PhD/DrPH Applicants: Fall 2021

[MNCH Hopeful]

4 minutes ago, Anon_Phd said:

I know. I honestly don't know what to do with myself. I can't focus on work because I keep refreshing the admissions page. 

Same! I check my portal, my spam, inbox and GC religiously. It’s unhealthy at this point. I have a gut feeling we’ll hear something this evening. 

[Anon_Phd]

1 minute ago, MNCH Hopeful said:

Same! I check my portal, my spam, inbox and GC religiously. It’s unhealthy at this point. I have a gut feeling we’ll hear something this evening. 

I'm going to go with your gut feeling. My gut feeling has said "today is the day" for the last three weeks. I can'tttttt.

[MNCH Hopeful]

5 minutes ago, Anon_Phd said:

I'm going to go with your gut feeling. My gut feeling has said "today is the day" for the last three weeks. I can'tttttt.

Fingers crossed for both of us! 

[niram]

38 minutes ago, Anon_Phd said:

I saw rejections for health systems on the admissions result page, but I don't think I've seen acceptances yet.

Same. Did you guys interview with them? I had my interview in Jan and it's been over a month of this agonizing wait. JHU IH is my top choice and my gut tells me it's not happening. But I don't want to believe it till I see it!

[Anon_Phd]

Just now, niram said:

Same. Did you guys interview with them? I had my interview in Jan and it's been over a month of this agonizing wait. JHU IH is my top choice and my gut tells me it's not happening. But I don't want to believe it till I see it!

I applied for GDEC, and I think they don't interview... 

 

My gut tells me it isn't happening for me, too  

[EpiPhD7]

29 minutes ago, publichealthPhD said:

Harvard PHS GHP, Brown HSR, Yale SBS, Hopkins PFRH

There were many other programs I considered applying to this year, but other factors (like geographic proximity to family during pandemic, not being 100% ready to leave my job, strong fit, and funding) kept my list small and ambitious. I'm feeling more ready to take on this step and the pandemic should look different after more people have vaccines, so I'm going to expand my list for next year.

Is this your first application cycle? Or do you have plans for your next application cycle?nThis is my first cycle. I did get into some lower ranked PhDs and some high ranked Masters so Im trying to decide what to do. I think my application will be better with some course work, research, and a better GRE. 

[niram]

5 minutes ago, Anon_Phd said:

I applied for GDEC, and I think they don't interview... 

 

My gut tells me it isn't happening for me, too  

Oh okay. I interviewed for the Health Systems track. They said they're interviewing 10 people for 2 positions so I knew my chances were slim but hopeful nonetheless..

[MNCH Hopeful]

6 minutes ago, niram said:

Same. Did you guys interview with them? I had my interview in Jan and it's been over a month of this agonizing wait. JHU IH is my top choice and my gut tells me it's not happening. But I don't want to believe it till I see it!

I interviewed late Jan so it’s also been a month for me. They’re also my top choice but I’m preparing for the worst. Already started crying my eyes out ?

[MNCH Hopeful]

Just now, niram said:

Oh okay. I interviewed for the Health Systems track. They said they're interviewing 10 people for 2 positions so I knew my chances were slim but hopeful nonetheless..

They had told me 15 in my interview but 2 positions is so little..

[envepid]

46 minutes ago, moosepup said:

 

This is sooooo helpful! Updating the list based on @ASA15's notes and adding Columbia's from their program handbook and what I can remember about NYU. Please feel free to copy this list and add info on other programs!!!

Hey all. Admissions season is wrapped up for me with acceptances to 4/5 programs: accepted to Michigan Epi, Emory Epi, UNC Epi, and Harvard EH! Rejected from Columbia EHS. Feeling incredibly lucky especially seeing how difficult this admissions season has been for so many very qualified and deserving candidates. Once we learn where my spouse matches, hopefully some spots can open up when I decline offers!

It's interesting how funding varies between schools. Of the schools I have been accepted to, Harvard has by far the best package with your funding guaranteed for 4 years with no obligations to teach or do grant-related research other than a 1 semester TA requirement (if you TA more after that, you get paid additionally). In contrast, at Michigan I would need to work 20hrs/wk doing research related to the grant I would be funded on.

Overall, I was very impressed with Emory's visit days-- the "vibe" of the program seems incredibly welcoming, friendly, and supportive. Michigan also seems laid back/friendly. Without visit days, I haven't felt that I have gotten a good impression of the "feel" of the program at Harvard or UNC.

Adding the info I have learned to this:

- Brown: 36K guaranteed for 5 years, TA required all semesters

- BU: 36k guaranteed for 4 years, no TA required

- Columbia (Mailman): 35k guaranteed for 5 years, TA required for 1 semester

- Emory (Epi): Just under 32k, guaranteed for 5 years. First 2 years funded through graduate school (not tied to professor) with 2 semesters teaching, 2 semesters rotating in labs. 3rd year on funded through various mechanisms usually connected to a professor.

- Harvard: 36.6k guaranteed for 4 years through graduate school (not funded through professor), TA required for 1 semester.

- JHU (Hopkins): just tuition guaranteed~24k stipend for 4 years but NOT guaranteed, (TA requirements unknown)

- NYU: 25k??? for 5 years but only for 9 months/year, no TA required (@teabunny do you or anyone else remember the exact amount from the NYU interview day?)

- Penn State Uni: 31k for an unknown duration, (TA requirements unknown)

- Tulane: 25k for an unknown duration, (TA requirements unknown)

- UCSF: ~40k guaranteed for 4 years, (TA requirements unknown)

- U Minnesota: 24-25k for unknown duration, (TA requirements unknown)

- University of Michigan (Epi): 34k, funded through professor, training grants, or institutional awards. Guaranteed for 3 years but easy to fund through 5th year, TA requirements unknown

- UNC Chapel Hill (Epi): Stipend normally about $25k, funded through variety of mechanisms (training grant, working for professor or as TA, funding NOT guaranteed). Say "everyone who wants funding gets it" but admit sometimes people don't know until right before starting.

- U Penn: 34k stipend for an unknown duration, (TA requirements unknown)

- Yale: 38k guaranteed for 5 years, TA required for 2 semesters

[niram]

Just now, MNCH Hopeful said:

They had told me 15 in my interview but 2 positions is so little..

Oh okay. I know! You get so hopeful when you receive an interview request and then you're crushed when you get rejected after going so far in the process. 

[Going4DrPH]

Harvard DrPH appears to have sent out rejections. Was expecting that one! Oh well. Onward and upward.

[MNCH Hopeful]

5 minutes ago, niram said:

Oh okay. I know! You get so hopeful when you receive an interview request and then you're crushed when you get rejected after going so far in the process. 

Wished they had space for more like some of the other tracks. Oh well ?

[hopeful2020PhD]

14 hours ago, publichealthPhD said:

I actually did save it:

 

 

Yale : 36k guaranteed for 5 years with a responsibility of 2 semester TAship

Harvard: 36k guaranteed for 4 years with 1 semester TA responsibility (Hopeful2020PhD please correct me)

Brown: 36K guaranteed for 5 years, but all semesters should be RA or TA from the first semester

UCSF: almost 40k stipend for 4 years

Hopkins: Just tuition is guaranteed for 4 years, if get funded, almost 24k per year

Penn State Uni: 31k stipend (not sure about duration)

Tulane: 25k per year (not sure about duration)

UPenn: 34k per year (not sure about duration)

Emory: >30k (not sure about duration)

BU: >30k (not sure about duration)

UofMinnesota: 24-25k (not sure about duration)

 

The school is tweaking their funding model. From my understanding, new PHS PhD students will be required to TA 10 credits (two full semester classes) unpaid. In addition, Epi requires we TA 5 more credits for pay. If student do not finish in 4 years they can apply for a fifth year of funding, and will be required to TA another 5 unpaid credits. From the way they have explained it to us, not all requests for 5th year funding will be fulfilled, so you cannot/should not bank on it.

The UCSF stipend was $41,200 for 2020-2021. I was told students are expected to work 15-20 hours per week for this funding.

[IDepiPhD]

1 hour ago, PhDProgramSocialBehavior said:

GDEC already sent out acceptances I believe. I’m pretty sure all International Health acceptances were sent out last week 

Hi all - longtime lurker but given the many recent comments about JHU's GDEC program I wanted to share that I was accepted last Friday, and am pretty sure all acceptances have gone out for all IH tracks. If you haven't been officially rejected it's possible you've been waitlisted; I would email the program coordinator to ask for an update. Today is the first of two admitted student days. 

[Anon_Phd]

2 minutes ago, IDepiPhD said:

Hi all - longtime lurker but given the many recent comments about JHU's GDEC program I wanted to share that I was accepted last Friday, and am pretty sure all acceptances have gone out for all IH tracks. If you haven't been officially rejected it's possible you've been waitlisted; I would email the program coordinator to ask for an update. Today is the first of two admitted student days. 

Thanks so much for posting!! It's a bummer, but at least it gives me peace of mind.

[IDepiPhD]

1 minute ago, Anon_Phd said:

Thanks so much for posting!! It's a bummer, but at least it gives me peace of mind.

Of course! I hate being the bearer of bad news but I hope it at least alleviates the anxiety of not knowing... Best of luck!  

[MNCH Hopeful]

6 minutes ago, IDepiPhD said:

Hi all - longtime lurker but given the many recent comments about JHU's GDEC program I wanted to share that I was accepted last Friday, and am pretty sure all acceptances have gone out for all IH tracks. If you haven't been officially rejected it's possible you've been waitlisted; I would email the program coordinator to ask for an update. Today is the first of two admitted student days. 

Thanks so much for sharing this. 

[publichealthPhD]

24 minutes ago, EpiPhD7 said:

Is this your first application cycle? Or do you have plans for your next application cycle?nThis is my first cycle. I did get into some lower ranked PhDs and some high ranked Masters so Im trying to decide what to do. I think my application will be better with some course work, research, and a better GRE. 

Yes this is my first cycle. Congratulations on getting into some PhD programs!

It's all such a personal choice. If you're asking for my advice, it would be this: You should consider what your goals are (both professional and personal) and if you will be able to achieve your goals through these programs.  I made a rubric to help me figure out which programs to apply to this year. It included skills that I wanted to develop, research focus area, but also some quality of life indicators as well! These programs are a huge investment of our time and resources, so they need to get you where you're trying to go. Hopefully some of these programs will help you meet your goals, but if not, it's also okay to try again another cycle. As @MCH_Hopeful_2021said, it's important not just to focus on rank but fit fit fit fit.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

[teabunny]

1 hour ago, moosepup said:

 

This is sooooo helpful! Updating the list based on @ASA15's notes and adding Columbia's from their program handbook and what I can remember about NYU. Please feel free to copy this list and add info on other programs!!!

- Brown: 36K guaranteed for 5 years, TA required all semesters

- BU: 36k guaranteed for 4 years, no TA required

- Columbia (Mailman): 35k guaranteed for 5 years, TA required for 1 semester

- Emory: >30k stipend for an unknown duration, (TA requirements unknown)

- Harvard: 36k guaranteed for 4 years, TA required for 1 semester (@hopeful2020PhD please correct me)

- JHU (Hopkins): just tuition guaranteed~24k stipend for 4 years but NOT guaranteed, (TA requirements unknown)

- NYU: 25k??? for 5 years but only for 9 months/year, no TA required (@teabunny do you or anyone else remember the exact amount from the NYU interview day?)

- Penn State Uni: 31k for an unknown duration, (TA requirements unknown)

- Tulane: 25k for an unknown duration, (TA requirements unknown)

- UCSF: ~40k guaranteed for 4 years, (TA requirements unknown)

- U Minnesota: 24-25k for unknown duration, (TA requirements unknown)

- U Penn: 34k stipend for an unknown duration, (TA requirements unknown)

- Yale: 38k guaranteed for 5 years, TA required for 2 semesters

Adding to this based on what I've heard:

NYU: 30k for 5 years, split among the 9-month academic year (health insurance coverage lasts the full year)

UW: similar to UNC (I think?) in how funding isn't guaranteed upon admission but a package is put together for you by the time you start; 30-40k depending on how you're funded (RA/TA-ships and/or NIH training grants) for the first 2 years

UConn: 35k guaranteed for 2 years, plus university-wide scholarships (20k, service-free) for highly competitive admitted students

Tufts: 30k guaranteed for 5 years, I don't think there's a TA requirement

[F4rbod]

Just saw someone was accepted to Stanford Health Policy. I wonder if it was any one of you? Which track were you accepted to? 

[ASA15]

17 minutes ago, teabunny said:

Adding to this based on what I've heard:

NYU: 30k for 5 years, split among the 9-month academic year (health insurance coverage lasts the full year)

UW: similar to UNC (I think?) in how funding isn't guaranteed upon admission but a package is put together for you by the time you start; 30-40k depending on how you're funded (RA/TA-ships and/or NIH training grants) for the first 2 years

UConn: 35k guaranteed for 2 years, plus university-wide scholarships (20k, service-free) for highly competitive admitted students

Tufts: 30k guaranteed for 5 years, I don't think there's a TA requirement

This may have changed at UW (hopefully!) but a few years ago they did not guarantee funding, and a good % of students (think like 20-25%) end up paying out of pocket for at least one quarter. 
 

ETA; this is Epi specific, different tracks did funding differently.

Edited February 26, 2021 by ASA15

[nyc_epi_2021]

Rejected from NYU via email. Still waiting to hear back from Columbia and CUNY (interviewed for both last week).

[XXXXXXphd2021]

2 hours ago, publichealthPhD said:

Harvard PHS GHP, Brown HSR, Yale SBS, Hopkins PFRH

There were many other programs I considered applying to this year, but other factors (like geographic proximity to family during pandemic, not being 100% ready to leave my job, strong fit, and funding) kept my list small and ambitious. I'm feeling more ready to take on this step and the pandemic should look different after more people have vaccines, so I'm going to expand my list for next year.

I'm in a similar boat. This is my test the water year and turns out water is boiling ?

[skp_]

Anyone heard back from UW global health after interviews?