<p>I'm wondering why Johns Hopkins isn't need-blind because it seems really fishy to me how they consider financial aid along with a student's application? Admissions Daniel, could you clarify how a student's need is consider with his/her application and does it negatively affect a person's application if they are extremely needy?</p>
<p>Hopkins is need blind, except for internationals. Hardly any schools are need blind for internationals.</p>
<p>This has been discussed. Use the search function.</p>
<p>This is true - Hopkins is Need-Blind except for internationals. This is standard practice for all top private schools and JHU is no different.</p>
<p>Actually JHU is not need-blind.
Look at the list: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Need-blind%5B/url%5D">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Need-blind</a>
It is true that most top schools are need-blind, but I don't understand why JHU along with Wash U are not.</p>
<p>From what I remember off the top if my head, Hopkins is need-blind except for internationals and for admitting students off of the wait-list (which hasn't been done in the past two years, I think)</p>
<p>I search JHU's Admission website and even searched "Johns Hopkins Need-Blind" on google and all I saw was that Johns Hopkins is not need-blind at all.</p>
<p>However, it is important to note that Hopkins follows a "need-blind" standard in admissions, meaning that admissions counselors making a decision are not allowed access to any given applicant's financial information.</p>
<p>Source: Johns Hopkins Newsletter</p>
<p>For some reason, Hopkins seems a more reliable source than wikipedia.</p>
<p>From the Undergraduate Admissions web site:</p>
<p>"Johns Hopkins admits all students on the basis of their academic preparation, personal strength, and accomplishments without regard to their ability to meet the cost of a Hopkins education."</p>
<p>From the Financial Aid web site:</p>
<p>"Applications for admission are evaluated separately from requests for financial aid. In most cases, students' admissibility to Johns Hopkins is determined prior to their aid application evaluation."</p>
<p>Wikipedia is a good place to start researching a topic, but it's not perfect, and you should always look at other sources to verify any information you find there.</p>
<p>when did they consider the need blind process? Just this year? cuz this article from 03 says differently</p>
<p>uhm -- 2003 was 4 years ago man...</p>
<p>A few months ago there was a post asking about whether JHU’s admissions practices are “need-blind.” I meant to respond back then but was inundated with application reviews at the time. I also expected a new thread to pop up after the release of decisions and it did.</p>
<p>Let’s start with this…
- Ignore the wikipedia site: there are a number of schools on that list that practice need-blind policies but are not absolutely 100% need-blind.
- Ignore the link to the Newsletter opinion piece in 2003: it is written by someone who had very little knowledge of the admissions practices back then, and did not do his/her research
- Do read the Newsletter piece from 2005 as it is a better piece and actually has a legitimate interview with the Director of Admissions.</p>
<p>Next…
There is actually no clear answer to the question of whether Johns Hopkins is need-blind since the definition of need-blind has become so hazy over the years. Here is what I can tell you.</p>
<ul>
<li>JHU is not 100% need-blind. </li>
<li>We are not need-blind for international students. I think there are only 4 or 5 schools in the country that are not need-aware for internationals. </li>
<li>We are not need-blind for students admitted off the wait list. That will depend completely on whether financial aid is still available if and when we go to the wait list.</li>
</ul>
<p>Now the complicated part, where many incorrect assumptions are made. In the Admissions process Johns Hopkins follows need-blind admissions practices. That means that while an application is being review 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>None of you (aside from international applicants) were admitted because you would be cheap or cost nothing, and none of you were denied or wait listed because you would cost too much. Those discussions do not take place.</p>
<p>Then why can’t I say we are 100% need-blind – well basically 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 budget. Thankfully that budget is a good budget and this does not become an issue. As we complete the class we must calculate the total of financial aid we are spending and make sure that we will not overuse our budget. Thankfully in the four years I have been working for Hopkins this has not become an issue.</p>
<p>I end with a paraphrased quote from my boss:
“However, it is important to note that Hopkins follows a "need-blind" standard in admissions, meaning that admissions counselors making a decision [do not] access any given applicant's financial information.”</p>
<p>Hope this makes sense.</p>
<p>admissionsDaniel: a few questions:</p>
<p>when did JHU start the needs blind admissions process?</p>
<p>and I think this should be made more noticable on JHU's site? While I was doing college research, I didn't find anything clearly stating this on <a href="http://apply.jhu.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://apply.jhu.edu/</a> . Just my opinion, but prospective students shouldn't have to hunt through JHU's 05 newsletter to find something about Hopkin's admission policies.</p>
<p>just my 2 cents</p>
<p>This is the first paragraph on the Financial Aid section of apply.jhu.edu:</p>
<p>Johns Hopkins admits all students on the basis of their academic preparation, personal strength, and accomplishments without regard to their ability to meet the cost of a Hopkins education.</p>
<p>shramelon:</p>
<p>The policy I have described is the policy that Hopkins has had since I have been here (4 years) and I know it has been in existence as long as one of my colleagues has been here (13 years). I don't have any other historical data to go on - sorry.</p>
<p>As for your other comment, I refer people to the quote on the Financial Aid page on the Admissions site that stillman posted. It covers the main point of our Admissions policy and I think is states it quite clearly. It is difficult to fully explain the policy as it causes much more confusion and assumptions, and web based information is supposed to be as simple as possible.</p>
<p>(Now I will agree that at times it is difficult to find stuff on the JHU web sites, but we are constantly working at improving as best we can.)</p>
<p>i'm sorry...i'm still a bit confused =(...so when you said that there is a financial aid budget, does that imply that students w/ the same need of aid can possibly receive different aids based on the "desirability" of the student? will aid amnts for soph-senior yrs of a student remain approx the same that was offered to us for our freshman year?
thank you for the clarification~!</p>
<p>No the financial aid budget has nothing to do with how money is distributed to students. Financial aid packets are determined by forumlas set-up when your FAFSA and CSS Profile are reviewed. </p>
<p>Students with the same need who apply for aid on time will be packaged the same. The question is how much of the aid will be grant and how much loans and work study.</p>
<p>To address the "desirability" of a student we use our grants such as the Bloomberg Grants. These are need-based grants that awarded to students we want to entice into enrolling because we find them to be amazing students. Unlike merit based scholarship (the Hodson awards) the grants are based on need and work to eliminate the amount of money a student would have to borrow or work for. </p>
<p>Aid amounts may change from year to year because you have to re-apply each year. If the financial situation of your parents changes each year it will impact your financial aid package since they need to re-assessed each year.</p>
<p>tys for the clarification!!</p>