Hello everyone! I’m a junior in high school, and I was wondering which of these schools would be best for me. I plan on majoring in biology and continuing onto med school, but I’m also interested in undergraduate research opportunities, studying abroad in France, and participating on a parliamentary debate team. I also want a school that isn’t extremely intense, and one where I can still get solid grades (i.e. students work hard, but also know how to relax and have fun).
Also let me know if there is anything I need to look out for when I’m visiting these schools this spring.
@PSLifestyle The most well-rounded school out of the three is Penn. Also since you are going for med school, grade inflation is something you should consider. Penn definitely has more grade inflation than Hopkins and I have heard compared to Rice too (although can’t 100% confirm that). Hopkins is known for being brutal with grading. In terms of biomedical research opportunities Penn and Hopkins are comparable, Rice probably comes after. I am not sure how available research opportunities are to undergrads at Hopkins. I know for sure that they are easily available at Penn for undergrad. Here is the link to Penn’s undergraduate research center: https://www.curf.upenn.edu/research
Overall I think the undergraduate experience at Penn is better and more well-rounded than the other two, social life is better, the overall quality of students is a bit stronger, and most people faced with the choice choose Penn over the other two. Penn is also known for its work hard-play hard culture (i.e. people are motivated and work hard but also know how to have fun).
All that said do as much research as you can from any sources you can (online, advisors, friends, acquaintances) and you will also have a better idea when you visit the schools.
I completely agree with Penn95 and I just want to reiterate how accessible undergrad research opportunities are at Penn. There is so much more research conducted at Penn than at Rice which means an abundance of opportunities and less competition for spots on different research teams. Furthermore, Penn has all of its graduate, undergraduate institutions, medical research centers, and hospitals all on one campus, unlike JHU which has its hospital and med school separated from its undergrad campus. As a consequence of Penn’s One University Policy, you are also encouraged to do research at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Med, and there are several Penn Integrates Knowledge professors that hold dual appointments in both the med school and the school of arts and sciences as well as Engineering, increasing your access to potential mentors who know the ins and outs of med school applications.
Also, Philly and the area around Penn is just more fun and nicer than the area around JHU and Baltimore in general.
“Where Hopkins is now, Penn was, say, in 1996” https://www.timeshighereducation.com/features/university-as-pillar-of-community
Hopkins and Baltimore are getting there-- but Penn led the way in sustainable and inclusive urban redevelopment initiatives and it has paid off big time in terms of quality of life for Penn students and faculty.
Additionally, Penn students definitely know how to work hard but they also know when to put the books away. It’s known as the Social Ivy because students do an incredible job of balancing their demanding class/extracurricular schedules with fun. It’s the kind of place where you can find someone studying in the library on a Friday night just as easily as you can find someone going to a fraternity party, going downtown for dinner, going to one of philly’s incredible museums, watching a movie in their college house, or doing any number of other unwinding activities.
Finally, Penn’s parli team is a lot of fun. I had a couple of friends who did Parli and they absolutely loved it. They travel to all of the major tournaments and prepare with one another for debates. They also host great parties and know how to have an incredible time both on campus and on the road.
Please feel free to ask any other questions you might have about Penn-- I highly recommend it
They’re all really good. I think Penn is probably very slightly stronger than the other two all-around academically, but all can get you where you want to go. They all have plenty of first-rate programs, by reputation at least.
I think probably Penn and Rice are a bit more easy-going, for most students, than JHU is (or would be) – some on this site have mentioned the rigor at Johns Hopkins. I think rigor is a good thing, but it’s not for everyone and if you are leaning against it, take note and conduct further research into it.
You have identified some very specific fit variables to help you make the decision. If they somehow fail to clarify your choice, consider things like location/environment, cost, social vibe and housing.
Regarding that last variable, multiple posters on this site have lauded the housing setup at Rice, which sounds similar to that found at Yale.
You have the cities – Philly, Houston and Baltimore – each of which offers its own internship or research opportunities, feel/mores, entertainment, etc. And weather – Houston is the outlier here.
