<p>hey, i was wondering if you could look at how much of a shot i have at JHU</p>
<p>Stats:</p>
<p>SAT I: 2190 (Math 800, CR 720, W 670)
SAT II: 790 Math IIC, 710 Chemistry, 710 Biology
AP: AP US HIST 5</p>
<p>Workload in Senior yr: AP Calc BC, AP CHEM, AP GOV"T, and english (all AP's or honors)
GPA: 3.82 (unweighted)
Rank: school's not ranked
Rigor of Schedule: 4 on a scale from 1-5 (every course is AP except Eng, but Eng is AP Lvl, school does not offer official AP Eng. No language class b/c the schedule won't fit due to Jazz Band commitments)</p>
<p>Talent: Jazz Band, Concert Band,(all four years, huge commitment) Berklee Jazz Festival, 2nd place. arranged pieces for concerts. Band president. </p>
<p>EC:
Science related: series of scientific work outside the school
BUMS BioCity Lab summer lab participant and full year
scholar
Internship at local institute, worked on experimenting with
different modulators in immune response (results
being written for publication)
sports camps for freshman yr summer</p>
<p>Clubs/Teams:
Mock Trial, Speech and Debate (Vice President)
Rotary Interact Club (President)
JV Tennis (Varsity Letter)
Intrumural basketball and soccer</p>
<p>Community Service:
Internship at State House for a state level senator
Tutoring kids in math at local elementary school
Taught computer in weekend programs
Assissting handicapped kids in sports acitivities
Helping organizing and donating backpack and school supplies to Katrina kids</p>
<p>first generation to go to college, asian ethnicity, and in country for 6 years</p>
<p>Are you applying ED? Are you premed? Do you need financial aid? What state are you from? All important aas to your chances, though even worse case answers, you will be seriously considered.</p>
<p>Hopkins is not need blind and it parcels its money out very carefully. Their admissions and financial aid offices are very well run to make this school the calibre it is. Hopkins works hard to be a well rounded school, and its academic departments even other than the natural sciences are top drawer, but the reputation comes from its premeds. The reason I asked the questions I did, was that Hopkins gives a generous ED admisssions premium, it' s much easier to get in as a non science major with strengths and interests in other disciplines; they can smell a pre-med a mile away, and they are not need blind. They also take geographics heavily into account. </p>
<p>The OP is certainly within Hopkins' numbers, but as a RD, sciences major, from the east coast, that is going to need financial aid, Hopkins becomes a higher reach.</p>
<p>"Hopkins is need blind for all applicants except for international students who apply for financial aid, and if we do review students for admission from our wait list ... </p>
<p>The Admissions committee does not know if you have applied for financial aid (unless you fall into the categories I mentioned above) and therefore does not factor that in to the decision making process. That is what need blind means.</p>
<p>There is a question on the application that asks if you plan to apply for financial aid. The only reason that is there, is so that when your application is processed we know to send you reminders about financial aid deadlines and application requirements."</p>
<p>OK, so let's try to clear out some of the information from above...</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Need blind? Read tanman's post which is taken from a previous post of mine.</p></li>
<li><p>Thanks - the admissions and financial aid offices at Hopkins are quite well run if I may say so.</p></li>
<li><p>We do work hard to be well-rounded, but it is not as hard as a task as most assume. Yes, our reputation is strong in the medicial sciences, but at the undergraduate level it is also strong in all the sciences, international studies, creative writing, language programs, etc. (I have posted about this many times). </p></li>
<li><p>Generous ED -- not true. The acceptance rates might be different since th ED pool is much much smaller and tends to be quite competitive. But do understand that the review process for ED and RD are similar and the stats for admission during both processes are quite similar. (I've posted about this frequently too.)</p></li>
<li><p>Easier to get in as a non-science major. Also not true. Students are not admitted to specifici programs of study so therefore this is not a practice that would work for us. Students are reviewed based on their academic interests, but the standards are quite similar across all of our programs of study.</p></li>
<li><p>Georgraphics -- actually, no this plays no factor in the process what-so-ever. Our applicant pool is a national applicant pool, and we do not limit the number of students from a specific area, nor do we make it easier for students from other areas.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>AdmissionsDaniel, Is Hopkins truly 100% needblind? I don't see that on the website anywhere and the Alumni magazine not too long ago indicated that it was not. Students are triaged, according to that article, into 3 groups. Those most desireable get the bulk of the grants and merit awards. Those in the last group who are borderline who need a lot of aid may not be admitted. The percentage of those affected is very small-less than 5%, and the decision at admissions is done on a needblind basis, but when it comes to the bottom line at the very end stage, it is not 100% need blind. Has this changed?</p>
<p>Also, I have noticed that the science majors have higher test scores than some of the other majors. This may not be the case as much any more as IR is now becoming the dominant major, but I have seen some formidable candidates turned down who were science/premed types, and have not seen any humanities/S&BS type turned down with much lower stats. I am looking at 5 year data from some Westchester schools that track this sort of thing and it appears consistent at 6 schools. Coincedence? The gap is pretty significant. Is there a breakdown on SAT scores by major. I would like to see if how the test scores for Natural Sciences majors compare with Humanity and S&BS.</p>
<p>the way you describe why you have a 4 out of 5 on your rigor course gives you a 5 for rigorous courseload since 5 is the most demanding available. apparent, you've filled your schedule with w/e your school offers already</p>
<p>cptofthehouse, I am curious to know where your data is coming from. Are the Westchester schools of which you speak gathering statistics from HS students with an anticipated major, or college students with a declared major?</p>
<p>if geographics has no part in your decision, then how come people from applying from utah have an easier time getting in than someone from california or new york? doesnt hopkins want geographic diversity? also is there a higher acceptance rate for girls cause hopkins has more guys?</p>
<p>Many of the schools here in Westchester keep data on all the colleges to which their students apply. For each college, they have the sex of the student, gpa, SAT scores, anticipated major as reported on the application, any special hooks, and college decision. My sons' school, in particular, is very detailed in info given. By looking at the data, you can get some idea of where your student would fit. There are not too many surprises. But one of the things that does stand out is Hopkins stats for science majors vs social science or humanities majors. Cornell, too, has some significant differentials in acceptances for non premeds vs premeds, and some of its schools are more selective than others. Carnegie Mellon is one school that has a huge difference in accept rates among majors. Since I have boys who graduated from two different highschools here, I have access to both schools' books. My good friend's daughter attends still another competitive school that actual summarizes the info and gives it to each junior parent. And through neighbors I have access to two public schools that also give info. Still another school that sends a lot of kids to those schools gives breakdowns, that I got my hands on last year. Since this area feeds a lot of students to all of the above mentioned schools, and the highschool data I have is a 5 year record put together by GCs. this info is a more than the usual anecdotal stuff. Also, the counselors from S's school who have been doing this for many years, would not hesitate to say that there is a bit of a double standard at Hopkins for entry--premed vs other majors. Having said that, I have noticed high stats for IR majors which are close enough to the premeds, that I would actually need a calculator to say which group has higher scores, though I would still bet on the sciences, though not a significant difference. With social sciences/humanities, it is not even close. Anyone can eyeball it. Also the kids getting in early at Hopkins have significantly lower SATs than those getting in RD. Very obvious to see, and consistent among the 6 schools' data I am comparing. For some schools, such as, Brown, BC, Georgetown, I don't see that sharp differential (GT does have higher stats from its IR/foreign service type majors) between sciences and non sciences. My H is also a Hopkins alum from days of yore,and he does know a lot fellow alum in the system--we'll be going to reunion this year; we do go often, so we are in that loop pretty firmly. I find it difficult to believe that it is as competitive for non science majors as it is for premeds. Every top aspiring premed has Hopkins on its list. I have known kids who have turned down ivies for a spot at Hopkins as a premed for the top notch research oopportunities available there and the med school reputation. Not so with top humanities, poli scie, psych majors. Not that the departments are not way up there for those subjects, they just are not as well known.
I was also specifially told and read that Hopkins was not 100% need blind. It is nearl 100% need blind; just the very last few kids who need a lot of aid who are straddling the fence in admissions, may have the aid decision go the wrong way. I don't know if Hopkins provides 100% of financial aid. But schools that are need blind tend to state this in a forthright matter. They make it clear--I read Hopkins' admissions website, and saw no direct statement that guar</p>
<p>Whew cptofthehouse, that was a lot of information! Thanks. I am also the parent of 2 Westchester students, and our (highly competitive public) school posts data from the past years' applications/acceptances, but I haven't seen intended majors listed anywhere. I must be looking at a different type of list. On the JHU application, "pre-med" is not listed anywhere as a major or area of study. I am certainly aware of the JHU reputation as a pre-med destination, but I am wondering about where the statistics come from.</p>
<p>BTW - my H is also a JHU alum - what year did yours graduate?</p>
<p>If my memory holds-JHU does not offer pre-med as a major nor does it require a student to list what they intend to major in (exception being BME).Pre-med is simply a group of courses a student needs to take if they intend to go to med school.You can take those courses while being any major you want.So I am also very curious how these "stats" are being derived.</p>
<p>Although the website makes no direct statement that Hopkins is need blind, you're getting your direct statement right now cptofthehouse. Read Tanman's post. </p>
<p>The website does not include every single minute detail and policy on how applicants are looked at. This is why AdmissionsDaniel is here, and why interactive forums and blogs exist. </p>
<p>Unless you say you're poor or rich, or that your essay describes you as one coming from a struggling family or a well-off family, the admissions counselor shouldn't (!) have any ideas regarding your financial background.</p>