Columbia VS Yale

[maya123]

Very happy to be in this dilemma, but need some help figuring out which one to go for! 

I got in to Health Policy tracks in both. My goal is to work in emergency preparedness. Both have outstanding faculty that I'm hoping will help me reach my career goals. I'm an international applicant so I received no financial aid  

Any advice? 

Visiting both campuses in the coming weeks! But the decision deadline is coming up... 

[jujubea]

Is funding an issue for you? How much are their relative costs?

 

How about job placement statistics for each place post-graduation? 

 

Do graduates work at the places you want to?

 

How about living/lifestyle at each? Environment, cost of living, culture(s)?

 

Do you plan to have a car? If not, what's public transportation like at each place?

 

How much and what kind of support does each school offer international students?

 

How about the international community, does that matter to you?

 

You need to think about what matters to you, and then that's a starting point for deciding which school. If all that matters is the job afterwards, then focus on getting those statistics or at least an idea of those statistics.

All depends on what matters most to you.

[Chai_latte]

If you want to return to your home country afterward, consider the strength of each school's alumni network back home.

I love Yale, in general.  I think many of the departments are small and warm.  Years ago, I looked into their School of Public Health and felt that it was no exception.  However, Columbia is in a metropolis with unlimited opportunities.  

The last poster provided great advice.  Consider those questions when you visit.  Good luck!

[maya123]

Really great advice, thank you so much 

[jujubea]

Thanks, surely. Let us know what you decide (and why!) for all the lurkers out there

[maya123]

Here's what I've come up with after attending both student days if anyone is still interested or is in the same situation!

 

Yale:

very small class (150 incoming students), and you can make personal relationships with your classmates professors. There's a very vibrant community spirit there. There is also a large selection of electives you can choose from and more opportunities to take courses outside your department (in the public health program and also in other yale schools). Lots of research there too, as most departments require a thesis. They make the effort to push their students to network both inside and outside of new haven. Students there are more able to carve their own path in their public health education and their focus within in (while also having to take core courses acorss the MPH program) Also, the cost of living is much cheaper.

 

Columbia:

much larger class (500 incoming students in the MPH program, more if you include PhD and accelerated 1 year track), but they have 20-30 people in their seminars. Faculty and students arent as close but they are very open to doing research with students outside the classroom, so the opportunity for personal relationships is still there. The curriculum is much more rigid - your "electives" are confined to your certificate, and outside of those there are only a few more elective spaces you can take in other departments/schools. They are very mission-focused, the "MPH factory" feel is very apparent there - where they create the "perfect public health professional" with their core curriculum and projects. And, NYC is a national hub of networking for public health opportunities, so Columbia takes full advantage of it. Cost of living is what you'd expect for NYC.

 

At both, no shits given for international funding but this is expected.

 

Does anyone have anything to add? Did anyone get a different feel from what I suggested?

[Wannie]

Hello. I know this post is quite some time ago, but may I know your final decision and why?