Many of you received good news last week and are now weighing your options. Is Hopkins the right place for me? Is Hopkins better than the other schools I have been admitted to? Will I enjoy my four years at JHU? Can I see myself as a blue jay?

These and many more questions are running through your mind right now. Well the current JHU students are here to help. I have asked them all to post on this thread the top 5 reasons why they chose to attend JHU.

We hope these lists and descriptions will help as you weigh all the factors in making this big decision. And as always, ask us questions - we are here to help.

***

Not that it matters, but here are the reasons why I chose to work for Hopkins, and why I am still here almost four years later:

(1) The students - I have worked and know many other colleges, but the quality and uniqueness of the JHU student body to this day still stuns me.

(2) The campus - I had always though of Hopkins as one of those city schools. Then I came for my interview and was shocked to see this beautiful, sprawling campus. I have fallen in love with the bricks and the architecure and can not wait to move into the new Admissions building this fall.

(3) The opportunities - For me in Admissions, I have to believe in the school I work for, and I completely believe in JHU. I have truly developed a passion for telling people about all that Hopkins has to offer, and watching their reactions change as I dispel the many myths.

(4) Baltimore - After living in DC for nearly 10 years, I wanted to continue to live in a city but a smaller city with a more community feel. Baltimore has given me that along with an outlet for my love of seafood and one of the greatest ballparks in the country.

(5) They hired me and continue to pay me. Have to make money to feed Soze.

1. I got in. Now this may be the most basic of reason but when it came time to choose schools I had to pick from my options.

2. At the time I had a vague understanding that IR at Hopkins was good. Turns out it's amazing.

3. No core curriculum. This is absolutely a life saver as I can work my schedule so I only take classes that I really like.

4. I think my parents may have subliminally messaged me a little. They're both alumni at Hopkins and my mom would only let me buy college gear from here. Where else was I going to go I only owned Hopkins hoodies.

5. Small class sizes, amazing professors, great research opportunities, and the general this is an amazing place to learn aspect to the school.

Hope this helps when you make you decisions.

Well, I'm going to start by saying that my 5 reasons for choosing Hopkins are not necessarily the same 5 reasons that I'm glad I chose it (although all of them have held true). But here it goes :)

1. Premed reputation- As much as it seems typical, it played a huge role in my choosing to come to Hopkins.

2. Neuroscience program- the program definitely made my head turn, especially after sitting in on a really great class.

3. Great visit- it certainly helped that it was sunny out, but the campus is so amazing. I still enjoy walking to class every day because of the great views (well, except when it's raining).

4. Research Opportunities- the opportunities offered by Hopkins to undergrads are amazing, and I know that a lot of my friends get anywhere near the resources that are available through the career center/preprofessional advising office, etc.

5. Core Curriculum- or well, the lack of it. I like the freedom to choose the classes I'm interested in without having to worry about fitting the dreaded requirements into my schedule.

Hope that helps :)

1) I applied Early Decision and was accepted.  Hence, it wasn't really much of a decision.  Rather the decision was to apply ED, but I really love it here.

2) My tour, I loved my tour guide and I could tell she was really excited about Hopkins and I suppose that rubbed off on me.

3) The campus, it was beautiful when I visited.  Honestly, this was a really important factor for me.  Also the fact that it is a campus within a city and once you are on campus you don't really feel like you are in the middle of a crowded city.  There a beautiful quads, yet you have all the opportunites of a major city.

4) Location.  I liked the location of Hopkins.  To be in a city on the East Coast that is only a train ride away from all the other major cities is really unique.  I have taken the train to DC which is only $7 and the train to NY is not terribly long.  It's great.  Plus Baltimore offers many different things as well.

5) Opportunities.  I love the opportunity to experiment with my classes and not be constricted by a core curriculum.  I love the research and internship opportunties and especially the ability to study abroad.

Honestly there are so many reasons, but I've never really enumerated them like this but here goes!

1) To be around talented, motivated people. I knew it was important for me to be surrounded by passionate people because, well lets be honest, how often in your life will you have the opportunity to have people from all over the world with passions you've never even dreamt about motivating you to figure out where your strengths are.

2) To be on the east coast. I knew I wanted to come up north (yea, Maryland is north for me!) and live in the snow, at least for a bit. I don't know if I could deal with the bitter cold and mushy snow the rest of my life, but 4 years is doable.

3) No core curriculum! I happen to love both the sciences and humanities, but especially Latin America and Spanish so I've been able to work my schedule in a way that I can take writing classes and literature relating to those areas : fufilling distribution and minor requirements and still be a pre-med

4) Opportunities: nothing in life comes easily, but I knew that here, if I put forth some time and effort, there are so many research and volunteer opportunities all you have to do is put yourself out there.

5) To get a solid education. I'm not saying you should chose a school based on prestige, but JHU does an amazing job preparing students for the MCATs and such tests and the first step in doing well on those tests is a solid foundation, and the pre-med classes here are certainly doing a good job preparing their students

1) Research opportunities - I knew that I wanted to be able to go cutting edge research as an undergrad, and I looked at the research taking place in the ChemBE department. They were doing AMAZING things, and I knew I wanted to be there.

2) Beautiful Campus - I always had an idealized view of what college should be like, and part of that view was that the campus would be completely brick and marble. Well, that view wasn't too idealized, if you have been to Hopkins already you definitely know what I mean.

3) My overnight visit - When I stayed over at campus I had a really good host. I realized that Hopkins was full of great people.

4) Location - I wanted to be somewhere that was pretty accessible to home. $49 flights from BWI made it easy to go. Now that I have my car, it is even easier to drive.

5) Admissions Daniel obviously!!!!

1. I visited the campus during an open house for admitted students and loved the experience. That visit played a huge role in my decision to enroll at Hopkins Everything about it gave me a strong gut feeling that I should mail my deposit to Hopkins and not another college or university.

2. Among the three colleges/universities in which I was seriously considering to enroll, Hopkins has the best undergraduate neuroscience program.

3. Hopkins has excellent pre-med preparation.

4. Hopkins has many research opportunities for undergrads.

5. I wanted to be a music minor, and the music minor at Hopkins includes classes and lessons taught by faculty at a top music conservatory (i.e., the Peabody Conservatory of the Peabody Institute). It also helped to know that even if I didn't pursue a music minor, I could still take piano lessons at the Peabody Institute (either the Peabody Conservatory for credit or the Peabody Preparatory not for credit).

I was probably the most ungrateful high school senior.  I must have had the biggest head!  I remember reading the e-mail title: "Congratulations, Stefanie!" and I didn't even open it (probably dismay of waitlists and rejections).  I always knew I'd apply to Hopkins because of its reputation in terms of medicine, but I never thought I'd actually come.  Lo and behold, it is a perfect fit and I don't regret it! (And I am SOOOOOO thankful I got in considering the application pool gets significantly more competitive at Hopkins! -- CONGRATULATIONS on your acceptance!)

So I tossed and turned and fought over the decision throughout April.  I actually didn't have time to tour any of the schools (all of my serious considerations were on the East Coast -- I didn't apply to any West Coast school, and I visited the one in Chicago because my friend went there).  I was in the midst of studying for AP exams!  BUT . . the reasons I ultimately chose Hopkins at the very, very end of April (I remember making a pro/con list):

I'll try to make these short since my introduction was long:

1. Financial Aid.  Hopkins gave me nice scholarhips, grants, loans, and work study.

2. The size.  I had really close relationships with my teachers in high school, and I didn't want to be a blank face to my professors in college.  I wanted them to recognize ma and personally know my name.  Guess what?  THEY DO.

3. Research.  I knew this separated Hopkins from a lot of even top-tier schools.  Freshman year though, I really didn't like my research positions (although now I'm good and happy).  I am so thankful for Medical Tutorialthough!  A very unique program.

4. Messageboards.  Honestly, I spoke to Michelle T. and Michelle B. and Toni-Marie via the messageboards, and I liked the vibe I got.  This really impacted me.  I remember telling my dad the students at Hopkins are very nice, and I feel I could be friends with them.

5. Location & Weather.  I love seasons, and Baltimore definitely offers all of them.  Plus, moreso back then than now, but I was a "city girl" (yes, I'm from Tennessee).  Baltimore was a decent size city close to other larger (more well known) cities.

Why did I choose Hopkins?

First of all, I must note that I was an E.D. kid; I almost fainted when I opened by mailbox on Dec. 17, 2004 and found that I'd been accepted to THE Johns Hopkins University. (I don't really remember walking from the mailbox to my house...that's how excited I was!) So, I kind of knew that if I got accepted into Hopkins, I would definitely be taking the trip to Baltimore in Fall 2005. This is why I loved Hopkins then, and some of why I'm glad I chose to come to BMORE:

(1) Academics--I'm more of an independent type learner, so Hopkins' multitude of research, internship, study abroad and independent research opportunities (hard to find in a University like this) was what grabbed me. The professors, although world-renowned and the best in their fields, were human, and I knew that I wouldn't be just another student here at Hopkins. I'd be able to build long-lasting relationships with my advisors, professors and other mentors, and I definitely have!

(2) Reputation--I must admit, as soon as I saw the high admittance rates for pre-medical students into leading schools, Hopkins had me by the neck. That's when I really got excited about coming here. I knew I would be surrounded by motivated, and ambitious individuals (to say the least), and that expectation has totally been surpassed. Still, after a year and a half of enduring the rigors of Hopkins, I've been even more inspired to persue what seemed like an intangible dream before: changing the world for the better. At Hopkins, you'll find different permutations of this notion ("Knowledge for the World") because it's like a passion for everyone here to affect change (whether in international policy, or the administration of health-care) NOW!

(3) Student Body--Diversity was, and still is, one of my main factors when searching for schools. Some schools that I loved just didn't cut it in terms of fostering a dialogue between various cultures/races on campus. Although I have to say Hopkins has a way to go, the very fact that there is so much cultural awareness within the various groups on campus shows progress from years ago when schools were trying to view everyone under the same blanket. As a Caribbean, and more importantly a Black student, at Hopkins, I feel like I am part of a close-knit community. Although I don't know if this is unique to Hopkins, I am very grateful that multicultural are able to have such a positive self-identity on campus, and with the support of campus organizations such as the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, there's more an open dialogue on campus about issues of diversity, and there's a large support system in place for multicultural students. This was something I didn't expect when coming here.

(4) Although I knew I wanted to pursue becoming a doctor, leaving high school, I really did not know what major I would be. I put History on my application because I loved history in high school; then, over the summer, I decided to test the waters with Chemistry and Writing Seminars (I love writing, and I aced Chem throughout High school...why not?). This flexibility in deciding on the path that you want to take, and the ease of switching between one major and the other, has definitely benefited me. The fact that Hopkins has one of the best Writing Programs in the country, alongside a stellar pre-med advising office, was not a bad deal either. I don't think you can get this much freedom, and support, at other school.s

(5) Location, Location, Location...Maryland was a bit of a trade-off. I've lived in sub-tropical climates all of my life, and wanted a change man. I wanted snow, and seasons, and I wanted to see the leaves start changing color! But then again, I didn't want it to get freakishly cold. Plus, Baltimore is within close proximity to D.C., Philly, New York, Boston....everywhere I wanted to be, without having to live there. Plus, Baltimore (better-known as BMORE) has a unique culture, and its eccentricities are kind of cool. (I only learned this after coming here, but Baltimore has a  lot of museums, its fair share of concert halls, and the arts are much a part of the city.

...The End.

Sorry about being redundant, but since I wrote my most recent blog entry on this topic, I copy and pasted it here. Enjoy!


1. Urban setting. Ask any of my friends and they will confirm for you the fact that I cannot function at all outside of cities. I am from Manhattan so suburbs/country are totally foreign to me and freak me out. I really needed to go to school in an urban setting which you most certainly find in Baltimore. Baltimore is smaller than my hometown and it's actually a really nice change. Once you learn your way around to the different neighborhoods you really get to love Baltimore. There are a lot of cheap and convenient ways around the city. You can take the free shuttle up to the mall or down to the Inner Harbor or a cab to the restaurants in Fell's Point and Little Italy or walk over to Hampden...

2. International Relations. Granted I am a Political Science major now, but I made that decision after I already chose Hopkins (basically I realized I didn't want to have to take language in college and poli sci is like IR without the language requirement). IR is one of the biggest majors at Hopkins and we have one of the best programs. Many of the professors here are extremely well regarded in their field and are authors  who get published in Foreign Affairs and similar journals.

3. Opportunity to study in Washington. As a pre-frosh, I heard about the Aitchison Fellowship in Washington D.C. which allows you to live and study in Washington for a semester. Next fall, I will be in participating in this program which includes two or three political science classes and an internship. Given the proximity to Baltimore, I think I may still be able to take a class at Hopkins in Baltimore once a week. Just hop on the 50 minute long MARC train for $7 and I can easily be back here in time for class!

4. School size. Hopkins has about 4,200 undergraduates which is the perfect size so that you are always meeting new people but there is definitely still a sense of community where you see a lot of the same people around campus and get to know them all.

5. Pretty campus! I love that Hopkins has such a beautiful campus. If you come to an Open House you will see the cherry blossoms out on lower quad, it's really gorgeous. I love that we are able to be in a city but still have a real campus setting.

I came to Hopkins for a couple of reasons:

1) Great IR program. Plain and simple.

2) Great location. I really wanted an urban college experience.

3) Hodson scholarship. I can't say money was a huge factor in college decisions, but my parents were definitely pleased.

4) Really nice campus. It's a great feeling to walk around Hopkins and feel proud to be spending time in a beautiful environment.

PS - Has anyone read Tanious' post?! He chose Hopkins so his kids could be LEGACIES?!

1.) Opportunity- The Public Health Program is ranked number 1 in the country (I've written this before). My professors and even the graduate students who are my TAs are involved in some of the top public health research worldwide- it's amazing.

2.) The Campus- Hopkins is beautiful. I really have a sense of pride in relation to the Homewood campus- there is nothing like it.

3.) Baltimore- I didn't want to go to school in a small town that lacked the feel of a big city. Baltimore is the perfect place for me.

4.) The People- There is someone on this campus from everywhere- your perception of the world changes when exposed to people who come from backgrounds that differ from yours.

5.) Financial Aid- Hopkins was generous with my financial aid package. It does matter...

1. BME - I actually only applied to Hopkins because of the reputation of it's BME program and the opportunities that it gives undergraduates. I never really considered coming here until I learned about some of the things below

2. Scholarship - I was awarded the Hodson Trust scholarship which helped ease the financial burden but also made my choice a whole lot tougher

3. The campus - I visited during an Open House and absolutely loved the campus. It was urban enough that there would actually be things to do off campus, but at the same time, it was a closed campus, not directly in the middle of the city. I also really liked the size of the campus and of the student body - it was bigger than my high school (unlike some other schools) but smaller than some of the huge state schools.

4. The people - When I visited, I actually stayed overnight with one of Toni-Marie's friends. I had a really great time going around campus and visiting the Inner Harbor and really felt like I "clicked" with the student body at Hopkins. The people I met were definitely hard workers (I was here the night before a physics exam), but at the same time they still had fun and had a life. Also, the level of collaboration between students kind of surprised (and impressed) me due to all the myths I had heard about Hopkins - the dorms were full of people studying in groups for the next day's physics exam

5. Strong programs outside of the sciences - Even though I'm a BME major, I've always been interested in international politics and I wanted to go to a school where I wouldn't be limited to taking science classes. Since Hopkins doesn't have a core curriculum, I have the freedom to take whatever classes I want, and with great programs in IR and French (among other things), I've been able to take really cool classes in areas that have nothing to do with my major.