The SHSP Office of Admissions Guides Students to Their Futures in Public Health and Rehabilitation Science

What are the responsibilities of the office?

In my role as the director of recruitment, the first step in the admissions recruitment process is to reach out to the undergraduate population and recruit for our three main programs and all of their majors, whether that’s speech-language pathology, public health or physical therapy. I attend graduate school fairs at undergraduate universities that are hosted throughout the year and schedule individual presentations, as well as information sessions, on our campus. I speak to pre-health advising groups of undergraduate juniors and seniors, and also recruit within student organizations at NYMC. We also participate in regional and national fairs for public health, through the American Public Health Association and the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health. As applications begin to come in, our office is responsible for guiding students through the admissions process, analyzing their applications, then sending them to SHSP faculty for review before sending out acceptance letters.  
 
How would you describe the day-to-day functions of the Office of Admissions?
 
It depends on the time of year. We have a fall class, summer class and a spring class for the public health, physical therapy and speech-language pathology programs. Right now, we are preparing for the fall 2023 class for speech-language pathology. We just finished seating the physical therapy and public health classes. The summer class just started for physical therapy so we're getting ready for the fall. It’s cyclical. During the fall, it's a lot of recruitment. During the winter, it’s a lot of review. During spring, it’s a lot of push to enroll. 
 
What is the most-asked question from students about the Office of Admissions?
 
Students are very interested in the size of the school, the size of the classes, the faculty interaction and career placement. Class size and tuition are the two things that that I probably hear the most for all the programs.
 
What do you find most interesting or most rewarding about working in your office?
 
I enjoy the interaction with the students on different levels. I like traveling to different undergraduate schools and meeting with different students from all over the country from many different backgrounds. I always find it interesting to learn why students are picking their majors, what inspired them and where they're coming from. The rewarding piece is being at graduation and seeing the students get their degrees and remembering meeting them for the first time or talking to them for the first time. I get to see them complete their journey. It’s always rewarding every year. There are many students I still remember to this day.
 
Is there a fun fact or best kept secret about your office?
 
Combined in our office, we probably have close to 100 years of experience in admissions between Irene Bundziak, associate director of admissions; Samantha Behar, assistant director of admissions; myself and Michelle Novotny, M.A., associate dean for admissions and enrollment management. We've all worked in admissions for a pretty long time. That adds to our credibility in that we are knowledgeable in what we're doing, and we enjoy it. I think that our combined experience in admissions is rare to find at other schools.
 
What is one useful tip you can give to students about the Office of Admissions?
 
Do not be afraid to ask questions and stay in touch with us. Make contacts with the folks in admissions because we do remember you and we are happy to guide students through their journey. The more we get to know you, the easier it is to do that.