Regardless of the students' resumes, however, Daniels says that about half of all applicants to SPH are admitted.

Atmosphere of the School

SPH is composed of students from varying age groups and places all over the world.

About one-third of the applicants to the school are residents of foreign countries, Daniels says. According to an information pamphlet published by the School, 27 percent of its students are from overseas.

Classes present different challenges and learning experiences to different people, Mase says.

"For we who have career experience, the courses look very different," he says.

Mase says that people who have direct field experience can often see the objectives of the classes more clearly.

The younger students, such as Bertone, feel equally at home amid the experienced older crowd and say they are sometimes better-prepared for the workload.

Bertone says that she feels her experience as an undergraduate at the College let her know that she was intellectually-capable of handling the material.

'Coming from Harvard helped in [my] confidence," she says.

Bertone says that the course work is about the same at SPH as at the College. She adds that it may have been to her advantage never having become accustomed to a nine-to-five work style.

"[Older] students sometimes take things more seriously but have a harder time studying [and] taking tests," she says.

SPH can present many options to a student who is willing to seek them out individually, Bertone adds.

"Harvard College was a good place to be if you were independent [and motivated]," she says. "The School of Public Health is even more so."

However, Bertone says that although there is not a lot advising at SPH to help students adjust, it is easy to adapt to the setting.

"People are generally P.C., non-competitive [and] very friendly" Chan says.