JHU in Baltimore...

Colleges and Universities A-Z Johns Hopkins University
1

<p>Hi all!^^</p>

<p>I'm going to apply to college this fall and quite interested in JHU for its strong international studies, English and history programs but I have some concerns about Baltimore, where JHU is located in. It is said that Baltimore has the highest homicide rates in US and I want to know how safe/unsafe it is on campus?
And what about the city's safety (because attending a college in a city means inevitably experience the city itself)?
Would the "highest homicide rates" affect your life in JHU and Baltimore (for current JHU students and alumni)?</p>

<p>Thx!!!</p>

2

<p>I don’t go to JHU but I’ve lived in Baltimore my whole life. The thing about Baltimore (and most urbanised places) is that nice nieghbourhoods are within a stones throw from the places you want to avoid. You shouldn’t worry about you safety so much that it’s a reason to turn down Hopkins. Just don’t act like an idiot in the places that look sketchy.
The university isn’t located in a terrible area by the way.
As for “experiencing the city” the inner harbour is very nice (although we have had some unfortunate algae blooms…) you can visit the Aquarium there and see the dolphins and see the Orioles at Camden Yards, we have one of the nicest stadiums in the league (and we’re winning this year!!) or a Raven game in the winter.
The best thing I can tell you though is to visit the location of any college you’re considering. It’s the best way to figure out if it’s for you or not.</p>

3

<p>Aaron:</p>

<p>My son and I visited JH last year. We had the same concerns.</p>

<p>However, we found the place to be surprisingly nice.</p>

<p>In fact, we loved the place (unfortunately, he was waitlisted)</p>

<p>I think that if you stay close to campus and aren’t wandering around at 2am, you will be fine.</p>

<p>The area between Johns Hopkins and the Harbor area appeared bad, and the area between Johns Hopkins and the Amtrack station appeared bad.</p>

<p>But the campus, and the area right around it, seemed pretty good.</p>

<p>They even had a bus that takes you to other schools in the area.</p>

4

<p>Thank you Skyeisblue and Floridadad55!!! Your posts are very helpful (:</p>

5

<p>To amplify what has already been said, Baltimore is not a bad or unsafe city; instead, it has some bad and unsafe areas within the city. Most of the violent crime is gang related and involves drug turf wars in the worst neighborhoods. There is never any good reason for a Hopkins student to go into those areas. Truly bad areas are well known and, for the most part, well marked by police who install flashing blue lights and video cams at intersections in those neighborhoods. </p>

<p>The Homewood campus is very safe and the surrounding neighborhoods range from very nice to the north, reasonably nice to the east and west (but don’t go too far east which is sketchy but not terrible), and a bit sketchy to the south. The Hopkins security force (“Hop cops”) are very professional and patrol the neighboring areas as well as campus. As long as you don’t do things that would be stupid in any urban environment (like walking around the neighborhood alone at 2:00 a.m.) you will be fine. If you are unsure about a particular area or neighborhood, ask a Hop Cop for advice. They will give you the straight scoop. </p>

<p>The nice parts of Baltimore are really quite good and there are a lot of things to see and do. While I would not argue that Baltimore is one of the nicest urban environments in the US, it is far from the worst. Most Hopkins students (admittedly not 100%) grow to be at least fond of Baltimore. Some end up loving it. A surprising number of students end up liking it enough to stay and make it home after graduation.</p>

6

<p>Baltimore isn’t a third world hell-hole. But not by much.</p>

<p>It is more dangerous than most American cities. Here’s a link from an article that rates it the 8th most dangerous city in the US:</p>

<p>[National</a> - 24/7 Wall St. - The 10 Most Dangerous Cities in America - The Atlantic](<a href=“The 10 Most Dangerous Cities in America - The Atlantic”>The 10 Most Dangerous Cities in America - The Atlantic)</p>

<p>Here’s a link to an article that talks about the 50 most dangerous cities in the world. Baltimore is 48th. Most dangerous. In the world:</p>

<p>[Borderland</a> Beat: Juarez no longer world homicide king as it drops to second place](<a href=“http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2012/01/juarez-no-longer-world-homicide-king-as.html]Borderland”>Juarez no longer world homicide king as it drops to second place ~ Borderland Beat)</p>

<p>Don’t underestimate how bad Baltimore is. I’ve been to the Hopkins campus any number of times, and it is very nice, very safe. But much of Baltimore is pretty bad.</p>

<p>I live near Baltimore, and have occasion to go there from time to time. I keep my doors locked, my windows up, don’t venture forth without a full tank of gas, and know precisely where I’m going, how to get there, and how to get out as quickly as possible.</p>

7

<p>JHU is on my son’s list,so is Georgetown. GT is in such a nicer location. But academically, JHU seems to have the edge. If it comes down to these two, it would be really hard for him to choose.</p>

8

<p>I agree that Hopkins has the edge academically and that Georgetown has the nicer location. But there are many other factors to consider as well. In particular, the two schools have very different cultures. I’m not suggesting that one is necessarily better or worse, but it is clear to me that many students who love Hopkins would not love Georgetown, and visa versa. </p>

<p>My perception of the cultural differences is necessarily subjective, and obviously one will find many individuals at either place that don’t fit the prevailing stereotypes. That said, here are my impressions:</p>

<p>Georgetown students tend to be rather preppy and well dressed. You will find some preppy students at Hopkins too but the percentages are far smaller. Hopkins students are in general more studious, more serious, and care less about clothing, etc. I know this will make Georgetown fans howl but, frankly, Hopkins simply has a more intellectual character about it.</p>

<p>Georgetown, as a Jesuit institution, has a strong Catholic presence on campus although with a much lighter touch than, e.g., The Catholic University of America which is also in DC. But there are Crucifixes in the classrooms and Jesuit graves on campus. Hopkins, on the other hand, is about as secular a university as you will find. There is a very nice Interfaith Center but it is located on the east side of North Charles St., across the street from the campus.</p>

<p>Politics is a much bigger presence on campus at Georgetown than at Hopkins. You will, of course, find politically active students at Hopkins but I’d say that the vast majority of Hopkins’ students are more focused on their academic work than what’s going on in DC.</p>

<p>Georgetown has almost twice as many undergraduates squeezed unto a much smaller campus than Hopkins. Georgetown feels very cramped and crammed in to me; Hopkins is relatively spacious. I also prefer the architecture at Hopkins over Georgetown, but that is very subjective.</p>

<p>Hopkins’ endowment is more than double Georgetown’s.</p>

<p>Georgetown has basketball; Hopkins has lacrosse (yes I know that Georgetown has a lacrosse team but Georgetown has 0 national champions and Hopkins has 44).</p>

<p>Finally, while the Georgetown section of DC is very tony and has many great stores and restaurants–it tends to be way too expensive for most college students. The areas around the Homewood campus, however, are more geared and oriented toward college students and their budgets. </p>

<p>Just my 2 cents.</p>

9

<p>Georgetown’s “Catholic presence” is nearly imperceptible. Most actual, practicing Catholics consider the school to be less than authentically Catholic. In fact, the author of “The Exorcist,” an alumnus of Georgetown and a Catholic, is suing Georgetown University in ecclesiastical court for its failure to adequately uphold its Catholic identity.</p>

<p>Although many shops and restaurants in Georgetown target upper income types, there are also a number of restaurants and eateries that cater to the college crowd with less-expensive (but often just as tasty) offerings.</p>

10

<p>Bonanza and nitjoe, you are both informative. I will let my son worry about it if it ever comes to that. I guess in the end, it will be the dollars that will be the deciding factor.</p>

11

<p>Thx bonanza and notjoe xD!</p>

12

<p>hzhao2004,</p>

<p>My own view is that I wouldn’t let the nastiness that is Baltimore get in the way of my son going to Hopkins. Life is full of danger. Baltimore is nastier than, say, DC or New York. But it’s not as bad as Cape Town, South Africa, or any one of a large number of large Latin American cities. And Hopkins really is a great school.</p>

<p>My son was accepted at Hopkins, and the crime rate of Baltimore was not what prevented him from accepting.</p>

13

<p>I’ve lived in Chicago, London, Paris, D.C., and Baltimore. I followed the same rule in all of these cities: Don’t walk alone in the middle of the night. And guess what? I was fine.</p>

14

<p>This is a question that is continually asked about Hopkins, and I think it’s a unanimous consensus that as long as you are smart and don’t go out of your way looking for trouble you will be fine.</p>

<p>I have not met anyone who has had a problem with Baltimore beyond a few exceptional incidences which you can find out about online. All schools have problems at times, and Hopkins is no exception. However, the idea that students are in constant danger of being mugged or assaulted is just plain wrong. There is plenty of security around the campus and as long as you are smart about when and where you get in Baltimore, you will be just fine.</p>

<p>I would judge schools based on their other merits, not necessarily the perception of crime (unless you are very worried). Quite often it’s overblown, as it seems to be at Hopkins.</p>

15

<p>by the way, Hopkins was ranked #1 for safest schools by Reader’s Digest. Baltimore may not be the greatest city, but the Hopkins security is really really good. As long as you have street smarts (don’t walk far from campus at night alone, don’t walk down dark alleys/areas hidden from streets, etc.), you’ll be fine.</p>

16

<p>you have nothing to worry about as far as the immediate hopkins campus goes. security is posted 24/7. i’ve gone out at 3 am on weekday just to grab some subway and never felt scared. use common sense and don’t wander into those dingy looking areas (you’ll know when you see it). you have to worry more about getting hit by cars (drivers are sometimes reckless) than getting mugged, shot, stabbed, raped, etc.</p>

17

<p>I live in Baltimore, crime is bad in certain areas, I’d be more concerned with the night life. It is not terrible, but I prefer a livelier club scene and better shopping. Obviously not a make or break, but it is good to know…
Good luck</p>