i got accepted into every MPH program i applied to
i got accepted into every MPH program i applied to
my experience detailing my thought process, submitting applications, choosing my school, and making the best out of the program + advice along the way
There are so many reasons as to how this post came to fruition, or even why I’m writing this to begin with. I hesitated for a while with whether to make this a free or paid post, and truthfully, because my account is more finance than academia oriented, I wanted to make sure all my finance-related content weren’t behind a paywall. With my new posting schedule of creating one paid post per month, this was the newsletter that I deemed it to be pay-worthy (hopefully you agree as well!). With that being said, if you’re interested in pursuing a Master’s degree, or even specifically a Master’s of Public Health, then this post might help you, a lot. I’ve broken this newsletter down into four components: 1) purpose, 2) the application (breaking down my personal statement with screenshots), and 3) choosing your school (exposing every single school I applied for with screenshots of my acceptance letters + my top 4 choices), and 4) making the best out of your education (the breakdown of my tuition payments). Oh, and for my paid subscribers, I’ve also included a lil treat for you all at the end of this post. Cheers!
You’re probably sick of me telling you to reflect on why you want to do this and that. Whether it be embarking on an intentional buy challenge or pursuing higher education, there must be a resounding “why” that you have a clear answer to, otherwise that’s $50K-$100K down the drain. In my eyes, I see undergrad as the opportunity where you try to figure out what you’re actually interested in. A Master’s degree is not the place for that. If you still need time to figure it out, do that through your current job, extracurricular activities, or hobbies. You should be firm and confident when doing your Master’s degree (exceptions are if you 1) have money to spare and can easily afford it without taking loans or 2) are able to pursue this degree completely for free through a work sponsorship)). Pursuing a Master’s degree is a huge financial decision, and is not for everyone.
After I graduated undergrad in 2018, I was aimless. My first job right after graduation was as a science camp counselor for middle schoolers (truthfully, this was a life changing experience and I would 100% do it again), then a medical assistant, then a customer service representative. In this customer service position, I hit my rock bottom because it felt like I was watching my life drain before my eyes — my public health degree was not being utilized. Instead, I was sitting in front of a computer dealing with angry customers all day. I wanted to desperately get out of this situation, so I mass-applied to positions around me. When I came across an AmeriCorps position listing, I excitedly applied, and heard back from the recruiter a couple days later. I ended up getting the position, and this changed my life.
If you’ve heard the horror stories regarding AmeriCorps programs around the world, then believe it. However, this was a life-changing, career-bolstering experience that shaped me into a very strong candidate for all the Master’s programs I applied to. I plan on making a detailed AmeriCorps experience post at a later time, so while I won’t go into too much detail here, I will say that for public health programs (or anything related, including education, psychology, social work, etc.), these experiences will really drive your application and set you apart from others, especially compared to people who are applying right out of undergrad.
During my AmeriCorps term, I came to terms that I wanted to do some sort of scientific or academic research, where I can go into communities, understand the needs of people in culturally sensitive ways (appropriate translation and active involvement from community members), and create evidence-based interventions that can actually better the lives of people who might not have the resources (money, transportation, time) to engage in these activities if it weren’t for said intervention. The possibilities in academia were endless, and that ultimately became my drive. I knew that the positions I wanted to apply for required a Master’s degree. I even tried cold emailing professors to see how I could get involved, but I knew that I had no credibility behind my flimsy resume. I also kept getting rejected from research-related job openings, and I realized that I was no match, compared to the Master’s level applicants competing against me for the same position.
Once I found my purpose, I began researching everything I needed to know about the MPH degree, including the best programs, what makes a MPH program “good”, and what I will gain from it. Two of my biggest priorities were crafting a Statement of Purpose and taking the GRE. Truthfully, the latter was more stressful than the former — I scored a 2140 (out of 2400) on the SAT, the lowest score compared to my friends despite having gone to SAT bootcamps for two years. I wasn’t a good standardized test taker (I fell asleep during the Reading portion of the SAT). I signed up for Magoosh (just did some research and found that it seemed to be somewhat legitimate) and went to coffee shops weekly for GRE prep.
Regarding the statement of purpose (SOP), I reached out to my friends who currently were in doctorate or master’s programs and asked if they would be willing to share their statements with me. I gained a lot of inspiration from them. Here are snippets of my statement of purpose, and what I personally believe are the core components to making it shine: