apex45

I would definitely make sure you have a good sense of the type of research she does. Beyond looking at your profile on the schools website, you want to read past manuscripts, or at least the abstracts given the time crunch. 
You are going to want to ask where your advisor sees their research going in the future, and how the PhD student would fit in that projected plan. Some advisors have specific hypotheses that they want their students to answer, while others want you to come up with their own. Are they advising any other PhD students, and would you guys work together or separately. They might also want to see what your end goals are. Are you looking to go into academia, or do governmental work, etc. This would help to mold directions your advisor wants you to take.

I heard directly from my department as well. It sounds like they’re gradually churning them out, so there’s definitely still a lot of hope! 

I heard back from Yale’s SBS program today via email from my POI and fellowship director. Official funding packages/formal letters are still being prepared by the graduate school, so I’m guessing everything should be updated on the applicant portal in the next few days. 

Hello there. Long time lurker here. I have been accepted to a few PhD Epi programs and now assessing some of my options. Although on paper, UW is probably the best option given their focus in global health and all of their connections around the world - the funding does worry me. I also applied for the RA position at the START Center, however, it is only guaranteed for one year, renewable for two years. After that, students need to look for TA or RA positions or funding on their own in order to avoid paying tuition out of pocket and cover living expenses. I was told that most UW PhD students manage to get enough funding, but for me it seems much too high of a risk to take. I find it a bit ridiculous to be conducting research for the university which ultimately may result in 3 publications under their name and not being guaranteed that you will never have to pay tuition out of pocket.
Finally, I think may go with a lower ranked university that guaranteed me full tuition coverage and a stipend, which I can supplement with a TA-ship if I want to.

WashU = Washington University in St. Louis (in Missouri) [I think their public health school is called the Brown School, which is not the same at Brown University School of Public Health in Providence, RI]
UW = University of Washington (in Washington) 
These are totally different schools! Just wanted to clear up that confusion and hopefully allay some fear.

WashU = Washington University in St. Louis (in Missouri) [I think their public health school is called the Brown School, which is not the same at Brown University School of Public Health in Providence, RI]
UW = University of Washington (in Washington) 
These are totally different schools! Just wanted to clear up that confusion and hopefully allay some fear.

Gave me a little smile on a rough day too  
For a good time, try giving your dog a small can of green beans (or a handful of frozen ones). Mine loves nothing more on this earth than canned green beans but then is scared of her own green bean farts after

This was actually a legitimate clarification that was being made due to a seemingly genuine mix-up between the two in response to one of my posts. Thank you for clarifying before I could chime in, @apex45!

Hi all -  I've been MIA to deal with my GradCafe obsession and just now seeing questions about Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL).
I was invited for Interview Weekend which was early Feb but I couldn't attend due to conflict. A video and phone interview were arranged with POIs. I got an acceptance letter last week. 

WashU = Washington University in St. Louis (in Missouri) [I think their public health school is called the Brown School, which is not the same at Brown University School of Public Health in Providence, RI]
UW = University of Washington (in Washington) 
These are totally different schools! Just wanted to clear up that confusion and hopefully allay some fear.

Hi, I’m sure you’re just trying to be helpful but that’s really patronizing. If I’ve spent money and time applying to a school, I know what school it actually is. 

5:04 EST and I also have not heard from Yale. 
Please, Ivy league gods, end my misery now.

5:04 EST and I also have not heard from Yale. 
Please, Ivy league gods, end my misery now.

5:04 EST and I also have not heard from Yale. 
Please, Ivy league gods, end my misery now.

This is amazing! Thanks for sharing! I think the only other item that I have in my mental list is data availability. I’m particularly interested in using administrative datasets, so their availability through mentors is something I always keep an eye out for. 

Wow I love this! Thanks for sharing!

I've got a whole spreadsheet of factors with weighted averages based on how important they are to me. I made it for MPH programs two years ago but updated the categories. I wish it were helping more... 3 schools are within a tenth of a point of each other. 
Anyway, here's the categories in it:
Research alignment with content interests alignment with methods interests PI's mentorship secondary sources of support (other faculty with interest overlap, basically) student/alumni opinions productivity (# of papers students graduate with) Program/School curriculum aligned with my interests ranking/prestige  time/completion rate student/alumni opinions cohort size likelihood I'll make real friends  Financial funding amount funding model cost of living perks (spousal insurance, moving stipend, etc.) Location ability to escape interesting stuff to do diversity/integration  political climate partner's opinion 

I've got a whole spreadsheet of factors with weighted averages based on how important they are to me. I made it for MPH programs two years ago but updated the categories. I wish it were helping more... 3 schools are within a tenth of a point of each other. 
Anyway, here's the categories in it:
Research alignment with content interests alignment with methods interests PI's mentorship secondary sources of support (other faculty with interest overlap, basically) student/alumni opinions productivity (# of papers students graduate with) Program/School curriculum aligned with my interests ranking/prestige  time/completion rate student/alumni opinions cohort size likelihood I'll make real friends  Financial funding amount funding model cost of living perks (spousal insurance, moving stipend, etc.) Location ability to escape interesting stuff to do diversity/integration  political climate partner's opinion 

I've got a whole spreadsheet of factors with weighted averages based on how important they are to me. I made it for MPH programs two years ago but updated the categories. I wish it were helping more... 3 schools are within a tenth of a point of each other. 
Anyway, here's the categories in it:
Research alignment with content interests alignment with methods interests PI's mentorship secondary sources of support (other faculty with interest overlap, basically) student/alumni opinions productivity (# of papers students graduate with) Program/School curriculum aligned with my interests ranking/prestige  time/completion rate student/alumni opinions cohort size likelihood I'll make real friends  Financial funding amount funding model cost of living perks (spousal insurance, moving stipend, etc.) Location ability to escape interesting stuff to do diversity/integration  political climate partner's opinion 

No worries! If you're super nervous, email someone in admissions, the department admin, or the PhD program coordinator. Often staff know more students than professors do, so they might be able to connect you with a wider range of student perspectives.

I've got a whole spreadsheet of factors with weighted averages based on how important they are to me. I made it for MPH programs two years ago but updated the categories. I wish it were helping more... 3 schools are within a tenth of a point of each other. 
Anyway, here's the categories in it:
Research alignment with content interests alignment with methods interests PI's mentorship secondary sources of support (other faculty with interest overlap, basically) student/alumni opinions productivity (# of papers students graduate with) Program/School curriculum aligned with my interests ranking/prestige  time/completion rate student/alumni opinions cohort size likelihood I'll make real friends  Financial funding amount funding model cost of living perks (spousal insurance, moving stipend, etc.) Location ability to escape interesting stuff to do diversity/integration  political climate partner's opinion 

Sure!
Undergrad: 3.4 from a top-3 liberal arts college; Biology major & Education minor
Grad: 3.8 for an MEd from a low-ranked state school; 4.0 for an MPH from Brown 
Work experience: 5 years teaching middle & high school science, health, and engineering; no public health work experience 
GRE: I don't remember the exact scores, but percentiles were 98% for Verbal, 57% for Quant, and 98% for Writing 
Research: ~1 year, no pubs at time of application but ~5 mostly first author papers under review; experience writing R34 grant
LORs/SOP: I know everyone rates theirs as "really strong" but I honestly think these are what set me apart given my mediocre uGPA & quant GRE and lack of longterm research experience. My interests are pretty unique and specific, so I think fit has also played a major role in getting me interviews (& acceptances). 
 
 
 

You should definitely ask at the schools you've been admitted to! Since it's not feasible for you to visit, that's probably the best way to get information about programs that's not canned. Students are really the only ones who can tell you if living on the stipend is manageable, for example. And of course you'll want to ask details about their relationships with faculty, research opportunities, etc. 
Don't feel embarrassed. I volunteer to answer emails from applicants about the MPH program I'm working on finishing. I've probably gotten 1-2 emails a day from international students since decisions went out. 

I think the rankings are pretty meaningless tbh. In addition to what @Epidemiology19 said, they're based only on faculty's perceptions of schools they don't work at. They don't take into account graduation rates, placement, strength of the curriculum, student factors, etc. 
I picked where to apply based on research fit and mentorship quality, which I think are ultimately the biggest factors in a PhD student's success. I have no idea what program I'll pick yet, but ranking won't factor into my decision at all. 

I think the rankings are pretty meaningless tbh. In addition to what @Epidemiology19 said, they're based only on faculty's perceptions of schools they don't work at. They don't take into account graduation rates, placement, strength of the curriculum, student factors, etc. 
I picked where to apply based on research fit and mentorship quality, which I think are ultimately the biggest factors in a PhD student's success. I have no idea what program I'll pick yet, but ranking won't factor into my decision at all.