DrPH Applicants Fall 2020

[Future DrPH]

On 10/25/2019 at 12:42 PM, DSB said:

Hi everyone,

I'm so glad I found this thread! Does anyone know if there is a similar one for Fall 2020 PhDs?

I am applying to two DrPh programs- Boston University and Johns Hopkins. Both programs are part time and seem pretty flexible. Is anyone here attending any of these programs?

I am also working to apply to two PhD programs- Harvard and Hopkins. I've been told that the GRE quant score is pretty crucial part of the application for these schools. While my verbal score is at the  93rd percentile my quant score is at the 56th percentile. I don't have time to redo the exam and honestly don't want to. Do you think it is still worth applying?

A couple professors have replied favorably and encouraged me to apply, but I'm still not sure.

 

Thanks in advance for your reply!

 

 

 

DSB...as I'm sure you know, a Ph.D. and a DrPH are very different degrees.  With that said, your quant score will be more of a factor for entry to Ph.D. programs, as they are research-oriented.  As such, you will need to apply a given set of mathematical skills (primarily high-level statistical analysis) within your dissertation and coursework.  Additionally, doctoral programs are seeking students who have a good idea of what they want to study, so applying to both the DrPH and the Ph.D. at JHU might send a message that you aren't sure about your direction (which may be the case).

My best advice is to choose a direction and go for it...do you want to be an academic researcher or pursue a degree that will allow you to focus on applied research?  The answer to that question will tell you what programs to focus on.

[Future DrPH]

2 hours ago, Ashdacat said:

Good morning everyone. I am still waiting on one last letter of recommendation from a doctor that I work with (but I rarely see). My application is due on Nov 15. How far in advance should I send him a reminder? I was thinking of touching base with him on Nov 1, but don't want to seem pushy. Any advice?

 

Thank you!

Hi Ash...I'd prod the doctor sooner than later.  You can also resend the recommendation request through SOPHAS if he can't find the original.

[HealthBehaviorPhD2020]

On 10/25/2019 at 9:42 AM, DSB said:

Hi everyone,

I'm so glad I found this thread! Does anyone know if there is a similar one for Fall 2020 PhDs?

I am applying to two DrPh programs- Boston University and Johns Hopkins. Both programs are part time and seem pretty flexible. Is anyone here attending any of these programs?

I am also working to apply to two PhD programs- Harvard and Hopkins. I've been told that the GRE quant score is pretty crucial part of the application for these schools. While my verbal score is at the  93rd percentile my quant score is at the 56th percentile. I don't have time to redo the exam and honestly don't want to. Do you think it is still worth applying?

A couple professors have replied favorably and encouraged me to apply, but I'm still not sure.

 

Thanks in advance for your reply!

 

 

 

There is another forum post under the Public Health category called "PhD Fall 2020"!

[Ashdacat]

Hi everyone. I just submitted my DrPH application for USF yesterday. It is due on 11/15/2019 but finished it a little early. Now it's just the waiting game.

 

How is everyone else doing?

[SrirachaC]

@AshdacatI plan to submit my app to USF today. Good luck! I want to submit everything else by the end of next week so I can at least have a a few weeks of peace before the anxiety creeps in.  

[Ashdacat]

6 hours ago, ciara54 said:

@AshdacatI plan to submit my app to USF today. Good luck! I want to submit everything else by the end of next week so I can at least have a a few weeks of peace before the anxiety creeps in.  

Good luck to you too, Ciara. The very next day after I submitted, I received verification from SOPHAS that everything was verified and then I received the email from USF to submit an application thru them which cost $30.00. I am anxious now!!

[MDMS2020]

Hi everybody!
So happy to be here with you!
I'm an international MD graduate, and current Epidemiology MS student in the U.S. I'm sure about applying to Harvard and Yale PhD programs, but still thinking about Emory, Michigan, Hopkins, WUSTL, and Tulane! Honestly, as I'm married, my biggest concern is funding package, in which Hopkins is among the weakest ones, unfortunately! Also, UNC and UW do not guarantee before acceptance! I woould be happy to discuss more about the comparison of funding packages in different schools of public health with you.
 

[liz2019drph]

Hi everyone and especially international applicants, can I ask how long does it take for TOEFL score to be sent to SOPHAS, starting from the date of the test? I took the test in August and have put SOPHAS code as the recipient, with confidence that I put the code correctly... (checked it many times). But till today there is still no update from SOPHAS on TOEFL score, and despite that I have written to SOPHAS two times, there was no reply at all. 

Anyone has similar issues? Or with successful experience that can share with me? 

Many thanks and all the best,

Liz 

[Ashdacat]

On 11/11/2019 at 5:15 AM, liz2019drph said:

Hi everyone and especially international applicants, can I ask how long does it take for TOEFL score to be sent to SOPHAS, starting from the date of the test? I took the test in August and have put SOPHAS code as the recipient, with confidence that I put the code correctly... (checked it many times). But till today there is still no update from SOPHAS on TOEFL score, and despite that I have written to SOPHAS two times, there was no reply at all. 

Anyone has similar issues? Or with successful experience that can share with me? 

Many thanks and all the best,

Liz 

Hi Liz, I don't know how much help I can be, but I will try. I didn't have to take the TOEFL. but..I did have to send documents over to SOPHAS. Were your scores sent electronically or through snail mail? If it was sent electronically, I would say it would take 1-2 days to be received and entered into SOPHAS. If it was sent via mail, I would think maybe a week or so. If you log into SOPHAS, there should be a little Question Mark at the top right of the screen. Once you click on that, it will take you to a Help Center page. The bottom right on the Help Center page has a live chat so you can talk to someone right away. I hope you're able to get it solved!!

 

 

 

[DSB]

On 10/29/2019 at 8:50 AM, Ashdacat said:

Welcome to the thread

For the particular school I applied to (USF), the GRE is waived if you received a 3.5 GPA or higher for your master's degree. In my opinion, I still think you should apply. I know there are a lot of schools that will look at your application holistically. For example, my undergrad isn't the best, but I have a great gpa from grad school. I am assuming you have to write a paper? My advisor told me that shining in the personal statement is important-be genuine. I know USF stated that if you have a poor GRE, they will look at the entire application to see if you make up for it in other areas (volunteer, accomplishments, work history, etc...). I wish you the best of luck.

 

 

Thanks Ashdacat!

[DSB]

On 10/29/2019 at 11:10 AM, Future DrPH said:

DSB...as I'm sure you know, a Ph.D. and a DrPH are very different degrees.  With that said, your quant score will be more of a factor for entry to Ph.D. programs, as they are research-oriented.  As such, you will need to apply a given set of mathematical skills (primarily high-level statistical analysis) within your dissertation and coursework.  Additionally, doctoral programs are seeking students who have a good idea of what they want to study, so applying to both the DrPH and the Ph.D. at JHU might send a message that you aren't sure about your direction (which may be the case).

My best advice is to choose a direction and go for it...do you want to be an academic researcher or pursue a degree that will allow you to focus on applied research?  The answer to that question will tell you what programs to focus on.

Thanks for this answer! I appreciate your guidance. It has been a hard decision to make, but I think I'm going with the DrPH at JHU.

[liz2019drph]

On 11/15/2019 at 11:25 PM, Ashdacat said:

Hi Liz, I don't know how much help I can be, but I will try. I didn't have to take the TOEFL. but..I did have to send documents over to SOPHAS. Were your scores sent electronically or through snail mail? If it was sent electronically, I would say it would take 1-2 days to be received and entered into SOPHAS. If it was sent via mail, I would think maybe a week or so. If you log into SOPHAS, there should be a little Question Mark at the top right of the screen. Once you click on that, it will take you to a Help Center page. The bottom right on the Help Center page has a live chat so you can talk to someone right away. I hope you're able to get it solved!!

 

 

 

Hi Ashdacat,

I solved it, and it's truly helpful, thank you so much!!! I was not aware there was a live chat in SOPHAS , so I tried the live chat and they quickly asked for my birth date, and test date, and boom - report found and attached to my CAS ID. I also quickly verified the score is me (just to avoid name duplications). All done in less than 3 minutes, now I have complete tests scores attached. Thank you!  

I'm very happy it's solved (although I presumed the score was lost so I just ordered an additional score delivery for $20, man, DrPH burns money...)

 

 

 

 

 

[liz2019drph]

On 10/26/2019 at 12:42 AM, DSB said:

Hi everyone,

I'm so glad I found this thread! Does anyone know if there is a similar one for Fall 2020 PhDs?

I am applying to two DrPh programs- Boston University and Johns Hopkins. Both programs are part time and seem pretty flexible. Is anyone here attending any of these programs?

I am also working to apply to two PhD programs- Harvard and Hopkins. I've been told that the GRE quant score is pretty crucial part of the application for these schools. While my verbal score is at the  93rd percentile my quant score is at the 56th percentile. I don't have time to redo the exam and honestly don't want to. Do you think it is still worth applying?

A couple professors have replied favorably and encouraged me to apply, but I'm still not sure.

 

Thanks in advance for your reply!

 

 

 

Hi DSB, 

I joined a JHU DrPH webinar earlier this year and they talked about GRE scores, they say officially no clear cutoffs but "most of the successful candidates have a Verbal>> 60% and a Q>50%", so, given your scores above, should be worthy a try  Good luck!

I also dug around Harvard DrPH score requirements but didn't find, and I eventually dropped applying for not able to do full time. But I wish you best of luck with these competitive schools! 

 

[Ashdacat]

On ‎11‎/‎18‎/‎2019 at 9:24 AM, liz2019drph said:

Hi Ashdacat,

I solved it, and it's truly helpful, thank you so much!!! I was not aware there was a live chat in SOPHAS , so I tried the live chat and they quickly asked for my birth date, and test date, and boom - report found and attached to my CAS ID. I also quickly verified the score is me (just to avoid name duplications). All done in less than 3 minutes, now I have complete tests scores attached. Thank you!  

I'm very happy it's solved (although I presumed the score was lost so I just ordered an additional score delivery for $20, man, DrPH burns money...)

 

 

 

 

 

I am SO glad you got it solved!!!

[Future DrPH]

Folks...just a word of advice: don't put all your eggs into a single basket.  The most competitive programs (UNC, JHU, etc.) have acceptance rates in the 10% range, so be sure to apply to multiple programs.  You should approach this process as you did for college...reach, target and safety schools.

Good luck to all as you submit your applications and, hopefully, get interviews.  Some programs interview on-site, but most do phone or video interviewing.

[Ashdacat]

It's been 1 full week since I submitted my application to USF. The website for my application says to wait 3-4 weeks for decisions, but when I went to the USF Health Information Meeting, I was told January 2020 is when I would find out if I get an interview. I am so nervous! I know there is nothing I can do about it but wait. Hopefully the holidays can take my mind off of it LOL.

 

 

How is everyone else doing? I also hope you guys all have a wonderful Thanksgiving if I don't chat with y'all before then.

 

 

[RubyTue]

Hi!  Just found this forum as was I licking my wounds on my GRE scores.  V:157 and Q:154.  Not terrible, but terrible for me.  In all my standardized tests, I've never had verbal higher than math.  Alas.  Its also causing me to give up my biostats dream.  I so wish I could use my 1998 GREs, which were around 750 Q.

I've been out of school for 18 years, but have a BS in math and an MS in engineering.  I've spent the most of the past 18 years working in injury prevention side of public health.  My interests lie in stats and epidemiology.  I'm live in Baltimore, so of course my top pick is JHU.  Also considering a UMD epidemiology PhD.  Yes, I know the combo make me seem unfocused, which is probably true.  I mean, I have always dreamed of being a research professor, but I gave that dream up 15 years ago (I was being recruited for a fellowship, but couldn't take it for health insurance reasons).  So dream me wants the PhD, reality me wants the DrPH since I can keep my job.  And I like my income.

[liz2019drph]

On 11/22/2019 at 10:27 PM, Ashdacat said:

It's been 1 full week since I submitted my application to USF. The website for my application says to wait 3-4 weeks for decisions, but when I went to the USF Health Information Meeting, I was told January 2020 is when I would find out if I get an interview. I am so nervous! I know there is nothing I can do about it but wait. Hopefully the holidays can take my mind off of it LOL.

 

 

How is everyone else doing? I also hope you guys all have a wonderful Thanksgiving if I don't chat with y'all before then.

 

 

Best of luck to you!!! Hope you get that interview soon  

I also submitted through SOPHAS, and it's verified that all materials are complete. Now waiting anxiously. JHU says they will notify all applicants in early March, I'm not sure if there is gonna be an interview taken place before that. Anyway, waiting is the only thing to do. 

Christmas is coming soon! I wish everyone in this thread a happy holiday & get admitted to the dream program  

[jace_PH]

Hi everyone!

I am Jace from the Philippines. I am happy to find this thread and it is very helpful. I am looking into applying into blended/distance DrPH programs. JHU’s DrPH in Implementation Science and LSHTM’s DrPH are my top two choices. I have just submitted my application for the former via SOPHAS.

Good luck to everyone who has submitted their application! Let’s hope for the best! ??????

 

 

[SrirachaC]

On 11/25/2019 at 3:44 PM, RubyTue said:

Hi!  Just found this forum as was I licking my wounds on my GRE scores.  V:157 and Q:154.  Not terrible, but terrible for me.  In all my standardized tests, I've never had verbal higher than math.  Alas.  Its also causing me to give up my biostats dream.  I so wish I could use my 1998 GREs, which were around 750 Q.

I've been out of school for 18 years, but have a BS in math and an MS in engineering.  I've spent the most of the past 18 years working in injury prevention side of public health.  My interests lie in stats and epidemiology.  I'm live in Baltimore, so of course my top pick is JHU.  Also considering a UMD epidemiology PhD.  Yes, I know the combo make me seem unfocused, which is probably true.  I mean, I have always dreamed of being a research professor, but I gave that dream up 15 years ago (I was being recruited for a fellowship, but couldn't take it for health insurance reasons).  So dream me wants the PhD, reality me wants the DrPH since I can keep my job.  And I like my income.

Ditto, my scores were…meh, which sucks because I invested a lot of time and money in studying. Was also shocked that I scored better on verbal than math (math is my strong suit....or so I thought). I applied to five programs, but only two required the GRE. I hope other aspects of my application shine through since programs say they review apps “holistically”. I also agree that in an ideal world I would pursue a Ph.D., but I can't fathom giving up my current income. Sorry in advance if I offend anyone, but I refuse to be a starving student again. Those were rough times! 

And …..Clears throat as I step on my soapbox….I wish schools would get rid of the GRE requirement altogether. It has been proven over and over again to be useless at predicting readiness for grad school. It only shows how well you are at taking the GRE, not how well you may be as a grad student. And, besides the vocab words, none of the material I had to "re-learn", will be useful during my studies or my work in the field.  Yet, we, the students, have to waste time and resources to check off a box. I applaud the schools that have already dropped the GRE requirement, realizing that it is nothing more than a barrier and burden on students who want to further their education. For the programs that still require the GRE and pride themselves on evidence-based practice, shame on you……. Steps off of my soapbox. 

Any-who, good luck folks! So glad we have this forum to share our experiences during this stressful time. My anxiousness has finally set-in, so I combed through old DrPH forums to get a sense of when I might hear back from my programs. Posting here just in case it's helpful for others. 

USF - decisions vary from early-January to mid-March; not sure about interviews

GW - decisions early-March; not sure about interviews 

JHU - interview (if necessary) late-January; decisions mid-March

UIC -  decisions late-March; not sure about interviews. 

Georgia Southern - decisions early April; not sure about interviews.

[SrirachaC]

On 11/22/2019 at 9:27 AM, Ashdacat said:

It's been 1 full week since I submitted my application to USF. The website for my application says to wait 3-4 weeks for decisions, but when I went to the USF Health Information Meeting, I was told January 2020 is when I would find out if I get an interview. I am so nervous! I know there is nothing I can do about it but wait. Hopefully the holidays can take my mind off of it LOL.

 

 

How is everyone else doing? I also hope you guys all have a wonderful Thanksgiving if I don't chat with y'all before then.

 

 

@Ashdacat Congrats on getting your app in! I have a slight grudge against USF for having an earlier deadline than most other programs. But I'm over it now, ha. Did they say interviews were a standard part of their process? In the 2019 forum someone was accepted on Jan 8, I think without an interview. Any other useful info from the info meeting? I missed it, unfortunately.

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving! Mine was peaceful. I think it's safe for us to rest our nerves a bit until the new year. That's when all the craziness begins!

[RubyTue]

3 hours ago, ciara54 said:

@Ashdacat Congrats on getting your app in! I have a slight grudge against USF for having an earlier deadline than most other programs. But I'm over it now, ha. Did they say interviews were a standard part of their process? In the 2019 forum someone was accepted on Jan 8, I think without an interview. Any other useful info from the info meeting? I missed it, unfortunately.

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving! Mine was peaceful. I think it's safe for us to rest our nerves a bit until the new year. That's when all the craziness begins!

I agree on that grudge.  I was considering the program, but I couldn't get everything together in time.  Plus, it was a rather quick decision.  I spend the early summer deep in research on a certain medical condition, and it reminded me how much I love learning new things.  And then, I got annoyed at having to give up my PhD dreams 15 years ago, yet I was back in the exact same boat today.  And it lead to a rabbit hole when I discovered the DrPH option.  When I do is definitely public health related, but the MPH and such isn't common where I work.  So I didn't know much about it.  Yet here I am

In my defense, my masters decision was a more rash decision.  I was working in software development, and my comments were blown off b.c "we have an expert in [that field] coming in next week."  Lo and behold, said expert gave the exact same recommendation I had given for week.  Within 2 days I had looked up how to get said credential and signed up for the GRE.  And that has served me well for years.

[Ashdacat]

On 12/3/2019 at 2:30 PM, ciara54 said:

@Ashdacat Congrats on getting your app in! I have a slight grudge against USF for having an earlier deadline than most other programs. But I'm over it now, ha. Did they say interviews were a standard part of their process? In the 2019 forum someone was accepted on Jan 8, I think without an interview. Any other useful info from the info meeting? I missed it, unfortunately.

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving! Mine was peaceful. I think it's safe for us to rest our nerves a bit until the new year. That's when all the craziness begins!

Thank you!

I also saw that forum as well about someone getting accepted without an interview. So I brought that up during the info session...I was told that decisions would be sent out in January 2020 and it would say whether you weren't accepted or if you need an interview. I know that for USF, you have to be chosen by one of the staff so they can be a mentor, which would make sense why you have to interview. Other than that, I was told that overall, it's a very holistic process when choosing applicants. They look at your whole application, personal statement, career, etc... which is nice because if you did poorly in one part of your app, you can be strong in other areas and still have a chance of getting accepted.

 

I agree-I think the road to the new year keeps my mind off USF...then when Jan 1 comes, we can freak out again!! LOL

[Ashdacat]

On 12/3/2019 at 1:59 PM, ciara54 said:

Ditto, my scores were…meh, which sucks because I invested a lot of time and money in studying. Was also shocked that I scored better on verbal than math (math is my strong suit....or so I thought). I applied to five programs, but only two required the GRE. I hope other aspects of my application shine through since programs say they review apps “holistically”. I also agree that in an ideal world I would pursue a Ph.D., but I can't fathom giving up my current income. Sorry in advance if I offend anyone, but I refuse to be a starving student again. Those were rough times! 

And …..Clears throat as I step on my soapbox….I wish schools would get rid of the GRE requirement altogether. It has been proven over and over again to be useless at predicting readiness for grad school. It only shows how well you are at taking the GRE, not how well you may be as a grad student. And, besides the vocab words, none of the material I had to "re-learn", will be useful during my studies or my work in the field.  Yet, we, the students, have to waste time and resources to check off a box. I applaud the schools that have already dropped the GRE requirement, realizing that it is nothing more than a barrier and burden on students who want to further their education. For the programs that still require the GRE and pride themselves on evidence-based practice, shame on you……. Steps off of my soapbox. 

Any-who, good luck folks! So glad we have this forum to share our experiences during this stressful time. My anxiousness has finally set-in, so I combed through old DrPH forums to get a sense of when I might hear back from my programs. Posting here just in case it's helpful for others. 

USF - decisions vary from early-January to mid-March; not sure about interviews

GW - decisions early-March; not sure about interviews 

JHU - interview (if necessary) late-January; decisions mid-March

UIC -  decisions late-March; not sure about interviews. 

Georgia Southern - decisions early April; not sure about interviews.

I totally agree about the GRE. To be honest, I never took it. I live in Tampa, so I only applied to USF DrPH program. Luckily, if you have a 3.5 GPA, USF let's you waive the GRE, which thank goodness, because I probably would've bombed it super hard. I have never been a good test taker but I rock at writing papers. LOL

[Hugs4Pugs]

Hello, I just discovered this wonderful website today and it appears to be very helpful! I signed up for an account hoping to be a part of the community applying to the 2020 DrPH programs. 

I submitted my application to the JHSPH Bloomberg American Health Initiative DrPH Fellows program with a focus area on Environmental Challenges. I was told this week that JHU has received my application package from SOPHAS. This is the first time I applied but has been thinking of applying for several years now. Just like one of the members here, I too, gave up my dream of completing a PhD because of my circumstance at that time. I’m glad I found out about  DrPH training and I felt the interest again to go to grad school while working. 

DrPH programs seem to attract brilliant people,  Which is good but scary competitive. Best wishes to everyone here. Congratulations on completing your application. It’s one step towards our goals. Putting together an application package alone is a triumph because of the time investment  - having to request for LORs, to take GRE (for most of us, AGAIN), writing the perfect statement of purpose, etc. 

As I mentioned, I only applied to one program this year. It’s the only program that I liked for my professional growth and that will work with my family and work life. 

My biggest worry is my GRE scores. It’s just average. If I don’t get accepted for 2020, I will really try to improve my GRE scores, I just need to invest time to study GRE.i agree with one of the posters regarding the GRE as a hurdle. Modesty aside and maybe a rhetorical question, do you think having a solid public health research background, published peer reviewed articles and a book chapter, being invited to speak in conferences, and being awarded for research and work contributions On different occasions will put more weight on my application than GRE? I also was fortunate enough to have distinguished professors and chairs who know me academically and professionally write LORs on my behalf. 

im interested in DrPH because of having worked in the public health research field since graduating from vet school. I now worked in one of the federal agencies that protects and promotes public  health. I reached out to the professor whom I wanted to work with and he is very enthusiastic about being my mentor if I get accepted. Best wishes again to all! 

 

Edited December 7, 2019 by Hugs4Pugs