PS Personal Statement about your educational and professional goals Personal Essay All applicants must submit a statement explaining why they wish to pursue a career in public health. This is also an opportunity to explain, to the admissions committee, any limitations that might be present in your application. There is a limit of 1500 words for the narrative statement. These statements are judged for grammar and spelling as well as content. The admission committee evaluates not only the academic preparation of candidates, but the extent to which the candidate’s goals prove appropriate for the program. Fee The cost for a SOPHAS application is $120 for the first school or program you apply to. Any additional schools or programs you choose to apply to will cost $45 per designation, even if you submit those schools or programs later in the application cycle. RL Three Letters of Recommendation All applicants must submit three letters of recommendation prior to being considered for admission. Two of these letters must be from academic sources. At least one academic letter should be from a former university faculty member in the major field of study. Additional suggestions for references could be undergraduate/graduate advisors and/or recent employers. Transcript All international student applicants must submit credentials/transcripts from all international universities attended to an accredited evaluation service to be evaluated and translated into English (if necessary). SOPHAS will only accept evaluations from the World Education Service (WES). It may take up to 6 weeks for SOPHAS to receive the WES evaluation, so it is important to plan for this extra time in submitting your credentials to ensure application deadlines are met. If a different evaluation service is used, SOPHAS applicants should have it sent directly to the School of Public Health Admissions Office. There are a number of evaluation services to use. Please note that SOPHAS will only accept evaluations from the World Education Services (WES). SOPHAS applicants will receive a 10% reduction in the cost of the WES evaluation. World Education Services (WES) Evaluation Credential Evaluators (ECE) Evaluation Services Inc. AACRAO *Note: Applicants whose academic training was not in the U.S., but who are in the U.S. at the time the application is submitted MUST adhere to all requirements as outlined for international students on SOPHAS.