MPH / MSPH 2021: Applied, Accepted, Waitlisted, Rejected, Attending

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mph_applicant43796 said:
omg finally someone who's as conflicted as I am. ALSO HEYYY NOVA NEIGHBOR!!! Are you in the Full Time or Part Time MPH? I'm in for Part-Time and this is the GroupMe: GroupMe

and yeah omg same. I have absolutely no interest in pursuing med school at all after this, and while it would be cool to study alongside doctors at JHU, i'm just not sure if that's for me...I like what JHU has to offer and I know the reputation can take me places, but I'm so nervous about whether I truly "belong" there or not. I'm worried about how overly competitive it might be once I'm there. I LOVE the school, don't get me wrong, but I can't get past the idea that I'm somehow too inferior to be there. Everyone in my family is telling me to go to Hopkins but it's easy for them to say that when they're not the ones paying tuition 🙄

Personally I feel like Emory's a great fit for me, academics wise and career wise. While it doesn't have the Hopkins name factor to it, it's still well known in the public health world. Plus idk how I can turn them down after they offered me a merit scholarship. They actually really want me there 😢 I've come to love that school so much these past few weeks. Emory has also been far more responsive and engaging during the admissions process than JHU. With JHU, I've just been feeling like a number.....

I also keep talking to myself in circles. I'm really stuck. I know I'm gonna cry in front of my computer screen when I have to turn one down. I didn't think I had a chance at Hopkins - it's been a longshot dream since early undergrad days. Even thought Emory would reject me at one point. I thought I'd prioritize my decision based on finances, but it's hard to knock out the pressure of everyone telling me to go to Hopkins. I come from a South Asian family so there's a toxic obsession with school reputations and careers within our community. I just want to do what I want to do and not feel like I'm letting people down...
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I am also Part-time MPH (thank you so much for the GroupMe) and I am ALSO from a South Asian family hahaha I know my family wants me to go to Hopkins (of course, they also want me to go to med school -- they're not pushing me on it, but I just know they would love it if I did). We truly must be very close to each other, this is so funny. (Not to be too forward, but if you wanted to take this offline and meet up outdoors to chat in person I'm not opposed, no pressure of course!)

I also feel like Emory wants me a bit more... I agree, they have been extremely engaging, sending gifts, tons of virtual visit activities, addressing concerns faster, they also accepted me super fast. And GLEPI is mostly my dream program, it just sounds so great.

Hopkins just accepted me recently, after I sent a letter of continued interest (I assume that played a part -- I sent it and a week later I got my acceptance), so I'm really looking forward to the event day this Friday and gathering more information as well. Hopkins I think is a better timeline fit for me. I want to keep working part-time at my job to support myself (I love my job), so the part-time Hopkins MPH is a better structural/scheduling fit, and I did a public health undergrad degree so I feel like some core courses at Emory and Hopkins will be similar to what I did in undergrad (like the introductions to community health, or some public health policy, etc, someone correct me if I'm wrong or if some of them feel like repeats of undergrad courses?) but the main thing I want to consider is how to really break into global health.

It's a super competitive field to even get your foot in the door, so I want to do a bit more research about the global health opportunities and network at both schools. It just feels ridiculously hard to turn down either opportunity.... perhaps I can enroll in both??
 
mph_applicant43796 said:
omg finally someone who's as conflicted as I am. ALSO HEYYY NOVA NEIGHBOR!!! Are you in the Full Time or Part Time MPH? I'm in for Part-Time and this is the GroupMe: GroupMe

and yeah omg same. I have absolutely no interest in pursuing med school at all after this, and while it would be cool to study alongside doctors at JHU, i'm just not sure if that's for me...I like what JHU has to offer and I know the reputation can take me places, but I'm so nervous about whether I truly "belong" there or not. I'm worried about how overly competitive it might be once I'm there. I LOVE the school, don't get me wrong, but I can't get past the idea that I'm somehow too inferior to be there. Everyone in my family is telling me to go to Hopkins but it's easy for them to say that when they're not the ones paying tuition 🙄

Personally I feel like Emory's a great fit for me, academics wise and career wise. While it doesn't have the Hopkins name factor to it, it's still well known in the public health world. Plus idk how I can turn them down after they offered me a merit scholarship. They actually really want me there 😢 I've come to love that school so much these past few weeks. Emory has also been far more responsive and engaging during the admissions process than JHU. With JHU, I've just been feeling like a number.....

I also keep talking to myself in circles. I'm really stuck. I know I'm gonna cry in front of my computer screen when I have to turn one down. I didn't think I had a chance at Hopkins - it's been a longshot dream since early undergrad days. Even thought Emory would reject me at one point. I thought I'd prioritize my decision based on finances, but it's hard to knock out the pressure of everyone telling me to go to Hopkins. I come from a South Asian family so there's a toxic obsession with school reputations and careers within our community. I just want to do what I want to do and not feel like I'm letting people down...
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looool def hear u on the south asian thing i got pushback for even considering anything outside of hopkins and columbia. my decision with hopkins though came to a no because my program was a msph and not an mph and the outcomes weren’t as tailored to where i’d like to end up
 
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bagofhammers said:
Yeah, about a week ago. It really tripped me up because the wording of the email made it seem like they had finalized my financial aid package that included no need-based or merit scholarships.
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Omg WHAT, that is so exciting congrats! i had given up hope for Columbia because I had only gotten loans in that email too! 30% scholarship could definitely change my mind lmao, I don’t think I can wait til 4/15 tho ughhhh
 
Anyone hear of any financial aid/merit scholarship from tufts yet??
 
Coronary_Calypso said:
I am also Part-time MPH (thank you so much for the GroupMe) and I am ALSO from a South Asian family hahaha I know my family wants me to go to Hopkins (of course, they also want me to go to med school -- they're not pushing me on it, but I just know they would love it if I did). We truly must be very close to each other, this is so funny. (Not to be too forward, but if you wanted to take this offline and meet up outdoors to chat in person I'm not opposed, no pressure of course!)

I also feel like Emory wants me a bit more... I agree, they have been extremely engaging, sending gifts, tons of virtual visit activities, addressing concerns faster, they also accepted me super fast. And GLEPI is mostly my dream program, it just sounds so great.

Hopkins just accepted me recently, after I sent a letter of continued interest (I assume that played a part -- I sent it and a week later I got my acceptance), so I'm really looking forward to the event day this Friday and gathering more information as well. Hopkins I think is a better timeline fit for me. I want to keep working part-time at my job to support myself (I love my job), so the part-time Hopkins MPH is a better structural/scheduling fit, and I did a public health undergrad degree so I feel like some core courses at Emory and Hopkins will be similar to what I did in undergrad (like the introductions to community health, or some public health policy, etc, someone correct me if I'm wrong or if some of them feel like repeats of undergrad courses?) but the main thing I want to consider is how to really break into global health.

It's a super competitive field to even get your foot in the door, so I want to do a bit more research about the global health opportunities and network at both schools. It just feels ridiculously hard to turn down either opportunity.... perhaps I can enroll in both??
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okay wow are we the same person?!?! This is hilarious LOL yes omg message me!! EXACTLY how I'm feeling right now. Would love to meet up or just chat virtually. Totally want to hear how you're deciding since I'm still so stuck!!

That's what I like about Emory too! While I was a bit frustrated I was hearing back later than others, ever since I got my acceptance, they've been very engaging.

I'll be tuning in to the JHU event this Friday too 🙂 Hopefully after that and all the Emory events this week, i'll have a better idea of where I want to go. And also omg I was thinking of doing the same thing, switching to a part-time schedule at my job if I go to JHU. And yes I've taken public and global health classes in undergrad so i am somewhat familiar with it, though my undergrad public health program was kind of a joke LOL so I know the JHU and Emory work load will be far more intense.

lmao I wish I could enroll in both 🤣 I love them for different reasons and I can't seem to decide which reasons to prioritize....please PM me so we can discuss more haha
 
bagofhammers said:
Yeah, about a week ago. It really tripped me up because the wording of the email made it seem like they had finalized my financial aid package that included no need-based or merit scholarships.
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yeah they are super confused there. I’m assuming you had a 3.75
 
jimin_ said:
can someone email me access links to the hpm admitted weeks events when they get them? I want to switch into the dept but cant access until i do.
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for columbia? i would love to attend the department specific events!
 
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hi guys! i have a question, so I got into LSU and they want me to tell them my decision within 3 weeks of my acceptance, however I am still waiting to hear on a lot of schools.

they said if i wanted to go, i would have to give them 30$ to save my spot, does anyone know if this is final or whether I could just email them and ask them for more time or whether I should just pay them the money to save my spot but then if i decide to go somewhere else i can let them know i will not be attending

that was a lot of words, i hope it made sense... pls lmk <3 thank you
 
Has anyone heard about financial aid from GWU that is not merit based? I was told I would not be getting any merit based aid, but haven’t heard anything about loans or need based yet. Anyone else???
 
Finally, after more than 1 month, I heard from a staff member for UCLA about the program. They told me they have exhausted their scholarship funding and so if you [me] have not heard about funding from them then it means you have received no scholarship.
 
oosalmonoo said:
Still havent heard back from Brown—should i just assume ive been rejected?
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When did Brown receive your completed application? I emailed them about this last week since I haven't heard anything either, and Matt from admissions said they're still reviewing applications and you should hear back 8-12 weeks after submission.
 
Currently trying to decide between UPenn and Brown (for Global Health). It looks like the tuition will be similar for each, and cost of living isn't overly different. Both programs have pretty small cohorts, seem to have research-intensive programs, and seem well-connected internationally (important to me because I have international research that I'm wanting to pursue), so my decision really comes down to lifestyle. I'm in love with Philadelphia, have lots of family in the area, and potentially want to start my career there, but I'm starting to get a sense that UPenn's program might be geared a bit more towards individuals getting dual degrees or already established professionals. I finished undergrad a year early in 2020 (in the middle of the pandemic) so I feel like I sort of want a bit of a "college" feel out of grad school (maybe weird to admit, but it is what it is). The unity and clarity of the MPH program at Brown draws me in. On the other hand, I've visited Providence, and while I liked it there, it isn't the type of big city I'm looking to settle down in. The people there that I talked to came across as super friendly and nice (coming from someone who has lived in the south for the last half of her life!) and the town was adorable, but it feels like it's missing the action I'm seeking. Boston's only an hour away, but an hour is still an hour. I'm having a tremendously difficult time making a decision. If anyone has ANY insight that could help me make a call between the two schools, please hit a girl up!!
 
bagofhammers said:
When did Brown receive your completed application? I emailed them about this last week since I haven't heard anything either, and Matt from admissions said they're still reviewing applications and you should hear back 8-12 weeks after submission.
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I got receipt of my application 2/5 so it hasn't been 8-12 weeks. I’m hoping to get accepted since i’m already working on a project with some faculty there. The wait is agonizing :/
 
helicopter30 said:
Currently trying to decide between UPenn and Brown (for Global Health). It looks like the tuition will be similar for each, and cost of living isn't overly different. Both programs have pretty small cohorts, seem to have research-intensive programs, and seem well-connected internationally (important to me because I have international research that I'm wanting to pursue), so my decision really comes down to lifestyle. I'm in love with Philadelphia, have lots of family in the area, and potentially want to start my career there, but I'm starting to get a sense that UPenn's program might be geared a bit more towards individuals getting dual degrees or already established professionals. I finished undergrad a year early in 2020 (in the middle of the pandemic) so I feel like I sort of want a bit of a "college" feel out of grad school (maybe weird to admit, but it is what it is). The unity and clarity of the MPH program at Brown draws me in. On the other hand, I've visited Providence, and while I liked it there, it isn't the type of big city I'm looking to settle down in. The people there that I talked to came across as super friendly and nice (coming from someone who has lived in the south for the last half of her life!) and the town was adorable, but it feels like it's missing the action I'm seeking. Boston's only an hour away, but an hour is still an hour. I'm having a tremendously difficult time making a decision. If anyone has ANY insight that could help me make a call between the two schools, please hit a girl up!!
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It pays to do your public health degree in the region where you want to work in the future if only because you know what is available and have made some connections. Most important is funding/tuition and then on to research availability and other curriculum things that are important.

Brown I think has a slightly better public health reputation, such as in global health. There's always podcasts if you want to drive into Boston on the weekend, and Brown definitely has an old college feel to it, but if not living in a lively city is a deal breaker then UPenn makes sense, though with the pandemic how lively are things right now? Not a given that things will be back to normal in the fall either.

Somebody here had a negative experience with UPenn admissions, not sure what it indicates overall and it is just one side of the story and just one person:

MPHWH said:
Has anyone heard back from Yale or Brown. I applied 12/15 and still nothing. Not sure if this is a good sign or bad sign? My anxiety is getting me.

**Interviewed with UPenn and met with Admissions Director. Didn't find UPenn the right fit for me and didnt really appreciate Admission Directors approach/comments on a few things. Everything was going well up until I talked about how my parents immigrated here from Turkey and the Admissions Director response was "so you're a refugee". I replied "no I was born here and my parents are immigrants not refugees". She proceeded to attack me throughout the interview and didnt even ask me any questions proceeding that. At one point, when I asked her if she could introduce herself because she hadn't earlier she just dove straight into questions her response was "I'm the admissions director, I am the boss around here". I wouldn't go to that school if they gave me a full ride. Good luck everyone!
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iFky99 said:
Officially committed to JHU MSPH (International Health)! Would love to connect if anyone else is also going there 🙂
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Which concentration? I've been admitted to the GDEC. I haven't committed yet but will be attending the Admitted Students Visitor Day this Friday!
 
mellowyellowkaz said:
SDSU MPH - Epi (accredited program) or UCSD MPH? I'm not sure how to decide because I went to SDSU for undergrad and loved it :/ any advice??
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I'm in the same boat!! Haven't heard back from SDSU yet but was accepted to UCSD and deciding if I do get accepted to SDSU who I should pick bc of this reason haha have you made a final decision yet?
 
helicopter30 said:
Currently trying to decide between UPenn and Brown (for Global Health). It looks like the tuition will be similar for each, and cost of living isn't overly different. Both programs have pretty small cohorts, seem to have research-intensive programs, and seem well-connected internationally (important to me because I have international research that I'm wanting to pursue), so my decision really comes down to lifestyle. I'm in love with Philadelphia, have lots of family in the area, and potentially want to start my career there, but I'm starting to get a sense that UPenn's program might be geared a bit more towards individuals getting dual degrees or already established professionals. I finished undergrad a year early in 2020 (in the middle of the pandemic) so I feel like I sort of want a bit of a "college" feel out of grad school (maybe weird to admit, but it is what it is). The unity and clarity of the MPH program at Brown draws me in. On the other hand, I've visited Providence, and while I liked it there, it isn't the type of big city I'm looking to settle down in. The people there that I talked to came across as super friendly and nice (coming from someone who has lived in the south for the last half of her life!) and the town was adorable, but it feels like it's missing the action I'm seeking. Boston's only an hour away, but an hour is still an hour. I'm having a tremendously difficult time making a decision. If anyone has ANY insight that could help me make a call between the two schools, please hit a girl up!!
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I can't speak to the lifestyle of the schools/cities, but one of my projects at work is in collaboration with the WHO, researchers from Brown and LMIC based research teams. From what I've observed, Brown has a fairly large global health presence and is highly regarded among the researchers I work with.
 
helicopter30 said:
Currently trying to decide between UPenn and Brown (for Global Health). It looks like the tuition will be similar for each, and cost of living isn't overly different. Both programs have pretty small cohorts, seem to have research-intensive programs, and seem well-connected internationally (important to me because I have international research that I'm wanting to pursue), so my decision really comes down to lifestyle. I'm in love with Philadelphia, have lots of family in the area, and potentially want to start my career there, but I'm starting to get a sense that UPenn's program might be geared a bit more towards individuals getting dual degrees or already established professionals. I finished undergrad a year early in 2020 (in the middle of the pandemic) so I feel like I sort of want a bit of a "college" feel out of grad school (maybe weird to admit, but it is what it is). The unity and clarity of the MPH program at Brown draws me in. On the other hand, I've visited Providence, and while I liked it there, it isn't the type of big city I'm looking to settle down in. The people there that I talked to came across as super friendly and nice (coming from someone who has lived in the south for the last half of her life!) and the town was adorable, but it feels like it's missing the action I'm seeking. Boston's only an hour away, but an hour is still an hour. I'm having a tremendously difficult time making a decision. If anyone has ANY insight that could help me make a call between the two schools, please hit a girl up!!
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Hi! I'm quite familiar with public health in both Philly and Boston. First off, if you really want to be in global health, Philly is not an ideal city. There aren't many public health orgs in the city and they're not geared towards global health. If you're ok working in the pharma/hospital/university setting, than by all means, there are many opportunities. Edit: I recommend looking for positions in Philly now so that you can gage the landscape and see if there are companies/positioned you would be interested in pursuing.

Boston has more global health opportunities, but as you said, you will have to travel there. It's really not far though, a 40 minute train ride that takes you straight into the city. I've experienced longer commutes coming from the Boston suburbs. There are more schools of public health there, so there will be more competition. Either way, you'll probably have to ride on the name, connections and internships.

If you want to talk about it, PM me!
 
Got an email from Emory that they were missing Financial Aid documentation so I logged into OPUS and found that I got the $5k REAL award as well as $33k in loans - I never got an email saying I had been awarded anything, so if anyone else hasn’t gotten anything, I would encourage you to check OPUS!
 
epihopeful627 said:
Got an email from Emory that they were missing Financial Aid documentation so I logged into OPUS and found that I got the $5k REAL award as well as $33k in loans - I never got an email saying I had been awarded anything, so if anyone else hasn’t gotten anything, I would encourage you to check OPUS!
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Thank you for alerting us!! 🙂 Just found out that I was awarded with the $5k REAL award + $33k in loans as well
 
epihopeful627 said:
Got an email from Emory that they were missing Financial Aid documentation so I logged into OPUS and found that I got the $5k REAL award as well as $33k in loans - I never got an email saying I had been awarded anything, so if anyone else hasn’t gotten anything, I would encourage you to check OPUS!
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where was this information located in OPUS? Also congratulations 🙂
 
mphwannabe123 said:
Has anyone heard about financial aid from GWU that is not merit based? I was told I would not be getting any merit based aid, but haven’t heard anything about loans or need based yet. Anyone else???
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I emailed them and they told me they’ll be sending it out closer to April 15th
 
mphwannabe123 said:
Has anyone heard about financial aid from GWU that is not merit based? I was told I would not be getting any merit based aid, but haven’t heard anything about loans or need based yet. Anyone else???
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I received a GW grant (I don’t think it’s merit bc my gpa 😂😭) and first Gen grant at at the end of February
 
Ugh guys I’m so conflicted rn, I really thought I had checked Columbia off my list because I had only been offered loans. Originally it was tied at the top of my list. But now that people are getting merit info I’m not sure what to think?! I had switched my focus already to BU and even started looking at apartments, (some of which I’d need to decide if I’m moving in veryyyy soon, like even before the 15th)plus I really love Boston’s medical facilities and think I would be able to get a part time research opportunity while I’m at school. I really don’t want to wait until the last day to pick a school, I don’t get why they are making us wait until then! I’m worried if I decide too soon, I’ll miss out if they do end up giving me a bigger scholarship than BU (BU gave me 35%). This is going to keep me up at night lol
 
Do you automatically get in-state tuition if your from the state as that university? Or do you have to be “awarded” or given that tuition?
 
Hey everyone! I've been lurking here for about a month now, and have finally completed my application cycle! You've all helped me so much here, so I've decided to share my stats.

Undergraduate School/School type: Howard University
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.3/3.5
Major/minor: Bio/Chem
Grad GPA (if applicable):
Grad studies (if applicable):
GRE(including date taken): None (COVID-19 and life was too hectic)

Experience/research: I have a few diff bench research lab opportunities and some consistent volunteering experience in a hospital. I was heavily involved on campus, with positions consistently in student government/advocacy organizations.
Letters of Rec: 3 (Honors advisor/professor, orgo lab professor, honors research mentor)

Interests:

Applied: UNC Chapel Hill (online MPH), Drexel, GWU, JHU, Howard (same school as undergrad), Baylor (online MPH)
Accepted: All
Rejected:
Waitlisted:
Attending: ?

As you guys can see, I don't have the most PH experience as my experience is lab based (I was pre-med and an MPH is a newer passion). Undergrad was a very difficult time for me so I have a decent GPA at best, but I just really tried to show my passion in my personal statement and luckily I was rewarded. I hope that this inspires someone to be willing to take a chance on themselves 🙂

I've narrowed it down to GWU-Community Oriented Primary Care (27k but I appealed--they said I'd hear back from April 15th) and JHU-Global Disease Epi and Control (75% MTS 2nd yr). I like GWU because I do prefer the idea of learning the skills to be hands-on in communities because I do want to work with people. I do however live in DC so if I went to Hopkins I'd be commuting (it's not terrible but not ideal so hoping there is flexibility with course offerings). However, Hopkins is.. Hopkins. I never imagined myself doing Epi (I'm not the greatest at math but I can typically get concepts with some practice). I have some experience coding using MATLab and Python but not much. I do like the idea of learning how to make impacts on a larger scale (plus I'm sure the skills would be largely transferable to smaller communities anyways) and potentially being able to travel/work in different countries/communities. If anyone is involved in these programs and wants to share their experience or just what they know/just wants to share their opinion on where they think I should go, please let me know!
 
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