The Johns Hopkins University is located in Baltimore, Maryland, affectionately known by its residents as "Charm City." Hopkins boasts an impressive faculty resulting in rigorous science and engineering programs, along with one of the nation's top writing seminar departments. Though not renowned for its athletics, Hopkins does have one of the country's best lacrosse teams, and unlike most other schools, Hopkins holds its homecoming in the spring to celebrate the team's season.

Community Presence: More than 20 percent of the population at Hopkins is Asian, and a significant portion of that is South Asian. South Asian students at Hopkins are very involved on campus and in the community. And they're not just in the engineering classrooms—they're also on the Student Council, working at the college radio station, and in a range of disciplines from international studies to anthropology.

Community Receptiveness: The city of Baltimore is very diverse, both ethnically and socio-economically. Being so close to other cultural havens such as Philadelphia, New York City, and particularly Washington, DC, has made the region reasonably acclimated to people of different cultures and backgrounds.

Community Resources: There is a plethora of resources for students at Hopkins, and brown folk find they are no exception. The South Asian Society at Hopkins is an active group which sponsors several events each year, along with the Pakistani Students Association and the Indian Graduate Students Association. There is also a chapter of the Association for India's Development at JHU, which is involved in community service projects in India. The Interfaith Council serves as a hub for people of all different faiths, and includes groups such as the Hindu Student Council, the JHU Muslim Association and the Buddhist Students Association under its umbrella.

Culture and Nightlife: The South Asian Society at Hopkins annually holds several popular and well attended cultural shows and formals. The Diwali Festival is another huge event which draws in members from across the Hopkins community, including Johns Hopkins president William Brody. And those who love to dance and perform will find themselves with quite an array of groups to choose from, including JHU JOSH, an all-girl fusion dance team; Shakti, a Bharatnatyam dance team, and JHU Raas and Garba Explosion. As for nightlife, the trendy Red Maple lounge caters to the ever expanding desi population with its theme nights, including the weekly "Sutra" which boasts South Asian DJs spinning Indian/Asian chill and dance, live ethnic percussion, and Bollywood visuals to complete the experience.

Food: Indian restaurants are aplenty in the Baltimore city area. Just a block away from campus is Tamber's Nifty Fifties Dining—don't let the name or Americana style decor fool you; along with hamburgers and ice cream sodas, you'll find tikka masala and palak paneer on the menu. Another popular favorite is Akbar Restaurant located in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore. If restaurant fare doesn't quite do it for you and you want to try your hand at cooking, Punjab Market, located just a few blocks from campus at 345 E. 33rd Street, will provide you with what you need.