Realizing My Dream: Pursuing Excellence at Johns Hopkins University

The first college I knew I wanted to research was Johns Hopkins University (JHU) in Baltimore, Maryland. JHU has been my dream school since 5th grade when my interest in the biomedical field piqued. Because of its known prestige and high regard in medical research, it is one of the top, if not the best medical schools in the country.

According to Microsoft News, 'Johns Hopkins University is the largest university research partner of the federal government.' The university also receives more federal funding for research than any other medical school in the nation, with about $2.0 billion total federal funds as of 2017, making Johns Hopkins University one of the top schools on my list. When accepted into the college, tuition and fees would be a setback, both short and long term. After budgeting each college, JHU topped both Mines and UCSD with about $83,000 worth of expenses per year. While it is a phenomenal school, the total money required is one of the biggest downfalls. On top of the fees, it's on the other side of the country in Maryland, making visiting home and returning costly. Based on the spreadsheet above, the travel expenses from both out-of-state colleges are around $1,500 per year. Coupled with other fees, traveling back and forth between states takes lots of additional money and time. In addition to tuition and academic fees, the total for personal expenses is around $10,000.

Personal advantage of attending Johns Hopkins University is becoming more independent as a person. If I were to attend a school in-state, it would have made relying on my parents easier. I could quickly drive home and get food, or do laundry, and my parents could pay for my insurance, cable, and other household expenses. Alternately with out-of-state, I have to get a job to pay for campus living expenses. By getting a job, I also have to put time and effort into it rather than studying. Once again, another disadvantage.

While researching and keeping up with classes is going to be a struggle, in the end, a degree from Johns Hopkins would be a great addition to my resume and a definite advantage when it comes to applying for jobs. In the end, this all is dependent on the path I tend to take throughout my high school years, in order to attend Johns Hopkins University. To make sure I get in the school, I have already planned to take as many AP classes as I can, which helps when applying to a school. Participating in many extracurricular activities is key to the admission process for Johns Hopkins University.

As of now, I plan to play for the girl's soccer team this upcoming spring, and I play Broomfield Club Soccer on the top team. Even though JHU's athletic department is not the best, a well-rounded student is more likely to be accepted into the school. JHU’s acceptance rate is around 12% and has a minimum of a 1460 SAT score to be even considered. JHU accepts and attracts A- students at the minimum, which is a 3.74. As of 2018, over 84% of first-year students at JHU were in the top 10 percent of their graduating class, making JHU an elite college with a slim chance of acceptance.

To end up writing this Johns Hopkins University supplemental essay, JHU is nationally and globally recognized in its medical research and teaching, as well as the leading school in my chosen field of study. Besides the higher prices for tuition, JHU is the one school I know I'll be pursuing as I continue throughout my high school experience and college hunt. Because of this, I've chosen Johns Hopkins University as my top college for this project.