Johns Hopkins or UCSD PhD Biology???

[Mochi22]

So I got acceptances to both Johns Hopkins and UCSD PhD programs for biology. I am very conflicted on which school to attend, and would appreciate any input/advice! Basically, I have lived in California my whole life, so staying in California is obviously the easier and safer option. In terms of location, Baltimore and San Diego could not be more opposite, which is the main reason for my dilemma. In terms of program, I liked the program/professors at Hopkins more, but liked the students better at UCSD. I know that Hopkins is ranked higher than UCSD (and would obviously like to attend a prestigious school), but am not sure of the impact on my career trajectory; I most likely want to return to biotech, but am not sure how much UCSD is connected with the biotech in La Jolla area. Also, my significant other would most likely be following me to wherever I go, so the job markets also are important. Thanks for the help!

[strugglebus2k17]

I'd say a name like Hopkins will carry you far in academia or industry. People know it's a fantastic school with great name recognition in both realms. Of course, there are a lot of other factors to consider. The location at Hopkins will be significantly different in weather compared to UCSD. But weather aside, I feel like the pro's of going to a school like hopikins will hopefully outweigh the cons of it's weather. I've had many friends from Texas that go to school in Baltimore and love it over there!

[moar_skool]

I'm not in your field so the only thing I can advise on is location. I moved to Baltimore 3 years ago to do my Master's at Hopkins (at school of public health). I absolutely LOVE Baltimore--so much so that I decided to stay and still live here. Obviously it's going to be very different from California, but as long as you can handle colder/grayer winters, you should be fine. Baltimore has an awesome arts and foodie scene, lots of fun outdoor areas, and is super close to DC (1 hr), Philly (2 hrs), & NYC (3 hrs), so there's always something going on. As for your SO, the job market in Baltimore is decent, and it is only an hour from DC, so many people live in Baltimore and take the train to DC for work. Again, it depends on your SO's field, but there are a lot of academic , government, & policy jobs in this area.

Ultimately choose what is best for you and your career, but don't let Baltimore scare you away from a great program/degree. Also #EastCoastBEASTCoast

[Mochi22]

I just visited Baltimore again and honestly didn't love it. I feel like I could survive there for the length of my PhD, but would definitely be happier in the San Diego area. Also, my significant other would preferably live in San Diego. I don't want to make a decision based on my significant other and also don't want location to be the determining factor in my decision, since I liked the school Hopkins more. However, these factors can't be ignored, which is why I still can't seem to make a decision

[rising_star]

Well, are you willing to make a sacrifice now in terms of location to likely have more choice about location post-PhD?