<p>Sorry to be posting one of these "versus" threads but I could really use some different perspectives on this crazy choice I have to make. </p>
<p>So I visited JHU and I loved it. The campus are beautiful, the food is good, the dorms are spacious, the people are nice, and Baltimore rocks! Plus I'm a Woodrow Wilson Fellow so that's an added bonus because I hope to go into a career in medical research (like MD/PhD) in the future. Really all the negative things about JHU on CC (bad food, bad area, antisocial ppl) all were false which was good in a sense (bad in another sense because it makes this decision so much harder). </p>
<p>So I asked some of the student guides to give their opinion of JHU vs. Brown and most told me JHU is far more "intense" than Brown and the research opps are better at JHU. </p>
<p>So I'm kind of torn because I can either go to JHU which has amazing research that's relevant to my career aspirations but also a "harsh" grading system or I can go to Brown which has a good undergraduate experience, somewhat easier grading system, but not as much medical research going on.</p>
<p>I hope I'm not trying to sound lazy, but given the fact I want to spend a significant amount of time on research during my college years I think I need to take into account the rigor of a school. </p>
<p>As always, any help will be greatly appreciated!!!</p>
<p>What a great choice to have the opportunity to make. Here is the response from my husband who is a Dean and in charge of the MD/PhD program at a major East Coast Medical School:
When we make our decisions on admissions, we are well aware of the grading strategies of different institutions and we take it in to consideration. If you are serious about the MD/PhD route or a career in research then you will be better served by an undergraduate institution that offers you a rigorous experience in the classroom and the lab. I had to choose between Brown and Hopkins 37 years ago- I chose Hopkins and I have never looked back.</p>
<p>Grading isn't really harsh--it's tough. But it's not a non-existent like at Brown. Don't let the fear of hard grading get to you. It hit me the summer before I went to Hopkins, and I realize now that it was totally irrational.</p>
<p>From what it sounds like, it seems like you've identified Hopkins as a great fit for you... and they have found a fit in you as well with a Woodrow Wilson Research Fellowship... that's AMAZING. Congratulations - I hear those are tough to get ($10K as a research grant or something right?)</p>
<p>I wouldn't worry about anything else but fit... and besides aren't the first semester grades all pass/fail? You'll have Hopkins figured out by second semester easily! </p>
<p>What kind of research are you going to use your WWR Fellowship on?</p>
<p>First semester grades are "covered" at JHU - transcript is pass/fail unless you decide to transfer after freshman year when they will be uncovered for the school you want to go to. Each student does receive his "actual" grades from his advisor. For my son it looks like there is grade INFLATION at Hopkins as he had A-,A-, A, A+, A+ for the first semester.</p>
<p>So I visited Brown and I loved it just as much as I loved Hopkins. They really seem to stress an undergraduate focus and while their facilities are not as immense as Hopkins, I saw some very interesting cancer labs (which is the field I hope to conduct my research in). </p>
<p>I'm really unsure because JHU's research is so immense but Brown has a really good environment where I wouldn't be constantly worrying about studying and might have some time for research (or that foreign thing called a social life). And the WWR Grant makes everything even more difficult.</p>
<p>"For my son it looks like there is grade INFLATION at Hopkins as he had A-,A-, A, A+, A+ for the first semester."</p>
<p>May I ask what your son is majoring in? And for the record, just because your son is doing extremely well doesn't mean there is grade inflation. It just means he is smart. By the way, freshman year is not an indication of things to come.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>look for some cancer labs at brown and JHU that you are interested in. my guess is that you will be able to find dozens at both places, but it may help if you are more drawn to a particular lab. this page shows 185 faculty members and 13 specific on-going projects involved in cancer research at brown
<a href="http://research.brown.edu/research/searchresults.php%5B/url%5D">http://research.brown.edu/research/searchresults.php</a></p></li>
<li><p>decide what type of peers you want to be around. are you interested in interacting regularly students with varied interests? artists, future politicians, hollywood producers, writers, CEO's, etc.?</p></li>
<li><p>decide what type of college life you would like to have and which school would best facilitate that</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Scorp: You're correct. I should have noted that son is part of the "other Hopkins" as a Writing Sems major. Those grades included no science courses. Its likely far more difficult to get As in engineering classes. Although he is "smart" I don't expect he can stay quite at that level going forward.</p>