After completing her undergraduate degree in nursing in her hometown of Taiwan, Tina Jen, 25, decided to advance her career in the health field by focusing on public health in graduate school.
“I chose public health as my grad school major to learn more about health promotion, disease prevention and healthcare equity,” Jen tells Universities.com. With her sights set on attaining a leadership role in public health, Jen took to deciding which grad school she would attend to prepare her for her future.
And the school she decided on? None other than New York University in the heart of New York City. Here’s more on why Jen made the decision to attend NYU and what her experience at one of the country’s largest private universities has been like so far.
Why NYU?
Jen shares that she chose NYU for many of the opportunities it provides for international study, as well as the resources it equips students with to empower them post-graduation. Read real student reviews and rankings here.
“NYU is arguably one of the best universities in the world,” she explains. “The school offers many job and internship opportunities for students; also, there are many of us who would like to study abroad [and] NYU provides a lot of resources that you need to achieve your career goals. And the best part is that the school is located in the greatest city with rich diversity and culture that really widens my horizons.”
And for Jen–specializing in public health–it’s exactly that diversity that makes NYU the perfect choice for her career goals because a wide range of students with different cultural backgrounds allows for a broader look and education of healthcare systems around the world.
“We exchange ideas and understand the healthcare systems in different countries,” she notes.
Of course, attending one of the best universities in the world does come at a price and Jen admits that she was concerned about the tuition fee as well as the cost of living in the city. But she has been pleasantly surprised to find that NYU offers a lot of opportunities for on-campus work that allows students to offset the expense of attending.
How to Get Into NYU
Applying to graduate school can take some prep work and time, but fortunately, Jen is no stranger to hard work or dedication. She was accustomed to working hard in her undergraduate studies in nursing, dashing between lectures and clinicals at the hospital, and spending time on the weekends volunteering in the recovery home to work with patients suffering from mental illness.
After she graduated nursing school and began working as an RN, she knew that work as a nurse would keep her busy as well, so she decided to start the application process to NYU early.
“I would highly encourage everyone to start the process at least two months before the deadline,” she suggests. “Especially if you are an international student because it took me a few weeks to receive my authenticated transcript from the World Education Services.”
Once she dove into the application process, Jen did find it fairly straightforward. She explains that there is a platform called “SOPHAS” for all the School of Public Health applicants. In that platform, applications fill out four different sections that include information such as:
- Personal information
- Experience
- Official transcripts
- References
- CV
- Personal statement
Instagram: @nursetina.j
Pursuing Public Health–and a Future of Knowledge
For Jen, her decision to attend NYU and pursue a career in public health stems from her passion for a life dedicated to learning–and a lack of fear for doing the hard work. She explains that public health is actually an entirely different area of healthcare for her, even as a nurse.
“I didn’t have any background in data analysis and decision making so it’s indeed challenging, but at the same time a great opportunity to prepare me for different skills and experience in the healthcare field,” she says.
Although public health and nursing may be different, there is one thing that Jen has found the two have in common: hard work. “Public health is not any easier than nursing,” she notes. “It takes a lot of hard work and dedication. Knowledge is boundless and it doesn’t matter how long you have been in this industry––there is still so much to learn.”
Jen is taking that love of learning and work ethic on throughout her studies at NYU, all while enjoying everything that the city has to offer. For instance, she visits the famous NYU library to do her assignments during the weekdays, grabs lunch and chats with classmates at Washington Square Park, and spends weekends exploring the city with her friends.
“There are so many attractions in the city that are worth visiting,” Jen says.
And for any students who are thinking of joining Jen to experience all of the magic that New York University has to offer, she offers the advice to never underestimate yourself.
“NYU is a very open institution in terms of accepting students from different backgrounds,” she notes. “They don’t just look at your academic performance, but also your work experience and extracurricular activities. So if NYU is your dream school, then don’t hesitate––just go ahead and apply!”
Learn more about NYU and read student reviews in universities.com New York University Review.