Breaking News: RD Notification Release Explained

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Earlier today I posted a quick blog stating that Regular Decision notifications will be released to all freshman applicants to the Johns Hopkins Class of 2014 on Wednesday, March 31. I also promised that when I had a free moment I would provide full details about how the release of decisions will work this year. Well it is 3:00am now on Thursday, March 25 and I finally found that free moment.

Mason Hall Celebration

Today (wait … yesterday) was a very long and tough day of committee work. In fact, the work over the last two weeks can easily be described as a struggle both due to the numbers of hours devoted to committee work and the in-depth discussions my colleagues and I have been having about the shape of this year’s class. Though the work is difficult and the time commitment is extreme, it is completely worth it. We all know that the light at the end of the tunnel is near and when decisions are released in just under a week, we will be admitting the strongest class in Johns Hopkins history. There is still work to be done, and since I would like to get a few hours of sleep before heading back into the office tomorrow for even more committee work, let me get to explaining how the decision release process will work next Wednesday.

JHU CLASS OF 2014 -- REGULAR DECISION NOTIFICATION DAY = Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Here is how everything will work next Wednesday:
(Make sure to review this thoroughly as there have been some changes from previous years.)

How will decisions be released?
By mail: On the afternoon of Wednesday, March 31 all decision letters (admits, wait lists, and denies) will be taken to the main Baltimore postal center or the Hopkins postal center in Mt. Washington. All decisions will enter the postal system by the close of business on Wednesday. Admit packets are sent priority mail, whereas deny and wait list letters are sent first-class mail. We hope that admit packets sent within the U.S. will arrive within three days, and other decision letters can take 4-7 days to arrive. International mail is sent a variety of ways depending on the country and will take longer to arrive.

By e-mail: In the evening of March 31, we will also be releasing decision notifications via e-mail. E-mails will start going out our AROUND 7:00 p.m. ET. Please see that I have emphasized the word AROUND. It can take up to 3 hours for all decision e-mails to be sent. E-mails are sent in batches and will take time to arrive. They are also sent in random order so there is no way to deduce the order that decisions will be released. I can guarantee that you all will not get your decision e-mail exactly at 7:00 p.m. Have some patience … in fact I suggest finding something to distract you for an hour, then check your e-mail account.

Can I check my decision online?
No, Johns Hopkins University does not have an online system for the release of admissions decisions. We do not post our decisions online or through a portal.

Last Year: The Night Before Mail Drop

Can I call the Admissions Office to receive my decision over the phone?
We prefer not to release decisions over the phone. Decisions will only be released over the phone after Monday, April 5. At that time, if you have not received your admissions notification you may call the Admissions Office (410-516-8171). Please be aware, when we do begin to release decisions over the phone, we will only release the decision to the applicant or a parent or guardian of the applicant. Decisions will be released only if the identity of the caller can be reasonably assured. As well, please do not call asking why a certain decision was rendered as Admissions Committee decisions are confidential and we are unable to discuss the factors behind our decisions.

Regarding the e-mailed decisions, what will be the subject line?
We do not release the “subject lines” of our e-mail decisions in advance. The content of these e-mails change year-to-year.

Five Years Ago: Fun with Mail

Do not share your decision e-mail!
Each decision e-mail is personalized. Acceptance e-mails have a personalized URL in the message and therefore should not be shared, especially on any public forum or web site. To protect your privacy and the accuracy of information, do not share or post your decision e-mail.  

What happens if I do not receive an e-mail decision on Wednesday?
If an applicant does not receive an e-mail there a few things he or she can do: 

1. Check SPAM folders.
2. Check ANY and all e-mail accounts you have ever used during the college search process. We send the e-mail to the account you listed on your application. However, our database system does track all e-mail accounts that have ever been matched to your record, so on occasion the notification e-mail may be sent to old e-mail address. (So check e-mails that you may have used when registering for the SAT/ACT for example.)
3. Have your parents check their e-mail accounts too. Not sure how that happens, but it has happened in the past.

If none of those methods work, then unfortunately the student will need to wait to receive the decision in the postal mail, or can call after April 5. Every year some e-mail notifications just don’t work. The reasons for an applicant not receiving an e-mail notification include that there was no e-mail provided on the student’s application, the e-mail provided on the application is no longer active, there was a SPAM filter blocking the message, or some error occurred that caused a bounce-back. WE ARE UNABLE TO RE-SEND E-MAIL NOTIFICATIONS. Once again, in such situations the applicant must wait. We understand how frustrating that can be, but unfortunately mistakes can happen when processing over 18,000 applications.

Four Years Ago: A final push from Dean Latting

I applied to the biomedical engineering program; will I receive that decision via e-mail as well?
BME decision e-mails will come as a second e-mail to all admitted students who selected BME as their first-choice major. Those e-mail notifications will also be sent Wednesday evening, following the release of all other decision notification e-mails. Further details about one’s BME decision will be included in one’s admit packet.

How do I learn about my financial aid package?
Financial aid awards for those who completed their financial aid application will be included in the acceptance packet. You will also be able to check your award by logging into your ISIS account (www.jhu.edu/finaid/self_service.html). If you have any questions or need access to ISIS, please contact the Office of Student Financial Services (fin_aid@jhu.edu).

I applied to the Hopkins and also the Peabody Double Degree program. How will I be notified of my decisions?
Homewood / Peabody Double Degree applicants will receive their admissions decision notification about their Hopkins (Homewood) application in the same fashion as been discussed above. Decisions about admission to Peabody and the Double Degree program are released by the Peabody Institute directly. You should check with Peabody to determine when they will release their decisions this year.

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So I think that covers everything for right now. If you have further questions, please feel free to post a comment and I will try to respond when I have the chance.

A note about the pictures: I thought I would share some of my favorite pictures from previous decision release dates. There will be new pictures next week.

Continuing a tradition: Over the last couple of years I have shared a favorite YouTube video at the end of these decision release explanation entries. I have found a new collection of favorites – the PS22 Chorus videos. Enjoy.

15 Comments

• By Steven, March 25, 2010 @ 12:20 PM

  Thank you very much for taking the time to post with the update! Especially since it was 3:00 am. You are definitely dedicated and very much appreciated for everything you have done. By the way, what happened to the photo of the sunset? I made a comment about how it was a perfect choice under the circumstances. Now it’s a picture of packages. I thought you could follow up with a photo of the sunrise when the process was complete as to symablize the dawn of a new day and the light at the end of the tunnel. Guess that won’t work out very well. Thank you again for the dedication you had put forth and as eager as you are to ending this process I too am eagerly awaiting the decisions.

• By PersonPrototype, March 25, 2010 @ 12:52 PM

  I hope you got some sleep!

• By Talia Raney, March 25, 2010 @ 4:00 PM

  Thank you so much for letting us know! I am thankful you spent so much time for informing us in detail how the decisions will be released. Some people in my school were saying that it would come out this Saturday but I’m glad to know for sure. Thank you for explaining everything. I’m so excited to find out the results! I feel like a giddy child waiting to see what present I’m going to receive on Christmas morning.

• By Tanmay, March 25, 2010 @ 6:34 PM

  Wow, I can’t believe those pictures from Garland are 4 and 5 years old! Good luck with the rest of committee and BME-decision making!

• By Admissions_Daniel, March 28, 2010 @ 11:09 AM

  @Steven – I had to remove the photo as there was some confusion from the owner of the photo. I loved it too, and I promise you will see those photos again on one of the student blogs soon.

  @PersonPrototype – Thanks. I was able to catch up on some sleep yesterday, but this is still going to be one hectic week. Sleep isn’t necessary as there is always a lot of adrenaline as we reach decision day.

  @Talia Raney – No problem. Never listen to classmates when all the most accurate information is on this blog.

  @Tanmay – Yeah time flies. You are in medical school and I am 35 … it is not fair.

• By Rebecca, March 28, 2010 @ 3:00 PM

  Thanks for posting all this information! It’s nice to know what to expect as decision day approaches. Thanks again!

• By Harry, March 28, 2010 @ 8:02 PM

  Thanks for informing us in great detail about the decision process despite your exhaustion and lack sleep. It’s nice to know when the decisions are coming out. I’m getting more excited each day! Hope you get a lot rest after this admissions process!

• By laurie, March 29, 2010 @ 9:27 AM

  thankyou for all your info!

• By Alyssa, March 29, 2010 @ 1:54 PM

  Are transfer applicant decisions included in this pool also?

• By Admissions_Daniel, March 30, 2010 @ 12:49 PM

  @Alyssa – All this information is about the release of freshman decisions. The transfer application deadline was just March 15 and the Admissions Committee has not begun reviewing transfer files. We will release transfer decisions at the end of May.

• By Pavani, March 31, 2010 @ 5:24 AM

  Will graduate admissions decision be released on March 31?

  Thanks

• By Admissions_Daniel, March 31, 2010 @ 6:31 AM

  @Pavani – This blog only discusses undergraduate admissions. You will need to contact the Graduate Admissions Office with any questions: http://www.grad.jhu.edu/

• By Judy Y, March 31, 2010 @ 9:14 AM

  I just checked this blog to see whether there were any updates…..
  and here it is!!!!

  I can’t breathe… oh my… I am so nervous!
  I have several tests and IB orals today…(a big day…) and now… today has become more intense!!!

  btw.. thank you so much for the update…. now I just have to wait… or at least survive today… till 4…(since there is 3 hr time difference)

• By katie c, April 1, 2010 @ 9:14 PM

  This is the MOST informative piece I have found about the admissions procedure in any college site. Thanks so much for explaining it. BTW, my DD received an acceptance email yesterday. JHU is her top choice and she is thrilled!

• By Jfr Fakih, March 25, 2011 @ 4:47 PM

  Can’t breathe already!
  I am having my bio and chem portfolio deadline next week + JHU notification…
  Jesus

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