The All-Encompassing, "What are my chances" thread!

[secretsloth]

There are some schools that actually do require full time, post-undergrad experience, but they are in the minority. Most schools take people fresh out of undergrad and consider college experiences like the ones you listed to be "real" experience.

Based on some PMs I've gotten and this post, I think the role of experience is actually getting a little overstated on these forums these days. It's not that school are looking for a certain type of experience for a certain length of time (again, except in some very specific cases) like how there is a "magic number" of volunteer hours for med school applicants. It's more like they are looking for experiences that explain how your interest in public health developed or, if you've had the chance, how you explored it. Also, some types of experience (paid full time work in the field, research publications, etc.) can offset poor GPA and GRE, but if those stats are at least average compared to other applicants to the school, then I don't think experience is weighted as heavily.

The only school on your list I want to caution you about is UW. If you read through the 2018 thread, you'll see that many (maybe even all? can't remember) of UW undergrad alumns who applied were rejected, including ones with pretty impressive profiles. I'm not saying don't apply; just be warned that they don't like to take their own. I'd consider adding a 5th school to your list.

UW is definitely a reach, but it would be so nice not to have to move across the country for grad school so I'm just going to see what happens. Thank you for your feedback!

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[zzz45892]

Hello, I am looking to apply for the Fall 2019 cycle. I am sort of new to the whole public health world so I am looking for any feedback. TIA!

Undergrad School: large state school
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 4.0
Major/Minor: Psychology major, women's studies minor, thinking about also minoring in community health.
GRE: Haven't taken yet but practice tests in 75th percentile
Experience/Research (please, be brief):
-Will have 9 months as a health education intern
-1 year of research in psychophysiology lab on campus
-1.5 years of research in addictions on campus
-1 year of clinical research in health psychology at a hospital

LOR: one from my internship supervisor, one from lab professor on campus, and one from the PI at the hospital.

Interests: MPH in behavioral health and/or community health.

Applying: Colorado, UNM, SDSU, UPitt, University of Indiana, MAYBE University of Florida and UC Davis.

My biggest concern is that I have not been involved in any clubs on campus because I have been extremely busy with my many research labs and working throughout college. I am thinking about possibly joining a public health club for my senior year if that would make a difference.

 

[wwmmkk]

Hello, I am looking to apply for the Fall 2019 cycle. I am sort of new to the whole public health world so I am looking for any feedback. TIA!

Undergrad School: large state school
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 4.0
Major/Minor: Psychology major, women's studies minor, thinking about also minoring in community health.
GRE: Haven't taken yet but practice tests in 75th percentile
Experience/Research (please, be brief):
-Will have 9 months as a health education intern
-1 year of research in psychophysiology lab on campus
-1.5 years of research in addictions on campus
-1 year of clinical research in health psychology at a hospital

LOR: one from my internship supervisor, one from lab professor on campus, and one from the PI at the hospital.

Interests: MPH in behavioral health and/or community health.

Applying: Colorado, UNM, SDSU, UPitt, University of Indiana, MAYBE University of Florida and UC Davis.

My biggest concern is that I have not been involved in any clubs on campus because I have been extremely busy with my many research labs and working throughout college. I am thinking about possibly joining a public health club for my senior year if that would make a difference.

You will be fine. With your GPA, projected GRE scores, and research experience, you will be a very competitive candidate for behavioral/community health. I would recommend that you apply to higher tier schools. There's nothing wrong with the ones you have chosen, but they are unlikely to give you much scholarship money, and public health degrees are expensive. If there's a reason you are avoiding New England and mid-Atlantic states, consider University of Minnesota, University of Michigan, and Emory. If not, look at Drexel, Brown, BU, and Columbia.

 

[spoitier]

Hello all! I am preparing to apply to MPH programs this winter and would love some advice on my stats.

Education: I graduated May 2017 with BA Anthropology; biomedical science and public health-related minors, 3.5 GPA. 158V 157Q 4.0 GRE (I could definitely improve this if needed. I’d rather not have to spend the money but I can make it work).

Experience: I am a current AmeriCorps VISTA working in substance abuse and HIV/STI prevention in rural communities. I also spent 5 months as a public health educator for the Peace Corps (yay medical separation), 5 months teaching sex ed for a local non profit, 1 year as a campus wellness educator in college, 2 years as a volunteer HIV counselor. I was an anthropology research assistant 2.5-3 years on projects related to health demography/historical epi,maternal and child health, osteology and paleopathology; was a TA for 5ish classes; did clinical lab health research on parasites. Also in college I was a club president and traveled to Central America for a week to do public health education, infrastructure improvement, and clean water work. I have 2 strong letters of rec lined up (anth professor/research advisor/mentor and a biomedical science professor/mentor) but am still deciding on who the third should be. No publications (yet—maybe this year) but a dozen posters and paper presentations under my belt.

I am interested in epidemiology, infectious diseases, global health, sexual health/STIs&HIV, water-borne diseases, outbreaks and epidemics. I am also applying to anthropology programs so that is definitely influencing my school list, which is:
University of Washington-Seattle, University of South Florida, University of Kentucky, Emory University, University of Florida, University of Connecticut, Brown University, University of Maryland-College Park, University of Arizona. I may also apply to the MPH programs at University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Minnesota-Twin Cities as backups and because I'd get in-state tuition.

What do y'all think? My biggest concern is my GRE score--should I retake it or do you think I'll be ok as is?

Thank you in advance!!!

 

[JDGBruin1317]

Hello all! I am preparing to apply to MPH programs this winter and would love some advice on my stats.

Education: I graduated May 2017 with BA Anthropology; biomedical science and public health-related minors, 3.5 GPA. 158V 157Q 4.0 GRE (I could definitely improve this if needed. I’d rather not have to spend the money but I can make it work).

Experience: I am a current AmeriCorps VISTA working in substance abuse and HIV/STI prevention in rural communities. I also spent 5 months as a public health educator for the Peace Corps (yay medical separation), 5 months teaching sex ed for a local non profit, 1 year as a campus wellness educator in college, 2 years as a volunteer HIV counselor. I was an anthropology research assistant 2.5-3 years on projects related to health demography/historical epi,maternal and child health, osteology and paleopathology; was a TA for 5ish classes; did clinical lab health research on parasites. Also in college I was a club president and traveled to Central America for a week to do public health education, infrastructure improvement, and clean water work. I have 2 strong letters of rec lined up (anth professor/research advisor/mentor and a biomedical science professor/mentor) but am still deciding on who the third should be. No publications (yet—maybe this year) but a dozen posters and paper presentations under my belt.

I am interested in epidemiology, infectious diseases, global health, sexual health/STIs&HIV, water-borne diseases, outbreaks and epidemics. I am also applying to anthropology programs so that is definitely influencing my school list, which is:
University of Washington-Seattle, University of South Florida, University of Kentucky, Emory University, University of Florida, University of Connecticut, Brown University, University of Maryland-College Park, University of Arizona. I may also apply to the MPH programs at University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Minnesota-Twin Cities as backups and because I'd get in-state tuition.

What do y'all think? My biggest concern is my GRE score--should I retake it or do you think I'll be ok as is?

Thank you in advance!!!

Your scores are pretty satisfactory, and considering you have extensive experience in the field, I see no need to retake the GRE. Your scores fall in the above average range for many of the schools you plan on applying to. I think all you have to worry about are getting great LORs and writing a well-written statement of purpose and you'll be set! Good luck!

 

[wwmmkk]

I am interested in epidemiology, infectious diseases, global health, sexual health/STIs&HIV, water-borne diseases, outbreaks and epidemics. I am also applying to anthropology programs so that is definitely influencing my school list, which is:
University of Washington-Seattle, University of South Florida, University of Kentucky, Emory University, University of Florida, University of Connecticut, Brown University, University of Maryland-College Park, University of Arizona. I may also apply to the MPH programs at University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Minnesota-Twin Cities as backups and because I'd get in-state tuition.

What do y'all think? My biggest concern is my GRE score--should I retake it or do you think I'll be ok as is?

I know nothing about anthropology programs, so if you're trying for dual enrollment (is that a thing?) my advice may be useless. From a purely public health standpoint, though, I'd skip applying to Kentucky, UConn, and University of Wisconsin (unless you really need that in-state safety). You could get a much better education for the same price point elsewhere. I'm also not sure about University of Florida or USF... USF gets mentioned on these forums a bit, but UF rarely does.

University of Washington, Brown, and University of Minnesota are probably the most competitive schools on your list and (along with Emory) have the strongest public health programs. I would wager that your quant GRE score is at the low end of average for epidemiology students at those three, but you're on track for the other schools. I think it's up to you whether you want to retake it... it may cost you time/money/sanity now, but a higher score may pay that back in merit scholarship money. You can also save a bit by cutting down the number of schools you're applying to.

The only other bit of advice I'd give is that your interests seem a bit scattered. It's actually a very useful and totally acceptable thing once you're at school to have diverse interests and be able to be flexible in terms of the projects you end up pursuing, but admissions people in basically any field like a nice coherent story. If you are equally interested in both, I'd suggest expressing a broad interest in global epidemiological responses to infectious disease in the beginning of your personal statement and then using either the "water borne disease" interest or the "STI/sexual health" interest as a specific example depending on the strengths/focus of each particular school's epidemiology department. But if you already know you'd prefer pursuing one over the other, I'd drop the one that's less of interest from your personal statement.

 

[el.mo19]

Hi all! I am planning on applying for the upcoming cycle and was hoping to get feedback on what you all think my chances are.

Undergrad School: UCLA (graduated March 2017)
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.355 / 3.502 / 3.615 (upper div)
Major/Minor: Geography / Global Health
GRE: V: 155 (69%), Q: 155 (59%), W: 4.0
Experience/Research (please, be brief):
- summer study abroad program working with Burmese migrants on the Thai-Myanmar border
- 1 year internship at a non-profit that does WASH work in Kenya, helped start a women's empowerment program (still actively volunteered during last 2.5 years)
- 2 years at UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine Nephrology Research Office: 1 year as a research assistant, 1 year as a lead clinical research coordinator (extremely involved in planning health education events the office has) - will have a little over 2 years full-time experience before Fall 2019

LOR: one from the Executive Director at my internship, one from a geography professor who I took 3 classes with (one which was an 8 person seminar), and one from my PI

Interests: MPH in behavioral health and/or health education; program evaluation and implementation

Applying: UC Berkeley, Emory, Tulane, UCLA, Boston University, considering applying to University of Michigan - Ann Arbor and JHSPH bc why not??

Like most people nervous because of my GPA and GRE because I'm such a bad standardized test taker. I also worked multiple jobs during undergrad so hoping that my dedication to two programs will suffice!

 

[JDGBruin1317]

Hi all! I am planning on applying for the upcoming cycle and was hoping to get feedback on what you all think my chances are.

Undergrad School: UCLA (graduated March 2017)
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.355 / 3.502 / 3.615 (upper div)
Major/Minor: Geography / Global Health
GRE: V: 155 (69%), Q: 155 (59%), W: 4.0
Experience/Research (please, be brief):
- summer study abroad program working with Burmese migrants on the Thai-Myanmar border
- 1 year internship at a non-profit that does WASH work in Kenya, helped start a women's empowerment program (still actively volunteered during last 2.5 years)
- 2 years at UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine Nephrology Research Office: 1 year as a research assistant, 1 year as a lead clinical research coordinator (extremely involved in planning health education events the office has) - will have a little over 2 years full-time experience before Fall 2019

LOR: one from the Executive Director at my internship, one from a geography professor who I took 3 classes with (one which was an 8 person seminar), and one from my PI

Interests: MPH in behavioral health and/or health education; program evaluation and implementation

Applying: UC Berkeley, Emory, Tulane, UCLA, Boston University, considering applying to University of Michigan - Ann Arbor and JHSPH bc why not??

Like most people nervous because of my GPA and GRE because I'm such a bad standardized test taker. I also worked multiple jobs during undergrad so hoping that my dedication to two programs will suffice!

Hey! Fellow Bruin here (c/o 2017)!!! <3

I think your GPA is pretty good; my overall GPA was a little lower than yours (3.341). Your GRE isn't horrible, but I do expect others to make the suggestion of retaking them if possible/necessary if you're shooting for competitive programs such as Cal, JHSPH, and some others. In my opinion, I think your scores are satisfactory /average and I don't see a reason to retake them unless you think you should or will bring peace of mind. However, a lot of scholarships given out at the schools you plan on applying to are merit-based, so it may be a good idea to consider retaking the GRE if finance is a factor. I was worried about my scores holding me back, so I put a lot more effort into forming my personal statement and finding former professors and supervisors to write my LOR. I did not think I was going to get into half of the schools I applied to (granted I didn't apply to that many ) but I ended up getting into my first and top choice, along with a couple of other good schools, so anything is possible! Also, your experiences are very good and well-rounded, definitely more than mine, which is why I'm deferring my enrollment to next fall to build on my work experience.

DM me if you have any more general questions about the application process or why I chose my program/school!

 

[NDSU.19]

I am wondering what my chances of getting into my preferred MPH programs are. I'm currently a senior in my undergrad and will be applying for the Fall 2019 Semester.

Undergrad School: North Dakota State (Biological Science)
Undergrad GPA: 3.3
GRE: [Take in August]

I have 4 very strong letters of recommendation. 1 coming from my academic advisor and professor, 2 coming from Epi's I've worked under in an internship at a state health department, and 1 coming from a director of a county agency (public health related) that I've worked for every summer since high school.

The programs I'm interested in:

UMN: Environment Infectious Disease
University of CO (Anschutz): Epidemiology
Columbia: Epidemiology (Infectious Disease Certificate).

I'm still looking for schools but know my interests lie in infectious disease. I'd appreciate some feedback on my application, and maybe even some schools that might be a fit for me. Thank you, this thread has been very helpful!

 

[plsmphepi]

Hi all! I have the ultimate "What are my chances" question. Apologies in advance. I didn't want to include this on the 2019 accepted/wait listed thread because I felt like I would be clogging it up too much. This is better I think.
I really hope that through answers for this, a lot of prospective epi students will get an idea of a lot of the programs.
I honestly, humbly ask that you answer all the questions (most are just YES/NO). This would be of such tremendous help for me.

My stats:

Undergrad School: Nationally recognized university (will graduate April 2019)
Undergrad GPA: 7.35/10.00 (I have been told that after WES evaluation, this equates to approximately 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, and will be considerable higher if only the last 60 credit hours are taken into account)
Major: Biotechnology
GRE: V: 155, Q: 155 W: 4.0 (Havn't taken it yet -- but these are conservative estimates based on diagnostic tests)
Experience/Research (please, be brief):
- summer internship at Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology working on gut microbiome related research
-semester long project work based on herbal medicine
- summer internship at National Institute of Epidemiology
- currently working on final year project on transcriptome analysis (dealing with environmental science/ bacteria) (got funding for this from my college!!!)

LOR: one from mentor at my internship (at Nat'l Institute of Epi), one from a biopharmaceuticals professor who I took 1 class with (or maybe an LOR from my mentor from my other internship instead), and one from my PI (for both projects, and is my faculty advisor as well)

Interests: MPH in Epi

Other Important: I suppose I'll be applying as an international student, even though I have US Citizenship, but it's possible I may be considered domestic. Will be emailing schools to figure that out. Also, my undergrad math scores kinda suck. A lot. It's because of my move from U.S. to India (where math is wayyyyyyyy more rigorous), so even though I took AP math and did great in high school, my college math grades are terrible. I will try to make up for that with 160+ in quant in GRE, and am also taking Coursera for biostat taught by Johns Hopkins. Still, not sure how this will affect my acceptances since epi is heavily quant. I know I will survive, but will the colleges? That's the big question.


SCHOOL THAT I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT:

Please let me know if each of these schools are reach, safety, or normal according to my stats, as well as if it makes sense to even apply when my focus is on practical epi rather than research (I’m really not fond of extensive lab work).

Please also note that I would try to get in as many biostat classes as possible, and certificate in biostat, where offered.

I am lucky enough to have no debt from undergrad, so while tuition does play a part, it won’t be a huge table turner for me. Similarly, location matters to me when it comes to job opportunities and networking, but not for my own comfort – after going to India for my undergrad after having lived my whole life in US, location really isn’t something I am too picky over.

These are the 2 places I am definitely applying to, regardless of whether it’s unattainable or not. Still I would like your thoughts based on my stats and whether I have even a slight chance of admit.

1. Emory MPH Epi

2. Columbia MPH Epi


Brown:

a) Reach/Normal/Safety? If reach, do I even have a shot?

b) Caters to/ is considered “strong” in practical epi more than research based epi?

c) I hear about Brown sometimes, but not a lot of people are applying here and I’ve heard next to no mention about its Epi program – do you have any insights to offer? Is it well known for epidemiology in the first place?

d) It’s in Rhode Island – is that beneficial at all to getting good work? It certainly is not like Emory (CDC) or Columbia (NY opportunities) but the fact that it is Ivy League has to mean something…right?

University of Minnesota:

a) Reach/Normal/Safety? If reach, do I even have a shot?

b) Caters to/ is considered “strong” in practical epi more than research based epi?

c) Is it well known for epidemiology in the first place? I haven’t seen many references in SDN about UMinn’s epi program.

d) Not such an amazing location in public health hub, but the fact that it’s top 10 in ranking has to mean something, right?

University of Washington:

a) Reach/Normal/Safety? If reach, do I even have a shot?

b) Caters to/ is considered “strong” in practical epi more than research based epi?

c) I HAVE heard about epi here – correct me if I’m wrong, but one of the best epi programs is here, right?

d) Worried about location again – how are opportunities for work?


Tulane:

a) I think I’m correct in assuming this is a reach school for me? If so, what are my chances – do I have a shot or should I save myself money and not apply?

b) If I’m not wrong, I think Tulane has great practical epi program as well, right?

George Washington University:

a) Reach/Normal/Safety? If reach, do I even have a shot?

b) I’m really rooting for this one, since I’ve heard their epi program is good, and especially because it’s in D.C. area and job opportunities are abundant. Your thoughts on these matters?

UC-Berkeley:

a) I know 100% this is a very large reach for me, so if you think I don’t have a chance at all, please let me know. (I want to get into the Epi/Biostats program, not the Infectious disease and vaccinology track because… research.)

b) BUT. Do you think IDV would offer more of an opportunity to go into pharmacoepidemiology? If yes… I would consider it.



UCLA:

a) I know this is a far reach too. Do I even have a shot?

b) I hope I am also right in stating that UCLA has a fantastic epi program that’s more practical than research?


BU:

a) Would this be a safe school for me? So many people get into BU to the point where I assume it’s very easy to get into, but that may be because all those applicants are well qualified. Thoughts?

b) I believe epi is quite good here also?


Drexel:

a) Would this be a safe school for me? So many people get into here to the point where I assume it’s very easy to get into, but that may be because all those applicants are well qualified. Thoughts?

b) Is epi good here? Not much info on this.



UPenn/Univ of Iowa/Univ of Maryland

a) Should I consider these? Haven’t read much about them. If I should consider them, for any reason that you think, would they be safe schools?


SDSU/Univ of Massachusetts/ Colorado School of Public Health

a) Should I consider these? Contrary to the above, I HAVE read a bit about them, which leads me to my next question: would these be “safe” schools for me, and are their epi programs good?



UPitt/UT Houston/USF/USC

a) Should I consider these? Again, I HAVE read a bit about them and these schools seem to be ranked higher than the previous schools I had grouped together (above) which leads me to my next question: would these be “attainable” schools for me, and are their epi programs good?


NYU:

a) It seems to me like this is an off-brand Columbia. Same outside opportunities but the branding that Columbia has isn’t there. Would this be an attainable school for me?

b) This doesn’t make the ranking list but a lot of people seem to apply for it. Does it have a practical epi program?


UNC-Chapel Hill/UMichigan

a) From my understanding, these are both super-reach schools and I already think I shouldn’t be wasting time and money on them, what do you think?


U of Illinos-Chicago (UIC):

a) This seems to be one of the good yet underrated epi programs – is this true? Not too “mainstream” popular among applicants but great education, or so I’ve heard.

b) Reach/Attainable?


Yale:

a) I know there are 2 epi streams, one is chronic disease epi and the other is focused on microbiology and definitely lab work. Not sure if chronic disease epi is also heavy lab focused. I also think that having a focus on chronic disease epi from the get go will narrow down options when it comes to jobs. What your opinion on Yale’s epi?

b) Reach/attainable (I only dare say that it may be attainable since not many regard Yale highly for MPH)

 

[serioustar123]

I would love to have some advice. I really want to apply for Fall 2019. I know my undergradate GPA is not the greatest. I was struggling with mental issues throughout my undergraduate degree, but I have been doing a lot better.

Undergrad School: Washington State University
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 2.76 Post-Bachlorette: 3.85 Overall GPA: 2.93 (according to the SOPHAS spreadsheet)
Major/Minor: Biology/Psychology
GRE : Verbal 151 (52 percentile) Quantitative 153 (50 percentile) Analytical 3.5 (41 percentile)


Experience/Research/Extracurriculars:
-Over 300 hours as an Intern/Shadowing Physical Therapists (some hours also in a hospital)
-Resident Advisor at Washington State University for two years
-Research Project regarding rats with stress at Washington State University - did a presentation for it
-Volunteer at the local animal shelter (4+ years)
-Habitat for Humanity Member (done a few projects)
-American Cancer Society Member (Raising money through walking)
-Circle K International Member (I've done various projects to help the community)
-Soup Kitchen Volunteer
-Cashier at Walmart for 3 months


What schools should I apply for? What should I do in the meantime to increase my chances other than retaking classes?

 

[wwmmkk]

I would love to have some advice. I really want to apply for Fall 2019. I know my undergradate GPA is not the greatest. I was struggling with mental issues throughout my undergraduate degree, but I have been doing a lot better.

Undergrad School: Washington State University
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 2.75 Post-Bachlorette: 3.85 Overall GPA: 3.05
Major/Minor: Biology/Psychology
GRE : Verbal 151 (52 percentile) Quantitative 153 (50 percentile) Analytical 3.5 (41 percentile)


Experience/Research/Extracurriculars:
-Over 300 hours as an Intern/Shadowing Physical Therapists (some hours also in a hospital)
-Resident Advisor at Washington State University for two years
-Research Project regarding rats with stress at Washington State University - did a presentation for it
-Volunteer at the local animal shelter (4+ years)
-Habitat for Humanity Member (done a few projects)
-American Cancer Society Member (Raising money through walking)
-Circle K International Member (I've done various projects to help the community)
-Soup Kitchen Volunteer
-Cashier at Walmart for 3 months


What schools should I apply for? What should I do in the meantime to increase my chances other than retaking classes?

You didn't say anything about your interests within public health or what you're looking for in a program, so it's hard to say anything about what programs you should apply to.

Since your GPA is in the past and you've already taken post-bacc classes to compensate, leave that alone. What you can control now is getting your GRE up (you are currently on the low end of average there, I'd say), writing a strong personal statement, and getting strong letters of recommendation. At least, you should have a professor or two from undergrad or post-bacc write for you. That might help mitigate your low GPA a bit. Your experiences are also only tangentially related to public health. I would think hard about how to connect them in a narrative that makes sense for MPH programs.

 

[serioustar123]

You didn't say anything about your interests within public health or what you're looking for in a program, so it's hard to say anything about what programs you should apply to.

Since your GPA is in the past and you've already taken post-bacc classes to compensate, leave that alone. What you can control now is getting your GRE up (you are currently on the low end of average there, I'd say), writing a strong personal statement, and getting strong letters of recommendation. At least, you should have a professor or two from undergrad or post-bacc write for you. That might help mitigate your low GPA a bit. Your experiences are also only tangentially related to public health. I would think hard about how to connect them in a narrative that makes sense for MPH programs.

I'm interested in the global aspect of how Public Health affects people globally, as well as, the environmental aspect.

What GRE score should I aim for? I have at least one professor who is able to write a strong letter of recommendation for me. What further experiences should I work on before applying? For my personal statement, I was thinking of tying in the idea of how I've grown from high school to now and give my prospective on how my life has changed drastically due to various health-related circumstances. A lot of my volunteer work has stemmed from these circumstances and I want to challenge myself even further.

 

[eb330009]

Looking to apply to MHA/MPH-Health management programs here in the fall! Would love any tips/advice/insight!!


Undergrad School: University of Washington (graduated in three years)
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.77/3.76
Major/Minor: Public health and communication double major
GRE : Haven't taken the test yet... diagnostic tests are placing me around Verbal 151 Quantitative 159 Analytical 5.0

Experience/Research/Extracurriculars:
-Sorority vice president for 1 year with a focus on philanthropy and working with Ronald McDonald House Charities and Seattle Children's hospital
-Nanny for girl with special needs (2 years during college)
-Intern with local homeless youth program focused on outreach/rehab. I helped with social media/marketing/outreach in addition to volunteering at the meal program.
-3 mo research assistant doing literature reviews for an environmental health non profit (summer sophomore to junior year)
-9 mo working at Transplant Donor Coordinator with local nonprofit coordinating tissue transplantation.
-6 mo working at patient care coordinator at nationally recognized cancer center (by the time I am going to school, it will be 1.5 years working there)

LOR: Manager from transplant donor coordinator job, current manager, potentially physician who I work very closely with at cancer clinic or RN who I work very closely with.

Thinking about applying to.... Target: Emory (MPH), Minnesota (MHA), Johns Hopkins (MHA), Michigan (MPH), UNC (MHA) Safety: Boston (MPH) Reach: Harvard (MPH)

I would potentially like to have one more safety school and maybe one additional reach. Please let me know what you think would be a smart decision with applying!

 

[LilHbaby]

In April 2016 I posted on this forum, I had a low GPA (2.3)no experience I was only accepted into Georgia State graduate certificate program

In the past two years I’ve taken 4 courses as a non degree seeking student (aced all of them) gained experience working for 2 non-profits, a health clinic and a hospital.

This fall I start at OHSU-PSU SPH (also accepted into Emory, Harvard UC Berkeley) as a full time student. In Management and policy with a certificate in Global Health.

This is for anyone reading at one point I had no hope and did not think I could make it and I did I hope my story inspires you all.

Thanks

 

[serioustar123]

In April 2016 I posted on this forum, I had a low GPA (2.3)no experience I was only accepted into Georgia State graduate certificate program

In the past two years I’ve taken 4 courses as a non degree seeking student (aced all of them) gained experience working for 2 non-profits, a health clinic and a hospital.

This fall I start at OHSU-PSU SPH (also accepted into Emory, Harvard UC Berkeley) as a full time student. In Management and policy with a certificate in Global Health.

This is for anyone reading at one point I had no hope and did not think I could make it and I did I hope my story inspires you all.

Thanks

This is definitely inspiring considering I'm on the lower end of the spectru.m. What GPA do you now have?

 

[naoise151]

Hello! I've recently been looking at possibly getting an MPH but I'd just like some quick advice on whether I have the stats to apply and have a good shot. i'm a senior
gpa around 3.1ish
starting research in public health department this semester
no internships
officer in student public health org...volunteered at local and international clinics (50ish hours so far but i'm going to get more this sesmter at a homeless shelter)
EMT-b license (using it to volunteer at homeless shelter and currently interviewing for job at hospital)

havent taken GRE yet

interested in epi, biostats, emergency/disaster preparedness or global heath (specifically policy)

 

[mini312]

Postgrad GPA: 3.81 (WES)
Major: Health Psychology ( A 5-year Integrated Masters from #3 University in India)
GRE: V: 160 (86%), Q: 153 (50%), W: 4.5

Experience/Research (please, be brief):
- 1-year internship at an organization focussed on Child Rights ( My work here is centered around-School Dropouts, Menstrual health)
-6 months Health Psychology internship at a private hospital
-Worked as a Trainer and Field coordinator for residential camps that mentor adolescent girls coming from marginalized backgrounds on the topics- health, rights, safety, self-advocacy, leadership, and communication.
-Experience in Clinical assessments and curriculum development.
-An independent quantitative research study on- "Understanding the levels of student engagement and teacher efficacy in Government schools"

LOR: 2 From the Professors from my Postgrad, 1 from the Executive Director of the NGO

Interests: Global Health, Policy, program design and evaluation and implementation

Applying: Boston University, GWU, Georgia State, Rutgers, University of Alabama- Birmingham.


Soooo, what are my chances? And being an International student, do I have any chance of landing a scholarship?

 

[MPHH1916]

Looking at the Fall 2019 application season-

Undergrad School: UW
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: (not SOPHAS) 2.3...
Major/Minor: Anthropology (med anth/global health track)
GRE: V 157 Q 162 A 5.0
Experience/Research (by 2019):
-3.5 yr undergrad brain injury research assistant
-1 yr Health Outreach Coordinator volunteer
-1 yr neuro rehabilitation center volunteer
-1.5 yr Federal Epi Research Center, research assistant
-1.5 yr local shelter stafff/health advocate
-1 yr CNA

LOR: PI, health outreach lead, UW professor

Interests: AAPI women's health, esp. DV recovery/mental health disparity

I'm not planning on applying to any top tier programs, but by fall 2019, I will have been 2 years out of school. I had a significant personal life event that made undergrad incredibly difficult and will expand on that in my personal statements, but I'm terrified that my GPA will not get my application to be taken seriously. I've built up a lot in the past year but cannot afford (time or money) to invest into community college or post-bacc classes. Should I hold back on applying for another year? I had Drexel and OSU on my list, and was looking at that 'tier' level, although Columbia is my dream school.

 

[ptx56784]

Hi! Currently applying for the Fall 2019 cycle, looking for any feedback. Thanks in advance!

Undergrad School: UChicago (Graduated in June)
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.2 (I have a lot of health issues/family issues that I will probably talk about in the application)
Major/Minor: Biological Sciences, specializing in Global Health; minor in Anthropology
GRE: 166 V, 159 Q, 5.0 A
Experience/Research:
-2 years research experience at a microbiology lab
-1 paper soon to be published in BMC Microbiology
-Currently a researcher at a chronic disease center at a research hospital (first job out of college)
-Senior thesis on MRSA
-(This is pertinent I promise) I speak 5 languages fluently, including an endangered indigenous language
-Writer for a scientific journal on campus

LOR: one from my current PI, one from anthro professor on campus (her specialty is indigenous identity), and one from my thesis adviser/mentor/former PI

Interests: MPH in community health, specifically indigenous women's health

Applying: Yale, Columbia, University of Hawaii, University of Auckland, McGill, University of Washington, UCLA, UC Berkeley, NYU

I'm mainly applying to schools where you can directly study indigenous healthcare/healthcare disparities (I'm an indigenous person myself).

My biggest concern is my low GPA. I'm very close with my recommenders and I think they'll write good things about me, and my statement of purpose/personal statements are coming along pretty well. My GRE score isn't awful--I would retake it if I had the time to study/money to retake it. It's just the GPA that is bugging me. What are my chances?

 

[Mph2020]

Undergrad School: International MBBS(India)
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: WES Evaluated 3.0
Major/Minor: Bachelors of Medicine, Surgery.
GRE (including date taken) or Other Test (if applicable): Not yet taken
Experience/Research (please, be brief):

- Medical Dr x 2y
- Community outreach projects

Interests: MPH in Environmental health science.

As my name suggests, I plan to apply for fall 2020. My gpa is low but will I get a leeway since its a medical degree and how bad is this CV? What GRE scores should i target to have a chance?

 

[epi hopeful]

Hi All,

I've just joined this forum but have been creeping around on here for a while. I've just graduated undergrad and am planning to work for a few years before applying for an MPH in epidemiology. I've looked at the MPH Chances and Results threads and have started to feel a bit hopeless because it looks like I don't have enough public health experience. I'm also currently job hunting and having a hard time figuring out what jobs would be best for getting into good Epi programs.

My Stats:

Undergrad School: Liberal Arts School (Got my degree last month because had to complete a few credits over summer)
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.41/~3.28
Major/Minor: Neuroscience; minor in Health and Society
GRE: 162 V, 159 Q, 5.0 A
Experience/Research:
-1.5 years serving as a Peer Health Educator
-2 years on Exec. Board of my school's public health student organization
-7 months as a research assistant in a Neuroscience lab
-Study abroad for one summer in Denmark
- ~1 week Global Medical Brigades trip to Nicaragua where we set up medical clinics and assisted in installing clean water systems
- ~ 2 weeks tutoring school age kids with a refugee youth enrichment program

Would any of my experiences not be considered public health-related?

Also, for epi, I'm trying to look at research assistant/research coordinator jobs at hospitals and/or health services companies; is that relevant enough? If I want to go into infectious disease epi, but the research I do is in a different public health topic (like substance abuse or cancer), would it still carry enough weight? I'm also having trouble finding entry level public health jobs, in general, being straight out of undergrad - any advice on this?

I basically need help figuring out what I need to do over the next few years to increase my chances (top tier schools are the goal, but I know my experience is lacking and GPA could be better - do I still have any chance, though?). Would it be worth it to take post-bacc public health classes to raise my GPA? Also, I'm quite impressed with the amount of post-grad experience that some people have listed in their stats; I'm having trouble understanding, though, how people are able to do so much in just a few years if they have a full-time job for most of the time. Is it better to have a part time job, then, and volunteer or intern on the side?

I was also looking into Americorps, but since the experience from that would likely be more clinical and less research-oriented, would it not be worth pursuing if I want to do Epi?

Sorry for all the questions; I'm just really nervous about having these next few years fly by without having done enough to increase my chances. Any help and reassurance would be very much appreciated!

 

[n3t]

Hi all! I have the ultimate "What are my chances" question. Apologies in advance. I didn't want to include this on the 2019 accepted/wait listed thread because I felt like I would be clogging it up too much. This is better I think.
I really hope that through answers for this, a lot of prospective epi students will get an idea of a lot of the programs.
I honestly, humbly ask that you answer all the questions (most are just YES/NO). This would be of such tremendous help for me.

My stats:

Undergrad School: Nationally recognized university (will graduate April 2019)
Undergrad GPA: 7.35/10.00 (I have been told that after WES evaluation, this equates to approximately 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, and will be considerable higher if only the last 60 credit hours are taken into account)
Major: Biotechnology
GRE: V: 155, Q: 155 W: 4.0 (Havn't taken it yet -- but these are conservative estimates based on diagnostic tests)
Experience/Research (please, be brief):
- summer internship at Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology working on gut microbiome related research
-semester long project work based on herbal medicine
- summer internship at National Institute of Epidemiology
- currently working on final year project on transcriptome analysis (dealing with environmental science/ bacteria) (got funding for this from my college!!!)

LOR: one from mentor at my internship (at Nat'l Institute of Epi), one from a biopharmaceuticals professor who I took 1 class with (or maybe an LOR from my mentor from my other internship instead), and one from my PI (for both projects, and is my faculty advisor as well)

Interests: MPH in Epi

Other Important: I suppose I'll be applying as an international student, even though I have US Citizenship, but it's possible I may be considered domestic. Will be emailing schools to figure that out. Also, my undergrad math scores kinda suck. A lot. It's because of my move from U.S. to India (where math is wayyyyyyyy more rigorous), so even though I took AP math and did great in high school, my college math grades are terrible. I will try to make up for that with 160+ in quant in GRE, and am also taking Coursera for biostat taught by Johns Hopkins. Still, not sure how this will affect my acceptances since epi is heavily quant. I know I will survive, but will the colleges? That's the big question.


SCHOOL THAT I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT:

Please let me know if each of these schools are reach, safety, or normal according to my stats, as well as if it makes sense to even apply when my focus is on practical epi rather than research (I’m really not fond of extensive lab work).

Please also note that I would try to get in as many biostat classes as possible, and certificate in biostat, where offered.

I am lucky enough to have no debt from undergrad, so while tuition does play a part, it won’t be a huge table turner for me. Similarly, location matters to me when it comes to job opportunities and networking, but not for my own comfort – after going to India for my undergrad after having lived my whole life in US, location really isn’t something I am too picky over.

These are the 2 places I am definitely applying to, regardless of whether it’s unattainable or not. Still I would like your thoughts based on my stats and whether I have even a slight chance of admit.

1. Emory MPH Epi

2. Columbia MPH Epi


Brown:

a) Reach/Normal/Safety? If reach, do I even have a shot?

b) Caters to/ is considered “strong” in practical epi more than research based epi?

c) I hear about Brown sometimes, but not a lot of people are applying here and I’ve heard next to no mention about its Epi program – do you have any insights to offer? Is it well known for epidemiology in the first place?

d) It’s in Rhode Island – is that beneficial at all to getting good work? It certainly is not like Emory (CDC) or Columbia (NY opportunities) but the fact that it is Ivy League has to mean something…right?

University of Minnesota:

a) Reach/Normal/Safety? If reach, do I even have a shot?

b) Caters to/ is considered “strong” in practical epi more than research based epi?

c) Is it well known for epidemiology in the first place? I haven’t seen many references in SDN about UMinn’s epi program.

d) Not such an amazing location in public health hub, but the fact that it’s top 10 in ranking has to mean something, right?

University of Washington:

a) Reach/Normal/Safety? If reach, do I even have a shot?

b) Caters to/ is considered “strong” in practical epi more than research based epi?

c) I HAVE heard about epi here – correct me if I’m wrong, but one of the best epi programs is here, right?

d) Worried about location again – how are opportunities for work?


Tulane:

a) I think I’m correct in assuming this is a reach school for me? If so, what are my chances – do I have a shot or should I save myself money and not apply?

b) If I’m not wrong, I think Tulane has great practical epi program as well, right?

George Washington University:

a) Reach/Normal/Safety? If reach, do I even have a shot?

b) I’m really rooting for this one, since I’ve heard their epi program is good, and especially because it’s in D.C. area and job opportunities are abundant. Your thoughts on these matters?

UC-Berkeley:

a) I know 100% this is a very large reach for me, so if you think I don’t have a chance at all, please let me know. (I want to get into the Epi/Biostats program, not the Infectious disease and vaccinology track because… research.)

b) BUT. Do you think IDV would offer more of an opportunity to go into pharmacoepidemiology? If yes… I would consider it.



UCLA:

a) I know this is a far reach too. Do I even have a shot?

b) I hope I am also right in stating that UCLA has a fantastic epi program that’s more practical than research?


BU:

a) Would this be a safe school for me? So many people get into BU to the point where I assume it’s very easy to get into, but that may be because all those applicants are well qualified. Thoughts?

b) I believe epi is quite good here also?


Drexel:

a) Would this be a safe school for me? So many people get into here to the point where I assume it’s very easy to get into, but that may be because all those applicants are well qualified. Thoughts?

b) Is epi good here? Not much info on this.



UPenn/Univ of Iowa/Univ of Maryland

a) Should I consider these? Haven’t read much about them. If I should consider them, for any reason that you think, would they be safe schools?


SDSU/Univ of Massachusetts/ Colorado School of Public Health

a) Should I consider these? Contrary to the above, I HAVE read a bit about them, which leads me to my next question: would these be “safe” schools for me, and are their epi programs good?



UPitt/UT Houston/USF/USC

a) Should I consider these? Again, I HAVE read a bit about them and these schools seem to be ranked higher than the previous schools I had grouped together (above) which leads me to my next question: would these be “attainable” schools for me, and are their epi programs good?


NYU:

a) It seems to me like this is an off-brand Columbia. Same outside opportunities but the branding that Columbia has isn’t there. Would this be an attainable school for me?

b) This doesn’t make the ranking list but a lot of people seem to apply for it. Does it have a practical epi program?


UNC-Chapel Hill/UMichigan

a) From my understanding, these are both super-reach schools and I already think I shouldn’t be wasting time and money on them, what do you think?


U of Illinos-Chicago (UIC):

a) This seems to be one of the good yet underrated epi programs – is this true? Not too “mainstream” popular among applicants but great education, or so I’ve heard.

b) Reach/Attainable?


Yale:

a) I know there are 2 epi streams, one is chronic disease epi and the other is focused on microbiology and definitely lab work. Not sure if chronic disease epi is also heavy lab focused. I also think that having a focus on chronic disease epi from the get go will narrow down options when it comes to jobs. What your opinion on Yale’s epi?

b) Reach/attainable (I only dare say that it may be attainable since not many regard Yale highly for MPH)

I am a current student in Yale EMD. I love the epi program since I am in such a specialized track focusing on infectious diseases, which was my goal. However, the lab work advertisement is very misleading. There is no lab work incorporated into the academic curriculum. There is plenty of lab work to do, but students have to seek it out on their own to conduct with a professor on their own time outside of class. So neither CDE or EMD have a strong lab focus, but lab opportunities are there if you want them. If you are interested broadly in epidemiology, this may not be the program for you, but if you are confident that you see yourself in CDE or EMD related fields, you have the benefit of focusing your coursework directly on your interests. For me, I am very happy to focus on infectious diseases rather than broad epi and various CDE classes that I would have to take in other programs since I know I do not want to work in the chronic disease field. You would be more than welcome to take courses in other departments as electives as well, there will be plenty of room in your schedule to do so.

Also, I do believe Yale is a very well respected MPH program. It is ranked lower in the US News rankings mostly due to its substantially smaller size than other schools, meaning it has lower alumni financial donations (part of the ranking criteria) and other strikes against it simply due to fewer alumni. I wouldn't take those rankings too seriously. Nobody in my program really had trouble finding an internship and we were all treated as though we were coming from a well respected program.

 

[kinasekinasekat]

Undergrad School: University of Chicago
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.3
Major/Minor: Biological Sciences, specialized in Global Health; minor in English and Creative Writing
GRE: 162 V, 160 Q, 4.5 A
Experience/Research:
3 years of varied hospital volunteering/clinical research assistant jobs
2 years in developmental bio/genetics lab
1 first author paper published in BMC developmental biology
2 years running a student org that organizes community health case competitions

1.5 years into a consulting/business analyst job at a health it company within the population health org.

LOR: one from current manager, one from head of public health dept. at UChi, one from PI, and one uchicago hospital faculty member who taugh my health disparities class.

Interests: Applied for epi/biostats. Hoping to focus on growing quant skills. Research interests in chronic/non-communicable diseases

Applied to: Johns Hopkins full-time MPH, UMich MPH Epi, UNC Epi, Harvard MS Epi, GWU biostat, UWash-Seattle Epi, Berkeley Epi

 

[sarcoline]

Hi, all! I am planning to apply to grad programs in 1-3 years. I am mostly interested in public health program design, monitoring, and evaluation in resource-limited settings (in the US and globally). I am hoping to gain more skills in quantitative and qualitative public health research methods and data and analytics (including spatial analysis, public health modeling, and visualization).

I would really appreciate some insight here:
(1) What can I do within the next 1-3 years to improve my chances (besides doing well on the GRE and getting solid LOR)?
(2) What are my chances at the schools I'm interested in? I'm mostly concerned about my undergrad GPA and the fact that my current experience is not directly in health (though I do work in development, and I'm based in East Africa).
(3) Do you have any thoughts on my list of schools? Does it look like I'm applying to programs that match my interests? Any other schools I should consider? I know I'm applying to competitive schools, but my logic is that if I don't get into one of my top choices the first round, I will gain more experience/skills and then reapply.

Undergrad school: Private Research University in the US (non-Ivy but highly ranked)
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.0
Major/Minor: Engineering (minor in Global Health)
GRE: Not taken yet
Experience/Research:
- Currently: Work for an international development organization (not health-related, focused on economic development) in East Africa providing data analytics and special projects support. Plan to work here for 2-4 years before applying to grad programs.
- Summer internships in South Asia and East Africa working at health-related nonprofits on general capacity building projects (3 months + 3 months)
- Part-time work-study position at US-based global health organization that provides support to grassroots health organizations around the world (3 months)
- Research assistant in a physiology lab assisting with imaging analysis and lab inventory management (10 months)
- Internship over 2 summers at a professional services firm working on database management projects (2 months + 3 months)
- A number of engineering research and design projects through engineering coursework (some lab/class-based and some with industry clients)
- Leadership roles in student organizations related to health equity and social justice advocacy, community health and health access, etc. including starting an initiative to increase access to health-related trainings for low income community members (attended international conference to expand initiative's reach)

Special factors:
- First-generation college student
- Underrepresented minority (Mexican American Male)

Top choices that closely match my interests:
- Johns Hopkins (MSPH - Health Systems)
- Duke (MSc - Global Health)
- UCSF (MS - Global Health Sciences)
- Columbia (MPH - Population & Family Health)
- Harvard (SM - Global Health & Population)

Likely also applying to:
- Emory (MPH - Global Health)
- Boston University (MPH)
- UCLA (MPH - Community Health Sciences)

Also considering: (but programs don't perfectly match my interests)
- UC Berkeley (MPH - Health & Social Behavior)
- Yale (MPH - Chronic Disease Epi OR Social & Behavioral Sciences)

Thank you so much!

 

[candy1corn]

Hi all!

It's been a few months since anyone's posted in this thread but I would love any advice/comments. I graduated this past fall and am deciding whether to apply to MPH programs this year or next year. I had a rough undergrad experience due to a combination of physical and mental health issues and being unsure of what to study (I changed majors with 3 semesters left of my degree). I'm interested in maternal child health, community health, health equity and health disparities. Do I even have a chance at schools like U Washington and Emory?

Undergrad School: Top Liberal Arts College
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.01/3.48
Major/Minor: Women's and Gender Studies/Biology
GRE: haven't taken yet but aiming for around V:162 Q:160
Experience/Research (please, be brief):
- summer internship at top cancer research center in Boston with a Harvard professor
- summer internship with a community health nonprofit
- 4 years working at college help desk
- 1.5 years working at student run co-op
- president of student org + involved in organizing on campus
- currently working at state health agency and hoping to gain some experience in social services/case management before grad school

 

[JDGBruin1317]

Hi all!

It's been a few months since anyone's posted in this thread but I would love any advice/comments. I graduated this past fall and am deciding whether to apply to MPH programs this year or next year. I had a rough undergrad experience due to a combination of physical and mental health issues and being unsure of what to study (I changed majors with 3 semesters left of my degree). I'm interested in maternal child health, community health, health equity and health disparities. Do I even have a chance at schools like U Washington and Emory?

Undergrad School: Top Liberal Arts College
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.01/3.48
Major/Minor: Women's and Gender Studies/Biology
GRE: haven't taken yet but aiming for around V:162 Q:160
Experience/Research (please, be brief):
- summer internship at top cancer research center in Boston with a Harvard professor
- summer internship with a community health nonprofit
- 4 years working at college help desk
- 1.5 years working at student run co-op
- president of student org + involved in organizing on campus
- currently working at state health agency and hoping to gain some experience in social services/case management before grad school

Hello!

I believe you have a fair shot at UW and Emory, as long as you aim for satisfactory GRE scores. However, I do want to say that experience and what you can bring to the schools are more important than test scores in my opinion. I say this because I didn't do well on the GRE and I took it twice and did worse on the second try. Despite my low scores, I was still able to get into most of the schools I applied to, including my top choice. If you don't end up doing great on the GRE, don't give up or lose hope because you still have as much as a fair shot as the next applicant. I would start drafting the personal statements and statements of purpose, as well as gathering 2 to 4 people at least to write your LORs. If you have any more questions, feel free to PM me! Good Luck!

 

[candy1corn]

Hello!

I believe you have a fair shot at UW and Emory, as long as you aim for satisfactory GRE scores. However, I do want to say that experience and what you can bring to the schools are more important than test scores in my opinion. I say this because I didn't do well on the GRE and I took it twice and did worse on the second try. Despite my low scores, I was still able to get into most of the schools I applied to, including my top choice. If you don't end up doing great on the GRE, don't give up or lose hope because you still have as much as a fair shot as the next applicant. I would start drafting the personal statements and statements of purpose, as well as gathering 2 to 4 people at least to write your LORs. If you have any more questions, feel free to PM me! Good Luck!

Thank you so much! I'll PM you!

 

[rap15]

Hello! I am planning on applying this upcoming cycle for a fall 2020 start and would appreciate any advice


Undergraduate School: Private liberal arts college in Northeast (2018 graduate)
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.37/3.49
Major/minor: Psychology (B.A.) major/Medical Humanities minor (public health focus)
Grad GPA (if applicable): n/a
Grad studies (if applicable): n/a
GRE (including date taken): V-161 (88th %) Q-160 (76th %) AW-4.0 (60th %) (taken 8/25/17)
Experience/research:
-3 years as a sexual assault prevention peer educator (during undergrad)
-1 year as research assistant in infant psychology lab
-one summer as an intern at the New York State Department of Health
-1.5 years as a hotline advocate for survivors of sexual assault (local)
-2+ years at federal healthcare consulting firm (by the time I start classes)

Letters of Rec: haven’t asked yet, but probably will ask my supervisor from my current position, 2 from 2 different college professors

Interested in: Maternal/child health, reproductive health, violence prevention, health policy, community and health promotion

Very interested in Johns Hopkins MPH or MSPH (still not sure which would be better fit), Brown, GW…Also thinking about Drexel, SUNY Albany (close to home), and Yale.

Please let me know what you think! (Or if you have any other recommendations about where to apply! I currently live in DC and I do not really want to move even further from home. Therefore, I don't want to go further south than DC or further west than Pittsburgh.)

 

[CookieCat]

Hey everyone! I know im commenting at a weird time but I'm trying to figure out if public health is a field I can get into. I've only recently went back to consider it, so my experience and major isn't exactly related.


Undergraduate School: decently ranked California public school
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.5-3.6ish when I apply
Major/minor: International Security with an emphasis in environment (My classes are economics, public health, geography, some biology... its very interdisciplinary)
GRE : I haven't taken this yet but I've been scoring well, i hope to get in the 50s. I'll update it, I plan on taking it until I get a score to even out my GPA!
Experience/research:
-Cofounder and Vice President of a nonprofit on campus that empowers and unites women with disabilities and chronic illness. We have a lot of different types of events
-Officer position in Planned Parenthood Generation Action
-Internship at an environmental nonprofit working with data and routes along the rivers.
-2 years volunteering with a local org doing outreach for the homeless youth.
-1 year volunteer with a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program that is known for being lgbt friendly
-Volunteer experience with planned parenthood

EXTRAS: I am a first generation college student (first to graduate high school too) and an extremely low income student. I failed two classes and immediately retook them. My third year of college is causing me to take a fifth year. My reasoning for the poor grades is taking care of my family and dealing with my brothers addiction issues. I have been affected by the opioid epidemic in my town and this is one of the many reasons why I want to go into public health. How will these schools react to my grades?

Letters of Rec: haven’t asked yet, but probably will be my major advisor that I've had two classes with, another professor I've had two classes with (both unrelated), my intern supervisor for this summer when I am a Stem Camp Counselor at my school, potentially a professor I've had that is codirector for a research/think tank at my school. I'll narrow it down to strong LoR when the time comes.

Interested in: epidemiology

How do I look now? What else should I do to increase my chances? I would love to get into UCB, UCLA, BU, Harvard, Emory, Columbia, NYU but I'm thinking these may be reaches.

 

[secretsloth]

Hi! I am graduating this June and looking to apply for the 2020 application cycle.

Undergraduate School: UW
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.83
Major/minor: Public health (extensive coursework in social justice/infectious disease)
GRE : I didn't do great on my first try. V: 158, Q: 148, W: 4.5. I know I need to get my quant score up and I'm retaking the test this summer.
Experience/research:
-1 year as a peer health educator on campus
-6 months as a health promotion volunteer
-1 year as an intern at a global health nonprofit
-3 months (so far) working for the global health nonprofit
-2 months (so far) working for planned parenthood in online health services
-1 year working for a campus research journal on the editorial board.

I know my experience isn't great. I've worked full time in retail my entire time in undergrad because of financial pressures and this is what I have. Would it be worth it to wait until the 2021 cycle to get more experience?

Letters of Rec: One from my supervisor at the GH nonprofit, one from my supervisor at PP, one from a global health professor

Interested in: sexual/reproductive health, global health

I really want to get into UW's global health program so I can stay close to family. I'm also looking at UC Berekley, University of Maryland, and USF (to be close to family). Do I have a chance at any of these schools?

Thanks!

 

[thinkingaboutmph]

Undergrad School: Cornell c/o 2020
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.31 overall/2.84 Bio (organic chem killed my gpa), 3.88 French
Majors: Biological Sciences and French
GRE: planning to take in August, but I’m a pretty good standardized test taker
Experience/Research:
-veterinary assistant for three summers (first two at clinic in hometown, third summer in Paris)
-Co-president of STEM outreach program for two years
-Co-president of sports club
-2 yrs research experience in cancer genetics at time of app
-biology student advisor

Interested in: cancer epidemiology, genetics/genomics. I only decided recently to look into MPH programs instead of taking a gap year and applying to vet school.

Thinking about applying to (very broad list that I need to narrow down):
MPH Epidemiology- Boston University, Brown, Cornell, Drexel, George Washington, Tufts, UC Davis, UNC Chapel Hill, University at Albany, University at Buffalo, University of Michigan, University of Washington

MHS Cancer or Genetic Epidemiology- Johns Hopkins
MS Genetic Epidemiology- University of Washington

LORs: deciding between the following (still need to ask)
Lab PI
Bio faculty advisor (hesitant because I didn’t do as well in his class as I had hoped to)
French professor I’ve taken three classes with (thoughts on non-STEM faculty LORs?)
Advisor for STEM outreach program
Supervisor for position as bio student advisor
Vet I worked with for two summers

Can anybody comment on my chances at the schools I’m thinking of applying to or any other programs I should look into more? I would also love insight about who to ask for letters of recommendation.

Thanks for your input!

 

[CookieCat]

Undergrad School: Cornell c/o 2020
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.31 overall/2.84 Bio (organic chem killed my gpa), 3.88 French
Majors: Biological Sciences and French
GRE: planning to take in August, but I’m a pretty good standardized test taker
Experience/Research:
-veterinary assistant for three summers (first two at clinic in hometown, third summer in Paris)
-Co-president of STEM outreach program for two years
-Co-president of sports club
-2 yrs research experience in cancer genetics at time of app
-biology student advisor

Interested in: cancer epidemiology, genetics/genomics. I only decided recently to look into MPH programs instead of taking a gap year and applying to vet school.

Thinking about applying to (very broad list that I need to narrow down):
MPH Epidemiology- Boston University, Brown, Cornell, Drexel, George Washington, Tufts, UC Davis, UNC Chapel Hill, University at Albany, University at Buffalo, University of Michigan, University of Washington

MHS Cancer or Genetic Epidemiology- Johns Hopkins
MS Genetic Epidemiology- University of Washington

LORs: deciding between the following (still need to ask)
Lab PI
Bio faculty advisor (hesitant because I didn’t do as well in his class as I had hoped to)
French professor I’ve taken three classes with (thoughts on non-STEM faculty LORs?)
Advisor for STEM outreach program
Supervisor for position as bio student advisor
Vet I worked with for two summers

Can anybody comment on my chances at the schools I’m thinking of applying to or any other programs I should look into more? I would also love insight about who to ask for letters of recommendation.

Thanks for your input!

Hey! I definitely recommend San Diego State, it's ranked the same as UC Davis and I work with a MPH and undergrad from there who really seem to enjoy it. I will apply to these two as well and have only heard great things.

 

[theshelbz]

Undergrad School: New York University
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.65
Major/Minor: Political Science (major), Public Policy and Management (minor)
GRE: 162 V, 154 Q, 5 AW

Experience/Research/Extracurriculars:
- 2 years working at an international global health nonprofit
- 1 semester internship while studying abroad for a foreign international humanitarian aid nonprofit
- 2 years volunteering as a peer health educator
- 2.5 years president of service for my service-focused co-ed fraternity

LOR: Haven't asked yet, but I will probably ask the VP of Clinical Services at my nonprofit and two professors. Unfortunately, not sure how well my professors will remember me since I only took large (80+) classes in college and wasn't particularly standout.

Thinking about applying to.... Emory, University of Washington, George Washington University, Colorado State, Brown...maybe others? All with a focus on global health/global epidemiology.

My biggest questions are:
1. Should I retake my GRE? All of my practice test and my official exam quant scores seem to be stagnant at mid 150s, so if I do improve, it probably won't be by much. Will a lower quant (in the 50th percentile) hurt my chances for my target schools?
2. Advice on asking for good recommendations? I've been out of school for a little over two years, so I'm not sure how strong rec letters from my professors will be. I was never one of those star pupils in class who bonded with their profs, so I don't know how well even my favorite teachers will remember me.
3. Any recommendations on programs that weren't listed that have a good global health program?

Would love some insight from anyone Thanks!!

 

[evie24]

Hi all! I'd love to get some feedback on my chances!

About me:

• Undergraduate GPA: 3.68
• Major: Psychology, Minor: Human Development
  • Major GPA (I don't remember exactly, but I think this is it): 3.8
• GRE: 155V/148Q/5W
  • (Note: I know my quant score is low, I took it in undergrad and recall giving up half-way through, but I intend to retake it and have been getting ~154 on the practice tests. Goal is to aim for 155-160 if possible)
• Undergraduate research experience:
  • Approx. 1 to 1.5 years total
  • Labs included:
    • Suicidal Behaviors & Psychopathology
    • PTSD Assessment
    • [University name] Couples Study
    • a Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Psychological Education project
  • Volunteer experience:
    • Victim Advocate for the Rape Counselors of [Region]: 1 semester/approximately 5 months
    • Intern for the local VA's Clinical Psych Doctoral program director (helped prepare the data for their upcoming accreditation evaluation)
• Professional research experience
  • 3+ years as a research coordinator for the US Department of Veterans Affairs
    • ~2.5 years working in a suicide (prevention), depression, PTSD, and trauma/TBI research lab
    • ~1 year working in a health services research lab (main projects include a quality improvement project aimed at increase opioid safety measures and a health psychologist driven tobacco cessation project)
• Publications
  • 1 second-authored peer-reviewed article on PTSD in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders
  • 1 first-authored article submitted to New England Journal of Medicine
  • 1 second-authored book chapter on TBI
  • Possibly 4 more publications to submit before/by the fall (will likely be second-author on 2, and first on 2)
• Presentations
  • 1 presented workshop
  • 2 paper presentations at AAS
  • 6 poster presentations (3 as an undergrad)
  • 1 invited talk/presentation

Schools I am thinking of applying to:

• I'll be honest, I'm primarily applying to clinical psychology programs, but the past year working in health services research has really opened a newfound interest in public health approaches to behavioral/mental health. With that in mind, I am pretty exclusively interested in the ColoradoSPH at Anschutz's Health Services Research MS or PhD program.

Any insight or advice you may have will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

 

[OMGhanna]

Hi everybody, I've been lurking on this forum forever and now it's finally time for me to apply to MPH programs! So far, my top choice is Emory and I want to see what advice y'all have for me

Undergrad School: Georgia State University
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.76/4.0
Major/Minor: Public Health
GRE: 156 V, 155 Q, 4.5 AW (haven't taken yet, but these are conservative estimates based on practice tests)

Experience/Research/Extracurriculars:
- 1 year working as a research assistant within my school (study is about how yoga impacts behavior in teenage boys in the juvenile justice system)
- Summer internship with an aerospace manufacturing company (worked in their environment, health, and safety department and shadowed an industrial hygienist)
- 2 accepted presentations for yoga pilot study mentioned above (APHA meeting and ISTSS meeting)
- Working on a publication about transgender access to healthcare with a professor of mine
- Treasurer and VP for greek organization and member of public health club

LOR: Letters from my boss from my internship, the principal investigator for whom I am a research assistant, and the professor I am working on the publication with.

Thinking about applying to.... Emory, University of GA, GA State Univ. I want to study infectious disease epidemiology (with a focus on how environmental factors impact transmission of neglected tropical diseases)

Let me know what y'all think and if there is anything I should do. My GRE is definitely what I'm most worried about since I am not great at standardized testing. Thanks

 

[throwaway102]

Undergrad School: Liberal-arts college
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.95/3.97
Major/Minor: Biology major, history minor
GRE: Verbal 167, Quant 169
Experience/Research
-1.5 years of research in an insect lab
-Around 300 hours of shadowing with a veterinarian

LOR: one from a PI/professor/advisor, one from post-doc I worked with, and one from a history professor.

Interests: MPH in epidemiology with a focus (hopefully) on zoonotic diseases.

I'm a bit worried about my lack of experience in anything public health related (I recently switched from pre-vet), but I'm hoping my GPA/GRE make up for it.

Applying: Emory

 

[mrh8423]

Undergrad School: Large private university (low-ranking) 😕
Undergrad GPA: 3.4
Major/Minor: Public Health, minor in Applied Mathematics
GRE: 169 V, 158 Q

Experience/Research
-2 years as Disease Intervention Specialist and HIV counselor for a county health department
-1 publication
-1.5 years as a volunteer ambassador for non-profit medical research organization (on-going)
-Created health promotion program for older adults in community living facilities
-SNOMED CT certification
-SAS programmer certification
-4 months as a volunteer tutor for students with ADHD
-60+ trainings and seminars offered through PHTC and/or CDC
-100 hours volunteering for LGBT center

Interested in: pharmacoepidemiology, epidemiology, social determinants of health, public health genomics, precision public health, chronic disease epidemiology

LOR: Faculty, employer at CHD, academic advisor

Other info:
-LGBT
-Disabled
-Polylingual

Thinking about applying to... Yale, Emory, GWU, Tufts, Brown, USF, UF, UMich, Tulane, Harvard, Boston

My main concerns are my GPA, my quant score, my personality (I'm not great at networking or forming professional connections), my undergrad university (very low retention and graduation rates), and the difference between my experiences and my interests.

Most of my professional experience is in regard to sexual health and infectious diseases. My main interest is pharmacoepi, but I couldn't really find good ways to gain experience in that realm.

 

[SturdevantsPuppet]

Considering applying, chances?
Undergraduate School/School type: Small private school in midwest (not a big name)
Undergrad GPA/Major GPA: 3.83
Major/minor: Biology
Grad GPA (if applicable): 3.05
Grad studies (if applicable): Doctorate in Dental Surgery (D.D.S.)
GRE(including date taken): not taken

Experience/research:
- Currently practicing as a general and family dentist in public health for a public health system, and learning to manage medicaid/medicare
-Graduate School:
- Provided dental care to medicaid/underrepresented patient population for two years in dental school
- Completed two externships in public health centers, where dentistry was provided to those in need
- 5-6 executive positions in dental school associations
- Volunteer experience coaching youth sports and at volunteer events (free dental care, working with disabled athletes, food drives)
- Undergrad:
- Collegiate Athlete with history of leadership positions
- At least 100 hours of volunteering spread between various events
- Member of several honor societies
- Member of research team that studied the use of plankton as a fuel source
- + shadowing hours and more


Letters of Rec:
-Current supervisor of public health dentistry for healthcare system I am employed by
-2-3 LOR from professors from dental school (all doctorate level)

Interests:
Interested in implementing public health systems to increase oral health education, finding why certain groups of people are so isolated from dental care, and where stigma on going to the dentist arises from.

Main interests so far are in Yale EMPH and Dartmouth Hybrid: important to me that I am able to continue practicing and treating patients while completing the program. Huge plus if scholarship is offered.

 

[awtaw_punkin]

Undergrad: Top 40 school
Undergrad GPA: 3.4
Major: biomedical engineering
GRE: not considered for program

Previous PhD: Different top 40 school
Previous PhD GPA: a 2? (I failed out)

Experience/Research
- 4 years in undergrad, with paid research/lab assistant positions (4 total semesters) and 2 publications (1 came after the failed phd)
- 1 year in the failed phd, nothing to show for it
- 3 yrs research specialist job post-phd, 1 first author pub

Applying to: MPH Epidemiology at Emory

LOR: previous and current PI (not the failed phd PI, I worked for two months at a local uni when I was trying to find a job)

Do I even have a chance? No min GPA requirement but without GRE I'm pretty sure my app is just going to get screened out by a computer or something.