For parents who children are thinking about Hopkins...

Colleges and Universities A-Z Johns Hopkins University
1

<p>I'm a parent of a freshman at Hopkins and, I've got to tell you, I couldn't be happier that my daughter is there!!</p>

<p>Not only is she having a great time in her studies, but she's made wonderful friends and is having the time of her life!</p>

<p>I thought I might address a few concerns that some of you may have at this point, based on what I was concerned about a year ago...</p>

<p>SAFETY
You've probably all heard about the safety issues a few years back. The effort Hopkins put into addressing this problem is truly impressive. I feel completely confident in the safety of the Homewood Campus and the areas where students live off campus. I especially like that I can keep tabs on any safety issues online: <a href="http://www.jhu.edu/%7Esecurity/online_blotter.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.jhu.edu/%7Esecurity/online_blotter.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>QUALITY OF THE EDUCATION
My daughter's studying International Relations, and 3 of her 5 classes this semester have fewer than 20 students. For the big lecture classes, her TA's have been really helpful. I'm extremely happy with the education she's getting at Hopkins.</p>

<p>FOOD
You may have heard that Hopkins' food was ranked some of the worst in the country a couple of years back. That has completely changed this year, again thanks to Hopkins' excellent response to dealing with shortcomings. My daughter loves to tell her brother (who's at Brown) about the fresh strawberries and raspberries and made-to-order pastas available at the Hopkins dining hall.</p>

<p>HOUSING
Another issue in the past -- Hopkins only guarantees housing for the first two years. This past fall, Hopkins opened a new dorm for upperclassmen that is just beautiful! I hope there are more plans in the works to continue to increase upperclassmen housing -- we parents especially appreciate it!</p>

<p>STUDENTS
My daughter has made so many wonderful friends at Hopkins. The orientation week starts things off beautifully, with all sorts of really entertaining events to help the kids get to know one another. She's also joined one of the many Hopkins a cappella groups, and each and every one of those singers is just a delight to be around. I can't say enough about the wonderful people at the school.</p>

<p>Okay, so those are some things off the top of my head. Any questions or concerns you 'd like answered by a current parent? Let me know!</p>

2

<p>Hi singme! I have a few questions for you, thank you in advance.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>I know this question has been asked 100 times before, but I wanted to hear an answer from the perspective of a parent, not a current student or admissions officer. In all the books that I read, Johns Hopkins is described as "overly rigorous", and the workload is considered "Herculean". Would you say that your daughter has found the workload to be unnecessarily difficult, in comparison to students say at Georgetown or Tufts? In other words, is the workload really as difficult and rigorous as the books say? Is it too challenging? I will be visiting JHU in April but am curious to hear what a positive, knowledgeable parent has to say before that time.</p></li>
<li><p>Is it true that freshman are placed in mandatory study groups of 7-8 students? I read that somewhere, I think it is a great idea and I was wondering if you could elaborate on that if it is true.</p></li>
<li><p>Are teachers accessible? Do they care about their undergrad students? If your daughter is having trouble with a particular area of work, can she easily get help from her professor? </p></li>
</ol>

<p>Thank you in advance!</p>

3

<p>Hi kpm,</p>

<ol>
<li><p>I feel that my daughter works hard, but not too hard. She still has lots of time to hang with friends and rehearse with her singing group 3 nights a week. Grading is more rigorous than say at Brown, where about half the students get A's. It may well be different in the engineering and sciences tracks, but for my daughter, the workload is manageable. (But she also is really good at scheduling her time.)</p></li>
<li><p>I don't think the study groups are mandatory, but I do know that my daughter was in a study group last semester, which she found helpful. But again, it may be different for engineering/sciences. Haven't heard much about study groups this semester...I'll ask my daughter.</p></li>
<li><p>I know that all the professors have regular open office hours. In her smaller classes, it's easy for her to interact with her professors; for the larger lecture classes, it seems she goes to her TAs for help instead of the professor. I know that one of her TAs this semester has been very helpful, and she gets a lot out of the sections.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>(by the way, it annoys the heck out of me that I mistyped the title of this thread - and there's no way to correct it...oh well...!)</p>

4

<p>Hopkins is not for everyone and any student who applies or considers accepting admission should consider issues of "fit." Some of the factors have already been mentioned. </p>

<p>Academic rigor should be considered. Many Hopkins students are brilliant and few of them might get by without some serious effort. For the more average student, the challenge will be greater. Kids who had all A's in high school may find themselves working hard to get B's or C's. I see this as an issue of fit. Most kids who come to Hopkins will meet the challenges, grow, and excel. A few will be overly stressed and would be happier in an easier environment where they are at the top of the class and continue to be rewarded with easy A's. Grades can also be a concern for graduate or medical school admissions. I don't see this as a negative. Graduate and medical schools know Hopkins and they know the students are challenged and are not all going to have high gpa's.</p>

<p>Hopkins has an exceptional faculty. Not every faculty member or every lecture will be great. My D has had some complaints about faculty members who were difficult to understand and were not always inspired. She has also learned that she is responsible for her own progress and learning. </p>

<p>Hopkins doesn't do a lot of babysitting. The students are expected to take responsibility for themselves. Maybe some departments or faculty members set up study groups but that has not happened for my D. She has found some study buddies, but her efforts and study techniques are her own responsibility. Hopkins has not demanded much in the way of advising. My D is now in her second year and is struggling with some academic and health issues. It took a little parental nagging, but she reached out for help and found it. She now has advisors, faculty members and a dean who are helping her. She will get past her crisis and back on track. As parents we still have our concerns but it is great to know that Hopkins is 100% there for her.</p>

<p>Hopkins is a long way from being an undergrad LAC. Hopkins is a big U with a lesser feeling of community. This is not helped by the lack of dorms.
My D has not had these concerns. She is double degree and chose the Peabody campus which is if anything too much of a tight community. She spends a lot of time at Homewood and her friends are from both campuses. She just got her apartment for next year and is exciting about living out of the dorms. Hopkins may not be the right school for someone who would be happier at a small undergrad LAC. </p>

<p>Hopkins does has a lot of enthusiasm for LAX, but does not have cheerleading, marching bands and big time sports. Hopkins might not be the right place for someone who see these as an essential part of the college experience. My D got her spectator fix at a couple of LAX and Orioles games.</p>

<p>So far I have concentrated mainly on factors which are likely to be considered negatives. I will end by adding that my D and a host of her friends love Hopkins and feel very fortunate to be able to attend. Last summer she took a couple of courses at the local State U. She was not very impressed. She returned to Hopkins in the Fall feeling even more enthusiastic.</p>

5

<p>Gold stars for both "singme" and "edad". I could not have said any of this better and it is so honest and true. I am so glad to hear that both of your daughters are Hopkins undergrads, and through the ups and downs that you all agree it was the right decision.</p>

<p>Thank you for providing the parents on this forum and honest view of life at JHU. You make my job much easier!!!</p>

6

<p>I have a few minutes so I will add a few more observations.</p>

<p>The safety issue has been discussed excessively. On campus security is second to none. Baltimore does have some rough areas which should be avoided at night. The inner harbor area is popular and safe at any time. Overall, Baltimore is a good city for college students. Baltimore has a number of good museums. I especially like the Walters because I am most familiar with the Mount Vernon area. A day trip to the museums and attractions in Washington DC is also feasible and very inexpensive by rail.</p>

<p>A couple of years ago the food at Homewood was at best moderately good and at Peabody just short of gross. There has been a huge improvement. My D is a picky eater and a vegan. Even she has decided that the food is pretty good.</p>

<p>I know policies and the resident life administrators at Peabody and am very impressed. The RA's get a lot of training and have the support of a superb staff. Drug and alcohol abuse is a major problem for many schools. Peabody is very aggressive in dealing with this issue and that includes not ignoring students who return to campus in an unsatisfactory condition. I am not sure about Homewood, but I believe that Peabody reflects the overall approach of Hopkins. Students can always find drugs and alcohol and party off campus but these seem to be a minimal part of the Hopkins culture. I highly recommend that every parent look at this issue for any school which is being considered.</p>

<p>Clearly, I am biased but I would like to point out the music opportunities at Hopkins. Peabody is one of the nation's best music conservatories. Lessons at Peabody are available for all students. Students with strong skills can also join the Peabody performance groups and those with lesser skill will find many opportunities at Homewood. There are only a very small number of colleges, like Yale, Oberlin or U Rochester, which provide this level of music opportunity for a non-music major.</p>

7

<p>Well, said, edad. I have also written extensively about what I see as a remarkable and positive experience, for my son. A couple of comments. I believe that there is now enough housing for ALL undergraduate students. The new and magnificent Charles Commons has made up for any shortfalls. I only wish that my son would choose to live in there, as opposed to living off campus, next year. But I guess this desire for independence is part of the whole college/growing experience.
In terms of advising, again, here I have seen nothing but caring, interested advisors. Also, all professors have been extremely responsive to issues raised by my son.
Now, about the rigour of the academic environment. My son went to a challenging high school, one which also demanded a lot for a grade of "A." In fact, "A" grades were fairly uncommon. While my son does not have to kill himself to do well at Hopkins, he does have to do his work. But, as he did in high school, he tries to remember that no one there is going to give him a free ride...And if I glean from my conversations with him that he is going overboard with his extracurriculars and social life....which is really who he is...I remind him to stay on top of things, and by and large, he has. In fact, Hopkins expectations are good for him, because he knows that in order to do well, he MUST do his work. No slipping by, which is good. Life rarely allows us to slip by. He is currently a member of a prestigious honor society, based on his grades and contributions to the school. He accomplished this by doing his work, and having tons of fun.
I will say what I have said, over and over. The kids need to do their work
but there is soooo much opportunity for fun. And Baltimore is a really nice town.
Let me say this about the kids at Hopkins. And I think that this is important. So far, I have met wonderful, balanced, interesting, and unspoiled young men and women. No one who feels that his education is owed him. No one with unbearable and immature attitudes. I have another child who is a graduate of a very highly rated LAC, and an ivy law school. The attitudes of the students and most importantly, the faculty and administrators was very different. A lot of a college decision depends upons what you want for your child, and what your child wants for himself. I think it is a mistake to think about that decision purely in terms of rankings, although I do understand the value to those, and all things being equal, I would probably go for the more academically prestigious school. But, all things are never equal. The college experience is very formative, and has a huge impact on the development of your child.
I think so highly of Hopkins in all of these regards. In all ways, they really do try to be there for the kids. But these questions about how hard a student will have to work? I say, don't worry about that. Let your child stretch him/herself. In the end, he will only be proud of his accomplishments.
BRAVO, HOPKINS, for having your priorites straight!
If anyone would like to pm me, please do. I am more than happy to give you additional info. Best to you all.</p>

8

<p>I want to clarify a few things that have been posted by parents above, just to add a student point of view & provide the most recent info: </p>

<ul>
<li><p>There are NOT mandatory study groups; when I was a freshman, you could CHOOSE to enter this special program where you took a set of three classes together with a small group of other students, effectively creating study groups that had advisers available. As far as I know, this is no longer a program being instituted, because the informal groups discussed above are more dominant.</p></li>
<li><p>There is still not <em>guaranteed</em> on-campus housing for upperclassmen. This year, everyone who wanted on-campus housing got it; however, for next year, that is not the case (many juniors wanted to remain, and many sophomores wanted to spend their upperclassmen years in on-campus options too...). There are movements to add even MORE on-campus housing, but you shouldn't think that everyone currently has that option. In general, though, the large majority that would like to has been able to do so. </p></li>
<li><p>There IS actually a cheerleading squad, and a pep band. Both of them are relatively small compared to a D1 school, but they have very committed, very enthusiastic members - you will see them at EVERY LAX game, cheering & leading The Nest (the student section) in supporting the team.</p></li>
</ul>

9

<p>I just have to say this has become my favorite thread on College Confidential of all times. Whenever someone in the future asks me about the positive aspects of CC, I will refer to this thread. So much better than asking questions about what are my chances for admissions, or questions comparing one school to the other, or posts trashing schools. </p>

<p>Bravo!!!</p>

10

<p>Can anyone here tell me about the strength of the engineering department (the non-biomed part)? I'm originally a Baltimorean, so I know how wonderful Baltimore is. My son is thrilled to have gotten into Johns Hopkins, but we're trying to get a sense of the strength of Electrical & Computer Engineering at Hopkins. Also, how easy is it for an undergrad (even in the first year or so) to get a research position with a faculty member?</p>

<p>Thanks. I like this post too.</p>

11

<p>OK, I am in Admissions so I know you will take everything I say with a bit of skepticism...</p>

<p>...but with that being said I am huge fan of the ECE department at Hopkins. I have worked with the department regularly this past year to increase its visibility on-campus and with prospective students. Here are just a few things I would highlight:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Great info about ECE can be found here:
<a href="http://engineering.jhu.edu/%7Eadmissions/ece/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://engineering.jhu.edu/~admissions/ece/&lt;/a>
and check out the links for ECE Happenings and Who are we?</p></li>
<li><p>If you can, come visit and try to meet with staff or faculty from the Dept. They absolutely can help. If you are arranging a visit and want to connect with someone, send an email to <a href="mailto:engineeringinfo@jhu.edu">engineeringinfo@jhu.edu</a>.</p></li>
<li><p>The largest construction project on campus right now is a brand new Computational Sciences building which the ECE department will be involved with -- new research facilities are going to be quite impressive.</p></li>
<li><p>Bioengineering programs do at times overshadow the rest of the Engineering programs through the Whiting School, but I can assure you they are stiil strong, research based programs. Hopkins Engineering is interesting because you get to be involved with an amazing Engineering school while also attending a school with excellent liberal arts programs.</p></li>
<li><p>And yes, many freshmen at Hopkins with just a little initiative can arrange research positions.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>Hope that helps.</p>

12

<p>I just want to thank all of the great students and parents of current students at JHU. But most of all I want to thank Daniel. My son was accepted last week at JHU and has found all of you extremely helpful in making his decision - not just on this site, but on the blogs, facebook etc. He couldn't be more excited about attending JHU next year - thank you.</p>

13

<p>Doing research in any major is extremely easy. In fact, it was the deciding factor for me choosing JHU. I talked to my advisor about who might be doing research that is interesting to me. The first person I met with offered me a position and I've been involved with his group ever since. I am actually finishing up a bs/mse in this lab this year and it has been the best part of my Hopkins experience. I've found what I want to do for the rest of my life.</p>

14

<p>I was accepted to Hopkins with a Merit Scholarship. My concern was that, if I decide not to pursue biology anymore, that other areas of study are not as strong. I know Hopkins has strong med/biology, but what about the other areas? I am trying to decide between Hopkins or Berkeley. Thanks</p>

15

<p>karenness, that is a common (and reasonable) concern, but one that is honestly 100% unfounded at Hopkins. It's true that many people DO end up changing their major, so this is definitely something you should be thinking about when choosing a school. Luckily, it's not a problem at Hopkins (where even pre-meds choose to change their majors, to allow them to pursue something else they are passionate about, even if they DO want to study medicine in the future). </p>

<p>Hopkins has top 10 programs in disciplines as diverse as biomedical engineering, writing seminars, history, art history, environmental studies/engineering, international studies...there are fantastic smaller departments like philosophy, sociology, classics, theatre arts, history of science medicine & technology. And even if you don't find biology specifically to be your cup of tea, you might want to major in behavioral bio, neuroscience, cognitive science, psychology, or any number of the bioengineering options. </p>

<p>Because Hopkins, unlike MANY other schools, has NO CORE CURRICULUM, it is really almost trivially easy to switch your major and still graduate on time (this is often very difficult at public institutions, not sure if it's the case at Berkeley). You don't have to, for instance, take a freshman writing class or math, or even a foreign language, unless required by your major...so there is a ton of flexibility. You simply have to fulfill some distribution requirements by taking a number of classes outside your area of concentration (so a bio major has to take a handful of humanities/social science classes, for instance). That way, you don't have to worry about switching your major (it is quite common) or adding a major/minor at some point. </p>

<p>In general, I know a LOT of people who switched from bio/premed into something else. They did it, in many cases, not because they didn't like bio anymore, but rather because they found something else that they enjoyed even more. Some of them stayed premed & just chose to major in something else (like philosophy, writing, history, sociology), and some changed their career goals entirely. It's definitely a common thing to happen at college, JHU is just an example of a school that makes such a transition pretty easy.</p>

16

<p>bump ... i just really like the information on this thread.</p>

17

<p>Can anyone comment on the strength (or weakness) of the history department at JHU?</p>

18

<p>Karenness,</p>

<p>Read the Berkley thread. We've been doing just that, and it is far from what my son and I expected. Does not seem to be all it's supposed to be at all. Many negatives. It went from top choice (admitted) to likely a poor match. (there's always grad school).</p>

19

<p>:Admitted: above should be "accepted, (and declined by us).</p>

20

<p>JHU's history department is known for small, discussion-based, courses lead by faculty. Also, Dean's Teaching Fellowships are some of the most popular classes available to undergrads. </p>

<p>The kind of history taught in these classes depends largely on the interests of individual professors, but in general **it has very little to do with the kind of narrative history taught in secondary school **with its emphasis on names and dates and asking students to remember "what happened?" at a given place or time. In comparison, history at Hopkins, while it generally has a narrative thread, is primarily issue- and topic-oriented. Students are introduced to the complexities of historical causation as well to areas of the past that rarely find their way into high school history courses. In general, the idea is to allow students to appreciate the variety of history, how history comes to be written and understood, and its relevance to both the present and future.</p>

<p>History at Hopkins is both a social scientific and humanistic discipline, and for this reason history courses are coded both "H" ( for humanities credit) and "S" (for credit in the social sciences). This double coding reflects the complexity of a subject which, depending on the professor and the particular subject examined, can be regarded as a "process" that seemingly obeys certain, still poorly-understood laws, but also a discipline that regards each individual moment in history as individual and unique. In practice, students will find that the "hard" side of history (demographic and economic history, and certain aspects of social history as well) mixes quite well with the "soft" side, with its emphasis on cultural and intellectual history. Nevertheless, whatever the particular brand of history purveyed in an individual course, the overarching idea is to allow students to deepen their understanding of (and appreciation for) the historical process itself.</p>

<p>*History at Hopkins is also an "art" to the extent that it generally requires considerable reading, in both primary and secondary sources, and a considerable amount of writing. * For this reason, most history courses are officially coded *"writing intensive." **They tend also to entail **independent research **and the confection of term papers of varying lengths. In doing these projects, students learn how to assimilate and synthesize their research and to present their findings clearly and legibly, an invaluable skill and one that can be put to use in a variety of careers. They also learn to work on their own and, in so doing, master self-motivation, another skill that proves useful for life after graduation. In fact, for these reasons, history provides a broad, useful training for a variety of **careers, particularly law, business, foundations, government, teaching, the public sector, etc. * A few (only a very few) elect to become historians.</p>