Prospective MPH student - could use some suggestions

[arc5005]

So...I've decided I want to go for my MPH in most likely Environmental Health (possibly Global health - still have some time to decide)

I'm currently worried, because my stats at the moment are:
Environmental Science BS w/ a Concentration in Public Health

• 3.17 GPA
• 1 co-op for a NYS funded Pollution Prevention Organization (mostly engineering based work)
• No GREs yet
• Taking 2-3 Public Health based courses this Spring 2012 in Denmark for a study abroad program
• Applying for Public Health internships for this summer
• Have a chance to boost my GPA up next year
• Graduate May 2013
• Asian/white male, gay (diversity is nice?)
• Started off at a top 100 university, but I transferred to a top 10 regional Northeast college. Fordham, then Rochester Institute of Technology.

I can't find many programs that would accept me for a spring 2014 semester. I'm worried about applying to the top programs with a 3.17 (probably a 3.3 or 3.4 when I apply) next Fall, and I wanted to wait until I have a higher GPA.

Should I wait until after I graduate, and try to work for a year and apply to top programs. I'm expecting a 3.5 GPA after graduation, hopefully higher. I'm starting to study for my GREs and plan to take them this summer or next fall, so I can study for a long time on and off.

How hard is it to get into programs? Are there very low acceptance rates?
I'm looking mainly at:

Columbia
Yale
GWU
CUNY Hunter
University of Washington
Boston University
MS at Harvard?

maybe backups being
MS @ NYU
MPH @ Suny Downstate

I want to be in either NYC, Washington dc, maybe Boston, or Seattle. preferably NYC or DC.

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[Veggie Monster]

So...I've decided I want to go for my MPH in most likely Environmental Health (possibly Global health - still have some time to decide)

I'm currently worried, because my stats at the moment are:
Environmental Science BS w/ a Concentration in Public Health

• 3.17 GPA
• 1 co-op for a NYS funded Pollution Prevention Organization (mostly engineering based work)
• No GREs yet
• Taking 2-3 Public Health based courses this Spring 2012 in Denmark for a study abroad program
• Applying for Public Health internships for this summer
• Have a chance to boost my GPA up next year
• Graduate May 2013
• Asian/white male, gay (diversity is nice?)
• Started off at a top 100 university, but I transferred to a top 10 regional Northeast college. Fordham, then Rochester Institute of Technology.

I can't find many programs that would accept me for a spring 2014 semester. I'm worried about applying to the top programs with a 3.17 (probably a 3.3 or 3.4 when I apply) next Fall, and I wanted to wait until I have a higher GPA.

Should I wait until after I graduate, and try to work for a year and apply to top programs. I'm expecting a 3.5 GPA after graduation, hopefully higher. I'm starting to study for my GREs and plan to take them this summer or next fall, so I can study for a long time on and off.

How hard is it to get into programs? Are there very low acceptance rates?
I'm looking mainly at:

Columbia
Yale
GWU
CUNY Hunter
University of Washington
Boston University
MS at Harvard?

maybe backups being
MS @ NYU
MPH @ Suny Downstate

I want to be in either NYC, Washington dc, maybe Boston, or Seattle. preferably NYC or DC.

-don't apply for the spring semester, instead fall 201X
-get some work experience related to public health
-pwn that GRE
-write an amazing statement of purpose/personal statement.

 

[arc5005]

-don't apply for the spring semester, instead fall 201X
-get some work experience related to public health
-pwn that GRE
-write an amazing statement of purpose/personal statement.

How much work experience?

How much experience did you acquire before applying?

My work experience by next fall (when I'd like to ideally apply) will consist of:
5 months in Pollution Prevention
3 month Summer internship or co-op in either Public health or Environmental health & safety/occupational health

I guess why i want to get my MPH sooner than later is that I've already taken a year off between my freshman and sophomore year, and also this whole year I'm taking off from RIT to work full time as an intern until January, and then to study abroad Jan-May in Denmark. I'll be 23 (1 month from 24) when I graduate with my BS.

I currently work full-time for an organization (5 months total). I'm working on pollution prevention projects for various companies (environmental consulting basically). I'm reducing the VOCs for a company, and trying to find a green chemical alternative. For a few other companies I'm working on how to recycle or reuse their mineral waste so that it doesn't just go to a landfill. Will any of this be beneficial towards a MPH application, or does it not relate well enough?