2020 MHA: Applied, Interviewed, Rejected, Attending

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How long did SOPHAS take to process your transcript? My school sent out my official transcript a week ago...
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doubtfox said:
here’s my status update..

Received an acceptance from Hopkins & GW both MHA!

-Boston Univ application portal says they’ll notify me in one week

-Apps complete and under review from UMich, Yale, Columbia, Harvard, NYU

-Nothing from Emory.
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Congrats on Hopkins!!! I just had my interview today-- definitely going to be anxious until I get a decision... :nailbiting:
 
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Just had my interview for the JHU MHA program! The committee tries to have their decisions out a week after the interview. Heres to hoping!
 
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doubtfox said:
Just got invited for an interview from Columbia HPM. Any advice??
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It's with a second-year student right? I've heard they just ask the usual (Why HPM/Columbia, future plans, etc.)

Edit after my Columbia interview: This was exactly what they asked lol
 
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doubtfox said:
Needing advice—

Background:
I’m interested in healthcare administration. I want to work in a hospital in upper level management. I applied to mostly MHA programs but a lot of schools don’t have an MHA track. So for those schools I applied to an MPH with a healthcare management concentration.

The rankings on the top healthcare management programs are all over the place. I think it’s because it is mostly ranking only MHA tracks and not taking into consideration MPH health management concentrations.

It’s also confusing because when I look up MPH programs they’re not in a similar ranking comparing to healthcare management programs. But health care management is like a subset of the school of public health. So you’d think it would apply there too but no.
For example Yale is ranked #15 in top MPH programs. But it’s not ranked at all for healthcare management. I know rankings aren’t everything but I also use them as a metric.

I’m trying to get a comprehensive understanding of all the programs I applied to. Which is actually the best??

I tried comparing the curriculums but it’s just course names on paper and doesn’t mean anything to me. I’ve looked at faculty but they’re all the same after a while.

What are your thoughts / experiences??
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I'd look through the forum for past posts about schools-- but this is how I narrowed down my list.

Rankings are incredibly arbitrary, and for the most part I don't think employers are really looking so much as numbered ranking (as this could really change at any time, and like you said, Yale's HPM program isn't even ranked) but what the school can provide you for the cost. Are you looking for a residency/fellowship, and for how long? Schools with particularly strong residency programs tend to publicize where their students ended up going. How many years are you looking to be in school for-- some schools have accelerated or more lenient rigors. Alumni and employer network is also a big deal-- do consulting firms recruit at that school/does the school have connections to other hospitals? Where are you planning on working? Name recognition is likely more important for that. UMinn might be ranked up top, but if you want to work on the West Coast, the recognition of Yale, JHU, or Columbia might serve you a bit better.

I think to some extent I can understand undergrad rankings as most programs have the same format, but because public health schools in general are so varied, you really have to just choose programs that fit your criteria and will give you the best shot at getting the job you want afterwards.
 
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doubtfox said:
Needing advice—

Background:
I’m interested in healthcare administration. I want to work in a hospital in upper level management. I applied to mostly MHA programs but a lot of schools don’t have an MHA track. So for those schools I applied to an MPH with a healthcare management concentration.

The rankings on the top healthcare management programs are all over the place. I think it’s because it is mostly ranking only MHA tracks and not taking into consideration MPH health management concentrations.

It’s also confusing because when I look up MPH programs they’re not in a similar ranking comparing to healthcare management programs. But health care management is like a subset of the school of public health. So you’d think it would apply there too but no.
For example Yale is ranked #15 in top MPH programs. But it’s not ranked at all for healthcare management. I know rankings aren’t everything but I also use them as a metric.

I’m trying to get a comprehensive understanding of all the programs I applied to. Which is actually the best??

I tried comparing the curriculums but it’s just course names on paper and doesn’t mean anything to me. I’ve looked at faculty but they’re all the same after a while.

What are your thoughts / experiences??
Click to expand...


@CarissasWeird summarized it pretty well. To add a bit to what she said I would advise you to not be too fixated on ranking. While rankings may play a "small" role it won't make or break your degree and ability to land a job. Most employers don't care about the school, just what you've learned and how you can help their organization. Just be sure it's CAHME certified. That's what fellowships really care for.

There is a difference between MPH with a healthcare administration concentration and an MHA degree. I'd do more research but one focuses entirely on administration while another offers a concentration (different priorities). It doesn't hurt to reach out to the programs to get a better understanding from them as well. One other thing to keep in mind, if a school doesn't offer information about placements on their website or over email I'd be a bit wary. It's important to know where their graduates have gone as that may be helpful for you to decide which school is a good fit for you.
 
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hey guys I’m a Canadian student from Toronto, and I just applied to several schools in the United States (and one in Canada). Was a hardcore geneticist guy, but my research projects drew me into public health and subsequently heath policy and management after working with people in government agencies and hospitals.
as of right now, I got a interview request at Columbia for the MHA last week or so and just did it yesterday through the phone. A little weird and scary since it’s hard to gauge how the interviewer felt about my responses but it was a student so I guess it was not that bad.

School: University of Toronto
GPA: 3.86
GRE: 158 (80) on verbal, 160 (78) on quantitative, 4.5 (81) on writing
Major: I did a specialist (Like a major but far more courses) on Fundamental Genetics and It’s Applications.
Experience (professional or otherwise):
- worked 1 year plus for the Sunnybrook research institute (research hospital) where I was part of a whole genome sequencing and analysis project for influenza viruses in conjunction with PHAC (Canadian CDC) and food inspection agency. It was really a collaboration to see how we can from a standard for genetic surveillance of pathogens (mainly viruses) in North America. A lot of machine learning and automation stuff included too. And has downstream effects on how we manage and deal with outbreaks, etc.
Special Factors:
- poster/oral presentations about research at major public heath conferences at the university of Toronto and university of Guelph (so Toronto metro area unis)

Applied: Guelph, Columbia, Cornell, Emory, Colorado, University of Georgia
Interview: Columbia (12/13)
Waitlist:
Rejected:
Accepted:
Attending:
 
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darkmagik777 said:
hey guys I’m a Canadian student from Toronto, and I just applied to several schools in the United States (and one in Canada). Was a hardcore geneticist guy, but my research projects drew me into public health and subsequently heath policy and management after working with people in government agencies and hospitals.
as of right now, I got a interview request at Columbia for the MHA last week or so and just did it yesterday through the phone. A little weird and scary since it’s hard to gauge how the interviewer felt about my responses but it was a student so I guess it was not that bad.

School: University of Toronto
GPA: 3.86
GRE: 158 (80) on verbal, 160 (78) on quantitative, 4.5 (81) on writing
Major: I did a specialist (Like a major but far more courses) on Fundamental Genetics and It’s Applications.
Experience (professional or otherwise):
- worked 1 year plus for the Sunnybrook research institute (research hospital) where I was part of a whole genome sequencing and analysis project for influenza viruses in conjunction with PHAC (Canadian CDC) and food inspection agency. It was really a collaboration to see how we can from a standard for genetic surveillance of pathogens (mainly viruses) in North America. A lot of machine learning and automation stuff included too. And has downstream effects on how we manage and deal with outbreaks, etc.
Special Factors:
- poster/oral presentations about research at major public heath conferences at the university of Toronto and university of Guelph (so Toronto metro area unis)

Applied: Guelph, Columbia, Cornell, Emory, Colorado, University of Georgia
Interview: Columbia (12/13)
Waitlist:
Rejected:
Accepted:
Attending:
Click to expand...

Did they send you a follow up email to schedule your Columbia interview?

I got an email on 12/8 that said
“Thank you for applying to the Department of Health Policy & Management (HPM) at Columbia University....
Over the next few weeks a current student in the department will be contacting you via email to schedule a phone call...”

but haven’t heard since then
 
PublicHealthGal12345 said:
Did they send you a follow up email to schedule your Columbia interview?

I got an email on 12/8 that said
“Thank you for applying to the Department of Health Policy & Management (HPM) at Columbia University....
Over the next few weeks a current student in the department will be contacting you via email to schedule a phone call...”

but haven’t heard since then
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so I got the email last Friday at like 2am in the morning. then later in the day, maybe 6pm, the student that interviewed me sent an email to book a time that’s good for me on doodle.
 
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Question about the Columbia HPM interview...Is it only required for MHA not MPH in management applicants?
 
Accepted to the JHU MHA program!!!
 
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Hi @southpaw509 ! You mentioned being a student at UNC-Chapel Hill and I actually was just extended an interview offer from them. Do you have any advice for preparing for the interview? Do they ask you a lot about your stats? I'm a little nervous about my GRE score. My verbal was pretty high, but my quant was just below the minimum required score.
 
PublicHealthGal12345 said:
Anyone know or have any tips regarding questions they ask during the interview for UIC?
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I have an upcoming interview as well so I'm wondering the same thing! When is your interview and is yours a phone interview or an in-person interview?
 
doubtfox said:
I applied to Emory MPH Health Policy and Management department and my application status says “Application Incomplete” however there are no “to-do’s” on the to-do list section. Is this happening with anyone else? Is it required to select additional programs to send your app to?
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yup got the same issue as well. The email did say wait up to 5 days for the to do list to be updated from when the email was sent (last thurs for me). It should be updated by now (tuesday), but it could mean business days. I’ll try to contact them if nothing comes up by Thursday/Friday.
 
Anyone still waiting for a follow-up email from a student from Columbia to contact them for their MHA interview? i got the interview information email on 12/8 but still haven't heard from a student yet to actually set up the date and time
 
htlaeh said:
Good luck!! Can’t wait to hear how it went!
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It was a lot more relaxed than I thought, he didn't ask any specific questions about my SOP or resume just about an experience that led me to finding an interest in healthcare admin. He asked me what I am looking for in a graduate school program. He also talked a lot about the program itself! Let me know if you have any other questions!
 
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Hi! I applied to Columbia on 12/02, and SOPHAS told me that admissions would see that I applied on the priority deadline. However, on the Columbia applicant portal, my materials weren't received till 12/03-12/05. Do any of you guys know if I'm still considered a priority deadline application?
 
ker2015 said:
Hi! I applied to Columbia on 12/02, and SOPHAS told me that admissions would see that I applied on the priority deadline. However, on the Columbia applicant portal, my materials weren't received till 12/03-12/05. Do any of you guys know if I'm still considered a priority deadline application?
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I'd contact them if you're worried, but IIRC whenever you hit submit is the date that determines if you met the priority deadline or not.
 
sagittarius16 said:
Hi @southpaw509 ! You mentioned being a student at UNC-Chapel Hill and I actually was just extended an interview offer from them. Do you have any advice for preparing for the interview? Do they ask you a lot about your stats? I'm a little nervous about my GRE score. My verbal was pretty high, but my quant was just below the minimum required score.
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Congrats on the interview! I don’t remember them asking about my stats too much during my interview. Mainly you just need to articulate why UNC and why MHA, those are the most important things to focus on. That being said I’m not sure what your quant score was so I wouldn’t be able to speak to that. However, they clearly liked something about your application or they wouldn’t have invited you for an interview, so just keep that in mind.

Happy to speak more about UNC. Feel free to DM me if you haven’t gone to your interview yet and still have questions.
 
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I know many are probably still a bit nervous with applications, interviews, etc but I wanted to wish everyone Happy Holidays! Enjoy a much deserved break! :)
 
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htlaeh said:
Good luck!! Can’t wait to hear how it went!
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When is your interview? I forgot to ask on mine when decisions are made so I’m just getting nervous at this point haha. But I figured since it’s the holidays they prob won’t be released till January. Let me know if you know!
 
PublicHealthGal12345 said:
When is your interview? I forgot to ask on mine when decisions are made so I’m just getting nervous at this point haha. But I figured since it’s the holidays they prob won’t be released till January. Let me know if you know!
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Thank you so much for letting me know how yours went! My interview was on Wednesday and you were right about it being more relaxed than I thought it would be. He told me that decisions would be made typically within a week but I’m not sure how that works with Christmas coming up. Hopefully we hear back soon!!
 
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Got invited for an interview w Cornell!
 
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Is anyone else awaiting a follow up after receiving a Columbia interview information email? I only received my email on 12/24, but I'm curious if Columbia interviews all applicants or if the interview suggests a potential acceptance?
 
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Got an email today from Columbia (MHA) for an interview. It says to watch out for an email from a current student within the next week or two and schedule a phone interview!
 
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Finally got that Cornell interview earlier this week and right before Christmas too!

They basically went dark after contacting me for a vid. interview almost like 2 months ago. Since it didn't work out, I thought that probably ended it.

Reading up on Cornell from previous years, this seems like a fantastic school. Super excited!
 
2020mha said:
Is anyone else awaiting a follow up after receiving a Columbia interview information email? I only received my email on 12/24, but I'm curious if Columbia interviews all applicants or if the interview suggests a potential acceptance?
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Congrats on the interview and good luck!

I think Columbia has a pretty unique format where they have students conduct the interviews themselves. Since you literally just received the invite and because it is a major holiday season, I'd probably give it some time before they contact you. It also really depends on the interviewer themselves and what their schedule looks like. I was contacted right before Thanksgiving and luckily my interviewer emailed me the next day so I got it over pretty quickly.

As far as decisions go, I heard from someone in their admissions office that they only send out decisions in large batches and not on a rolling basis. If you look at previous years, it seems like they take about a month or so. The anticipation sucks but hey making it this far is a pretty awesome achievement itself!
 
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Hi all,
I'm a Indian dentist, Im planning to do masters, and I'm not sure about MHA in Canada or US. Which has better job prospects and will help me settle in the place?

Thank you in advance.
 
bp_1265 said:
Hello Everyone!
I went through MHA applications last year and would love to answer any questions about the process or share my experience about the different programs. While going through this, I realized just how incredible these programs are, regardless of rankings. As you go through the process, my best advice would be to embrace your uniqueness, have fun during interviews, trust your instincts, and go where you feel like home. I was beyond excited to accept admission to The Ohio State University because of the people, the culture, and the energy; and 5 weeks in, this program and cohort has already transformed my life.

Feel free to send me a message if you have any questions, or if you want to hear more about how much I love OSU.
Good luck everyone!

School: University of Idaho (May, 2017)
GPA: 3.53
GMAT: 600
Major: Exercise Science & Health
Minor: Pre-Medical Studies

Experience:
- 2.5 years at Public Health. 85% FTE working with 6 primary care clinics and hospitals on delivery system transformation; 15% FTE health educator working on safe prescribing practice, cancer prevention, chronic disease prevention, and tobacco control.
- 1.5 years as the Board Secretary for a $25-Million Health Legacy Foundation.
- 200+ volunteer hours at free clinic as a lifestyle coach and pharmacy technician.
- previous experience in a nursing home, assisted living facility, and medical billing.

Applied: Cornell (11/16), Hopkins (12/1), MUSC (12/5), UMinn (11/30), OSU (11/28), VCU (11/15), GWU (11/30)
Interview: VCU (1/25), OSU (2/15), Cornell (1/4), MUSC (declined)
Waitlist:
Rejected: UMinn (1/4), Hopkins (2/8)
Accepted: GWU (1/3), Cornell (1/18), VCU (1/25), OSU (2/21)
Attending: The Ohio State University!
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Why did you decide OSU?
 
Hi, I am new to the field of MPH and I was wondering how competitive I can actually be with my GRE scores... I took it twice but the scores barely changed. 152V, 161 Q, and 4.0 AWA. I am interested in Healthcare administration ...
 
vvl14 said:
Hi, I am new to the field of MPH and I was wondering how competitive I can actually be with my GRE scores... I took it twice but the scores barely changed. 152V, 161 Q, and 4.0 AWA. I am interested in Healthcare administration ...
Click to expand...
Theyre fine.
 
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futuremha2020 said:
School: University of Wisconsin-Madison
GPA: 3.74
GRE: 163 V, 162 Q, 4.5 AW
Major: Kinesiology, Global Health Certificate
Experience: 2 years as an Undergraduate Research Assistant with a sports medicine researcher, 3 months as a Community Program Intern with the local chapter of a national non-profit organization, 1 year a Program Coordinator in community health equity and engagement at a large academic medical center (current position)

Applied: Minnesota (11/27), Columbia (12/1), Rush (12/1), Johns Hopkins (12/2), CU-Denver
Interview: Minnesota (1/10), Johns Hopkins (12/23), Rush
Waitlist:
Rejected:
Accepted: Johns Hopkins (12/23)
Attending:
Click to expand...

When did you hear back from rush? :)
 
Anyone have any thoughts about the Yale HCM program? Im leaning towards Yale and considering submitting my deposit rather soon
 
monkeym8 said:
Anyone have any thoughts about the Yale HCM program? Im leaning towards Yale and considering submitting my deposit rather soon
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Is there any benefit to submitting deposit sooner than later? If I recall correctly you have until mid April to decide without penalty. Might be worthwhile to give yourself more time to decide if there is no penalty.
 
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Just had my interview with Cornell! I dont think it went well. There were so many behavioral questions :bored: Decisions will be out on the 31st!
 
hawaiihealthadmin said:
I have my interview tomorrow! What do you mean by behavioral questions, if you don't mind me asking?
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She asked questions like "How would you react in this situation given x,y,z? How do you identify problems within yourself or your peers? How do you best handle conflict? What are some potential challenges that you might while in grad school?" I can't really remember the questions fully but those were the gist of them.
 
Fashionablegoat said:
School: Hofstra University
GPA: Cumulative 3.34 and Major 3.6
GRE: Verbal 145, Quant 147
Major: Community Health
Work Experience

Angion Biomedica Corp.-PR Intern

Nassau County Dept. of Human Services Office of Mental Health- Intern

Hofstra University- Student Aid, Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics

New York University, Assistant Researcher- Research publication on Extent and context dependence of pleiotropy revealed by high-throughput single-cell phenotyping
Special Factors: Graduating Undergrad a year early and am taking masters classes as electives (not sure if that counts)

Applied: Tufts, BU, GWU
Interview:
Waitlist:
Rejected:
Accepted:
Attending:

Kinda worried I won't get into any of the schools I applied to because of the GRE. Do you guys think its a deal breaker?
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Your GRE wont be the deal breaker. Good luck!
 
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