Should I accept Johns Hopkins Offer?

[nursethp]

Hi friends! Thanks so much in advance if you can help me to figure all of this out. Sorry in advance for a long post.

I graduated in August from UCF with a degree in Biology but my end goal is to be a Nurse Practitioner. I think I want to do FNP, but am not positive yet, and am open-minded to other fields. I also see myself teaching some way in the future. My younger sister had an NP who worked in the practice a few days a week and taught a few days a week which I thought was pretty cool. I also FOR SURE want to work abroad and do volunteer work. In undergrad, I helped do research and run a clinic out of Haiti and loved it. It's what inspired me to decide I wanted to pursue Nursing.

The main schools I applied to (direct entry programs) were Johns Hopkins, UNC Chapel Hill, and Vanderbilt. I toured Vanderbilt and Chapel Hill, but not Johns Hopkins because I honestly didn't even think I would get accepted. I got an email last week that I got accepted to Johns Hopkins with a 15k scholarship, and was so shocked. I haven't even been to Baltimore, and they want a decision by the 25th of November. I made plans to visit next weekend, but the program starts Jan 13th, and it all just seems so fast and a little overwhelming. I also know this doesn't truly matter in comparison to the education I would be getting from Johns Hopkins, but I can't really see myself loving Baltimore, whereas I LOVED Chapel Hill and Nashville.

I am not supposed to find out until December if I got into Chapel Hill, because their program starts Summer, and I'm not supposed to find out from Vanderbilt until February because their program starts Fall.

Also important to note that Chapel Hill is only an accelerated BSN, so I would have to then apply again for Masters programs. Vanderbilt is a direct entry Masters program. Johns Hopkins is a general MSN program and then I would need to go through their DNP program to actually become a Nurse Practioner.

Does anyone have ANY advice they could give me?? I am SO SO conflicted, and honestly so overwhelmed.

[SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP]

Depends on if you think you're a shoe-in for Chapel Hill or Vanderbilt. It sounds like JH was your 3rd choice, since you didn't expect to get in. Do you feel like if you decline, you would have a decent shot at getting in to the other 2 programs? From the wording in your post, you don't sound thrilled at the prospect of going there. You would definitely get a great education at JH, plus the name looks good on a resume when you're a new grad.

Personally, I'd take the seat at JH, but that's just me. This is you and this choice impacts you. Is your gut telling you to take it or leave it?

[nursethp]

5 minutes ago, SopranoKris said:

Depends on if you think you're a shoe-in for Chapel Hill or Vanderbilt. It sounds like JH was your 3rd choice, since you didn't expect to get in. Do you feel like if you decline, you would have a decent shot at getting in to the other 2 programs? From the wording in your post, you don't sound thrilled at the prospect of going there. You would definitely get a great education at JH, plus the name looks good on a resume when you're a new grad.

Personally, I'd take the seat at JH, but that's just me. This is you and this choice impacts you. Is your gut telling you to take it or leave it?

It is so hard to say if I will get into either of the other programs. I'm really just not sure, so it would definitely be a risk to decline the offer from JHU and then wait to find out. I am so thrilled to have been accepted, I just have a weird feeling about it. Might just be nerves though and because it is all happening so fast.

Do you think it matters for programs like this whether I graduate from somewhere like JHU versus Vanderbilt or Chapel Hill? I've seen mixed opinions on it.

[llg, PhD, RN]

How much money will you lose if you say "yes" to Hopkins and then change your mind if you get into Chapel Hill? If it is not all that much money, I'd give that option serious consideration. If might be worth a few hundred dollars to "hold" your place at Hopkins while you wait for UNC.

Of course, if it will cost you thousands (which is probably not the case), then you need to make a firm decision now -- and decide how much risk you are willing to take.

[nursethp]

1 minute ago, llg said:

How much money will you lose if you say "yes" to Hopkins and then change your mind if you get into Chapel Hill? If it is not all that much money, I'd give that option serious consideration. If might be worth a few hundred dollars to "hold" your place at Hopkins while you wait for UNC.

Of course, if it will cost you thousands (which is probably not the case), then you need to make a firm decision now -- and decide how much risk you are willing to take.

Yeah that's a really good point! It's $500 to secure a spot. It will be interesting because even if I get into UNC Chapel Hill, I feel like Johns Hopkins is still the better option education-wise. Plus the Johns Hopkins program takes me all the way to an MSN whereas the UNC program only takes me to a BSN.

I know it seems silly, but just writing it out over this forum is helping me to work through my decision so thank you!

[SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP]

1 hour ago, taylorhopelyn said:

Plus the Johns Hopkins program takes me all the way to an MSN whereas the UNC program only takes me to a BSN.

What you just said above is another reason why it makes sense to take the seat at Johns Hopkins. Good reputation, you'll get everything done in ONE place, and it looks great on a resume when you're job hunting. ?

[FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP]

Hopkins alum here. I would take the JHUSON offer. It is the best school of the 3 you named, plus has the best "brand" and name recognition. Also, you haven't been accepted at the other schools yet.

I'm from California, and was leery of Baltimore. However, I personally was pleasantly surprised. Baltimore really grew on me. Like any big city, there are good and bad areas. Initially, I lived in Locust Point, which was expensive, but it was very safe - people are out walking even late at night. There is a fantastic grocery store there, too. I still miss the Thursday special of a huge piece of prime rib (cooked) with sides, for $9.99. After a year, I moved to Roland Park to a nice apartment to save money, also another very nice and safe area.

Baltimore is very diverse, with a large population of Nepalese and Nigerians, among many other nationalities. It is majority Black, with a growing Hispanic population. That means lots of awesome food!

Compared to other large East Coast cities, Baltimore is quite affordable. Of course, I'm coming from coastal California. ?

The location is awesome - this is a chance for you to explore the East Coast. You can take a very cheap train to Washington DC. You can also easily take the train to Philadelphia and NYC.

Baltimore has many beautiful areas like the Inner Harbor. It is a very "green" city with lots of trees and parks.

I am very happy with my JHUSON education. It was hard and intense, but a great education. The faculty is very dedicated and the school really wants you to graduate. Your advisors and professors will really help you if you have any issues as long as you communicate with them. The students are generally very nice and supportive of each other. You'll get to do rotations at the Hopkins Hospital, one of the best in the world, as well as other local hospitals.

JHUSON is also very responsive to students. If the students make a good suggestion, the school will try to accommodate it.

I went straight through to become an NP. I can't tell you how many doors the Hopkins name opened for me when I was looking for a job - many doctors said they wanted to meet me because I went to Hopkins.

Hopkins has an international reputation. So if you don't know where you will end up living and working, that's a great asset. Now, if you knew for sure you want to live in Tennessee, for example, the Vanderbilt alumni network might be of more help locally. At any rate, you can't go wrong with Hopkins.

I find it odd that you hesitate, given how hard it is to get into JHUSON. Most people would jump at the chance.

[nursethp]

7 minutes ago, FullGlass said:

Hopkins alum here. I would take the JHUSON offer. It is the best school of the 3 you named, plus has the best "brand" and name recognition. Also, you haven't been accepted at the other schools yet.

I'm from California, and was leery of Baltimore. However, I personally was pleasantly surprised. Baltimore really grew on me. Like any big city, there are good and bad areas. Initially, I lived in Locust Point, which was expensive, but it was very safe - people are out walking even late at night. There is a fantastic grocery store there, too. I still miss the Thursday special of a huge piece of prime rib (cooked) with sides, for $9.99. After a year, I moved to Roland Park to a nice apartment to save money, also another very nice and safe area.

Baltimore is very diverse, with a large population of Nepalese and Nigerians, among many other nationalities. It is majority Black, with a growing Hispanic population. That means lots of awesome food!

Compared to other large East Coast cities, Baltimore is quite affordable. Of course, I'm coming from coastal California. ?

The location is awesome - this is a chance for you to explore the East Coast. You can take a very cheap train to Washington DC. You can also easily take the train to Philadelphia and NYC.

Baltimore has many beautiful areas like the Inner Harbor. It is a very "green" city with lots of trees and parks.

I am very happy with my JHUSON education. It was hard and intense, but a great education. The faculty is very dedicated and the school really wants you to graduate. Your advisors and professors will really help you if you have any issues as long as you communicate with them. The students are generally very nice and supportive of each other. You'll get to do rotations at the Hopkins Hospital, one of the best in the world, as well as other local hospitals.

JHUSON is also very responsive to students. If the students make a good suggestion, the school will try to accommodate it.

I went straight through to become an NP. I can't tell you how many doors the Hopkins name opened for me when I was looking for a job - many doctors said they wanted to meet me because I went to Hopkins.

Hopkins has an international reputation. So if you don't know where you will end up living and working, that's a great asset. Now, if you knew for sure you want to live in Tennessee, for example, the Vanderbilt alumni network might be of more help locally. At any rate, you can't go wrong with Hopkins.

I find it odd that you hesitate, given how hard it is to get into JHUSON. Most people would jump at the chance.

Wow, this is EXACTLY the perspective I needed, thank you so so much! I hesitated simply because I’ve never seen the campus, and it came as such a shock to me that I got in. I wasn’t really considering it and then I got the acceptance and now I have only 10 days total to make a decision. So just trying to get all the information and guidance possible :)

But the way you describe it is super encouraging, and definitely helps a lot! Although there’s always positive feedback on Johns Hopkins as a university, everyone seems to add in their weary opinion about the safety of the area and quality of living in Baltimore itself. I am visiting this upcoming weekend to look at apartments and make my final decision, so I know that will help too.

Like you said you really can’t beat the reputation and education I would be getting at Johns Hopkins, so ultimately I think this is what it will come down to. I do feel grateful to have even been excepted!

Thanks again!!

[FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP]

2 hours ago, taylorhopelyn said:

Wow, this is EXACTLY the perspective I needed, thank you so so much! I hesitated simply because I’ve never seen the campus, and it came as such a shock to me that I got in.

You are very welcome. Also, on the campus, I wanted to add some more info. The main undergrad campus is Homewood and it is pretty and in a good area. However, you will be on the Medical Campus, home of the hospital, nursing school, med school, and school of public health. It is in a crappy area. Mr. Hopkins deliberately put the hospital and med school there because he wanted to help poor people. Hopkins has tried to improve the area, but I would advise caution - don't walk around alone there at night. There are security guards on every corner. The students will walk to the parking garage in a group at night and so forth. I was there for 3.5 years and never had a problem, but I also used common sense and stayed vigilant.

Baltimore has pretty good public transport with buses and light rail for local transport. In addition, Hopkins also runs their own free shuttle service all over the city for students and staff. (I think it's free). They normally recommend a car because you may have rotations at other hospitals, but some students didn't have a car and just carpooled or biked and did just fine.

Baltimore and Maryland are technically south of the Mason Dixon line, so there is a nice sense of Southern hospitality. People will take their time and actually talk to you. There are also some very eccentric people there. ?

Look up John Waters if you don't know about him - odd film maker. Also, the HBO series The Wire was shot in Baltimore - one of the best TV shows ever made.

Let us know what you think after you visit! And Congratulations!!!

[db2xs]

I too am a Hopkins alum (my BSN) and in hindsight, I am glad I went, although my perspective is slightly different than FullGlass's.

I went to Hopkins to get an education, straight up. I did not like living in Baltimore and spent every break and free moment away from there but I did get to discover some nice things like the arboretum.

The section of Baltimore where the medical campus is definitely crappy. I would say something stronger than crappy, actually. I didn't even think about going there as soon as the sun set.

The education quality is top-notch. The majority of the professors actually care about how you do. Becoming a Hopkins alum opens you up to so much networking, so much access, and quite honestly, it does make people take notice. I was told this over and over again at recruiting conferences. I would try and get my CV reviewed and some of them didn't even want to look at it, stating, "You go to Hopkins; don't worry, you'll get a job." I of course wanted them to look at my CV, but I did feel assured by these repeated statements.

I too am happy with my Hopkins education, especially looking back in hindsight. I never heard anyone--administrators, professors, or students--brag, "OMG WE'RE HOPKINS AND WE ARE THE #1 PROGRAM IN THE COUNTRY," unlike my friend who went to UCSF, who told me that in one of her first classes, the professor proclaimed, "You are all the cream of the crop!" I found that to be really unpalatable but maybe the professor thought that would encourage the students. I'm not sure, but I never heard anyone at Hopkins say dumb things like that.

I wish I could have gone for my NP/MSN there but Hopkins does not have what I want NP-wise, which is fine. I went somewhere else.

Congratulations on your acceptance! If you want a stellar education that will give you all and more to become an NP, and if you really want people in the industry to want to know you more, I highly suggest going to Hopkins. ? Not everyone can get into there.

[llg, PhD, RN]

21 hours ago, taylorhopelyn said:

Yeah that's a really good point! It's $500 to secure a spot. It will be interesting because even if I get into UNC Chapel Hill, I feel like Johns Hopkins is still the better option education-wise. Plus the Johns Hopkins program takes me all the way to an MSN whereas the UNC program only takes me to a BSN.

I know it seems silly, but just writing it out over this forum is helping me to work through my decision so thank you!

Congratulations on making a decision! Sometimes, just talking or writing it out helps you to clarify the issues. Good luck at Hopkins. I am happy for you.

[nursethp]

21 hours ago, FullGlass said:

Hopkins alum here. I would take the JHUSON offer. It is the best school of the 3 you named, plus has the best "brand" and name recognition. Also, you haven't been accepted at the other schools yet.

I'm from California, and was leery of Baltimore. However, I personally was pleasantly surprised. Baltimore really grew on me. Like any big city, there are good and bad areas. Initially, I lived in Locust Point, which was expensive, but it was very safe - people are out walking even late at night. There is a fantastic grocery store there, too. I still miss the Thursday special of a huge piece of prime rib (cooked) with sides, for $9.99. After a year, I moved to Roland Park to a nice apartment to save money, also another very nice and safe area.

Baltimore is very diverse, with a large population of Nepalese and Nigerians, among many other nationalities. It is majority Black, with a growing Hispanic population. That means lots of awesome food!

Compared to other large East Coast cities, Baltimore is quite affordable. Of course, I'm coming from coastal California. ?

The location is awesome - this is a chance for you to explore the East Coast. You can take a very cheap train to Washington DC. You can also easily take the train to Philadelphia and NYC.

Baltimore has many beautiful areas like the Inner Harbor. It is a very "green" city with lots of trees and parks.

I am very happy with my JHUSON education. It was hard and intense, but a great education. The faculty is very dedicated and the school really wants you to graduate. Your advisors and professors will really help you if you have any issues as long as you communicate with them. The students are generally very nice and supportive of each other. You'll get to do rotations at the Hopkins Hospital, one of the best in the world, as well as other local hospitals.

JHUSON is also very responsive to students. If the students make a good suggestion, the school will try to accommodate it.

I went straight through to become an NP. I can't tell you how many doors the Hopkins name opened for me when I was looking for a job - many doctors said they wanted to meet me because I went to Hopkins.

Hopkins has an international reputation. So if you don't know where you will end up living and working, that's a great asset. Now, if you knew for sure you want to live in Tennessee, for example, the Vanderbilt alumni network might be of more help locally. At any rate, you can't go wrong with Hopkins.

I find it odd that you hesitate, given how hard it is to get into JHUSON. Most people would jump at the chance.

Hi! I actually have one more question since you mentioned you went through to become an NP. Did you do the DNP program at JHU? I just talk to someone from admissions and they said its an additional 4 years on top of the MSN program. I am surprised by this because Vanderbilt for example has only a few year program to get an MSN and automatically be able to practice as an NP. But since JHU requires a doctorate to practice as an NP, it just seems like so much extra money and time. I am leaning on loans 100% for all school and living expenses, so I am scared of digging myself into a debt hole that I won't be able to get out of as an NP. Any thoughts on this?