<p>For information on how to bid on Priceline, read all the FAQ on this website:</p>
<p>jami,</p>
<p>What were the Charles Village murders? Did they involve students? I guess I could just go and google it...~b.</p>
<p>And here's one for Duke
<a href="http://www.livejournal.com/community/blue_devils/%5B/url%5D">http://www.livejournal.com/community/blue_devils/</a></p>
<p>Berurah - Jamimom has listed my pros and cons and concerns much more eloquently than I could have - that is much of what I was trying to say in my med school PM, just more clearly. Your description of the scholarship helps - it does sound as if he will have an "in" which will help at school like Hopkins.
I would be careful about the crime statistics, if I am not mistaken, the med school and/or just the hospital is in a different place than the undergrad - a much worse area of Baltimore - where will he need to go to do his research, or more importantly, what are the accomodations for safety?, because I'm not sure I would let fear stop me.</p>
<p>The first one was a young man at a frat in Charles Village, went to sleep and someone broke in (or walked in, the security was lousy at that frat house by all interviewed) and killed him. No satisfactory explanation was found, lot of speculation. Then a young woman, not long ago in Charles Village. Both students at Hopkins living in Charles Village and no motive could be substantiated.If you go on the Hopkins thread on CC, both stories are posted with the newstories referenced. What bothers me is that no clear robbery,drug,drink association could be made which is usually the case in these incidents. The uncertainty of the circumstances makes me uneasy.</p>
<p>One murder was of a male student last year, happened at a frat party, but no arrests (I think). The other was a few months ago, a graduating senior female, murdered in her apartment, again no arrests that I know of.</p>
<p>Berurah. Note Jamimom's comments about grading at JHU. Talk to the finaid offices of both schools about the details of maintaining the scholarships, and press for definite answers if you get fuzzy ones (being pleasant, of course, and ecstatic about the awards, but firm. They need to remember that with the hgh cost of college and six kids, finances are extremely important to your family)). How often is the GPA checked for that 3.0 - every semester or every year? What leeway will be given, for example if the GPA drops just a little below 3.0? or temporarily? if so, can the scholarship be reinstated when it rises above 3.0 or is it gone?</p>
<p>How many students are unable to maintain these scholarships? (they may tell you that they don't keep such figures, but I would be dubious about that).</p>
<p>P.S. for airfares you should also check some of the newer search engines. I use Sidestep but there are several others.</p>
<p>uhhhhhhhhhh...we live in almost-rural kansas.....eek! ~b.</p>
<p>DOS,</p>
<p>Thanks for the specifics...no experience at this yet, so I'd have probably neglected to ask some of that stuff. ~b.</p>
<p>Berurah, first let me congratulate you and your son on such an outstanding array of choices, with the hardest being between the amazing offer from JHU, and his dream school, Duke! </p>
<p>I had hoped that I would be seeing you at Duke, as I have previously mentioned (and we'll be (among) the ones with Virginia plates). Our s had his decision made for him by his SCEA school ultimately denying him during RD. He is so happy about Duke that there didn't seem to be much disappointment about the rejection. And while he has several other terrific choices (Cornell, Notre Dame, Mich), Duke is clearly where he is going. JHU was never on his list because his engineering interests are not biomedical. </p>
<p>You are definitely approaching this in the right way. He really does need to visit JHU to make his decision and if they will pay for it, that is terrific!! Achat was correct in her description of the area close to JHU--we live about 1 1/2 hours away, so usually get any news about crime in that area. Living on campus is definitely much safer, but I do not know how many years housing are guaranteed there. That is something you will want to find out as you gather info to make the decision. Hate to tell you, but a female student was murdered in her off campus apartment, but across the street from the edge of the campus, just a few weeks ago. They do have a suspect in custody. Clearly there is crime in all cities and near, or on, college campuses. Durham is not exactly the safest town, either! All that being said, our d has a good friend (a girl) who is in pre-med at JHU and seems very happy. She has been quite safe--still on campus as a soph.</p>
<p>Your son will know by visiting if it is a place he could see himself. The big sport is lacrosse, and the Baltimore Orioles and the Ravens(football) have stadiums nearby, though not walking distance. It will be a very tough decision for him, knowing about the money and the research opportunities. Have you contacted Duke to find out about the research opportunities in BME that might be available? The new CIEMAS center is supposed to be fantastic--we will be going to check it out during Blue Devil Days! They would probably be very helpful in giving you more specifics about their opportunities, especially if they know what his options are--all the more reason they would want him at Duke!</p>
<p>I know that your son is as passionate about sports as our s is, which makes it all the more difficult to weigh the choices. Our s wants a balance--great academics, and a willingness to work hard, but some good fun on the side. Your son will the former at JHU, and clearly may have some better opportunities, but he may have to look more carefully for the balance (of sports) if he is not a big lacrosse fan.</p>
<p>I applaud him for taking it seriously--he is obviously prioritizing his education above all else!</p>
<p>Congrats again, and I will be praying that he will be able to come to a clear and happy decision!</p>
<p>Dadofsam, the courses and grades are tough at Hopkins, but not any easier at Duke. Getting stats for med school is virtually impossible, I have found since the % accepted vs applied is useless. You want to know how many start out premed and how many end up applying to med school. The fact that Berurah's son is an outstanding student and that the scholarship is not given out cavalierly, particularly to science students, in fact it is usually the non science kids Hopkins likes to "buy". give me the strong sense that this is not going to be an issue for the young man. Hopkins is very good at sniffing out research material--that is their thing. I would never recommend the school for someone who just want to be the old sawbones doc, as it is not geared for that. It is very much a research institution. I am sure that they read his essay and understood it along with the rec he got in a way that many colleges would not be able to do. I know several kids who bombed out of the DUke premed program, so I do not feel that it is a cakewalk either. For someone who really wants to be a doctor and is not honed for the high end work, a nurturing LAC is the best bet.</p>
<p>YES!!! Fly into BWI!! I'll pick you both up at the airport!!</p>
<p>hey berurah!! congrats on your son's acceptance to both JHU and Duke!
(i go to JHU.) coincidentally, one of my friends has the very same JHU scholarship at the moment (Hodson Trust). he's not too happy at the school, though, and currently fears losing it next semester because of his gpa this semester. but then, JHU is definitely not a school for everyone; some thrive here and some don't - and it's mostly an issue of how well JHU can cater to your specific needs and interests, and career plans. your son should really visit JHU before making his decision (& things are getting sunnier here on campus, so people are looking happier these days, too - good time for visiting :) ).
good luck with the college decision; i know he'll be wonderful wherever he chooses to go to!</p>
<p>p/s: just to clarify: my hodson trust friend probably doesn't represent the majority of hodson trust scholars! and your son's interests seem to fit in at JHU much much better than my friend's does, so it's highly unlikely that he'll react to JHU the way my friend is reacting.</p>
<p>Berurah:</p>
<p>I am not going to comment on which school is better. I know nothing about JHU from a studen'ts point of view. ( I visited it once when on a business trip a few years ago.)</p>
<p>I would like to comment on something you alluded to in your opening post. You asked whether your son should be "one of a pack" or a "chosen leader". For my child, being one of the pack is a very good thing. He was used to being the smart, athletic, chosen leader in high school. What he is finding now is that he is surrrounded by collegiate peers just as smart or smarter. In order to distinguish himself now, he has to earn it. He has to earn a distinction by developing and pursuing interests that he is passionate about, and that will make him unique. He is not automatically a "chosen leader" based on accomplishments from high school. For him, being a part of a pack is a good thing. It is forcing him to mature and make decisions without any preconceived entitlement. He is realizing that he is unique amongst a group of amazing peers. </p>
<p>I think that your son needs to decide which option will allow him to be both part of the pack, and also be in a situation that allows him to become a chosen leader by allowing him to follow his passions and earn that distinction.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Berurah, I don't know anyone who would turn down an award this prestigious from JHU to attend Duke... but I come from a part of the country where kids go to Duke who can't get into Hopkins, so that's my bias.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>blossom....interesting! Thanks for the input! ~b.</p>
<p>1sokkermom,</p>
<p>
[quote]
For my child, being one of the pack is a very good thing. He was used to being the smart, athletic, chosen leader in high school. What he is finding now is that he is surrrounded by collegiate peers just as smart or smarter. In order to distinguish himself now, he has to earn it. He has to earn a distinction by developing and pursuing interests that he is passionate about, and that will make him unique. He is not automatically a "chosen leader" based on accomplishments from high school. For him, being a part of a pack is a good thing. It is forcing him to mature and make decisions without any preconceived entitlement. He is realizing that he is unique amongst a group of amazing peers.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>EXTREMELY interesting opinion. DEFINITE food for thought! ~b.</p>
<p>sangria,</p>
<p>Can you tell me a little general info. about student life on campus? It is a fairly "normal" college life, or does it differ quite a bit from your regular college campus? THANKS so much for posting! ~b.</p>
<p>QUICK NOTE: there has been an arrest in the recent murder of Linda Trinh. The Baltimore City police are confident they have their man.</p>
<p>searchingavalon,</p>
<p>You'll be the FIRST to know if we're coming!!! xoxo ~b.</p>
<p>OK, here's my input (you knew it was coming, didn't you berurah? :) )</p>
<p>It's really important to visit the campuses to really be able to make this decision. Disclaimer: I was an undergrad at JHU for 4 years (although a while ago...) and I loved it. Loved loved loved it. And I have never been to Duke and know very little about it (except that we regularly beat their lacrosse team :) ), so I can't compare, only offer my own views of one of his choices. </p>
<p>The Homewood JHU campus (so called to differentiate it from the Medical School campus in East Baltimore) is absolutely lovely, comfortable, and conducive to learning. It is located, however, in a larger city. There is crime in any city. As someone pointed out, Yale, the previous front-runner, is by no means in a good part of a decent city. In contrast, Homewood sits in the midst of 3 neighborhoods in Baltimore. Two of them are very safe (even slightly upscale) working-class communities, and one (Charles Village) is mostly a student ghetto that borders another not-great neighborhood farther to its east. Yes, some crime does enter the area, but usually not the campus. (Other posters have uncovered statistics that you can review, and the earlier-in-the-year post by the JHU security officer should be helpful to review.)</p>
<p>JHU is building more housing for students, and there are calls for even more. This is probably a good thing, but let's not make it sound as if everyone wants to live in a dorm for 4 years. I lived in Charles Village for 3 years, moving out right after my freshman year in the dorms. I loved it. It is an integral part of my college experience. For the first time in my life, I had to manage my <em>life</em> as well as my schooling, and I loved the challenge and the freedom. Was it the safest thing for me to have done? Probably not, but living in a city is never a sure bet. If one keeps one's wits and uses common sense, it's unlikely anything will happen. </p>
<p>There are definitely some cutthroat students on campus, no question. There are also some amazing thinkers, and actors, and musicians, and poets, and political supporters, and community volunteers, and people who will make you laugh very, very hard. There are supportive friends and like-minded souls, you just have to be open to them. The professors are almost universally excellent, and their research is exciting and relevant and accessible. While there, I took courses in wastewater treatment, mathematical modeling, audiology, playwriting, and the history of science fiction, in addition to my standard science and engineering courses. I also learned orienteering and sign language, and through getting lead parts in theatrical productions (which I was never confident enough to do in high school) became much more the person I am today. And I got to know WAY more about lacrosse than is healthy for any one human being. :) I studied and worked hard while I was at JHU, but I played hard too. It is possible to strike a balance there, and to get a fantastic education while beginning to live real life. </p>
<p>After I graduated, I rode my bicycle across the USA for the summer, then got my first engineering job through a contact my faculty advisor made for me. JHU is not a perfect place, but it's a fine school and I wouldn't trade my experiences there for anything. I didn't want a sheltered rah-rah college experience, and I didn't have to settle for that at JHU. (she says, stepping off the orator's soapbox, bowing slightly)</p>