Hi CC,
I’m currently a hs senior and was lucky enough to get into Johns Hopkins, Georgetown, and Tufts (and some more). I am an international student (South Korea) and am currently spending my senior year in Spain. That means I won’t be able to attend any of the events for admitted students. I do like Tufts, but since I prefer JHU and Georgetown to Tufts, I’m getting rid of Tufts from my list. So it really comes down to Hopkins and Georgetown.
I am planning on majoring in International Studies (or something similar), but I definitely want a more focused area of study than the inevitably broad academic field that is IS. I am interested in Georgetown Walsh’s International Economics and JHU’s double-major program called Global Social Change and Development (IS & Sociology). Though I’m very into learning the global context of economics and sociology, I am NOT into PoliSci or Public Policy studies. I do love learning languages (If I could, I would only take languages courses), but I don’t think I would really need a degree in languages. I can still take language courses without major in them or take them abroad during summers or even after college, and that would not have any impact on my proficiency in my target languages. However, (sorry if I sound arrogant but I really do believe in this) since I truly believe I have great talents in languages, I might end up double-majoring in a language program. Yet I am pretty sure I would end up double majoring or minoring in a program that I can only take at such a prestigious and high-caliber school like JHU and GU.
I plan on moving off campus as soon as possible (I think), am still not sure if I want a more pre-professional education or not, don’t really care if the school is cut-throat or not, am perfectly fine with Baltimore over DC, not sure if I want to go to grad school or not but would prefer not to. The price would be about the same, dorm quality and weather don’t matter at all.
I am still unsure what industry I’d like to work in, but I couldn’t be more sure that I want to work and live all around the world. As such, global networking is essential, especially that in Europe and possibly Asia.
So below are some pros and cons of both schools from my point of view:
Johns Hopkins
Pros
- can double major
- slightly better academic reputation (in general) → important for me b/c I’m not that into politics/IR and would like to double major in sth that’s not IS-/IR-related
- since I’m not that into PoliSci, JHU’s IS program could be a better fit?
- more flexibility regarding tailor the IS major to my personal interests
- would like to move off-campus at some point
- feel like, if I’m not sure about many things (ex. pre-professional or not, what to major in besides IS, etc), Hopkins would be a better choice
- heard many rumors about its lack of social life, but also heard that it’s not so much like that for Humanities majors?
- lack of core curriculum (hate theology) → (+ double major) more flexibility
Cons
- small community for humanities/IS compared to Georgetown/Walsh
- JHU’s IS program only that prestigious on a graduate school level?
- originally was not worried about Hopkins’ “cut-throat” culture but have been hearing many rumors about how bad it is
(Is it true?) - Like both DC and Baltimore, but prefer DC slightly more
- more opportunities/internships in DC
Georgetown (I won’t repeat what I’ve already written for JHU)
Pros
- More prestige & public recognition in IS/IR programs?
- more like-minded peers (IS/Humanities/Languages)
- like DC
- like both JHU’s GSCD (IS & Sociology double major program) and Walsh’s Int’l Econ but if I had to choose only one, would choose Walsh’s Int’l Econ.
- but at the same time would be fine with both for JHU’s IS program’s flexibility
- greater international network
Cons
- not into politics, so not really sure if its proximity to the Hill would really help me
- would want to study econ/sociology, which might be stronger in general at Hopkins
- CAN’T double major
+) Which school has a better program in Sociology and Anthropology?
Please help me! Any comments, corrections, suggestions, advice?