Could I get into Hopkins?

So I’m looking into JHU/Peabody to double major (or get a dual degree) in music composition and neuroscience but I would love to be admitted to BOTH schools.

Frosh/soph year i struggled to reach my full potential academically for so many reasons (I won’t tell you my life story, but it has to do with mental illness and ADHD). Also I literally had 11 extracurriculars my first two years of Hs which, although I love everything I did (sports, arts, music, community service) it was super demanding (now I have about 8). since the end of soph year and this year, I’ve pulled my overall GPA from a 3.3 to about a 3.6/3.7 unweighted. My goal is at least a 3.85 unweighted by the time i apply and Im willing to work my ass off for it. As for ACT scores, if Hopkins super-scores, I can get a 34-35. After a bit of ~personal growth stuff that everyone goes through in high school~ I’ve realised how curious I am. I don’t want my first two years of high school to hinder me from having a shot at getting in to a school that I think would be an excellent fit for me. Any advice for how to increase my chances?

Overall, I guess I’m wondering: how holistic is the admissions process at JHU? What do they look for in a student and in an individual? How much do your extracurriculars, interests, qualities, curiosity, etc matter in the admissions process?

JHU, like other top schools, has a holistic admissions process but there are certain academic thresholds that most applicants need to meet. If you get a 3.85 UW GPA and you are in the top 10% of your class, than your GPA is fine. A 34 or 35 on the ACT is great. For your ECs, you want depth over breadth. You want leadership roles and awards that show you are both passionate and skilled at a particular field or two. Narrow down your EC list to what you really enjoy doing and what you think can be most beneficial for you, meaning that you could get leadership positions and awards. If you compose any of your own music, consider looking into creating a portfolio to send to colleges when you apply, as this could help your application if your music is good. You are a competitive applicant for Hopkins so if you love the school, apply ED and write great essays

Thank you so much that’s great advice! I’ve def narrowed down my extracurriculars, as I’m focusing in on my music (I play flute, piano, percussion, and I compose mainly) community service, and of course drama club because I love that far to much to give it up. I have a leadership position in drama club and I used to run an acapella group.

As for music composition, I’ve been putting together a portfolio for that and I’m applying to summer programs. Composing is definitely priority in terms of extracurriculars. Since I’m applying to Peabody, I know the process is different from that of other JHU schools- do you know whether or not getting admitted to Peabody sets you apart from other applicants for other JHU schools?

My main problem is the academic transcript. Will having high scores help compensate for some of my lower grades? Does JHU look at improvement over the years? Also I’ve taken a number of higher level courses and I am yet to take more next year- will that benefit me more than getting all A’s in regular classes? I hope I chose wisely with my courses

Thanks for helping!