Tufts vs. Johns Hopkins

<p>I am torn. I am leaning heavily toward Tufts because I think I will be happier there. I have a feeling I will be part of the Tufts Class of 2012. However, I plan to be pre-med and Johns Hopkins has a top-notch pre-med program. Tufts does as well but Hopkins has "the name". I feel extremely ashamed for caring about a name and will probably recieve several angry posts from Tufts student but I can't help it so please help me!! What do you believe are Tufts strengths over Hopkins and as a university, generally and concerning pre-med?</p>

<p>Well, Hopkins is unrivaled in its medical reputation. But if you're going to medical school, just remember that anyone from any undergraduate college can get into any med school with good enough grades and MCATs.</p>

<p>Just do what feels right to you.</p>

<p>Did you get into Hopkin's actual pre-med program or just its liberal arts? Their pre-med program is highly selective and applicants have to apply separately for it. I know a friend who was rejected from the pre-med program, not its liberal arts, and went on to do biomedical engineering at Princeton.</p>

<p>I got into the liberal arts school. I wasn't even aware that Johns Hopkins had a "pre-med program" that you apply to from high school. Are you sure? Could you point me towards some information if such a program does exist? There is a biomedical engineering program that has its own applicant pool. You don't need to be in the biomedical engineering program to be pre-med. Perhaps you are confused?</p>

<p>Hmmm...maybe that was it. If you ask me, the pre-med programs at both schools are equally rigorous and each have a "name," but JHU has kind of plastered itself over the medical institution as the most reputable. Undergraduates definitely don't have a foot-in to JHU's medical school, since the offices are probably flooded with overqualified applicants each year, but they tend to place really well anyway. Their pre-meds have always seemed really cutthroat to me. </p>

<p>Weigh your academic and social wants. If a great study abroad program and tons of volunteer work opportunities weigh heavily for you, I'd say Tufts. If you want an excellent, world renown pre-med program period, then JHU. Tufts is mainly known for its diversity/volunteer work/study abroad. So, I guess you have to just factor everything in.</p>

<p>I got into JHU, too, but since I plan on majoring in IR...it wasn't nearly as tough a choice for me. Also Boston > Baltimore...by far.</p>

<p>Both are great schools and ultimatly you will suceed at either.</p>

<p>Personally, I choose not to apply to Johns Hopkins because I have hard that they don't put a lot of time/emphasis into their undergraduate programs becasue a) they have an amazing gradute school and b) a lot of the professors are working on their own research. A plus side to part b is that as you get older you could have the opportunity to work on some really interesting reaserch (unless they look only to their graduates i'm not sure). </p>

<p>I was considering pre-med at Tufts too and have heard that they have an incredibly difficult Orgo program, other than that I don't know much.</p>

<p>Hope that was some what helpful</p>

<p>ps if you havn't visited i suggest doing so because it completly changes your view on the schools!!!</p>

<p>GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR DECISION!!!!! either way next year will bea great one!</p>

<p>I'd say go with Tufts. "Name" doesn't really matter when it comes to grad school as long as you have good GPA. Hopkins is also known to have ridiculously rigorous courses, not that you can't handle it. and Boston is much better than Baltimore.</p>

<p>i must admit there is no place like Boston :)</p>

<p>As someone who's currently going through the pre-med process and as someone who's done extensive research on medical school applicants, the grades you get are soooooo much more important than the "prestige" of your college.</p>

<p>Hypothetically, if getting a 3.8 at Umass Amherst takes the same amount of effort as getting a 3.2 at Harvard, an applicant from Umass Amherst with a 3.8 will be much more competitive than an applicant from Harvard with a 3.2 during medical school applications. It's not fair at all, but it's just how the system currently works.</p>

<p>So my advice is to pick the <em>BEST</em> college where you <em>KNOW</em> that you are smarter than your peers, because all pre-med classes from respectable colleges are scaled to a median grade to an 80.0, which means you need to be head and shoulders above everyone to get those As.</p>

<p>That being said.. I think you already know your pros and cons for JHU and Tufts. A degree at JHU will make you more competitive for medical schools than a degree at Tufts (with the same GPA), while your happiness over the next 4 years is also extremely important. I suggest visiting both schools, weighing your pros and cons again, and then make a more educated decision.</p>

<p>FYI there's so such thing as a pre-med program. It's just 10 courses that you'll have to take.</p>

<p>Look at it a different way: the vast majority of entering premeds NEVER apply to med school. So, where would you enjoy four years more?</p>

<p>I grew up in Baltimore and went to high school down the street from Hopkins. If you can, you should try to visit both institutions. It's true that there are many demographic similarities (including our admit rates to med school), but there are pretty significant cultural differences between Tufts and Hopkins. In many ways, we have diametrically opposed student bodies, with the exception of quality. I find, frequently, that once a student visits both schools, the decision becomes pretty obvious one way or the other.</p>

<p>Since we're both such terrific schools, you'll be hard pressed to go wrong, but it's likely you'll feel much more at home in one way than in the other.</p>

<p>LOL Dan, what the heck constitutes a student body "diametrically opposed" to Tufts'?....are Hopkins kids isolationists who hate community service? :-P</p>

<p>Hey! You know that isn't what I'm trying to say, Ms. Bluirinka. </p>

<p>:p</p>

<p>Play nice!</p>

<p>Yeah but actually, I have no idea what you're trying to say. And also, Bendetson was LOCKED when I went to see you and you didn't pick up your phone!</p>

<p>I'm making this decision too tikibu. I'm just trying to learn as much as I can about both places. My friend led me to this site and it's been really helpful. I think I'm leaning towards hopkins but not sure yet. Are you going to the admitted students weekends?</p>

<p>I heard IR at JHU is really great. People keep saying it is at tufts too, and honestly I think I'd rather BE at tufts but I don't know that I can forgo hopkins for that.</p>

<p>Hopkins is the place for pre med, really excellent med research opportunities.</p>

<p>tufts OWNS. lol jk, jhu is awesome too but tufts seems like its more fun!</p>

<p>Some of you talk about Tufts as though it is in Boston. It is in the suburbs, and yes a walk to the subway to get you into Boston. How often in the dead of winter will you venture off campus?</p>

<p>vttxnh-- the dead of winter might slow Tufts students down, but that would only make their pace of life slightly closer to normal. Tufts people are always doing something!</p>

<p>Visit both schools, as a previous poster stated, and then make a choice.</p>