Johns Hopkins or Duke?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Johns Hopkins University
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<p>I've been reading other answers to this question and general info on both schools (I also attended JHU's SOHOP and will be visiting Duke for Blue Devil Days next week, but I'm still a little stuck on my decision. </p>

<p>Issues:</p>

<p>Campus: JHU - It's beautiful, and everything seems to be more accessible (I've heard that Duke's is beautiful too, but in a different way; I guess this doesn't really matter to me anyway... I also heard that you have to take buses to different parts of Duke's campus, while at JHU, many students claimed that their farthest classes were "ten minutes away" walking...)</p>

<p>Dorms: Duke - People don't seem to like most of the housing options at JHU for various reasons, and it doesn't provide housing for all four years. However, I think the dorms are in a better location with respect to classes... Also, I don't know how I feel about co-ed dorms, even though they're present at both schools... Food is a non-issue, actually (I'll live off of Lucky Charms and salads...)</p>

<p>Academics: JHU - Again, I can't really definitively say that their academics are better, but I am planning on majoring in Cognitive Science, and to get something of an equivalent, I would probably double major in Neuroscience and Psychology with a minor in Linguistics and some extra courses in Computer Science, and I don't know how manageable such a workload would be...</p>

<p>JHU's also known for a strong education in medicine and healthcare fields (I'm not planning on going pre-med right now, but I might change my mind?). Plus, it has Intersession (I know they offer courses during this time, and I think they offer an ASL course that I'd be interested in taking... Does Duke offer courses during breaks?) </p>

<p>Research: Don't know - They both claim to have a really strong emphasis on it, but which one would have better support?</p>

<p>Classes/Professors: Duke? - I heard that professors at JHU can be more absorbed in their own research than teaching. Is that true at Duke also? I also heard that some fields at JHU can be "cutthroat competitive," but did not get that vibe at SOHOP. Still, I think Duke sounds like there is more collaboration and is a more relaxed academic environment (not relaxed to the point of detriment, but more focused on the learning experience than being the best in the class). Grade inflation is the last thing that might be more present at Duke than JHU.</p>

<p>Location: JHU - It's closer to home, major cities, and many of the colleges my friends are planning on attending</p>

<p>Social Life: Duke - When I went to SOHOP, one of the girls told me that the first semester, a lot of students go crazy and binge drink/experiment with things/get themselves in trouble/generally overdo it and then mellow out after the first semester... I think Duke's Greek scene is bigger/more popular than JHU's, so would this be even worse there? I know that I could go to parties and not drink, or not go to parties at all and still find things to do at both schools, but how possible are both those scenarios at these schools?</p>

<p>As for school spirit, I think Duke wins there... And I think Duke is more likely to have dorm/house events, random grade-wide events, or even school-wide events, but I might be wrong about that... At which school is there more self-segregation?</p>

<p>I don't actually know how important social life is to me, since I'm more of a wallflower than a social butterfly, but I want to have some bonding moments. </p>

<p>Security: JHU - So many students bragged about how JHU's campus is the #1 safest in the country, but I guess exact ranking at Duke doesn't matter as long as I'm safe...</p>

<p>Community: Duke - Durham seems less dangerous/shady than Baltimore, but I've heard the relationship between Durham and Duke is not as good... DukeEngage thing sounds awesome, since I'm big on community service, and I don't think there's as much of an emphasis on service at JHU...</p>

<p>Financial aid for the schools is about the same. So, what do you think?</p>

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<p>Hi OnMyWay2013! Congratulations on getting accepted to Johns Hopkins! I’m currently a sophomore majoring in Applied Mathematics and Statistics and I hope I can help you with your decision!</p>

<p>Campus: It is definitely true that your farthest class at Hopkins is never more than 10 minutes away! </p>

<p>Dorms: I actually love the housing options at Hopkins! While Hopkins doesn’t guarantee housing for four years, you can get on-campus housing as an upperclassman if you want it. Next year, as a junior, I will be living in on-campus housing and it was very easy to secure. Most people at Hopkins seem to like that you don’t have to live on campus for more than two years. (The rent is cheaper off campus, you can live with people of different genders, and you can drink alcohol in your room without getting in trouble). The dorms at Hopkins are also really close to classes. I live in Homewood Apartments (the farthest dorm from campus) and it takes me less than ten minutes to get to my classes. Co-ed dorms are not as scary/awkward as you might think- I lived in the AMRs surrounded by boys last year! One advantage of having boys close by is that they will rearrange your furniture and carry heavy things up the stairs for you!</p>

<p>Academics: It is very easy to double major and minor at Hopkins. Especially with Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, and Psychology because a lot of classes will overlap. It is totally manageable! While there are a lot of pre-meds at Hopkins, there are also many people who are not. (I’m not pre-med). We have great Humanities and Social Science programs! Intersession is awesome! I actually took the ASL class this past Intersession and it was a great experience! The teacher was deaf (which didn’t hinder learning at all) and we learned a lot about signing and deaf culture!</p>

<p>Research: Research at Hopkins is awesome! It is so easy to get involved in research- all you have to do is email or talk to a professor. I have had amazing research opportunities at Hopkins in the field of Genetics/Molecular Biology (and I’m a math major). The professors really want you to learn and love undergraduates because we work for free (or credits)! You can also get paid research (I did a paid Computational Genomics internship at the Hospital last summer). Also, with the undergraduate campus and the medical campus so close to each other (just a short free bus ride away), it is so easy to find research in any field that you want.</p>

<p>Classes: I haven’t found that professors are more absorbed in research than teaching, but it probably depends on what classes you take. All of the professors I have had have been super nice and are always willing to help you! Hopkins does have a reputation for being cutthroat and I’m not really sure why. In most of my classes, I work on homework and study in groups and I’ve found that people are generally not cutthroat. Also, if you miss class, people will let you look at their notes and they’ll tell you what you missed.</p>

<p>Social Life: Hopkins has greek life, but it is not overwhelming. Only about 25% of students are in a sorority or fraternity. (I’m not in a sorority). You definitely don’t have to be in a sorority or fraternity in order to be friends with people who are. There are definitely parties every weekend at Hopkins, but there is no pressure to go to them. And, if you do go to a party, there is no pressure to drink. You can definitely have a great social life regardless of whether or not you go to parties and regardless of whether or not you drink. If you don’t go to parties, there are plenty of other social activities. The HOP (Hopkins Organization for Programming) holds events all the time, as does RAB (Residential Advisory Board) and other groups. There are always many events going on at Hopkins and you can choose whether or not to go to these social events. </p>

<p>Security: Security is great! There are always security officers and campus police and blue lights everywhere! The Blue Jay Shuttle will take you where you need to go in the evenings if you don’t want to walk (from 5:40PM-4AM). I have never felt unsafe at Hopkins.</p>

<p>Community: Charles Village (where Hopkins is located) is a very safe neighborhood in Baltimore. As long as you don’t wander too far out of Charles Village at night (during the daytime, Baltimore is fine), it will not be too sketchy. Hopkins has TONS of opportunities for community service. Many people volunteer tutoring and mentoring Baltimore city children, but there are also a lot of other options available. The Center for Social Concern has over fifty student groups that do community service and they can also help you find an individual project or start a new group. (see [JHU</a> Center for Social Concern: Student Groups](<a href=“http://www.jhu.edu/csc/studentgroups.shtml]JHU”>http://www.jhu.edu/csc/studentgroups.shtml)) Also, Hopkins has a few Pre-Orientation programs that you can participate in, including Habitat for Humanity. I participated in the Habitat for Humanity pre-orientation program and it was a great experience! I got to move into my dorm a week early and make many new friends who also love volunteering! (I met some of my closest friends at this program). We helped build houses in Baltimore and it was very rewarding. Also, during Intersession 2012, I took the class B’more: Homelessness, where we learned about Homelessness in Baltimore. We volunteered at Our Daily Bread (a soup kitchen) and an elementary school. There are definitely many community service opportunities at Hopkins!</p>

<p>I don’t know anything about Duke, but if you have any questions about Hopkins, feel free to message me! Hopefully, I’ll see you at Hopkins next year!</p>