JHU has been my dream ever since my boyfriend went to CTY when he was 10 years old (I didn’t qualify for CTY, unfortunately). But as time goes on, I’m not sure if it’s worth it anymore. It’s still my dream, of course, but my parents fight about money every day and I’m seriously considering just going to UBC (University of British Columbia) right home in Vancouver.
I’ve just been dreaming about JHU for such a long time… it’s really hard to even think about the fact that I may not get in but paying for tutors, extra curriculars, and other things have made me question the worth of this school.
Is it just dumb for me to think about JHU? I want to be a pre-med student there (don’t know what I’ll major in but I definitely want to minor in music). It’s just everything I’ve dreamed of.
The funny thing is, my dad says as long as I get in, I don’t need to worry about money. I’m not sure if I should trust his words but just GETTING there is hard. I’m stuck with pretty much the hardest teachers in the school (yay AP) and without a tutor I know I’ll fall behind (27 out of 30 kids in one of my AP class has a tutor). Things accumulate with private lessons for music and the monthly cost of everything is ridiculous.
Giving up JHU would break my heart. But all of you Bluejays out there… is it worth it?
To give up or to not give up…
(sorry for the bad grammar and punctuation… my eyes are swollen from crying too much and I can’t think straight hah)
Give JHU a try but UBC is not a bad backup. Work as hard as you can on your grades. Best of luck.
I’m a little confused about how your boyfriend’s going to CTY made Hopkins your dream. What about it do you find so alluring? Just its prestige / reputation for being a good premed school? Also, when you talk about giving up, do you mean giving up on applying, or going if you get in?
For me, I have a love-hate relationship with the rigor of this school and everyone’s drive to succeed. But I love the friends I’ve made, and so overall, I think this school is right for me and was worth all the work I put in. That being said, it is advantageous to be premed at Hopkins, but it comes at the price of a lot of stress, and many of my peers say that it would have been better to be premed at an easier school where they could have more of a social life and spend more time on cultivating their passions. Still, they recognize that this is a really good school and wouldn’t transfer to a lesser one given the chance.
Whether you end up applying/going to Hopkins or not, the investment you put into your grades and ECs now can only help you when applying to schools. Still, don’t put financial stress on yourself and your family just because you think it is what Hopkins wants of you. By all means, if you think you’re paying for things unnecessarily, drop those things. And if you can, wait it out and see how much aid you can actually get before you decide whether or not to let the school go.
@kaukauna thank you for your encouragement 
@OnMyWay2013 Now that you mention it I guess I wasn’t too clear on my words. My boyfriend went to CTY and that’s how I found out about Hopkins. I researched the school for months. I remember even doing a project about JHU when I was in Gr. 6 or something. As for giving up, I mean giving up as in even bothering to apply.
Thank you for your words. I guess even if I don’t make it to JHU my hard work will pay off somewhere else…