orangepotato

Yes but I am so tired of these articles that are just a collection of anecdotes purporting to be broad trends. Shouldn't she collect information first and then draw a conclusion? I suppose I wouldn't mind if the article really was just retelling a few people's stories, but I have a feeling that the headline would be something like Students Nationwide Unable to Pursue Educational Goals. FWIW I don't think reporters are evil.

Seconded. I don't object to reporters finding information on bulletin boards (though it does seem a little...lazy), but it would have been less contrived if he/she had said, "I'm looking to talk to college/graduate school students about the role of the economy in their applications," or something along those lines. The budding scientist in me just screams biased sample!

Also, there is a Baltimore discussion in the City Guide forum. viewtopic.php?f=27&t=285

How about contacting him and saying how thrilled you are to have been accepted, but since finances are an issue for you, regretfully you will have to choose another school with a better funding offer. You greatly appreciate the offer from School X, blah blah blah. Then mention you are still deciding between offers from School B and C. Pause and see if he jumps in with opinions. If there is complete silence, then you could ask directly -- Say Professor, since you are so knowledgeable in this field, (continue sincere flattery) do you have any opinions on the quality of these programs? If he doesn't seem willing to say anything, I wouldn't push it too much I'm sure you can get opinions from other places too. At the same time, I think professors understand not everyone can go tens of thousands of dollars or more into debt, and funding is probably the least awkward reason for a decline.

Hi, I completely understand your concern. I didn't click on your link but I have been looking at the Baltimore Crime Map, which is probably the same thing. I think the most important thing to do is to choose a safe neighborhood near the shuttle, and exercise the usual caution that you would in any metropolitan area. Charles Village, Mount Vernon, Canton, Fells Point, and Federal Hill are all good choices. Familiarize yourself with a map of Baltimore and where the delineations between neighborhoods are -- don't rely wholly on realtor descriptions. Forums on city-data.com are a good resource too. If it makes you feel more comfortable, I think it is a good idea to look into those larger buildings with a 24-hour front desk, key cards, etc. On the crime map you also need to look at what kind of crime is occurring. For example, I saw a bunch of crimes in Mount Vernon but they were mostly shoplifting and thefts from cars. So, not really things that will affect me. The assaults listed were not random aggressions against people on the street but rather something reported to the police that happened inside a private home among family members, friends. Again, not really a good thing, but not a threat to my safety when walking around the neighborhood. I know crime stats are scary, but also remember that statistically women are much more likely to experience violence perpetrated by friends, family members, and acquaintances. I wouldn't say this fact comforts me, but it makes me less obsessed with hypothetical violent scenarios. Sorry I can't recommend any particular buildings, but good luck in your search.

I am enrolling next year and the impression I get at most schools is that the advisor will help with course selection and administrative issues, but if you want to forge a close relationship, at the poster above said, it's up to you. At some schools I see that just a handful of people act as advisors for the entire school, so it would make more sense to seek out regular professors as your mentors.

Healthfourall* -- thank you so much for the thoughtful reply! I've talked to a number of current and former students at this point and a picture is emerging that is very consistent with what you have written. I am not sure if it is the same for the PhD program, but someone in the MPH program said it is totally encouraged to switch advisors if you can find someone who is more helpful/attentive. So that's good to know. There are certainly a number of tradeoffs so this decision is not going to be easy. It sounds like you are on the right track for research -- if I was looking at an academic or research-oriented career, I'd definitely go to Hopkins. Good luck wherever you end up!

FSIA's reply is really good. Also look at the faculty lists to see if one school has more people active in your particular area of interest. I think crime is a toss-up between Baltimore and NYC! Bmore is not as bad as you see on The Wire...

Hey healthfourall* -- did you take any courses in public health during your undergrad at Hopkins? What did you think? I'm accepted at JHU for the MPH program, and really excited about it. However, three things worry me. First -- the class sizes seem huge, even for the more specialized classes. Second -- all that learning crammed into 1 year. I'd almost prefer to stretch it out and have an internship or something at the same time. Third -- what if all the illustrious faculty members are too engrossed in their own research to have time or interest in students? Any thoughts?

In other words, "It's not you. It's me." Awesome. Re: "Cheers!" above, I wonder if the author was European or had spent time abroad? I've noticed this as a somewhat common closer in Europe, though the author really should have thought twice before putting it on such a letter. But maybe drinking is in order after a rejection...

Tough call.. I know WUSTL has a great curriculum and you might be able to get a paid internship. How is Drexel's program in your specialty area? Not in terms of rankings but in terms of how well it fits what you are looking for. Personally I wouldn't go to a second or third choice school for only $10,000, but $30,000 would be much harder to turn down...

^^^ Yes, exactly zhukora. Thank you for explaining that so clearly. I'm also not saying that the math/science education internationally is not better than that in the US (forgive the double negative...). I am simply saying that using the GRE as a tool for determining this is shoddy analysis.

Well, according to ETS's website, ~70% of engineering students score 700-800 on the quant section. Another 21% score 600-690. And there is a standard error of measurement of 50 points, not all that precise IMO. (I'm not a math person, maybe you can crunch the numbers yourself.) So you're really not talking about a large group of people who were scoring 600-690 and below the 600 mark, and given that there are only 30 (?) questions and the test is computer-adaptive, I don't understand why it's so puzzling that every single person didn't ace the exam? Source: Interpreting your Scores, ETS. http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.1488512ecfd5b8849a77b13bc3921509/?vgnextoid=e3d52d3631df4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=b72946f1674f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD And I'm sure you know that even if you could compare international test-taker scores to American scores, it would have a selection bias due to the fact that international test-takers have the means and or/interest to leave their home countries and study in the US.

Look at the specific programs to which you would like to apply-- often the adcom will state their preferences outright. If the program curriculum is geared towards a professional vs. an academic crowd, I would think the adcom would welcome professional references. (Not that academics are not professional, just for lack of a better word...) Granted, I applied to programs in a vastly different field than yours, but all 3 of my references were from former bosses, and it has not been a problem. But my programs are very career-focused, rather than research or academic, so it seems appropriate. If you take an online course, find one that has a lot of interaction -- online discussions, teleconferences, etc. and make a special effort to get to know the teacher. It sounds like that is your only option for the time-being, so make the best of it.

I think have work experience is extremely important before going back for a MPH or PhD program, not just because you will be a more competitive applicant but also because it really helps you focus your career path. There are lots of exciting areas of public health that I had no knowledge of as an undergraduate and I'm glad I had a chance to test the waters to see what I like-- as well as to see what I don't like so much. That said, I'm sure there are some people who intuitively know where they are headed, but before making such a huge investment in terms of time and money, be sure you are sure!

I have a good friend with a degree from LSE - he said that he doesn't really get the name recognition he would like among US firms. However, he commented that the quality of the education was very high, and studying international issues among international students was really beneficial. Perhaps the LSE program has a list of job placements for last year's graduating class? That would be informative. Can't comment too much on the others... I know SAIS is extremely well-regarded in DC, and there are tons of international development firms there so that could pose an advantage for you in terms of internships and future jobs.

Yeah, I can't help but judge a little too. Especially if the negative attitude reflects my biggest fear about the university -- i.e., that it is a diploma mill that doesn't care much about the students. I would not, however, base a decision on admissions experience alone!

Badly. Try to get your grammar correct when you are being derisive to others! Also, how'd you score on the social intelligence portion? This is a pretty rude comment as some people are very intelligent and successful, but poor test-takers. As far as I know, these types of tests are very poor predictors of scholastic and professional success.

On the one hand, once I enroll, I won't have to go through admissions again. So I reason that the admissions experience should not be a factor in my decision-making process. On the other, shouldn't schools realize that admissions is your first introduction to the school? I was treated a bit coldly by one (fancy, big name) university, and that concerns me. Perhaps this is indicative of the school's culture? So, do you factor in your admissions experience in your decision or do you disregard it?

For your field, maybe think about which city has the best saturation of future employers -- e.g., internship opportunities, research partnerships, adjunct professors who could give you a reference for a new job, etc.

Thanks for the link! I was thinking with all the phD applicants around here, some people would have already completed public health programs and want to write about them for future board readers. I have contacts at the schools I am considering... I guess I am just of the mindset that the more opinions the better!

I had a rogue 's' on one of my SOPs, and I still got in! I think a tiny mistake doesn't mean an applicant is doomed.

Thanks again for the earlier responses. I've done some more research on the schools and reflection on my personal study habits and am leaning much more towards a bricks-and-mortar format. I think the online program would be awesome if your employer was picking up the tab, but I'm not in that situation. I also realized that I have more flexibility in curriculum planning for one of my on-campus choices (GWU) than I previously thought, which is making it a much more appealing option. However, if anyone else is reading this and interested in online programs, I definitely recommend checking out Emory. It is kind of buried on their website and I didn't even notice it for several months when I was investigating MPH options.

If you have already completed your Masters or your Doctorate at a school of public health, what school did you attend and how was your experience? Strengths/weaknesses of your program? Any advice/recommendations to future applicants? I am just starting to decide among a few different schools, but I am interested to see how others respond!

Thanks for the responses! I agree - interacting with the other students should definitely be one of the main highlights of the degree. At least at Emory, they host you on campus 2 times per semester for 4 days at a time, during which you have lectures and other events. Almost like attending conferences, I suppose. They also say that they encourage interaction through discussion boards, maybe audioconferences, and things like that -- but that type of interaction would remain essentially different in kind. I'll see where else I get in and hopefully that will help me choose. If the curriculum at Emory wasn't so perfect for me, my decision would be a lot easier.