Why is Johns Hopkins not mentioned much here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's a 'near home but not cheap or easy to get into' bias against Hopkins. Kids who would be academically strong enough to get in have so many options elsewhere.

I can see this, but the same doesn't seem to hold for Georgetown.

Well, Georgetown's expertise in govt, policy, international relations, law etc. are core to its specific DC location so I think it gets a pass. You just can't get the same connections, internships, data sites located elsewhere. Hopkins prime STEM/med focus could be located anywhere but it happens to be close to home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's a 'near home but not cheap or easy to get into' bias against Hopkins. Kids who would be academically strong enough to get in have so many options elsewhere.

I can see this, but the same doesn't seem to hold for Georgetown.

Well, Georgetown's expertise in govt, policy, international relations, law etc. are core to its specific DC location so I think it gets a pass. You just can't get the same connections, internships, data sites located elsewhere. Hopkins prime STEM/med focus could be located anywhere but it happens to be close to home.

Wha? They have world-class hospitals everywhere?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's a 'near home but not cheap or easy to get into' bias against Hopkins. Kids who would be academically strong enough to get in have so many options elsewhere.

I can see this, but the same doesn't seem to hold for Georgetown.

Well, Georgetown's expertise in govt, policy, international relations, law etc. are core to its specific DC location so I think it gets a pass. You just can't get the same connections, internships, data sites located elsewhere. Hopkins prime STEM/med focus could be located anywhere but it happens to be close to home.

Wha? They have world-class hospitals everywhere?

Cleveland, Phoenix, NY, Philly, LA, Boston, Seattle, Rochester, Houston, Durham, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Stanford, St. Louis, San Fran, Ann Arbor, etc...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hopkins is almost all rich (70% make over $120K) and all asian/middle eastern Americans and international. I think it may be 35% white.

It is a typical international type of undegraduate school. Not a lot of partying, not a lot of sports, not a lot of socializing. The main and only goal is study and get into graduate school. That is not a bad thing, but it isn't the experience many Americans want. For my child, she was in a top rigorous private school and wanted nothing to do with the same atmosphere in college. She wants some socializing, school spirit, and lots of friends and memories. She still chose a top school, but wanted a more social feel. For kids that don't want the American fluff, chose JHU. It is no nonsense.

Also, JHU is less than 10% in-state. People around here know it is in a terrible neighborhood. Unless they truly want to be a doctor, all the other ivy's seem more appealing to kids around here.

New poster here.
I went to public health graduate school at Hopkins and met my husband who was in medical school. I lived in Charles Village and did most of my studying on the main campus (Homewood). I agree with this poster and the one before who's dad was a professor.
While we had a great time in the greater Hopkins/Baltimore community in our 20's, I would never want my kids to go there for undergrad. It's difficult to explain but it just always felt like a pretty soulless and competitive place. Think of your typical pre-med
undergraduate organic chemistry course and then extrapolate it to almost an entire university. I came from a small liberal arts college and my husband from a large state school and both of our undergraduate colleges had about 100 times the joy and life of Hopkins undergrad.
it's just dull. And seemingly very competitive. Something like 99% of the kids are pre-med (I exaggerate but it's pretty darn high). That does not make for a fun environment.

Doe JHU have an inordinately high success rate placing those pre-med undergrads in medical school? I mean wouldnt your odds be much better to go to, a state flagship or a 20-40 ranked SLAC and be THE kid with the great GPA? I mean there must be JHU kids who are middle to low of the pack at JHU who never get into medical school but would otherwise shine at a diff school.

Their pre-med office webpage states that 80% of their graduates who apply to medical school are accepted.

Somewhere else I read said that up to 40% of their graduates will apply to medical school. So not 99% but pretty darn high for any university.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's a 'near home but not cheap or easy to get into' bias against Hopkins. Kids who would be academically strong enough to get in have so many options elsewhere.

I can see this, but the same doesn't seem to hold for Georgetown.

Well, Georgetown's expertise in govt, policy, international relations, law etc. are core to its specific DC location so I think it gets a pass. You just can't get the same connections, internships, data sites located elsewhere. Hopkins prime STEM/med focus could be located anywhere but it happens to be close to home.

Hopkins SAIS is "better" than Georgetown in international relations. It's world class. But it's also pretty remote from the main undergraduate campus so it probably doesn't matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When is the last time folks were at the medical campus? The area's changed considerably.

I go up to the Neurology center on a regular basis. The area around the medical campus is COMPLETELY TERRIFYING. Houses which are boarded up, spray painted, full of garbage. Skinny drug addicted people shuffling down the street talking to themselves (these are the ONLY people you see on the street).

But I agree 100% that its a top institution and you don't need to walk these neighborhoods, ever.

And what does it have to do with the undergraduate campus, which is in an entirely different area of Baltimore?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's close and highly ranked...
Is it the neighborhood? Miserable student body??

It's like going to a third world country.

Yup.

Tons of space to destroy and stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hopkins is almost all rich (70% make over $120K) and all asian/middle eastern Americans and international. I think it may be 35% white.

It is a typical international type of undegraduate school. Not a lot of partying, not a lot of sports, not a lot of socializing. The main and only goal is study and get into graduate school. That is not a bad thing, but it isn't the experience many Americans want. For my child, she was in a top rigorous private school and wanted nothing to do with the same atmosphere in college. She wants some socializing, school spirit, and lots of friends and memories. She still chose a top school, but wanted a more social feel. For kids that don't want the American fluff, chose JHU. It is no nonsense.

Also, JHU is less than 10% in-state. People around here know it is in a terrible neighborhood. Unless they truly want to be a doctor, all the other ivy's seem more appealing to kids around here.

New poster here.
I went to public health graduate school at Hopkins and met my husband who was in medical school. I lived in Charles Village and did most of my studying on the main campus (Homewood). I agree with this poster and the one before who's dad was a professor.
While we had a great time in the greater Hopkins/Baltimore community in our 20's, I would never want my kids to go there for undergrad. It's difficult to explain but it just always felt like a pretty soulless and competitive place. Think of your typical pre-med
undergraduate organic chemistry course and then extrapolate it to almost an entire university. I came from a small liberal arts college and my husband from a large state school and both of our undergraduate colleges had about 100 times the joy and life of Hopkins undergrad.
it's just dull. And seemingly very competitive. Something like 99% of the kids are pre-med (I exaggerate but it's pretty darn high). That does not make for a fun environment.

Doe JHU have an inordinately high success rate placing those pre-med undergrads in medical school? I mean wouldnt your odds be much better to go to, a state flagship or a 20-40 ranked SLAC and be THE kid with the great GPA? I mean there must be JHU kids who are middle to low of the pack at JHU who never get into medical school but would otherwise shine at a diff school.

Their pre-med office webpage states that 80% of their graduates who apply to medical school are accepted.

Somewhere else I read said that up to 40% of their graduates will apply to medical school. So not 99% but pretty darn high for any university.

Ok 32% (80%*40%) meets "inordinately high" but I still think there probably plenty of wash-out along the way. Ppl who go in intending to apply going in who dont survive the competition. I went to Penn (history major) where this was also typical. I had friends said at the end of school they should have gone somewhere else where they would have been a pre-med star but at least they had fun along the way and went on to successful law or consulting careers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's a 'near home but not cheap or easy to get into' bias against Hopkins. Kids who would be academically strong enough to get in have so many options elsewhere.

I can see this, but the same doesn't seem to hold for Georgetown.

Well, Georgetown's expertise in govt, policy, international relations, law etc. are core to its specific DC location so I think it gets a pass. You just can't get the same connections, internships, data sites located elsewhere. Hopkins prime STEM/med focus could be located anywhere but it happens to be close to home.

Hopkins SAIS is "better" than Georgetown in international relations. It's world class. But it's also pretty remote from the main undergraduate campus so it probably doesn't matter.

There is a 5 year BA/MA program for JHU undergrads

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hopkins is almost all rich (70% make over $120K) and all asian/middle eastern Americans and international. I think it may be 35% white.

It is a typical international type of undegraduate school. Not a lot of partying, not a lot of sports, not a lot of socializing. The main and only goal is study and get into graduate school. That is not a bad thing, but it isn't the experience many Americans want. For my child, she was in a top rigorous private school and wanted nothing to do with the same atmosphere in college. She wants some socializing, school spirit, and lots of friends and memories. She still chose a top school, but wanted a more social feel. For kids that don't want the American fluff, chose JHU. It is no nonsense.

Also, JHU is less than 10% in-state. People around here know it is in a terrible neighborhood. Unless they truly want to be a doctor, all the other ivy's seem more appealing to kids around here.

New poster here.
I went to public health graduate school at Hopkins and met my husband who was in medical school. I lived in Charles Village and did most of my studying on the main campus (Homewood). I agree with this poster and the one before who's dad was a professor.
While we had a great time in the greater Hopkins/Baltimore community in our 20's, I would never want my kids to go there for undergrad. It's difficult to explain but it just always felt like a pretty soulless and competitive place. Think of your typical pre-med
undergraduate organic chemistry course and then extrapolate it to almost an entire university. I came from a small liberal arts college and my husband from a large state school and both of our undergraduate colleges had about 100 times the joy and life of Hopkins undergrad.
it's just dull. And seemingly very competitive. Something like 99% of the kids are pre-med (I exaggerate but it's pretty darn high). That does not make for a fun environment.

Doe JHU have an inordinately high success rate placing those pre-med undergrads in medical school? I mean wouldnt your odds be much better to go to, a state flagship or a 20-40 ranked SLAC and be THE kid with the great GPA? I mean there must be JHU kids who are middle to low of the pack at JHU who never get into medical school but would otherwise shine at a diff school.

Their pre-med office webpage states that 80% of their graduates who apply to medical school are accepted.

Somewhere else I read said that up to 40% of their graduates will apply to medical school. So not 99% but pretty darn high for any university.

Ok 32% (80%*40%) meets "inordinately high" but I still think there probably plenty of wash-out along the way. Ppl who go in intending to apply going in who dont survive the competition. I went to Penn (history major) where this was also typical. I had friends said at the end of school they should have gone somewhere else where they would have been a pre-med star but at least they had fun along the way and went on to successful law or consulting careers

Plus you have all the biomedical engineering kids and other science majors trying to get into competitive PhD programs. And the straight up engineers.
It's a very brainy. main and science oriented type of place. Lots of studying going on at all times. The main library is packed on the weekend evenings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hopkins is almost all rich (70% make over $120K) and all asian/middle eastern Americans and international. I think it may be 35% white.

It is a typical international type of undegraduate school. Not a lot of partying, not a lot of sports, not a lot of socializing. The main and only goal is study and get into graduate school. That is not a bad thing, but it isn't the experience many Americans want. For my child, she was in a top rigorous private school and wanted nothing to do with the same atmosphere in college. She wants some socializing, school spirit, and lots of friends and memories. She still chose a top school, but wanted a more social feel. For kids that don't want the American fluff, chose JHU. It is no nonsense.

Also, JHU is less than 10% in-state. People around here know it is in a terrible neighborhood. Unless they truly want to be a doctor, all the other ivy's seem more appealing to kids around here.

65% is “almost all”? And no sports? Hopkins has one of the best D3 sports programs in the country and is elite D1 in men’s and women’s lacrosse.

+1. Also 30% Greek. Sure it's not the same vibe as UVA OR W&L, but nevertheless.

You are comparing UVA vibe with Hopkins?

No, I am not comparing hence with word "not" in the post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We recently toured the campus and we saw two homeless-looking people (gear in-tow) walking through the campus. The neighborhood immediately around the campus is really run down. I can't attest to actual safety, but I want my dd somewhere that she feels safe.

You are ruling out a lot of schools in a city setting if a couple of homeless people wandering through are troubling you.

[Anonymous]

If you are cooling paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for your child to spend the late adolescence in that environment: go for it. Many people want a safe, welcoming environment. (Not somewhere they have to be vigilant.)

[Anonymous]

That description of the Hopkins "context" sounds like it was written by a real estate agent. Seriously, look at their drug addiction and HIV rates. There were streets there that you had to traverse, if attending a night party, for example that were very dangerous. I would pray to get a green light because men would be congregating at the lights around my car if the light was red. Try googling news in Baltimore. It is not a place I would want my child to spend 4 years (which I did).

"According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore is home to the highest number of heroin addicts and heroin-related incidents of crime in the country. In 2013, there were more than 300 deaths related to heroin overdoses in Baltimore. Both The Fix and ABC News call the city “the heroin capital” of the United States."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hopkins is almost all rich (70% make over $120K) and all asian/middle eastern Americans and international. I think it may be 35% white.

It is a typical international type of undegraduate school. Not a lot of partying, not a lot of sports, not a lot of socializing. The main and only goal is study and get into graduate school. That is not a bad thing, but it isn't the experience many Americans want. For my child, she was in a top rigorous private school and wanted nothing to do with the same atmosphere in college. She wants some socializing, school spirit, and lots of friends and memories. She still chose a top school, but wanted a more social feel. For kids that don't want the American fluff, chose JHU. It is no nonsense.

Also, JHU is less than 10% in-state. People around here know it is in a terrible neighborhood. Unless they truly want to be a doctor, all the other ivy's seem more appealing to kids around here.

New poster here.
I went to public health graduate school at Hopkins and met my husband who was in medical school. I lived in Charles Village and did most of my studying on the main campus (Homewood). I agree with this poster and the one before who's dad was a professor.
While we had a great time in the greater Hopkins/Baltimore community in our 20's, I would never want my kids to go there for undergrad. It's difficult to explain but it just always felt like a pretty soulless and competitive place. Think of your typical pre-med
undergraduate organic chemistry course and then extrapolate it to almost an entire university. I came from a small liberal arts college and my husband from a large state school and both of our undergraduate colleges had about 100 times the joy and life of Hopkins undergrad.
it's just dull. And seemingly very competitive. Something like 99% of the kids are pre-med (I exaggerate but it's pretty darn high). That does not make for a fun environment.

Doe JHU have an inordinately high success rate placing those pre-med undergrads in medical school? I mean wouldnt your odds be much better to go to, a state flagship or a 20-40 ranked SLAC and be THE kid with the great GPA? I mean there must be JHU kids who are middle to low of the pack at JHU who never get into medical school but would otherwise shine at a diff school.

Their pre-med office webpage states that 80% of their graduates who apply to medical school are accepted.

Somewhere else I read said that up to 40% of their graduates will apply to medical school. So not 99% but pretty darn high for any university.

Ok 32% (80%*40%) meets "inordinately high" but I still think there probably plenty of wash-out along the way. Ppl who go in intending to apply going in who dont survive the competition. I went to Penn (history major) where this was also typical. I had friends said at the end of school they should have gone somewhere else where they would have been a pre-med star but at least they had fun along the way and went on to successful law or consulting careers

Plus you have all the biomedical engineering kids and other science majors trying to get into competitive PhD programs. And the straight up engineers.
It's a very brainy. main and science oriented type of place. Lots of studying going on at all times. The main library is packed on the weekend evenings.

We walked through campus on the most gorgeous imaginable Saturday afternoon in October...and yet still seemingly every student was in the library. It was at that point my child realized it was not the school for him.