<p>Is JHU needblind? Does it also promise to meet your full need?</p>
<p>Yes. then No.</p>
<p>Actually, ZombieDante’s responses are incorrect. I apologize but this is going to be a long response but I feel it is important to provide complete detail in responding to both of harvardhottie’s questions. </p>
<p>First, the second question: Does [Johns Hopkins] promise to meet your full need?
Yes we do. For applicants who meet all financial aid deadlines and qualify for financial aid, then the package provided by Johns Hopkins will match what is determined as the student’s financial need using grants, loans, and work-study. Applying late for financial aid or having an incomplete application can lead to a financial aid award that does not meet full need. Remember, that need is not determined by a student or their family, but rather by calculations conducted by the Financial Aid office based on the required documents to apply for aid (FAFSA, CSS Profile). I strongly suggest reviewing the JHU Need-based calculator: [JHU</a> Possible Aid Estimator](<a href=“Student Financial Support | Johns Hopkins University”>Student Financial Support | Johns Hopkins University)</p>
<p>Second, your first question: Is JHU needblind?
There is no simple answer to this question. Last year admissions decisions were made in a need-blind process in more than 98% of cases. In admitting the JHU Class of 2014, the admissions process was completely need-blind. Prior to that the previous two years, admissions decisions were need-blind in more than 95% of cases. Prior to that, in the years I have worked at Hopkins the process was need-blind. Let me explain why this variation. </p>
<p>Every admissions cycle we strive to be need-blind, and act as a need-blind institution up until the last day of finalizing decisions. In fact, President Daniels main initiative since taking the reins of Hopkins about three years ago has been to improve JHU’s undergraduate financial aid programs and specifically move the institution to a need-blind process for the future. This goal was accomplished two years ago and just nearly missed last year. All hope is in the coming year we will be need-blind, and that is direction that the Admissions Committee will focus on when reading applications but there are factors that may prevent that from happening. </p>
<p>I have been at Hopkins for 8 years now and this is how I can explain our process as best as possible. In the Admissions selection process, Johns Hopkins follows need-blind admissions practices. That means that while an admissions counselor is reviewing an application for admission it is void of any financial details. During a read of an application or committee discussion a student’s financial status is not part of the deliberation. We decide to admit, deny, or wait list a student based on ADMISSIONS FACTORS not how much a student will cost.</p>
<p>In the final days of admissions committee work and “shaping the class” one factor that we need to be mindful of is that we have a financial aid budget. We, like almost every school out there, work with limited funds and we are not able to go over this budget. Thankfully that budget is a strong (and improving) budget and each year we hope the budget will meet the need of the class that we want to admit. However, if when we finalize the class based solely on admissions standards (need-blind), we see that we have over-spent our budget, then we may need to go back and re-consider cases in committee. In the years we have not been need-blind it is because in these last days of finalizing the class we have been over-spent. </p>
<p>Do note that when we go back to re-shape the class so that we meet our budget, we do not make decisions based on the specific financial need of individual applicants, but rather go back and look at the candidates who were borderline discussions in the final days. In the years I have been at Hopkins when we have not been completely need-blind the number of cases being considered at minimum have been 20-30 and at maximum have been just over 100. With an applicant pool over 19,000 and admits over 3,000, such small numbers does mean that we are need-blind as much as we can be in the years we do over-spend.</p>
<p>Looking forward the question of whether Hopkins will be need-blind for Class of 2016 applicants the question can not be completely answered at this time. We will strive to be need-blind and will pursue our admissions review process that way. The University’s goals are to increase the financial aid budget and they are doing that quite well, but one factor that can’t be pre-determined is how costly will the class Admissions wants to admit will be in late March when final admissions decisions are being rendered. </p>
<p>The admissions process does remain need-aware for international students (students who are both non-US citizens and non-US permanent residents) and for any students admitted from the wait list. </p>
<p>The simple sound-bite answer, is that Hopkins follows a need-blind standard in the admissions review process and admissions counselor do not have access to an applicant’s financial information in making a decision. However, due to a financial aid budget there may be need to be small adjustments in the admitted class on the final days of admissions committee to make sure we are not over-spent on our budget. </p>
<p>Hope this all makes sense.</p>
<p>AdmissionsDaniel: Thank you so much! This was definitely very helpful!</p>
<p>@AdmissionsDaniel Hi! I have a question about the financial aid at Johns Hopkins University. Is there a specific income level that if applicants are under, then they only receive grants and scholarships. Likewise, is there an income level that if applicants are above then they need to also add loans into their financial package?
Thanks in advance!!</p>