MPH Acceptance Packages

[CRF]

Are you planning on attending? I'm just super worried about the cost of living. but that miami life is soo...alluring

 

No idea... I'm kind of worried about being in the city.  I've still waiting to hear back from 4 schools so we'll see!

[tmiaj1]

Hi future MPHers, 

 

I am graduating with my MPH this semester but I wanted to chime in on the Columbia question- I had received a 30k/year scholarship from them but I can't remember what it was called. They certainly give scholarships, but they're rare. I got it about a week after my acceptance. 

 

I still use my Emory portfolio despite not going there. 

So I guess i am not good enough for the scholarship.

LOL, Do you like Columbia MPH program? How's the career fair?

[Femtastic]

I didn't get a window sticker 

 

Got my BU package today and thought it was super cute that they included a window sticker for your car.

[kateosee]

So I guess i am not good enough for the scholarship.

LOL, Do you like Columbia MPH program? How's the career fair?

 

I did not choose Columbia lol. I chose Michigan because the thought of living in New York scared the crap out of me. 

U of M gave me a much smaller scholarship but it still ended up costing less overall since I didn't have to pay NY rent  

[sqrwtrmln]

I didn't get a window sticker 

Maybe it fell out of your folder? Mine was tucked in with the letter of admission.

[Sabrosura]

I did not choose Columbia lol. I chose Michigan because the thought of living in New York scared the crap out of me. 

U of M gave me a much smaller scholarship but it still ended up costing less overall since I didn't have to pay NY rent

 

You can get a shared place in NYC for about $1,000 (even less if you're willing to live farther). In Michigan your rent is what, $500 or so? So you're saving about $4,500 in rent per year, doesn't seem like that much compared to the yearly MPH tuition...unless you are getting in-state tuition from UM.

 

I've lived in NY for 6 years and I think a lot of people get turned off by the perceived high cost of living, but you can live cheaply if you shop for groceries and eat at the many ethnic stores and (delicious) ethnic restaurants, and spend a good 2-3 weeks on Craigslist to find a cheap place to rent. Sure you'll be living in a closet, but that's the beauty of NYC, with so many great public spaces and libraries the entire city is your living room

Edited March 4, 2015 by Sabrosura

[jendorphins]

LAWD JEEBUS. I'm actually so glad I'm not the only one thinking of something this shallow (no shade, but  it's so comforting to hear other people's opinions). 

 

I currently work in customer service, so presentation is everything!

 

So far, Pitt and Texas have the worst presentation. Pitt's letter was semi depressing, despite being accepted ("reminder, we aren't giving you any money. so, figure that out yourself"). and it came as a folded up piece of paper. I thought it was a bill in the mail at first..I will say that the departmental dean (epi for me) did send an email with some informative attachments about courses and a list of student contacts, etc. which was a friendly gesture

 

Texas claimed in mid-January that they would be mailing my package info. It's February. zilch. Also, they're experiencing a lot of system glitches and I'm on the receiving end of that drama. boooo

 

Boston! oh, hunty, their presentation was beeeautiful. I'm also biased because they included financial aid info (yay!).  Nice full size red envelope, large font for my poor eyesight, did I mention they already had finaid info included?? plus their letter was very pleasant (nice ego stroke, BU). Icing on cake: signed by hand, in real ink (I think)!

 

Now onto Emory. It's my alma mater, so I'm extra biased, but dAYUM. seriously, they have they're junk together. Haven't received the physical package yet, but their admitted students page is the best I've seen so far.  They even have the employment stats of students who graduated in 2013 (and will be updating the stats for the 2014 grads). Let me explain to you how useful and amazeballs this is:

1. they broke it down by concentration
2. they broke it down by full-time, part-time, unemployed, and still seeking
3. they broke it down by how many months it took the students to find employment
4. they included average salary ranges post graduation by concentration
5. they included the most popular sectors for employment
6. they even evaluated the average number of resumes students had to send before securing employment 
7. and more..

I have yet to see another school provide such transparent information, and I don't understand why everyone doesn't do this, to this level of detail. why why why?!!?!? (am I not looking hard enough?) By the way, they're stats were pretty stellar. very reassuring. even if they haven't sent me financial aid package info, it's sorta comforting to know that at least they're students have been successful post-graduation. woo go eagles!

 

Lastly, U Miami, they're a little slow on the distribution of information. That's all I have to say. 

 

still waiting on a couple more schools but, I'm pretty much expecting rejections from here on out tbh

I want to go to school with you.

[Sabrosura]

 

 

Now onto Emory. It's my alma mater, so I'm extra biased, but dAYUM. seriously, they have they're junk together. Haven't received the physical package yet, but their admitted students page is the best I've seen so far.  They even have the employment stats of students who graduated in 2013 (and will be updating the stats for the 2014 grads). Let me explain to you how useful and amazeballs this is:

1. they broke it down by concentration
2. they broke it down by full-time, part-time, unemployed, and still seeking
3. they broke it down by how many months it took the students to find employment
4. they included average salary ranges post graduation by concentration
5. they included the most popular sectors for employment
6. they even evaluated the average number of resumes students had to send before securing employment 
7. and more..

 

Any chance you could share a summary/highlights for #4 and #5? (I'm especially interested in salaries and sectors for the Epi and International Health concentrations, and as those two are among the most popular concentrations I assume many others are interested.) It would be really, really helpful for those of us who are trying to get an idea of what to expect after we graduate. Now that I have been admitted but with no scholarships (to top programs though), I'm doing some serious life questioning as to whether an MPH is worth the cost and forgone income for two years.

Edited March 5, 2015 by Sabrosura

[crayola_deville]

Any chance you could share a summary/highlights for #4 and #5? (I'm especially interested in salaries and sectors for the Epi and International Health concentrations, and as those two are among the most popular concentrations I assume many others are interested.) It would be really, really helpful for those of us who are trying to get an idea of what to expect after we graduate. Now that I have been admitted but with no scholarships (to top programs though), I'm doing some serious life questioning as to whether an MPH is worth the cost and forgone income for two years.

Hey! so it's all on this site: http://www.sph.emory.edu/careers/employment-status/index.html

Click "Class of 2013" under the agreggate data section

 

I originally typed this super long post with pictures and junk for you but it wouldn't allow me to post them here (boooo). ugh.

 

 

What schools are you interested in?

[crayola_deville]

I want to go to school with you.

bahahaha, come join me!

[Sabrosura]

Hey! so it's all on this site: http://www.sph.emory.edu/careers/employment-status/index.html

Click "Class of 2013" under the agreggate data section

 

I originally typed this super long post with pictures and junk for you but it wouldn't allow me to post them here (boooo). ugh.

 

 

What schools are you interested in?

 

Thanks! This is very useful information, albeit somewhat sobering. I see that the range of starting salaries for many concentrations (the break-out by concentration is really useful) is around $40,000-50,000 -- it is rather depressing that the after-tax salary for an MPH grad (for a gross salary of $45,000, the after-tax would be about $35,000) is actually less than one year of MPH tuition (at the top schools). I know we don't go into public health for the big bucks, but man... You can get a lot more than $40,000 without any sort of advanced degree in many fields. When you add the cost of tuition to the forgone income for those two years of MPH, it makes me really question my intended course of action even though I have been passionate about public health all my life.

 

As expected, Biostats grads have the best salaries. Note to self to take plenty of biostats classes.

 

The two schools I got admitted to and am considering are Harvard (Epi) and JHU (International Health). I have not yet made up my mind, but am leaning towards Harvard.

Edited March 6, 2015 by Sabrosura

[holykrp]

Thanks! This is very useful information, albeit somewhat sobering. I see that the range of starting salaries for many concentrations (the break-out by concentration is really useful) is around $40,000-50,000 -- it is rather depressing that the after-tax salary for an MPH grad (for a gross salary of $45,000, the after-tax would be about $35,000) is actually less than one year of MPH tuition (at the top schools). I know we don't go into public health for the big bucks, but man... You can get a lot more than $40,000 without any sort of advanced degree in many fields. When you add the cost of tuition to the forgone income for those two years of MPH, it makes me really question my intended course of action even though I have been passionate about public health all my life.

 

As expected, Biostats grads have the best salaries. Note to self to take plenty of biostats classes.

 

The two schools I got admitted to and am considering are Harvard (Epi) and JHU (International Health). I have not yet made up my mind, but am leaning towards Harvard.

 

Yeah, it is pretty depressing. I'm leaving my job to pay for 2 years of tuition and then come out making less money. Pretty stupid decision financially.

 

However, if you go on to get a doctoral degree you'll end up making a decent salary, eventually...

[Sabrosura]

Yeah, it is pretty depressing. I'm leaving my job to pay for 2 years of tuition and then come out making less money. Pretty stupid decision financially.

 

However, if you go on to get a doctoral degree you'll end up making a decent salary, eventually...

 

 

I am in the same situation, I have left a very well-paid job to 'follow my passion'. To say I will be paid less is an understatement. At least I saved up these past few years..!

 

I am not interested in a doctorate as I don't want to go into academia or research (though you never know). I love learning but can't really entertain the thought of being in school for another 5 years, subsisting on a stipend and putting up with academia politics (I have several close PhD friends and the stories are pretty bad).

 

In any case I commend Emory on publishing this information, most schools don't. I think that if more schools did (especially for PhDs), there wouldn't be such a wealth of unemployed/underemployed PhD and MA grads around, especially in non STEM areas (one look at thechronicle.com is enough to make one understand how bleak the outlook for PhDs is). Of course, the schools don't really want their applicant pools to decrease. 

Edited March 7, 2015 by Sabrosura

[kang6789]

I saw the Emory stats and had the same reaction. Great that they're publishing it, and also a little scary! One important thing to consider is that many students are going straight from undergrad, so they have zero work experience when they graduate. The pay for those with work experience is likely higher. Another is that the cost of living in Atlanta is pretty low (at least compared to the Northeast where I'm from), so the salary figures are a lot better than they seem at first glance. I'm actually a PhD applicant, and am considering going to Emory. They sent us a list of employment for recent PhD grads, and it looked pretty good. Only one person in a postdoc. The rest were in industry or academia. Obviously, academia is very competitive, but the outlook for public health grads in academia seems a bit better than it is in the humanities at least, since many public health grads decide to go into industry or government instead.

[crayola_deville]

Thanks! This is very useful information, albeit somewhat sobering. I see that the range of starting salaries for many concentrations (the break-out by concentration is really useful) is around $40,000-50,000 -- it is rather depressing that the after-tax salary for an MPH grad (for a gross salary of $45,000, the after-tax would be about $35,000) is actually less than one year of MPH tuition (at the top schools). I know we don't go into public health for the big bucks, but man... You can get a lot more than $40,000 without any sort of advanced degree in many fields. When you add the cost of tuition to the forgone income for those two years of MPH, it makes me really question my intended course of action even though I have been passionate about public health all my life.

 

As expected, Biostats grads have the best salaries. Note to self to take plenty of biostats classes.

 

The two schools I got admitted to and am considering are Harvard (Epi) and JHU (International Health). I have not yet made up my mind, but am leaning towards Harvard.

Hey hey hay now, cheer up! first of all, you got into some pretty great programs! You go Glen Coco!!!

 

Secondly, these are starting salaries and yes we should've all gone to business school, or some other field if we wanted to make $$$$$$$. Do you think I'm not semi jealous of my  2014 BBA friends (who dont even have a master's!) who started making $50k four months after graduation?!! you bet your ass I am! I could do a job for the $ alone (my current status), but a career? no. never. It's so easy to play the comparison game, but that is hella exhausting. far far worse than Monopoly.

 

I know these salaries look pretty "bad", but I comfort myself with the idea that at least i'm in a field where I won't be bored every day because I'm not interested in the work itself*.

 

*I am also 22 years old--no debt, kids, or significant other (wooohooo single!!). I also live at home and pay, like, 3 bills. admittedly dangerously optimistic.

 

still. We will all survive!

Edited March 7, 2015 by crayola_deville

[crayola_deville]

also, boston has their stats easily accesible too..if anyone cares...: http://www.bu.edu/sph/careers/graduate-employment-data/

 

ooh, and columbia has their own version: http://www.mailman.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/Employment-Outcomes-2012-2013-for-web2.pdf

 

interesting how these schools don't go as deep into the specifics as Emory......*rubs chin*

[holykrp]

Hey hey hay now, cheer up! first of all, you got into some pretty great programs! You go Glen Coco!!!

 

Secondly, these are starting salaries and yes we should've all gone to business school, or some other field if we wanted to make $$$$$$$. Do you think I'm not semi jealous of my  2014 BBA friends (who dont even have a master's!) who started making $50k four months after graduation?!! you bet your ass I am! I could do a job for the $ alone (my current status), but a career? no. never. It's so easy to play the comparison game, but that is hella exhausting. far far worse than Monopoly.

 

I know these salaries look pretty "bad", but I comfort myself with the idea that at least i'm in a field where I won't be bored every day because I'm not interested in the work itself*.

 

*I am also 22 years old--no debt, kids, or significant other (wooohooo single!!). I also live at home and pay, like, 3 bills. admittedly dangerously optimistic.

 

still. We will all survive!

Agreed. I forewent medical school because I figured I'd get an easy peasy business degree and be making decent money and would be OK with that. And now I'm going back to school because, while I love the company I'm working for and the people are great and there's a lot of good things to say about the job and benefits I have, the work itself is void of purpose. I feel like I'm in a Camus novel every day. It's absolutely absurd. Money, while of grave importance, is also pretty meaningless at the same time, because most people don't want to look back at their life and think "well, at least I made a comfortable salary." Ick. 

 

The MPH salaries are all quite livable, even if you decide to have kids. And it also depends on where you end up working. If you're really chasing after a good salary, you can probably score a pretty sweet consulting or pharma gig. A lot of MPHers end up working in government or nonprofit because they tend to not be the money chasing types.

[holykrp]

And back to the topic of this thread... I got a hand written note from WashU's dean inviting me to their admitted students day. Honestly they have been so impressive with how personal, friendly, helpful, and professional they've been throughout the whole process. That's some major points for WashU. Though I can't help but wonder if I'd be an idiot to pass up Columbia.