<p>I read Tanman's post, and am questioning it since I have seen info to the contrary. I have sent an email to AdmissionsDaniel asking specifically about need blind admissions and Hopkins, and whether Hopkins is 100% need blind. The admissions counselor has a pretty good idea of your financial background. First of all, it is right on the app whether or not you are applying for financial aid. There are also a number of tell tale signs that signal your socio-economic background. I do believe that the admissions triage is done on a needblind basis. The question is whether the process is 100% needblind, or if financial aid has to perform some tail end cuts for the borderline acceptances. I do know that Hopkins does triage its acceptees with the first group getting special invites and the better financial packages. Many schools do this, and no disparagement is intended. </p>
<p>There is no pre med major, per se in many colleges. The closest thing to it is the Natural Sciences Area major. Also the bulk of the Chem, Bio, Biochem, Biophysic, Public Health, and some neuro something major, are premeds. I was told several years ago by Hopkins admissions that about 40% of the kids are premed--the tell tale evidence is the freshman chem, physics/chem series or organic chem that kids take freshman year regardless of what their major is. I believe it was about 26-28% that are in the sciences directly, with the 12-14% left majoring in a variety of subjects but taking the premed sequence of sciences. However, most kids who are premed, applying to Hopkins tend to state a science major, show science SAT2s, and are openly premed. Not a big secret that Hopkins is a school high on the list of premeds. </p>
<p>I am not so much deriving stats as looking at SAT scores at about 120 kids who applied to Hopkins over the last 5 years and what their intended major or areas of interest were. You don't get that many German majors or English majors applying there, and though you do not expect super high math SATs from humanities majors, the combined score should be close to those science majors, if Hopkins truly does not look at the intended majors or areas of interest when it does its holistic screening of the candidates. There is a notable drop in that group of students' SATs. I just am looking at guidance department compiled data from a number of students. </p>
<p>Also according to several publications, including USN&WR, Hopkins does take Geographics, and curiously, state residency, into account in admissions. Not strongly, as it does the SATs and grades, but it says it does. I imagine there must be some sort of local program for Baltimorean or Marylanders in general in place, though not as stringent as Duke's Carolina residents quota. I know Harvard does have something like that in place for local Bostonians. </p>
<p>I realize that the website does not include every single minute detail and policy, and it should not. But schools that are the calibre of Hopkins tend to make it a very upfront statement if they are 100% needblind and if they give 100% of demonstrated need. I know that Hopkins does not give 100% of demonstrated need, and there is a merit within need policy in place.The question, I have is whether they are now totally needblind, and just gap the last 5% of acceptees, or if acceptances are finalized with absolutely no regard to need for 100% of the applicants (other than internationals). </p>
<p>When we went on the college trail 6 years ago, there were a number of disparities between what admissions had to say about the applicant evaluataion process aand what some other in house people had to say. Hopkins was not one of the schools that list, but several very good schools were. Often Admissions gives the party line and the way things should go in the process, what they strive towards for the process, and is the way it goes most of the time during the process. But if you happen to be in that tiny group that does not go mainstream, it can make a difference in the "go" factors for you.</p>