Average John Hopkins Biomedical Engineering Student Profile?

<p>Hi, I was wondering if any jhu students majoring in bme, could tell me their whole high school profile (AP Classes, ECs, GPA and etc.), and if they applied ED or RD, and what they think got them into this program. I know it sounds like a lot, but you see I really want to get into this program, because I desperately want to learn from the best of the best, and this is my dream school. So please, any information would be greatly appreciated.</p>

<p>The “typical” BME student at Johns Hopkins:

  • Probably was towards the top of their high school class (but not always the case)
  • Took as many math and science courses that they could take in high school (whether that means 1 AP class or 15). (As a general note, colleges are looking at the rigor of your HS curriculum compared to other students at your school; you’re not being directly compared to students at different schools with different resources, at least in this regard)
  • Show a passion for math and science throughout high school. Some students worked in a lab and did research in high school, but again, not everyone has this opportunity. (If this is something you’re interested in, there are a number of summer research programs for the summer after junior year, and you can also get involved by just contacting professors at a local university). This can also take the form of getting involved in science/math clubs at school, competing in math/science competitions, tutoring in math/science etc - there’s no one thing that you have to do.
  • Love math. While some people (incorrectly) think of BME as a “easy” route to med school, unless you really love math and science, it’s not the right path for you. The program is an accredited engineering degree and unless you really like math, you’re not going to enjoy the 6 semesters of math courses (plus all the BME courses that use tons of calculus)
  • A lot of BME students are very involved/interested in things outside of science. You’d be surprised how many non-BME related student groups have (or have had) BME’s on their boards (everything from the math club to art club to Model UN) and how many BME students double-major or minor in completely unrelated fields. While this certainly isn’t a “requirement” for BME students, I’ve always gotten the feeling that many BME students tend to be very well-rounded. Of course, there are some who tend to “live” in the library and don’t get involved in other activities, but they tend to be in the minority</p>

<p>Hope that helps!</p>

<p>-tanman
(BME Alum '09)</p>

<p>“colleges are looking at the rigor of your HS curriculum compared to other students at your school; you’re not being directly compared to students at different schools with different resources, at least in this regard.”</p>

<p>How do colleges know what the schedules of my classmates are? Even if multiple kids from the same school apply to the same college, I doubt they cross-reference them to assess their “rigor.” I’d love to believe you, but I’m having a hard time figuring out how they do it.</p>

<p>I’m guessing (!) what TanMan is trying to say is that the admissions people can look across one high school to see who is taking the hardest classes while comparing it to the high school information on what classes they offer. All highly selective schools do this.</p>

<p>Right, whenever your high school sends a transcript, it also includes some information about how to interpret your transcript and about what courses are offered at your school. For example, the handful of these sheets that I’ve seen include information on what the different notations on the transcript mean, how your GPA is calculated, what courses have honors and AP versions offered, how grading works etc. </p>

<p>In addition, many of the admissions officers have been reading applications from the same part of the country for years and have a good feel for the schools in the area. They may know about your school, or your school district and what courses it typically offers. Your counselor is also asked to rate the rigor of your curriculum on their eval. Finally, if they’re still unsure of how your courseworks fits into what’s offered by the school, they can (and do) pick up the phone and call your college counselor</p>

<p>cool, thanks!</p>