Johns Hopkins

[AbaNader]

I got accepted to the engineering school at JHU. Does anyone know how the school is (environment, etc.) and what the town is like?

I've only been hearing really negative things about both so far (JHU cold and competitive, Baltimore crime-ridden boring ugly city). Is it true? What city/school would be similar to JHU/Baltimore?

[hyt5009]

I went to the School of Public Health 2 years ago, and I would say the it is very competitive but students are mostly pretty nice (at least in my department). Having living in Baltimore since 2009, I would say that yes there are quite a few negative things (i.e. bad neighborhoods, bad traffic,etc.), but you get used to it. The engineering school is located in a safer area of Baltimore (I am currently living near homewood campus where lots of JHU students live), unlike the medical campus, which is surrounded by very bad neighborhoods. The city itself is quite old, but it is still a city (many good restaurants, bars, etc. but don't compare it to cities like NYC or LA). Also it is quite close to DC and not too far from Philly and NYC (easy to catch a bus to go there). If you are really concerned, I would suggest you pay a visit and see the city yourself. For me, I am already used to living in Baltimore.

[attnescapists]

Baltimore is a nice city. It is easy to write it off for the crime and poverty which are admittedly present, but it has a lot of character and is probably my favorite "big" city. Visit and check it out for yourself. You might be surprised by how much you like it! Also, Maryland is a truly excellent place to live. We have mountains, Ocean, a huge bay, tons of rivers, two big cities, and lots of beautiful countryside. And it is generally very progressive politically.

Also, Baltimore is home to hands-down the best dirt-cheap beer I have ever tasted: National Bohemian.

[wildviolet]

I don't know about the environment of the engineering school, but I can tell you about the town and campus.

I went to Hopkins for my undergrad and lived on or near the Homewood Campus for four years. The campus itself is pretty and safe, but like any other college campus or city, you must be aware of your surroundings, especially at night. Nothing bad ever happened to me personally, but I did hear about muggings and other stuff. Baltimore as a city is different depending on the location--there are nice places and there are bad places. The area near the medical school is pretty bad--however, I spent a summer teaching at an elementary school near the medical campus and it was fine in the daytime. There are many historic buildings and downtown (the Inner Harbor) has been re-developed and improved. Many professors live in the area just north of campus--there are expensive and historic homes there, and it's nice to walk around there in the spring and fall.

The people you meet will probably vary, too. I worked for a professor in the neuroscience department who was the nicest person. On the other hand, many of the pre-med students were a**holes. I guess you will have to find your niche. Good luck!

[AbaNader]

Thanks for the input everyone! I've got a toughie on my hands... :-)