‘Berg’s public health grad school agreement: The new program will link juniors with Boston Universit

On Oct. 7, Muhlenberg College announced a new opportunity for six undergraduates to pursue early acceptance to Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) through the Select Scholars program.

However, the BUSPH Select Scholars program, which is open to juniors who are majoring or minoring in public health, is not just about early acceptance. Applicants have the opportunity to partake in a BUSPH program that would occur between the applicant’s junior and senior years. This program includes an introduction to public health, preparation for graduate school coursework, advising on career options, pairing of the applicant with a BUSPH faculty member, scholarship and networking opportunities, as well as the student’s choice of job-shadowing, a service learning/project based learning experience or a research experience.

Professor Chrysan Cronin, director of the Public Health Program at Muhlenberg, believes the addition of a program like this will benefit both Muhlenberg and BUSPH alike.

“The BUSPH partnership adds another layer of opportunity to an already robust public health program,” said Cronin. “It provides Muhlenberg students the opportunity to pursue graduate work at one of the leading schools of public health in the country and it provides BUSPH the opportunity to work with our best and brightest public health students.”

According to the Oct. 7 public relations article, Lisa Sullivan, associate dean of education at BUSPH, couldn’t agree more.

“We are extremely excited about this new partnership and to be working with such an outstanding program in public health at Muhlenberg,” said Sullivan. “We look forward to welcoming Muhlenberg students into our graduate programs in public health, building on their undergraduate work and preparing them to be the next generation of public health leaders.”

“We chose to collaborate with BU because of its esteemed programs in public health and its excellent reputation for research and practice,” said Cronin. Despite holding only one information session about the program on Oct. 5, a few students are already interested.

Rachel Rochelson ‘18, for one, who is especially excited about the many opportunities this program has to offer.

“Aside from BU ranking among the Top 10 schools for Public Health, Boston is an incredible city with numerous opportunities,” said Rochelson. “For me, a big perk is the opportunity to participate in a summer program at BUSPH prior to beginning my senior year at Muhlenberg next fall. I think it’ll be great to build connections before entering as a graduate student. Also, it doesn’t hurt to mention that students can apply to the program without taking the GREs.”

Sasha Gibbel ‘18, favored the program for more practical reasons.

“If accepted, I would have the security of knowing one of my postgraduate options,” said Gibbel. “[It] would give me a chance to study at one of the best Public Health programs in the country and would make my senior year a lot less stressful.”

Although the only requirement is a 3.2 cumulative GPA, BUSPH recommends a 3.5 to remain competitive. Interested students fill out an in-house application, and then Muhlenberg Public Health faculty review the forms and vet them. Once approved by faculty, students then apply to BUSPH by Feb. 1. They will be notified in March of their junior year if they have been accepted into the program. Admission to BUSPH is granted so long as the student graduates with a 3.2 cumulative GPA.

Students who are interested in applying can contact Professor Chrysan Cronin.