PhD/DrPH Applicants: Fall 2021

[GlobalDrPH]

Hi everyone. I've been lurking for quite awhile, but just posting for the first time. Thanks to everyone who has been posting along the way- it's been extremely helpful to know that other people are having the same feelings of anxiety, excitement and everything in between! I've heard back from most of the schools I applied to and it has certainly been a rollercoaster.

Current status:

Accepted: BU DrPH

Waitlisted: Harvard DrPH

Rejected: UC Berkeley DrPH, GW DrPH

Still waiting: Rutgers DrPH, Drexel DrPH

Harvard's waitlist letter wasn't very encouraging so not holding my breath, but exciting to make it that far nonetheless. Will likely go with BU as I have no desire to go through this application cycle again, but will wait until all decisions are made to finalize.

[DrPH21]

Just got notification of rejection to Berkeley DrPH (email to check portal)

[Mel_phd]

Is anyone still waiting to hear from BU environmental health? I saw some acceptances and rejections in the results, but I haven't received anything from them yet

[Rka]

5 hours ago, GlobalDrPH said:

Hi everyone. I've been lurking for quite awhile, but just posting for the first time. Thanks to everyone who has been posting along the way- it's been extremely helpful to know that other people are having the same feelings of anxiety, excitement and everything in between! I've heard back from most of the schools I applied to and it has certainly been a rollercoaster.

Current status:

Accepted: BU DrPH

Waitlisted: Harvard DrPH

Rejected: UC Berkeley DrPH, GW DrPH

Still waiting: Rutgers DrPH, Drexel DrPH

Harvard's waitlist letter wasn't very encouraging so not holding my breath, but exciting to make it that far nonetheless. Will likely go with BU as I have no desire to go through this application cycle again, but will wait until all decisions are made to finalize.

Hi. Congratulations on acceptance to the BU program. Curious to know if it's funded. 

[EpiPhD7]

Did anyone get waitlisted to Columbia Epi? Does your letter specifically say waitlisted for the PhD? Only asking because I clicked the box on the application that said I would be interested in the MS if I was not accepted to the PhD. Im not sure if I got waitlisted for the PhD or the MS ?. 

[GlobalDrPH]

2 hours ago, Rka said:

Hi. Congratulations on acceptance to the BU program. Curious to know if it's funded. 

Thank you! The admission did come with an offer of some funding- about half of tuition.

[InternationalpHD]

2 hours ago, Mel_phd said:

Is anyone still waiting to hear from BU environmental health? I saw some acceptances and rejections in the results, but I haven't received anything from them yet

I am still waiting to hear. I wasn't interviewed, but also no rejection. So just curious as to what's happening 

[InternationalpHD]

I got rejected from Berkeley. Still waiting to hear back from UCLA (Had a great conversation with the professor I wanted to work with), Drexel, Pittsburgh, BU, NYU, Tulane, PennState 

I am unsure if I should start prepping for next cycle, or still have some hope. Though I haven't been approached for interviews too. 

[EquityDrPH]

8 hours ago, GlobalDrPH said:

Hi everyone. I've been lurking for quite awhile, but just posting for the first time. Thanks to everyone who has been posting along the way- it's been extremely helpful to know that other people are having the same feelings of anxiety, excitement and everything in between! I've heard back from most of the schools I applied to and it has certainly been a rollercoaster.

Current status:

Accepted: BU DrPH

Waitlisted: Harvard DrPH

Rejected: UC Berkeley DrPH, GW DrPH

Still waiting: Rutgers DrPH, Drexel DrPH

Harvard's waitlist letter wasn't very encouraging so not holding my breath, but exciting to make it that far nonetheless. Will likely go with BU as I have no desire to go through this application cycle again, but will wait until all decisions are made to finalize.

Congrats on admission to BU! I'm curious to know when you heard back from them? 

[DrPH20xy]

Do you have any advice for initial/introductory meeting with faculty advisor ? Any specific areas that we need to highlight?

 I am not sure if the advisor was part of admissions team. I would guess the advisor might be aware of the candidate's background. 

[DrPH or Bust]

Rejected from BU's DrPH after interviewing...but received a really nice rejection letter, haha.  They only took 6 people into the program.

[GlobalDrPH]

4 hours ago, EquityDrPH said:

Congrats on admission to BU! I'm curious to know when you heard back from them? 

Received a direct email on Tuesday.

[Scallionboi]

After stalking this thread the whole application season, I thought I should finally join in with my own question--for those who have options, what is pushing you in a particular direction for your final decision? Is it an exceptional research fit + mentor match? Finances? Location? Course quality? Reputation of program?

Not being able to visit has definitely thrown me for a loop. I thought there would be one clear choice at the end of it all, but I keep going back and forth in my mind as every option has its pros, cons, and unique stressors and pulls.

Current status for reference (all PhDs):

Accepted:

• BU Epi (4 years guaranteed funding)
• UW Epi (nothing guaranteed but have an RAship lined up for several years + some extra departmental money)
• NYU GPH Epi (5 years guaranteed funding, bit low for NYC CoL)
• UCSF Epi (1 year guaranteed funding)
• NYU Med's Vilceck Institute Epi or Pop. Health (5 years guaranteed, highest stipend I've seen from a program. Obviously balanced with living in one of the most expensive cities)

Waitlisted:

• Brown Behavioral and Social Science

Feeling crazy lucky and privileged and trying to make my decisions ASAP to not hold up other people's options. I've been running around getting people's thoughts on their own academic journeys after making a chaotic spreadsheet which lists various pros/cons.

Edited March 12, 2021 by Scallionboi
words

[EpiPhD7]

1 hour ago, Scallionboi said:

After stalking this thread the whole application season, I thought I should finally join in with my own question--for those who have options, what is pushing you in a particular direction for your final decision? Is it an exceptional research fit + mentor match? Finances? Location? Course quality? Reputation of program?

Not being able to visit has definitely thrown me for a loop. I thought there would be one clear choice at the end of it all, but I keep going back and forth in my mind as every option has its pros, cons, and unique stressors and pulls.

Current status for reference (all PhDs):

Accepted:

• BU Epi (4 years guaranteed funding)
• UW Epi (nothing guaranteed but have an RAship lined up for several years + some extra departmental money)
• NYU GPH Epi (5 years guaranteed funding, bit low for NYC CoL)
• UCSF Epi (1 year guaranteed funding)
• NYU Med's Vilceck Institute Epi or Pop. Health (5 years guaranteed, highest stipend I've seen from a program. Obviously balanced with living in one of the most expensive cities)

Waitlisted:

• Brown Behavioral and Social Science

Feeling crazy lucky and privileged and trying to make my decisions ASAP to not hold up other people's options. I've been running around getting people's thoughts on their own academic journeys after making a chaotic spreadsheet which lists various pros/cons.

Congrats! Let us know which one you choose! 

[niram]

Has anyone else here not heard back from Berkeley DrPH or JHU PhD? I haven’t received an acceptance or rejection and I’ve been going crazy checking every single folder in my mailbox everyday. 

[EpiPhD21]

1 hour ago, Scallionboi said:

After stalking this thread the whole application season, I thought I should finally join in with my own question--for those who have options, what is pushing you in a particular direction for your final decision? Is it an exceptional research fit + mentor match? Finances? Location? Course quality? Reputation of program?

Not being able to visit has definitely thrown me for a loop. I thought there would be one clear choice at the end of it all, but I keep going back and forth in my mind as every option has its pros, cons, and unique stressors and pulls.

Current status for reference (all PhDs):

Accepted:

• BU Epi (4 years guaranteed funding)
• UW Epi (nothing guaranteed but have an RAship lined up for several years + some extra departmental money)
• NYU GPH Epi (5 years guaranteed funding, bit low for NYC CoL)
• UCSF Epi (1 year guaranteed funding)
• NYU Med's Vilceck Institute Epi or Pop. Health (5 years guaranteed, highest stipend I've seen from a program. Obviously balanced with living in one of the most expensive cities)

Waitlisted:

• Brown Behavioral and Social Science

Feeling crazy lucky and privileged and trying to make my decisions ASAP to not hold up other people's options. I've been running around getting people's thoughts on their own academic journeys after making a chaotic spreadsheet which lists various pros/cons.

I second this! It’s so hard to decide. I’ve made pros/cons lists numerous times and I’m still indecisive but I really want to decide soon so that other applicants can have my spot for the programs I don’t choose. For me, I’m considering research fit and mentorship, while also keeping location and cost of living in mind. I’m down to Hopkins, UNC, and Emory (all EPI PhD).

[spatial_epi]

9 hours ago, Scallionboi said:

After stalking this thread the whole application season, I thought I should finally join in with my own question--for those who have options, what is pushing you in a particular direction for your final decision? Is it an exceptional research fit + mentor match? Finances? Location? Course quality? Reputation of program?

Not being able to visit has definitely thrown me for a loop. I thought there would be one clear choice at the end of it all, but I keep going back and forth in my mind as every option has its pros, cons, and unique stressors and pulls.

Current status for reference (all PhDs):

Accepted:

• BU Epi (4 years guaranteed funding)
• UW Epi (nothing guaranteed but have an RAship lined up for several years + some extra departmental money)
• NYU GPH Epi (5 years guaranteed funding, bit low for NYC CoL)
• UCSF Epi (1 year guaranteed funding)
• NYU Med's Vilceck Institute Epi or Pop. Health (5 years guaranteed, highest stipend I've seen from a program. Obviously balanced with living in one of the most expensive cities)

Waitlisted:

• Brown Behavioral and Social Science

Feeling crazy lucky and privileged and trying to make my decisions ASAP to not hold up other people's options. I've been running around getting people's thoughts on their own academic journeys after making a chaotic spreadsheet which lists various pros/cons.

I'm struggling with this too, and I have fewer choices than you haha. From everything I hear from others/scouring the internet, it really comes down to what's important to you. Wherever you choose will determine a lot of things about your life for the next 4-5 years. That means location (climate, city), people (faculty, students), stress level (how supportive is the program, how good is the funding, is the environment collaborative or competitive), and probably lots of other things. I found this one article recommending a weighted grading rubric to help decide, which might at least be helpful in terms of organizing your thoughts: https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-simple-tool-that-will-help-you-pick-the-right-grad-school

A big thing that I hear from people who have gone through a PhD is that advisor match is REALLY important. You want to have an advisor who you mesh with, in terms of communication and mentorship style as well as research interests. Communication and mentorship style might even be more important, because that will determine how you work together day-to-day. If you can, try to talk to current students who work with your advisor match - they can tell you what working with this person is like. I also think it's fair to ask your advisor how they like to work with students (cadence of check-in meetings, hands-on vs. hands-off approach, etc.). Definitely try to have some face time with them if you haven't already, even if it's over zoom.

Also, I think it's important to keep top of mind WHY you are doing a PhD, and how well each program will help you meet your goals. If your goal is academia, does the program have a good track record of postdoc or faculty placements? If your goal is to work for the CDC, is the program supportive of going into that kind of work? How important is reputation for what you want to do afterwards?

You have lots of great options so in some ways, you can't go wrong here. At this point, it's just a matter of optimizing your happiness and what you want to get out of a PhD!

[LuluDrPH77]

Just found out yesterday evening that I've been accepted into the TAMU School of Public Health for DrPH in Public Health Sciences with a concentration in Environmental Health degree program! Crossing my fingers for those that are still waiting! ?

[HealthPolicy21]

1 hour ago, spatial_epi said:

I'm struggling with this too, and I have fewer choices than you haha. From everything I hear from others/scouring the internet, it really comes down to what's important to you. Wherever you choose will determine a lot of things about your life for the next 4-5 years. That means location (climate, city), people (faculty, students), stress level (how supportive is the program, how good is the funding, is the environment collaborative or competitive), and probably lots of other things. I found this one article recommending a weighted grading rubric to help decide, which might at least be helpful in terms of organizing your thoughts: https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-simple-tool-that-will-help-you-pick-the-right-grad-school

A big thing that I hear from people who have gone through a PhD is that advisor match is REALLY important. You want to have an advisor who you mesh with, in terms of communication and mentorship style as well as research interests. Communication and mentorship style might even be more important, because that will determine how you work together day-to-day. If you can, try to talk to current students who work with your advisor match - they can tell you what working with this person is like. I also think it's fair to ask your advisor how they like to work with students (cadence of check-in meetings, hands-on vs. hands-off approach, etc.). Definitely try to have some face time with them if you haven't already, even if it's over zoom.

Also, I think it's important to keep top of mind WHY you are doing a PhD, and how well each program will help you meet your goals. If your goal is academia, does the program have a good track record of postdoc or faculty placements? If your goal is to work for the CDC, is the program supportive of going into that kind of work? How important is reputation for what you want to do afterwards?

You have lots of great options so in some ways, you can't go wrong here. At this point, it's just a matter of optimizing your happiness and what you want to get out of a PhD!

Thank you so much for sharing this! I have had a really hard time choosing between two programs I like and this was very helpful. I think it comes down two the fact that I would rather live in Boston than NYC.

[Scallionboi]

1 hour ago, spatial_epi said:

I'm struggling with this too, and I have fewer choices than you haha. From everything I hear from others/scouring the internet, it really comes down to what's important to you. Wherever you choose will determine a lot of things about your life for the next 4-5 years. That means location (climate, city), people (faculty, students), stress level (how supportive is the program, how good is the funding, is the environment collaborative or competitive), and probably lots of other things. I found this one article recommending a weighted grading rubric to help decide, which might at least be helpful in terms of organizing your thoughts: https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-simple-tool-that-will-help-you-pick-the-right-grad-school

A big thing that I hear from people who have gone through a PhD is that advisor match is REALLY important. You want to have an advisor who you mesh with, in terms of communication and mentorship style as well as research interests. Communication and mentorship style might even be more important, because that will determine how you work together day-to-day. If you can, try to talk to current students who work with your advisor match - they can tell you what working with this person is like. I also think it's fair to ask your advisor how they like to work with students (cadence of check-in meetings, hands-on vs. hands-off approach, etc.). Definitely try to have some face time with them if you haven't already, even if it's over zoom.

Also, I think it's important to keep top of mind WHY you are doing a PhD, and how well each program will help you meet your goals. If your goal is academia, does the program have a good track record of postdoc or faculty placements? If your goal is to work for the CDC, is the program supportive of going into that kind of work? How important is reputation for what you want to do afterwards?

You have lots of great options so in some ways, you can't go wrong here. At this point, it's just a matter of optimizing your happiness and what you want to get out of a PhD!

Great insight--helps ground things. I really appreciate you sharing your perspective. Time to schedule a 100 more meetings with various people haha. Best of luck with your choosing as well! It has been a wild year for this whole process.

[spatial_epi]

23 minutes ago, Scallionboi said:

Great insight--helps ground things. I really appreciate you sharing your perspective. Time to schedule a 100 more meetings with various people haha. Best of luck with your choosing as well! It has been a wild year for this whole process.

I know right...the decision process feels even more involved than the application process! Then again maybe I've blocked the trauma of applications from my mind.

[ASA15]

11 hours ago, Scallionboi said:

After stalking this thread the whole application season, I thought I should finally join in with my own question--for those who have options, what is pushing you in a particular direction for your final decision? Is it an exceptional research fit + mentor match? Finances? Location? Course quality? Reputation of program?

Not being able to visit has definitely thrown me for a loop. I thought there would be one clear choice at the end of it all, but I keep going back and forth in my mind as every option has its pros, cons, and unique stressors and pulls.

Current status for reference (all PhDs):

Accepted:

• BU Epi (4 years guaranteed funding)
• UW Epi (nothing guaranteed but have an RAship lined up for several years + some extra departmental money)
• NYU GPH Epi (5 years guaranteed funding, bit low for NYC CoL)
• UCSF Epi (1 year guaranteed funding)
• NYU Med's Vilceck Institute Epi or Pop. Health (5 years guaranteed, highest stipend I've seen from a program. Obviously balanced with living in one of the most expensive cities)

Waitlisted:

• Brown Behavioral and Social Science

Feeling crazy lucky and privileged and trying to make my decisions ASAP to not hold up other people's options. I've been running around getting people's thoughts on their own academic journeys after making a chaotic spreadsheet which lists various pros/cons.

Those are some incredible options! Just want to say CONGRATS!

Is there a program you're leaning towards?

[liz2019drph]

Got accepted into DrPH at Johns Hopkins! Good luck to everyone!

[MNCH Hopeful]

12 hours ago, niram said:

Has anyone else here not heard back from Berkeley DrPH or JHU PhD? I haven’t received an acceptance or rejection and I’ve been going crazy checking every single folder in my mailbox everyday. 

Still no word from JHU Health Systems   for me. 

[Going4DrPH]

3 hours ago, HealthPolicy21 said:

Thank you so much for sharing this! I have had a really hard time choosing between two programs I like and this was very helpful. I think it comes down two the fact that I would rather live in Boston than NYC.

Congrats on your amazing options. Where you live matters a lot - go with your gut! I've lived in both cities (including one for my MPH) and happy to offer insights. DM me if you have any questions!

Edited March 12, 2021 by Going4DrPH