<p>@juillet: Wow, I did not expect such a detailed, knowledgeable answer. I even printed it out to keep for reference! Thank you so much!
The Five Colleges’ program sounds great. One of my concerns about Amherst was that it would be too small and insular, but a certificate that includes study at other members of the five colleges would definitely give me a larger pool of classes and acquaintances. So Amherst definitely stays on the list.
Brown looks great too, and I imagine there’s plenty of opportunities with the presence of the Alpert Medical School and whatnot. I also sensed a real focus on international studies/relations, (which is what drew me to Brown in the first place) which could contribute to a good public health program.
Yale is all around amazing, and I would love to go there.
Wesleyan’s Science in Society sounds wonderful, and they also have a few four year BA/MS programs in the sciences, which might be a plus.
And I just read about Georgetown’s program after I posted this, and it seemed really strong.
@SDonCC: Thanks for the info about Grinnell. I visited them and interviewed, but I never heard of that program.
@warblersrule: I supposed that stereotype was mainly legend, so I will definitely consider Johns Hopkins.
I think I may not apply to Swarthmore & Vassar, and apply to Johns Hopkins & Duke instead. I really love Duke’s global health program and the Sanford School of Public Policy, which seems right up my alley.<br>
Ahhhh…so many good choices!</p>