Getting Ready for Grad School: Accepted, What’s the Next Step?

By: Sammie Chavez – Epidemiology

Congrats! You’ve been accepted! What now? I was extremely excited to receive my letter of admission, but it was months until classes began, and I found myself wondering this exact question. Here are some of my recommendations on how to spend the next few months preparing for grad school:

Confirm your enrollment. What better way to celebrate Rollins than to officially declare that you will be attending classes here! Check with RSPH Office of Admissions to make sure you don’t have any outstanding documents while you’re at it too. 

Consider your financial aid options. While you may not have received your financial aid package just yet, you can make sure you have completed your 2021-2022 FAFSA. Additionally, you can use this time to research and apply to scholarships offered outside of RSPH. 

And on a similar note, though it may be daunting, create a budget for your time at RSPH. Consider costs such as tuition, living expenses, insurance, transportation- Will you have a car? What does airfare cost to get to and from home over the holidays? RSPH Admissions offers a great cost of attendance to use as your baseline, but personal needs may vary. 

Explore your housing options. With amazing food, beautiful and refreshing outdoor spaces, and vibrant culture in every neighborhood, the housing options in Atlanta feel endless. Looking into your options early will help you narrow down your search when it comes time to sign a lease. Your class Facebook page and Emory’s off-campus housing site are great tools to use once those are available to you. 

Connect with us! Utilize the RSPH Ambassador website, that’s what it’s here for. Read through our bios and blog posts, learn more about Rollins, and take a virtual tour! Feel free to reach out to us and ask us any questions you may have, more than likely we had the same questions a year or two ago. 

Attend Visit Emory!!! Visit Emory is a great opportunity for future students to learn more about Rollins and get a better idea of everything Rollins has to offer. It’ll answer a ton of your questions. Plus, you’ll get a sense of our wonderful RSPH community, which I have been so thankful for during this past mostly virtual year.

And lastly, this IS graduate school, so remember to read hundreds of books, do tons of research, and learn absolutely everything you can about biostatistics and health. I’m kidding! The final and most important thing to do with your remaining pre-grad school days is to RELAX! It has been a tough year on us all, but Rollins prioritizes mental health. Explore your interests and hobbies, take a staycation, and get excited about becoming an Emory Eagle!