What helped your applications the most?

[Dianali]

My statement of purpose and letters of recommendation have helped me so far. 

 

1. Start your SOP early!

2. Consider writing more than one SOP or customizing it for each school.

3. Please have other people read your SOP and CV/Resume. Don't be afraid to show other people your work. I would suggest starting with other students in your program applying to grad school and work your way up to your advisor. And it's nice to have another student to talk to about the grad school anxieties and share the application process.

 

 

[scottdickson86]

I would say contacting a POI. I sent a short email about why I want to do research and the how I want to create an impact on the culture of computing. Got the POI to peek into my application profile. If I didn't contact a POI, I think I would have been just another applicant, waiting for admission results to come out in March or April. 

[EccentricAcademic]

Contacting professors. 

 

Getting good GRE scores -- but don't hesitate to apply because of a low GRE score in one area if that area isn't absolutely crucial to your field. You CAN get into good schools with good funding with a low GRE in one area if you have other areas that are shining. I'm proof.

 

Making sure I only applied to programs that I was an absolute fit for.

 

Demonstrating through EVERYTHING that I was an absolute fit for that program. I mean writing sample, resume, SOP, everything. Highlight what makes you fit for that program, but remain absolutely honest at the same time.

They will appreciate that you know you fit, and appreciate that you have other facets as well.

 

Finally, stay in contact with the department. Show you are interested. Be proactive. Don't be a pest, but don't sit in the background invisible and wait for some rain from on high. Let them know that you care about their program, and most importantly - make sure you really do care about the program. 

 

I deeply care about every program I applied to. I seriously love them all and don't know how I am going to choose. And, I think that came across in my applications.

 

Oh, and did I mention that contacting professors is probably the most important thing?

 

By the way, I must repeat that contacting professors helps. Even if you don't get in - you get a network of scholars that can be invaluable in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[armchairette]

I would say contacting a POI. I sent a short email about why I want to do research and the how I want to create an impact on the culture of computing. Got the POI to peek into my application profile. If I didn't contact a POI, I think I would have been just another applicant, waiting for admission results to come out in March or April. 

 

Seconding this!  Connecting with someone from my top programs has greatly helped.  Not only did I get a better feel for the programs, I've been able to get someone in my corner.  One program made finding a POI pretty difficult, and I feel that program probably sees me as just numbers on a page.  

 

Not sure how many (Applied) linguists are on here, but the faculty from my MA program have been invaluable.  Coming from a smaller field, their support has definitely made me stand out.  Now I'm actually kicking myself for talking myself out of applying for more prestigious programs--don't do that, guys.

[rricenator]

I'm going to echo a sentiment earlier on this thread:  don't rely so much on outside sources.  Be yourself.  Best advice I can give is to act as though you are applying for a job, and that means contacting the person for whom you wish to work (faculty conducting research, etc) and speak to them.  Meet with them if at all possible to discuss your qualifications, desires, and where and how you would fit into their plans.  Also to see if they have room for you (and funding).

So that's one thing that helps, (writing a good, coherent SOP, and selling it to your potential advisor).  The second best thing I can tell you is to nurture relationships with your undergrad faculty, and get at least 4 LOR's prepared to send out at a moment's notice to any school. 

Good references, and a good SOP will overcome transcripts, grades, and GRE's at almost any institution, and if the faculty wants you, they'll take you. 

[makingmoves]

For me it was my work experience.  My GPA and GRE scores were mediocre, yet my resume and SOP helped me get an interview with a top 3 professional program.  Don't sell yourself too short!

What was your GPA and GRE score?

[beyondaboundary]

Contacting professors.

Getting good GRE scores -- but don't hesitate to apply because of a low GRE score in one area if that area isn't absolutely crucial to your field. You CAN get into good schools with good funding with a low GRE in one area if you have other areas that are shining. I'm proof.

Making sure I only applied to programs that I was an absolute fit for.

Demonstrating through EVERYTHING that I was an absolute fit for that program. I mean writing sample, resume, SOP, everything. Highlight what makes you fit for that program, but remain absolutely honest at the same time.

They will appreciate that you know you fit, and appreciate that you have other facets as well.

Finally, stay in contact with the department. Show you are interested. Be proactive. Don't be a pest, but don't sit in the background invisible and wait for some rain from on high. Let them know that you care about their program, and most importantly - make sure you really do care about the program.

I deeply care about every program I applied to. I seriously love them all and don't know how I am going to choose. And, I think that came across in my applications.

Oh, and did I mention that contacting professors is probably the most important thing?

By the way, I must repeat that contacting professors helps. Even if you don't get in - you get a network of scholars that can be invaluable in the future.

I could not agree with this more...every single word here rings true to my experience.

[microarray]

I would say contacting a POI. I sent a short email about why I want to do research and the how I want to create an impact on the culture of computing. Got the POI to peek into my application profile. If I didn't contact a POI, I think I would have been just another applicant, waiting for admission results to come out in March or April. 

 

Same here. Here's a helpful blog post on how to nail the inquiry email: http://contemplativemammoth.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/so-you-want-to-go-to-grad-school-nail-the-inquiry-email/

 

Developing a relationship with a PI is really important (I think even in schools that do lab rotations). The two PI's I was interested in working with at UM even offered to look at/edit my SOP and personal statement. 

 

I also developed really good relationships with my undergrad advisers/PIs that wrote really good letters for me. You need to have someone to be able to speak about your abilities to be successful in graduate school..more than student X got an A in my class.

 

I had did bad on GRE V150/Q145/A2. I have testing anxiety and made sure that my letters of rec stated something about this, (also my instructors for several classes) and they could speak about my understanding of science and that I don't test well. 

[MadtownJacket]

What was your GPA and GRE score?

 

GPA: 3.1

GRE: 154 V, 156 Q

[starofdawn]

Taking time off between UG and grad school is probably what helped me the most. I had the opportunity to gain valuable experience when I wanted to change career paths. I can't but feel adcoms trusted my confidence when I said in my SOP, "Seriously, this is what I want to do. I've thought about it for 3.5 years and worked in multiple jobs."

[mikapika]

I'll give some of my input.

 

Don't read message boards like these, the only thing they will do is psyche you out. Instead, follow the admissions instructions very clearly and write to the best of your ability. I just registered on these forums and read some of the applications forums and everyone makes it seems these applications are rocket science!

 

I only applied for two MPH programs and got accepted into both. I don't even have an amazing GPA high B+.

[fuzzylogician]

I'll give some of my input.

 

Don't read message boards like these, the only thing they will do is psyche you out. Instead, follow the admissions instructions very clearly and write to the best of your ability. I just registered on these forums and read some of the applications forums and everyone makes it seems these applications are rocket science!

 

I only applied for two MPH programs and got accepted into both. I don't even have an amazing GPA high B+.

 

No offense but you are talking about an unfunded professional Masters, the kind where you pay the school to attend if you are accepted, where financial support is limited, and where there are quite large cohorts and not a lot of research going on. The kind of program that is an investment in a future career that you take out loans for because you think and hope that it'll be worth it once you have a practice going. Schools have a clear financial incentive to admit as many students to their Masters programs as possible, because these tuition-paying students contribute a significant portion of the school's income. That is quite different from funded, research-based PhD programs, where students essentially get paid to study and do research for ~5 years. 

[gnufoo]

For me...

• Independent research experience, and being able to speak about it/answer questions in detail
• A strong personal statement that tells a compelling story
• LOR writers who can speak about you as an individual, not just you as an applicant
• Enthusiasm. They want people who are excited about the field, and most applicants are too busy worrying about being professional, and forget this

And I couldn't agree more with the previous poster about getting others to edit your SOP.

 

Best of luck to everyone!

 

Enthusiasm is really underrated in my opinion. I wasn't the highest scoring GRE or the highest GPA (163Q/157V/5.0W, 3.4 Overall, 3.75 Major), but my SOP discussed my passion for the subject, along with the large workload I took on top of school heavily. One other thing, which is tangential to enthusiasm, is having a specific interest. I'm not saying just pick something, but if you have a research interest which aligns with some of the professors doing research, and you can relay this in your essay, it can definitely help your chances; I think my specific research interest propelled my application quite a bit.

[mikapika]

No offense but you are talking about an unfunded professional Masters, the kind where you pay the school to attend if you are accepted, where financial support is limited, and where there are quite large cohorts and not a lot of research going on. The kind of program that is an investment in a future career that you take out loans for because you think and hope that it'll be worth it once you have a practice going. Schools have a clear financial incentive to admit as many students to their Masters programs as possible, because these tuition-paying students contribute a significant portion of the school's income. That is quite different from funded, research-based PhD programs, where students essentially get paid to study and do research for ~5 years. 

 

Haha. No. They accept less than 40 people each cohort. You have no idea what you are talking about. Go back and crawl in your hole, no one needs your opinion.

[bsharpe269]

Haha. No. They accept less than 40 people each cohort. You have no idea what you are talking about. Go back and crawl in your hole, no one needs your opinion.

 

It still is different... I am working on my MS and getting ready to apply for phds. I was able to get into my MS with a B+ average too but that is almost unheard of for phd programs. A 3.6+ is pretty much just the standard gpa of applicants so it is super competitive and really nothing like getting into master's programs.

[fuzzylogician]

Haha. No. They accept less than 40 people each cohort. You have no idea what you are talking about. Go back and crawl in your hole, no one needs your opinion.

 

I suggest you watch your attitude. There is a proper way to have a discussion, and this is not it.

 

bsharpe269 already answered you as far as the content of your post is concerned.

[mikapika]

I suggest you watch your attitude. There is a proper way to have a discussion, and this is not it.

 

bsharpe269 already answered you as far as the content of your post is concerned.

 

It is a professional program, yes, that is precisely I applied because there will always be work in the field of health. No I don't need to take out a huge loan, nor did I take one out. It only costs $2400 per term here in Canada land...Professional programs are the way to go!

[RunnerGrad]

No offense but you are talking about an unfunded professional Masters, the kind where you pay the school to attend if you are accepted, where financial support is limited, and where there are quite large cohorts and not a lot of research going on. The kind of program that is an investment in a future career that you take out loans for because you think and hope that it'll be worth it once you have a practice going. Schools have a clear financial incentive to admit as many students to their Masters programs as possible, because these tuition-paying students contribute a significant portion of the school's income. That is quite different from funded, research-based PhD programs, where students essentially get paid to study and do research for ~5 years.

The MPH program that I've gained admission to only accepts 10 students per year, and is incredibly competitive. While not fully funded, I will receive financial assistance through scholarships and TAships. So I don't think you can generalize about professional programs. Why is our cohort so small? Well, it includes an accredited dietetic internship, and they can only provide the required types of internship and practicum placements for that many students.

I was also accepted to a fully funded MSc program. You just don't go from undergrad to PhD in my field in Canada. You need an masters degree to be able to apply to a PhD program.

Edited April 4, 2014 by RunnerGrad

[victorydance]

It is a professional program, yes, that is precisely I applied because there will always be work in the field of health. No I don't need to take out a huge loan, nor did I take one out. It only costs $2400 per term here in Canada land...Professional programs are the way to go!

 

You are conflating two things here. Professional programs and Ph.D. programs are completely different; both in difficulty of acceptance and the aim of the program. The latter is for people interested in research and the university expends a much greater degree of resources and money to these types of students. The former is for people looking to increase their employment prospects and the university actually gains a net-positive (ie. money) from these programs. Doesn't mean professional programs cannot be competitive to get into (especially very specific ones - for the poster above, that is probably why you cohort is so small), but it is a TOTALLY different ball game.

[alyoshakaramazov]

Back to the actual topic at hand...

 

I'd say research experience. I'm currently in my last year of undergraduate coursework and will attend grad school next year, and I know it's solely because I've already done research at the institution I'll be attending. Good GRE scores and a solid GPA will also take you places.

[ss2player]

You are conflating two things here. Professional programs and Ph.D. programs are completely different; both in difficulty of acceptance and the aim of the program. The latter is for people interested in research and the university expends a much greater degree of resources and money to these types of students. The former is for people looking to increase their employment prospects and the university actually gains a net-positive (ie. money) from these programs. Doesn't mean professional programs cannot be competitive to get into (especially very specific ones - for the poster above, that is probably why you cohort is so small), but it is a TOTALLY different ball game.

 

Exactly. Canadians just be humblebraggin'.

[themmases]

Haha. No. They accept less than 40 people each cohort. You have no idea what you are talking about. Go back and crawl in your hole, no one needs your opinion.

 

http://www.asph.org/UserFiles/DataReport2010.pdf

 

In 2010, there were 6,806 new MPH enrollments in 46 accredited schools, an average of 148 per school.

 

The report includes graduates with an MPH by school: min 20 (SUNY Buffalo and Maryland), max 351 (Columbia), mean 112.98, median 95. High-reputation programs were often larger, for example Johns Hopkins had 293 MPH grads in 2010 and Michigan had 204. Applications and total enrollment for the MPH have mostly been trending upwards as well. If there are a bunch of tiny programs out there, it is likely because they are new or newly accredited.

 

Public health is a growing field, which is awesome, but it is not a competitive field (it could hardly be if it were going to grow). I say this as a public health person.

[RunnerGrad]

My point was that some of us were accepted to both professional masters and research-based masters programs. So telling us that we don't know what we're doing when it comes to applying to research-based programs is inaccurate. Also saying that universities want to admit as many professional masters students as possible to make money off of us is also inaccurate. I know that one of the professional masters programs at my undergraduate university loses money each year, as tuition doesn't even begin to cover the costs of running the program. It is actually online undergraduate courses that help fund some of the graduate programs, including the professional programs.

Also, after completing my professional masters degree, I will be eligible to apply to PhD programs in Canada, just as if I had done a research-based masters, because my professional programs includes elective research courses and practica, which I plan on taking to keep my options open.

Now, things in the US may be different (I still can't believe you can go straight from undergrad to PhD programs without doing a Masters first) but you can't say all professional masters admit tons of students just to make money off of them. That is simply not the case.

[RunnerGrad]

http://www.asph.org/UserFiles/DataReport2010.pdf

 

In 2010, there were 6,806 new MPH enrollments in 46 accredited schools, an average of 148 per school.

 

The report includes graduates with an MPH by school: min 20 (SUNY Buffalo and Maryland), max 351 (Columbia), mean 112.98, median 95. High-reputation programs were often larger, for example Johns Hopkins had 293 MPH grads in 2010 and Michigan had 204. Applications and total enrollment for the MPH have mostly been trending upwards as well. If there are a bunch of tiny programs out there, it is likely because they are new or newly accredited.

 

Public health is a growing field, which is awesome, but it is not a competitive field (it could hardly be if it were going to grow). I say this as a public health person.

If you look at the numbers for the University of Toronto's MPH in community nutrition, you will see they admit only ten students per year. That program is indeed very competitive. Now, public health in the US may not be competitive, but here in Canada, there are only two public health programs with a community nutrition focus, and they each accept no more than 10 students per year. (MUN is the other public health nutrition program.)

[themmases]

Maybe, but my reply was to mikapika who claimed that their unspecified MPH was difficult to get into. Also, the ASPPH does not only represent U.S. schools.