2. A strong academic support system
Coming into college, I expected college professors to be distant, but I found that the reality at Hopkins is exactly the opposite. Hopkins professors are there for their students and really do want them to succeed. It would be hard for me to count how many times I’ve stopped by office hours, whether for asking conceptual questions or just discussing which classes would be best for my interests. CS classes also give students a ton of resources: Piazza (a platform on which you can ask questions), course assistant office hours (sometimes you can find an office hour at any time of any day of the week because there are so many CAs supporting the courses), weekly or bi-weekly projects, and interactive textbooks. Some CS courses are also supported by the PILOT (peer-led-team learning) program, where a student who has already taken the course leads a weekly problem-solving session.
3. Research opportunities for undergrads
After a conversation with my CS faculty mentor about wanting to start working on a research project, I learned about the Delineo Project. Delineo is an ongoing disease modeling project in collaboration with the World Health Organization and Ruvos. After attending a team meeting, I knew this project would be the right fit for me because of the great mentors, engaging challenges, and real-world impact. The CS department also has other research opportunities like the Pistritto Research Fellowship (for research in information visualization), the senior honors thesis, independent study under faculty mentorship, and more. The department is also affiliated with research centers that include faculty and projects in certain sub-areas of computer science, such as the Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare and the Information Security Institute. Students can explore their specific interests by becoming research assistants in these areas.
4. Clubs for every interest
The CS department sponsors a number of clubs—you are sure to find at least one that’s right for you. The two clubs I have been the most involved in are the Artificial Intelligence Society at Hopkins (HopAI) and Women in Computer Science (WiCS). HopAI hosts regular events like AI workshops and speaker presentations; I am also a board member now, so I get to help organize and promote our events. WiCS hosts a coding circle with a different theme every week. Some past themes have included portfolio website design, career and resumes, and discussing our experience at the Grace Hopper Celebration—the world’s largest gathering of women and nonbinary technologists; Hopkins sponsors a few students to attend each year. Through these clubs, I have found a safe and supportive space to explore my interests and to find friends who have the same interests as I do. There are many other student organizations affiliated with the department, such as JHUXplore, the Software Engineering Club, the Association for Computing Machinery Student Chapter, and more.
5. Hackathons and competitions
Building projects is a big part of being a CS student. Classes in the major equip students with the skills to create software that can have significant real-world impact—and hackathons are the best time to apply these skills! Johns Hopkins hosts HopHacks, an annual hackathon that takes place in September each year. There are also other hackathons at Hopkins, such as GreenHacks and MedHacks. Moreover, you can participate in international-level programming competitions like the International Collegiate Programming Contest. Last year, the regional round was hosted on the Homewood campus.
Being a computer science student at Hopkins gives you access to unbelievable resources and opportunities, along with a community that thrives on innovation and discovery. The CS major was my first form of community at Hopkins. My classes and experiences have helped me develop a bond with my peers that grows from semester to semester. And I know this bond will continue to grow as we work through hard classes, build projects together, and learn from one another.
This article originally appeared on the Johns Hopkins Undergraduation Admissions website >>