<p>Title pretty much says it all. I'm interested in studying economics, German, Spanish, and Latin, and then maybe going to business school. I'll probably major in economics and minor in a language. </p>
<p>I've been accepted to all of these places. I want a college environment that is academic, without a lot of fraternities and partying. </p>
<p>So what is my best bet?</p>
<p>All three are good choices. Academically, it won’t make a major difference as an undergraduate; if you were talking graduate school, than Hopkins would be the clear winner (obviously, Reed wouldn’t even be in the running). </p>
<p>Hopkins and Tufts are both smallish research universities. Reed is very different as a LAC and hard to compare with the other two. There are a lot of pros and cons about LAC’s versus research universities—too many to get into here. Suffice it to say that they are very different experiences and its not a matter of right and wrong, but rather preference. In my experience, I’ve found that people who went to a large, impersonal public high school benefit the most from the nurturing environment found at places like Reed. Conversely, people who have already experienced that type of environment in high school are typically ready to experience more of the self directed and challenging environment of a research university. </p>
<p>I’ve always thought of Hopkins as a bit of a hybrid. The first two years are pretty college like. The last two years are pretty much like graduate school. I found that to be an attraction–but obviously reasonable people can have other opinions.</p>
<p>Comparing Tuft with JHU is easy. While Tufts is a very good school and a perfectly fine option as an undergraduate–I can’t think of a single department at Tufts which is considered better than its counterpart at Hopkins. There may be some (I’m not an expert in every department) but I think that its not an overstatement to suggest that Hopkins is stronger in almost every academic area where the two compete (yes, I know that Tufts has a dental school and vet school but they don’t really impact on undergraduates; Hopkins has music conservatory, a school of public health, a nursing school, a graduate education school and a business school–all of which, to some degree, do impact on undergraduates). The premier programs at Tufts include the Fletcher School–which is a notch below Hopkins’ SAIS, and its medical School–which is a few notches below Hopkins. </p>
<p>Perhaps the biggest difference between Hopkins and Tufts is location related. Both are about the same difference from the centers of their respective cities and Charles Village and Medford/Sommerville have similar demographics… Boston and Baltimore are similar in size and, while I happen to like Baltimore and believe it is a fine place to spend a few years as a student–few would argue that it is comparable to Boston. But the problem is that Tufts has Harvard and MIT nearby and everyone at Tufts knows that Tufts, as good as it is, is not in the same league as those two. Hopkins, on the other hand, is clearly the top school between Philadelphia and Durham (sorry Georgetown but its true) and that, as crazy as it may be, does have an impact students’ self confidence and perception. I’m not suggesting that this should necessarily be a major factor in your decision, but it is something to think about.</p>
<p>Whatever you decide, good luck.</p>
<p>I agree with almost all of the comments above. I think the prospects coming out of Hopkins are strong but most importantly I think it offers are a strong, complete undergraduate experience with great academics and a very active student life in music, theatre, arts, academics, cultural groups, athletics, clubs and organizations which really are active. </p>
<p>Globally, Hopkins also has a very strong brand recognition overseas which Tufts/Reed definitely do not have as of yet. So if your prospects want to take you overseas - Hopkins will take you a long way. </p>
<p>I suggest going to visit the campus.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>As an econ major, I can talk a little bit about the economics department at Hopkins. The department itself is extremely small (about 15 faculty) but they’re very productive. Unfortunately, you’re going to have a tough time doing research in the econ department but you can write a senior thesis if you want to, which I am planning to do. Because the department is small, you’ll probably get to take multiple classes with the same professors so you can get to know them. Professor Ball has been my favorite professor so far in the department, but there are several other good ones.</p>
<p>I was in a similar situation. For me, it was down to Hopkins v. Tufts, for an economics major (I am now econ / applied math).</p>
<p>I choose Hopkins over Tufts and am very glad that I did so. As mentioned above, the econ department is small, but I feel like because many people here study public health, IR, bme, etc. it is easier to stand out as an economics major. I’ve personally found professors to be fairly accessible, I guess it depends alot on the professor.</p>
<p>And Hopkins is very academically driven/focused, so you’ll definitely get that here.</p>