Mandy S.
Class of 2011
Read my blog: Simply Serendipitous
Hometown: Cary, NC
Major: Public Health Studies
Current residence: Off-campus
Past residences: Wolman Hall, Charles Commons—Check out my Cribs video
Campus involvement: Student Admissions Advisory Board, Admissions Representatives, Ethics Board, Pre-Law Society, Pi Beta Phi Fraternity, on-campus job
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: I chose Hopkins because I wanted a great premedical education. However, I'm GLAD I chose Hopkins because of the strength across disciplines and the constant challenges. I came in set on one program but soon discovered the breadth of offerings at Hopkins and am happy to be in a completely different place than I imagined.
The biggest difference between high school and Johns Hopkins that I've experienced: There is such a change in how your time is spent—in high school, most of your time is spent in classes, while college classes meet for just a few hours each week and you do a lot of out-of-class work and studying. There's also a huge level of independence that's exciting and new.
Favorite place on the Homewood campus: The Beach! There's nothing better than spending an afternoon with friends lounging on the Beach.
Favorite place in Baltimore: Mt. Vernon; I love the architecture of the buildings, the (first!) Washington monument, and the historic churches in the area.
What I want to do with my major: I'm currently applying to law school; though this doesn't exactly use my major, I'm interested in health care law, along with pretty much every other possible specialty in the legal profession.
Coolest (spring/summer/winter) break experience: I took an intersession class called Seminar in International Development and Policy jointly offered by the Alumni Association and the Career Center. We had lectures from Hopkins alumni in the field and then took a three-day trip to New York City to meet more and see what jobs are like in this area.
Three unusual things about myself:
- I despise ketchup.
- I have a very particular routine for Sunday mornings, including a cup of coffee and the New York Times.
- Cool days with slightly overcast skies are my favorite type of weather.
