Hypothetically speaking, if I were to get accepted into both of these lovely schools which one would be better in terms of connections with the CDC…
I have hopes of working for the CDC as an Epidemiologist and I would want to shadow the company before I graduate college. I know Emory is basically next door to the company and it wouldn’t be all too difficult, but then again, Harvard is Harvard. Connections run deep in that university and Harvard seems to have connections with almost every company in the nation…
So, what do you say?
Also, can anyone give an insight about the town/city these universities are located in. I would like to know more about the city life and are there things to do around the city?
Well the CDC isn’t a company, but I get what you mean.
If you really want to shadow the CDC before you graduate, I’d definitely go with Emory. Being right next door has it’s advantages. Not only proximity, but Emory students are certainly taken care of at the CDC.
Before transferring for major specific reasons, I attended Oxford College, Emory’s two year LAC. My freshman year roommate just got back from an international trip with an employee of the CDC to help promote and study public health in a third world country. I’ve also known plenty of others who worked with the CDC in all capacities from clerical to statistical to doing grunt research.
That being said, Emory does not have a monopoly on public health, especially when the institution being compared is Harvard. Additionally, the CDC does not specifically hire from one school. Most people who actually work for the CDC or other renown public health organizations did not graduate from Harvard or Emory.
Both schools are in major metropolitan areas, although it’s easier to reach the interior of Boston proper from Harvard than it is to reach the interior of Atlanta through Emory. By no means is it hard to do, it’s just that MARTA (Atlanta public transit) is not nearly as convenient as the T.
Right now it is too early to discuss which would be better as you have not been accepted to either institution. At the end of the day, around 75% of Emory applicants and 95% of Harvard applicants are rejected.
Thank you for responding to my question! Your answer really gave me an insight about both schools. Also, what major is your freshman year roommate in? I might go in for Nursing or Biology. Also, are you enjoying Atlanta so far?
My PhD is in public health, and in undergrad I also had dreams of working for the CDC. (I’ve made a career change,)
If you are going to college as an undergrad, it kind of doesn’t really matter at this point. You’ll need at least a master’s degree in epidemiology to be an epidemiologist, and where you go to graduate school will be far more important for connections than your undergrad degree.
That said, I think Emory does have a slight edge in this case. Emory’s campus is literally right next to the CDC’s campus. You can walk from the Rollins School of Public Health to the CDC campus. That proximity gives you an edge for term-time internships - which are less competitive because there are fewer students competing for them (summer internships draw national applications; academic year internships are only available to people who live in the area). Emory also has many professors with joint appointments at the CDC. Emory also has a BA/MSPH program in biostatistics.
However, I’d say the edge is slight. Harvard is well-known for its school of public health, and I’m sure lots of graduates head down from Boston to the CDC. Boston will provide lots of opportunities for internships in public health, and a Harvard name will look great on an application for a summer internship with the CDC.
That said, you don’t need to go to a super-prestigious college for CDC work. I went to Spelman, a small LAC in the Atlanta area, and quite a few of my friends did internships with the CDC during the school year because it’s so close. One of my friends works at the CDC and she got her undergrad at Georgia Southern and her MPH at the University of Georgia.
As for city life…there are lots of things to do in Atlanta. If you like to party, there are lots of bars and clubs. If you like to eat out, there’s tons of good food, although I suspect the food scene is a bit better in Boston (although it depends on what kind of food you like). Public transit definitely wins in Boston - you need a car to get around Atlanta. There are also lots of cultural activities in Atlanta - ballet, music (GREAT music scene!!), performing arts/theater, museums, historical activities (particularly if you are interested in the history of the South), festivals, etc. I’ve never been to Boston and I’d say Boston probably wins overall as a city re: places to go and things to do, but Atlanta’s no slouch.
Honestly, don’t worry about either. If you go to either and do well, colleges look more at your coursework and research than how close you are physically. And you never know, while you want to work for the CDC now, there are so many more options… NIH, WHO, etc.
I love Boston, it’s got an amazing vibe and Cambridge is just perfect. But if you like the southern feel better, then go to Emory. You can’t make a wrong choice.
Strongly agree with @juillet. As a former CDC employee (please don’t refer to it as a company!), I can tell you that most professional-level positions there require a PhD or an MD/MPH, though I’m sure there are some that require “just” a master’s. In the long run, CDC is unlikely to care where you got your bachelor’s.
I am also thinking about Emory for their proximity to the CDC. If I am an aspiring epidemiologist, what should I major in? I think that I plan to attend med school and become an epidemiologist that way. I want to be an English major, but my parents don’t think that would be useful. Should I just be “Pre-Med”? I am not too well informed about this particular career track, so excuse my ignorance.