The closest comparable to the Baltimore riots is Ferguson; as with Ferguson, I would expect some students to cross JHU off their lists (or Towson, Goucher, UMBC) because they feel Baltimore is an unsafe city.
But are there students that actually decide against Johns Hopkins, in whole or in part, because of the riots?
I was wondering the same thing. My daughter is a sophomore who has spent two summers at Hopkins for Center for Talented Youth summer programs. She loves Hopkins, but as a parent I have always been concerned about Baltimore.
Anyone know how far the riots were from the Campus?
“Anyone know how far the riots were from the Campus?”
How far is far enough?
I live in Anne Arundel County, well south of the city, and the riots had me concerned for my safety and that of my family. Unfortunately, these miscreants know how to use public transportation.
Both my sons had been accepted at Hopkins, and both came close to going there. Now, I’m grateful they’re elsewhere. This is all heartbreaking.
No. It should not.
@hebegebe If you check out Johns Hopkins Twitter feed from last night you will see that 4 “non-affilliates” were wondering the campus, 1 arrested. Students were instructed to not go out, go to the nearest safety/shelter, classes in Baltimore city have been cancelled today. I am also glad my D decided JHU was not for her after her acceptance.
I understand the concern, but I think it’s wise not to base too much on the events of a few days. Granted, they are/were a horrible few days but deciding JHU is now some sort of lost cause is kind of like a run on the bank.
If this were Nashville would everyone abandon Vanderbilt? Or if this were New Haven would everyone leave Yale? You can ask the same question about any college in any major city.
Crime happens everywhere, and every major city has neighborhoods you want to stay out of. Yes, the situation in Baltimore is extreme and concerning but it will not last forever. It is just my opinion, but mayhem will never prevail over law & order in the long term.
When we visited JHU one of my main questions was how safe will my child be? They have a very obvious security presence, which some may take as unnerving but I took as comforting. No one wants to put their child in a dangerous situation but at the same time as young adults they have to learn to be aware of their surroundings. The statistics I found indicated that the JHU Homewood campus had no more, and in some cases less, instances of violent crime than other major universities in major cities.
Baltimore is a large American city and obviously it has its problems. But in general the city has an awful lot of good people and a lot to offer. Right now all we are seeing on TV is the worst of the worst.
With logic like some of you have, there shouldn’t be any students attending the universities and colleges in the LA area after the riots that happened when the Rodney King decision was announced. This is no different and will pass just like that did. The previous poster has a rational, long-term view of the situation, just like any of you should have if you thought about this as a blip in a timeline.
My daughter and a friend were on campus over the weekend for a soccer camp. They travelled alone (together) arriving Saturday and returning Monday. We didn’t even know about the riots until they were on their way home (thank goodness!). Both girls said they felt very safe the whole time they were there. No worries and I can’t speak for the other girl but my daughter has decided to apply!
Johns Hopkins’ campus is very safe, with an impressive security service. As safe as any campus in the US. But Baltimore is not. So, if your kid is never going to leave campus, that’s great! Beyond that…
I expect any hit caused by the riots to last for one year, perhaps two at most.
I know the point you are making, but my reaction is less a “Oh my God. I never expected this.”, but rather an unfortunate confirmation about concerns that I have always had about Baltimore. On the wikipedia entry ListofUnitedStatescitiesbyCrime_Rate, Baltimore is top 10 for violent crime, murder, robbery, and aggravated assault. As a point of comparison, Baltimore’s violent crime rate is about 2.2x that of New York City.
I was denied though with my acts and gpa i did expect to be accepted. I can honestly say the location is the one thing that didn’t excite me and this may have been evident in my app. However with everything going on there now and though I realize this can happen anywhere I am glad this was not a choice I had to make in the end. It’s all so sad.
“Baltimore is top 10 for violent crime, murder, robbery, and aggravated assault.”
^^That.
I scratched them off for grad school. They have an excellent history program, but I’m just think this is ridiculous. I’m used to carrying & in a situation like that, there would be no good answer to someone looting my car or apartment.
Yup, just cross JHU off your list along with the entire city of Baltimore. Give it another year and it will be ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK all over again. Where’s Snake Plisskin when you need him…
For what it’s worth, I’m living about a block from the main campus. And I’ve felt completely safe, with all the security that’s around. For upperclassmen living off-campus, however, it’s a different story depending on where their housing is.
When we visited Hopkins, I thought they had a very impressive security system. And crime happens in all urban areas. I don’t expect that this will have a lasting effect on admissions. Yale had some very publicized murders, which briefly affected app numbers, but not for long.
some of the arguments in here make no sense. Does ferguson rioting somehow contradict your suspicions of ferguson being a violent city? How about the exact same thing that happened at Berkeley this year where store windows on the university street were smashed? Is your perception of Berkeley and California still accurate for all time?
if baltimore was truly that despondent, there would be no thriving tourist scene. Portions of the city are bad, but not the entirety by any stretch of the imagination.
Harbor East, Inner Harbor, Fells Point, Federal Hill, Johns Hopkins Campus, Mount Vernon, Hamden - all eminent entities and places that showcase what the city truly has to offer. Places that would never exist in a entirely dangerous city.
Let’s inject some actual facts to the discussion,
US Murder Rate / 100,000: 4
Cambridge, MA Murder Rate / 100,000: 2
Boston, MA Murder Rate / 100,000: 6
New Haven, CT Murder Rate / 100,000: 15
Los Angeles, CA Murder Rate / 100,000: 6
Chicago, IL Murder Rate / 100,000: 15
Baltimore, MD Murder Rate / 100,000: 37
Detroit, MI Murder Rate / 100,000: 46
Baltimore is a bit more of a rough place than many major American cities. I’m not saying people shouldn’t come here. I’m saying, don’t kid yourself, it’s probably a much more dangerous city than wherever you’re from.
If some people decide the risk/reward ratio isn’t there to go to school in Baltimore, that is perfectly reasonable.
Baltimore is a city of inequities. If one is not frequenting neighborhoods with those high crime statistics, it is safe. The question is how to lift up the neighborhoods that are not thriving, to offer opportunity for good jobs and education to all.