<p>I love the prospect of attending Columbia. The opportunity in New York City, the intensity of Columbia students, and the tradition of the Core all excite me.
However there is one factor delaying my decision on applying. Columbia does not have a concentration in the subject I am most interested in.</p>
<p>I am looking to attend public health school as a graduate student, so for undergraduate work I am searching for majors or concentrations in community health, global health, health and society, etc. </p>
<p>The Mailman School of Public Health does INCREDIBLE work in the field I'm most interested in (sociomedical sciences if you want to know!) But their coursework has not leaked down to the undergraduate level, unlike other schools with such strong programs.</p>
<p>I would still like to major in Biology or Sociology. Yet it is sort of a disappointment for a school I am so interested in not to have a lot of coursework in the field I'm looking towards.
Should this stop me from applying?</p>
<p>not an authority, but i think it is possible for you to take graduate courses in any field of study you find interesting, even as an undergraduate.</p>
<p>well since i just applied ED im probably not a reliable source on essays… but my feeling is that as long as they get a sense of who you are or what you are passionate about then the essay should be fine </p>
<p>1) if you are really interested in sociomedical sciences then you can definitely craft an educational experience in columbia that would be similar to it. but here are two limitations to most sociomedical programs - a) you need basis in bio and soc before you should really do sociomedical work, and more than just one class. b) most of the courses are therefore surface level. it is for this reason that it is primarily for graduate study - and if you want to work in the field you need graduate study. </p>
<p>regarding columbia - there are some pretty strong social biologists and more research than you could possibly imagine including working at mailman from the moment you get to campus. i knew someone that did mailman research for all 4 years, and is now getting a phd in sociomedical sciences. one thing to consider - you could possibly fashion a major in sociomedical sciences if you really want. columbia does have a ‘create your own major policy’ you can apply for it. go through the directory of classes to get a sense of what CU offers and what other schools offer as comparable in their programs. i am sure you can at least get the necessary background so that you can continue with studies or go to medical school. plus your specific interest in sociomedical sciences would be different than the avg. candidate who just wants to be a doctor because it sounds cool.</p>
<p>2) there is a group on campus for public health studies that brings in speakers and help students think about class work.
3) you can do research at mailman quite easily.
4) you can take graduate courses - just form a relationship with a prof and work with your adviser to take courses.</p>
<p>5) you will receive in all honestly - one of the best educational experiences out there in the country if you go to columbia - academic, emotional and professional. do they not have your major in name? sorry they don’t, but that is not necessarily why you go to columbia. you don’t go because you want to be a linguist your whole life or a mathematician. because educationally you will have the opportunity to do the right prep-work so that you can get into a sociomedical program upon graduation, but you will also be prepared for a bunch of other things that are both academic and non-academic in nature.</p>
<p>so in the end - apply if financially it isn’t a burden. you have nothing to lose. you get in, you can then decide if it is worth going or not. no one says you have to go. i think it is worth it, and there is more than enough things to do at CU to make it hopefully worth your time if you are there.</p>
<p>thank you for your answer.
i really do believe that columbia’s programs are so strong and that i am so focused that together with a good enough background in biology and sociology i can be successful.</p>