Kayla123

yayy! I'm there now (MHS program). You should come here, it's wonderful!! congrats

yeah, you can't predict based on solely numbers. My GPA was similar to yours, and I was told I had no shot of getting in anywhere, but I went ahead and applied anyway. Hoped my research and community outreach and GRE would make up for a GPA killed by calculus and physics. Happy to report, UNC and Hopkins (top two programs in PH) felt the same way. You're more than your numbers; make sure to let the admissions guys know that in your essay/resume! Good luck

I'll warn you right now Gillings' admissions department was a mess last year. I called their department multiple times, trying to find something out, and was always told the answer was coming "soon." I basically gave up on them and went to Hopkins. Started getting calls in May (after most schools require an admission decision from you), offering research and what not. Even THEN, they still couldn't tell me what my official status was! Anyway, it's a great school, and is spoken of very highly here--a lot of students and professors have colleagues at gillings, or went there themselves for a previous degree. Just wanted to warn you that the admissions dept was terrible. I hope they've straightened things out--don't stress too much if you don't hear anything; you could very likely have gotten in, but not be notified for awhile.

I had a 3.2. like you, my major got hard--a lot of levels of calculus and physics, which are NOT my strong points. However, I did a lot of undergraduate research and was active on campus and in the community. GRE scores were good. Got into Hopkins, UNC, GWU, and U Michigan. Don't worry too much. You are MUCH more than your GPA--and your essay/resume should reflect that. I was actually told not to bother applying to graduate school by a career counselor, because she took one look at my GPA and said forget it. Thankfully, I didn't listen. And admissions personnel don't just look at GPA numbers. If you were in a hard major, that definitely factors in (a 3.0 in engineering is a tad more impressive than a 3.8 in criminal justice or something). Hang in there!

Hi Nostalgia! Sorry this is like, a month late ... had a lot to do with moving off my undergrad campus, to home, and now gearing up to move to Baltimore! I'm slightly terrified about the program haha, I'm doing the MHS so ours are similar but have a few differences. The accelerated thing is going to be really intense.

Who's going? What degree? What program? SO PUMPED!

Sorry Nostalgia! I just saw this. thanks so much for such a useful link! which program are you going for? have you decided?

Well, glad I didn't make that call after all. Just got a nice research offer from them. Now the question is whether I like it enough to back out of Hopkins...smeh.

I was surprised that I got into...anywhere. Background story: I only have a 3.2, and a guidance counselor told me not to bother applying anywhere. She said I wouldn't get in anywhere decent. I went ahead and applied anyway. And I guess all the undergraduate research paid off. I think my grades were offset by the fact I was in ROTC for the first half of college... it was tricky to juggle a math-heavy major while in the program (I'm not a math whiz). And here I am, 12 months after she told me not to bother applying, getting ready to go to Hopkins, the top school in my field so glad I didn't listen!

I'll call their admissions department in a few to complain. Might go ahead and call the administration. Knowing that it's not just my application that sort of fell through the system, but a bunch (and if so many of us on this site are having this problem, I'm sure there are a lot of others as well) really aggravates me. $85 is a huge chunk of money at this point in my life. I look forward to the day when that isn't the case. Regardless, we all deserve to hear something from the university, even if it is "unofficial waitlist." I didn't hear that. I didn't hear anything.

Marquette is good if you keep your head around you, just like any other city. I know they've really been working on revamping the neighborhoods around it recently. And for the record, Wisconsin winters are VERY doable, if you go into it with the attitude that snow is more manageable than rain. I grew up south of Milwaukee and lived their my whole life, before moving to Delaware. Delaware winters are miserable. Warmer, but it just rains constantly. If you do spend a winter in Wisconsin, be ready to have a good time. People don't let the snow barricade them in their houses like they do in other parts of the country. There are festivals and skating and skiing and tubing and snow mobiling. It's absolutely magical at night. It's very much a cultural thing. Don't let reservations about the snow and cold hold you back!

wow. Had no idea UNC dropped the ball so badly. I've officially made my decision to attend Johns Hopkins. UNC was my top pick but after the way they handled my application, not anymore. As for the concern about burning bridges...I'm not even too worried about it. I'll make the call tomorrow. I figured if they responded today, at least they were on the deadline.

Hm. No chance I could get a refund, is there? I figure it's a shot in the dark, but when I shell out as much as $85, I believe I have a right to deserve a reply from the school.

Have you had a school that you didn't hear from? Either good, bad, or ugly? I only ask because I dropped $85 on a school's application, and I haven't heard a thing from them. I called their admissions department several times and they said my application was processing. I just can't believe I paid that much money to not hear anything back from them by the deadline.

I got into Johns Hopkins for Environmental Health. The problem is, there isn't a lot of financial aid there. There are some huge benefits--namely, it's JOHNS HOPKINS, and it's only a year long program, #1 in the country for Public Health. The problem is, the degree there is a little more limiting than the degrees I could get at other schools. I've been accepted into the University of Michigan and George Washington University, and I'm waiting to hear back from UNC. These schools are way more affordable, and would let me do research. But whenever I think about attending a school like Hopkins... it just blows me away. Of course these other schools are great, too, but I would love to attend such a distinguished one. So, are you having this problem at all? Does a school's prestige *really* matter so much?

CONGRATULATIONS!! Are you going to admitted students day? It's friday!!

UNC hasn't gotten back to me either! I'd like to hear back from them ASAP... I have to make my decision in less than 2 weeks! that's not very much time to adequately weigh pros/cons of each school and get in touch with professors about research. they're the only school I haven't heard back from and I think the only school I'd consider saying "no" to Hopkins for.

that's rough I was pulling my hair out just because I didn't know which state I'd be in. it really seems like every week counts with hearing back from schools. I had a transcript delay going to SOPHAS, which was how I was applying to 5 schools, so that pushed everything back almost a month. Have you tried calling the admissions dept? Not to ask whether you're accepted or not, but just to see when they expect to let you know by. I called a few times and one lady said that she'd see if she could ask the director to consider my application sooner rather than later (I told her I had heard back from almost every other school and was trying to make a decision)

My acceptance into Hopkins was in the MHS Environmental Health program. Dream school, big time. I'd love to go there. But the downside is that I have absolutely no idea how useful an MHS actually is. The site says it mostly sets you up for a PhD, and not "specifically" for employment... but that plenty of students have gone on to be employed both at NGO's and government organizations. All my other acceptances are MPH programs. Anyone have any thoughts? Is an MHS pretty similar to an MPH, or are they entirely different?

Nostalgia-- I applied an entire month earlier than you to JHSPH, for an MHS in Environmental Health, and heard back... yesterday. I don't know if they just get a ton of applicants, or what, but I wouldn't freak out about it just yet. also, I applied and was accepted with a 3.2 for undergrad. And I have way less work experience lol. You seem way more qualified.

Totally been there. I applied in January and in the last 2 weeks have heard back from 6 of 7 schools. It was completely nerve-wracking. I'm in your same boat, one of my top picks is of course the 1 that hasn't gotten back to me. My big problem is with financial aid; most schools won't let me know how much I've been awarded unless I accept their offer. I'm not sure if it's like that for every program, but it's true of mine. I was talking to a friend about it and she said if I was really on the fence, I could pay the $100 deposit fee at two schools, and then make my choice after hearing their offers, and back out of one. It might not be the most "honest" or "fair" way to go about it, but when money is so tight like it is right now, it makes sense. Maybe it would work for you too? Accept your top choice of the ones you've heard back from, but back out if you get a better offer? Also, I've totally called admissions departments and asked when they expect to make their decisions by. Not *what* the decision is on my application, but when they expect to know by--I explain that I've heard back from other schools and I'm on a deadline to decide. Most admissions people are happy to let you know a timeframe; a few schools even said they'd try to speed up the process. Good luck!!

So ... how important is it to have research as part of your public health degree? I've been accepted into Hopkins' Master of Health Sciences. It's been my dream to go there for forever. And with a 3.2 GPA, I never actually expected to get in ... but somehow I did. The downside is that it's a 1 year accelerated program. No time for a research project. There are potential research jobs at UMichigan and GWU, and I'm waiting to hear back from UNC. I just have no idea which is more important at this point--the prestige of Hopkins, or the research I'll get to do at the other schools? How important is a school's reputation, anyway? Thanks. So confused

I'm dying. Heard back from 2 schools, but they were my safety schools and I'm still waiting on 5. Haven't been rejected yet, thank goodness, but it'll come from 2 of the schools I think. I only really care about 3, and those are the 3 I'm not sure of. I check my email every 5 minutes. This is killing me.

Hey Kim! It's true, I'm not finding many other MPH applicants. I used SOPHAS, completed apps in mid-Jan and they were mailed out the last day of February. Congrats on UMich and Columbia! I applied to both of those schools also

Have you heard back from any schools? If so, where?