Hopkins Insider

The Do's and Don'ts to Presenting Your Resume

A Note of Introduction from AdmissionsDaniel: Part four of our guest entries that reflect on parts of the admissions application. My colleague Shannon Miller tackles the topic of the extracurrircular activity list or as many of us call it, the resume. Shannon's advice should absolutely be followed as you present this crucial information in your application.  

Are you currently filling out your college application, but think you need more room to talk about your extracurricular involvement? Are you unsure about what to include in this list? Are you struggling to include all of the information that is necessary?  Do you need more space to discuss a significant accomplishment or role you have played in an activity?

If any of these questions are running through your head, you may want to include a resume along with your application.  Since extracurricular activities are a very important part of the application process, especially at Johns Hopkins, you want to be thorough when describing what it is you do outside of the classroom.

Here are some Do’s and Don’ts to keep in mind when presenting a resume along with your application:

(1.) Do be organized and concise.  As counselors are reading over 1200 applications a year, we want to learn more about you, but do not have a lot of time. Stick to the basics: name of activity, years of participation, important leadership roles, specific projects you have played a major role in, accomplishments, etc.

Don’t exceed 2 pages with your resume. We should not be seeing resume attachments that are 10 pages long!

(2.) Do focus in on activities from your high school career…that means 9-12th grade.

Don’t tell us that you were student of the day in 4th grade…you get the idea.

(3.)    Do think broadly about activities you are involved in. Your resume should include everything from after school jobs, summer internships, and research projects to clubs, organizations, volunteer work, sports, and musical instruments. You may also have a unique hobby you want to share with us.

Don’t include activities that are part of your daily life such as “likes to eat breakfast,” “is a good sister to younger brother,” “walks the dog,” or “watches TV.” Believe it or not, I have seen ALL of the above listed on activity lists.

(4.) Do list a website if it can show us more about what you do. This might be a better way to send us supplemental material… a link to a newspaper article which talks about an accomplishment, a link to an organizations page which describes an event you have put together, a link to a page which contains data about research you have done, etc.

Don’t send us a link which contains photos or information we don’t want to see! Remember, we look at everything…so if there are inappropriate pictures, foul language, or personal items on a page, think twice about putting it in your application. Also, be sure the links are still in use and correctly written out. Many times, we have tried to view websites, only to find they are no longer available, broken, or spelt incorrectly.

(5.) Do spell out activities that are an acronym. While we know what NHS stands for, there are plenty of abbreviations for groups across the US that might be confusing to counselors. For example, if you write NFL, are you part of the National Forensics League or National Football League? (Ok, I think it’s safe to assume Forensics, but hey, you never know)

Don’t forget to detail activities. It is important to go beyond and acronym and tell us what it entails. Keep in mind though that by briefly I mean a phrase or sentence. No need for a book.

As you can see, a resume can be really helpful if you remember to be organized and concise, think broadly about the activities you have participated in during high school, and include all pertinent information about your involvement. Follow these simple Do’s and Don’ts, and the admissions committee will be able to see the impact you can make on their campus community.

Editor's Note: For additional information on the resume, extracurricular activities in the admissions review, and also supplemental information check out these discussions on the Hopkins Forums: Extracurricular Activities / Work Experience and Supplementary Materials w/ Application.

Advice on Letters of Recommendation

A Note of Introduction from AdmissionsDaniel: Here it is, the third post in our series of guest entries about parts of the admissions application. Former Admissions Office intern and JHU Class of 2009 alum Rena Barch tackles the topic of letters of recommendation. Heed her advice here as it echoes what all the admissions counselors at Hopkins have to say about recommendation letters.

I graduated from Hopkins in the spring of 2009. Throughout my senior year and the summer after I graduated I worked as the Office of Undergraduate Admissions intern. As the intern, I gave information sessions, conducted perspective interviews, and helped with general office tasks. I was the indentured servant to the Admissions office, and in the meantime learned a lot about the Admissions process. Now that I have paid off my dues, I will be headed of the London School of Economics to pursue a master’s degree in Comparative Politics. Before I depart though I thought I would share some advice and thoughts about letters of recommendation.

The process of applying to college can seem like a daunting task. There appear to be so many different things to keep track of. This process can become particularly stressful when you have to rely on other people to submit components such as recommendations. However, the process of asking for recommendations is one that you are likely to have to repeat many times for internships, jobs, or graduate schools, so now is the best time to master it!

The first part of asking for a recommendation is deciding who you would like writing on your behalf. For Johns Hopkins, we require one from a guidance counselor and one from a teacher of your choice. When deciding which teacher to ask, think about who you think will be most able to speak positively about you. If there’s a teacher you are particularly close with, they should be an obvious first choice. Don’t just pick a teacher based on the grade you received in their class or because they teach the subject closest to your future major. If there’s a teacher with whom you’ve built a relationship, and that teacher does not fall into either of those two categories, they are still a superior choice. Your grades already say enough about your performance in those classes. We don’t need to hear a teacher repeat those facts. What we prefer to hear are details about you as a student, about your work habits, about your presence in class. Try to pick a teacher who could provide this kind of information for you.

With your guidance counselor recommendation, you do not have as much freedom to select the source of the recommendation. This could be worrying to some of you who attend larger schools where you and your guidance counselor might not be well acquainted. Even if you do not know your counselor well, do not be afraid to request that they discuss a particular event or situation in your recommendation. If you had some sort of extenuating circumstance that led to a particularly weak semester, or if you had a scheduling conflict which prevented you from taking a course that you wish you could have, ask that they mention those events. Overall, the guidance counselor recommendation is intended to provide your admissions counselor with some context on the student in the perspective of their school. In this recommendation, we don’t need to know as much about your presence in class, as your presence in the school.

Furthermore, if you feel that your guidance counselor cannot adequately speak about your strengths, you have the option of submitting up to two additional recommendations. If you choose to submit additional recommendations, try to refrain from simply selecting another teacher unless both teachers have a unique perspective to provide. Also, definitely refrain from parent or peer recommendations. A better source of a recommendation would be an advisor from an extracurricular activity, a sports coach, or a boss from a part time job. Select someone who knows you well enough to write about your strengths and your personality. The additional recommendations should provide supplemental perspectives by offering a different side of you.

So now you’ve chosen who to ask for your recommendation. What next? To make this process run smoothly, never forget that: 1) Your recommender is doing you a favor. 2) To stay organized!  First, make sure you ask your teacher. Do not assume that the teacher you have in mind will say yes. Teachers, especially those that tend to teach primarily juniors and seniors, may quickly have too many recommendations requests on their hands. You will want to ask early. Also, be sure to give them plenty of time to write and send the recommendation! As a precaution you should ask at least six weeks in advance.

Secondly, be prepared to give them all the information they might need. I would suggest compiling a folder for each recommender. In the folder should be any forms that he/she will need. Make sure to fill out any of your personal information, or other information they might not know. Also in the folder, include your resume or a copy of your transcript if you have one available. Remembering that the teacher is doing you a favor, you are going to want to make the process as easy for them as possible. The teacher should not have to include anything other than the recommendation. Therefore, you should include an addressed and stamped envelope. There’s also an option to submit the recommendations online, and that’s an option that should be offered to your teacher. Perhaps most importantly, include a list of any deadlines that your recommender will need to abide by. 

Once your chosen teacher agrees to write your recommendation, present them with your folder. Ask if there is any additional information that they would like to have, and make sure to turn those supplements in as soon as you can. A week or two before any of your deadlines, you should check in with your recommender and kindly remind them of any approaching deadlines. While checking in can be useful for you and your teacher,  make sure you give your teacher time to complete the recommendation. They are busy people, and they might not be able to write and send your recommendation by the next night, or even the next week.

Finally, after all of your recommendations have been submitted, do not forget to thank your recommenders. Small gifts or tokens of appreciation are nice but not necessary. Often just a thank you card will do the trick. Let your recommenders know that you appreciate their time! If you stay organized and show gratitude, your teacher, advisor, coach, or guidance counselor will be more willing to write you recommendations in the future.

Editor's Note: For additional information about letters of recommendation and an opportunity to ask your own questions check out the Letters of Recommendation discussion on the Hopkins Forums.

The Essay: Advice from an Evaluator

A Note of introduction from AdmissionsDaniel: Here is the second entry in our series of guest entries providing advice on various sections of the application. Today's author is Associate Director of Admissions Amy Brokl, one of our best authorities on the application process since she was admitted to Hopkins and attended. All the counseling staff members have become experts on evaluating application essays, but Amy is the best at expressing advice on how to tackle the task. Enjoy, and thanks Amy.

“Writing is a struggle against silence.”
– Carlos Fuentes

Though much emphasis is placed on the notion of “standing out” in the highly selective application process, this is a difficult (some might even suggest nearly impossible) feat to achieve. With 16,000+ applications in last year’s applicant pool alone here at Johns Hopkins, most having been submitted by high school students in their senior year, the opportunity for a great deal of variation in these pieces of writing is slim. When students ask how to stand out, I do what I can to encourage a reexamination of that thought process. Rather than focusing one’s energies on being entirely “unique” or “different,” I urge these students to concentrate on being themselves. After all, one cannot be all things to all colleges; all one can be is oneself, and all one can do is present that self in its best possible light.

One of the best tools available to students seeking to make themselves known in this process is the essay. Though some schools may ask for a more lengthy response to a single prompt, others might toss out a series of questions that require so-called “short answers.” At Hopkins, we ask for completion of two essays (one from either the Common Application or Universal College Application, and one that responds to the prompt provided on our supplement). Regardless of how these questions are configured, the opportunity to share aspects of oneself with the admission committee should neither be overlooked nor squandered. After all, much of what the student portion of the application amounts to is record-keeping. From address blocks and family information to one’s list of extracurricular activities, there is little room to infuse character or personality. Moreover, this information (though necessary) is immutable! The essay allows you to share yourself, your worldview, and your voice as it currently exists in the immediate present. For admissions counselors, this is invaluable information – and thus for you, the essay becomes a tremendous opportunity.

This summer, I had the chance to participate in a summer admission panel for high school students in my travel territory. Among other things, we discussed the essay. While some colleges and universities view the essay as more of a “writing sample,” here at Johns Hopkins, our essays serve both as writing samples and as revelatory documents. Though we are certainly concerned with your mechanics, spelling, and your use of Johns Hopkins (note the emphasis on that “s”), the content is in fact, the most critical component.

This panel also addressed the question of topics. Though some prompts force one into a literary corner, others are much more flexible. Almost anything can be the subject of a substantive, interesting essay – think wisely and deeply and good thoughts will follow. Most importantly, though, do know that there are very few topics that are poor choices (at least, in my book). Many students worry about how oft used their topic of choice might be; in response, I might observe that there are only so many experiences that one can reasonably have and about which one can comfortably write. Students – don’t be afraid to tackle a difficult topic – but always be sure to bring it back to you!

Admissions counselors are famous for their various pet peeves – many of which are tied to essays. I’ve heard colleagues quibble about those that extol the virtues of family and friends (are we reviewing the application of the writer of that essay, or that writer’s grandmother/brother/uncle?) I’ve heard similar conversations about current events or polarizing issues. Do not forget to bring these sorts of topics back around to you, to the way you think, to the way you feel, and to the way in which you see the world. We hope to access you, inasmuch as that is possible – I become most frustrated in this process when that access is deferred or denied due to an impersonal collection of words on a page.

Finally – don’t forget to have a bit of fun! Certainly, this can be a serious and often stressful process; I understand how high the stakes might feel. That said, personality and character are important. If we have difficulty drawing this from your essay, there are few opportunities wherein one can introduce these critical elements. Enjoy this process – or at least, treat it with some diligence. Your application will be richer for it!

Editor's Note: For additional information on the essays in the Johns Hopkins admissions process  and an opportunity for you to ask your own questions check out the Application Essay and the 2009-10 Application Essay Policy Explained discussion threads on our Hopkins Forums.

Additionally, we encourage you to check out our new Admissions Web page: ESSAYS THAT WORKED. The Admissions Committee selected four examples of essays that worked, written by members of the Johns Hopkins Class of 2013. These essays represent just four examples of essays we found impressive and helpful during the past admissions cycle. These "essays that worked" are distinct and unique to the individual writer; however, each of them assisted the admissions reader in learning more about the student beyond the transcripts and activity sheets. They were creative, original, and showcased each applicant's personal voice. We hope you find them helpful.

Friday Favorites: Twitter and YouTube

When I introduced the concept of my Friday Favorities a few months ago, I said that one of the frequent topics would be updates on the new and unique projects associated with Hopkins Interactive. Well the Hopkins Interactive students and I have been working diligently these past few months and I think we have launched some exciting new projects and have a number of great ideas soon to come. Last week I introduced the new Academics Blog and the response to that project has been tremendous. So, this week I though I would let you all know how we have been using Twitter and update you with a few of our newest YouTube videos.

When we first started to use Twitter in conjunction with Hopkins Interactive we created the @HopkinsInsider account. The main purpose was to have a vehicle to inform our followers of new blog entries posted by myself, the student bloggers, or to any of our other University bloggers. Then shortly after I launched my own personal Twitter account @AdmissionDaniel as I was hearing from people that they would like to see tweets from an actual Admissions professional. (Darn Twitter and its character limits with names prevented me from using the more consistent AdmissionsDaniel moniker - I guess you add the "S" to get Johns Hopkins but drop the "S" when finding me on Twitter.)

Though the number of followers for each of these Twitter account remains low - 187 for the main account and 134 for me - they do seem to be another form of communication that prospective students and families enjoy. It also seems a number of higher education professionals have also found the accounts. Stemming from this mild success, we decided at the start of this semester to ask three of the Hopkins Interactive students to create Twitter accounts that we would link to through the main site, forums, and blogs. So now you can follow, @JHU_Saznin, @JHU_Brian, and @JHU_Keith. Here is a bit of a description about each account with links:

@HopkinsInsider: The main Hopkins Interactive Twitter account. When a new blog is posted a new tweet will be posted so you can check out the new entry. In the coming weeks, we plan to make this Twitter account more active as we highlight some of the most popular threads on the Hopkins Forums, link to some of the best blogs of all time, and share recent Hopkins news.

@AdmissionDaniel: This is my Twitter account. I attempt to update every day or so with a mixture of updates on what is going on with work, my thoughts on admissions, retweets of cool Hopkins stuff, and as normal for me, random deep thoughts.

@JHU_Saznin: Saznin is a current Hopkins sophomore focusing her studies on Public Health. From Virginia, her family has just moved to Africa so she is in some ways re-defining where her home is. Saznin is an involved student with a unique sense of humor ... and oh yeah, she is not pre-med.

@JHU_Brian: Brian is an Environmental Engineering sophomore from New Jersey. Everyone who has ever come in contact with Brian is amazed at how intelligent, how friendly, and how creative a person he is ... I guess that is why he is the Westgate scholar for his class.

@JHU_Keith: Keith is one of the newest members of the Hopkins Interactive team and roommates with Brian (yes, it is strange when they communicate with each other through Twitter!). He is also a sophomore and is studying Hopkins newest major, Global Environmental Change and Sustainability or as well all call it = GECS.

So follow us, retweet us, and if you ever have suggestions of what we should be doing on Twitter let us know.

The Hopkins Interactive team also continues to create YouTube videos and upload them to both our Video Blog and YouTube page. To encourage you all to check out our videos I thought I would share two videos: (1) A Day in The Life of JHU_Greco one of the new Hopkins Interactive freshmen & (2) a re-post of the Hopkins Interactive LipDub from last spring. Enjoy!

So you are an International Student applying to JHU ... read this!

A Note of introduction from Admissions Daniel: This entry is the first in a series of guest entries written by my Admissions colleagues. I asked some of my colleagues to compose entries that can assist prospective students as they complete their applications for admission. This first entry is dedicated to international students and is written by Rachel Cowan Jacobs, our resident expert on all things international in our office. Enjoy, and thanks Rachel.

Are you an international student living in the USA? Do you attend a school outside of the USA? If, yes than you should read this!

In our office, there are two ways to define an international student. To reduce confusion, we use two different terms. INTERNATIONAL APPLICANT is defined as someone who is not a US citizen and not a US Permanent Resident (green card holder). In other words, this person needs a visa to be in the United States. An international applicant could be attending high school anywhere in the world.

APPLICANT APPLYING FROM OUTSIDE THE USA is our other term. It applies to any person who goes to school outside of the USA, regardless of that person’s citizenship, immigration status, or the school attended.

Which one are you? If neither, you are welcome to read this blog but it might not have too much relevant information for you in the application process.

The purpose of this blog is to clarify some issues and questions that international applicants and applicants applying from outside the USA often ask me. As the International Admissions Coordinator, I am usually the person who gets these questions, although I do not read every international student application. I have a team who helps me read certain countries; our volume is so great that I would never be able to read all of the international files plus my own domestic  territory (NC, SC, GA, AL, FL, USVI, Guam, CNMI) by our internal deadline. So let's answer some of those most frequently asked questions:

I go to a school that doesn’t grade on a US scale.  How do you convert my GPA?  
Reviewing applications from students who go to non-US curriculum schools is a normal part of our job.  We evaluate your transcript based on your school’s curriculum and grading scale. We never convert non-US grades to a US 4.0 scale. 

I have attended more than one school outside of the USA. Is that a problem? How do you handle me?
We handle you like everyone else – with care and attention to detail. Your situation is not uncommon. I see lots of applicants who change schools as many as four times in four years of high school. (I’m not sure I’ve seen anyone attend more than four schools in four years – I think I’d remember that poor person.) If the schools you attended offer the same curriculum, there is probably continuity in your coursework, and we can evaluate you over the years easily. If you changed systems, though, we will review each curriculum separately. For example, if you attended an American school for 9-10th grades and a local school teaching the national curriculum for 11-12th, we’ll look at 9-10th as one block and 11-12th as a second block. We won’t try to compute an overall GPA for you. We will also take into account any difficulties you might have experienced making the transition to a new educational system.

I did part of high school in the US and part in another country. Am I at a disadvantage? 
You are not at a disadvantage in our applicant pool, although I do recognize that some teens adjust better than others to big changes. Moving to another country in the middle of high school can be a huge transition for some people, and such a move can take a toll on your ability to remain focused in school. Hopefully, you will be able to roll with the punches and jump right into this very exciting time of your life. As much as you might miss people, places, and things back home, they will all be waiting for you when you return for college. So try to make the most of your lucky opportunity to experience a new country, culture, cuisine, climate, and chatter (give me a break, please. “Language” doesn’t start with the letter C.).

I’m an American who lives abroad. Does anyone care about that?
Of course we do! We value any student’s international experience, including the non-American who lives in the USA. As an American living abroad, you have a unique life experience that most of your fellow Americans do not have. We would love to read about how your years abroad (be it one, 18, or somewhere in between) have influenced the person you are and the person you want to become. HINT: writing about this in an essay would be a good idea.

My school does not have a guidance counselor.  How do I send a transcript? 
Some of you attend schools that do not have an administrative/staff/faculty position of guidance counselor, but there might be someone who has the same role but with a different title.  Does your school have a University Counselor or a Careers Counselor? That is the person you want to give your Secondary School Report (SSR) form to. If there’s no one like that in your school, who is the person/office responsible for creating report cards and transcripts? That’s the place to take the SSR. Still no one like that in your school? Then take the SSR to your principal. Even if your principal doesn’t know you that well, the principal can get the transcript issued.

What is a transcript? 
A transcript is an official school document that lists all of the classes/courses you have taken during secondary school (the last four years of school are the years we are interested in), the date you took each class, and the grades/marks you have earned in each one. Sometimes transcripts also list the name of the teacher for each class, the ID number for the class, and/or the credit hours or number of hours per week the class meets. All of this information is acceptable for the transcript.

In my country, secondary school lasts 13 years. Can I enter JHU after 12 years in my school?
The most competitive applicant will complete the entire secondary school curriculum over the intended number of years. You could apply in your 12th year but it would be highly unusual for us to admit you. Think about your competition.  Your competition is completing secondary school in its entirety, earning the school credential that is required to enter university in their home countries. Your wanting to leave school a year early does not demonstrate a desire to take advantage of ALL of the education available to you. In the end, you’d really just be short-changing yourself. We do not advocate students skipping their 13th year of school.

In my country, I take national exams. Do you want the results? 
Yes! Your exam results are a fundamental part of your application, and without them, your application will be incomplete. Your school counselor or official should send an official copy of your results with your school transcript. Given the academic calendar in many countries in the southern hemisphere, some applicants will take their last set of national exams before our application deadline. Please be sure to have your results sent to us as soon as you get them. They are part of your application.  For those students who won’t take their last set of exams until after our January 1 deadline, we make an admissions decision based on the exam results you have from previous years, internal school marks, predictions for your upcoming exams, and all of the other parts of the application. Your last set of exam results will probably be available in the May-August time frame. If you will be matriculating at JHU, you are required to send a copy of your results to the Admissions Office as soon as you get them.

Do I have to take TOEFL?
The way to figure this out is to ask yourself these three questions:
1) Is English my first language? (No) 
2) Do I live in an English speaking country? (No)
3) Have I attended a school for five years or more where the language of instruction is English? (No) 

If the answer to these questions is NO, you are required to take TOEFL. If the answer to question 3 is “Yes, but it was during elementary school”, you are strongly advised to take TOEFL.

If the first two answers are YES and the third is NO, you do not have to take TOEFL.
Other scenarios: 
A) If you have studied your entire school life in English but do not speak English at home, you do not have to take TOEFL. 
B) If you grew up in an English speaking country, did not speak English at home, moved back to your native country before beginning high school, and have attended a non-English speaking school, you are required to take TOEFL.
C) If English is your first language and you speak it at home but live in a non-English speaking country and attend a non-English speaking school, you are required to take TOEFL.

I am a US citizen. Do I have to take TOEFL? 
Please read the above question. Citizenship does not affect the TOEFL requirement.

Can TOEFL be waived? 
Yes it can be waived. If your SAT Critical Reading score is 670 or higher, your TOEFL requirement is waived.

Do you accept IELTS? 
We will take IELTS from applicants who live in a country where TOEFL is not offered. If you have taken TOEFL and IELTS, send us both scores. One part of IELTS might boost a lower TOEFL section. In no way are we suggesting that applicants take both tests. Our requirement is TOEFL. 

SATs and ACT aren’t offered in my country of residence. Do I have to take them? 
Out of fairness to all applicants, SAT or ACT is required of everyone, even if the test isn’t offered where you live. You may apply without submitting test scores, and we will consider your application, but your application will be missing information that most applicants will have. To that end, you will be providing us with less information than other applicants, and this could put you at a disadvantage in the application process.

What is this Certification of Finance (COF) form? Why do I have to do it? 
The Certification of Finance (COF) form is required of all international applicants (people who need a visa to be in the USA), regardless of country of residence (so, if you live in the US and are here on a visa, you are also required to submit the COF with your application).  The COF collects financial information that is used to issue you the I-20 form and your student visa. The information on this COF is used by the US Embassy or Consulate when you go for a visa interview.  It’s also used by Department of Homeland Security for those students already living in the USA. We collect this information at the start of the application process to insure there is no delay in issuing you an I-20 in May. Some colleges and universities don’t ask you for this information until after you are admitted, but that’s not the timetable JHU employs.

Is it okay to send supplemental information? 
Although we do not ask for supplemental information, you may send it if you feel it will significantly impact your application. Usually, applicants send information by cd/dvd or memory stick. If you want to send a copy of a research paper you’ve written, it is sufficient to send only the abstract. We are not scientists and are probably not going to understand a technical paper. You might even be able to upload the abstract with your application, thereby saving yourself the trouble of mailing us an envelope.   PLEASE NOTE: it is NOT necessary for you to send copies of awards and certificates of participation you have received at school. In fact, we request that you do not send these papers to us. We do not need proof of your extra-curricular involvement. By writing it on your application form, you are pledging to be telling the truth, so we will take you at your word.

Okay, folks. That’s the end of the blog.  Please don’t forget that there is more information for international applicants on our FAQ on our web site. If, after reading this blog and the FAQ, you have more questions, email me (cowan@jhu.edu). It could be that I’ve neglected to discuss a major issue.  Also, if you are in school in Canada, Costa Rica, Malaysia, Philippines,  or Vietnam, you should email Mark Butt (mark.butt@jhu.edu). He is in charge of those countries.

And yes, the pictures are from my previous travels abroad.

Editor's Note: For even more answers to questions about applying as an international student, and an opportunity for you to ask your own questions check out the International Student Discussion Thread on our Hopkins Forums.

On the Docket

Today's blog title refers to the multiple topics of this entry. First, I will be providing an update about the Early Decision process. The title is appropriate since on my docket starting tomorrow and continuing for the next few weeks is evaluating ED applications. The second topic is to share with you and preview a series of blog entries that will be posted in the coming days. Once again an appropriate title as I will be sharing what is on the docket for the Hopkins Insider blog between now and the end of the month. So let's get to that docket.

It is just over two weeks since the November 1 Early Decision deadline has passed, and starting tomorrow I should be logging-in to begin the evaluation process. Most of my colleagues began this process last week following our Early Decision Reading Retreat where the Dean of Admissions and Admissions Committee discussed our approach to evaluating this year's class. I write "should" because I am a known procrastinator when it comes to the first read of the new evaluation season. I suspect by Friday I will have dived in fully and over the Thanksgiving holiday break I will catch-up (as usual). I am excited to start reading as this is year two of our paper-less evaluation system and that means many of the kinks should have been ironed out.

So without further adieu, I present you answers to some of the most frequently asked Early Decision related questions that we are currently receiving:

What is the size of the Early Decision applicant pool this year?

Nowadays everyone is so interested in the numbers, so this is a frequent question from prospective students, parents, guidance counselors, the media, my Mom ... Though the official number will not be finalized for a few more days it appears we have received our largest Early Decision applicant in history. As of this morning the count was 1139 applications. As our Operations team processes out duplicates, checks for any errors, confirms early decision agreements, and cleans up other data over the next few days that number may change slightly. All in all, it appears we have had a 8-9% increase in ED applications. Dean Latting will release official numbers probably next week and the final number will end up in a JHU Gazette article in the coming days.

When will Early Decision notifications be released?

Same process as in years past. As of right now the plan is to release ED notifications on December 15. When decisions are released they are mailed out (postal mail) during the day and then an email is sent after 6:00 p.m. ET. If our plans change, the first place you can find the updated details will be on this blog. To prepare yourselves, click on the Early Decision category tab on the left column and check out Decision Release entries for the last few years.  

Is my Early Decision application complete?

As you can imagine, it gets busy in the Admissions Office as we process application materials. Because of the volume of records being handled, it is not possible for us to confirm with each individual applicant whether their application files are complete or to identity which individual items have been received. We do email applicants an acknowledgment message after their application is received and processed.

Rest assured that application files are checked carefully for completeness. At the end of the month we will contact students whose ED applications remain incomplete. Those students will be given an opportunity to provide us with any missing items before we complete the evaluation of their applications. Early Decision applicants may call the Admissions Office at (410) 516-8171 after November 30 to check if their application materials have been received, but once again we can not confirm individual parts of your application.

Often applicants ask if there is a way they can track their application online. Unfortunately, Hopkins does not have such a system. For that reason, our Operations team is quite proactive in contacting applicants and guidance counselors to make sure all required application materials are received and processed correctly.

So those are the big three questions. For answers to other questions about Early Decision and to even ask your own question, be sure to check out the discussion thread on the Hopkins Forums.

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As I have mentioned in a few previous posts, I have asked a few of my Admissions colleagues to help me in compiling a series of blog entries that focus on specific parts of the application process. Starting later this week and continuing for the rest of the month, I will be posting these guest entries. Here is what's on the docket:

Thursday, November 19 - Applying to Hopkins as an International Student
by Rachel Cowan Jacobs

Monday, November 23 - The Application Essay
by Amy Brokl

Wednesday, November 25 - Advice on Letters of Recommendation
by Rena Barch

Monday, November 30 - The Do's and Don'ts of Presenting Your Resume
by Shannon Miller

Wednesday, December 2- Applying to Hopkins as a BME Applicant
by Sarah Godwin

STAY TUNED!

Friday Favorites: Introducing our Academics Blog

It's Friday and I am not on the road ... so that means the return of the Friday Favorites. Sorry for not posting any Friday Favorites entries over the last month and a half, but I promise that this entry and the ones to follow in the coming weeks will completely make up for the delay.

Probably the most frequently discussed topic in the college admissions search process is something along the lines of what's your major going to be? Or equally common is the prospective student asking a college admissions professional how is such-and-such major at your university? It is pretty clear that one of the primary ways students choose which university to attend is by evaluating the academic opportunities (namely majors and minors) that each institution provides.

With this in mind, the team behind the Hopkins Interactive Web site set out on a seemingly-impossible project: to collect blog entries from a student of every single major and minor offered here at Johns Hopkins. We realized that prospective and admitted students must not only be aware of the majors and minors that we offer, but also get as close to and as familiar with them as possible. And what better source of information than current students or recent alumni of those programs of study.

This project became known as our Academics Blog Project and over a year and a half it was a major undertaking. Earlier this week we put the finishing touches on the project and are proud to launch:

ACADEMICS: Majors and Minors at Johns Hopkins University

(a.k.a. The Academics Blog Project)

With this Academics blog we hope visitors will get a better understanding of what is available as programs of study at Johns Hopkins. We hope prospective students will become excited about these academic opportunities and have a better idea of just how to take advantage of them, from the reliable, personal advice and guidance of experienced Hopkins students. Finally, we hope that students will realize how flexible Hopkins is: students here frequently decide to change majors, add a major, heavily focus on just one major, take classes completely unrelated to their majors, and/or fulfill numerous majors / minors. Due to the lack of core curriculum at Hopkins and the flexibility of course selection, Hopkins students enjoy a wonderful freedom to explore different areas of study. Each Hopkins experience is truly unique, dependent not only on the individual student's goals for their future but all their general interests and desires for their own personal enrichment.

These majors and minors are what will be available to you when you become a student at Johns Hopkins. You are required to choose one -- but you are certainly encouraged to explore all that seem interesting to you. And that is what we encourage you to do when you review the Academics Blog -- choose a program you are interested in, then choose one you want to learn more about, and then read all the ones in between. Enjoy exploring Academics at Hopkins.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS:

ACADEMICS: Majors and Minors at Johns Hopkins University

 

Whew!

Over the last two and a half months I have felt like the Energizer Bunny -- I just keep going and going andgoing and going. Every evening I would go to bed thinking there is no way I still have fuel in my tank, yet every morning I would wake up (typically around 5:00 a.m.) and my battery light was fully charged. Since the start of the fall semester in early September, I have been consistently working 15-16 hour days non-stop. From September 1st through the end of October I had one day off and I slept 20 out of 24 hours. Hence the title of this post ... WHEW!

I write this not as a complaint or to ask for sympathy, but rather as a confirmation of my prediction of a few blogs ago when I wrote that September and October would be the busiest months of my professional career. As I finally have a chance to reflect, I can honestly say that though I constantly had that running on empty feeling, I also remained completely and utterly passionate about my profession. Though I hope I never have to put myself through two such months again, I can say in retrospect it was worth it ... for the most part. 

What was the biggest struggle during this time you ask? Simple answer: not being with my best friend Soze (yes my dog) as he was on vacation with my family in Florida. Soze and I have been inseparable for the last 8 years, so to be without him for more than two months was difficult. We re-connected a couple of weeks ago, and well let's just say we are back to our old routine (such as, he snores louder than me and takes up most of the bed).

As my busy schedule commenced I was ambitious in thinking that I would maintain an active journal and get to blog frequently. However, when each day ended and it was time to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, my mouth opened wide into a huge yawn and my eyelids slowly closed. I learned quickly that I had to set priorities, to survive the workload and travel, and unfortunately the blog suffered in the end.

However, one thing that I did regularly was snap pictures. So as a re-cap of the last few months I share this collection of pretty random photos. Enjoy.

Make sure to check back Friday for the return of Friday Favorites and then early next week for the start of a series of application-related entries.

A SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER TO REMEMBER

 
   
Early September: Move-in and Orientation for the Class of 2013. Pictures are of actual move-in day to start the week and of the Job and Student Activities fair that end Orientation week.

    
One of my favorite events during Orientation week is the Class Photo. It takes a while to get everyone in place, but in the end the result is awesome. 
Don't forget to check out our Orientation re-cap Video Blog entrytoo. 

   
Mid-September: Got to enjoy a special weekend on the Homewood Campus celebrating the installation of Ron Daniels as Hopkins President. There was the special Fun Run, the installation ceremony, and then the reception afterward where I got to be with friends (Jameel and Sarah) and check out an amazing cake. Yum!

  
   
End of September: NACAC Conference invades Baltimore. It was one amazing week of events both on-campus and at the Convention Center in downtown Baltimore. As you can see, Crab hats and designs were the cool thing. Thanks to Jessica, Josh, Lauren, and Mandy for representing Hopkins Interactive so well during our educational session on blogging, and making me look good (well despite the hat). 

    
Early October: My fall travel begins in New England. I picked up an awesome rental car (Chevy Traverse) and made sure to add the JHU sticker so I remembered what car I was driving. What a way to start my travels, at St. George's in Newport, Rhode Island -- an amazing view. I also had to take a picture of the most important thing to an admissions counselor on the road ... where is the visitor parking lot???

  
October: When on the road for two and a half weeks straight your home/office becomes a hotel room and the back of your car ... a view of that madness. 

  
Mid-October: The aftermath of travel ... tons of work to catch-up on and you keep finding hotel room keys everywhere you look for a few days. 

 
October 15th: Not the best picture, but this is of snow falling in Connecticut ... on October 15th. What the heck!!! Mother Nature's cruel sense of humor?

  
End of October: Once I returned from travel I was able to take a few days off and head down to Florida to see my family. The highlight was spending Halloween with my niece Lilly and nephew Cooper. 

  
The End: My two favorite pictures of the last couple of months -- Jameel and I acting as Baltimore Police Detectives (we watch The Wire too much) & members of the JHU Admissions Counseling staff partying at the NACAC Conference social.