<p>As a high school student you wouldn’t be expected to have direct experience in public/global health. Public health is an interdisciplinary field with dotted lines to political science, international relations and policy plus a science science focus. An understanding of history helps too. </p>
<p>I don’t know what your ECs are specifically, but if they relate to politics and IR, they will most like have some bearing on public/global health as well, as will your independent research. </p>
<p>Why X essays are tough because you have to walk a fine line between what the college can do for you and what you can do for the college. Take another look at your ECs and life experience and think about what you can contribute to the campus community. </p>
<p>Public health in Africa is an important, hot button topic right now, and your interest in that area could easily be expanded to explain why X is a good fit for you and you are a good fit for X. It’s the Africa subset that I think is going to get their attention, so I would suggest you explain why you are interested in Africa and how that interest aligns with the college’s initiatives.</p>
<p>I think you could tie together a lot of separate strings – politics, volunteering, Africa, health, policy, history and make a case that College X would allow you widen and deepen your understanding of all of those interrelated fields.</p>