[Any sub-3.0 in yet?]

For all you Icahn people: 

 

Let's move our Icahn specific talk there!

[Incoming students at Icahn SMMS]

Hello all! I decided to make a separate thread for the incoming class at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Let's use this as a way to network with each other and help each other figure out school logistics stuff. 

 

Let me briefly introduce myself. I'm from Southern California, did my undergraduate in Northern California, and know nothing about New York. I'm still looking for a place to live and maybe potential flatmates. Any advice is welcome! As for the school logistics, I've completed the financial aid and health forms/tox screen. I've never visited campus. 

[Any sub-3.0 in yet?]

does anyone know when the icahn open house is or any orientation? I'm from CA and I want to check it out. Maybe we should start a separate thread for people who are going too

 

If you start a new thread, I'll join it. I'm also from CA and will be attending Icahn. According to the enrollment page, there is a general school orientation, but no specific MPH orientation. I think it's on August 11th?

[Any sub-3.0 in yet?]

I just got into Mount Sinai today! What made you all choose it if you don't mind me asking?

 

Brand new program, reasonable tuition, and a chance to live in NYC. 

 

 

 

Yeah my financial aid is done, waiting for my letter to arrive in June (according to the office)

 

Have briefly started looking for housing. Waiting for my friend who may be moving to NYC with me for a job to give me some confirmation

 

For the financial aid form, did you put down your permanent address or a local one? The form asks for a local address but I haven't found a place to live in NYC yet.

[Any sub-3.0 in yet?]

Anyone going to Mt Sinai doing the health requirements yet?

 

I don't understand if we are supposed to get any vaccinations, it seems like they are all optional?

 

Also is anyone signing up for their health insurance??

 

I'm gonna have a PCP look at it and see what she recommends.

 

I have my own private insurance, so no. 

 

Have you started financial aid stuff yet? Apartment hunting?

[Any sub-3.0 in yet?]

Hi!

Congrats on your acceptance! I also got into Icahn. I spoke to someone in financial aid and they mentioned they only give loans and no grants, just thought I'd share. I also saw they would be having an open house in June, but they don't really have an admitted day or anything like that, right? Did you by any chance visit the campus? Also did you get any kind of package or welcome anything in the mail, all I got was my acceptance letter via email..

Thanks for the heads up on the financial aid form, I'm gonna get to work on that.

 

Hmm.. I would love to go to the open house actually! I've never been to the campus. I've visited New York a couple of times but that's about it. I'm based in California, so it's kinda difficult. If you do plan on attending....you should totally let me know!

 

And no, I didn't get any welcome forms. Their program is relatively new and I'm guessing they only have the resources for email notifications at this point. 

[Any sub-3.0 in yet?]

I filled out FAFSA and haven't heard back! Its been a couple weeks. Does it usually take this long? Also, I haven't heard anything from Sinai since the welcome email with the link to the registration site.

 

If you go dig around their enrollment site, they also have a financial aid form: http://icahn.mssm.edu/static_files/MSSM/Files/Education/Student%20Resources/Applic%20for%20Fin%20Assistance%20Master-Phd%202014.pdf. 

 

Word of advice, if you do plan on attending Icahn, they require a lot of medical and health paperwork, so you best get started and find a primary care physician.

[Low GPA Advice]

Any advice on these stats? I just realize I have a quite low major/cumulative GPA to be competitive but I'm not applying until next year so I'm spending another year raising them, right now this is a realistic number by the time I'm done

 

Cumulative GPA: 3.5

Major GPA (Public Health): 3.3-3.4

Minor (International studies) GPA: 3.892

 

Going to take the GRE but I'm not the greatest test-taker so most of my test scores will probably average or a little lower than average.  I have a lot of international experience which is nice for my emphasis of global health in MPH but they're all quite short since they're over breaks (sustainability studying abroad in ecuador 2 wks, summer youth coordinator for HIV/AIDS non-profit in vietnam 2 months, volunteer for clean water installation/education in honduras 1 week, teacher assistant of cambodian orphanage where I taught english and healthy living 1 month).  I have also volunteered with the American Cancer Society Relay For Life for 4 years, currently a volunteer for Social Advocates for Youth to do community outreach for the Affordable Care Act and hopefully gain an internship next semester.  I hold president/vice president positions for 2 of the organizations I'm involved on campus which are affiliated with public health.  I have a lot of volunteer work under my belt aside from those listed but not much of other professioral work/experience so I'm a little concerned if the admission people would decide to accept me as an applicant.  I do have a research porfolio from my minor but that was just a mock research done in 2 countries so I'm afraid it has little significance.  Planning to apply to Tulane, UI Chicago, UCLA for now but will look into more programs.  Mainly going for community health sciences and programs planning/implementation.  PLEASE HELP!!!

 

Dude. Relax. You'll be fine. I graduated with a 2.84 GPA. Your GPA is leaps and bounds better than mine. You also have significantly more volunteering experience than I did. I had maybe 10 months with a research group and 6 months with the American Cancer Society. My GREs were in the 80% percentile ranges, so not super stellar. On paper, I would be considered "noncompetitive" but I've gotten acceptances from Boston and Emory. 

 

Admissions is more than your stats. A lot of it falls under your SOP and your letters of recc. With a good essay and writers to vouch for you, I feel like anything is possible with public health schools. 

 

Good luck

[Where are you attending?]

I said goodbye to Emory today. It wasn't a good fit, I wasn't thrilled about the price, and the location was only a small plus compared to those two behemoth negatives. It still hurt to say no to a top notch program like Emory though. #firstworldacademicproblems

[Any sub-3.0 in yet?]

Yes, I'm kinda leaning towards Icahn now. Did you get financial aid at all? I still have to get that figured out.

 

I filled out FAFSA but that's as far as I've gone. I'm trying to figure out the pre-admission crap (like the physicals and drug testing) first.

 

 

 

Yay!! you will be in NY.. I am also thinking of applying to Icahn, not sure yet. I don't want to live at home

 

Apply anyways! It doesn't hurt to try! Okay, maybe it'll hurt a little since it's ~$70 on SOPHAS...BUT STILL!

[Any sub-3.0 in yet?]

I am delighted to announced that I have been officially accepted to the Graduate Program in Public Health @ Icahn School of Medicine. Two acceptances in the same week?. Couldn't be any happier right now!

 

Oh my god! Congrats! Hopefully I'll see you there! (It's where I'm attending!)

[Any sub-3.0 in yet?]

On 4/7/2014 at 3:02 AM, olamiss said:

University of Arizona(Rolling)(AZ)

University of North Texas(Rolling)(TX)

Tulane University (Rolling)(LA)

Lloma Linda University (July 30th)(CA)

University of Southern California (June 1st)(CA)

Saint Louis University (Rolling)(MO)

Washington University in St. Louis (Rolling)(MO)

University of Michigan (Rolling)(MI)

Northwestern University (July 15th)(IL)

Oregon U Consortium (July 1st)(OR)

University of Albany (May 1st) (NY)

Touro University (July 15th)(CA)

University of S. Florida (June 1st)(FL)

University of Florida (July 6th)(Doesn't use SOPHAS)(FL)

Northwest Ohio Consortium (June 15th)(Doesn't use SOPHAS)(OH)(Doesn't require GREs)

Stonybrook University (May 1st)(NY)

Rutgers University (May 1st)(NJ)

Drexel University (June15th)(PA)

Mt. Sinai (August 1st) (NY)

IUPUI (July 1st)(IN) 

Louisiana State University (May 1st)

UCLA (I believe they are on rolling until spots are filled)(CA)

University of Maryland (I believe they are on a rolling now until spots are filled at Baltimore campus)(MD)

University of Pittsburg (depends on the program, so it varies).

West Virginia University (June 1st)(WV)

 

 

This what I can remember from memory,  this list should be good for you for now. Make sure they have what you plan to study as well. They are all CEPH-accredited as well. 

 

O_O that is some memory!

[Any sub-3.0 in yet?]

Anyone know if any other schools in CA are still accepting apps?

 

USC is the only one I can think of off the top of my head. I think all the UCs are already in the decisions phase. Maybe some Cal States?

[When did you apply and when are you hearing back?]

Did UPenn fall off the face of the planet or am I the only one who hasn't heard back from them?

[Not Attending a Top School and Excited About It]

I'm attending berkeley too!!

 

I wish I could join you, but alas, Berkeley told me no. Oh well. I'll be back for my post-doc. CAL, YOU AIN'T SEEN THE LAST OF ME.

[Advice needed]

Hi! (I also posted this on sdn for more opinions if this seems familiar sorry haha)

So I am hoping to eventually go to grad school and get an mph in environmental health. I'm currently finishing up my sophomore year of college and as of right now have a 2.975 gpa which should be slightly above 3.0 by the end of this school year. I am done with the hard science classes and now only have electives/classes for my other major which I've done really well in historically and although it obviously isn't 100% certain I'm very confident I can get at least a 3.7 gpa the remaining semesters of school. This would mean if I am here for four more semesters I can get my gpa up to about a 3.4-5 and if I was here for three about a 3.2-3.

I was looking at study abroad programs and wanted to do a SIT one with a focus on global health. My school does not have any opportunities to take classes related to public health. So far I have somewhat minimal experience in public health (I've shadowed public health vets, microbiologists, and serologists) but I'm hoping to get an internship at the county health department this summer and also do an internship the summer after. In addition I volunteer at a wildlife hospital and I am going to start at a free (human lol) clinic next year.

I am just wondering what the best course of action would be. The study abroad program would give me academic experience as well as a small research experience in public health but would not count towards my gpa (my school would give me credits but not count it in my gpa and sophas would not either). I am not sure if having that experience abroad would be more helpful for my application or if having four more semesters at school and therefore having a .15-.2 higher gpa would help me out more.

Also, if I don't go on the program should I try and take at least one public health related class before applying (I'd probably take it over a summer or after I graduate at Berkeley since it is close to home)? Or do schools not care that much if you have academic experience with public health classes (in which case studying abroad would be pointless for my application right)?

 

Hi. OP of one of the sub-3.0 threads floatin' here. You'll be fine. I know it's hard not to be paranoid about things (believe me, I was there), but honestly try not to stress too much. Your grades aren't the be-all, end-all of graduate school. I've been accepted into top programs even with my cruddy GPA. Your personal experience and letters of recommendation will help you more than any perfect academic streak can. In the year off I had from graduating, I volunteered for the American Cancer Society, and worked in a lab funded by the American Heart Association. My letter writers were from people within these organizations. 

 

I went to Berkeley, and didn't find public health as a calling until after I graduated, so I didn't take any relavant courses. The only public health classes I took were PH 162A, Public Health Microbiology; and MCB C102, Bacterial Pathogenesis (cross-listed as PH C102). I only took these courses because they were required or highly recommended for graduation.

 

My recommendation to you is to go on that study abroad program if you feel like it. The experience will certainly help, but if it's something you'll be miserable doing, don't do it. And if you don't do it, it's not necessary to take PH courses. Go find labs, hospitals/clinics, and/or organizations that reflect your public health interests and put in some volunteer work with them. It's a good way to gather experience and form connections with the professionals in your field of interest (also, letter writers!!). 

 

 

if you have any questions regarding public health applications or Berkeley, shoot me a PM. I'm more than happy to help out. As I said, I've been there with a less than ideal GPA. I just want to help others out of the rut now. Sorry if I'm all over the place with my answer. 

[Any sub-3.0 in yet?]

Does anybody know if Icahn email applicants regarding receiving their application? I submitted my application last week, but I am still to get any sort of communication from them regarding my application. Is that normal?

 

 

After submitting my application, I never received any confirmation from them. I didn't contact them directly until after I received an acceptance notification (via email). If you do choose to contact them like mahmad did, your contact with the admissions department will be Christine (christine.cortalano@mssm.edu). My turn around time between submitting my SOPHAS and getting the acceptance was about two weeks (for exact dates, the first acceptance in my signature is from Icahn), but I did apply early so I don't know if that differs than from applying now.

 

Also, it can take a little time for SOPHAS to mail out the applications after you've submitted.

 

 

Sorry, I can't be more informative.

[Any sub-3.0 in yet?]

Lol. I'm sorry. I'm just being a smartass; I tend to do that. I'm going to Icahn and I'll be looking around for apartments in nearby neighborhoods. Commuting shouldn't be too bad since classes are in the afternoon/early evening (no waking up early to get to class). I lived in San Francisco for my undergrad, so I'm kinda acquainted with this lifestyle.

 

Anyway, where are you looking to go, olamiss?

[Any sub-3.0 in yet?]

Commuting to Icahn from Southern California is a bit........extreme.

[Any sub-3.0 in yet?]

Interesting. But I'm probably gonna look for my own apartment. I don't know the area well but I know a few people in New York. If you're seriously considering Icahn though,........   You know who to PM. 

[Any sub-3.0 in yet?]

What part of LA? I'm from San Diego but went to undergrad at UCLA so I know the area. Honestly, I really like Sinai . The only thing really deterring me is the cost of living and the weather (stupid, i know lol). I've always wanted to live in NYC though, just not sure ill be able to adapt to the cold!

 

Where are you finding an apt? Craigslist is filled with scams and "Broker fees". Seems impossible to get a studio for 1000 or less! Also, how are you gonna move all your stuff out there? As you can see, Im a pit panicky when considering the thought of moving cross country

 

Orange County, actually. I like to say LA just because it's easier to identify for some people. I've been poking around here: http://www.reddit.com/r/NYCapartments for apartments. 

 

The only reason I'm so drawn to Berkeley is because it's where I did my undergrad so there's a lot of safety and familiarity there. But...Berkeley is a top school and my academic track record isn't so hot. I mean, I am the OP of this thread after all... But the other part of me kinda wants to just jump over to the other side of the country and start anew. I'm just gonna take what I need and buy cheap Ikea furniture when I get to NYC, or convince a group of friends to roadtrip with me. The only downfall with NYC is that you won't find better tacos than Chipotle tacos. There won't be In-N-Out. No Slater's. No Phil's BBQ. 

 

Oh god. Why am I leaving California again?

[Any sub-3.0 in yet?]

Probably UCLA or Claremont, but considering Sinai as well (im from Cali). I've been looking into housing in nyc just in case. Seems impossible. What are you doing for housing?

 

I kinda assumed you're from California because of the tacos. I'm from LA and I love tacos. I'm gonna find an apartment in NYC. The price will be extreme, but I'm very drawn to having the experience of living in NYC. Berkeley is my alma mater, so it's the safe choice in terms of living since I'm familiar with the area. 

[Any sub-3.0 in yet?]

Thank you unfortunately, I have had a few too many tacos in my day

 

Where are you planning on attending?

 

Most likely Icahn, unless I get into Berkeley (which I highly doubt, let's be realistic). Yourself?

 

 

Thank you. Too bad I didn't see this before I submitted my application..but the gesture is appreciated. We'll see if they let me join you at Icahn. 

 

 

Good luck!

[Any sub-3.0 in yet?]

Well put! I think you deserve a taco. Or 5.

[Not Attending a Top School and Excited About It]

I'll be attending Icahn if Berkeley doesn't accept me. The top programs that have accepted me don't interest me because of the class size. I prefer a smaller program (and HOLY CRAP CHANCE TO LIVE IN NYC?!). My reasoning for Berkeley is that it's my alma mater so I'm familiar with the area.