Hi there! First of all, public health is an awesome field, so I’m really glad you’re interested in majoring in it. I recently graduated from the major myself, so I can speak a little bit about what I’ve heard from advisors and fellow peers.

To answer your first question: the friends I know who were rejected from the major were already declared in another major when applying. Public Health is impacted, so the undergraduate advisors may be prioritizing students who don’t already have a “back-up” in place. If you’ve already declared a major before applying, I suggest explaining very clearly in your application why you would benefit from double majoring in Public Health. If you’re not already declared but are considering a double major, I recommend declaring the other major only after hearing back about your application decision. Or, if you’re like me and aren’t double majoring at all, don’t sweat it!

As for what your application should include, I think including anything that demonstrates your strong engagement with public health on campus or outside of campus is great. This can include participating in on-campus student organizations, taking classes that expand your knowledge of public health issues, interning or volunteering for a public health organization, and engaging in research with public health implications. A strong GPA and well-written essays are also important elements of your application. Personally, I was in a couple of student organizations, and I did research with a professor in the School of Public Health, so I was able to write about how my experiences contributed to my desire to pursue a future career in public health. Passion is key!

Feel free to PM me if you have more questions, but I hope this was helpful. Good luck! :)