Columbia MPH 2017

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sokapheapluuh

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Since so many of us got our discussions today, thought we should start one of these. What are your thoughts on the school? Top choice? And living considerations.

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TBH, I didn't really think I would get in, but now that I have, I don't know what to do! The other program I'm considering has given me a lot of financial aid, has a really low cost of living, a smaller cohort and would put me on a different career path. But it's COLUMBIA! You know? I don't know what to think about it.... I'm planning on going to the admitted students days of both to see if that makes a difference. Kind of vapor locked decision wise right now.... How about you?
 
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I'd probably only consider Columbia seriously if I got a considerable scholarship since I already got into JHU, which is one year. Plus, Baltimore is MUCH more affordable than NYC. I saved up and will have few loans at JHU. Loans are no joke :p
 
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My scholarship puts me at lower than the cost of JHU plus (and this is a big plus) I can live at home. The commute into the city from NJ won't be pretty, but it's definitely worth saving thousands of dollars. I'm still waiting to hear on JHU scholarships (and even on decisions from other schools), but that scholarship definitely put Columbia at the top of my list.
 
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Congrats! At JHU I can live at home--sounds like we're in similar boats :)
 
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Columbia has been my top choice for a long time and now that I've gotten in I really really wanna make this work. Cost is gonna be a big factor to figure out. I'm less worried about housing because I'd be moving with my partner and splitting rent (and she's done with school and works in tech!) but it's still gonna be more than we're used to in San Diego.
 
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Two questions on financial aid for everyone:
1. Does Columbia require parent information on FAFSA for everyone? Even if you're independent? I emailed asking already but just wanted to see if everyone else provided this info already.
2. Is the FAFSA application the only thing we have to fill out for aid? That's what I thought but I had to fill out a seperate application for BU and want to make sure I'm not missing something for Columbia.
Thanks!
 
Hello everyone! So excited about my first acceptance, and I am definitely considering taking it. My main hesitation is financial :/ Just wondered if anyone knows about or is considering the defer option? I'm excited to get started ASAP, but if I could work for another year and save some more $ it would help.
 
Quick question.. have you all gotten your acceptance letters from Columbia already? Especially those who've applied to HPM.. I had a phone interview last week but haven't heard since then
 
Hey, congrats to all of you!

I'm attending Columbia this fall for sure (HPM.MPH). Anybody else?
 
Two questions on financial aid for everyone:
1. Does Columbia require parent information on FAFSA for everyone? Even if you're independent? I emailed asking already but just wanted to see if everyone else provided this info already.
2. Is the FAFSA application the only thing we have to fill out for aid? That's what I thought but I had to fill out a seperate application for BU and want to make sure I'm not missing something for Columbia.
Thanks!

You dont need your parent's information. In addition to FAFSA, Columbia sends out like a financial aid questionnaire for applicants to fill out. Did you get that?

Quick question.. have you all gotten your acceptance letters from Columbia already? Especially those who've applied to HPM.. I had a phone interview last week but haven't heard since then

I also applied for HPM (a while back though...). I still haven't gotten a decision yet :/
 
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Anyone going to admitted students day tomorrow?
 
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I'll be there! Did you all get the agenda this morning? Seems a little late to send it out, but then again, I'm a planner.
I got the agenda as well. Looking forward to it! Better late than never, but I'll be taking the bus there tonight
 
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So bummed I couldn't get work off for admit day :yeahright: wish it was on a weekend! but can't wait to hear about it from you guys
 
Hi everyone! does anyone know when classes are held and how long classes are usually? i know at BU they are held at 10 am, 2pm, or 6pm and run for 3 hours.

thanks!
 
Hi everyone! does anyone know when classes are held and how long classes are usually? i know at BU they are held at 10 am, 2pm, or 6pm and run for 3 hours.

thanks!
From what they said at Admitted Students Day, for the Core (your first semester) you can choose from a morning cohort or an evening cohort. After that, I believe it is more flexible.

Sorry if this isn't the exact answer that you were looking for! That's all I remember them saying about class times.
 
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My scholarship puts me at lower than the cost of JHU plus (and this is a big plus) I can live at home. The commute into the city from NJ won't be pretty, but it's definitely worth saving thousands of dollars. I'm still waiting to hear on JHU scholarships (and even on decisions from other schools), but that scholarship definitely put Columbia at the top of my list.

Did Columbia email you telling you that you did receive a scholarship? I got in but have gotten no word of financial aid. I'm not sure if I didn't receive one or if I shuold just wait for it? Thanks!
 
Did Columbia email you telling you that you did receive a scholarship? I got in but have gotten no word of financial aid. I'm not sure if I didn't receive one or if I shuold just wait for it? Thanks!
Merit scholarship came with the acceptance letter. They are currently working on financial aid (need-based grants) as there was a glitch in their system where they couldn't download the needed documents.
 
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From what they said at Admitted Students Day, for the Core (your first semester) you can choose from a morning cohort or an evening cohort. After that, I believe it is more flexible.

Sorry if this isn't the exact answer that you were looking for! That's all I remember them saying about class times.

Thank you, so helpful! Yeah, I asked an alumni the question and she kind of gave me a roundabout answer. womp haha I hate 3 hour lectures but I feel like that's going to be the case at most schools.

I just emailed the student i was connected with via columbia admissions. I will report back when I hear from her :corny:
 
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Merit scholarship came with the acceptance letter. They are currently working on financial aid (need-based grants) as there was a glitch in their system where they couldn't download the needed documents.

Darn, I guess I didn't get it, thanks for the info!
 
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Submitted my deposit for Columbia yesterday! Can't wait to see y'all in the fall!!
 
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I really want to attend Columbia, but was given only loans as aid. Anyone else in the same boat?
 
I really want to attend Columbia, but was given only loans as aid. Anyone else in the same boat?

Yeah I was disappointed to only get loans but it was a large enough amount that I know I won't have to take out any additional loans. It sucks but I have a part time job secured already and I crunched the numbers to know it's a fiscally possible option for me even if it's not the cheapest. I personally don't think the other schools are offering me enough to counter how excited I am about attending Columbia. I guess my advice would be consider whether the financial aid you got makes attending Columbia possible first and then if it's possible, whether you're gonna be happier with this investment than with a cheaper option.
 
For those of of you attending, how are you dealing with the cost? I'm kind of scared of talking such large amounts of loans.
 
For those of of you attending, how are you dealing with the cost? I'm kind of scared of talking such large amounts of loans.
I'm keeping my job in San Diego because my boss agreed to let me work part-time from New York so I can take out less loans. Even though Columbia strongly discourages having extra-curriculars during the core, I've talked to current students who say a job during the core is definitely manageable.
 
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Hi Everyone, looking forward to meeting you all in the fall. I just had a quick question for those of you that visited Columbia during admitted student days. What would you say, given your first impressions, is the culture like at Mailman? Would you say there is any sense of community and collaboration between students? I got into Yale as well and that was one of the aspects that really appealed to me and I can't seem to shake off the fact that I might be missing out on such an experience by going to Columbia.
 
Hi Everyone, looking forward to meeting you all in the fall. I just had a quick question for those of you that visited Columbia during admitted student days. What would you say, given your first impressions, is the culture like at Mailman? Would you say there is any sense of community and collaboration between students? I got into Yale as well and that was one of the aspects that really appealed to me and I can't seem to shake off the fact that I might be missing out on such an experience by going to Columbia.

I definitely felt that there was TONS of collaboration between students and the community was quite close-knit. The dean spoke highly of the relationship between different departments and even different schools at Columbia (for example, she spoke a bit about a project in which the MPH students worked closely with the engineering students). Though it is a large program and school, and Yale is much smaller, the impression I get is that when you make it out of CORE and focus on your concentration the school feels much smaller and more manageable. Plus, you have access to other schools if you would like. I believe it's the best of both worlds.

Side note: After accepting, has anyone heard from Admissions about classes?housing? or a Facebook group for students who are attending?

Can't wait until the Fall!!:):):)
 
I definitely felt that there was TONS of collaboration between students and the community was quite close-knit. The dean spoke highly of the relationship between different departments and even different schools at Columbia (for example, she spoke a bit about a project in which the MPH students worked closely with the engineering students). Though it is a large program and school, and Yale is much smaller, the impression I get is that when you make it out of CORE and focus on your concentration the school feels much smaller and more manageable. Plus, you have access to other schools if you would like. I believe it's the best of both worlds.

Side note: After accepting, has anyone heard from Admissions about classes?housing? or a Facebook group for students who are attending?

Can't wait until the Fall!!:):):)

In the same boat! I applied for housing the day the apps opened, received a reply saying they received it, and then no word after that. A student created his own FB group for Columbia students, but after doing a quick search, it seems that the Columbia MPH admins have already created the official FB group for our class, but have not sent out any invitations. You can join the student's FB group, but it seems pretty inactive and has very few members. Seems like the admins for the official group are waiting to send out invitations, but I'm not sure why :O
 
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In the same boat! I applied for housing the day the apps opened, received a reply saying they received it, and then no word after that. A student created his own FB group for Columbia students, but after doing a quick search, it seems that the Columbia MPH admins have already created the official FB group for our class, but have not sent out any invitations. You can join the student's FB group, but it seems pretty inactive and has very few members. Seems like the admins for the official group are waiting to send out invitations, but I'm not sure why :O

Grrr. Ok, I guess we will have to wait then!
 
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I definitely felt that there was TONS of collaboration between students and the community was quite close-knit. The dean spoke highly of the relationship between different departments and even different schools at Columbia (for example, she spoke a bit about a project in which the MPH students worked closely with the engineering students). Though it is a large program and school, and Yale is much smaller, the impression I get is that when you make it out of CORE and focus on your concentration the school feels much smaller and more manageable. Plus, you have access to other schools if you would like. I believe it's the best of both worlds.

Side note: After accepting, has anyone heard from Admissions about classes?housing? or a Facebook group for students who are attending?

Can't wait until the Fall!!:):):)

Thanks! I'm glad to hear that. I haven't heard much from the school. Received a confirmation of receipt of my housing application and an invite to an HPM conference but that's about it!
 
Received my housing assignment. I will be in tower 3. anyone else?
 
Received my housing assignment. I will be in tower 3. anyone else?

Still waiting :( However, I did request to be in the towers. When did you submit your application?
 
Still waiting :( However, I did request to be in the towers. When did you submit your application?
The day the applications opened. I believe that was the 15th of April. I'm international that's probably why I heard back so soon!
 
The day the applications opened. I believe that was the 15th of April. I'm international that's probably why I heard back so soon!

Thanks for giving details! I'm from California, which is Priority 2, so I hope to hear back really soon :O
 
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Hey guys! Has anyone received their @columbia.edu email ids? Do we have to apply for them somewhere or will they be sent to us automatically?

For the international students- have you guys submitted your documents for the i20 yet?

Thanks!
 
I haven't received anything about an email! I am eagerly awaiting some kind of communication from them... lol
 
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For the international students- have you guys submitted your documents for the i20 yet?
I have not submitted documentation yet. I am waiting for an email from the International Students Office. I am in no rush. I will likely apply for my F-1 in July.
 
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Hi guys! I'm an international student attending Mailman this fall. If you don't mind me asking, how did you go about ranking your preferences for on-campus housing? Also, are there any international students here looking at off-campus housing options and/or for roommates?
Thanks!
 
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They finally sent out an email + the link to the official FB group if ya'll didn't know already!!
 
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Hi guys! I'm an international student attending Mailman this fall. If you don't mind me asking, how did you go about ranking your preferences for on-campus housing? Also, are there any international students here looking at off-campus housing options and/or for roommates?
Thanks!
Hey, I'm an international student too! Where are you from? My last choice was Bard Hall and my first the Towers. Here's what my ranking looked like (I believe you can rank within groups, if I remember correctly. Which is why I have two 1s and 2s):
[rating_bard_hall]= 6
[Dhousing]= BH_Female
[rating_studio]= 4
[rating_1BedR]= 5
[rating_2person]= 3
[rating_2BedRL]= 2
[rating_2BedRS]= 1
[rating_100]= 1
[rating_154]= 2
 
Hi, thanks for getting back to me! Except for Bard which my fourth choice, my rankings were kinda similar to your's. But unfortunately, I got assigned Bard and had to decline it. I'm now looking at off-campus listings. I'm originally from Mumbai, grew up in Dubai. Where are you from? Have you been allotted housing on-campus? If so, are you taking it?

Hey, I'm an international student too! Where are you from? My last choice was Bard Hall and my first the Towers. Here's what my ranking looked like (I believe you can rank within groups, if I remember correctly. Which is why I have two 1s and 2s):
[rating_bard_hall]= 6
[Dhousing]= BH_Female
[rating_studio]= 4
[rating_1BedR]= 5
[rating_2person]= 3
[rating_2BedRL]= 2
[rating_2BedRS]= 1
[rating_100]= 1
[rating_154]= 2
 
Hi, thanks for getting back to me! Except for Bard which my fourth choice, my rankings were kinda similar to your's. But unfortunately, I got assigned Bard and had to decline it. I'm now looking at off-campus listings. I'm originally from Mumbai, grew up in Dubai. Where are you from? Have you been allotted housing on-campus? If so, are you taking it?

I got assigned Bard as well..I'm keeping it as back-up in case my off-campus apartment plans fall through but it'll be $300 down the drain :( I called housing and was rudely told that there is a long, long waitlist for the apartments (like at least a 100 or more).
 
I got assigned Bard as well..I'm keeping it as back-up in case my off-campus apartment plans fall through but it'll be $300 down the drain :( I called housing and was rudely told that there is a long, long waitlist for the apartments (like at least a 100 or more).

On second thought, I should have kept it as back-up as well! Off-campus house hunting is one daunting task! Repenting big time :bang:
 
Anyone know chances of getting of the waitlist? i'm in the 120s
 
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