Introduction

Going to Johns Hopkins was the best school I could have chosen ... but I am a certain type of person. There were certainly many at the school who were not satisfied. In fact, the school seems to be divided between people that love it and people that hate it. Therefore, it's very important to get a good idea of the environment before you go.

Academics

As far as academics go, it would be hard to find a more challenging place. There is absolutely no grade inflation here unlike any of the other top schools. You can expect to graduate Hopkins with lower GPAs than the other schools. Fortunately, from my experience, it seems that most grad, law, and med schools realize this and adjust accordingly. Also, high marks from Hopkins seem to go a lot longer.

Social Life

The social life at Hopkins is what you make it. Baltimore isn't a great city, but provides some fun outlets. Greek life is also pretty scarce. The social climate was perfect for me because I would rather go out to dinner and see a movie than go to bars anyday. If fraternities and bar hopping is your thing, though, you might want to pick another school. There are frats and there are parties, but nothing like going to a state school.

Social Communities

The people at Hopkins are usually very segregated into groups (the engineers, the theatre people, the musical people, the bookworms, the frat boys etc). If you can find your niche, you'll be hanging out with the same group of people for four years. I enjoyed that, but some people want more of a variety.

Sports

Sports at Hopkins, besides lacrosse, is almost non-existant. Almost no one goes to football games (intramurals seem to get more attendence). Lacrosse is of course very big, and if you like the sport you'll have no trouble fitting in.

Conclusion

All in all, Hopkins was a great experience for me. I have found lifelong friends, gotten an outstanding education, and really feel that I worked for my grades. It's definately meant for a particular type of student, however. Feel free to write me if you have any more questions.



Recommended: Yes