Hopkins Insider

Reflections on the Holiday Season and the Crazy College Admission Process

Every once and a while I have invited others to pen a Guest Entry to the Hopkins Insider Blog. Past guest entries have been written by Mom, my colleague Mark Butt, and a few students. To read all these past entries just click the "Guest Entries" listing in the Categories list on the left.

Today's guest author is a good friend, an amazing colleague, and someone trying blogging for the first time. I hope you enjoy the ramblings of Associate Director of Admissions, Jameel Freeman. (Check out Jameel's Admissions profile to learn more about the man, the myth, the legend.)
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So I have been meaning to try my hand at blogging and forgive me in advance for any grammatical errors and omissions. My name is Jameel Freeman, Associate Director of Admissions and I am the regional representative for students residing in Maryland, DC and West Virginia. I first have to show some love to my MD, DC and WV prospective students and current Blue Jays. Let’s keep showing the world how the best students roll!

Now of course I’m kidding, we have wonderful students from all over the world; I just have a special fondness for the kids in my region! As with my colleagues, I have many other responsibilities here in Admissions but I’m really proud to serve as the Maryland representative, the home state of Johns Hopkins and much of my family.

I wanted to write a blog because it’s a great time of year to do so and I was encouraged by my colleague Daniel Creasy who directs our Hopkins Interactive website. The holidays are here and no matter what you choose to celebrate (or not!) from now until the middle of January, we will all most likely be spending time with our families. This is a great time for apple pie, UNLIMITED ESPN, College Football Bowl games (Go UNC Tar Heels!), NFL, more cake and pie, visiting that mean relative nobody wants to visit, NBA, college basketball, NHL, and yes, MORE PIE. As you can see sports and pie dominate much of my outside life and I’m very proud of it! Thank goodness the gym isn’t too far from my house!

As we move to close out 2008, let me first wish all service men and women a fast and safe return home to the States or their native country. Let us also remember those whom we have lost through death and gained through life. Finally, let us not forget those families who are facing financial difficulty due to unfortunate economic circumstances nationally and globally.

It also brings about the time of year where I get to know my colleagues extremely well as we work to admit another class of wonderful scholars to Johns Hopkins University. We will spend long days and nights from now until May (we aren’t quite done on April 1!) reviewing applicants, meeting in committee, looking at data, planning programs, eating a lot of (unhealthy) food, speaking on panels, etc. You would think that one would go crazy seeing all of these responsibilities, knowing that our social lives are pretty much non-existent until May but honestly we look forward to it. This time of year is why we are in Admissions; it’s what we were meant to do. To see the academic and extra curricular accomplishments that you students have witnessed thus far in your life is enriching. We read and discuss, praise (and shake our heads!), and try to understand what makes each of you so different and unique. It’s the reason I’ve been in higher education going on 10 years and the reason I plan to stay…unless ESPN finally hires me as a SportsCenter anchor!

Now I understand that this time of year brings nervous energy, excitement and anxiety to many applicants. Whether you applied Early Decision or Regular Decision, you are most likely nervous about the outcome that can determine the rest of your adult lives……….no pressure right? :0) With that being said, remember that we ALL have been through this. From our own personal experiences with the application process to your teachers, family,  and friends experiences through the admission process, we have all been there. The restlessness, not being able to sleep, the excitement, it’s totally normal. Regardless of the outcome of your decision, you’ll find that this is the beginning of a series of exciting moments in your life and in the end it all works out. You will find the school that will prepare you for excellence and for those attending Hopkins we love that we have the opportunity to assist with your goals. So try and relax, eat some cake and pie, watch a game or two if you like, and stay focused seniors as you move towards the process of completing your applications!

This time of year also brings on reflections for me and my time in college. I was thinking the other day how great college was for me. The great thing about being a high school student is that many of you are totally unaware of the fun and excitement that awaits you. In my opinion, your college years are hands down the best years of your life, especially if you pick the right school and you make your experience truly amazing. I had the time of my life because it was totally what I made of it. Now what school that may be lies with you and your own personal preferences and research. No school is going to be perfect and it’s up to you to make the most out of your experience at whatever school you choose. I know that many feel like there is only ONE school in the world for you and in reality, that’s probably not true. There are probably a few (at the very least) schools that are great for you, you just have to investigate! I always say this because admissions decisions will vary and many of you will get great offers of admission to your top schools and unfortunately many may not get in everywhere they hoped to. Here again, we’ve all been through it at some point in our lives and it all works out. Just remember it’s what you make of it!

College for many symbolizes growth; academically, socially and professionally. The friends you make, the faculty you interact with, the games and clubs you attend/join, the late night pizza runs you embark on, it’s all growth. You’ll grow from a young adult to an adult, you’ll gain a great education (hopefully!) and you will start to see that college wasn’t totally an academic education but more so a personal education of whom you are and what you have become. I’d say it’s 60% academic education and 40% personal education (but don’t tell your parents that-although they probably already know!). So you should be excited, the best is yet to come for you and I’m happy that by even reading this blog many of you are considering Hopkins!

For the new students arriving via early decision, I look forward to seeing you on campus. The longer I am here and the more I discover about Hopkins, the more my not so secret love affair grows with it. I suspect many of you who have applied Early Decision have found some of these things out already! I’m so proud to be a member of the Hopkins family, we are a pretty awesome group of faculty, staff and students and we welcome you with open arms to our community (no singing songs or holding hands in a circle--unless you really want to!). So as you go about your winter break, remember these simple things students: 1) The college admissions process is crazy at times but a means to a worthwhile end. 2)  Life is what we make of it and enriched by those we choose to share it with (even if it’s the mean relatives we visit!) and 3) When everything else fails, there is always ESPN, cake and apple pie! Enjoy your winter break students and welcome Early Decision Class of 2013 candidates to the Hopkins Family.

ED Wrap-up & Looking Forward

Whew! What a day. It has been more than 30 hours since I posted my last "tweet" on Monday's Early Decision Notification day and I finally have a chance to reflect. You would think that after 10+ years in this profession, the hoopla that surrounds a notification day would be lost on me -- but nope, I am not that grizzled, old veteran just yet. Anyone who followed my frequent updates to the blog on Monday can see how passionately I still feel about what I do for a living, and also how much I care about all the applicants. Monday was not just about the admits, but once again congratulations. To those who did not receive the news they were hoping for, don't be defeated. You will have options and things will work out -- you just have to go down another path.

As a related aside, I have actually received some hate mail in the past related specifically to the blogs I write on decision notification days. I have been called arrogant, callous, inappropriate, and unprofessional. It has been said that I mock the process and minimize the emotion of applying to college, and that I have an attitude that casts a shadow on the prestige of Johns Hopkins University. Obviously everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I must say that I strongly disagree with such assessments, and not just since they are personal attacks.

I cherish what I do, especially with this blog, and anyone who knows me knows that I put way too much of my life into my profession. I have the utmost respect for all students applying to college, and wholeheartedly understand all the emotions and especially the anxiety they face. That is the point of writing this blog -- to provide transparency to a hidden process, and alleviate some of the unnecessary stresses students today face when going through the application process. I spend much of my spare time answering questions of prospective students in a multitude of forums, as well as posting as much advice as I can (such as the discussion thread I posted for deferred students). Yes, I do add humor and personal anecdotes throughout the blog, but the purpose there is to reveal that there are human beings behind the gates. This is a very personal process on both ends, and by writing about my dog, my niece, and my favorite TV shows, I want those reading my blog to get to know the human side of an admissions evaluator.

I could continue to rant and defend what I do, but there are more pressing updates to get to. Let me finish by saying I hope you all who follow the blog appreciate the time and energy I put into this project. Not every day is an 18 hour work day for me like Monday was, but I do have an undying commitment to my role as an admissions counselor and hope my efforts do help break the negativity universally felt about the college admissions process.

O.K., on to the updates:

Early Decision Statistical Breakdown
As promised, here is what many of you have been waiting for...

Second largest Early Decision applicant pool ever = 1,049. Down just 0.6% from last year.

The 1,049 applicants is a 68% increase from 5 years ago and a 127% increase from 1998. WOW!

The acceptance rate rose a bit this year = 48%. (See why below.)

502 applicants received good news that they are the first members of the Johns Hopkins Class of 2013.

Of the admits, 44% are female, 48 are underrepresented minority students -- both great totals.

Also, as far as academic interest, 30% have stated a major in Engineering, 11% Humanities, 38% Natural Science, 17% Social and Behavioral Studies, and 5% Undecided.

Almost all the academic markers continue to be quite high. The Mean SAT I (Critical Reasoning + Math) = 1370.

New Jersey regained the top state for ED admits like in 2007 and 2006 with 66 students. New York is second with 60, and last year's number one, Maryland is in third with 55. The top 5 is rounded out with Pennsylvania in fourth with 45, and California in fifth with 40.  

Finally, geographic diversity continues to be way up. In 2007, the ED admit pool came from 28 states ... this year 37 states are represented. Plus, 26 admits are international students from 9 different countries.

One of the questions when people analyze these statistics will be why did the admit rate go up? Well, there are two simple answers. First, the quality of the applicants was strong and that is always a compelling reason to take strong students who really want to attend your university. Second, there is a great uncertainty facing colleges this year with the state of economy, and since we had really qualified applicants in our Early Decision pool we decided to take a few more. Regular decision applicants may be concerned with a larger ED admit group that there are less spaces for them and hence more competition.  Yes, there will be fewer spaces but as part of that uncertainty I mentioned above, there are a number of reasons why we are confident that we will be able to admit the RD applicants we want and not be hindered by a larger ED class. (I could go into a lot of hypothetical and predictive questions we are debating on a daily basis, but that would be premature.) Simply put, we are ecstatic with our ED class and also know that we will be looking at the RD class just like we have over the past few years.  

For the Early Decision Defers
As I referred to in Monday's blog and then once again above, I have posted on the Hopkins Forums a discussion thread for you all with advice and answers to frequently asked questions. Here is the link:

Early Decision Defers - Read This!

I hope you find the information on that discussion thread helpful, and feel free to post your questions if they are not already answered.

What's on Tap
Now that the Early Decision is complete, it is time for me and the rest of the Admissions staff to relax a bit. We will be enjoying our holiday party today and many of us will be taking considerable time off over the next few weeks. For me, I am headed down south to be with my family for two weeks to celebrate the holidays and the new year. (Don't worry, I will still be online and posting to the blog and answering questions on the Forums.)

For the Hopkins Insider blog, I will be posting my traditional post for Regular Decision applicants later next week. For a preview, check out last year's entry.Prior to that post though, my colleague Jameel Freeman has written a guest author entry that will be posted later this week. Check back as it is a great entry.

And as I sign off, I typically would include a picture of Regular Decision applications being processed, and stacks of application folders piling up on my desk. Then I would say something like "no rest for the weary" referring to the start of reading RD applications. And though we have moved to reviewing RD applications, there is no picture to share -- one of the few downsides of the new online review system. So I leave you with a picture that constantly puts a smile on my face...

Early Decision Notification Day (2008) - Tweet, Tweet, Tweet, ...

For the last few years (2007& 2006 & 2005) I have chosen to journal through out the Early Decision Notification day (micro-blogging). My plan is to continue that tradition, but in a new format. Today my updates will rather be "tweets," in honor of our new Hopkins Insider Twitter system(which I discussed in an earlier blog this month). This is going to be a bit of a challenge for me as I am a man of many words, and tweets need to be short updates. We'll see how well this goes. So check back throughout the day to follow the process of the release of our Early Decision notifications.

6:13 AM - December 15th
I've been up for about 35 minutes. My waffles are in the toaster, Mike and Mike is on in the background, and I am finishing up my to do list for the day.

6:21 AM - December 15th
Breakfast is done. Shower and shave time. Then in the office for a long day. My to do list has 17 items on it ... ouch!

7:15 AM - December 15th
It feels good to be clean shaven again. About to head in to the office, but have to walk Soze first. Actually, I have to wake him up again ... look what I have to deal with every morning --> lazy dog.

7:46 AM - December 15th
In the office. The 15th of December is significant to me not just for the completion of the ED process, but it is also PAY DAY. Got some bills to pay. 

7:56 AM - December 15th
There is just something so right about a balanced checkbook. Or maybe that is just a feeling someone overly organized like me feels. Oh well ... moving on.

8:02 AM - December 15th
Just made my playlist for the day -- it includes all of my Killers songs, as well as the complete "Hey Ma" album by James, the complete "Viva la Vida" album by Coldplay, and a few of my current favorite songs - "Shattered" by O.A.R., "Chasing Pavements" by ADELE, and "Let it Rock" by Kevin Rudolf.

8:10 AM - December 15th
Correspondence time. That is what I call my daily routine of clearing out the main JHU email account (gotojhu@jhu.edu), checking the Hopkins Forumsfor new questions, checking our Facebook groups, and a number of other tasks of responding to inquiries. This takes a bit of time.

8:24 AM - December 15th
Just took a look upstairs and everything has progressed quite smoothly with generating decision letters and stuffing the admit packets. Dean Latting is also in the process of finishing the signing of all the admit letters.

8:43 AM - December 15th
BME decision letters have arrived ... need to confirm those decisions and then go stuff those letters. Way ahead of schedule so far ... I hope that lasts throughout the day.

10:11 AM - December 15th
Stuffing complete. Back to answering emails. By the way ... did you know? Penguins have an organ above their eyes that converts seawater to fresh water. Well that is what the cap of my Snapple says. You learn something everyday.

10:46 AM - December 15th
Still going through email. I did notice that there were a number of application withdrawal requests that we received over the weekend. So I guess some of our peer institutions released their early decisions earlier than the traditional 12/15 date. Good for them, and congrats to those who got into their first choice schools. (Wait, would those students be reading this blog then -- hmmm.... probably not.

11:13 AM - December 15th
Needed to take a break from all this email so I read our most recent Guest Blogentry. Take a break and read a great entry about Cafe Q by Rena. While there, spend some time reading all the great guest blog entries from this past fall, including two of my favorites: Allison's Paris, Je t'aime and Evelyn's Pre-Med to PhD.

11:37 AM - December 15th
So every Monday we have an 11am counseling team meeting with Dean Latting. No meeting yet ... wonder what is going on. Probably just last minute confirming of decisions and that everything looks perfect.

11:57 AM - December 15th
Based on the blog comments, it seems I need to explain my mention of withdrawals in my 10:46 AM update. The application withdrawal requests were from applicants who were applying REGULAR DECISION to Johns Hopkins. They were accepted early to another school and are required to withdraw their complete or in progress RD application to Hopkins as well as all other schools. These withdrawals do not impact the ED review process.

1:07 PM - December 15th
Quick lunch break. Confession time -- I am addicted to Cranberry Splash Sierra Mist. Soooooo good. No news yet. Still waiting for Dean Latting to seal the class.

1:15 PM - December 15th
O.K. once again time to respond to the comments. There seems to be some confusion about how the release of decisions works. Well then, you all should go back and read the Give Thanks for an ED Updateblog entry on 11.26.08. And since some of you won't go back and read, hear the important notes:

• Early Decision notifications will be mailed on Monday, December 15. This includes all admit packages, as well as defer and deny letters.
• We will also email decision notifications to those applicants who indicated an email address on their application.
• We will begin sending emails at 6:00 p.m. EST on Monday, December 15.
• If an applicant does not receive an email it is because either there was no email provided with the application, the email address provided no longer works, or a data entry error. Unfortunately, we do not re-send emails, so in such situations the student must wait for the mail to arrive.
• Admissions decisions can be released over the phone starting Thursday, December 18. We will only release decisions to the applicant, a parent or guardian of the applicant, or the applicant's high school guidance counselor. Decisions will be released only if the identity of the caller can be reasonably assured.
• Decisions about acceptance into the BME major are departmental decisions and therefore we do not release such information over the phone or through email. All Early Decision applicants who applied to the Biomedical Engineering major will learn of their BME decision in their acceptance packets.

1:44 PM - December 15th
Still responding to email messages, now focusing on my own work email account. And still waiting for the go ahead to seal decision letters. This is what you call a holding pattern.

2:13 PM - December 15th
THE EARLY DECISION CLASS OF 2013 IS SEALED. The staff now will do one last confirm of all decision letters, stuff and seal, and then it is on to the post office

Attention: For those of you who are going to start requesting statistics on this year's Early Decision class -- please don't. I will post stats when they become available. And that is when Dean Latting provides me with the stats and approves that they can be released to the public. That may be today, or it may not be today. PATIENCE PLEASE.

3:01 PM - December 15th
My colleague Jameel Freeman and I are about to depart to the Johns Hopkins Mail Services Office at our Mt. Washington campus. The Deny and Defer letters are in our possession and are on their way.

3:43 PM - December 15th
Just got back to campus. All letters have left the building. My colleagues John Birney and Shannon Miller headed downtown with a slew of mail bins carrying our admit packets. They should be entering the Baltimore Postal stream any minute now. Tons of work still to get done.


3:44 PM - December 15th
A piece of advice ... go do something fun for the next two hours. Go be with your family or friends ... read a good book ... play a game ... get some fresh air. Do something other than refreshing your computer screens.

3:57 PM - December 15th
Just put the finishing touches on our Johns Hopkins University -- Class of 2013 Facebook group. On to updating the Forums now ... no rest for the weary.

4:25 PM - December 15th
Finishing touches on the updates to the Hopkins Forums is now also complete. We launched our newClass of 2013 Sub-Forum. I also made sure everything is working on our Admitted Student Web site too. Back to work.

4:31 PM - December 15th
I was curious to see how active the Insider blog has been today ... WOW! In just 16.5 hours today this blog has received 3,874 hits from 1,443 unique visitors.  That's just cool.

4:44 PM - December 15th
Added some pictures above.

4:54 PM - December 15th
One of the harder things I do today ... just posted my advice for deferred applicants on the Hopkins Forums -- Early Decision Defers - Read This!

5:08 PM - December 15th
Just sent email messages to the Hopkins Interactive current students reminding them that today is ED Notification day and that the Forums, Blogs, and Facebook group will probably see a lot of activity this week. Though this is finals week here, the current students will be ready to answer questions. Time for me to head home ...

5:53 PM - December 15th
One important reminder about the emails ... they all don't arrive in your in-boxes at 6:00 P.M. It can take up to an hour for all of our emails to be sent, so please once again be patient.

5:56 PM - December 15th
A piece of advice: I wish you all the best as you receive your email decisions. My suggestion is that you read your decision and then go spend some time with your family. This is a major moment in your young life, and family is who you should share your initial thoughts with. Your family has been there since the first moment of life, and they will be there FOREVER. Afterward you can log-on and share with others. Let everything sink in first. React in the real world before entering the cyber world. OK, I am stepping off my soap box.

7:35 PM - December 15th
Busy, busy, busy. I have been monitoring our e-mail accounts, forums, and approving people into the Facebook group for the last 90 minutes. I am going to take a break and have some dinner.

8:03 PM - December 15th
I am going to continue my break and watch a little TV ... my mind is fried. Chuck is on and that is always a great way to rest one's mind and laugh a bit.

9:o6 PM - December 15th
I forgot that tonight were mid-season finales for Prison Break and Heroes. So I am going to enjoy two of my favorite shows while confirming people into the Facebook group.

11:53 PM - December 15th
I just spent the last 90 minutes answering questions on the Hopkins Forums, in the Facebook group, and through the main JHU email account. I also stopped by College Confidential (aaaahhhh).

11:58 PM - December 15th
Some cool stats to share:
--> 7,303 page loads of the Hopkins Insider blog today
--> 2,778 unique visitors to the Hopkins Insider blog today
--> 961 returning visitors to the Hopkins Insider blog today
--> 3,778 pages loads of the Hopkins Forums today
--> 818 unique visitors to the Hopkins Forums today
--> 159 admitted students already part of the Class of 2013 Facebook group (it took over two months to get that many members added to the Class of '12 group).

12:09 AM - December 16th
Whew. What a day. It is actually tomorrow already so it is time for bed. First, I need to walk Soze. And oh look, just as the day began it ends with a lazy dog too.

What's New Vol. 3: Homewood Updates

So I thought I would complete my "What's New" series with a top 10 list. Throughout the Fall semester, there have been so many newsworthy stories that I wanted to mention in the Hopkins Insider blog. But due to how busy my schedule has been and other important blog content that I thought was more of a priority, I really haven't had a chance to share "what's new" at Johns Hopkins and the Homewood campus. So enjoy my selection of the top "what's new" items of the last few months.

If you enjoy these stories, then you should really bookmark our Blue Jay Buffet blog and specifically the monthly "This Month at Hopkins" entries. We just posted the December at Hopkins entry.

(1) NEW PRESIDENT - RONALD J. DANIELS ELECTED

In November, Ronald J. Daniels was elected as the 14th president of Johns Hopkins University.  Daniels has done fantastic work at several universities and, since 2005, has been the provost of a very well-known university in Philadelphia, PA -- I forgot the name againthough, ooops (I forget a lot of names).  He will begin his service to Hopkins in March.  To learn more about him, visit the official New President's website.

(2) NEW IMPROVEMENT TO OLD BUILDING - GILMAN RENOVATION

Gilman Hall is undergoing some major renovations that commenced earlier this year ... $73 million's worth, actually.  The plans include a new 3-story, glass-topped central atrium, a new second floor courtyard to connect the Hutzler Reading Room and Memorial Hall, a new home to the archaeological collection on the first floor, a new 140-person film screening room, and more.  The 92-year-old building will be the first completely green building on campus and is expected to re-open in the late summer of 2010.  Read more about the plans and progress at the renovation's website.

(3) NEW ATHLETIC SUCCESS - BEST FALL SPORTS SEASON EVER

Hopkins sports teams won big this fall!  Men's soccer advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 for their 7th time and women's soccer reached the NCAA Round 3 tournament for their 1st time.  Women's cross country participated in the NCAA championship.  Football finished second in the Centennial Conference and hosted the ECAC Southwest Bowl at home.  To catch up on all sports news and for updates on winter sports, check out Hopkins' Athletics site.

(4) NEW VOICES ON CAMPUS - AMAZING SPEAKERS

The Milton S. Eisenhower Symposium 2008brought Tucker Carlson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Valerie Plame Wilson, David Alan Grier, and President Brody to the stage at Shriver Hall.  But Will Ferrell, another guest to the Symposium this year, made the biggest commotion by far.  Tickets were free and limited only to the Hopkins community ... and sold out in a matter of hours.  Students started to line up hours in advance to get the best seats to hear him discuss the new presidency, his work, and to answer audience questions.

(5) NEW STUDIES - ARCHAEOLOGY MAJOR COMING

This year is the first when an Archaeology major will be offered at Hopkins.  According to the department, "Archaeology studies human societies through examination of their material culture, considering such issues as human subsistence, interaction with climate and physical environment, patterns of settlement, political and economic organization, and religious activity and thought."  It will be an interdepartmental program that will provide research opportunities to its majors through the Johns Hopkins Archaeological Collection and the Walters Art Museum. Check out this site for further details.

(6) NEW STUDIES CONTINUED - THREE MINORS ADDED

In addition to the Archeology major, there are new minors being introduced too.  The Financial Economics minor "is founded on the principle that knowledge of neither finance nor economics by itself is sufficient to understand financial markets and to operate within them."  The Museums and Society minor "examines traditional museums as well as exploring the roles of historic sites and monuments ... through lectures by Hopkins faculty and local museum professionals, field trips, and hands-on museum opportunities."  Finally, the Theatre Arts and Studies minor(not really "new" ... one of our more recent additions, though) "offers a comprehensive approach to the arts of acting, directing and playwriting along with the fundamentals of technical direction, play production, play analysis, theatre management and theatre history."

(7) NEW COMMITMENT - GOING GREEN

The Johns Hopkins Sustainability Initiative is working in full-force this year. The wide range of projects they are working on include everything from building only green buildings on campus to serving organic coffee in the cafes around campus. The Initiative even held a utility contest to see which dorm could cut its usage the most. The project "grew out of the concept that being smart and innovative are the strongest tools for overcoming difficult environmental challenges." Hopkins is not just going green, we already are! (Even the Admissions Office joined in ... read this previous blog for details.)

(8) NEW EXPANSION - LIBRARY PLANS ANNOUNCED

A new library expansion was announced for the Homewood campus. This six story "learning commons" will bring more study space to campus. Its design will be tradition but also incorporate  futuristic elements designed to enhance learning. Though the building won't open until 2012 student are already excited about the prospect of a new study space. The building is to be named after retiring President Brody and his wife Wendy.

(9) NEW RECOGNITIONS - MARSHALLS AND GENIUSES

This fall has brought Hopkins students and professors recognition and awards for their academic efforts. Two students, Kurt Herzer and Rishi Mediratta, won the prestigious Marshall scholarship. The scholarship, funded by the British government, will allow both students to pursue their respective interests in public health.

We've also got some geniuses at Hopkins. Professors Peter Provonost and Adam Riess were recently named winners of MacArthur Fellowship for 2008. This fellowship is also known as a genius grant. Read the Baltimore Sun article here.

(10) NEW STUDENTS - CLASS OF 2013 IS COMING

I thought I would end with actually something that is not yet new, but will be in just a couple of days. On Monday, December 15 the Admissions Office will release our Early Decision notifications and welcome the first members of the Johns Hopkins Class of 2013. Check back on Monday for a daily report on the release of ED notifications.

What's New Vol. 2: Twitter and Hopkins Now!

So what's next with "What's New," you ask? Well as I foreshadowed at the end of the last post, this entry will feature some advancements we have made to Hopkins Interactive over the last few months.

For those new to this Hopkins Insider blog, you might not know that the blog is just one part of the much larger Hopkins Interactive Web site project. Back in December of 2005, we (and when I say "we" I mean myself and the amazing group of current students who are featured on the site) launched H.I. and the blogs and since that time we have always been updating the content and trying new things. At the on-set we had blogs and message boards -- and since we have added many more blogs, created a massive forums section, developed unique video content, launched Facebook groups, participated in online chats, posted over 20 student profiles, and provided endless content from the "insider's perspective." The ultimate goal of Hopkins Interactive has been to provide prospective audiences with an inside, uncensored, virtual connection to the Johns Hopkins community. I am confident to say, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. [[[If you are interested in more history about this massive project, I recommend reading my September 16 REBOOT post or check out the entries listed under the "Hopkins Interactive Updates" category or the "Milestone Entries" category.]]]

But, as is commonplace, when you launch a successful project the only way to remain successful is to expand and try new things. So this semester, I have worked with the Hopkins Interactive students on two new projects that we hope everyone enjoys. We also hope that these new undertakings continue to aid prospective students in learning about the real Johns Hopkins University and what it is like to live, study, and enjoy life at Homewood.

TWITTER: "HopkinsInsider is using Twitter"

This summer I got a message from one of the first Hopkins Interactive students, JHU_MichelleT. Michelle graduated a couple of years ago and is now a first-year law student at some well-known law school in New Haven, CT -- I forgot the name though, ooops. (Actually, read Michelle's recent alumni blogfor details about her post-JHU years.) The message was a simple one and I think it stated:

"You all [the H.I. team] should be on Twitter."

At the time I had never heard of Twitter. I did a Google and Wiki search and learned a bit more about it ... but honestly, I still had no idea what it was. So I emailed some of H.I. students and asked what there thoughts were on Twitter. The feedback ranged from "great idea, let's do it" to "what the heck is it?" We tabled the discussion for a bit, but then at the start of the semester I asked a few other students to do some research on how we could use Twitter through Hopkins Interactive, and to answer two simple questions: (1) Are other college using the system? & (2) What would we use Twitter for?

The answers came back -- yes some colleges are using the system but not many. And, simply put Twitter is a site where you can frequently update your status and your friends can follow your updated status page. OK, that really isn't that simple. If you are curious to learn more about Twitter ... read this ... and read this. Ultimately, the idea was to use Twitter as a way to highlight all the new content to Hopkins Interactive.

So we put a plan forth to create a Twitter page. Prior to launching the HopkinsInsider Twitter page there was a ton of skepticism, mainly on my part. But we pushed forth, JHU_Lauren created a great design for the page, and we posted our first TWEET at 9:02AM on October 29th from the web. As you explore Twitter you will find a whole lexicon of terms related to the system ... for instance a "tweet" is the name used for posting a status update. I know ... strange ... and hence skepticism.

However, after we launched almost universally all the students and I loved the new system. We use the system to post when new blog entries have been posted by the students. We use the system to highlight cool happenings at Homewood like Will Ferrell coming to speak, the soccer teams making the NCAA tournament, or the selection of a new JHU President. And we use the system to highlight sections of Hopkins Interactive.

Now we just need FOLLOWERS. And those FOLLOWERS should be all of you. It is simple to set-up, then just bookmark it, and every few days learn about what is new at JHU and stay up-to-date with all of our blogs.

Click Here to Visit and Begin Following the HopkinsInsider Twitter Page

HOPKINS NOW! - Our New Video Show

The other advancement has actually been a re-imaging of sorts. Back in the Fall of 2007, the Admissions Office purchased a video camera for the Hopkins Interactive students and we began to shoot some random videos of the Homewood campus. Some of the students honed their editing skills, and in December 2007 we launched the Hopkins Interactive Video Blog. In the beginning, the videos introduced various locations around campus like Gilman Hall, the MSE Library, the Dining Halls, and Charles Commons to name a few. We really hit our stride with the Hopkins CRIBS videos.

As the students and I brainstormed on how we can improve our video output, JHU_Josh(our resident Film and Media major) suggested the idea of a regular video show. And Hopkins Now! was born.

This past semester the team has created three episodes of Hopkins Now! The concept is a bi-monthly video show highlighting different aspects of Johns Hopkins University for a student's perspective. Fully produced by the students of H.I., each episode features segments like Blue Jay Waking, News from the Nest, Baltimore Revealed, Question of the Week, and Hot at Hopkins.

We have great plans for the spring semester episodes, and will continue to improve the quality and content. Scroll to the bottom of this post for each of the videos, and remember ...

Click Here to Access the Video Blog and all the Hopkins Now! Episodes

That's it for this What's New entry. Check back later this week for the part III. Now enjoy the videos.

Hopkins Now! Episode #1

Hopkins Now! Episode #2A and #2B

Hopkins Now! Episode #3

What's New Vol. 1: Going Green

In my last entry I mentioned that all my new entries over the next couple of weeks will revolve around one theme ... new stuff. So much has been going on at Johns Hopkins throughout the fall semester that I thought a series of "What's New" entries will be informative, enjoyable, and fun for me to write (it will be a good break from Early Decision committees). Also in the last entry I teased the topic of this first "What's New" post would be something that is "changing in a huge way the review process for Early Decision." That one line led to a lot of speculation and some impatience, so with out further adieu I reveal what's new with ED ...

The Johns Hopkins Admissions Process Has Gone Green!!!

For those of you hoping for some radical change in the ED process, this is probably a bit of an anti-climatic reveal, but for myself and my colleagues this is a HUGE CHANGE. The criteria we use for evaluation has not changed ... the committee discussions have not changed ... what we are looking for has not changed ... but it still all feels very different this year.

Last year it was decided that the Admissions Office would invest in a paperless document management and imaging system that would benefit the processing of the over 16,000 undergraduate applications we receive each year. Many of our peer institutions also have been investing in similar paperless evaluation systems, but for us it was a simple decision based on both necessity and evolution. Over the summer we tested and examined a number of services and ultimately chose a system called OnBase. The end of the summer and early fall we focused on implementing this new system and in November everything went live. The Early Decision process has been the Admissions Office's first experience with this paperless review process and though there is clearly a steep learning curve, things are progressing along the way we anticipated.

I would be remiss if I didn't elaborate on another reason for our decision to implement this paperless document system -- the going green effect. Over the last year Johns Hopkins University, and specifically the Homewood campus, has show a commitment to implementing sustainable, green practices. There have been numerous signs of this commitment including:

• recently announced plans to build a cogeneration plant at Homewood to reduce the campus' carbon footprint
• the renovation of Gilman Hall will lead to the Homewood campus' first green building - LEED-certified as promoting a whole-building approach to sustainability
• the President's Office last spring announced that they were discontinuing bottled drinking water, eliminating plastic cups, and whenever possible utilizing reusable supplies
• many more examples can be found at the new Johns Hopkins Sustainability Initiative Web site: http://www.sustainability.jhu.edu/

This change to a paperless Admissions system also stemmed from an obvious conclusion ... the world of Admissions has gone online. Just look at these numbers:

2004:11,102 total undergraduate applications-5,043 submitted online (46%)
2005:11,278 total undergraduate applications-7,234 submitted online (64%)
2006:13,876 total undergraduate applications-10,862 submitted online (78%)
2007:14,848 total undergraduate applications-13,095 submitted online (88%)
2008:16,013 total undergraduate applications-15,523 submitted online (97%)

Besides the clear increase in the number of applications over the last five years, the number applying online has surpassed the critical mass. For all these reasons, the Admissions Office for the first time ever did not print paper applications - the trees are happy about that. Instead we provide applicants three ways to apply online (the JHU Online Application, the online Common Application, and the online Universal Application) and also a downloadable PDF of our paper application for the less than 5% of applicants who just have to apply online. In the end it is a whole new application world, one that saves on paper, electricity, gas, and processing time.

Just think about this one change ... last year 15,523 applications were submitted online and on average an online application (with supplement) would be 10 pages. 15,523 x 10 = 155,230 application pages. Since we did not have our paperless system last year, each one of those pages had to be printed out, entered into our database, sorted, alphabetized, and filed correctly. As well, applicant folders needed to be created for each applicant. A lot of "man hours" right. Well, this year ALL OF THIS PROCESS is done through automatic imports -- no more printing out applications, no more physical applicant folders, no more sorting and alphabetizing, no more filing. No more back-log!!!

What better way to display this change in process then to compare pictures from last year and today ... check out the differences:

Last year ... tons of everything. Printing paper was an endless task. The mail bins piled up. Filing cabinets where each application part needed to be sorted, alphabetized, and filed correctly. And the stacks of files overtook my working space.

This year ... one scanning machine ... automatic imports and applicant batching. Minimal paper to be sorted and filed. A clean desk to read -- just two computer screens, my watermelon, and a notepad if necessary.

With anything new there are always the initial negatives. As I mentioned above, the learning curve of the new system is steep. The process does seem a bit more impersonal now that we aren't holding the applications in our hands. Reading an individual application takes longer. You have to remember to SAVE your work. You are relying on a stable internet connection and connection speeds to get your job done. And I guarantee that soon my perfect 20/20 vision will cease and I will be getting glasses.

But even though there are these initial concerns, the positives of this new system are grand:

• obvious savings to processing time and the environment
• less paper cuts, and oh those nasty folder cuts
• less heavy lifting of application files
• data-tracking is tremendous
• the ability of multiple counselors to be reviewing the same file
• having application files at the tip of my fingers (an example - got a call from a counselor yesterday about a specific file ... in the past I would have had to take a message, gone upstairs, located the file, and called the counselor back -- now I just punch in some info and in less than 15 seconds I have the full file in front of me)
• if I spill my drink it doesn't ruin the application
• jotting down comments on a file is much easier ... I can be very wordy in my application summations, and since I type much faster than I print, now I can get all of my thoughts down and not get hand cramps
• immediate review of where the applicant pool stands -- in the past we needed to wait and wait and wait for our decision sheets to be entered ... now it is automatic
• many, many more positives to come as we climb the learning curve

Well, I need to log back in to OnBase and continue reading files. First reads need to be completed by the end of the day tomorrow, and I have a number of applications still to evaluate. I am looking forward to seeing how the new system will work with our Committee reviews which will be the focus of the next week and a half. And yes, notifications will still be released on the 15th.

I hope you enjoyed this first "What's New" blog. I'll be back later this week with details about some cool new Hopkins Interactive projects ... tweet, tweet, Now!