<p>Hey I need to choose between hopkins, UPenn, and Berkeley and I was wondering if others were making similar decisions or had any idea of which would be a better track. I'm into a good campus atmosphere, I can deal with an urban campus as long as the surrounding areas are nice and actually support college life. I would like to pursue a major in biology, molecular cellular biology, to be specific. I am very into research and as of now I plan to pursue a career in medical research (not necesarily attend medical school). I also would like a school with a decent social life where the atmosphere is not overly competitive. Any ideas, your thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thanks.</p>
<p>Sounds like JHU is your school.</p>
<p>No...Hopkins is extremly competitive, cutthroat in sciences.</p>
<p>I think both Penn and Hopkins are good choices. Berkeley is in a different category because it is a big public school on the West Coast. Berkeley, from my personal experience, is quite competitive and it is easy to get lost in the crowd. If you are self-motivated and diligent, then you might have access to one of the world's finest faculties. I don't know about the Hopkins campus but the Penn campus is quite dangerous and rather unfriendly. Penn is a better school overall but Hopkins is obviously strong in your field.</p>
<p>Yeah, I am actually starting to seriously consider berkeley, I feel crazy because I'd be giving up an ivy and hopkins for a public school, but berkeley is still a very good institution, and I believe the atmosphere there would be better?</p>
<p>Berkeley is 50% Asian, in Cali, pretty damn competitive, and if you PM sakky, you can hear about kids who are bright but flunk out. Hopkins is cutthroat too and in Baltimore. Socially, I hear from former and current students that it's ok, but there isn't much to do and it gets boring. Penn is the "social Ivy" whatever the hell that means and has very strong bio and med programs (though not as good as Hopkins, it makes little difference unless you are able to stay on for a PhD). Visit all three schools and see which is best for you. All are great choices, but Penn would probably be the best unless you are a Cali resident.</p>
<p>I think JHU is out; the lack of a strong social life (only a small percentage of the student body goes out), the not exactly thriving city of Baltimore, the competitiveness in sciences, and the culture would make it a no-go for me immediately. Penn actually is a very social school and it has the best overall combination of academics and a great social life. I also personally like its size much more than Cal's, but it Cal is in-state its a great option.</p>
<p>Yeah i agree, its pretty much betw Penn and Berkeley. But I am not a cal resident, which makes berkeley less convenient. However, the only thing I worry about is the area around Penn and how nice downtown phili</p>
<p>The campus is beautiful and downtown Philly has everything you could want. If it doesn't, DC and NYC are just a few hours away by train for your weekend entertainment. However, some of the surrounding areas a few blocks from campus have yet to be gentrified and you shouldn't walk around alone at night. Penn has security and you can call for people to walk you or drive you late at night free of charge for your safety. If you are smart about it, Penn can be a very safe place. Go to Penn if you want a more urban feel.</p>
<p>Also, Hopkins is more dangerous than Penn, so if Penn scares you that much, go to Berkeley. Just remember, bad stuff can happen anywhere so don't shy away from Penn because you <em>think</em> it's more dangerous. You can be mugged at Penn, you can be mugged at Berkeley. If you are cautious, you should be fine anywhere.</p>
<p>Thanks, that's really good advice. Makes this decision thing easier:)</p>
<p>Penn's students have binary sentiments about the environment: they either love it or hate it. Like Venkat pointed out, obviously you are not going to get shot in the middle of the street if you take care of yourself. But the city has been witnessing several hundreds of homicides each year. The city thrives in culture--the Center City is only a 5-minute bus/trolley/train ride, and there are fancy restaurants, the Delaware river, museums and so on.</p>
<p>Berkeley overall has a fantastic environment. If one likes Philly, one has to love Berkeley and the Bay Area (although personal preferences could come into play). SF is right across the bay and the campus is breathtakingly beautiful. In terms of the weather, it is a paradise in comparison to the other two.</p>
<p>Berkeley's faculty, like I pointed out earlier, are world-class, and I don't think, objectively speaking, neither Penn's nor Hopkins' can beat it. (I am not sure about your specific field.) However, they are to a certain degree inaccessible. A wide range of futures greet students upon graduation, from Harvard law school or top jobs like Google to unemployed.</p>
<p>All things considered, unless you have dreams about California, Penn might be the best option. However, if you are going to succeed at Penn, you will do just as well at Berkeley or Hopkins.</p>
<p>I really think Penn would be the best fit..least cut-throat and you'll have s a social life.</p>
<p>You are so wrong about Hopkins. It can be quite social. Also, Baltimore is very interesting and lots of fun. Wrong, wrong, wrong.</p>
<p>Not at all wrong. I know SO MANY Hopkins alums. My two roommates went to Hopkins. they call the social people "The Hopkins 500", i.e. the 1/10 of the school that went out. PJ's (I think that was the name) is a pretty okay bar, but the social scene can't compare to most schools. Students at places like Chicago, Swarthmore, and Hopkins (although I will admit JHU is the best of this group) think that because they have "fun" in college that their schools are social too. In my opinion these people just haven't been elsewhere, of course college is fun, at other schools college is much more fun.</p>
<p>I have no idea why your friends had trouble socializing at Hopkins, or in Baltimore. If Baltimore was too uninteresting for them, DC is only a short, and inexpensive ride away. Some people have difficulty finding fun anywhere. Others can do so easily. As a parent with other children who have attended top tier schools, I can tell you that Hopkins is up there with fun opportunities, if one is interesting and interested. Boring people will find having fun a challenge, anywhere. It is wrong to perpetuate an ancient myth about Hopkins that simply is untrue.</p>
<p>Interestingly my roommates are probably two of the most social guys from Hopkins in their class. We just threw a party with a huge hopkins contingent. They have a ton of friends, but will readily admit Hopkins has a weak social life. If you want you can IM with one of them.</p>
<p>Yeah, penn sounds good overall, but I'm in AZ so berkeley is closer and I think the somewhat suburban campus and environment would better suit me. But sacrificing a gaurenteed good education at Penn seems wasteful.</p>
<p>As someone who really wants you to go to Penn, I understand wanting to be close to home. The major reason I applied to Penn early instead of Stanford is because Penn is a 2 hour drive away and Stanford is a 5 hour flight away. Proximity to home should be a major item in terms of fit IMO. Going to Penn will give you a new experience and you will grow in your 4 years there. However, you should be fine at Berkeley too. Just keep in mind the size and the fact that Penn is #1 in the Ivy League*.</p>
<p>*#1 for basketball that is :D</p>
<p>and business.
and some other stuff.
and everything else.</p>
<p>Berkeley is much better for grad than undergrad. And JHU is indeed "the boringest place on earth." I visited friends there and kissed the dirty ground when I got back to University City. I never knew how good I had it here until I went there.</p>
<p>Lol I had a similar feeling when I visited JHU. Chicago was even worse though!</p>