Admissions Help!

[Julie7373]

I was recently accepted in the MHS in health policy program at John's Hopkins and the SM in health policy at Harvard. I would like to go to Harvard because I love Boston and the program, but I was accepted for Fall 2007 contingent on me working for a year (I am coming straight from undergrad with a background in journalism so they would like me to get some more health experience first). Do you think it would be worth it for me to work for a year to go to Harvard or would you recommend going straight to John's Hopkins? Also, if I go straight to JHSPH would I have worse odds of getting a competitive internship during my second year without a great deal of previous public health experience?

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[Ariel22]

I think having health experience before starting your masters or while doing your masters degree will only help you find better jobs once you graduate. Your chances of getting a better job heavily rely on your experience. I think you being happy with your program and the location is much more important as well. I recommend contacting some grad students in both schools in the health policy program---Harvard and John's Hopkins--and talk with them regarding opportunities in job market. Contact the public health association group from those schools--I am pretty sure the students will be quite happy to help.

In addition, John's Hopkins is located in Baltimore and honestly, the only great thing about Baltimore (in my opinion) is the Inner harbor besides ofcourse, John's Hopkins (which is a top-notch university). If you really want to live in Boston and if you love the program, go for Boston. I think your working before starting at Harvard will only help you gain life experience and great work experience --which will be very valuable; again this is just my opinion. Good Luck!

I was recently accepted in the MHS in health policy program at John's Hopkins and the SM in health policy at Harvard. I would like to go to Harvard because I love Boston and the program, but I was accepted for Fall 2007 contingent on me working for a year (I am coming straight from undergrad with a background in journalism so they would like me to get some more health experience first). Do you think it would be worth it for me to work for a year to go to Harvard or would you recommend going straight to John's Hopkins? Also, if I go straight to JHSPH would I have worse odds of getting a competitive internship during my second year without a great deal of previous public health experience?