UNC Biostats

[qwerty42]

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Hi guys,

I know the application season is wrapping up, but I still have one last application question before I start peppering the forum with "X VS Y VS Z PLEASE HELP!!!!" posts.

UNC has been on my application list since the beginning of the season — strong school of public health, I love the area and could really see myself living there (I'm a bit tired of big city living!), it's a small and beautiful area that is still a big enough that there are lots of health-related things going on, etc.

However, I am primarily interested in infectious disease dynamics.... (most of my other apps are for epi, which I'm not qualified for at UNC, but I'm not scared by the more math-y biostats degree, either)... and I just don't see UNC as a good fit. Not being a good academic fit is a fine reason not to bother applying, but part of me thinks I may just be getting lazy and I haven't explored the website enough.

Can anyone offer any insight? I know UNC is well-known for MCH, which I'm not particularly interested in, but surely it's got lots of other things going for it as well. But I don't see any Centers or faculty that really pop out at me. I'm in to HIV, interested in other infectious diseases, and would like to check out global health. I want to love UNC, I do, but I'm seriously considering not applying. I'd hate for that to just be out of fatigue, though, since it would require minimal effort to finish the app.

Thanks so much!

 

[224463]

I made a similar decision too and decided to not apply to UNC. Its a great school and I really wanted to find a match but there was just no one doing the research there that I really wanted to do. If its not a good fit its not a good fit, and if you think you've done due diligence looking into the program and can't see the school being a good fit then its not worth applying.

It is true that faculty and program websites aren't always up to date, so there could be someone doing the research you are interested in and for whatever reason its not on the website so I'd recommend calling the program director or a faculty member and asking. I talked to some faculty and admin people at the school (I didn't apply to Biostat though) and just asked "are there people doing research on xyz" and across the board people said not really or Prof. So and SO is doing this which is marginally related to what you're interested in. Ultimately that's what made my decision