What is Johns Hopkins University Known For?

What’s Covered:

• Overview of JHU
• Unique Aspects of JHU
• What Are Your Chances of Acceptance at JHU?

When you think of Johns Hopkins University, you probably associate it with medicine. And it’s true: many undergraduates do pursue a pre-med track and ultimately go on to medical school.

But Hopkins has much more to offer than pre-med. The first research university in the United States is also famous for its breadth of rigorous, top academic offerings and community in Baltimore, Maryland.

Overview of Johns Hopkins 

Location: Baltimore, Maryland

Undergrad Enrollment: 6,000

Acceptance Rate: 11%

Middle 50% SAT: 1500-1550

Middle 50% ACT: 34-35

Johns Hopkins is also consistently ranked in the top 20 schools in the US. Admissions officers are looking for students who are not only academically talented, but also involved in their communities. JHU is one of the few schools to release their own “Essays That Worked,” implying that they place special importance on the college essays, which share a student’s personality and potential fit with the university. We have a whole guide to writing the Johns Hopkins essays, with tips on how to write an essay that will impress admissions officers

Unique Aspects of Johns Hopkins

Academics

Hopkins is widely known for its pre-med track, with many students going on to medical school after graduating. According to its 2019 post-graduate survey, the admit rate to medical schools for JHU graduates was 80%. But students also pursue other careers and niches. For example, 97% of law school applicants were admitted, according to the same survey.

One of the most notable programs Hopkins has to offer is biomedical engineering, ranked #1 in programs of its kind by U.S. News. Because the major is so rigorous and prestigious, students must apply directly to the BME program, as opposed to other majors, where students apply to the university undeclared. Students may be admitted to the university without being admitted to the BME program, too. 

The university is also famous for its International Studies Program. In addition to the popular undergraduate major, Hopkins has several dual-degree paths. One option is the five-year BA/MA program, in which students spend three years at Homewood campus in Baltimore and two at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, D.C. to earn an MA in International Relations along with their bachelor’s. SAIS also operates in Bologna, Italy, and Nanjing, China. Another option is the five-year BA/MA program in which students learn at Hopkins and Science Po Paris in France.

The Peabody Conservatory is part of Hopkins, and the campus is located near Homewood. Students may pursue a dual-degree path, earning both a BA or BS from the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences or the Whiting School of Engineering and a Bachelor of Music or BFA from Peabody simultaneously. Students must be admitted independently to both Peabody and one of the Homewood schools.

No matter what their major, students enjoy flexibility, with no core curriculum in place (there are some distribution requirements, however). Approximately 60% of undergraduates have a double major or a major and a minor. 

Extracurriculars

Although JHU is not a sports-centric school, it is known for its titles in lacrosse. The men’s and women’s lacrosse teams are the only athletic teams at the university that compete in NCAA Division I. The men’s team holds 44 national titles, including nine NCAA championships. Another notable athletic team is the fencing team, a Division III team.

Hopkins offers plenty of extracurricular activities for practically every interest you can imagine (and if you can’t find your niche, you can start a club of your own). The student-run newspaper, The News-Letter is one of the oldest continuously published college newspapers in the country. It was named the recipient of the Associated Collegiate Press Newspaper Pacemaker award in the four-year college non-daily newspaper division several times.

Traditions

Founded in 1876, Hopkins has a long history with several notable traditions. One example is the Lighting of the Quads, which takes place before winter break. The celebration includes performances, food, art displays, and a countdown to the president’s flipping of the switch to turn on the festive lights.

In spring semester, students and residents of the local community gather on Homewood for Spring Fair, which offers student-run and local business-run booths, funnel cake and other food, a beer garden, arts and crafts, music, and a concert featuring renowned artists.

Dorms

All full-time Homewood first- and second-year students are guaranteed housing and required to live on campus or with a parent or guardian. In addition to dormitories, the university owns a number of apartments by campus. 

Charles Commons is one example of Hopkins’ dorms, completed in Fall 2006. The two connected buildings have more than 600 residents who live in single rooms in 2- or 4-person suites. The building also includes common lounges, a dining facility, a two-sided fireplace, a performance stage, a fitness room, meeting spaces, a game room, a faculty member and graduate assistant in residence, a community kitchen, music rooms, the campus bookstore (Barnes & Noble), and an Insomnia Cookies.

Financial Aid

In 2018, Johns Hopkins alum Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City, donated $1.8 billion to his alma mater to make JHU need-blind. This is the largest gift to an academic institution in the history of the country. The university is also no-loan and meets 100% of demonstrated financial need.

Resources

Hopkins makes a number of resources available to students. Shuttles operate between Homewood campus and other JHU facilities and are available on-demand at certain times and within designated parameters. Students can also access the Baltimore Collegetown Shuttle which serves students at nearby colleges, too, and takes passengers to destinations like Inner Harbor.

Hopkins also has accounts with products and services like the Calm app, which students can use for free.

One notable program is Hop Art, which enables students to attend Baltimore performances and shows for free at venues and institutions like the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Students can enter a drawing to win tickets for each event.

What Are Your Chances of Acceptance at Johns Hopkins?

Johns Hopkins is a highly selective school, and admission is extremely competitive. Whether you’re a BME hopeful or want to pursue a degree in international studies, it’s important to know what you need to do to get in — and how your profile stacks up.

With CollegeVine’s free admissions calculator, you can find out. The tool takes your test scores, grades, extracurriculars, and other factors into account to determine your real chances of acceptance to Johns Hopkins and many other colleges in the United States. Plus, you’ll get personalized tips for improving your profile.