ok as people are making their decisions....let's discuss
People who are choosing high rank/big name/more reputable schools over lower ranking/less reputable ones that are cheaper and/or gave you scholarships, why? Would love y'alls input, especially if they're both top 10 schools!!
I see cost as a huge factor in my decision. But people are telling me to just take out loans and go to Hopkins over Emory bc the name will pay for itself. There's like absolutely no way to guarantee that, so I'm hesitant. Luckily both are very good schools, it's not like I'm missing out on much if I pick Emory, but idk if spending 80k on a Hopkins degree will make that much of a difference in terms of ROI...public health jobs usually don't pay that great starting out :/ If I go to Hopkins, I feel like I'll need to take out at least ~25k in loans (if scholarship money doesn't magically appear) vs being debt free w/ emory.
So how are you guys making the decision in regards to name/ranking and cost?? Which one matters more to you and why?
ugh can I just find $80k on the ground tomorrow or something lmao
I'm in the same boat as you. Narrowed down to between Emory and Hopkins (which were also my top two choices when applying). Emory is about $30k cheaper, but ultimately I think I'm going to attend Hopkins. Both are amazing school's, but Hopkins definitely has more name recognition. At the very least, I feel the Hopkins name will get me through the door in terms of job interviews. They both also have plenty of research opportunities. Yes, I won't be able to work at the CDC, but you can find faculty at both schools doing research in pretty much any topic imaginable. More importantly, however, I will likely be spending the bulk of my life in the northeast, so it is more valuable for me to network at Hopkins than at Emory.
You should also consider what you want to accomplish while obtaining your degree. I feel at Hopkins they value research opportunities while at Emory they really encourage students to work in the field. I want a career in academia and also have multiple years of work experience, so I'm looking to gain more research experience while in school. So again for me, Hopkins makes more sense.
I also like the coursework at Hopkins slightly more. At Hopkins the curriculum seems more focused on epi and biostats methods while at Emory there are more general required public health courses. My undergraduate degree was in public health, so I already have a strong foundation on public health concepts and want to learn more about methods.
I was actually just in Atlanta last week visiting Emory, and I absolutely loved the city. Some part of me will probably always regret giving up an opportunity to live in the south, but it just makes more sense for me to be at Hopkins. I also already have friends in Baltimore, so it won't be a big adjustment when I move.
This is all personal for me, so you have to ultimately decide what is best for you. If you want to chat more about our decisions, feel free to message me!
