Fall 2012 Doctoral Applicants

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WantAnMPH said:
Thanks!

I submitted my app December 13, though it took them 2 weeks to match my GRE scores and mark it 'complete'.

All it says about funding is that information is available online and gives a link to info about TAs, RAs, etc.
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I submitted the 13th as well! Now I am worried! I am going to keep praying! :)

Would you mind sharing a couple of stats?
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Hi guys,
I've been reading this site for a while and I figured I would contribute now that I've heard back from a few schools:

Applied (all cancer epi): UW, Emory, Harvard, UNC, Yale, Columbia
Still need to apply: UIC

Accepted: UNC
Interview: Yale, Emory, Hopkins

Good luck to those waiting to hear back and congrats to those admitted!
 
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Has anyone heard back from U of Washington's epi program, or have any idea what their timeline is like?
 
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wealhtheow said:
Has anyone heard back from U of Washington's epi program, or have any idea what their timeline is like?
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I applied to U Washington Epi PhD and also haven't heard anything. If you go to this website: http://thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php and search Epidemiology and whatever school you are interested in, you can see the time for acceptances that people posted from previous years. It looks like U Washington sent out acceptances starting in late January last year, so hopefully we should hear soon.
 
I know a lot of people on here have mentioned getting invited for in person interviews, but has anyone completed one yet? I'm looking to get some insight on the process...public health programs vary so much on what they want during the interview that I don't know what to expect!
 
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epid2012 said:
Hi guys,
I've been reading this site for a while and I figured I would contribute now that I've heard back from a few schools:

Applied (all cancer epi): UW, Emory, Harvard, UNC, Yale, Columbia
Still need to apply: UIC

Accepted: UNC
Interview: Yale, Emory, Hopkins

Good luck to those waiting to hear back and congrats to those admitted!
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Congrats Epid2012! If you don't mind my asking, what is your background and research interests?
 
MPHandPsych said:
I know a lot of people on here have mentioned getting invited for in person interviews, but has anyone completed one yet? I'm looking to get some insight on the process...public health programs vary so much on what they want during the interview that I don't know what to expect!
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As with all academic interviews, they want to get a feel for you as a person and see if you can eloquently describe your research interests and the field to which you're applying. It's a feeling out process more than a formal job-like interview.
 
Stories said:
As with all academic interviews, they want to get a feel for you as a person and see if you can eloquently describe your research interests and the field to which you're applying. It's a feeling out process more than a formal job-like interview.
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I guess I'm unsure of what specific questions I'll get asked since I already had a pretty lengthy phone interview (it seemed like everyone and their mother was on the phone too)...I also haven't received a lot of detailed info about this interview so I have no idea what to expect- the combination of which has made me incredibly nervous!
 
MPHandPsych said:
I guess I'm unsure of what specific questions I'll get asked since I already had a pretty lengthy phone interview (it seemed like everyone and their mother was on the phone too)...I also haven't received a lot of detailed info about this interview so I have no idea what to expect- the combination of which has made me incredibly nervous!
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The tough part is you can never be sure exactly what will be asked, but you should prepare for all the same basic questions:

-Why do you need this training?
-What is your past history of research?
-What research do you want to do?
-What do you know about the research and the current state of knowledge?
-What are your future career goals?
-Do you like teaching? Ever taught before?
-What methodologies would you like to explore?

If you can answer all those confidently, you should be just fine.
 
Stories said:
The tough part is you can never be sure exactly what will be asked, but you should prepare for all the same basic questions:

-Why do you need this training?
-What is your past history of research?
-What research do you want to do?
-What do you know about the research and the current state of knowledge?
-What are your future career goals?
-Do you like teaching? Ever taught before?
-What methodologies would you like to explore?

If you can answer all those confidently, you should be just fine.
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thanks for the food for thought! hopefully it goes well :xf:
 
studenty said:
Congrats Epid2012! If you don't mind my asking, what is your background and research interests?
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Thanks studenty! I'm interested in gastrointestinal cancer etiology and prevention (establishing novel biomarkers of risk and also learning how nutrition impacts expression of these markers). As for background, I'm currently in the second year of my MPH program, with almost all of my research experience coming from my time in the program


Also, UWash just sent out an admission email to a bunch of applicants (I think there were ~30 ppl copied on the email)
 
Random question about on campus interviews...do programs ever cover some/all of the travel costs to come to the school for an interview? Anyone who has completed one or has an upcoming interview been offered this option?
 
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There may be exceptions, but by rule of thumb schools do not contribute to applicant's travel expenses.

If they had that kind of cash, they'd be giving it out through scholarships in-house, inviting guest lecturers, and giving bonuses to the department chair rather than distributing to applicants that may or may not get accepted, and that may or may not attend even if accepted.
 
Vayu said:
There may be exceptions, but by rule of thumb schools do not contribute to applicant's travel expenses.

If they had that kind of cash, they'd be giving it out through scholarships in-house, inviting guest lecturers, and giving bonuses to the department chair rather than distributing to applicants that may or may not get accepted, and that may or may not attend even if accepted.
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hmm...yeah that's one way to look at it. I was just wondering others experiences/opinions on this since overall, for doctoral level programs in PH, interviews are not always required.
 
I have actually heard this cycle of schools paying for travel expenses up to 500 (they were epi programs though).
 
Emory covers costs for Epi department interviews. No cap was stated in the email.
 
Vayu said:
There may be exceptions, but by rule of thumb schools do not contribute to applicant's travel expenses.

If they had that kind of cash, they'd be giving it out through scholarships in-house, inviting guest lecturers, and giving bonuses to the department chair rather than distributing to applicants that may or may not get accepted, and that may or may not attend even if accepted.
Click to expand...

My experience was that most interview costs were covered. But that was years ago now. Might be different now.

Also, this was for epidemiology programs. Not sure if that makes a difference.


JMM051 said:
I have actually heard this cycle of schools paying for travel expenses up to 500 (they were epi programs though).
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That might cover airfare for some folks... Seems unfortunate to me if schools aren't covering interview costs. They really should cover it. Then again, I'm not a professor or on the admin (yet? haha)
 
Anyone hear back from the PhD health policy & management programs at UNC and Emory? I've only heard back from JHU and was denied.
 
So I've finally got some good news. I've been accepted by the DrPH programs at Pitt (Behavioral and Community Health Sciences) and U South Carolina @ Columbia (Health Promotion Education and Behavior). I think that I was notified so early because I am being considered for fellowships. One of the doctoral students at Pitt told me that they usually have applicant interviews in March so if you are applying to BCHS sit tight, you'll probably hear something soon.
 
I don't mind admitting i'm wrong. I hope I am... Let us know how it goes with your interviews. That would certainly be a burden lifted from lots of interviewees.

Deelovely, congrats on the acceptances! I'm still in Limbo and having applied to one school, a bit jaded about my chances. I'm very happy for you though :)

Would you mind messaging me with your stats or quotes from your statement of purpose? We are in the same area of study.
 
Looks like the universe is working in my favor- one of the schools I'm interviewing at said they could help me with travel costs (yay)...but I finally got more info on the format of the interview and my anxiety level increased!

It's just my luck that not only am I 'interviewing' with a bunch of department faculty members (in teams), but I have give a presentation on a research project to said faculty members. This particular project was one that I conducted two years ago so it's been a minute since I last formally discussed it... so much for an informal meeting!
 
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Great to hear MPHandPsych! Congratulations.

I've been invited to interview at 3 schools, and 2 have offered to pay all of my travel expenses (plane/train tickets). WOOHOOO!!! The third school has "limited funds" and will only be able to reimburse a few students, so may or may not be able to cover costs.

A fourth school offered an all-expenses-paid phone interview (bad joke), which was a welcome relief-- I need to study sometime! haha.

Congrats to all who have begun hearing back!
 
that's good! it does help, especially if you have to fly- plane tickets are not cheap nowadays!


werd814 said:
A fourth school offered an all-expenses-paid phone interview (bad joke), which was a welcome relief
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:laugh:
 
Congrats Werd-So exciting!

Good luck MPHandPsych!
 
DeeLovely79 said:
So I've finally got some good news. I've been accepted by the DrPH programs at Pitt (Behavioral and Community Health Sciences) and U South Carolina @ Columbia (Health Promotion Education and Behavior). I think that I was notified so early because I am being considered for fellowships. One of the doctoral students at Pitt told me that they usually have applicant interviews in March so if you are applying to BCHS sit tight, you'll probably hear something soon.
Click to expand...

Congrats!!!

I also applied to the HPEB program at U South Carolina. How did they notify you?

Thanks!
 
Hi guys,

Congratulations on all the acceptances coming in!

Well, I am not applying to a doctoral program this year, but, I am thinking about it for the future. Currently, I am in my second semester of my MPH program in Epi. My undergrad grades were terrible, so I'm fortunate ti be in a program now and loving it and doing well. :)

My question for you all is how much do your grades from an MPH factor into admissions for a PhD in Epi? I am hoping to offset my undergrad grades with a vast improvement in my graduate work. I know that research interests and experience have a lot of weight in doctoral admissions, but being that I am only 1/4 of the way through my program, I don't have a lot to say on that at the moment, mainly because I am interested in just about everything and I have yet to do any research.

How much research experience is sufficient to be admitted to a doctoral program and how will my undergrad grades be viewed in the admissions process? I appreciate any and all responses, but I am particuarly hoping Stories will give some insight here :oops:.

Well, congratulations to you all again and thank you!
 
mphseeker said:
Hi guys,

Congratulations on all the acceptances coming in!

Well, I am not applying to a doctoral program this year, but, I am thinking about it for the future. Currently, I am in my second semester of my MPH program in Epi. My undergrad grades were terrible, so I'm fortunate ti be in a program now and loving it and doing well. :)

My question for you all is how much do your grades from an MPH factor into admissions for a PhD in Epi? I am hoping to offset my undergrad grades with a vast improvement in my graduate work. I know that research interests and experience have a lot of weight in doctoral admissions, but being that I am only 1/4 of the way through my program, I don't have a lot to say on that at the moment, mainly because I am interested in just about everything and I have yet to do any research.

How much research experience is sufficient to be admitted to a doctoral program and how will my undergrad grades be viewed in the admissions process? I appreciate any and all responses, but I am particuarly hoping Stories will give some insight here :oops:.

Well, congratulations to you all again and thank you!
Click to expand...

Glad to hear you're doing well in your program thus far. Keep up the hard work and you'll see many opportunities open up to you.

Research experience isn't necessary to be admitted to a doctoral program, but it certainly is an important piece of the application. There's no hard rule, so just get as much experience as possible. Bug all the professors you know and ask them to be involved in some of their work or ask a TA if they need some help in their dissertation work. For instance, I applied to doctoral programs after I had 2 years of undergrad biology research work and 2 years of epidemiology research work (4 years of total research experience).

While undergrad grades certainly are factored in, they won't be critical. As long as you've demonstrated significant progress during your MPH (minimum 3.5+ cum GPA and A's in all your epidemiology methods and biostatistics courses), you should be just fine.
 
Thanks Stories!

Exactly what I was hoping to hear! That's pretty much where I am right now, as far as GPA and epi methods courses as well as biostats courses go. In terms of reaching out to professors, I have had a hard time with that historically, but I'm beginning to get over that fear/intimidation. I have to, right?

I am hoping to get involved with some of the research at my school with some professors this Summer, so we'll see how that goes.

Thanks again! More insight/responses are definitely welcome!
 
mphseeker said:
Hi guys,

Congratulations on all the acceptances coming in!

Well, I am not applying to a doctoral program this year, but, I am thinking about it for the future. Currently, I am in my second semester of my MPH program in Epi. My undergrad grades were terrible, so I'm fortunate ti be in a program now and loving it and doing well. :)

My question for you all is how much do your grades from an MPH factor into admissions for a PhD in Epi? I am hoping to offset my undergrad grades with a vast improvement in my graduate work. I know that research interests and experience have a lot of weight in doctoral admissions, but being that I am only 1/4 of the way through my program, I don't have a lot to say on that at the moment, mainly because I am interested in just about everything and I have yet to do any research.

How much research experience is sufficient to be admitted to a doctoral program and how will my undergrad grades be viewed in the admissions process? I appreciate any and all responses, but I am particuarly hoping Stories will give some insight here :oops:.

Well, congratulations to you all again and thank you!
Click to expand...
The less you have done/had the opportunity to do past your undergrad experience, the more heavily your undergrad grades will be weighted. If you went straight from undergrad to MPH, then I would suggest working before you apply to PhD programs. Work/research experience is huge component of your application, and the less you have of it, the more your academics credentials will be weighted including your undergrad grades. To give you hope, I have talked to people that have been accepted to top Epi PhD programs with sub-par undergrad GPAs. Definitely try to get involved with research as much as possible, and if you could publish something before you apply- that would be very helpful! (Though sometimes that's difficult with an MPH). Also GREs can be important... some schools use them just as a cutoff point for admission, while some may factor them heavily into to a scholarship/funding decision. If you could get your verbal and quantitative scores above the 90th percentile, that would be ideal. Quantitative is more important. The GREs are totally something you can study for, I raised my score 120 points by studying, and high scores + a high MPH GPA may make your undergrad grades matter less.
 
That is great insight Epi19. I am definitely planning on gaining experience post MPH as well as making my way into working with some professors on a couple of projects in the near future. This is definitely of concern to me as post grad i didn't really have any substantive work experience; a couple of public health fundraising volunteer things and a couple of one day volunteer things for pretty large public health events at my school.

I would definitely need to up my GRE score, but that's not in the immediate future for me; I think I will wait until I'm out of my MPH before taking on the GRE again.

I really appreciate your responses. Keep 'em coming! At least I know that furthering my knowledge academically in epidemiology is not completely out of reach!
 
I just wanted to add that GRE's are not the end all be all. I feel like a lot of people put it out there at you need extremely high scores to get into programs. I got in to a PhD program with decent scores (nothing amazing but above the 50th percentile for both sections). I have a friend that has an interview at a top epi program with a quant score in the low 600's.
 
JMM051 said:
I just wanted to add that GRE's are not the end all be all. I feel like a lot of people put it out there at you need extremely high scores to get into programs. I got in to a PhD program with decent scores (nothing amazing but above the 50th percentile for both sections). I have a friend that has an interview at a top epi program with a quant score in the low 600's.
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Agreed, they are not everything. Some schools have cutt offs, and some don't even min GRE scores. But if an applicant is trying to overcome low undergrad grades, getting higher scores may be helpful as they are part of the academic piece of the application.

Also, has anyone else had a phone (or in person interview) where they've asked whether their school is your top choice or tried to assess how likely you are to go there? Did you find this awkward?
 
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@Epi

During my in person interview the doctoral program director inquired about my seriousness in the program. Yes it was awkward but it is a valid question. I handled the question by being honest, for me the program was definitely a strong possibility but funding is going to be consideration for me.

All you can do is answer the way you feel at the moment. Your feelings will change as you get other offers and/or visit other schools. The schools know this, one thing to remember is that they do this every year. Every year they try to leverage the application process so that they get the best applicants, every year people turn them down.

For us this process is personal but the schools it's not. I think we as applicants can benefit from treating this more as business decision than as a personal one.
 
@epi- I totally agree. I just wanted to add that because I too had a low undergrad GPA. I was completely convinced/under the impression/etc that if I didn't get amazing GRE scores that I had no chance at all, which wasn't exactly the case.

In terms of your question, I didn't get asked that (no interview, straight acceptance). I feel that there are many ways you can spin it while showing your interest "Your program is certainly one of the top programs I'm considering, etc."
 
DeeLovely79 said:
For us this process is personal but the schools it's not. I think we as applicants can benefit from treating this more as business decision than as a personal one.
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Could not agree with this more!
 
JMM051 said:
I just wanted to add that GRE's are not the end all be all. I feel like a lot of people put it out there at you need extremely high scores to get into programs. I got in to a PhD program with decent scores (nothing amazing but above the 50th percentile for both sections). I have a friend that has an interview at a top epi program with a quant score in the low 600's.
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You're right in that the GRE isn't be all, however, remember that PhD applicants are the best/most qualified of the folks who get a MPH/MS. Which means the competition is that much more fierce, so while one person may get in with a low Q600 score, he/she is not the norm. She/he undoubtedly had a stellar application in other regards.

If you go back to NRC's doctoral program rankings, you'll see that the average score for the vast majority of all public health programs was well over 730 (which is stark in comparison to the MPH averages score which was in the mid 600s).
 
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Stories-

Why did you assume the applicant with the low quant score was a she? ;)
 
Hey Stories~
I've got another question about Yale's PhD program for you! I'm planning on applying next year, and it's so much easier to know someone who goes to the school than to find answers on the website sometimes!) I was wondering ~how many students does Yale accept into the Epidemiology PhD program each year? I've heard it's a small program, I just don't know how small/competitive to get in it is.
Thanks so much!
~Studenty
 
Haha I think trying to be politically correct might have backfired here.

But everyone knows girls can't do math... ;)
 
JMM051 said:
Stories-

Why did you assume the applicant with the low quant score was a she? ;)
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Epi19 said:
Haha I think trying to be politically correct might have backfired here.

But everyone knows girls can't do math... ;)
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Caught me. :D Fixed my post!

Perhaps it's because all the smart people I know are women because they are dominating the PhD ranks? :eek::D:cool::thumbup::love:

studenty said:
Hey Stories~
I've got another question about Yale's PhD program for you! I'm planning on applying next year, and it's so much easier to know someone who goes to the school than to find answers on the website sometimes!) I was wondering ~how many students does Yale accept into the Epidemiology PhD program each year? I've heard it's a small program, I just don't know how small/competitive to get in it is.
Thanks so much!
~Studenty
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For all PhDs, it's been in the 5-20 range out of a pool of ~300-ish. I don't know just epi numbers, though.
 
just got a notification of admission from UAB (DrPH Health Care Organization and Policy)
 
Congrats on your acceptance, Anik!
 
Anyone here apply for the Harvard MIPS SciD? Hard to find any info on it.
 
I applied to JHSPH Department of Health Policy & Management too (applied just before December 1st deadline) and haven't heard back yet; I'm worried that probably means I wasn't accepted either (haven't applied elsewhere, as I'm not mobile and live in Baltimore).

dickassman said:
Anyone hear back from the PhD health policy & management programs at UNC and Emory? I've only heard back from JHU and was denied.
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It's official. I'm out at Emory (I received an official e-mail today) and I'm out at UNC (I e-mailed the ad coordinator for an update). I've decided to send e-mails to my remaining schools so that I can focus on making a decision between the offers I already have. Hopefully I have some answers by the end of the week. Finally the wait will be over!!
 
DeeLovely79 said:
It's official. I'm out at Emory (I received an official e-mail today) and I'm out at UNC (I e-mailed the ad coordinator for an update). I've decided to send e-mails to my remaining schools so that I can focus on making a decision between the offers I already have. Hopefully I have some answers by the end of the week. Finally the wait will be over!!
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Would you be able to post your stats? I have emailed the department, but was trying to guage my chances while I await a response.
 
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