Less Competitive Programs?

[Kelya]

Hi! I'm a senior in college hoping to apply for an MPH in Environmental Health/Occupational Health.

I really like Drexel and UofArizona's programs, but they aren't well ranked/regarded and I'm wondering if I should be aiming "higher" at more recognized, generally considered "better" schools. I'm hoping for funding, which is another reason to not be the absolute LAST person on the acceptance list, but I'm concerned about future job prospects with less prestigious degrees.

Any ideas/insight are appreciated! Thank you!

[newms]

Hi Kelya,

I'm not in your field so I can't give you specific advice, but generally I think you have to know yourself to see where you would be competitive. Are you a top 10 school student? Is your resume competitive enough to be among the top 10% of applicants to a top 10 school? Admissions committees often look at stuff like your GPA, research experience, publications (if you have any), your SOP and recommendation letters and your GREs. A good strategy when applying I think is to apply to a couple schools that you think are at your level, apply to 1 or 2 that are 'reach' schools - schools that you would love to get into but you're not sure you're competitive at, and to 1 or 2 that you think you have a very good shot at getting accepted at, but may not the most prestigious reputation.

Ultimately the strength of your resume/profile will determine where you're competitive at, but applying to a good mix of schools is probably the best strategy. Hope this helps!

[laeldo]

Hi Kelya,

When it comes to getting a job, I would worry more about doing well in your program and making strong connections with faculty and practicum advisors than going to the top-ranked school. Any accredited school of public health will give you decent training, but it's up to you to make the best of that training wherever you end up.

But if you're worried about it, my advice would be to pick a range of schools to apply to. I know that more schools = bigger application fee, but it will be worth it if you get into multiple programs and can then compare their ranking/courses/financial aid packages (though in my experience there is limited money available for MPH students). Since you'll be applying with SOPHAS, the only thing you have to lose by applying to more competitive programs is the increased fee and the minimal time it takes to tailor your essay for each school.

Good luck!

[varekai1018]

Hi Kelya,

It's exciting that you'll be starting an MPH program - great choice with really interesting career opportunities!

I agree with what Laeldo said. The MPH is a) a practice-oriented degree and b.) contains myriad "sub-disciplines" within the field, so it's really difficult to say that any one program is top-ranked. Different schools have different strengths - global health, for example, is top-notch at places like Tulane and Washington (among others); however, those same programs don't necessarily attract students who want to study epidemiology, which is stronger at a place like Emory. You might also want to check over at Student Doctor Network to read the threads on the usefulness of public health rankings (not so useful) / the methodology of the US News & World Report rankings (they tend to rank by "well known" schools, and ASPH actually does *not* stand behind US News rankings). I'm not sure about environmental/occupational health, but I'm sure if you start asking around on the right forums (I would recommend SDN), you'll get some great feedback.

In addition to considering the strength of your concentration at various schools, you might also want to think about whether or not you'll want to work with specific faculty members who have similar research/practice interests, populations (i.e. you would have great access to immigrants and Native Americans at U of Arizona), or a specific organization or type of organization (i.e. if you're interested in working for the CDC down the road, you can't get much closer than Emory, and a lot of the students intern there).

If it helps to alleviate any anxiety, I completed my MPH at an average program where they covered tuition, which as Laeldo said is rare at the master's level, so how could I say no? (Even though this sadly meant saying no to my ridiculously pricey dream program.) I was really worried coming out, but landed the first job I applied to, at a "fancy" human rights organization, where I worked with grads from the top programs and was just fine. So just apply yourself and choose a practicum site that is relevant to what you want you want to do in life. At the end of the day, I would make sure to choose an accredited program - they all have the same rigorous standards - and make sure you'll be happy at the school that's right for you, not at the school that looks right on paper.

Hope that helps!

P.S. I do understand what you're going through - I'm actually heading to UofA for the DrPH, and had the same issues when I was deciding. I went with faculty / school research strength and geography (my focus is on immigration and border health, and you can imagine there is a ton of research on these issues at the school). Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about the program!

[Kelya]

Thank you so much for helping me out here, guys! I feel a lot better and got some great resources, the Student Doctor Network looks great. Thanks again!