Johns Hopkins Summer Programs

November 24, 2022
By AdmissionSight

Johns Hopkins Summer Programs

In addition to providing an excellent education for undergraduates and graduate students, Johns Hopkins University also hosts a large number of summer programs geared specifically toward high school kids. Students have the opportunity to not only engage in authentic research and acquire practical experience across a variety of fields through the Johns Hopkins Summer Programs, but they may also investigate Baltimore’s illustrious past by visiting historical sites such as Inner Harbor.

There are several reasons why Johns Hopkins University deserves its reputation. The first university in the United States to be dedicated to research has earned a stellar reputation for the quality of its academic programs in a wide variety of fields, including the sciences, international studies, and others. The Johns Hopkins Summer Programs provide an unequaled opportunity to learn from Hopkins’ world-renowned instructors and engage with academically-oriented students from around the world.

Three students leaning on the wall while smiling at the camera.

Through the Office of Summer and Intersession Programs, JHU gives high school students who meet the prerequisites the option to participate in pre-college programs and to enroll in undergraduate-level classes during the Johns Hopkins Summer Programs. In addition to receiving college credit, students who live on campus and participate in academic and social events with their classmates gain an authentic understanding of what it is like to be a student at Hopkins.

Does Johns Hopkins have a Summer Program?

Does Johns Hopkins have a summer program? Yes, it does, since its foundation in 1876 as the first research institution in the United States of America, Johns Hopkins University has maintained a legacy of academic rigor and innovative academic pursuits. Johns Hopkins University is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious educational institutions in the United States.

It is connected to a total of 36 laureates who were awarded the Nobel Prize, and it provides an education that is on par with the best in the fields of medicine, the humanities, music, international studies, and public health. Each year, more than 5,000 undergraduate students and 19,000 postgraduate students attend classes at the historic Homewood Campus in Baltimore City. Of these students, 3,000 are foreign students hailing from 61 different countries.

Two students talking in a library.

Since the university’s founding, Johns Hopkins has made it a priority to provide students with access to high-quality educational opportunities over the summer. Over the course of this time period, the Johns Hopkins summer programs that are offered at Homewood have expanded to include visiting undergraduates and pre-college students from a variety of countries. Students who meet the requirements can participate in the Johns Hopkins Summer Programs and earn college credit for courses offered in the arts, sciences, and engineering at the freshman and sophomore levels.

The program is designed to be completed in five weeks, and residential students are required to be full-time students who enroll in a minimum of two classes and a maximum of seven credits. Students who commute to school have the option of enrolling part-time (taking one class) or full-time (taking two classes).

This summer, there are over one hundred different classes that you can choose from for your calendar. Choose classes that apply to the college degree you want to pursue, or broaden the scope of your interests by enrolling in a new language or humanities course.

No matter what classes you decide to take, the Johns Hopkins summer programs provide an unequaled opportunity to learn from Hopkins’ world-renowned instructors and will put you in touch with some of the brightest minds around. You will have the chance to participate in debates and learn alongside students who are very brilliant academically as well as Hopkins’ own eminent teachers. The following is a list of the Johns Hopkins summer programs that are available.

ASPIRE High School Mentoring Program

Students are given the opportunity to obtain practical experience in STEM subjects by participating in the ASPIRE program. They are able to work at the Applied Physics Laboratory at Hopkins, which is the largest university-affiliated research center in the United States. In addition, they are able to explore potential career paths.

Students find out how the ideas they study apply to the actual world by working with the assistance of mentors and researchers and discovering how the concepts they learn apply. Students are placed in fields like engineering and computer science, and there are also some limited placements available in the fields of chemistry, biology, biomedical engineering, and neuroscience.

Discover Hopkins

Through in-depth investigations into a variety of subject areas, students have a better understanding of what it’s like to be a college student. Students could, for instance, gain insight into the world of research and investigate the medical area while listening to the opinions of professionals working at Hopkins Medical Institutions.

Students have the opportunity to participate in field trips and weekend getaways to locations such as Washington, D.C., and Baltimore’s Inner Harbor in addition to attending lectures and hearing special guests speak at the institution. Each participant has the opportunity to earn one college credit for each session attended. Among the programs are:

Introduction to Laboratory Research

During the course of this program, you will get familiar with a wide range of laboratory procedures that are used in biochemistry and molecular biology. These will include the examination of lipids by chromatography, the amplification of DNA segments through PCR, and the analysis of DNA using restriction enzyme mapping. In addition to this, you will travel to a number of different biological labs in order to watch active research being conducted.

Biomedical Engineering: Stem Cells

Learn about the human body’s traditional anatomy and physiology, covering topics such as the neurological, muscular, cardiopulmonary, renal, digestive, and immune systems, and gain an understanding of how each system contributes to either health or disease. In addition to the work you do in the classroom, you will have the opportunity to participate in activities that require you to synthesize the information you have learned.

A teacher explaining to the medical students in the classroom.

The understanding of the fundamental physiological processes that you will acquire via participation in this program will be useful to you in the future if you plan to pursue studies in biomedicine or other scientific fields. The majority of the content for this self-paced program is presented in an asynchronous format; however, your instructor may also plan some live sessions.

Botanical Painting in Watercolor and Gouache

The purpose of this first painting class is to investigate the various ways in which watercolor and designer gouache can be combined to create a figurative painting of organic elements. We will investigate the distinctions between botanical painting and illustration, as well as the role that women have played throughout the development of this particular artistic subgenre.

The artwork of the students will be evaluated in weekly group discussions, and they will acquire approaches based not only on observation but also on their own creations. The course consists of lectures, hands-on demonstrations, and a research report on a prominent botanical artist.

Developmental Genetics Lab

CRISPR, which stands for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat, is one of the most important developments in biology to come out in the last ten years. It has given scientists the ability to accurately and cheaply edit genomes, and it has given medical professionals a new tool with which to treat disease. However, there are enormous ethical concerns that come along with being able to modify the genomes of plants, animals, and even humans.

Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the CRISPR system as well as a deeper understanding of how research on gene function is conducted through participation in this course, which will use a hybrid classroom-laboratory method to teach its material. You will finish the class not only with an understanding of how CRISPR operates but also with a deeper comprehension of the potential of genetics to shed light on the underlying molecular pathways that are responsible for protein function.

Epidemics, Pandemics, and Outbreaks

It is more important than ever before to have a deeper understanding of the evolution of outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics in the midst of a global pandemic that has shifted the ways in which we move, work, and interact with others around the world. This is because the pandemic has shifted the ways in which we move, work, and interact with others around the world. You will investigate a selection of infectious and non-infectious diseases that affect public health around the world, including COVID-19, Ebola, Zika, and HIV, as well as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, injuries, and mental health.

Investigate the extent to which these diseases are affecting people all around the world and the many approaches to disease prevention that are being pursued by international and national organizations. This program will encourage participation from a wide audience by utilizing a format that includes student presentations, as well as lectures, and group discussions.

Foundations of American Enterprise

The economic, financial, and corporate context of business activities; the organization and management of business enterprises; and the marketing and production of goods and services are the three primary topics that will be covered in this survey-style class, which was formerly known as Introduction to Business. Readings that are unique to the topic at hand, as well as brief case studies and financial exercises, all center their attention on the foundations upon which managerial decisions are made, as well as the long-term and short-term ramifications of those decisions within a global setting.

Introduction to Medical and Mental Health Interpreting

This class serves as a general introduction to the subjects of medical and mental health interpreting and is taught by professionals in those respective fields. The following topics will be covered in the various modules: (1) Three-way communication: managing role expectations and interpersonal dynamics; (2) Fundamental interpreting skills and techniques in a healthcare setting; (3) Ethical principles, dilemmas, and confidentiality; (4) Elements of medical interpreting; (5) Elements of mental health interpreting; and (6) Trauma-informed interpreting: serving the refugee population.

Introduction to Neuroscience

This course will offer students a foundational understanding of the mammalian nervous system, with an emphasis on the ways in which chemicals, cells, circuits, and systems in the brain work together to promote behavior and cognition. The function of nerve cells, the transmission of signals between different brain networks, fundamental neuroanatomy, and the neural foundation of movement, sensation, and memory are some of the topics that will be discussed in this class. Any student who has an interest in the broad variety of fields that we collectively refer to as neuroscience is encouraged to enroll in this class.

Introduction to Surgery

Acquire a comprehensive knowledge of surgery by becoming familiar with its historical landmarks, surgical anatomy, pre-and post-operative patient care, subspecialties within the discipline, and surgical technology. Complete daily modules, which may include content from lectures as well as activities that provide the opportunity to apply what you’ve learned about the subject matter. This program is intended to pique your interest in a wide variety of medical professions, from surgery and nursing to biomedical engineering, so that you might pursue those fields further.

Neurobiology: Cellular and Systems

Lay the groundwork for a more sophisticated study of neuroscience in research and medicine by establishing a foundation. Your course work will address cellular, network, and behavioral neurobiology at the university level utilizing interactive pedagogical methods that are supported by research and are designed to inspire passion and unfettered critical thought. A greater focus will be focused on acquainting you with the research and laboratory methods that are useful in a scientific career.

Is Johns Hopkins Summer Programs Worth It?

With you having the idea of the different summer programs offered, are Johns Hopkins summer programs worth it? The majority of colleges and universities provide high school students with the opportunity to spend the summer studying on campus. Younger pupils are given the opportunity to play at becoming college students, strolling across the quad to their higher-level classes as any other student would do during the academic year. This opportunity typically comes in the form of residential programs that last for many weeks or months.

It is debatable whether or not this was their original intent. The majority of universities and colleges publicly assert that the purpose of the impressive-sounding summer programs they provide is to provide high school students with a taste of what it is like to be a college student.

Group of students talking while smiling at each other.

Summer programs like the Johns Hopkins summer programs are fundamentally educational experiences for students, but they also provide them with a great deal more than that. High school students have the opportunity to experience college life, which typically includes living in dorms with other students. They may also discover new levels of freedom for themselves, meet people who share abilities and interests comparable to their own, and in some circumstances even receive college credit.

The majority of students, particularly those who may feel understimulated or underwhelmed by the usual high school course load, may view this possibility as something out of a dream. It is in everyone’s best interest to broaden the educational horizons of high school students by introducing them to new fields of study, more difficult academic challenges, and subject matter that is outside of their typical curriculum.

The majority of high schools do not provide courses in areas such as global health, film studies, journalism, modern art, or public policy; therefore, a summer program is an ideal opportunity for your student to investigate these areas.

In addition, college admissions officers appreciate it when applicants spend their summers pursuing their interests and furthering their education. Not only does participation in a summer program reflect that a kid is academically engaged, but it also demonstrates that the student is so fascinated with a subject that they travel beyond the high school curriculum to study it further. This is a very impressive trait for a student.

Will Attending a Summer Program Guarantee Admission?

So, will attending a summer program guarantee admission? The quick answer is probably not, at least not in a way that is directly relevant. It is imperative that pre-college summer programs not be viewed in any way as a backdoor into the respective colleges and universities to which they are attached. The vast majority of these programs like the Johns Hopkins summer programs have no bearing on the undergraduate admissions procedures of the colleges to which they are attached.

With the exception of the most prestigious programs, college admissions officers are well aware of the high acceptance rates and price tags of many pre-college programs, and they won’t necessarily view acceptance into one as a significant achievement unless the program in question is one of the most prestigious programs available. It’s possible that they’ll simply interpret it as evidence that your family is well off.

A female student seated in a room with her laptop in front of her after

Despite this, enrolling in a program that prepares students for college may still be time well spent. It is important to keep in mind that many summer programs get their professors from the faculty of the college that hosts them. This means that even less selected programs may nevertheless present academic challenges. Additionally, if you have the opportunity to take a course that is in line with your existing interests and specializations, this will underscore your commitment to that subject and enhance the profile you are trying to build in your college applications.

Want to learn more about Johns Hopkins summer programs? You’ve come to the right place. At AdmissionSight, we have over 10 years of experience guiding students through the competitive admissions process.

AdmissionSight can help you put your best foot forward when applying to college this fall. Contact us today for more information on our services.

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