mmajum01

Hi there! Thanks for clarifying your position. I'm really sorry that my post was offensive to you and to whomever else it may have hurt. That certainly wasn't my intention. I also apologize for coming off as arrogant if that was indeed the case; I'm genuinely grateful for the opportunities that have been offered to me over the years, and that was what I hoped to get across. I definitely don't feel I deserve them; much of this process is luck more than qualifications. Because of this, I think its important to be appreciative, but maybe this isn't the correct outlet for those feelings of thanks and relief. I'm happy to delete the post if you think that'd be best, and I'll be more careful with my posts from here on out. Let me know your thoughts at your convenience; I'll proceed accordingly! If anyone else has any feedback, I'm happy to listen. mpheels - So sorry. Positive energy coming your way - this too shall pass!

Cantaloupes. Many of them. It's terrifying.

I've got not idea... Maybe try emailing Beth Clark? She's very kind and responsive.

With all this talk of funding cuts, I'm starting to feel even more blessed to have a fully-funded offer... Yikes.

Hi All, I just heard from the department that they are doing multiple rounds of PhD application reviews at Brown Biostatistics. For those of us who submitted on the deadline (January 5th), the committee will be convening to discuss our applications sometime soon. We should be hearing by the end of next week. They've already put out decisions for applicants who submitted earlier, though I'm unsure as to what the cut-off date was. Interesting process... It seems then that applying on the day an application is due would put someone at a disadvantage! Any other information on Brown Biostatistics is welcome! Maia

Hey All! I just heard from Yale EMD that all interview offers have been sent out and acceptances will be selected from interviewees. Sorry to all those waiting.

Don't worry too much about JHSPH EHE, VBD!!! At least you have one acceptance, right?

Like many on this forum, I contacted at least one tenure-track or tenured faculty at every program. (Essentially, I only contacted individuals who had the money and professional incentive to fully-fund a doctoral student.) I got in touch with POIs as early as a year ago. I emailed 4-5 faculty with similar research interests at each program, and typically 1-2 would be excited about collaborating and taking me on as a doctoral student. I had extensive phone and in-person conversations with 4 faculty from 4 of my 6 programs and email conversations only with the remaining 2. Of the 4, one of them is my to-be advisor at Columbia. I may be the kind of person who "over-prepares", but I think this sort of personal communication - when done effectively - really helps a student get his or her foot in the door. I knew I had a very strong application, but I didn't want to take the risk of getting lost in the shuffle. Just one person's opinion though!

Thanks, Belafish! I agree entirely with you for VBD's situation. Though I'm all for contacting a POI if you have had several interactions with him/her already and potentially have met with him/her; it's definitely more direct, and though it can be pushy, my pops seems to think that it really depends on the competetiveness of the candidate - that's kind of what determines how it's "seen" or "interpreted". It makes sense when highly competetive candidates choose to inform other program POIs of their acceptances just so they can get a feel of the situation; it seems arrogant when the candidate isn't as competetive. So this requires some self-assessment, which should be helped by whatever interaction you had with your POI at said program during application season. This said, it never hurts to gently ask the admissions office for a timeline as Belafish suggested. It's a safer route in the case that you don't have a very open relationship with the program POI.

Hey VBD! I actually just sent a few emails along this vein to the programs I'm still waiting on. My dad is a tenured professor at Tufts University, and it was his advice to do so. He takes several doctoral students every year at the School of Engineering at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and he mentioned that if a student is competetive, it's helpful for a POI to know that the student has other offers (occasionally, it'll speed up the process). Sometimes the committee is simply behind on reading and deciding (that's the case for my dad's committees right now). If that's the case, he will almost always call the student or email if he really is interesting in taking the student. If not, he'll at least respond with an update about where the committee stands. I hope this helps!

So sorry, MammaD. I hope good news is coming your way soon.

Take it easy, friend! I think you're in a great place too. Hopefully, we'll all be put out our anxiety/curiosity/torture(?) soon!

Just received this very chordial email from Yale GSAS: "Thank you for your patience as we review our applications. Due to the recent blizzard conditions, our decisions will be delayed until mid-March. We apologize for this delay. Thank you in advance for your understanding. Public Health PhD program" Has anyone interviewed with Yale yet for the Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases PhD program? Or have interviews been delayed as well?

Follow Up: I see there are two HSPH Epi PhD acceptances and one rejection on the results page... However, I wonder what concentrations they are! When I met with my POI at HSPH in December, I was told that the Infectious Disease Epi sub-committee usually takes a lot longer than the rest..? (More applicants than the other concentrations, so it makes sense!)

Hey everyone! I was directed here by VBD (thanks for the tip)! I applied to the following programs: Columbia (Mailman): PhD, Environmental Health Sciences Johns Hopkins (Bloomberg): PhD, Environmental Health Sciences (EH Engineering) Harvard: ScD, Epidemiology (Infectious Disease) Yale: PhD, Epidemiology of Microbial Disease Brown: PhD, Biostatistics MIT: PhD, Engineering Systems Division Undergrad: Tufts University School of Engineering 2012 - Civil/Environmental Engineering (GPA: 3.64) MPH: Tufts University School of Medicine 2013 (Expected) - Epi/Biostats (GPS: 3.8) Notes: 5 years research experience with water-related diseases in Bangladesh; started a non-profit research organization about two years ago; interested in dynamic infectious disease modeling with special attention to hydroclimatic drivers The only news I've heard so far has been from Columbia; thankfully, it's my top choice! I had an interview exactly a week ago in NYC (ended up there for the weekend due to the blizzard, which was fabulous), and I was accepted on Tuesday of this week. To my knowledge, they're sending offers in waves, and mine was the first of a few to come. They'll be trickling out over the next few weeks! I'm definitely curious about when the other programs expect to put out decisions, though... Just for kicks! VBD, I noticed on an earlier post that you were concerned about the department being geared towards MDs like the Epi department is; I'm working in the Climate and Health concentration, but I can say with 100% confidence that among EHS faculty, this is not the case. The department is very research-driven (which is obvious from the sheer amount of grant and trianing money that the department has; the benefits package they offer their PhDs is unreal). I reached out to my POI several months ago, and then found that several other members of the department also had research interests similar to mine who were excited to get their hands dirty. I had a very long discussion with my POI in late January (before my interview) and we even managed to work out quite a bit of what my dissertation may look like. (I think I already have a pretty solid idea.) It was great. I loved how communicative he was through the whole process, and after my interview, I heard from three other faculty members via email before the acceptance arrived. I suppose it's the right kind of place for someone who is self-directed but really loves a sense of community!

Hey! Yeah, I'm SO excited about Columbia. I've been wanting to go there for the past five years, haha - it's definitely my top choice. I'm mostly just curious about when the other schools I applied to plan to get back to their applicants. I highly doubt that any other school could match (let alone compete with!) the offer Columbia put on the table, and honestly - I was so impressed by the warmth and innovation that the department represents. If it makes you feel any better, EHS at Mailman did tell me that they'll be doing acceptances in waves, and to my knowledge, mine was the first of more to come. It's an incredible department; I hope you'll make it in, too! Maybe we'll see each other next year.

Thanks! It's good to know I'm not alone in this boat.

I guess not!

Oh, I see. In that case, I totally agree with kaister. Very unsavory.

If it helps any, you shouldn't feel at all pressured to respond right away. Technically, you have until April 15th to make your decision... In fact, even if you make your decision now, you're 100% allowed to withdraw as long as it's by April 15th. Though it's not a "policy", the CGS April 15th Resolution was enacted for this very reason - to give students the time and space they need to make the decision that is best for them. You can find it here if you're interested in reading the resolution itself: www.cgsnet.org/ckfinder/userfiles/files/CGS_Resolution.pdf Good luck!

For those who have heard back, what kind of stipend offers have you been getting? I recently got an offer from Columbia and am trying to get a sense of what the ballpark averages are. I understand that it's likely to vary by location and discipline, but I'm just trying to get a little perspective. Note: I applied to the Mailman School of Public Health and was accepted into the Environmental Health Sciences department.

Hi All, I was just wondering if anyone's heard from the following PhD/ScD programs: Johns Hopkins (Bloomberg): Environmental Health Harvard: Epidemiology (Infectious Disease) Yale: Epidemiology of Microbial Disease I had an interview with Columbia University's Environmental Health Sciences department on Friday and got an offer from the Mailman School of Public Health yesterday! They attached funding information to the formal letter as well. I'm really excited about the acceptance, needless to say. However, I'm a little unsure about the timeline other schools are following, as I haven't even heard about interviews from anyone else yet. Has anyone else heard anything? I haven't seen much on the results board. Cheers, Maia