acdelco

That doesn't seem like a usual deadline but all schools and programs are different. If they are reviewing your application there isn't much to do but to wait. If you have an acceptance to consider and a decision deadline you may want to ask that school for an extension and also let this school know you have an offer to see if they can move quicker, good luck

are you wait-listed? if so yes. maybe also they have an unoffical wait-list so are holding your application. Otherwise a I couldn't imagine them not making a decision until April--assuming it had a Dec/Jan application deadline.

congrats drglasner! I got my MPH from Berkeley and moved here from DC, the bay area is great and there are a bunch of east coast transplants out here so I think you'd enjoy it. Leaving DC was really hard for me but I have grown to love the bay area and now the idea of leaving here is tough. Good luck with your interview if you have any questions about the bay/Berkeley let me know!

Congrats on making a decision mmajum01! MIT's program sound like a great fit for you. And I'm sure if there is someone wait listed for Columbia's EHS program they really appreciate you declining the offer relatively early.

When I was putting together my applications to one University I was in contact with a particular faculty member. She was the head of the admission committee last year and a potential advisor for me, She and I had been in contact about my application and she gave me some great information about the school. When I was wait listed I sent her an email in early March to follow up and she was helpful in getting me in touch with the current head of the admissions committee and offering information she could. Over the last couple of years I've gotten into the habit of tracking emails I send to faculty. Nothing invasive it just lets you know when someone has received and opened your email, Sometimes when you send an email from a personal account like yahoo or hotmail to an .edu address it goes to spam, and also when i follow up I know if they've read my initial email or not. But anyways this morning I got a notification that she read the follow-up email I sent her again, so I've been on pins and needles trying to figure out why she randomly re-read an email I sent her and she responded to weeks ago! This school recently had their admitted students day so I'm hoping someone decided to not go and maybe she was looking over my email....? Or maybe she was cleaning out her email and accidentally clicked it--who knows!

Yea glad you are remaining positive. Sounds like you would only need 1 or 2 people to decline their spot which is totally feasible. I've been going crazy with my wait list status so I definitely feel for you--try to remain optimistic and not go crazy!

ugh MammaD I feel your pain more waiting! Here's hoping people make decisions soon and there is some wait list movement.

for some reason there seems to be more doctoral action on this forum this year but this forum: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=950049 is mostly MPH

Mamma D they are really putting you through the ringer! At this point I would definitely call the program and ask, just let them know your situation and that you would really like an update. Fingers crossed!

Any one going to or gone to admitted students days? have any good information or tips happy weekend!

who do you have to tell by the 29th? can you ask for an extension or contact the ones you are waiting on and get an update. I'd say Pitt or USC are good options. Pitt is a lot cheaper city to live in than LA so that is something to consider

CEPH accredited and SoPH's are the same (there are non SoPH, depts of PH that are CEPH accredited) I think the advantage is just knowing that your program went through some certification process, and there is some kind of regulations. Could also be important if you want a job with APHA or some state/local governments require a degree from a CEPH accredited program. The MPH is a terminal degree, there is plenty you can do with it. Most people in my MPH program plan to go no further with schooling. I think generally people with the highest positions have a DrPH or PhD because it makes you more competitive but its not a requirement. If you want to be a director in the CDC you'll need a PhD or DrPH but if you want to run an organization, be a director in a dept of public health experience will also get you there. If you want a career in academia or research you'll need a doctorate at some point but it really just depends on what you want to do. Again it really depends on what you want to do. I've seen a lot of heads of dept of public health be MD/MPH I think because they are looking for that clinical experience but there are a ton of people that are leading organizations with the MPH I have an MPH (I'm applying to doctoral programs) but I work as a research assistant. I'm going back to school because I want to be an independent researcher but I would definitely be able to advance myself if I didn't get a doctoral degree. Lots of people in global health have MPHs and no PhD because they spend tons of time working in the field, honestly is just depends on what kind of career you want.

Congrats on the acceptance to your dream program! Can I ask which school/program is it (if you dont want to say publicly I understand) ? Do you have another acceptance you need to decide on before then? I think it would be ok to reach out to other faculty. First you should let your current advisor know the situation, I'm sure they would understand and they may also be able to let you know how confident they feel about getting the NIH grant. You should also tell your current advisor because they might be able to put you in touch with faculty who already have money and who might be amenable to take you on, this may be more successful than cold contacting faculty who may not be familiar with your background interests . If you have another school you have to choose between you might be able to get an extension past the April 15th deadline, but its probably not very likely.

That sounds crazy applying to 20-60 RA positions! A couple of schools I applied to asked for a writing sample, I sent in a portion of a published paper, you can just put a cover letter on it saying that its not the whole article, and just be sure to cut it off in a place that makes sense i.e. not the middle of a paragraph or section. I am hoping decisions don't come down the the April 15th wire--ugh more waiting!

sorry to hear that Mazaya did they say there is no way they can fund you? Is it because you are international (I'm assuming because your location says UK)--or do they just not fund their students? Could you get like a TA or GSR position that could help cover costs. I think it may come down to funding for a lot of us, hate to see it go down that way after all the hard work of applying and getting in

MammaD I don't know if its persistence or me being crazy, I don't have children to consider to that makes it much easier on me. Thanks so much for your well wishes. July 1st is absurd to notify someone by and expect them to pack up and relocate, I'm hoping they don't do that to you. Yes, it would be great to know where everyone ends up if there is a good way to coordinate that--hoping for the best for everyone!

juliajulia--I'd recommend getting in touch with UCLA if you can, from what I've heard they made decisions. MammaD I completely empathize with you, I hope your remaining program gets in touch with you soon (with good news!), I really don't understand the delay in the notification process but maybe since we're so close to March 15th shoot them another email? If you don't get in this year you can always reapply. I'm sure going through the application process again sounds horrible right now, but this is my 3rd PhD cycle if thats any consolation. I've been wait listed at 2 schools, one of which I'd really love to get into, so possibly another month of waiting to see if I get off the wait list Shameless plug: if you know you aren't going to attend a school, please let them know asap it would really help us wait listers out :-) I'm hoping everyone gets some good news this week, I know most programs say they will notify by March 15th so we're almost there. Hope everyone enjoys their visit days and good luck making decisions!

SMS PhD or DrPH?

I'm still waiting, but trying to remain hopeful--I contacted the administrator at the program I'm waiting to hear from so I'm pretty sure they haven't made decisions. Maybe schools have unofficall wait lists and just keep people on the back burner? Here's hoping there is news today!

Thanks superpug! thats helpful information

Haven't heard a peep from the DrPH program, I saw the PhD program made some decisions--has anyone heard from Columbia's SMS DrPH?

Do you mind if I ask where you were wait listed Health? I think it depends on the school honestly but if you were placed on the wait list its not unrealistic to think you may get in. I've been wait listed at 2 schools also and have been in touch with the admission chairs/POI's I talked to and they both said "we really dont know". One school was a little more hopeful, and the other was less optimistic because historically they have had years they didn't use the wait list. I was also told that wait lists for PhD (depending on discipline I guess) aren't really ranked, say you're interested in HIV and I'm intersted in maternal health if they've admitted someone who is interested in HIV and that person declines they would replace them with you rather than simply move down a list since they have to match students with professors. I'm hopeful to get into at least one of the programs that wait listed me but there isn't much to do besides wait it out. fingers crossed

sorry to hear that Health, but you may get off the wait list and its nice to have one acceptance! Even getting wait listed shows you are a strong applicant so if you don't get off the wait list and decide against the school you got into it sounds like it wouldn't take much to make you a stronger applicant for next year. I think, the funds they are offering you should be funds they have secured the problem may just be those funds would go away at the next fiscal year depending on what the agreement was. For example I'm in California and we recently got rid of our Redevelopment Agencies, but the state still has to honor the contracts they made before Redevelopment agencies were dissolved, they can't make new agreements but they also can't ignore agreements already made--it might be the same for AHRQ or other federally funded bodies depending on the contract. I also could be completely wrong seeing that the federal government is a clusterf*ck, so I think the best thing to do would be to contact the school and ask them I'm sure they are also really concerned for their funding. Good luck!

It's not over til its over--I got my fingers crossed for you MammaD

Juliajulia I was told by the program administrator that they didn't interview applicants for the CHS PhD program, I'd definitely recommend emailing or calling them. Sryahmay--I'm in a similar position and remaining hopeful to get off the wait list, I think what may be tricky is if you've been accepted somewhere else balancing that with waiting to hear about wherever you are wait listed. From what I've been told by schools, and this may be sequester/funding related, they had to accept a smaller number of than usual so getting wait listed is frustrating but its better than a rejection. I just really hope that people who got in to programs and aren't planning to attend turn down offers sooner rather than later. anyone else wait listing? Always sorry to hear rejections! Hope everyone gets into a great program