Okay I have searched far and wide to find a topic relating to this but have only found older ones... I mean come on guys the world isn't really going to end December 2012. So here's to the 2012 application cycle!
I have a ton of questions for those who are applying and those who have applied and those who are in the program. Any and all input will be much appreciated. Also just so you know, I will be attending the October 1st open house.
If I were to describe myself, I would say grade-wise I am not the strongest candidate for JHU's nursing program as it is considered top in the nation. HOWEVER I have great experience and recommendations to cancel that out. I am also trying really really hard to make those essays seem great but only 300 words?
So to anyone reading this post, what do you think I can do to make myself a stronger applicant?
Relating to specifically JHU, I have heard a million different things about their program. From "it really sucks and is not worth it" to "best program EVER". JHU is supposed to be a school that is the leader in research and also has a global perspective. Can anyone else tell me what is so special about JHU's nursing program? What is your personal experience with it?
As far as location and campus, I think it doesn't matter as long as the educational program is incredible.
p.s. You are awesome for reading my novel. There have been many a times where I skipped over long posts.
URHopeful - I love Maryland as a state although I don't have too much familiarity with Baltimore itself.
Patapsco state park is one of our favorite hiking spots and isn't far from Baltimore.
If anyone is interested in vegetarian food, The Vegetarian and Vegan Guide to Baltimore, Maryland - VegBaltimore.com is a great website for listing restaurants that are vegetarian as well as vegetarian friendly. On my recent trips to Baltimore, I've visited One World Cafe (they serve fish) and Liquid Earth. Both were really good. Lebanese Taverna is a chain that we have down here as well which is also good.
Fells Point is one place that has been recommended to me to live and I think they have a free bus as well. It is a pretty cool area of Baltimore.
That site will come very helpful for me. I think I will check some of restaurants out when I go exploring Baltimore on Wednesday. You are very kind to find and share that site and information. I will also have to checkout the hiking spot. I love hiking!!! I have been living in New York state for the past four years and am always amazed at the diversity and beauty of the US (I am Canadian). Best of luck to with your admission decision (eventhough i don't think you will need it!). I look forward to meet you in the upcoming year. Thanks again.
I am new to this site, but I just wanted to say that I also will be joining the JHUSON ABSN class entering summer 2012. I am really excited. I am not sure whether or not to attend the March or April sessions. Does anyone know of any pros/cons to attending either?
Also, I am going to be moving to Baltimore from Los Angeles, so if anyone has any advice on best places to live, I'd really appreciate it. For apartments, do most people just hoof it around the area looking for a place, or do they use apartment hunting agencies? I will basically be trying to find a place there on a long weekend since I will be finishing up my last finals the week before classes start at JHUSON! And I am planning on driving my car across country because I hear it opens up possibilities for clinicals later on.
Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated... trying to minimize the stress of the move as much as possible.
I have been looking for apartments right now. I am actually going to be looking at places this week. I do not think you need an agent, there are many postings. I looked in fells point, canton, mt. vernon, and homewood. I would just make sure the place has transportation to the university (many do and direct routes). You can get a great description of each place on Live in Baltimore - Home . I will be attending the March session but I don't think it matters which session you choose. I am very impressed at how diverse our class will be in terms of demographics. I will keep you posted about my apartment search experience when I come back from Baltimore on Friday. Welcome to the thread!!!
I'm a current JHU undergrad, and while I was a little uncertain about Baltimore at first, I've grown pretty attached to it over the past four years. One major downside is that the nice neighborhoods tend to be very spread out; wandering a few blocks in the wrong direction can easily take you somewhere you don't want to be. That said, there are some really nice neighborhoods around here. I personally live in Charles Village - there are a lot of cheap apartments in this area, although many may be in less than ideal condition. Fells Point is a great area to visit, with a bunch of bars, restaurants, and boutiques. Federal Hill is a popular area with rowhouses intermingled with bars and restaurants, but parking can be extremely difficult to find at certain times of day. Mount Vernon would probably be my favorite area to live, personally - my roommate and I are considering moving there when our lease ends in June. For people hoping to stay along the Hopkins shuttle route, Charles Village and Mount Vernon are probably your best bets. Here's a site for housing to check out, with reviews from JHU undergrads and grad students: JHU Off Campus Housing Database | Property (it's a new site, so there may not be many reviews yet).
Anyway, Baltimore's a pretty quirky city, which makes it a lot of fun. I'm a part of Baltimore's surprisingly large swing dance scene, which is a good way to meet interesting people. There are fun events like Artscape and the Kinetic Sculpture Race from time to time, and in the surrounding area are more events like the Maryland Renaissance Festival and the annual Silver Spring Zombie Walk. Overall, Baltimore can be a neat place to live, if you give it a chance.
Thank you for the great advise and insight. I was wondering if you could tell us a bit about the program itself. How intense is the programs? Is the grading really hard? How are the instructors? Do the rumors of Hopkins being competive hold true? My experience with Hopkins has been nothing but wonderful. I find the admission staff extremely friendly, supportive, and encouraging. Thanks for all your advice.
I'm actually a senior at the Homewood campus (ie Arts & Sciences) at the moment, so I won't be starting nursing school til the summer (I did not make that very clear in my original message, oops). The two schools are, inexplicably, entirely separate, so I'm not sure I can say how nursing school will be. Homewood has generally lived up to the competitive reputation, although it isn't as cutthroat as people generally say. From everything I've heard, the nursing school has a reputation for being much friendlier and more cooperative, as people tend to want to help each other become nurses rather than fighting against them for the top place in the class. I work at the Hopkins Medical Archives, where I mostly work with JHUSON Alumni Association materials - from all of that, it seems graduates are generally happy with the school, and often form close/lasting friendships. Anyway, I'm looking forward to it, and I hope it's going to be good :-)
Thanks for your explaination. I am really looking forward to Hopkins. Hopkins seems like a really amazing university and I totally understand why the nursing program is so highly regarded.
I have many friends that live and work in Baltimore currently. They mostly live in Canton, which from what I understand is a relatively safe area, has a direct bus to the Medical Campus, lots of restaurants and bars in and around ODonnell Sq and parking is not difficult to find. It is only about a 10 minute drive to the SON. The rent is pretty cheap too. It is also a little bit of a older crowd than Fed Hill ( later 20s v early 20s/college).
I still have not heard anything regarding my admission status at Hopkins. The wait is making me so anxious, but I guess no news is good news at this point!
thanks for the advice, urhopeful and nocturne! i really appreciate it! yeah, i am pretty stoked about the diversity of our class in terms of location as well.
@ urhopeful, thanks for the welcome! i'd love to hear about your experiences apartment hunting!!! i won't be able to get out there until the end of march, and for some reason i am terrified that every place worth getting will be snagged. i'll have a car, so i don't mind driving a little bit. but, i'm trying to leave dealing with traffic in la, so i'd like to like 10-15 min away from school if possible. i'd like to live in some place that is walking distance to amenities and lively spots like bars, restaurants, etc. but i don't want it to be a super janky apartment!!! i've heard some horror stories about some old spots in baltimore. also, i have no idea what to expect in terms of pricing. from what i understand, the areas you have been looking at are what is most recommended for someone like me! :0) so any tips would be fantastic.
also, are you bringing anyone to accepted day? my mom wants to roll with. i don't mind because we're pretty close, but i also don't want to be the only person there with her mama tagging along hahah...
So here's to the 2012 application cycle!
leenak
980 Posts
URHopeful - I love Maryland as a state although I don't have too much familiarity with Baltimore itself.
Patapsco state park is one of our favorite hiking spots and isn't far from Baltimore.
If anyone is interested in vegetarian food, The Vegetarian and Vegan Guide to Baltimore, Maryland - VegBaltimore.com is a great website for listing restaurants that are vegetarian as well as vegetarian friendly. On my recent trips to Baltimore, I've visited One World Cafe (they serve fish) and Liquid Earth. Both were really good. Lebanese Taverna is a chain that we have down here as well which is also good.
Fells Point is one place that has been recommended to me to live and I think they have a free bus as well. It is a pretty cool area of Baltimore.