Hello hello welcome or welcome back y’all. Today we are going to talk about pyramid sche…education. Let me tell you about my experience applying to
GRADUATE SCHOOL.
First, let’s knock the Q&A I typically get about grad school out of the way.
Q: What was your major in undergrad?
Q: So you’re going to school to become a psychologist?
A: Hell no. I’m going to school for public health.
then it either goes:
Q: What a good time to go into!…
A: I made this career choice before the pandemic hit and Dr. Fauci became a household name.
or
Q: What’s public health?
A: You know when you go to the doctor when you get sick and that physician is serving you and only you at that moment, telling you what you need to do to become healthy again? In public health, we kinda do the same thing, except we don’t work with individuals, we work with populations so that the whole city, county, state, country, and the world can be healthy and ultimately lessen the number of times you have to go to the doctor. *At least this is how I explained it to an 8-year-old the other day and she understood*
I am getting my MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, which basically means I’m going to get pretty good at designing research studies, coding, and analyzing data (but not too good otherwise there wouldn’t be a Ph.D. option). A disease detective, in a way.
Now that we’re clear on this, let’s talk about how I got here.
This story is a lil long, so here’s a Table of Contents:
Graduate School Applications Advice and What I Wish I Knew
1.0 Sophomore Year- Scoping Out Your Options
2.0 Junior Year- Researching Faculty
3.0 Senior Year- GRE, Personal Statement, Letters of Rec, Application Costs
4.0 Acceptances, Decisions, and Final Thoughts
SOPHOMORE YEAR
During my sophomore year, I started planning my post-grad plans because I am a chronic over-planner with no shame.
During this time, I decided that an MPH sounded more aligned with my goals than medical school, so I started researching programs around the country.
ADVICE I RECEIVED: “Only apply to Top 20 schools in your program or the degree will be a waste of time” – current UMN grad students across disciplines
I’d say this is pretty wrong…with exceptions. I ended up only researching the top 20 schools in public health and deciding which schools I wanted to apply to from there, but literally, a degree is a degree, y’all. You’ll do the same work regardless if you go to Harvard or your local state school.
However, I must say that going to a big-name school, especially in your field, does carry some weight. Washington University in St. Louis only ranks in the top 20 compared to my other options which were in the top 10, but WashU is an Ivy League competitor school (just like John Hopkins or UC Berkeley). Depending on where you go, you may have to look for opportunities and resources, or they may come in the mail with your acceptance letter. No matter where you go, network and put yourself out there.
Next, narrowing down your options.
JUNIOR YEAR
GRADUATE SCHOOL APPLICATIONS ADVICE I RECEIVED: “Research the faculty. Make sure some professors are doing work that resonates with you and aligns with your interests. If there aren’t any faculty with similar research interests, you may have to compromise your interests to meet the expertise of your faculty advisor.” – current UMN Ph.D. candidate
One of the main reasons why I landed on WashU STL is because of the faculty. I have NEVER seen so many Black and African faculty members in one school for a research institution of its kind. The professors here are doing work that I would love to join. Some of the other schools in the Top 20 severely lacked diverse faculty and an equity focus, which made my elimination process pretty simple.
I wrote down all of the schools I was interested in on a Google document. I researched each one, looking at concentrations/specializations offered, location, faculty I’d like to work with, resources available to students, and gave them a color score. Any shade of green for yes, with the most vibrant greens being the strongest matches, yellows as maybes or need more info, and reds for no, and the darkest, deepest reds meant “absolutely not”(I’ll be honest, it was Johns Hopkins). Once you’re done, you’ll know exactly where you’ll apply.
SENIOR YEAR
GRADUATE SCHOOL APPLICATIONS ADVICE I RECEIVED: “START YOUR APPLICATION EARLY. TEST EARLY. WRITE YOUR STATEMENT EARLY. APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID EARLY.” -grad school admissions
I lucked out of the GRE because when you’re in a global pandemic with stay-at-home orders in place, you can’t really administer a proctored standardized test in a public indoor space, soooo ya girl kept her receipt and returned her study materials to Half-Priced Books when schools announced the GRE waive.
My application for public health programs was the SOPHAS, and it required 3 letters of recommendation, a personal statement, a transcript, test scores if applicable, and other supplemental info per the program. Here are some words about the application process.
Personal statement: START SOONER RATHER THAN LATER, especially if you’re currently in school or working. You’ll want more time to edit it, and you will need that time. For example, I submitted my applications in November 2020 and I started my statement back in June. Pick two people you trust (but probably no more than 3) to review and edit your statement. THERE IS SUCH THING AS TOO MANY OPINIONS. I can write another post on how to write your personal statement if there’s interest. I received great advice directly from admissions counselors at Emory University that guided all of my papers.
Letters of Rec: You probably know by now the importance of creating strong relationships with staff, faculty, managers, etc. All I will add here is that you should diversify your recommendations. I chose to have three recommenders that could vouch for my research and critical thinking skills (faculty member I researched under), diversity and inclusion focus (campus scholarship/mentorship job boss), and my actual interest and devotion to the field (director of my public health internship who has a pretty big name in the field). Assess the skills and experience you have to offer to your programs, and have someone write for you in each skill or experience.
Cost of Applications: Save money in advance for applications. I was not able to secure application waives, so I saved up for this instance. My applications cost about $400. :/ Now’s a good time to mention that you should only apply where you really could see yourself going to save yourself some time and money.
FAFSA: Some schools base financial aid awards on the time of completion of the FAFSA. Do it ASAP. FAFSA for graduate schools does not require parent information, however, some institutions still request it (something to keep in mind).
ACCEPTANCES, DECISION, AND FINAL THOUGHTS
GRADUATE SCHOOL APPLICATIONS ADVICE I RECEIVED: “Go to the school that will give you the most money” – MPH at my Public Health internship (if you’re reading this, heeey Ifrah)
I eliminated Boston University from the running because frankly, the financial aid office staff and admissions were rude AF and unaccommodating, so I’m not going to give these people thousands of dollars to study at a place where I didn’t feel welcomed. Reaching out to faculty, current students, and staff can really help you decide where to go. People who already have the degree you want can also guide you on your path.
When it came down to the final three schools, I eliminated Columbia because 1) living in New York City would add another $20k (at least lol) to this $80-86k masters program…and they offered me nothing but loans. Not even enough to cover tuition, might I add. $100k in debt for a non-terminal degree was not worth it. Emory was also stingy with financial aid. I strongly believe that many students are brainwashed that the six figures they are spending on their degree is worth it because of how prestigious the university is…
Now, it’s not my place to say where and how others should spend their money, but there’s a good chance that a kid from some state school in Nebraska can end up at the CDC right next to the kid from Emory with half the debt the Emory kid has. Truthfully, good connections can get you into any door you want as long as you have the skills. These connections are not only in the top 5 schools. I had a hard time believing this at first, but people at the top of their careers told me this, so there must be some truth to it.
My final thoughts are:
- Prestige is great but in the grand scheme of things it’s really not that deep. You will be fine if you go with your “safety” or “backup” school.
- Academia is ass anyway, every university is or has been (but probably still is) problematic, so don’t get too cocky about where you’re going. It’s probably built on Indigenious or Mexican land, and probably also an “ivory tower” in a struggling neighborhood. Sport the school colors and have fun, but never forget this.
- I’m gonna say it again: start applications early. If you’re trying to go to school next academic year, start right after you read this post.
- Make sure you decide that this is really what you want for yourself. Seriously.
That’s all I have for you today! If there are any questions that you still have, please feel free to hit me up on IG!
Good luck applying!
– Manyi
