general application timeline
Timelines can look different for everyone, but here is the one that I ended up following, with some notes/comments:
Fall 2018 Application Cycle for Fall 2019 Start
Summer 2018
- Completed MPH summer internship at Stanford and became convinced that research and academia were the right fit for me (my research mentor essentially told me if I wanted to become a professor, I would need a PhD)
- Updated my CV
September 2018
- Researched which programs I wanted to apply to and identified faculty at each program that had overlapping research projects
- Started emailing professors at the programs I was applying to to schedule informational/networking phone calls (do this early if possible)
- Started having some of my initial calls with professors I reached out to (which went well and gave me more confidence to continue pursuing with my applications!)
- Asked for my letters of recommendation (definitely do this as early as possible!)
October 2018
- Drafted my personal statement
- Continued having phone calls with professors
- Completed components of the SOPHAS application
November 2018
- Had my mentors review my personal statement
- Continued having phone calls with professors, had some in person meetings as well
- Sent reminders for my letters of recommendation
- My first application was due on November 15th, which meant I had to finish all of my core SOPHAS application materials before then
- Submitted all of my application materials before November 15th, and then before Thanksgiving so I could enjoy that holiday with my family
December 2018
- Relax and wait!
January 2019
- Started hearing back from programs about interviews
- Began interviewing at some of the earlier interviews at the end of the month
- Got accepted into my first program!
February 2019
- Continued hearing back about interviews and acceptances
March 2019
- Attended open houses
April 2019
- Decided on my final acceptance
- Sent emails to professors at the schools I turned down