<p>So, my GPA is not the greatest. I anticipate I will be finishing with a 2.7-2.8. I have Spring semester and summer left. I have not taken the GRE yet but am starting to prep for it. My GPA is not so great because I am graduating in three years and I crammed many credits into one semester, I held two jobs for the last two years, and I suffered some hearing loss which caused me to sign up with the disability office. My major was Health Admin and I want to go get my masters in Public Health. I know top programs are probably out of the question, but I am willing to settle for any. What are my chances that I will be accepted somewhere? I plan to apply for Spring or Summer of 2015.</p>
<p>Forgot to mention- I was an intern for over a year at the medical school in my university, volunteered last summer at a community health center, have some experience working in a doctor’s office, and will have an internship at a hospital this summer.</p>
<p>MPH programs usually have acceptance rates that are around 40-50%. I’d say that the mean GPA is usually in the low 3.0 range, maybe a 3.2-3.5 depending on the program. There are certainly students in MPH programs with lower than a 3.0, but they tend to come with very strong application packages in other areas.</p>
<p>Your problem is that 1) you’re attempting to apply straight from undergrad in a field in which work experience before the master’s is valued, and 2) you have a low GPA. Those two things in combination make it less likely that you will be accepted somewhere.</p>
<p>What you should do is try to get a job (preferably public health related) and work for 2-3 years first, then apply to MPH programs. Your chances will be greater then. Since you have a health admin degree you may have pretty good chances of getting a good health admin job.</p>
<p>Also, you should care where you go. I’m not saying that you have to go to a tippy-top program (and in fact, going to a less prestigious, less expensive MPH program may benefit you a lot - the MPH can be costly but doesn’t bring high salaries), but you do want to go to a good, well-reputed program. Your first job will rely a lot on the connections your school will bring you.</p>