Congratulations on getting into Hopkins! If it didn’t feel real before, it probably does now. Things are starting to shift, and your life is about to change in ways you might not have expected. Maybe your friends aren’t going to college. Or maybe they are, but they’re staying close to home. Either way, it can feel like you’re taking this next step alone. What’s supposed to be one of the most exciting moments of your life might also feel slightly overwhelming, and I get that.
If you ask me where I’m from, I’ll probably say Houston because no one’s heard of Magnolia, Texas. When I graduated from high school in 2022, our population was just shy of 3,500 people. It’s not quite an ‘everyone knows everyone’ kind of town, but if you stop by the local Brookshire Brothers grocery store or Whataburger, you’re bound to find someone you recognize.
I went to your average public high school—small enough that teachers would read a last name, pause, then realize they’d taught your parents, cousins, or someone else in your family years before. Unlike some of the friends I’ve made here who went to private boarding/prep schools, it wasn’t uncommon for students at my school to skip college altogether. In fact, our counselors encouraged us to choose between the armed forces, college, or trade school. We also had plenty of electives geared toward entering the workforce like cosmetology, welding, and auto shop.
As my senior year of high school came to a close, I realized my friends had all kinds of different plans, and college was just one of many paths. Some immediately started working. Others joined the military. A few got married and started families. No matter what people chose to do, though, everyone stayed in Magnolia.
So when I got into Hopkins, my decision wasn’t easy. I had never been to the East Coast before. I had no family or friends there, and no one from my high school had gotten in alongside me. Although I had auto acceptance to two universities in Texas, Hopkins’ generous financial aid offer allowed me to immediately cross them off my list (even though that’s where all my friends were going). Hopkins was my dream school, but with similar funding from a nearby private university, I found myself torn between two great options.
If I stayed in Texas, I could drive home any weekend or even continue to live at home. I could visit my friends and keep up with some of my favorite activities from high school. This was the comfortable option. If I went to Hopkins, I’d be starting from scratch. I’d have to make friends, navigate a new city, and find ways to continue my interests. The only thing stopping me from immediately choosing Hopkins was fear of a new environment, and even after visiting campus, I was still unsure. It took me until the day of the deadline—May 1—to make my decision. As I paid my deposit, my parents’ advice echoed in my head: “If you don’t like it, you can always transfer.”
When I’d tell people at school I was going to Hopkins, barely anyone had heard of it. They’d give me a strange look and ask where that was. I quickly discovered it was a lot easier to just tell people I was going to a college in Maryland, so that’s what I did. Although that helped me avoid awkward conversations, it also made the decision feel a little less real, like I was the only one who understood what it meant.
I was certain in my decision, but I was still nervous. Ultimately, I reminded myself that if I’d gone to a Texas school, I’d always regret not giving Hopkins a try. I couldn’t allow myself to turn down an opportunity I’d worked so hard to get, and now that I’m about to graduate, I’m so glad I took the leap.
Unlike state schools, where most people live nearby and already know each other, students at Hopkins are from all over. This means people are eager to make friends—especially during the first year, when everyone is trying to find their place. The Student Involvement Fair made it easy to find clubs I was interested in, and First-Year Mentors, RAs, and even my teachers helped support my transition to college.
At the same time, I’ve been able to stay connected to my family and friends. I fly home at every break (although lots of students do choose to stay on campus), and I’ve even had a couple visitors here. We play games on the phone, watch shows over FaceTime, and text pretty much nonstop. Every time I visit, things pick up right where they left off, as if no time has passed.
The quality of my education and access to research opportunities has been phenomenal. Just as meaningful, however, has been getting to explore life outside of campus. Some of my favorite memories involve wandering around Baltimore, train rides to Washington, DC, or my most recent day trip to New York. There were definitely some culture shocks when I arrived, but that’s the fun of navigating an unfamiliar environment.
If I were making my college decision over again, I wouldn’t hesitate to pick Hopkins. Texas will always be my home, and coming to Baltimore never felt like I was leaving what I loved behind. Instead, it felt like the beginning of something new. As someone who has been in your shoes and struggled with the idea of branching out, I urge you to embrace discomfort and not let fear guide the decision you make. You don’t have to be completely certain—you just have to be willing to bet on yourself.
