AlphacentauriC

Congruts on the admit! Good luck with the interview at BU!

- what is the terminal degree you want? Epi or HPromo - if its epi, do accept the offer. - however, if the terminal degree is a general one that doesn't require hardcore epi elements, then accept the offer.

Sorry. Seems nobody did. Good lucky...

Yep, waiting is torture....the worst of the worst.

Good luck! I hope you share with us your experiences applying to JHU, Yale and Michigan. Since you have already done in-depth research....is funding ok at JHU for the health policy/services program? The minimal research I have done, suggests they expect candidates to pay out of pocket for some fees of the program(s). Funding is a huge factor in my decision when it comes to accepting offers...or even turning in applications. I mean, even if a school has the best program in the world...if they are gonna make me take up loans to fund the education, I would probably not apply to the said school.

A shame that you can't accept offers from schools across the country. Berkley is great, I would have 'gobbled up" the offer in one second, even it meant leaving my grandma alone here in Juneau, Alaska!

- I thought that the non-self funding is one of the positives of the doctoral programs there? I never thought that it could be a negative? - Please, share your experience applying to Emory? I might consider it when I do turn in my application. I ask this question, because as you might have heard elsewhere, some admission committees/schools etc, they are uncooperative with applicants.

- I have heard about the school, it's one of the best in the world. I would conjecture that their program is sweet, respected all over.

Good luck with that. I haven't applied, the earliest I can apply is the fall of 2016 for a PhD in Health Policy/Services. Unless something dramatic happens, i'm applying to the following places: 1. Yale 2. JHP 3. UMich 4. UCLA/Berlkely 5. Washington U. Good luck and keep us updated.

Everything said above by the guys is correct. in my experience, I have always written one version of the SOP for college (BA), and all the other four graduate degrees program I have done since. I'm sure I will write the same version of the SOP for my JD/PhD during the fall of 2016! Yeah, fall 2016 seems far...but here I am, already knee deep into preparing my applications. That version of the SOP just explains why I want to do the program; what I will use the program for; where I have come from to be here; my passion for the field; why the program is a good fit; why the program is the best; etc. As you can imagine, the SOP, is my strongest suit, the only thing that has allowed me to win scholarships/get in. If all the good programs I have done looked at grades only, I would never get in, esp. at the begining. Now I do have the stats to get in...but in the past, the SOP carried me single handley. Happy to proofread your SOP for you... Good luck

I think that the best strategy in turning in any application is to focus on the positives as much as possible. The negatives that need focus are those the adcom might ask questions about, say a low gpa etc. Again, when focusing on the few negatives, less detail is better, just a summary, overview is enough. Providing details, makes you come across as 'difficult to work with' as someone above pointed out. So, 99.9% of the application must be positives, 0.1% negatives...0% negatives, preferred. Negatives are not mention, even if they are there... One more thing, I think that as an applicant it is within your rights to include any information that might enhance your application. So, even if the schools you are applying to dont say anything about a supplemental essay, turn it in anyway, the adcoms would be happy actually, as they wil see you as someone willing to provide them with the whole nine yards.

I think that addressing issues about academics (bad grades, gaps in education history, bailing thesis advisor etc) is something done NOT in a SOP, but in s supplemental essay, preferrably one page long. The SOP is no place for such things. The SOP is a place for your dreams, why i'm applying to this program?, how my experience will contribute to the progrsm, how my grandma inspired me to want to enter into geology etc. The admissions officers should be inspired when they read the SOP....Don't bore them.

In addition to things mentioned above I would say: - ditch the course work! Your transcripts have that covered. Don't be redundant...unless it is that one or two courses that you want to highlight, one where you won that prize? Where you presented at nationals?

First, I'm sorry that nobody bothered to respond to your post, almost three months down the line. I hope that didn't disspoint or discourage you. 1. I wouldn't be overly concerned with that 3.36. I think it is a descent gpa, for the field that your were doing. The adcoms understand that. Mostly importantly, the econ degree already covers some of the basics you would need while doing a PhD program, even one in epi. Knowledge of econ, required for the PhD. So, that 3.36 is a plus on your application file. 2. You have a descent GRE, so you should be in good shape getting in. The 161 is in a quant area, which the adcoms love, it shows that you can do that stats/etc that are required for your PhD. Again, you econ degree already covers that too...so you are in good shape. I think that you shouldn't be afraid to some of the top schools, you stand a good chance of getting in with your advanced degrees plus work experience. Remember, some of your competition is kids straight out undergrad. Good luck and happy new year.

Maybe they have changed? I think the big public schools like UCLA, they don't have the resources that the private schools have? Why they can't respond to all questions asked by prospective students?

You raise valid questions. It is no hyperbole that men are afraid of successful, well educated women. I think as a women advances in her career/education, the pool of men not intimidated by her shrinks. Only men at the same level with the successful women, or above her, would not be intimidated. That said, I have never been intimidated by successful women with advanced degrees. Perhaps it is because, I always knew I will become level with them or even better. If didn't know that, yep....I would shake in boots the moment I see a successful woman, sweating like a pig on our first date! I guess it is what it is !

Good question. I agree with everything said by posters above. Another way to ask the question is why are there few women in other programs? For example, the MBA program that i'm completing from a top tier university right now only has few women in it, 5%! Again, the reason is what was explained by posters above. As for the females in public health, that is also one of my concern really, in terms of whether when I turn in my PhD/DrPH application in the fall of 2016, if I will get in or not, given that the admission committees seem to be receptive to women. I think by view is warped, perhaps the programs I have looked at, there are more women there, as someone above already said, because more women apply to these programs.

I think it depends on what you want to do. The majority of jobs don't require the CPH certification, unlike jobs in accounting that acually hire based on CPA certification. My advice to you is that...check the places you want to work, verify that they need one to have a CPH, otherwise, don't bother. Your MPH or PhD is enough evidence that you know a lot about public health.