Bacterrific

Hey, I was born and raised in Baltimore. It seems that many here have been deluded by misrepresentations of Baltimore (ie. The Wire, Serial, news). I will just say this, if you write off Hopkins because of Baltimore it is absolutely your loss. Baltimore is vibrant, young, and diverse. It has one of the fastest growing populations of people ages 25-30. It is actually an art hub so almost every day there are various events/festivals to explore. Between the UMD schools, Hopkins, and Maryland School for the Arts there is a lively student community. Baltimore has a beautiful setting on the water and because it was one of the first U.S cities it has beautiful, historical architecture. If you are a sports fan then Baltimore is a great place to be with the Orioles at Camden Yards and the Ravens. Baltimore is a condensed city made up of eclectic neighborhoods so not only it is very accessible, you will never run out of things to do/new places to explore. Baltimore has a truly diverse population and an incredible sentiment of social justice and activism. Lastly, Baltimore is just 45 minutes from DC, an hour from beaches on the Atlantic coast, an hour to Philadelphia, less than an hour to the beginning of the Appalachian Mountains (ie. tons of stunning natural scenery and parks), and 3-4 hours from New York. I could go on and on about what an amazing place Baltimore is. I know people are concerned with crime, but in all of my years living in a working class neighborhood my roommates and I were never victims of crime. Honestly, the people most afflicted by crime in Baltimore are the poor and those marginalized/oppressed by our society...so please check your privilege before you start to complain about crime. I am not attending Hopkins as I decided it was time to try out a new state, but the research environment is really phenomenal. And keep in mind that you have access to the NIH (especially the NCI, infectious diseases, and aging institutes), Kennedy Krieger, and UMD. I am not saying Hopkins is better than any other program, but it's a damn shame to see so many people write it off without any precedent/actual experience to go off.

Thank you for being the voice of reason! I called the coordinator and she sounded delighted that I only needed a one-way flight haha Problem=solved.

But in theory do you think they would figure out if I booked a round trip flight and didn't get on the flight home? I know it's a waste of money but the idea of asking for a one-way flight doesn't sit right with me, which is probably irrational.

Hello! Back again with more logistical questions. Sooo which option would be better? 1. Tell one program I only need a one-way flight to their interview so that I can fly to a different program's interview instead of home. (I already confirmed with the second program that they could fly me from the city of the first program instead of my hometown) 2. Just take the later interview date for the second program. I would prefer option #1 because these two programs are my top choices and I know it's better to interview earlier. Also I would rather have one hectic weekend before my semester begins than have to travel a weekend later in my semester...but I'm worried the first program will frown upon me for asking for a one-way flight since it's obvious I would be flying to another school. SOS P.S. Crazy person thought: I could just book a round trip flight for the first program and not actually take the flight home???

Does anyone happen to know the interview dates for UPenn Immunology or Weill Cornell Immunology&Microbial Pathogenesis? I am trying to debate if I should turn down an interview on February 11-13th. Also is it inappropriate to call and ask those programs when their interviews are/if they are done sending out invites?

Hi! Thank you! Harvard BBS has you leave anytime Sunday morning so I think I will catch a red-eye from Boston to my hometown (about an hour flight) and then just catch another flight separately out to Berkeley (about a 5 hour flight ) Wow, this is going to be absolutely exhausting haha Thank goodness for the West Coast timezone to give me three hours of my life back

Hello friends, back with more questions. Is it possible to ask a school to fly you from another interview? Essentially could I ask UC-Berkeley to fly me out from Harvard? I would rather attend the earlier interview date which is January 31-February 2nd, but I will be at Harvard from January 28-January 31st. Would it look weird/hurt my chances? I could just fly home from Harvard and immediately hop on a new flight to Berkeley or I could just take Berkeley's later date.

I think this may have been addressed before, but two questions: 1. Does it matter if you choose the earlier or later interview date? 2. Is it better to stay with a host student or in a hotel? Thanks!

Thank you! You guys were making me nervous with all of your interview invitations haha

Just received an interview invite for Washington University in St. Louis DBBS (immunology)