Keo11

Thank you guys so much, your advice really helped! I just accepted the offer at Boston!

I was recently accepted into the pharmacology PhD programs at Boston University and Johns Hopkins University. I have until April 15th to decide for both. I am currently studying neuroscience at Duke, and I am interested in going into industry (Pfizer/Biogen/Merc/Novartis) after grad school to work as a pharmaceutical neuroscientist in drug development/discovery for neurodegenerative diseases. Here's some background: I did a summer research program at Boston University last year and fell in love with the campus, environment, PIs and students. My brother has lived in Boston for the past 10 years and I would visit him every summer, so of course I fell in love with the city. Basically, I applied to BostonU hoping that I would get in because if I did, I knew that I would absolutely go there. This was my mindset before I got an interview from Hopkins. Then everything changed because I never in a million years thought that I could get into a school as prestigious as Hopkins. Don't get me wrong, Duke and BostonU are fantastic, exceptional schools, but I think that Hopkins is kind of up there with the Ivy Leagues. Here are the reasons why I didn't immediately say yes to Hopkins after I was accepted: 1) At BostonU, Pharmacology students are able to spend a summer doing research at either Pfizer or Biogen after the first year (which is freaking awesome!!!!), but Hopkins does not have anything like that for their students. Since that is what I want to do in the future, I would love to experience that! 2) There are more PIs (award-winning at that) at BostonU that I could see myself working with in comparison to Hopkins (only 1). 3) A lot of grad students that I know hate that they're so far away from their families and friends, and even though they eventually made new friends, it was tough to do that as well as adapt to a new city and lifestyle. Boston is basically my second home. I know the city like the back of my hand and I know many of the grad/medical students there and still keep in touch with them. 4) 5 of my closest friends have already accepted offers from schools in the Boston/Hartford/NYC area, so we'd all be near each other. Does anyone have any advice for me? I'm sorry this post is so long, but you can probably imagine how difficult this decision is for me. Boston definitely seems like the right fit for me. Both schools have amazing pharmacology programs, although Hopkins' is ranked higher. I think I want to go to Boston, and I don't think I'll regret going there, but it would be so awesome to go to a school like Hopkins. I'd be happy at both places honestly. I guess I just need to get over how prestigious the Hopkins "name" is, because it's making a choice that should've been easy, a difficult one.