Columbia Class 2014

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Hey guys, anyone got any financial aid packages yet? (besides merit scholarships that went along with the acceptance letters)
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tnot said:
parapluie said:
Hi all, since my post about a week ago I've received many, many PMs from you. At first I tried to reply to each one to the level of detail of your questions, but soon I realized they were all about the same things essentially. So I've compiled a list of FAQs below. Hopefully that'll relieve some of your anxiety.

1. Housing and living:

- I recommend the Towers. Try not to get the other ones. Tower 1 and 2 are student shares, meaning 2 bedrooms, unfurnished, full kitchen, 1 full bathroom.

thank you so much for the info.. so you have to share 1 bathroom with other three ppl? how does that work? :/
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If it's a two people share, you have 1 bathroom, which includes a sink, toilet, shower and tub, and a mirror cabinet. If it's 2+, you have 2 bathrooms, both have all of the stuff mentioned previously :)
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mphplease said:
Anyone thinking about deferring to next year or deferred from fall 2011 to this fall?

Also, has anyone considered International House in Morningside heights?
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I'm seriously considering deferring...I need to make money to pay for this :( lol
 
I heard back a week or so ago, still thinking. Guess I'll read this thread to learn more.

Congrats to everyone else who got in
 
does anybody know the groceries around CUMC housing? Is there an organic/healthy stores in that area? is it possible to cook in one of CUMC housing kitchens(...i believe that i read they have kitchen-nets/no oven, i don't know how a kitchen be a kitchen without an oven :/ ).
how is the cafeteria? thanks in advance for all your help in advance. :)
 
First time on SDN!
I'm Canadian and am wondering if anyone can give me advice on how to go about processing visa, waiving health insurance and most importantly financial aid!!! How do people go about affording $60-70K/year? =(

Also:
1) How expensive is living in New York? How much should I budget for food per week?
2) Arguments for and against living on-campus or off-campus?
 
I think I read somewhere on their website that the International House is meant for students other than medical students. Apparently we get grouped with the medical students, so we aren't given access to the I-House. I might be wrong though.
 
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A Canadian friend was an intern in NYC (in law) for 6 months, went home for 1 weekend and so, Medicare covered her. In other words, the provincial health insurance remains and she has been reimnursed her medical expenses in NYC I believe. She was not away consecutively for 6 months, less, so she did not lose medical coverage from the province. Hope this helps. Rents in NYC are expensive and it is best to share, she found a shared apt online.
 
Hi there,

Quick question for the acceptees: did you get a letter in the mail, or just the email notification? I only got an email notification, and just today got an email from the financial aid office telling me I was missing the supplemental form, when I didn't have my PIN to fill it out in the first place! I was pretty annoyed, so I was just wondering what the situation was for the rest of you.

Also, I'm stuck trying to decide between Yale and Columbia (both MS in Biostatistics). Any advice for me? I went to Columbia for undergrad, and absolutely LOVE the city, but Yale seems like a better community, academically at least. Decisions, decisions :/
 
strangestranger, I am also trying to decide between columbia and yale (MPH EPI, though). Have you visited yale?

I only received the email notification, no letter.
/
Do you mind sharing some of your thoughts on the pros and cons of each school? You seem to have an in-depth perspective on columbia.
 
Hi healthypassion, I actually just visited Yale yesterday. I really liked the main campus, but, unfortunately, the school of public health is further out, next to the med school. New Haven itself seemed pretty dull, and what's worse is that it's surrounded by even more nothingness. On the other hand, Columbia's school of public health is probably a 30 min subway ride to the good part of the city anyway, so it is nice to know there are options.

And when I was an undergrad at Columbia (2007-2011), it was clear to everyone that there was there was a lack of community. Everyone is out to do his/her own thing, and no one is willing to help you. Professors are very reluctant to answer emails and obviously have no interest in their students. I didn't meet to talk with my major advisor a single time during those four years, despite multiple emails and dropbys to his office! Of course, this is just one experience (although the majority of my friends from Columbia would agree), and undergrad at that, so just be cautious I guess. I did hear from my friend at Yale (Biostats) that the professors are really friendly and willing to help, and considering Yale's smaller programs, I am just assuming that would mean stronger relationships between students and professors.

Another thing to consider is that Columbia's school of public health is ranked higher than Yale's...
 
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So I went to visit Columbia yesterday. NYC is incredible, obviously. Washington Heights, however, is completely and utterly depressing. De-press-ing. The area, the building's interior and exterior, everything is just dismal.

To cope with this grand disappointment, I turned to logic. I love the program, the faculty, the resources, the everything! It doesn't matter that it's insanely isolated from the rest of the university because once I'm inside the classroom, everything else is essentially irrelevant.

Anyway, I don't mean to be hater, I'm just voicing my experience. I'm still choosing Columbia over Michigan and Yale and I can't wait for August!
 
futuredoc1004 said:
A Canadian friend was an intern in NYC (in law) for 6 months, went home for 1 weekend and so, Medicare covered her. In other words, the provincial health insurance remains and she has been reimnursed her medical expenses in NYC I believe. She was not away consecutively for 6 months, less, so she did not lose medical coverage from the province. Hope this helps. Rents in NYC are expensive and it is best to share, she found a shared apt online.
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Thanks! So this means that I would have to go back every 6 months?
 
Higher said:
So I went to visit Columbia yesterday. NYC is incredible, obviously. Washington Heights, however, is completely and utterly depressing. De-press-ing. The area, the building's interior and exterior, everything is just dismal.

To cope with this grand disappointment, I turned to logic. I love the program, the faculty, the resources, the everything! It doesn't matter that it's insanely isolated from the rest of the university because once I'm inside the classroom, everything else is essentially irrelevant.

Anyway, I don't mean to be hater, I'm just voicing my experience. I'm still choosing Columbia over Michigan and Yale and I can't wait for August!
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I'm also trying to choose between Columbia and Michigan. What makes you choose Columbia over Michigan?
 
EHSprospect2012 said:
For those of you who wanted to see an estimated cost of tuition etc, here's a link.
http://publichealth.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/tuition_chart_2012-2013b.pdf
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Thanks for the link!
I'm in for 2-year MPH program (PopFam), so that will be almost $67,000 :eek: I was hoping that it would be nearer to 60k!


Higher said:
So I went to visit Columbia yesterday. NYC is incredible, obviously. Washington Heights, however, is completely and utterly depressing. De-press-ing. The area, the building's interior and exterior, everything is just dismal.

To cope with this grand disappointment, I turned to logic. I love the program, the faculty, the resources, the everything! It doesn't matter that it's insanely isolated from the rest of the university because once I'm inside the classroom, everything else is essentially irrelevant.

Anyway, I don't mean to be hater, I'm just voicing my experience. I'm still choosing Columbia over Michigan and Yale and I can't wait for August!
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Can I also know what made you choose Columbia over Michigan and Yale? I'm torn between Columbia (PopFam) and UNC-Chapel Hill (Maternal & Child Health). :confused:
 
strangestranger said:
Hi healthypassion, I actually just visited Yale yesterday. I really liked the main campus, but, unfortunately, the school of public health is further out, next to the med school. New Haven itself seemed pretty dull, and what's worse is that it's surrounded by even more nothingness. On the other hand, Columbia's school of public health is probably a 30 min subway ride to the good part of the city anyway, so it is nice to know there are options.

And when I was an undergrad at Columbia (2007-2011), it was clear to everyone that there was there was a lack of community. Everyone is out to do his/her own thing, and no one is willing to help you. Professors are very reluctant to answer emails and obviously have no interest in their students. I didn't meet to talk with my major advisor a single time during those four years, despite multiple emails and dropbys to his office! Of course, this is just one experience (although the majority of my friends from Columbia would agree), and undergrad at that, so just be cautious I guess. I did hear from my friend at Yale (Biostats) that the professors are really friendly and willing to help, and considering Yale's smaller programs, I am just assuming that would mean stronger relationships between students and professors.

Another thing to consider is that Columbia's school of public health is ranked higher than Yale's...
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I was at Columbia in 2003 at the postbacc pre-med program, I felt the same way about my experience there but I always thought it was because we were viewed as second class citizen since it was general studies, etc. Sad to hear that the undergrad experience what somewhat the same.

I'm still reserving my judgment of Mailman until I visit for the April admitted student's day, I am visiting BU first so Columbia would have to really blow me away to get me to give them my money again.
 
I can't make it to the Admitted Student's Day, so to anyone else who is going or who has already gone, I would love to hear what your opinions of the school!

What is housing like? How are the classrooms? Are they nicely furnished or bleak minimalistic lecture halls? etc.
 
I'm not sure if someone already addressed this, but how difficult is it to switch certificate concentrations within your department?
 
Hey there!

Thanks for the responses everyone. I was wondering if anyone can give me information on the practicum. What is the practicum all about? how long is it for? is it a paid internship?
 
I went to the admitted students day today and I must say I liked it, a lot. A whole lot.

I won't lie...NYC isn't really pretty lol. Not a dump! but it's not UNC or Emory or Ann Arbor at allll. It's NY...so you have to kind of accept that and choose to deal with it or not :/ There is no quad, no campus really, so everything feels kinda scattered between a couple of buildings. It's a different kind of beauty (some of the buildings have a really nice view of the bridge, and New Jersey even) so keep that in mind. Student community definitely isn't salient, but I knew that coming in...it's the culture of New York as well as the set up of the buildings. So if that's a huge issue for you and you don't feel like you can deal with that then definitely consider somewhere else with a prettier campus and more of a community feel. Not saying you wouldn't make friends because there were actually a lot of nice people there but it's not like other schools in that regard. We didn't get to see the housing complexes though :(

I really really loved the faculty and staff. Honestly. They weren't overbearingly nice but they were very nice and approachable and friendly. I can see this place as somewhere I will gain my independence. Faculty seems very accessible albeit busy during grant season, which they admitted to (and I appreciated that)--and this being said they def do not ignore you, their doors just aren't always wide open for drop ins as much as they are during non grant writing seasons. The professor we talked to at lunch was so engaging and amazing with the research and I get the sense that they care about students and are teachers in addition to researchers. The Housing and Financial Aid people were really nice during the presentation and in the offices themselves. It's not like Southern hospitality but I have no reason to believe these people don't care about students.

I thought the classrooms were all really nice. Granted it was a tour haha but everywhere I went looked really nice. Academic feeling (durh).

Re: certificates...they said that switching would not be 100% impossible but she said that plan to stick with it. So basically no but yes if you really really end up hating it. For undecided people there is more leeway but keep in mind that some may be full already.

The practicums they said are usually done between the first and second years for the summer and they are usually not paid. It's 280 hrs required with an organization in our area of interest that would give us some really good experience. The students and faculty mentioned Columbia's connections and ability to get graduates jobs out of school.

Students are engaged with the Washington Heights community which is a plus. It's very...Dominican haha so think about that. I happen to love that so I will like living around there I think.

I am attracted to the new layout of the program...one of the professors remarked that the new program required them to scrutinize each other's classes and made them work together (many of the core courses are taught in teams) so he said he was excited for us to be able to experience this integration.

I think for Columbia you have to look at the resources and curriculum and opportunities and decide whether you will be happy in a place that is so independent-feeling with little widespread community. I won't lie, I'd love if there were quads and students lounging outside on the grass talking about weekend plans...but it's not. I'm still choosing to go there above all and I think I'll be better for in personally in the long run after some serious adjustment haha.

HTH! :)
 
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Thank you, curliehead! I haven't applied yet but that's very good to know. :thumbup:
 
Just to second that…I went to the admit day yesterday as well. I have to say I also got a really good impression, which is good since I already made my deposit ☺. The buildings that we say on the tour were pretty nice, generally just academic buildings. We did go into one dorm, Bard Hall, but didn’t get to see any rooms. That said, the dorm was really nice, and you could go out onto 2 roof decks, with views of NYC including the GW bridge.

I thought the faculty were very nice. We broke up into small groups, and I was in the management group. There were two professors with us, and they gave us the whole breakdown of the curriculum. Regarding the practicum, they said obviously there are tons of opportunities, but you also have to put in your work to seek them out. They will not just hand them to you, which makes sense. They basically said there are three kinds of practicums: one which will help you land a FT job at the company, one that will give you just a good experience, or one that will show you what you don’t want to do.

At lunch, we sat with current students and professors again. The student at our table was very helpful. If you do not come from a econ/quant background, you will be fine. Regarding student groups/clubs, apparently there are a bunch of things to join, such as Future Health Leaders, where speakers come in from different companies. According to this student and a prof, there are almost too many groups to join, so you really need to choose wisely, as you may only be able to manage one or two, time-wise.

If you are in the management track, apparently fall semester is so busy that you will have almost no time for anything other academic…which I thought was pretty crazy, until they said you will have class sometimes 6 days a week. Yes, Saturdays are for Econ. Once you are in your 2nd semester, then things cool down a bit and you can do more.

Regarding TAing, etc., they said the best way to get a job as a TA or RA is to speak with professors once you go to school. Also, they will have a matching program where e-mails will be sent out to students to see if they would like to help out professors. Some students find part-time work at the DoH, or intern there or hospitals around the area.

Financial Aid: Basically, unless you got scholarships or have enough outside money, it will be all loans. Some people may not get enough in loans to cover their tuition, and for that they recommended being creative. Hopefully most people get enough to cover the cost. Total cost = 67,000. Yikes.

At the end of the day, they gave a mock class-room experience. The head of the Biostatistics department gave a 45 minute lecture, which was actually really interesting. He spoke about finding the truth in data, and not letting yourself be manipulated into believing all news that is published. It was pretty cool, and he got a very hearty round of applause afterwards.

Campus: Again, not the prettiest, but don’t base your decision on that. The medical campus is it’s own little area, but yes it is still Washington Heights. Focus on the academics, not the surrounding area. It is a safe place, so there is no need to worry about that. I am from NYC, and this is only one area that everyone seems to be focused on. Remember, it is a WHOLE CITY. Wash Heights is ONE area, out of 5 burroughs. People need to realize that.

Overall, the visit just re-affirmed my decision, and I am looking forward to starting this fall. Hope this helps!
 
Thanks curliehead and jonsnow88! Great to know that you're happy with your decision!

jonsnow88 said:
If you are in the management track, apparently fall semester is so busy that you will have almost no time for anything other academic…which I thought was pretty crazy, until they said you will have class sometimes 6 days a week. Yes, Saturdays are for Econ. Once you are in your 2nd semester, then things cool down a bit and you can do more.
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Are you in the 1-year accelerated program? 6 days a week sure sounds hectic!
 
mikan said:
Thanks curliehead and jonsnow88! Great to know that you're happy with your decision!



Are you in the 1-year accelerated program? 6 days a week sure sounds hectic!
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actually im in the 16-month program. They said the econ classes are joined with executive mph and part-time mph students, which is why sometimes there are saturday classes. not the worst thing in the world, but not the best either :)
 
I thought I'd chime in about the Admitted Student Day as well. I went into the day somewhat skeptical given what I've read on these pages about Columbia. Overall, I was impressed by the whole day! I haven't quite decided on Columbia yet, but they're definitely in the running.

As curliehead mentioned, the campus is underwhelming (if you can call it a campus). I would draw a sharp distinction between the relatively poor "hardware" of the university (insittutional-looking buildings, cramped style, small gym, tower-block living arrangements, etc) and the amazing "software" (professors, students, and classes). I was admitted to PopFam and I LOVED the professors. They are really engaged and seem to care a great deal about the students. One of my worries was that I would feel like a number at Columbia, but I don't think that will be the case at all. First, they have admitted a smaller number of students overall this year because they are trying out the new curriculum. They expect a total incoming class of 400, which they will then divide into cohorts of 100. Previous classes used to be close to 500. Second, PopFam has a family feel to it and they expect a group of about 70 students. Third, unlike other schools/depts, there aren't a lot of PhDs so there seems to be ample room for RA and TA positions. And there is a lot of scope to be involved in actual technical work with professors.

On a personal level, I also like that PopFam requires students to have at least 2 years of experience. I have quite a few years myself, and it will be nice to work with folks that aren't too green.

The one huge worry that I still have about Columbia is the new curriculum. A lot of people have put serious thought into it. And it looks great on paper. But there will probably be some growing pains. They are still putting together syllabuses and the session explaining the curriculum was rather poor. As one professor put it, "it's confusing because we don't know how it will work either!" They have combined biostats and epi into one course, which has the added value of breaking down artificial silos, but you may loose some necessary time to dig into these topics. At the same time, this new way of teaching the core will probably make us better public health practitioners. And the classes after the first semester core, will be pretty much the same as they are now.

Another potential drawback is the separation from the other graduate schools. You can theoretically take classes at SIPA for example, but it will be hard in practice since they will prioritize their students and don't necessarily have to accept you.

On balance, I think Columbia put their best foot forward on Friday. The "mock class" at the end of the day by Roger Bonn, chair of the biostats department, was simply amazing and left me wanting more. I'll be checking out Hopkins, Yale and GW next. Then finally make my choice.
 
Does anyone knows what should I expect to spend for food per month in NY? (just average estimate, thanks).
 
tnot said:
Does anyone knows what should I expect to spend for food per month in NY? (just average estimate, thanks).
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Worst case scenario, figure 200-250 dollars a month on food, depending on what you buy and where you like to shop.

Everything was more expensive in the city compared to what I would pay for food in Brooklyn, if you want to shop at a speciality supermarket, expect that estimate to be higher.

I buy organic milk, in Brooklyn, it's about $6.30 for a half gallon.
 
Emsy said:
Worst case scenario, figure 200-250 dollars a month on food, depending on what you buy and where you like to shop.

Everything was more expensive in the city compared to what I would pay for food in Brooklyn, if you want to shop at a speciality supermarket, expect that estimate to be higher.

I buy organic milk, in Brooklyn, it's about $6.30 for a half gallon.
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Thank you!
 
hi folks... did anyone else not get any need-based grants from columbia? i was emailed my 'financial aid pkg' today, which consists of 33k in loans to cover >57k tuition. i understand there is some level of estimated contribution, but i am in the 2nd to lowest income bracket...?
 
swcy said:
hi folks... did anyone else not get any need-based grants from columbia? i was emailed my 'financial aid pkg' today, which consists of 33k in loans to cover >57k tuition. i understand there is some level of estimated contribution, but i am in the 2nd to lowest income bracket...?
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I also received no financial aid from Columbia, just the 33k in loans to cover Year 1. Looks like everything else is either to be covered thru separate private loans or personal income. hooray...
 
jonsnow88 said:
I also received no financial aid from Columbia, just the 33k in loans to cover Year 1. Looks like everything else is either to be covered thru separate private loans or personal income. hooray...
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looks like we got the same pkg... sad day!
 
Did you fill out the supplemental financial aid form or did they just send you your package?
 
They still haven't given me my ID so that I can fill the form out. Kinda annoying
 
swcy said:
hi folks... did anyone else not get any need-based grants from columbia? i was emailed my 'financial aid pkg' today, which consists of 33k in loans to cover >57k tuition. i understand there is some level of estimated contribution, but i am in the 2nd to lowest income bracket...?
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I received the same amount in loans. I'm unemployed, don't quite understand that myself.
 
jonsnow88 said:
ohhh hmmm.... when did you get your acceptance? you should give the fin aid office a ring
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Yeah I was accepted in the first batch, about a month ago. I've already contacted the aid office, and they say it will be coming via email soon, but it doesn't really look like it. Oh well, more waiting at this point.
 
EHSprospect2012 said:
Yeah I was accepted in the first batch, about a month ago. I've already contacted the aid office, and they say it will be coming via email soon, but it doesn't really look like it. Oh well, more waiting at this point.
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it should come soon. i e-mailed them yesterday asking, and they said by April 15th. Then I got the e-mail today. you never know i guess
 
I got the same financial aid package! 33k is meant to cover the tuition but like what about the rest...? Its really pricey,
 
For the record: During the financial aid presentation, the director of Fin Aid spoke about something called Reconsideration. I should have posted this earlier. Reconsideration is when you are unsatisfied with your presented financial aid package, and wish to request that they reconsider the amount you received. To back up your argument, you need proof. For example, if you received $15,000 from one program, tell Columbia. You need to scan and e-mail your other school award letter, plus write your explanation. Also, they said to state the amount of money you wish to get from them. I actually did this earlier today. I received money from BU, but nothing from Columbia, so I scanned my BU award letter and wrote an e-mail. I basically stated that in order to attend Columbia, I will have to leave my job to study full-time, plus will have little parental support. I got a response that they will evaluate my request, and hopefully let me know by April 15th. I have already made my deposit, but definitely do with more help. Just as an fyi, for those not happy with their packages.
 
Thanks jonsnow88, that is good to know!
Has everyone been asked to submit their 2011 tax return and W-2 as part of the financial aid assessment?
Also, any current students/alumni that can share their experience on dealing with the $120,000 post-grad loans in the real world? (it is about $60,000 per year, right?) I'm still struggling between Columbia and Michigan. The only thing holding me back is the cost to attend Columbia :/
 
RumbaToMD said:
Thanks jonsnow88, that is good to know!
Has everyone been asked to submit their 2011 tax return and W-2 as part of the financial aid assessment?
Also, any current students/alumni that can share their experience on dealing with the $120,000 post-grad loans in the real world? (it is about $60,000 per year, right?) I'm still struggling between Columbia and Michigan. The only thing holding me back is the cost to attend Columbia :/
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tuition for both yrs in Columbia is 67k...but I'ms till interested in knowing how people pay back loans. I applied to Michigan too but being out of state it was actually more expensive than Columbia, even with a scholarship :/
 
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