Visit Days 2009

Started by pastorius
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pastorius

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Hi Everyone,

I thought it might be helpful to the group if we had a thread dedicated to Visit Days. Most programs that I've applied to (all Epi) don't mention on their websites when these days would be, or whether admitted students would arrange individual campus visits. The only one I am sure of is that UW Epi is holding theirs on March 5&6...coming up relatively soon but I haven't received their decision yet.

Could those who know of upcoming Visit Days please post the following:
- School
- Program
- Whether the Visit Days are for the whole SPH or just the program
- Whether the school offers any travel funds
- Dates

For those arranging an individual visit, could you post the school, program, travel funding?

Thanks!
 
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George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services
Open House for Accepted Summer and Fall 2009 Applicants to SPHHS - March 29, 2009

As far as I know, no funds are provided by the school.
 
Yale is March 26. Just the one day and is for all programs although they do have different discussions during the day for each department.

No funding that I can see.
 
Calvdart said:
Yale is March 26. Just the one day and is for all programs although they do have different discussions during the day for each department.

No funding that I can see.
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The invitation I got from Yale was for the 27th?
For the CDE division at least.
 
For you guys with invites to Yale, are they paying for your flights and hotel stay?
 
I personally am going to the Yale visit day, it seems like there are a lot of opportunities to interact with faculty as well as the program trying to sell itself 🙂 I don't have reason to believe they will cover any flight/hotel cost, but I live close enough to drive so it's not an issue for me. hope to meet some of you there!
 
School: University of Minnesota
Program: MPH, Community Health Education
Date: 3/23/09
Not sure if this program-specific or school-wide. No funds noted.
 
UW - Epi
March 5 and 6
No travel funds this year due to budget cuts.

UNC Chapel Hill - Epi
No formal visit days; arranging my own.
 
I am kind of confused for the accepted students day... I was accepted to Yale, but all I received was a letter stating that I was accepted and another sheet that I have to send in with my deposit. There was nothing about a visit day.... did you guys receive another letter later or is this only for specific programs?
 
I am a first year MPH student at Yale in the CDE division. I'd be happy to answer any questions about the program, New Haven, the visit day, etc.
 
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Tulane Open House, March 12-13
Not sure about funding...

Got into UNC HBHE, but they didn't send anything with the acceptance letter about the visit day. Weird.
 
Does anybody know about a Columbia visit day? The schools I'm accepted to so far ask for a deposit at the end of March and Columbia isn't getting back to folks until March 15.

I'll be at Yale's Admitted Students day. I'll see some of you there.
 
Calvdart said:
Does anybody know about a Columbia visit day? The schools I'm accepted to so far ask for a deposit at the end of March and Columbia isn't getting back to folks until March 15.

I'll be at Yale's Admitted Students day. I'll see some of you there.
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I'm wondering the same thing. But, if Columbia's accepted students' day is the same week as last year...it will be on Friday, 4/10.

I wish we heard before March 15, though. I'm anxious!
 
I was accepted to Johns Hopkins' MHS in International Health, but I haven't yet heard anything about a visit day. Does anyone know any details?
 
Newname,

JHSPH's schoolwide visit day is Friday, March 27th. They also have an option where you can select Friday, April 3rd as well (not sure about whether this is open to everyone). They should be sending you an email with the login name and password so you can register for Visit Day(s) soon.
 
Berkeley's Spring Visit Day is on March 16th. It's SPH wide but three hours is allocated for breakouts with specific degrees and concentrations.

By the way, what is everyone wearing to the school visits? I feel Berkeley is too laid back for a suit and tie but don't want to be underdressed because of my bad assumptions.
 
Does this mean that notification will be going out before that (soon?!) I know they said "by April 15th" but it seems like it would need to be this week or next if people are going to attend the visit day.........
 
I'm also wondering, what would be appropriate attire for accepted students days? Casual? Business casual? Dressy?

Also, is it common for students to bring along a SO or family member? I kind of wanted to bring someone along with me on my trips to visit schools...but I'm uncertain if it's appropriate to have someone else with you.

Anyone have any experience?
 
emjill said:
Does this mean that notification will be going out before that (soon?!) I know they said "by April 15th" but it seems like it would need to be this week or next if people are going to attend the visit day.........
Click to expand...

Yes, I am also hoping that this is a sign that the rest of the decisions are imminent. Seems like none of the decisions from Berkeley so far have been from Epi/Biostats, which is what I'm waiting for.
 
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regarding attire for visit days, I would think between business casual and dressy for most schools? (I don't know about berkeley though!) I am a woman and am planning on a skirt and tailored shirt: not quite as dressy as interviews but still wanting to look professional.

as far as bringing a guest with you, I would think maybe if they are interested in the program/school but otherwise it would be uncommon- perhaps you could ask the head of the department? probably best to check with the school though, just my opinion.
 
ImPublicHealthy said:
I'm also wondering, what would be appropriate attire for accepted students days? Casual? Business casual? Dressy?
Click to expand...

I am attending Epi Visit Day(s) at UW, and I asked the coordinator how most people dress. Seattle is very casual, and she said several would likely wear jeans, and maybe one person will wear a suit and look uncomfortable. :laugh: She recommended business casual, especially if one is meeting with faculty members and hoping to find a research assistant position.

I would advise against bringing a guest unless the registration form has space for you to indicate you are bringing a guest. If you didn't have to pre-register, then you could email the coordinator and ask if it's appropriate for students to bring a guest.

If you do bring a guest, I would avoid having them join you for the serious stuff like faculty presentations or any 1:1 faculty meetings. Perhaps they could do some sightseeing while you are busy with that. I think it would be more appropriate to bring them to a more casual event like a meet-and-greet dinner or happy hour with current students.
 
Last edited:
Who else here attended the Visit Days at U of Washington? The impression I got was:

- Emphasis on cancer and infectious diseases
- Curriculum requires extended methods but little room for electives (looking at the official curriculum on the web site confirms this)
- Possible but uncertain full funding with RAships
- The advisor lady is kind of scary but pretty helpful
 
ratonlaveur said:
Who else here attended the Visit Days at U of Washington? The impression I got was:

- Emphasis on cancer and infectious diseases
- Curriculum requires extended methods but little room for electives (looking at the official curriculum on the web site confirms this)
- Possible but uncertain full funding with RAships
- The advisor lady is kind of scary but pretty helpful
Click to expand...

I am finishing up my MPH at UW and have to say that your impressions are pretty accurate. My comments:

- There is some great work being done in social disparities, injury prevention (at Harborview), etc., not just cancer and infectious diseases.
- I have been very pleased with the methods base that I have gained, and still feel like I have had time to take electives.
- All of my friends and I were lucky enough to get RAships, but then again that could change with the current economy.
- Right-on about the "advisor lady". She is a little quirky but really knows her stuff and is super helpful!

Hope this helps!
 
I was just invited to Univ. of Minn's visit day on March 23rd. I'd be traveling from Charlotte, NC to the school and ticket prices are pushing the $500 range which makes it too expensive for me to afford at the moment. Is it considered bad form if I can't make it to visit day? I don't know if it's worth putting myself out for this trip or not.

Thanks all!
 
Alleria32 said:
I was just invited to Univ. of Minn's visit day on March 23rd. I'd be traveling from Charlotte, NC to the school and ticket prices are pushing the $500 range which makes it too expensive for me to afford at the moment. Is it considered bad form if I can't make it to visit day? I don't know if it's worth putting myself out for this trip or not.

Thanks all!
Click to expand...

Plenty of people are in that situation, and the schools definitely understand. I would recommend sending an email to the coordinator saying you regret you cannot attend, but appreciate the invitation. Then I would also say contact professors separately and tell them that you had hoped to attend, but will be unable and would like to set up a phone call instead. I don't think there's any reason to attach cost as a reason to any of this. They don't really care what your reason is, and if you are truly interested in attending you can show it in other ways.
 
ratonlaveur said:
Who else here attended the Visit Days at U of Washington? The impression I got was:

- Emphasis on cancer and infectious diseases
- Curriculum requires extended methods but little room for electives (looking at the official curriculum on the web site confirms this)
- Possible but uncertain full funding with RAships
- The advisor lady is kind of scary but pretty helpful
Click to expand...

I was there. It's clear that cancer and infectious disease epi are the two largest areas of focus, but I think that's true in most epi programs. Cancer is my area of interest, so I'm glad of that. My other area of interest is health disparities, and while I appreciated the presentation about the research being done in this area, I wish there were more research being done that includes a significant number of African Americans. Faculty with cancer + HD interests are mainly focusing on Latinos and Asians, which I realize is largely influenced by the racial/ethnic makeup of the Seattle area, but still . . .🙄

However, on a more positive note about the faculty presentations - I am now interested in possibly branching out into cardiac epi as well. I'm going to be meeting with a prof who does both cancer and cardiac epi.

As far as the curriculum - were you accepted to the MPH or MS program? I went with the MS so I would have more room for electives and research.

The process of finding an RAship has been really stressful, but I left Visit Day feeling a little more optimistic that I'll have something in place by the time Autumn quarter starts.

"Advisor lady" may be a little intense, but it's probably just that she takes her job very seriously. She is the most helpful admissions coordinator I have ever encountered. 🙂
 
Does anyone plan to attend the UC Berkeley Graduate Student Diversity Day on Sunday, March 15? This event is in addition to the SPH Visit Day on Monday, March 16. I'm trying to decide if there will be any value in attending the Diversity Day. Thanks for any input. 😎
 
I personally would welcome any additional information I could get. I think this part of the event is a much smaller group (I wasn't invited, I suppose being a white woman, I don't add much diversity to public health) so you might get more one-on-one time.

asyouwish said:
Does anyone plan to attend the UC Berkeley Graduate Student Diversity Day on Sunday, March 15? This event is in addition to the SPH Visit Day on Monday, March 16. I'm trying to decide if there will be any value in attending the Diversity Day. Thanks for any input. 😎
Click to expand...
 
kurly said:
I was there. It's clear that cancer and infectious disease epi are the two largest areas of focus, but I think that's true in most epi programs. Cancer is my area of interest, so I'm glad of that. My other area of interest is health disparities, and while I appreciated the presentation about the research being done in this area, I wish there were more research being done that includes a significant number of African Americans. Faculty with cancer + HD interests are mainly focusing on Latinos and Asians, which I realize is largely influenced by the racial/ethnic makeup of the Seattle area, but still . . .🙄

However, on a more positive note about the faculty presentations - I am now interested in possibly branching out into cardiac epi as well. I'm going to be meeting with a prof who does both cancer and cardiac epi.

As far as the curriculum - were you accepted to the MPH or MS program? I went with the MS so I would have more room for electives and research.

The process of finding an RAship has been really stressful, but I left Visit Day feeling a little more optimistic that I'll have something in place by the time Autumn quarter starts.

"Advisor lady" may be a little intense, but it's probably just that she takes her job very seriously. She is the most helpful admissions coordinator I have ever encountered. 🙂
Click to expand...

Ok, I just had to share this bit of information about "advisor lady" and how awesome she is. I will be graduating with my MPH in June here at the UW, and had requested a degree audit from her since it needs to be done before our last quarter (which begins in 2 weeks). She wrote me an email at 3:59 AM last night with my degree audit and graduation information. She said that she was sorry to take so long, but "I've been overwhelmed this winter as you can see by the time I'm sending this before I go on vacation tomorrow morning". Now THAT'S dedication.
 
Jayhawk—I went to Tulane’s open house (accepted into IH). Walking away, two of the big draws were that the program seems extremely flexible, and the professors seem very willing to work with students—a lot of opportunities to get solid experience. I also like New Orleans, and think in terms of working with the local community and their need, Tulane can’t be beat.

Also considering BU (debating going to their open house this Friday) and Emory (attending open house next week). BU is expensive (tuition and cost-of-living); not sure if it’s worth going to, especially because a lot of the classes seem to be at night, and once a week—I want a school with more of a community. Thoughts on any of these programs, anyone?
 
anyone going to the april 3rd visit day? i only just got accepted, so haven't received any info regarding visiting (still waiting for official acceptance packet in the mail)... anyone care to share info that they might have? Or if you went to the previous one, thoughts on that? I started reading up on their curriculum for the MPH 1 year program... seems quite intense. Just wanted to know if people in the program had any other experiences aside from just studying (class M-F!! it's like high school... sort of...)

thanks!
 
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tcliu07 said:
anyone going to the april 3rd visit day? i only just got accepted, so haven't received any info regarding visiting (still waiting for official acceptance packet in the mail)... anyone care to share info that they might have? Or if you went to the previous one, thoughts on that? I started reading up on their curriculum for the MPH 1 year program... seems quite intense. Just wanted to know if people in the program had any other experiences aside from just studying (class M-F!! it's like high school... sort of...)

thanks!
Click to expand...
I am going to the March 27th visit day
I would love to know the answer to this question as well, but perhaps we should ask it in a different thread🙂..................
 
Can those who visited the Berkeley open house on 3/16 provide some feedback on their impressions? Did anyone attend the Epi/Biostats breakout in particular? I couldn't make the visit day as I was at another school that day. I attended the prospective applicant visit day in Sept and was particularly underwhelmed by the Epi/Biostats breakout at that time. I have had good interactions with faculty on other occasions, however.
 
Is anyone going to Harvard or Yale's visit days? I can't make up my mind whether to cross the country to check them out, when the high cost of tuition there is steering my decision towards some the of the great public schools I got into.
 
phoenixnyc said:
Also considering BU (debating going to their open house this Friday) and Emory (attending open house next week). BU is expensive (tuition and cost-of-living); not sure if it’s worth going to, especially because a lot of the classes seem to be at night, and once a week—I want a school with more of a community. Thoughts on any of these programs, anyone?
Click to expand...

The core classes are all offered at night to accommodate full-time working professionals. But the make-up of the school is still mostly full-timers, and it won't be hard to meet a social group, especially if you're part of groups and clubs on-campus. The area is also incredibly diverse, and so you'll be able to find a niche somewhere (even if it's not at BU). Also keep in mind, you have access to the main campus for community things. BU is a very big school and opportunity really is the name of the game there.

I was under the impression most PH grad programs only met once a week (that's also common at Yale). If not, go figure. I ended up at two schools that meet infrequently :laugh:
 
Just wondering, since I'm going to the GWU Open House this weekend--what should I wear? Don't know how formal it's going to be...
 
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