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That's the issue. Columbia seems to be a stronger program, but Tulane costs less.

Please help! I legitimately have equal reasons to choose either school. Tulane Pros: I already live in New Orleans My parents live in New Orleans My SO will attend Tulane Law Lower cost of living and (most likely) lower tuition Good adviser Tulane Cons: Charges by credit hour Epi department seems disorganized Columbia Pros: Flat rate tuition Ivy League Has an Epi sub-specialization in my field of study Large Epi department with a lot of funding New York City Columbia Cons: SO expensive for EVERYTHING Would be alone in NYC

If you are hoping to work as a physician you'll need to be licensed as one. Anything else should be fair game.

I just got a very confusing email from Emory admissions telling me congratulations again on my acceptance, but I was on the waitlist and as far as I'm aware that hasn't changed. Could be another wrench in my plans! Good luck with the MBA program!

Congratulations!

The MSPH is an equivalent degree that is meant to be more intensive for people who don't have previous public health experience. Some people would say the MSPH is a better degree but it's not really better, it's just longer so that it can provide more preparation for students who haven't already worked in the field. If you're eligible for the MPH then you should probably choose that one.

I have a macbook air (mid-2013 model) and I think that it meets the requirements for SAS and the other statistical packages I'll need for school, but I was thinking of getting an iPad (probably the mini) to use for e-textbooks and reading documents and articles for class. I like the idea of having all my books with me all the time, without them breaking my back. I don't like reading from my laptop, and in my experience a lot of e-books aren't available unless you're using a tablet reader. Has anyone else had any experience with this? Does it sound like a good idea, or should I not bother? Thanks!!

I'll be 23 when I start my MPH, but I am regularly mistaken for a high school (and sometimes even middle school!!) student. Obviously people in my cohort won't think I haven't graduated yet because otherwise I wouldn't be there, but does anyone have advice on trying to look older? I'm not even short... but this is a CONSTANT issue in my life and I feel like a lot of people don't respect me because I look so young.

Yeah WashU is looking like it's the least expensive option for me as well. I'm really looking forward to their admitted students weekend because I want to hear what the alumni have to say about their experience and how well-accepted the degree is.

I'll probably work for a couple years, but my end goal is to get an MD.

Yeah I have no idea what I'm going to do. Columbia and BU are best for what I want to do, and I got a scholarship from BU but even so the difference in cost is not really a big enough deal for it to matter. And then there's WashU which has been so friendly and forthcoming with scholarships and fellowship opportunities but I have no idea about their reputation in the real world compared to the other programs i got into.

Columbia offers electives that are open to MPH students no matter their concentration, with few exceptions. I wouldn't worry about not being able to see any science if you make it a priority. You should talk to someone in your department about how many electives you can expect to have if that's important to you.

I am also still waiting on financial aid packages from everywhere I got in except WashU. I believe that Columbia and BU are currently working on getting them sent out. Crickets from Tulane on that front so not really sure where they're at in the process.

Hi, I don't know much about Brown but I also got into BU's program (I haven't decided where I'm going yet). I went to undergrad in Boston and so let me paint a somewhat less antagonistic picture for you. Fair warning: I am originally from Canada - still a transplant but from a much less hospitable climate than California. Boston is a lovely place to live for the following reasons: - Easy to walk around - Great shopping district - Chinatown = amazing food for cheap - Sporting events (even if you're not a baseball fan, Boston has hockey and basketball as well. Football is too far away.) - Tons of college students and young professionals to meet and befriend Things that aren't so great: - The weather can be bad sometimes - It's pretty expensive as cities go - When the weather is bad, the MBTA stops working (it can be quite slow the rest of the time, as well) - Townies can be mean and are best avoided - Everything closes really early, even on the weekends I absolutely loved living in Boston, even in spite of the cons. If you are prepared to make an effort to find hobbies and friends, and you're not super worried about living expenses, I would probably pick the better/more established school of public health.

Most US universities set a minimum GPA of 3.0 for admission into MPH programs, but if you have significant (3+ years) experience working in public health, they might be willing to forgive your low GPA. That's my best advice for dealing with your GPA, also you could try taking some post-bacc classes to improve your actual GPA as well. GRE score is slightly less important, but if you want to be more competitive, you should keep studying/practicing and take it over again.

I have a merit scholarship to BU but it's not what I'd call substantial... $5000/semester.

I love them both after visiting, and they're both really strong in chronic disease epi which is what I want to study. I went to undergrad in Boston so I already know I love living there, but I have no real experience with NYC. Please help me decide!!

Maybe it fell out of your folder? Mine was tucked in with the letter of admission.

This matters a lot to me as well. I would point out that the WUStL MPH program is housed in their school of social work, which is ranked #1 on US News. But I definitely want to hear what other people's experiences have been/how well-received their MPH degree is!

To those concerned about their quant scores for Epidemiology: I applied to MPH in Epi with a quant GRE score of 152 (48%ile) and I have been accepted to four programs and waitlisted at one. Of course, both of my other sections were above the 90th %ile which might have helped.

Got my BU package today and thought it was super cute that they included a window sticker for your car.

How long did it take for your package from BU to come? I'm probably just being antsy but I feel like it's taking forever! Of course, this could be due to the fact that Boston is buried under 7 feet of snow...

Hi all, I applied for MPH in chronic disease epi... they told me my application was complete in early December and I have heard absolutely nothing since. Do I just assume they've rejected me and not bothered to say anything? Or is this long silence happening for everyone else that's applied?

kelseygwynne, I submitted my application on January 14 and received my acceptance email on February 9. They haven't said anything about financial aid, though.