hopeful2020PhD

You could reach out to admissions at each school and ask for more detailed admissions stats. Alternatively, the MPH application forums over here are much more active than on grad cafe, and many students post their GPA, GRE, experience, and outcomes: https://forums.studentdoctor.net/forums/public-health-degrees-masters-and-doctoral.94/ What you do for work in between your BA/BS and MPH really depends on what you are interested in. Think about your interests within epidemiology: methods, aging, social disparities, clinical trials, HIV, substance use, etc. You can always look for research assistant positions at universities, hospitals, and nonprofits aligned with those interests. Jobs at CDC/WHO are hyper competitive, but there is an uptick in openings due the pandemic. Who knows what it will be like in a year when you graduate.Insert other media

First, keep in mind that you almost certainly will not receive $$ with your admissions offer this late in the game. If you are independently wealthy, you might not care. Second, keep in mind that a lot of folks are applying to public health right now because the crisis is drawing their attention to it. It may be harder than normal to get in. If you still want to apply, check out this website: https://programfinder.aspph.org/. It is tedious, but if you click to expand each school and each degree at each school, it will show you the application deadlines.

I think it is reasonable to assume that current events will make more people aware of our field, and drive an interest in ID epi in particular. I also know the NIH is allocating funds for covid 19 research. However, I doubt either of these things will translate into more funding for graduate students.

School rankings are pretty arbitrary. They are even less valuable for a PhD, which is highly specialized. The quality and prestige of the program will depend on what specific research niche you are in. The best school for studying HIV in the global south may well not be a great place to study nutritional assistance programs, for example. It really depends on what you want to study, and who is actually doing that work, and where. I would think about the following, long before looking at rankings: funding offered faculty research match whether your advisor is someone you can work well with, and whether they will be a good advocate for you whether there are other potential collaborators affiliated with the program where their graduates end up after they complete the program whether you could be happy living there for 4-6 years If your options are tied after considering all of this, then sure, go to the conventionally more prestigious university.

Congrats @LisaNucar on your acceptances! You know, after I go accepted to PhD programs this cycle I felt like a deflated balloon. I talked to folks who said they also felt less Two thoughts. First, many programs assign academic advisors, but a few years in you will choose a research/dissertation advisor (and broader committee). So you aren't necessarily locked in with your assigned advisor if you do not want to be. I also know a few people who switched their advisors during their PhD as their research interests evolved. Second, advisor fit isn't just about research. It's about whether their mentorship style works well for you, and whether they will be an advocate and ally in the process.

My undergraduate advisor did his PhD in Michigan while his wife stayed in DC. It was tough for the first 2 years, and they traveled most weekends, but he mentioned how he didn't stay "in residence" to finish his dissertation so he could go live with her. Would that be a possibility for either of you (i.e., completing coursework at separate schools, then doing research remotely to finish your diss)?

Thank you, Ian! I committed to Harvard today and let my other program know I won't be attending.

Is this for a Biostats MS? It is actually pretty common for MS students in stats and biostats to pay tuition (though I personally know more biostatisticians than pure stats folks, so keep that in mind). The good news about advisor/mentor match is that you don't need to wait for the school to assign you an advisor. Reach out to faculty at schools you have been admitted to. Ask about their ongoing research, whether there are ways you could get involved with their research, and what that would look like. Use that information to help shape your decision. Finally, US News rankings are, in my opinion, worthless for graduate school. If you don't want to be a professor, you should be even less concerned with rankings, and more concerned about the strength of the alumni network. Side note, UW (#7 in public health) can be unreliable about funding public health PhDs (speaking from personal experience, and the aggregate experience of my peers), so apply to multiple programs when it is time.

I would be really hesitant about rejecting the offers and applying again next year. Faculty on the admissions committee could remember this, and won't advocate for you as strongly in the admissions process because you already turned down good offers from them. Instead, they will fight to take on other students who will actually come and contribute to their research team. A faculty member on an admissions committee explicitly told me that they aim to only admit students that they are 99% sure will attend if offered admissions-- you would fail that criteria if you turned down their offers. I don't know you, but my advice would be to (1) Explain that you and your partner are going through a life transition, and ask for a 1 year deferral (do not mention that they are a "safety" or that you are uncertain about the city), (2) If they say no, consult with your partner and pick a city they think they could find work in, or finally, (3) If they say no to deferral, pick the program that is the best fit for you, and hope your relationship can survive the move (2 vs. 3 depends on how serious your relationship is).

Does anyone have advice on how to politely decline an admissions offer without burning bridges? I may want to work with this PI in the future, but I have a clear decision.

Unfortunately, international students are not eligible for many funding sources we have in public health. So international students may apply, be accepted, and then turn down offers because the PhD program is partially or totally unfunded.

Thank you for doing this! I wish I had this knowledge *before* I applied the first time. And this is pretty accurate for UW, UCSF, and Harvard. It is so disappointing that some PhD programs would make unfunded offers at this level.

You already have two strong LORs from tenured faculty in mathematics. The third letter does not need to be from a professor! Many people apply to graduate school after several years of work experience, and get letters from their supervisor/boss. If you can get a strong LOR from an employer, it will look much better than a mediocre letter from a professor who does not know you well at this moment in time.

I can give you an overview of offers I have received. All 3 in high cost of living areas, and all 3 are competitive schools School 1: 50% tuition remission. Nothing else. No stipend, have to purchase own insurance, and have to pay the other half of your tuition. School 2: Full tuition remission and about 40k per year in exchange for working half time throughout the program. 4 years funding. School 3: Full tuition remission, insurance, and about 36k per year in exchange for TAing one class, one time, over the whole length of the program. 4 years of funding.

You can always ask! Many schools won't take the time to give a detailed answer, though.