cec2021

Yeah, I totally get that. With scholarship, Columbia ended up being cheaper for me (including cost of living) that the other schools I applied to for a masters even though they were in smaller cities. And, I wasn't considering a PhD seriously at the time, so I wasn't considering funded programs really. I think it is great to apply to CUNY! I keep telling myself not to make any decisions without the most information possible, and I just won't have the information about how much a school will really cost until I get in and see their funding package. That being said, I did not like living in NYC as a student. I don't live a fancy lifestyle, but I had to live in a neighborhood that was not designed for young professionals or English speakers to afford it and be close to school, going out for a drink didn't fit into my budget (because drinks are 10-18 dollars even at lunch), and sit down dinner definitely didn't either. So I lived in New York, but only experienced the noise and dirt and none of the food, museums, or culture. I was used to DC where museums are free and you can find cheap happy hour drinks at a nice place for $5. Or pregame on cheap traders joes wine then go to a bar and buy nothing. Trader Joe's in NYC (except 1) don't sell wine!!!! Also I didn't live near central park, and generally found the greenspace disappointing and crowded.

Anyone interested in starting a list of schools taking a smaller cohort than normal if we hear about them? I've seen some public health PhD programs post notices about this.

@FrigidSky701 Are you familiar with Columbia's program on forced migration? It's in the school of Public Health, but does some really cool work!

@samuelmsafford Your interests are so cool! My MPH is focused in sexuality, sexual and reproductive health and I want to focus on the US South, which is why my school list is pretty short. Your profile says San Diego. Have you spent time in the South? I lived in Texas and Alabama growing up, did undergrad in South Carolina then worked in DC before attending Columbia and living in NYC. So I've seen the South and the North East and would be happy to talk about living in the South if you end up considering UT or Emory! A blessing and a curse of COVID has been that I have moved in with my parents in Alabama while I finish my MPH. I have to say my childhood bedroom is a lot cheaper than Manhattan rent. But much less fun and hard to get the full Columbia experience (especially while paying Columbia money). But I've been able to save so much on living expenses. I don't think I would have considered a PhD if I was set to graduate with as much debt as I thought I would have when I started my masters. I'm interested in and worried about the visiting process. If y'all get accepted to more than one school, do you think you will travel to visit in the spring? I am a 13 hour drive from my #1 school, so I could make it work.

Hi all! While we are in the difficult waiting time, I am hoping to get to know some other prospective PhD students. I have applied at UT Austin, UNC, and Emory. I am finishing up an MPH at Columbia and I have a background in Statistics and Survey Methodology. Have any of y'all been effected by the decision of many schools not to hold a 2021 cycle? Anyone else applying to the school's I'm interested in and want to chat about cities or programs?