I am a former grad student of JHU’s AAP program in DC. I wanted share my experience in the program, because there is not enough information out there for prospective students, in my opinion. If I could offer one word of advice to prospective grad students in DC who are considering JHU, it would be to apply to other, perhaps lesser known, universities in the area (even if it means having to take the GRE or GMAT, which AAP doesn’t require) to get a broad perspective on what you need out of a graduate school and what other schools in the area can offer.
You need to seriously consider whether Hopkins is worth attending for its name alone because that’s all you’ll get with this program. My year-long ordeal at JHU was fraught with disappointment – namely a complete lack of academic support or student services. I felt so lost and unsupported during my time at JHU that I actually fell into something of an existential crisis for which I had to seek professional psychological help (the only time in my life I’ve had to do such a thing). During my time at JHU, I never once met my academic advisor. Professors were utterly unavailable in the times that I asked for additional guidance. There was no sense of student community or intellectual “buzz” within AAP. The (one) time that I reached out to career services, they actually refused to meet with me. I had to remind them that I pay thousands of dollars to JHU and that I have a right to what little time I was asking for. Even the financial aid office, which is on the main campus, managed to screw up my financial aid package – I am still trying to resolve the issue more than 6 months after withdrawing from the program. JHU’s response to my concerns or complaints was to remind me that I was a graduate student, not an undergraduate, and to have me take responsibility for my experience there. I mistakenly internalized this message, which led to a tremendous amount of personal damage, emotionally and academically. I withdrew from the institution after an incredibly difficult year and was sure I would never attend graduate school again. Today, I am happily enrolled at another graduate school in DC, one that offers support and nurture, and I can clearly see that my terrible experience at JHU was largely the fault of AAP’s failures as an institution. Looking back, I should have withdrawn after the first class when I first saw serious signs of trouble.
The reality is that JHU’s part-time grad programs simply don’t have the capacity to support students as human beings. They are merely a source of revenue for the university. If you’re someone who thinks that you can get through graduate school without any academic, professional, or emotional support then, by all means, ignore this message and plow full-steam ahead into AAP. If you think you might encounter even the slightest struggle during your graduate school experience (and the natural course of life dictates that you will) then I would encourage you to look to a university that sees you as a human being and that will support your academic, personal and emotional growth in every reasonable capacity.
That was my experience in the AAP program at JHU. I hope it will offer someone a bit of insight and direction in their grad school decision-making. Choosing a grad school should not be an easy decision – be wary of any institution (school, work, church, etc.) that has the ability to shape your life in a profound way. And try to make the best decision for YOU, even if it means steering clear of name brands and ignoring rankings/prestige.