for out of state. They budgeted 15k a year for rent which I think you can get lower if you find something in the city (will be hard at this time of year but easier to look in Nov for year 2), or if you live in Ypsilanti/other surrounding cities and take a bus in. Otherwise....yeah.
7. My other general impressions were that the faculty seemed really invested and happy to be there and talk with us and had a collaborative air. It seemed like the program focused on the little things and the program/faculty are really there to support you. During our lunch break we sat at tables with our sections (eg global epi admits for me) and got to talk to a professor in that concentration for an hour.

There's my novel of a post! Hopefully this is helpful for some of you. Personally, I'm really interested in research heavy & strong biostatistics programs, so Michigan is a good fit for me I'm happy to try to answer more questions, and I also have info papers they gave us that I can upload if people are interested.

Did they talk about who top employers were, especially for epidemiology grads? I'm really interested in working at a research institution after graduation and some schools have better ties to these types while others are more focused on sending students to state health departments and gov't health departments (ex: cdc).

 

[vodkaaunt]

Did they talk about who top employers were, especially for epidemiology grads? I'm really interested in working at a research institution after graduation and some schools have better ties to these types while others are more focused on sending students to state health departments and gov't health departments (ex: cdc).

Does this help??

 

[pusheen323]

Here are my notes for Michigan's accepted student day. (Take them with a grain of salt because I'm 99.9999% sure I'm going there):

1. 9:1 student:faculty ratio
   1. There's ~1200 in the entire public health program, including undergrad and PhD students
   2. For epi there's about 270 current students, 76% of them MPH students, thus the 9:1 ratio comes from I believe 270 epi students/28 epi faculty (and then for specific epi concentrations, such as global health, the number goes down to about 45 in your section)
   3. This was a lot of number talk focused only on epi so just apply that to your specific section
2. Very research focused. They said it was the #1 public health research institution.
   1. If research isn't your thing, I don't think Michigan is the place for you. One of the current students said she wished she knew just how research heavy the program was. On the research/practice balance, Michigan leans more heavily on the research side.
   2. They do work and research in Flint and Detroit, but both of them are at least 45 mins away so if you're looking to be in an urban city, Ann Arbor isn't the place. It's definitely a (large) college town.
   3. If you /do/ like research, one of the students told me it's super easy to join a research lab.
   4. The hospital is right next door to the public health buildings so if your research/interests are hospital focused it's really easy to get involved.
3. UM has a strong alumni base and reputation in the hiring world. They also said 94% of their grads were employed/seeking further schooling/etc within 6 months of graduation.
   1. It also sounded like they put a lot of time and resources into making sure their students are hired (probably because they want to uphold their reputation!) Some of the students mentioned how they constantly got emails about job openings, how they got resume help and wardrobe help, one student mentioned they taught her how to negotiate her salary offer. They also collect resumes and send them to employers and have recruiters that seek out Michigan grads.
4. They go through your personal statements to match you up with a faculty adviser with similar interests, but you can also reach out to other faculty too.
5. Lots of the students said they took classes outside their degree. Some took business classes, one took a ballet class etc. Sounds like it's just a matter of fitting it into your schedule. Your tuition is also the same for 9+ credits so it's the same cost if you take 15 or 20.
   1. They also have 6 certificates you can take if you want, or some people get dual degrees.
6. Speaking of cost....
   1. Sounds like if you don't have a scholarship, your options are work study or loans. They kept stressing how rare it is to get a teaching position or GSRA position, but not impossible.
   2. You won't qualify for in state tuition your second year. UM has some of the strictest residency rules. Basically "you have to be in Michigan for a reason other than school to qualify" (I've lived here since 2002, went to college out of state for 3 years, came back and have been working in Detroit for 2.5 years and I still had to apply for in state tuition. I got it but /jeez/. I had to send in my tax forms.)
   3. Their calculated "real cost of attendance" (including tuition, rent, food, transportation, etc) is ~70k per year for out of state. They budgeted 15k a year for rent which I think you can get lower if you find something in the city (will be hard at this time of year but easier to look in Nov for year 2), or if you live in Ypsilanti/other surrounding cities and take a bus in. Otherwise....yeah.
7. My other general impressions were that the faculty seemed really invested and happy to be there and talk with us and had a collaborative air. It seemed like the program focused on the little things and the program/faculty are really there to support you. During our lunch break we sat at tables with our sections (eg global epi admits for me) and got to talk to a professor in that concentration for an hour.

There's my novel of a post! Hopefully this is helpful for some of you. Personally, I'm really interested in research heavy & strong biostatistics programs, so Michigan is a good fit for me I'm happy to try to answer more questions, and I also have info papers they gave us that I can upload if people are interested.

Thanks so much for this detailed post! I have a somewhat off-topic question, but I noticed you said that finding housing will be difficult at this time of the year. What did you mean by that? I am having a hard time deciding when my housing search should seriously begin and would love some insight into this. I am considering Umich or UNC. Thank you!

 

[ayoung710]

Is anyone else still waiting to hear from Yale SBS?

 

[vodkaaunt]

Thanks so much for this detailed post! I have a somewhat off-topic question, but I noticed you said that finding housing will be difficult at this time of the year. What did you mean by that? I am having a hard time deciding when my housing search should seriously begin and would love some insight into this. I am considering Umich or UNC. Thank you!

Housing in Ann Arbor is really cut throat because there's not much of it. So ideally you would start looking as a freshman when you're still in the dorms and would have your housing for the next year (or 3) lined up in the first semester, because everything goes quickly. If you do it that way and live with a couple people, your rent could be in the $400-600 range. I should also clarify that these are the houses on campus/really close to everything (which is what undergrads really want - as a grad student I care a little less? Idk)

Since we didn't know about acceptances until later in the year, we're late to the game. A lot of the places open right now are going to be ~1k if they're on campus. You can also try finding someone looking for a roommate which would definitely be cheaper, but a lot of the posts I've seen are only looking for someone to sublet their room for the summer.

If you can't find somewhere cheap on campus, I would recommend looking into cities off campus. Ypsilanti is a good place to look as it's a ~20 min drive and usually a lot cheaper. (Ypsi is also very LGBTQ+ friendly, if that's something on your checklist. It's also a college town for Eastern Michigan, so you'd still get a similar vibe to Ann Arbor.) I would recommend you plan on driving and parking in AA as little as possible because parking is horrendous and expensive. BUT the bus system is pretty great and the UM-specific buses are free for students. If you lived in Ypsi or somewhere close like that, you could drive to a free car drop off and take the bus into the city, which would be cheap. (I think Ypsi might also have a direct bus to Ann Arbor.)

That's what I would recommend for the first year if you don't find anything cheap on campus. If you're not looking for a place within a mile of campus, you'll have much better odds. Your commute will just go up to 20-30 mins, but once you're in the city you can use buses. Then, during your second year, I would gather up a couple friends in Oct-Nov and look for housing for your second year, and you would probably be able to find something in that $400-600 range on campus/close to everything.

To look for housing for next year, I would say checking Craigslist, the UM Public Health 2018 Admits Facebook page, the Ann Arbor Michigan Housing for Rent page, zillow/trulia/etc, something like Easy roommate or something about Ann Arbor roommates (I think Michigan has a site specific to that but I don't remember exactly what it is, sorry. It would probably come up with google though).

Apologies for this and future posts, I am clearly incapable of not writing novels I didn't go to Michigan for undergrad, but both my brothers and many of my friends did, and I live close by and go there to visit friends often, so I'm happy to answer any questions I can about Ann Arbor/Michigan/Detroit/etc/etc.

 

[runsdmph]

Is anyone else still waiting to hear from Yale SBS?

Yep! I called on Friday and they said they'd be finishing up their decisions in the next 7-10 days

 

[vitmc91]

As anyone recieved finacial aid information from Tulane, University of South Florida, Berkeley, Emory? I'm still waiting on them. I've already gotten back Harvard's and they were the last school to even send out admission decisions.

 

[skaballet]

Housing in Ann Arbor is really cut throat because there's not much of it. So ideally you would start looking as a freshman when you're still in the dorms and would have your housing for the next year (or 3) lined up in the first semester, because everything goes quickly. If you do it that way and live with a couple people, your rent could be in the $400-600 range. I should also clarify that these are the houses on campus/really close to everything (which is what undergrads really want - as a grad student I care a little less? Idk)

Since we didn't know about acceptances until later in the year, we're late to the game. A lot of the places open right now are going to be ~1k if they're on campus. You can also try finding someone looking for a roommate which would definitely be cheaper, but a lot of the posts I've seen are only looking for someone to sublet their room for the summer.

If you can't find somewhere cheap on campus, I would recommend looking into cities off campus. Ypsilanti is a good place to look as it's a ~20 min drive and usually a lot cheaper. (Ypsi is also very LGBTQ+ friendly, if that's something on your checklist. It's also a college town for Eastern Michigan, so you'd still get a similar vibe to Ann Arbor.) I would recommend you plan on driving and parking in AA as little as possible because parking is horrendous and expensive. BUT the bus system is pretty great and the UM-specific buses are free for students. If you lived in Ypsi or somewhere close like that, you could drive to a free car drop off and take the bus into the city, which would be cheap. (I think Ypsi might also have a direct bus to Ann Arbor.)

That's what I would recommend for the first year if you don't find anything cheap on campus. If you're not looking for a place within a mile of campus, you'll have much better odds. Your commute will just go up to 20-30 mins, but once you're in the city you can use buses. Then, during your second year, I would gather up a couple friends in Oct-Nov and look for housing for your second year, and you would probably be able to find something in that $400-600 range on campus/close to everything.

To look for housing for next year, I would say checking Craigslist, the UM Public Health 2018 Admits Facebook page, the Ann Arbor Michigan Housing for Rent page, zillow/trulia/etc, something like Easy roommate or something about Ann Arbor roommates (I think Michigan has a site specific to that but I don't remember exactly what it is, sorry. It would probably come up with google though).

Apologies for this and future posts, I am clearly incapable of not writing novels I didn't go to Michigan for undergrad, but both my brothers and many of my friends did, and I live close by and go there to visit friends often, so I'm happy to answer any questions I can about Ann Arbor/Michigan/Detroit/etc/etc.

Just adding some perspective so that no one going to Michigan panicks about housing. I'm a much older public health applicant, but did my first grad degree (MBA) at Michigan. I (and many classmates) found my housing in A2 and in central campus in the March-April timeframe. You don't need to live all the way in Ypsi unless you really want to for some reason. I lived in a small apt building very close to the business school. There were also a couple of larger apt complexes - one somewhere off main st and woodberry gardens which I think was sort of near Kroger but both around 1ish mile from school that a lot of people lived in. Some people also lived in group houses. It's really about what you want. A lot of undergrads get their housing super early, but as grad students we were mostly looking at different places so didn't affect us as much. Lastly, definitely ask current students about housing because there are certain blocks in A2 that should be avoided unless you want to be surrounded by constantly partying undergrads.... A2 is an awesome town though and I loved going to grad school there so enjoy! Even if you're not a football fan go to a few games - it is so much fun and the team is way better than when I was there!

 

[kaybaybay]

Has anyone received financial aid from UCLA yet??

 

[pusheen323]

Has anyone received financial aid from UCLA yet??

Nope! But I was told by them over the phone that all scholarship info should be out by around the 19th.

 

[sarkol]

I need advice! Does anyone have experience with Ohio State's Epi program? I received a fellowship and am deciding whether or not I should go there.

 

[guybrush]

Thank you both! My nerves have been eased. Hopefully good news is coming.

Yup, I work at a university and we definitely work through breaks. If anything, we're more productive when students are away

 

[nannams]

how are you guys wording your emails for when you turn down a program? i'm trying to be as polite/grateful as humanly possible

 

[guybrush]

Holy moly, again! JHU just offered me a scholarship. I'm speechless. Now I really don't know what to do...

 

[Vslyph]

how are you guys wording your emails for when you turn down a program? i'm trying to be as polite/grateful as humanly possible

I’ve declined two schools and both were through an online portal (no email required). Check to see if you can do it that way. If not, I would keep your email brief/professional.

 

[bruma]

Does anyone know when Emory is sending out financial aid stuff?

 

[JDGBruin1317]

Does anyone know when Emory is sending out financial aid stuff?

They told me mostly before the Visit Emory event (March 22nd-23rd), but definitely by the April 15th deadline

 

[ayoung710]

For anyone still waiting from Yale--I was just accepted to the SBS program this morning! It's late in the game to hear, but stay positive knowing that doesn't necessarily mean a rejection

 

[x0n]

How long after acceptance do schools typically take with financial aid?

 

[orangepancake]

Has anyone received financial aid from UCLA yet??

Yes, on February 27th, but it's a department specific scholarship (HPM). I haven't received any emails regarding loans yet.

 

[Michelle Faux Fur]

How long after acceptance do schools typically take with financial aid?

Anywhere from a few days to three weeks, in my case. Definitely depends on the school.

 

[peachplumpear85]

Rejected by Harvard. Obviously somewhat disappointed, but happy to finally have an answer! Will make my decision process easier..

 

[sploosh]

In a roller coaster of a couple of days, I got rejected from Harvard's 80-credit MS in epidemiology just now and accepted to Johns Hopkins' MHS in Epidemiology over the weekend while I was at a soccer game. When I got my acceptance letter I started screaming which normally wouldn't have been out of place except it was half time and nothing was happening on the field. Poor people next to me.

And you know what, I'm actually not upset to be rejected from Harvard, either! As a Boston native (grew up and did college here), I see this two years as a chance to get out of my hometown (and my favorite city in the world!) for a little while. I'm excited about the prospect of someplace new.

With that, I've gotten all my results! Hope it's the same for you all soon too. Now it's decision time.

 

[wwmmkk]

how are you guys wording your emails for when you turn down a program? i'm trying to be as polite/grateful as humanly possible

Most programs have a portal. Some will ask for an email reply. I generally stuck with "Thank you for the opportunity to attend X program. I must decline the offer as I have decided to attend another institution. Best, X" A couple of my schools never asked for me to decline; I think they just assumed I wasn't attending since I didn't enroll. Later (like... June) a few programs sent me emails asking for more details about why I declined. These were mostly schools that gave me diversity scholarships or lower ranked schools that wanted to know how to be more competitive at recruiting a diverse student body. I gave them pretty detailed feedback because higher ed access is something I care deeply about, but I wouldn't feel obligated to if you get those emails later.

 

[VAa]

Holy moly, again! JHU just offered me a scholarship. I'm speechless. Now I really don't know what to do...

Congratulations! Which program at Hopkins is the scholarship for?

 

[guybrush]

Congratulations! Which program at Hopkins is the scholarship for?

Thank you! It's for the Health, Behavior, and Society MHS. 50% tuition in the first year (to supplement the automatic 75% second year scholarship that all MHS/MSPH students receive). Unfortunately, I'll probably have to turn it down because Hopkins is still quite a bit more expensive than the other schools I'm considering.

 

[drevolution]

Most programs have a portal. Some will ask for an email reply. I generally stuck with "Thank you for the opportunity to attend X program. I must decline the offer as I have decided to attend another institution. Best, X" A couple of my schools never asked for me to decline; I think they just assumed I wasn't attending since I didn't enroll. Later (like... June) a few programs sent me emails asking for more details about why I declined. These were mostly schools that gave me diversity scholarships or lower ranked schools that wanted to know how to be more competitive at recruiting a diverse student body. I gave them pretty detailed feedback because higher ed access is something I care deeply about, but I wouldn't feel obligated to if you get those emails later.

Can you share which schools gave you diversity scholarships?

 

[sploosh]

How long after acceptance do schools typically take with financial aid?

It depends on the school, for sure. I got into Emory in January and I still haven't heard back, haha! I've found that schools are generally amenable to revealing rough timelines if you reach out though, so maybe you want to do that?

Thank you! It's for the Health, Behavior, and Society MHS. 50% tuition in the first year (to supplement the automatic 75% second year scholarship that all MHS/MSPH students receive).

I've been meaning to ask about that, actually. Do you know if it's 75% off Year 2 (if you meet the criteria), or is it...25% off, and you're paying 75% the full rate of tuition?

 

[x0n]

It depends on the school, for sure. I got into Emory in January and I still haven't heard back, haha! I've found that schools are generally amenable to revealing rough timelines if you reach out though, so maybe you want to do that?


I've been meaning to ask about that, actually. Do you know if it's 75% off Year 2 (if you meet the criteria), or is it...25% off, and you're paying 75% the full rate of tuition?

I’m really leaning towards committing to Mount Sinai and after calling them today I was asked to send my w-2 but still not given any approximations. I’m thinking about calling back in a few hours just to make sure they got it and perhaps rephrasing and asking again.

 

[kaybaybay]

Nope! But I was told by them over the phone that all scholarship info should be out by around the 19th.

Perfect. Thank you!

 

[megarita]

I've been meaning to ask about that, actually. Do you know if it's 75% off Year 2 (if you meet the criteria), or is it...25% off, and you're paying 75% the full rate of tuition?

It's 75% off.

Also @ Hopkins MSPHers, heads up, I was just told that no more merit scholarships for MSPH students will be released

 

[wwmmkk]

Can you share which schools gave you diversity scholarships?

I got straight diversity scholarships at Colorado and Buffalo (both involved a separate application), and merit scholarships that were partially based on diversity at Drexel and Minnesota (these were given with admission).

 

[peachplumpear85]

In a roller coaster of a couple of days, I got rejected from Harvard's 80-credit MS in epidemiology just now and accepted to Johns Hopkins' MHS in Epidemiology over the weekend while I was at a soccer game. When I got my acceptance letter I started screaming which normally wouldn't have been out of place except it was half time and nothing was happening on the field. Poor people next to me.

And you know what, I'm actually not upset to be rejected from Harvard, either! As a Boston native (grew up and did college here), I see this two years as a chance to get out of my hometown (and my favorite city in the world!) for a little while. I'm excited about the prospect of someplace new.

With that, I've gotten all my results! Hope it's the same for you all soon too. Now it's decision time.

I grew up in the Boston area, too! Though I was hoping to come back to Boston after living elsewhere for the past 4 years.
Now I'm deciding between the MHS Epi at Hopkins and an MS Epi at a much less expensive school. Which track were you accepted to at Hopkins?

 

[grapesandstrawberries]

Rejected from MS Epi at Harvard! Still waiting for MPH Epi/Biost at Berkeley.. Did anyone recently hear back from them?

 

[lilycat123]

Berkeley just sent an E-Mail saying:

• The School of Public Health has notified nominees of their nomination for GOP, Block Grant, and KP Scholars program in late February. Recipients of these scholarships/fellowships and others will be informed on a rolling basis starting March 23rd, 2018.
• The Financial Aid & Scholarships Office will be compiling federal aid packages (e.g., student loans) and releasing that information to students between late April and early May. Be sure to complete the 2018-19 FAFSA

 

[drevolution]

I got straight diversity scholarships at Colorado and Buffalo (both involved a separate application), and merit scholarships that were partially based on diversity at Drexel and Minnesota (these were given with admission).

Thank you for sharing! All the best!

 

[spacewitch]

I am in at UCLA for the community health sciences program! Were you at the admit day?

No I wasn't able to make it! I was actually in LA the week prior and looked at the campus but didn't get much of a tour. I'm emailing them today to see if I can get more information about specific questions.

 

[spacewitch]

Has anyone heard back from Columbia for HPM? I had an interview in January and it's been crickets ever since...
I feel like at this point it can't be good news.

 

[sploosh]

I’m really leaning towards committing to Mount Sinai and after calling them today I was asked to send my w-2 but still not given any approximations. I’m thinking about calling back in a few hours just to make sure they got it and perhaps rephrasing and asking again.

I don't think it can hurt, especially since you have the excuse to call them again! It could just be a "great, and is there a timeline for when I should expect to hear back?" at the back end of the call. But it's up to you! It's exciting that you feel so close to a decision - I'm still so up in the air OTL.

It's 75% off.

Also @ Hopkins MSPHers, heads up, I was just told that no more merit scholarships for MSPH students will be released

Thank you for clarifying!

I grew up in the Boston area, too! Though I was hoping to come back to Boston after living elsewhere for the past 4 years.
Now I'm deciding between the MHS Epi at Hopkins and an MS Epi at a much less expensive school. Which track were you accepted to at Hopkins?

I definitely see myself ending up around here eventually but since I've never done any time away from New England I was like...okay mate it's time to leave the nest for a little while (lol)

I was accepted to the Epidemiology of Aging Track! What about you? Aging isn't that rare at this time but a lot of schools have courses in it, not concentrations/tracks, so Hopkins is pretty high up for me. It is an expensive school for sure, though. Right now, I'm thinking hard about if the masters in epidemiology coursework would suit me better, or if I'd be better off with an MPH.

 

[Ebb55]

Has anyone heard back from Columbia for HPM? I had an interview in January and it's been crickets ever since...
I feel like at this point it can't be good news.

I’m still waiting too. From previous years, It seems most acceptances are sent out in February and only a few in March. I wouldn’t lose hope until they actually send you a rejection letter. To soften the blow, obsess over the other schools that accepted you. That’s what I’m doing

 

[guybrush]

I don't think it can hurt, especially since you have the excuse to call them again! It could just be a "great, and is there a timeline for when I should expect to hear back?" at the back end of the call. But it's up to you! It's exciting that you feel so close to a decision - I'm still so up in the air OTL.



Thank you for clarifying!


I definitely see myself ending up around here eventually but since I've never done any time away from New England I was like...okay mate it's time to leave the nest for a little while (lol)

I was accepted to the Epidemiology of Aging Track! What about you? Aging isn't that rare at this time but a lot of schools have courses in it, not concentrations/tracks, so Hopkins is pretty high up for me. It is an expensive school for sure, though. Right now, I'm thinking hard about if the masters in epidemiology coursework would suit me better, or if I'd be better off with an MPH.

I've been a nomad since undergrad, living in four different states, and I can definitely recommend leaving the nest, especially if you see yourself coming back home eventually.

 

[hm1742]

My Emory financial aid is posted on the portal! Including a REAL award.

 

[NardwuarKnowsEverything]

No I wasn't able to make it! I was actually in LA the week prior and looked at the campus but didn't get much of a tour. I'm emailing them today to see if I can get more information about specific questions.

From what I hear there is another admit day in April? I'd ask about that and see if you were able to attend!

 

[grapesandstrawberries]

Just got accepted to Columbia for MPH epi... They've been silent since November and honestly I am not that excited about this acceptance and the COA in NY, will decline.

 

[NewYorkGuy]

Hi all! Long time user, first post. So I was recently put on Columbia's waitlist. Can someone explain to me how this works regarding my other acceptances? They say they get back to me no later than May 15th. Obviously, this is after the April 15th deposit deadline for most other programs. Do I have to simply bank on getting into Columbia or can I send a deposit to another school and still accept Columbia's offer at a later date? Sorry for asking what be an easy question just unsure of what to do.

 

[MidnightCafe]

Hi all! Long time user, first post. So I was recently put on Columbia's waitlist. Can someone explain to me how this works regarding my other acceptances? They say they get back to me no later than May 15th. Obviously, this is after the April 15th deposit deadline for most other programs. Do I have to simply bank on getting into Columbia or can I send a deposit to another school and still accept Columbia's offer at a later date? Sorry for asking what be an easy question just unsure of what to do.

You can still accept another school's offer. If you are accepted to Columbia later on, you can accept Columbia's offer but then you will lose your deposit from your other school.

 

[confusedstudent19]

My Emory financial aid is posted on the portal! Including a REAL award.

Congrats!! I've been checking OPUS everyday and still nothing. Did you also get an e-mail notifying you of your aid?

 

[PublicHealthisLife]

It's easy to change your certificate at Columbia. You will have a chance later in first year where faculty present each concentration and then make you decision. In other words, what you are admitted to currently is not set in stones.

However, for JHU, you would actually need to go through almost a similar application process as now to transfer to another concentration, which may possibly set you back in your time of graduate. This, I gathered from their website and they made it sounds quite difficult.

Thanks for the reply! Would you mind linking me the the part of the website for hopkins? I couldn't find the information you were talking about.