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

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Tulane gave me more money, seems like they have more funding overall.
Do you mind if I ask about your funding at Tulane? I also got a phone call from one of their students, and she told me that they don't offer any scholarships. On their website, though, it says there are "several partial master's scholarships." I only submitted the addendum about a week ago, but I'm hoping I hear back (some good news) soon!
 
Thank you so much. Boston sounds like good choice but isn’t Emory better otherwise?
I just meant that its structure correlates with that of Columbia most closely. BU follows the certificate system, similar to Columbia. But there are many factors to consider like cost, location, research areas, scholarship etc. I guess it's about finding what would fit your interests best.
 
I’m glad you posted this! I haven’t seen any current information about NYU’s Cross-Continental MPH other than this thread: A word of caution to anyone considering the Cross-Continental MPH at NYU. and even this is a bit dated.

It was originally my top choice as well, I’m sur for similar reasons! That was before reading about all the hesitations of one of the current students. Now I’m not sure where I stand on the program, which is sad because I was super excited about this opportunity for a while. However, I don’t want to base my decision off the experience of just one person. I did a little bit of “stalking” and found another student in the program. I reached out to her but I’m still waiting to hear back. Hopefully her insight will be valuable.

I haven’t heard back from any of the other programs that I’ve applied to, so as of now I don’t have any other options. I’m worried because they want a decision by March 1st and I’m hoping I will have received notification from everywhere else I applied by then. When I submitted my Cross-Continental application I asked to be considered for the on campus global health program given that I wasn’t accepted into the CCMPH. I’ve been wondering is it possible to still be considered for that program. I’m really at a loss. I see you’ve been accepted into a NYU for a 2 yr program, did you apply separately?

When I received my acceptance, I was ecstatic because it was my first acceptance and once my dream program. But my feelings have subsided into a mix of emotions. Do you mind if I ask, did they offer you any merit scholarship aid?

Did anyone else apply or receive admittance into this program?
I applied for NYU's Global Health MPH and got accepted a few weeks ago, but I would strongly urge you to not do the cross continental program. I've literally heard the worst things about it, that it's just a way for NYU to make $ off students and that theres no real value in the curriculums abroad in that program. Literally everyone I've spoken to at NYU had discredited it
 
Into Berkeley HPM! Any West Coasters have insight into the merits of UCLA vs. Berkeley? Those are my top two, both seem like amazing programs so it's going to be a tough decision...

Both are top schools, but it depends on what you want to do. If you're interested in state health policy, Berkeley is a better choice due to its proximity to Sacramento. Health policy in LA will be more think tank, local/county health, and advocacy oriented. I'm from the LA area and can't wait to go back home and settle there permanently, but UCLA is located in Westwood, which is near Beverly Hills, Brentwood (where OJ Simpson lived), Hollywood. It's an expensive location. Berkeley is near the Bay Area, which is also really expensive, but if I recall correctly from deciding for undergrad, cost of living in Berkeley itself is not as bad because it's not very gentrified (lots of homeless people from what I heard).
 
I’m glad you posted this! I haven’t seen any current information about NYU’s Cross-Continental MPH other than this thread: A word of caution to anyone considering the Cross-Continental MPH at NYU. and even this is a bit dated.

It was originally my top choice as well, I’m sur for similar reasons! That was before reading about all the hesitations of one of the current students. Now I’m not sure where I stand on the program, which is sad because I was super excited about this opportunity for a while. However, I don’t want to base my decision off the experience of just one person. I did a little bit of “stalking” and found another student in the program. I reached out to her but I’m still waiting to hear back. Hopefully her insight will be valuable.

I haven’t heard back from any of the other programs that I’ve applied to, so as of now I don’t have any other options. I’m worried because they want a decision by March 1st and I’m hoping I will have received notification from everywhere else I applied by then. When I submitted my Cross-Continental application I asked to be considered for the on campus global health program given that I wasn’t accepted into the CCMPH. I’ve been wondering is it possible to still be considered for that program. I’m really at a loss. I see you’ve been accepted into a NYU for a 2 yr program, did you apply separately?

When I received my acceptance, I was ecstatic because it was my first acceptance and once my dream program. But my feelings have subsided into a mix of emotions. Do you mind if I ask, did they offer you any merit scholarship aid?

Did anyone else apply or receive admittance into this program?
I reached out to someone from the first cohort (2016) on LinkedIn and she had a lot of good things to say about it. I told her I was a bit iffy about it being a 1-year program and she said if you know exactly what topics you're interested in, it may be worth it. I'd rather go to a 2-year program to get as much technical skill as possible, though. And I've read nothing but bad things online just as you have and I wouldn't want to chance this experience that I'm paying so much for. The international experience is so unique and unlike any other U.S. program, yes. But if the girl who outed NYU is right, I wouldn't want to pay $90k + to party abroad. I already had that experience.

I spoke with someone from NYU who suggested I apply to the 2-yr in addition to the CCMPH because of the competitive nature of the program. So when I submitted my application on 12/15, I emailed them to also consider me for the 2-yr GH program on campus. I didn't have to pay for an extra application, they just added it on to my SOPHAS list. I heard back from the 2-yr before the CCMPH. I received 18k for the CCMPH and 24k for the 2-yr. However, I wish NYU was ranked in MPH programs. That is the reason I'm not really considering NYU any longer.
 
Just curious...why so few posters in this thread applied to UNC? Right now it's my top choice. It's the most affordable top program, even for an out-of-stater like me...
 
Re: rankings/NYU--

If you are talking about the US News rankings, the methodology they use to create them is pretty bogus. I get that ranking can be important for other reasons, but I wouldn't use it as a measure of program quality for MPH programs.

Thanks for the response! I really have a hard time understanding why NYU isn't ranked on that list so it's great to hear those words from other people. Their curriculum for the GH program looks pretty great to me and it's also in a great location for internships, connections, etc.
 
What days are you guys thinking of flying into ATL? I was planning on flying in on Wednesday, but then I saw that the student housing isn't offered for Wednesday night so I don't know what to do.
I'm thinking about flying in Wednesday too. If you all are meeting up I want in too! 🙂
 
Hey everyone! I recently got accepted to UMich HBHE and have been thinking about cutting down the cost of attendance. My parents live fairly close to Ann Arbor (35 minutes) so I'm thinking about possibly commuting. Does anyone have any advice for this?

A 35 min drive without traffic is going to be 50+ mins with traffic if you have to take US23 or 94. Parking is also terrible in AA, though there are places to park outside of the city and take a bus in I believe. Getting an apartment by yourself would be really expensive but if you split a house or apartment with people your rent should be under 700-800. I briefly considered living at home but a lot of the Michigan experience comes from living there I think.

I’m starting to really lean towards Umich for mph in Epi. My partner just got accepted there too so that really solidifies things. I’m coming from California, so I’m concerned about the weather/car situation (I have a Honda Fit), but anyone have any ideas as to how good the program is and the location? Thanks!! The only other option now is UCLA basically.

I've lived in the mid Michigan area most of my life (edit: I also hang out in Ann Arbor quite a bit) so I'm happy to answer any questions if you want to message me 🙂 It's also my top choice. Michigan academics are usually top notch. As for driving, it's easiest if you live close enough to take a bus in/live on campus so you don't have to deal with driving every day.
 
Last few hours have been like a roller coaster ride -.-
Three things happened:
1. Got USD 20,000 scholarship from Boston University 😀
2. Got rejection email from Columbia 🙁
3. Got accepted to Emory University (waiting on their scholarship info which they informed me I’ll get by next week) 😀

Now I have to choose between Emory and Boston. What are you thoughts? Still so bummed about Columbia. But I just applied to three universities and got through two so I am trying to take Columbia in a positive way.
Look forward to your thoughts!!
Congrats!! Did you receive an email with your scholarship information?
 
I’m sending in an application today (the extended deadline) because I’m queen of procrastination.
a-kingdom-of-procrastination-and-it-looks-like-im-the-queen.jpg

me, submitting an app yesterday for the extended deadline, also 🙂
 
A 35 min drive without traffic is going to be 50+ mins with traffic if you have to take US23 or 94. Parking is also terrible in AA, though there are places to park outside of the city and take a bus in I believe. Getting an apartment by yourself would be really expensive but if you split a house or apartment with people your rent should be under 700-800. I briefly considered living at home but a lot of the Michigan experience comes from living there I think.



I've lived in the mid Michigan area most of my life (edit: I also hang out in Ann Arbor quite a bit) so I'm happy to answer any questions if you want to message me 🙂 It's also my top choice. Michigan academics are usually top notch. As for driving, it's easiest if you live close enough to take a bus in/live on campus so you don't have to deal with driving every day.

Agree with the above. There were people in my program from Southern Cali, Peru, Brazil etc and everyone survived. I wouldn't worry too much about the car. I had a jetta and in 2 years only got stuck in snow once and that was in my apt complex parking lot because it hadn't been plowed. Highly recommend living close enough to walk if you can. You don't want to have to deal with driving everyday.
 
I applied to CUNY SPH pretty late (like last week) and just got an email saying everything is completed for me and I should receive a decision by 3/15. Is that something everyone else who applied earlier received? Are decisions ever sent out sooner?
 
Even with a scholarship, Columbia looks like it's probably going to be too much of a financial burden for me to attend. I'm pretty heartbroken since it was one of my top choices and I was so excited about the prospect of living in NYC. The "expected student contribution" made me laugh though (what early career professional in their mid-20s has an extra $45k per year lying around?!?!? :uhno:)

I think I'm narrowing in on George Washington!
 
DRexel has just sent their Dornsife fellowship letters.
 
Just curious...why so few posters in this thread applied to UNC? Right now it's my top choice. It's the most affordable top program, even for an out-of-stater like me...

I considered it (for epidemiology) until I realized their MPH is for doctorate holders only and that the only other program I could apply to is their combined MSPH/PhD program. While I do think I'd like a PhD or DrPH I didn't really feel comfortable committing to it right now when I haven't even taken a full year of epi courses yet or figured out my exact interests, important things to know when pursuing a PhD.
 
I considered it (for epidemiology) until I realized their MPH is for doctorate holders only and that the only other program I could apply to is their combined MSPH/PhD program. While I do think I'd like a PhD or DrPH I didn't really feel comfortable committing to it right now when I haven't even taken a full year of epi courses yet or figured out my exact interests, important things to know when pursuing a PhD.
Exactly this for me too
 
Has anyone heard of any school besides Emory offering travel grants for admitted students? Would love some help with all these cross-country plane tickets, but wasn't sure if that was something I should ask schools about?

UW does offer travel assistance! I was accepted for MPH Global Health and that department sent out an email a few days after the acceptance email with information on how to apply. I see you were accepted to a different UW department, but could be worth emailing them to ask about it!
 
I considered it (for epidemiology) until I realized their MPH is for doctorate holders only and that the only other program I could apply to is their combined MSPH/PhD program. While I do think I'd like a PhD or DrPH I didn't really feel comfortable committing to it right now when I haven't even taken a full year of epi courses yet or figured out my exact interests, important things to know when pursuing a PhD.
Same for me. I took them off my list when I realized I couldn’t do an MPH in epi. Otherwise, I would’ve loved to go there.
 
Random question but any Californians/other west coasters here looking into UCLA or UC Berkeley? The in-state tuition is oh so very tempting, but I haven't been able to find much info on these schools and not as many people here seem to have applied to them.

My dream job is to work at the CDC as an epidemiologist (not right away but at some point in my career). I was always heavily leaning towards Emory because of this (can't beat having the CDC literally next door). However, after seeing the amount of debt accumulated by going out of state and the uncertainty of the current national political climate that could (and is currently: https://www.the-scientist.com/?arti...Public-Health-Fund-Puts-CDC-Programs-at-Risk/ ) hurt funding for federal agencies such as the CDC, I've been thinking it might be a safer move for me to stay in California for the initial part of my career and work at a local or state level department, where the state government tends to be more stable politically and frankly much more friendly to public health in general.

Not even prestigious programs like EIS are immune:
What are the downstream effects of smaller EIS class sizes?

I'm very afraid that if federal agencies can't even afford to keep their current programs and staff going how could they afford internships and hiring new staff (aka me haha)?

Are my fears unfounded? Is this something any of the more public service minded of you have thought about?
 
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Do you mind if I ask about your funding at Tulane? I also got a phone call from one of their students, and she told me that they don't offer any scholarships. On their website, though, it says there are "several partial master's scholarships." I only submitted the addendum about a week ago, but I'm hoping I hear back (some good news) soon!

They're offering me about $18k since I was a Peace Corps Volunteer. I hear they're really good about funding though, like looking for funding for your practicum and whatnot.
 
They're offering me about $18k since I was a Peace Corps Volunteer. I hear they're really good about funding though, like looking for funding for your practicum and whatnot.
I agree. I think I read that they are somewhat generous with funding for practicum. I didn't get any funding for tuition. Good for you though!
 
Does anyone have any information on when the global health MPH at Harvard typically releases decisions?
 
Random question but any Californians/other west coasters here looking into UCLA or UC Berkeley? The in-state tuition is oh so very tempting, but I haven't been able to find much info on these schools and not as many people here seem to have applied to them.

My dream job is to work at the CDC as an epidemiologist (not right away but at some point in my career). I was always heavily leaning towards Emory because of this (can't beat having the CDC literally next door). However, after seeing the amount of debt accumulated by going out of state and the uncertainty of the current national political climate that could (and is currently: https://www.the-scientist.com/?arti...Public-Health-Fund-Puts-CDC-Programs-at-Risk/ ) hurt funding for federal agencies such as the CDC, I've been thinking it might be a safer move for me to stay in California for the initial part of my career and work at a local or state level department, where the state government tends to be more stable politically and frankly much more friendly to public health in general.

Not even prestigious programs like EIS are immune:
What are the downstream effects of smaller EIS class sizes?

I'm very afraid that if federal agencies can't even afford to keep their current programs and staff going how could they afford internships and hiring new staff (aka me haha)?

Are my fears unfounded? Is this something any of the more public service minded of you have thought about?

i'm from Seattle and i definitely want to hear back from UCLA and Berkeley soon! Personally i don't see myself living in LA and would prefer to go to Berkeley. i don't know too much about UCLA but Berkeley is a very reputable public health school from what i heard. i think if you can get in-state tuition you should definitely look into UCLA and Berkeley just because getting an MPH is super expensive. i think as long as UC Berkeley/UCLA has your area of interest and resources to build your skills to make you a competitive job candidate for CDC in the future, you shouldn't run into any problems. i also got into Emory and am thinking about going to their visit day, but realistically i would love to stay on the west coast.
 
Random question but any Californians/other west coasters here looking into UCLA or UC Berkeley? The in-state tuition is oh so very tempting, but I haven't been able to find much info on these schools and not as many people here seem to have applied to them.

My dream job is to work at the CDC as an epidemiologist (not right away but at some point in my career). I was always heavily leaning towards Emory because of this (can't beat having the CDC literally next door). However, after seeing the amount of debt accumulated by going out of state and the uncertainty of the current national political climate that could (and is currently: https://www.the-scientist.com/?arti...Public-Health-Fund-Puts-CDC-Programs-at-Risk/) hurt funding for federal agencies such as the CDC, I've been thinking it might be a safer move for me to stay in California for the initial part of my career and work at a local or state level department, where the state government tends to be more stable politically and frankly much more friendly to public health in general.

Not even prestigious programs like EIS are immune:
What are the downstream effects of smaller EIS class sizes?

I'm very afraid that if federal agencies can't even afford to keep their current programs and staff going how could they afford internships and hiring new staff (aka me haha)?

Are my fears unfounded? Is this something any of the more public service minded of you have thought about?

I don't think your fears are entirely unfounded, but I do have some counters for them.

(1) The political climate now is nothing if not dynamic. You will graduate in 2020, right? An election year where things will definitely be swinging back towards the center (and possibly past it).
(2) Even though the CDC may not be hiring when you graduate, making connections to them as a student could still be beneficial if that's where you see your career going.
(3) In times of economic hardship, governments sometimes do end up hiring new interns/entry level staff. When I was working in public education, financially strapped schools would hire new teachers/staff over experienced ones because experienced employees require more salary. Also, many government jobs are currently occupied by baby boomers who are near retirement. New jobs are opening up as these people are getting pushed out, and they want fresh blood to re-energize old organizational structures. And like I said, it costs less to hire a 25-year-old with an MPH than to keep a 65-year-old who has worked their way up the paygrades for decades. I don't know if this is happening at the CDC currently, but it is definitely happening at the state health and education departments I have worked with in the past few years.

If the CDC eliminates the program you are most interested in, then, yeah, stay in CA, but if you're just interested in the CDC in general, I think there are still ways you can work there even in this political climate. I'd also recommend reaching out to Emory with these concerns-- they've likely thought about them and should have some kind of (obviously biased) response to give. I'm really not trying to convince you to go to Emory or anything (I actually think the instate tuition is probably the best way to go); I just am not sure your reasoning for not going to Emory holds.
 
Random question but any Californians/other west coasters here looking into UCLA or UC Berkeley? The in-state tuition is oh so very tempting, but I haven't been able to find much info on these schools and not as many people here seem to have applied to them.

My dream job is to work at the CDC as an epidemiologist (not right away but at some point in my career). I was always heavily leaning towards Emory because of this (can't beat having the CDC literally next door). However, after seeing the amount of debt accumulated by going out of state and the uncertainty of the current national political climate that could (and is currently: https://www.the-scientist.com/?arti...Public-Health-Fund-Puts-CDC-Programs-at-Risk/ ) hurt funding for federal agencies such as the CDC, I've been thinking it might be a safer move for me to stay in California for the initial part of my career and work at a local or state level department, where the state government tends to be more stable politically and frankly much more friendly to public health in general.

Not even prestigious programs like EIS are immune:
What are the downstream effects of smaller EIS class sizes?

I'm very afraid that if federal agencies can't even afford to keep their current programs and staff going how could they afford internships and hiring new staff (aka me haha)?

Are my fears unfounded? Is this something any of the more public service minded of you have thought about?
I am also hoping to work for CDC as an epidemiologist, and I've thought about this too. However, I think the future is not as grim as you may fear. There will definitely still be internships at CDC and NIH. The reason is that the current federal hiring freeze has meant that some of these places are short staffed (side note: the most critical functions of CDC are exempt from the freeze) and one of the only ways that the frozen departments can currently hire is through Pathways internships, which are paid, and through things like the ORISE fellowships. So the short-term prognosis is actually okay for us. By the time we graduate, it is likely that the political climate will be changed significantly. After all, it will be 2020, and things change fast. It might be naive of me, but I'm pretty hopeful about our career prospects. I also think that the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program will still be around.

That said, I'm all for having backup plans. If staying in California can get you where you want to be, then go for it. You'll honestly be fine either way.
 
Hey, I've been lurking for a while and just made an account to post. I'm still waiting to hear back from Berkeley, UW, and UCLA. Have these schools (especially UW since that hasn't been mentioned lately) pretty much sent all of their acceptances already? So far I've gotten into CU-Anschutz and BU. Hoping to hear back from the remaining schools and get my merit info from BU so I can narrow down my options/make a decision. Anyone who's gotten into BU planning on attending the admitted students day on February 24th?
 
Thank you both for the advice, you've definitely given me more to think about! Good to know it's not as hopeless as I thought (always the pessimist haha).

I don't think your fears are entirely unfounded, but I do have some counters for them.

(1) The political climate now is nothing if not dynamic. You will graduate in 2020, right? An election year where things will definitely be swinging back towards the center (and possibly past it).
(2) Even though the CDC may not be hiring when you graduate, making connections to them as a student could still be beneficial if that's where you see your career going.
(3) In times of economic hardship, governments sometimes do end up hiring new interns/entry level staff. When I was working in public education, financially strapped schools would hire new teachers/staff over experienced ones because experienced employees require more salary. Also, many government jobs are currently occupied by baby boomers who are near retirement. New jobs are opening up as these people are getting pushed out, and they want fresh blood to re-energize old organizational structures. And like I said, it costs less to hire a 25-year-old with an MPH than to keep a 65-year-old who has worked their way up the paygrades for decades. I don't know if this is happening at the CDC currently, but it is definitely happening at the state health and education departments I have worked with in the past few years.

If the CDC eliminates the program you are most interested in, then, yeah, stay in CA, but if you're just interested in the CDC in general, I think there are still ways you can work there even in this political climate. I'd also recommend reaching out to Emory with these concerns-- they've likely thought about them and should have some kind of (obviously biased) response to give. I'm really not trying to convince you to go to Emory or anything (I actually think the instate tuition is probably the best way to go); I just am not sure your reasoning for not going to Emory holds.

I am also hoping to work for CDC as an epidemiologist, and I've thought about this too. However, I think the future is not as grim as you may fear. There will definitely still be internships at CDC and NIH. The reason is that the current federal hiring freeze has meant that some of these places are short staffed (side note: the most critical functions of CDC are exempt from the freeze) and one of the only ways that the frozen departments can currently hire is through Pathways internships, which are paid, and through things like the ORISE fellowships. So the short-term prognosis is actually okay for us. By the time we graduate, it is likely that the political climate will be changed significantly. After all, it will be 2020, and things change fast. It might be naive of me, but I'm pretty hopeful about our career prospects. I also think that the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program will still be around.

That said, I'm all for having backup plans. If staying in California can get you where you want to be, then go for it. You'll honestly be fine either way.
 
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Just curious...why so few posters in this thread applied to UNC? Right now it's my top choice. It's the most affordable top program, even for an out-of-stater like me...
That's what I was thinking. My guess is that not many people wanted to pother because most of their program applications are not on SOPHAS so it's more trouble and more money. But it's one of my top choices, too!
 
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