Masters of Public Health (MPH) - Biostatistics

[gangrel]

Hi all, I'm a senior in college at the moment and I'll actually be done with school by the spring of 2013. I just have some questions regarding graduate admissions for Masters in Public Health programs with a concentration in Biostatistics. My college career was shaky for the first 2.5 years or so. I took classes on and off at a couple different universities and had inconsistent grades. My first semester I got on the Dean's List, and then had inconsistent results afterwards (probably around a 2.5 GPA overall, largely due to family issues). Since then, I transferred to Northeastern University and have really focused on my schoolwork. I haven't gotten any grades lower than an A-, and have been on the Dean's List every semester since I transferred. I plan on continuing this trend, as school is my #1 priority at the moment and I do not have any outside interference's hurting my schoolwork anymore. My GPA is currently at 3.9.

Now, if I graduate with a 3.9 GPA from Northeastern (and a 3.1 or so overall from all schools combined), get a decent GRE score, have good letters of recommendation written, and write a solid personal statement, what are my chances of getting into a good MPH program (with a concentration in Biostatistics)? My choices, in order, would be Boston University, UMass Amherst, University of Maryland, University of Miami, University of South Florida, Ohio State University, and Drexel University. I've also had relevant work experience that involved statistical computing with large data sets, and I just started as position as a Clinical Research Assistant that involves a decent amount of statistics.

Any help, advice, or comments would be great.

Thanks!

Edited June 28, 2012 by gangrel

[eat.climb.love]

You definitely have a shot - had you not had any research experience, I would have suggested you do that. I had a similar upward trend in my application and didn't have any issues applying to similar programs.

You mentioned graduating from NEU ... are you still in the Boston area? If so, I would suggest taking a biostats class at BU. There are several at night so you could still work and take that one class. Success in a graduate-level class would prove you have the chops and if you end up there would probably count towards your degree.

What is your undergrad degree in? A 3.1 overall might be much more impressive in some fields compared to others.

[gangrel]

Hi Caffeinated,

Thanks for the reply. My undergrad degree is in Health Management. I've gotten an A in a Public Health course, A- in stats through ANOVA, A in Bioethics, and A's in other health-related courses. I'll also be taking a Health Law class in the Fall, and I'll definitely do my best to get in A in that as well. Taking a Biostats course at BU would be a great idea, and I'll surely look into it!

Basically, in all of my courses in relation to Health/Public Health... I've done quite well.

Edited June 29, 2012 by gangrel

[eat.climb.love]

That sounds good! Also, depending on how far you want to go with biostats - you might need to do the basic calculus sequence. While the MPH is mostly applied courses, if you ever want to continue onto the PhD, you would want to take Calc I, II &III as well as linear algebra.

Try to get as much stats software experience as you can. While most software is pretty pricey, R is free and once you start writing in one it becomes much easier to learn the others.

[ANDS!]

Some schools are going to have Calc/LA as a requirement for the MPH programs - if the OP is uninterested in going that route, I would steer clear of any program that lists that as a prereq.

Edited July 5, 2012 by ANDS!

[juilletmercredi]

I'd say your chances are pretty decent. You may want to have one of your recommenders address your inconsistent performance in their letter, and state that despite earlier setbacks you are an excellent student who has found your place and excelled.

[gangrel]

Thanks for the replies everyone. They're much appreciated.