Johns Hopkins vs. Cornell

NixonDenier
Thu, 07 Apr 2016 21:07:44 +0000

As usual, @OnMyWay2013 and I are on the same page with most things but I’ll expand on a few things too:

1. When I think of school pride I picture large sporting events, since that's probably the most common reason why large segments of the student body get together and have fun (otherwise you're probably all taking a biochemistry test - also fun). As you probably know, Hopkins has a Division I lacrosse team which consistently is in the top 5, and there are many avid fans of the sport at our school. I was from CA and lacrosse is not nearly as big on the West Coast but I grew into the sport with the sheer amount of energy, fast pace and sometimes brutality that is permitted on the field. I also knew a few of the members on the team who were largely down to earth, hardworking and friendly people. That being said, while the school does have all the standard collegiate sports (basketball, football, swimming, baseball, etc.) you will definitely not be getting the USC college football experience of 50,000 fans in a crowded stadium with beer-soaked tailgates, etc. That's just not Hopkins. Attendance to sporting events other than lacrosse is normally low, but the Homecoming game (a lacrosse game, of course), and a few of the big match games (like with Towson, Maryland, Rutgers, Princeton) is when you do fill the stands with Hopkins students painting their faces, banging thunder sticks, etc. So I think the sporting culture is there occasionally, but nowhere at the same magnitude. For me, this was all I needed: a few occasions to try it out and check the box off my college bucket list and then (after my migraine subsided) returning to the books.

That being said, there are many other events during the year where students get together and do have fun including the many of the Greek Life events (fundraisers, volunteer opportunities, Dorm Wars), large cultural events like Diwali and Holi, and school-sponsored concerts and events like Spring Fair and President’s Day of Service. Some of these larger events consistently are drawing upwards of a thousand or more students, which is about 1/6 of the undergrad population and definitely created, in my mind, a strong sense of community. Beyond that students are normally very proud of the school which is consistently in the news for scientific breakthroughs and humanitarian efforts. More recently, there has been more of a focus on Hopkins giving back to and supporting Baltimore with over a billion dollars pledged in support for local projects, local hiring programs, etc just in the past few years, which in my mind is one of the first things I brag about with this school.

1. As for food, Hopkins has improved drastically over the last 15 years. I remember hearing horror stories when I was a freshman about food quality, sanitation and options and that apparently the school was called out in an expose in the early 2000s resulting in a complete overhaul and new vendor contract (Bon Appetite, considered one of the best). The results have been a huge improvement in quality and variety as well as upgrades in facilities and a focus on locally grown, organic foods as well as vegan and gluten-free options. Nonetheless, while Hopkins now does appear on ranked lists for some of the best cafeteria food (US News #9: http://college.usatoday.com/2015/04/28/36-of-the-best-college-dining-halls-in-the-u-s/ and The Daily Meal #3:http://www.thedailymeal.com/eat/75-best-colleges-food-america-2015/slide-74 ) That being said people will still complain because that's what people do. It doesn't matter how creative you get with your Taco Tuesday or Fajita Friday, people will get tired of the food since vendors do have limited numbers of suppliers and chefs only have so many recipes they can feasibly cook in huge batches. Rest assured though, the on-campus dining is more than adequate (even for the vegan, locally-grown freedom fighters) and off-campus dining continues to improve as more retail spaces open up and more options become available. As a side note, the quality and variety of restaurants throughout Baltimore truly surprised me given the city's relatively small size (it's no NYC or LA) and limited diversity. I still remember the great sushi, Indian, Korean, and Vietnamese foods I found in Baltimore, and I grew up in Los Angeles where I definitely developed an appreciation for quality Asian food.

2. Few people plan for a gap year but it is happening more and more due to growing competition for medical school. Even if you're a competitive applicant, once you realize the difficulty of working on applications, studying for the MCAT, and completing interviews across the country all while in school with homework and exams... many reconsider. Students almost always have the epiphany of "wait, why am I rushing through this? Shouldn't I take a break before I do another four years of medical school and then jump right into residency?" Nonetheless, plenty of students start medical school two to three months after graduating (God that sounds exhausting even to write, in my opinion) and the premed committee has no preference in general (though they may recommend a gap year on a case-by-case basis).

3. Greek life is a healthy balance at Hopkins. With 25% or so of the student body in sororities/fraternities I think the Greek life is large enough to be productive and organize quality events like Dorm Wars, parties, etc. without being so large that you feel pressured to join a chapter just to make friends. My favorite part though is that at the end of the day most Hopkins kids really are nerds who love to learn and do amazing things so even when I found myself at a frat party (I never pledged, but I did occasionally partake in the revelry) people were friendly, intelligent and inviting (there are a few frats that keep this facade of exclusiveness and that changes year to year based on the students running the house, hem hem, the unrecognized St. Elmos).

Most colleges across America have been cracking down on the hazing culture and the frat party culture due to longstanding concerns and incidents of date rape, alcohol and drug abuse, etc. A recent documentary called The Hunting Ground (now on Netflix!) shows the coverup of this issue at some of America’s greatest institutions, and while Hopkins has dodged much of the limelight on this unfortunate issue, it is definitely a culture that has reared it’s ugly head with incidents in the past, but nowhere near as common (I hope) and quietly condoned than at other big name, elite schools.