JHU Chances and suggestions?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Johns Hopkins University
1

<p>I asked a long, long time ago a chance question, but now that I am about to finish up my Junior year, I have new stats rather than speculations and I would appreciate your insight as to what I could do to improve my chances. JHU is absolutely my number one choice and I plan on applying ED for the Class of 2016 this fall.</p>

<p>I plan on applying as either anthropology or biology and doing pre-med. I am passionate about both from the evolutionary perspective.</p>

<p>Male from IB World School in Texas</p>

<p>UW GPA: 3.8
Weighted GPA: 4.38
Class rank: Top 10%
Aside from eighth grade algebra and IPC and one freshman grade (bad, was an F, hard financial circumstances), all my other grades are A's. I do think those are the blemish but I will make sure to talk about how I have learned from them and how I have endeavored since then to work better.</p>

<p>IB Diploma Candidate</p>

<p>SAT: 2130
750 CR, 620 M, 760 W</p>

<p>I'm not digging the math grade but I am planning on taking the Math II subject test so I hope that outshines the 620 (will take in October along with Bio and Chemistry, confident that I can pull 700+ in both and 650+ in Math II)</p>

<p>Essay: Writing is a passion of mine and is a strength, and I plan on working on it a lot over the summer assuming the Common App essay prompts don't change.</p>

<p>Recs:</p>

<p>1 from my biology teacher, has taught me freshman, junior, and will senior year
1 from my theater teacher, has taught me junior and will senior
1 from guidance counselor, expect to be good</p>

<p>EC's:
Theater - 270 Hours, been in several productions, love it a lot
Pre-Med Club - President & Founder
Young Republicans - Secretary
National Honor Society
Key Club
Robotics - We have won some competitions and placed well at others
Mu Alpha Theta - Officer
Creative writing
Some special interest groups</p>

<p>I don't have that many clubs, but I am very involved in the ones that I have listed</p>

<p>Honors:
NHS
Mu Alpha Theta
National Merit
International Thespian Society 27 points
Recognition from the City of Houston for helping rebuild a park
Best All Star Cast UIL Zone
Honorable Mention UIL District</p>

<p>Volunteering:
Dog shelter 50 hours
Museum of Natural Science 50 hours
Misc ~25 hours</p>

<p>Job experience: Waiter (several months)</p>

<p>Special circumstances:</p>

<p>Come from a financially struggling family and I have learned a lot about how to push on and make the best with what I have. Father was an Iraqi refugee under the Hussein regime. I am an Arab-American although I do not think that would help nor do I want it to help (I want to get in on merit, not race).</p>

<p>Suggestions?</p>

2

<p>Definitely apply ED and you are guaranteed to get in. Suggestion would only be to look for more high school honor-bestowing institutes (esp. published writing ones - like Creative Communications and Young Writer’s Contest).</p>

3

<p>Thanks. Do you think so even with that one grade from freshman year? That’s the one thing I’m worried about.</p>

4

<p>Freshman year grades are not counted when JHU calculates your renovated GPA; they are just “looked at.” Plus, you maintained A grades after your freshman year – that’s what matters.</p>

5

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<p>No way, but OP at the very least appears competitive.</p>

6

<p>^ Okay, maybe I was being over-optimistic :p</p>

7

<p>Thanks. It’s good to be optimistic but also realistic. I hope to do something productive over the summer and do well on the subject tests. I really want to attend Hopkins and I will endeavor to spice up my application as much as possible in the few months I have.</p>

8

<p>Quite honestly, especially if you apply ED, I see no reason why you can’t get in (I had similar stats, better test scores but “worse” - albeit focused EC’s and slightly lower grades and got in RD).</p>

<p>However, Hopkins (and other top schools) keep getting more competitive, so I can’t guarantee it.</p>

9

<p>I think you have a decent chance at JHU, how rigorous was your course load? APs and Honors classes or a lot of level 2?</p>

10

<p>Most rigorous available (counselor automatically checks most rigorous for diploma candidates).</p>

11

<p>Also, do you think the 620 in math really hurts me?</p>

12

<p>It certainly won’t help your chances. If you’re really worried about it, it’s not too late to take a June or even October (RD only) SAT (since JHU puts together a composite of your highest test scores, so if you only do better on math, it still helps) or even the ACT. </p>

<p>Your EC’s totally rock, and you’ve got the right amount of leadership positions. Just stay in the top 10% and write a kickass essay, and you should be all right.</p>

13

<p>I plan on doing the subject tests in October, but what do you mean RD only? The JHU website says October is an acceptable date to take standardized tests.</p>

<p>Rather than doing the SAT over in October I will do subject tests including Math II, so I hope that if I do well on that then that will outshine the math reasoning score</p>