Live Blogging on Early Decision Release Day (Class of 2017)

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Hi all!

In case you didn’t notice by the title of this blog, today is Early Decision Release Day! Throughout the day, we will be putting the final touches on the Class of 2017. To keep you posted on how things are going, we will be LIVE BLOGGING . So, check back, and check back often to see how we are doing.

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Admissions_Shannon

8:45 AM – As Tracy Turnblad from Hairspray would say, “GOOD MORNING BALTIMORE!”

Federal Hill in Baltimore

Inner Harbor

I am up, on the move, and have finally arrived to work. Slowly, but surely, the staff is settling in and getting ready for the big day. There are checks to be done and some last minute details that need to be taken care of, so we can release our decisions later this evening. It seems like just yesterday we were traveling throughout the world and meeting potential students. Now, after some hard work over these last few weeks, I know my colleagues and I are super excited to welcome our first members to the class of 2017.

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Admissions_Shelly

9:58 AM

Happy decision release day from Admissions_Shelly!

My day started as usual, with a prompt 5:56 a.m. wake-up call from my daughter Stella. She must’ve known it was decision release day and wanted to wake up to tell you all (or yell to you all) good luck.

Good luck from Stella, JHU Class of 2033?? (Yikes!)

After dropping her off, I headed into the office and got ready for a busy day. I’ve already had one and a half meetings—the half was a morning chat that turned into talk of the day ahead. We’re doing our best here to make sure that the decision release process goes smoothly for all of our applicants. If you haven’t already, If you haven’t already, check out this information on accessing your decision this evening: http://apply.jhu.edu/apply/faq_decisions.html.

A frosty morning on Decker Quad

Right now, I’m heading into another meeting to chat some more about the decision release process. Our phones will be open until 7:00 p.m. EST tonight to help any students who are having log-in issues. (We’ll help you out with any other questions next week during normal business hours.) And don’t worry—we multitask around here, so Early Decision release isn’t the only thing on our minds. We’re also thinking about our Regular Decision applicants; if you’re still working on your application or thinking about applying, the Regular Decision deadline is coming up on January 1. We’re also looking way ahead to the Class of 2018 and beyond, so we’re talking about spring programming and our outreach efforts already.

Some of us are also feeling great today after winning a prized item in our office’s silent auction to benefit the United Way. This is a popular (and competitive) event that our office holds every year that raises lots of money for a great cause. Yours truly walked away with a “tour of Charles Village” set of gift cards to some of my favorite spots in the nearby Charles Village neighborhood, where many of head for lunch most days. Lunch is on me, Admissions_Shannon! (Just kidding…although you can come with :))

Another sweet score from the United Way auction!

Hope everyone is hanging in there while waiting for your JHU and other decisions. I share Admissions_Shannon’s excitement in welcoming the first members of the Class of 2017! Also, keep in mind Admissions_Laurin’s wise words from a few days ago: http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/blog/2012/12/tis-the-season/.

Off to another meeting…I’ll check in soon!

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Admissions_Ardi

11:34 AM

Greetings HI readers.  It’s Ardi again, and I’ll be live blogging with the best of them for ED Decision Release Day.  I also happen to be the admissions officer giving the information sessions today (shhhh…I’m sneaking away for a few minutes to keep you all updated).

We are all anxiously awaiting for the mail to get picked up, as you can see in the previous post.  I would have loved to pose with the rest of the group, but I was downstairs giving the first information session.  However, as I was talking to today’s visitors, I couldn’t help but think about how cool it was to give the session with decisions waiting right up stairs.  For me, it is always really interesting to see the whole picture when you get to the end of something.  All of this reminds me of the time I applied, went to information sessions, and waited for my decision.  In the end, it all gets me really excited to see the next class of Hopkins Blue Jays come onto campus and do great things here, which is a feeling I’m sure we all share in the Admissions Office.

Well, duty calls…even on ED Decision Release Day.  I’ve got another session at 1 PM today, so I’m going to grab a quick lunch and get ready for that.  I’ll be sure to snap many more photos over the course of the day.  Be back soon.

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Admissions_Laurin

12:27PM

Hi everyone! I’m in the middle of my first my first decision release day, and I couldn’t be more excited! I just went to a meeting with Admissions_Shannon and Admissions_Shelly—we received updates on the website our applicants will be using to check their decisions this evening so that we can assist with any issues that may arise. We’ll be available by phone until about 7 p.m. tonight if you’re having technical difficulties, but please note that we won’t we discussing any decisions over the phone.

Meeting time!

Decisions, decisions!

Miranda, one of the senior SAAB bloggers/my student worker, is sitting in my office putting the finishing touches on the Class of 2017 Facebook group! We create one of these every year as a place for future Blue Jays to connect with one another. If you’re admitted, you’ll receive information about requesting membership in the group. You’ll see a post with some guidelines for participation in the group, so be sure to check those out before you join the conversation.

Miranda hard at work!

We’re off to enjoy a homemade chili lunch by our very own Bryan. I’ll be checking in again around 2 p.m., when the Postal Service comes to pick up admit packets! See you then…

Paul and Bryan with the chili

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12:45 PM

Admissions_Shelly

I joined Admissions_Ardi, Laurin, and Shannon for a quick and delicious chili lunch–another United Way fundraiser, btw!–that turned into a fun, family-style gathering. Say hello to the JHU Undergrad Admissions staff!

Grabbing a quick lunch during busy ED Release day!

You might see some familiar faces there, including your favorite bloggers and maybe even your regional admissions counselor. Hope your day is going well, wherever you are…stay tuned for more updates!

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Admissions_Shannon

2:00 PM – The call has been made…everyone to the third floor to grab a bin! This year, we are doing things a bit differently – rather than brining all of the admit packets to the Post Office, the Post Office is coming to us. We’ve combined bins to carry them all downstairs and await the arrival of the truck. The mail is about to be sent on its way! Two of our colleages, Sarah and Katie, are already headed across the streat to drop some packets for international students in the FedEx bins.

Admissions_Pat - "What do I do? This is my first mailing!"

Admissions_Ardi - clearly excited to send off his first bin!

Admissions_Laurin - first bin as a new counselor!

down the stairs we go!

...and more to go down the stairs!

Crossing our fingers the mail truck is here :)

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Admissions_Laurin

3:00 PM

…And it was! We made our way down to the circular driveway in front of Mason Hall, where the mail truck was waiting patiently for us. All of the staff converging from different doors made it look like we were part of a choreographed musical. Maybe we should have titled this blog “Admissions: Live!” What followed was a perfectly orchestrated display of teamwork– we created an assembly line and had those bins loaded up in no time flat! But first, we had to take a few pictures– can’t forget to document this momentous occasion.

Here we come!

 

Bins and grins

 

Great teamwork by Bryan and Dana!

Then it was over– our admit packets were on their way to their new homes. It was pretty awesome to see our weeks of reading and discussion manifested in the form of hundreds of thick envelopes. We waved goodbye (well, I did, because I’m kind of weird like that) and then headed back inside to continue our preparation for this evening!

And they're off!

I’ve been keeping an eye on our Google analytics page for the Insider blog– it’s fun to see how many of you are reading from all over the world! Check back soon for more updates!

 

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4:03 PM

Admissions_Ardi

Ardi back again.  The second info session is done, and luckily, I was able to catch the group moving all of the decision packets before they were mailed out.  We loaded all of them on the truck and saw them ship out to all the eagerly waiting ED applicants.  Let me tell you, I feel like a proud new admissions officer.

ED Release is coming up fast.  However, there is no rest for the weary admissions officer.  Even now, I just came out of a meeting to talk about regular decision applications coming up in a few weeks (eeeep!).  Here in the office, we are all getting ready to work with the new batch of applicants coming when January 1^st hits.  Even farther beyond that, I am starting to plan out my spring travel back out to San Francisco and the West Coast (some tell me it’s called the Best Coast?  Confirm or deny).

As a newbie in the office, I have to say that it has been a great first ED cycle.  I definitely feel like I learned a lot from everyone and saw so much about what goes on behind the scenes.  Hopefully, these blogs give you a little sense of that too.

I also wanted to take a moment out of the excitement of this day and say how heavy all of our hearts are here after hearing of the school shooting tragedy in Connecticut. What a sad day for so many, and it certainly puts things in perspective. Our thoughts go out to all of those impacted there.

Thanks to everyone who has been following us so far. Admissions_Shelly will be back in a few minutes with an important update!

 

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4:42 PM

Greetings again from Admissions_Shelly. This will be our final post of the day, as we sign off to either head home or to man the phones and help any of you who may have technical difficulties accessing your decisions. (Note: Our extended phone hours today, until 7:00 p.m. are really geared towards helping applicants sign into the decision site; we’ll be happy to speak with everyone else next week during normal business hours.)

Here’s what you can expect this evening:

–Around 5:00 p.m. EST, all ED applicants will get an e-mail from us with a link to the decision release site. Decisions will be released around 6:00 p.m. at that site, which is here: https://jhucrf.applicationsonline.com/. You can check it out now, but there won’t be anything to see until 6:00 when we release decisions.

–Around 6:00 p.m., you’ll see a log-in screen where you’ll use the ID that we sent you via e-mail last Friday and the password that you hopefully have set up by now to log in and view your decision.

–An important note: Because everyone will be logging in at the same time, there may be a bit of a lag time. Just be patient. Give it some time to load; if you get an error message, simply close your browser and try to log in again.

–If you haven’t yet set up your ISIS account, you should do that. Like, now-ish, because you won’t be able to access your decision until you set up your account. Instructions were included in an e-mail from us on Dec. 7. If you never received that, give us a call at (410) 516-8171 or e-mail gotojhu@jhu.edu and we’ll talk you through it.

–If you applied for Financial Aid, awards will be available to see around 8:30 p.m. EST. You can log into ISIS, isis.jhu.edu, and check under “Financial Aid”> “Summary” to see your award.

–As I mentioned, we’ll be available by phone or e-mail until 7:00 p.m. tonight to help anyone who has problems logging in.

Finally, I’ll end with some sound advice that my former colleague Admissions_Daniel used to give applicants each year—and he says it so well that I’ll just quote rather than trying to reword it:

“After you receive your decision, my suggestion is that you log-off and go spend some time with your family. No matter what decision you receive, let the news sink in and do it off-line. This is a major milestone in your life, and you should share your initial reactions and emotions with your family and those closest to you. These people have been there since the first moment of your life, and they will be there FOREVER. Your family is not an online community. Your family is not Facebook. Your family is not some anonymous screenname. Your family is not this blog. Please follow this advice. Receive your decision and sign off. Don’t update your Facebook status immediately. Don’t post a blog comment. Don’t go post your emotions on some Web forums. Share your thoughts and emotions in the real world first. The virtual world will be there later for you to provide a social media spin on your news.”

A truly heartfelt thank you to all of our applicants for considering Johns Hopkins, especially for Early Decision, and many more thanks to those of you who have been following us today and every day. From all of us here at the Hopkins Insider and the entire Office of Undergraduate Admissions, best wishes to everyone!

Hurricane Sandy Update!

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Dear Students,

If you are planning to apply to Johns Hopkins University as an Early Decision candidate and have not yet submitted your application, please note that we will be accepting submissions past the November 1st deadline for students in areas affected by Hurricane Sandy.

We encourage applicants to submit their application as close to the original deadline as possible but will work with applicants to accommodate complications due to the severe weather.

The university is closed today, Monday, October 29, so we are unable to respond to application inquiries until the university reopens. Please check our website, apply.jhu.edu, or call the Johns Hopkins University weather emergency line at 410-516-7781(toll-free at 1-800-548-9004) for further announcements about closings.

Please be safe and we look forward to reviewing your completed application materials.

Johns Hopkins Office of Undergraduate Admissions

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UPDATE: October 29, 2012 at 3:27pm

Johns Hopkins University has just announced it will also be closed on Tuesday, October 30. Please see http://apply.jhu.edu/story/hurricane_sandy.html for more details.

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UPDATE: October 30, 2012 at 9:46pm

Johns Hopkins University will be returning to its normal operating schedule on Wednesday, October 31, 2012, including all regularly scheduled tours and information sessions. Another update for those Early Decision (ED) applicants: We will be extending the ED deadline to Tuesday, November 6, at 11:59 p.m. (EST) for candidates in areas that have been affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Making the Choice to Apply Early Decision

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The Early Decision Deadline is right around the corner, 15 days away to be exact. So, how do you make the decision on whether or not you should apply Early? What are the pros and cons of going through this process? And, of course, why make that commitment to Hopkins? Hopefully the answers to some of these questions will help point you in the right direction!

Class on the Quad

-How do you make the decision as to whether or not you should apply Early to Johns Hopkins?

                I think my colleague John Birney says it best—Early Decision is when we admit “our cheerleaders.” By cheerleaders, he doesn’t mean actual cheerleaders, rather students who love this place—they already own their Hopkins sweatshirt, go crazy when people call it John Hopkins, and are counting down the days till orientation. However, more than that, these students have really done their homework. They know about our academic programs and want to attend an institution where they can combine a liberal arts education with an emphasis on research. They know about student and campus life, and are excited about the prospect of going to school in the city of Baltimore. Perhaps most importantly, they know that Johns Hopkins is a FIT for them, and that it goes two ways—they’ve done the research to know that they’re a good fit for our campus community, and they know that they have a lot to offer us. So, if Johns Hopkins is your number one choice—if you feel strongly that we’re the school for you and you’re the kind of student who knows you can make an impact here, in and outside of the classroom—and you are willing to make the commitment, then Early Decision is the way to go.

                You should NOT apply ED just to play the “number game.” Yes, it’s true—there are fewer students who apply ED and our acceptance rate is higher during this time. However, that does not mean our standards and what we are looking for in our students is any different. We still conduct a holistic review and focus on all aspects of the applicant, both inside and outside the classroom, and the profiles of students admitted Early Decision are nearly identical to our Regular Decision admitted students.

The Hut in Gilman Hall

-What are the pros of applying ED?

The deadline is sooner, so you will have your decision sooner. Since applications are due on November 1, we let students know of their decision by December 15. The turn-around here is much quicker than the Regular Decision process because we have fewer applicants. If you are admitted in ED, you’ve found your home and can focus on the rest of your senior year (yes, we will do a final transcript check!) If you are deferred or denied, you still have time to apply to other institutions.

We are looking at a smaller applicant pool. While we are still looking for the same qualities in our prospective students, there are far fewer applicants in ED. Last year, we had 1,300+ applicants in the Early Decision pool versus 19,000+ applicants in the Regular Decision pool.

You are making a statement. As we evaluate applicants, we are looking for students who are going to embrace being a Blue Jay and take advantage of all aspects of both academic and campus life. By signing the Early Decision Agreement, you are telling us that you are that person and clearly interested in being a part of our community.

Hands on Learning

-What are the cons of applying ED?

You cannot compare financial aid packages from different institutions. The reality is that you need to make sure that this is a feasible option for you. Fill out the financial aid calculator, talk to the Financial Aid Office, and look at your financing options.  If you don’t feel comfortable or want to see what other schools have to offer, your best bet is to apply Regular Decision so you can see what all schools have to offer. (This doesn’t mean that Financial Aid is limited for Early Decision admitted students—your aid package would be the same in December as it would be in April if nothing else has changed.)

The agreement is binding. Therefore, you cannot change your mind. Many students have visited campus, had contact with students and faculty members, knew someone that went to JHU, etc. If you have not had the opportunity to do this, are you sure you want to make that commitment?

It is a commitment. By applying ED to Johns Hopkins, you may not apply ED to any other university, and you’re agreeing that, if you’re admitted to Johns Hopkins, you’ll immediately remove your Early Action or Regular Decision applications from any other schools to which you’ve applied.

It offers less time to show senior-year improvement. Maybe you struggled in a class last semester, or you’re just getting back on track after a slight academic decline.  Because all of your transcripts and information for ED needs to be submitted by November 1, you have less of an opportunity to show any improvements that happen in between November and January, when Regular Decision applications would be due. Some students will benefit from having the additional time to show an upward trend during their senior year through their mid-year grades.

For more details about applying ED and a list of FAQ, visit http://apply.jhu.edu/apply/faq_early.html.

-Why would a student commit to Johns Hopkins in particular?

Well, I think it is best to hear from the students themselves! Here are some statements from current students as to why they chose to apply ED and how they knew they wanted Hopkins to be their home for the next four years.

Ashley Adams
Hometown: Montclair, New Jersey
High School: Immaculate Heart Academy
Major: Psychology

As a high school junior, my parents couldn’t keep me from making the three hour drive to Hopkins at every chance I had. Sure, I used the excuse that I was going to visit my older brother, a Hopkins freshman at the time, but I was mainly interested in learning more and more about the school at which I could already envision myself. During these visits I spoke with so many current students, attended classes, and absorbed so much about the daily (and night!) life of a Hopkins student that by the time I was ready to apply, there was no doubt in my mind– I had found the school with the best balance between stimulating academic opportunities and the ability to have a fun-filled college experience. I applied Early Decision that November, and could tell you with confidence, even then, that Hopkins was the place where my unique interests were going to grow and be fostered while being surrounded by an inspiring community of peers.

Ian Han
Hometown: La Jolla, California
High School: La Jolla Country Day
Majors: Film and Media Studies and Public Health
Minors: Entrepreneurship and Management

Early Decision might not be for everybody but it was the clear choice for me. After meeting my admissions counselor at my high school, the wonderful Shannon Miller, and a remarkable tour of the Homewood campus, I knew Hopkins was a fit. Not only could I see myself there for the next four years, but I could see myself succeeding on campus. I had gone on so many college tours and trips that they all started to blur together. Hopkins was the one that stuck out. A huge part of my connection to Hopkins came from speaking to a few faculty members. I sat down with one professor who was so passionate about her subject; she was physically excited while talking about it. I met another one who literally wrote the gold standard textbook in his subject. The fact that you are learning directly from professors who are enthusiastic and committed to their subject is infectious.

Aniqua Tasnim
Hometown:  Rockville, Maryland
High School: Wootton High School
Major: Neuroscience
Minor: English

I applied ED because as soon as I stepped on campus, everything felt right. The expanses of grass and the beautiful brick buildings, the coziness and simultaneously openness of the campus, and all the people that smiled at me as they walked by—I knew instantly that I wanted to spend the next four years here. Then, when I met current students at the overnight, it was really inspiring to meet so many people that were so excited about what they do here at Hopkins and that enthusiasm was really infectious.

Andrea Fields
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
High School: Saint Ann’s School
Majors: Biology and Writing Seminars

Applying early to Hopkins for me was honestly like one of those sappy romance movies where the main character meets the man of her dreams and just automatically falls in love; that’s how I felt when I came to Hopkins.  I didn’t think I wanted to apply at first because I’d heard some stereotypes of the school being competitive but after I came and visited the summer before my senior year and did a little more research I realized it was literally the perfect place for me.  On the train ride home I decided I was going to apply early and it was probably one of the best decisions I’ve made.  I had this weird feeling that this was the place I belonged and even after I visited a ton of other schools, no other place felt nearly as right.  After a little over a year of being here, I know I’ve made the right choice and any stereotype I had heard before visiting is completely wrong.  I can’t think of any other place that has as strong academics, as amazing people who have become my best friends, and as great opportunities, like being able to tell prospective students on tours all about what an incredible university Johns Hopkins is.  Now, whenever my tours ask me how I knew I wanted to come to Hopkins I always give the same response: “No pressure, but after I came on my tour, I literally fell in love.”

Brittany Tusing
Hometown: Edensburg, Pennsylvania
High School: Central Cambria High School
Major: Molecular and Cellular Biology
Minor: French Cultural Studies

I spent the first half of my life in Europe, going to International schools and travelling everywhere I could’ve imagined. I was actually sick of going to London, which seems crazy now. When I was 9, my parents decided to move our family closer to their parents in western Pennsylvania, to a town nobody has ever heard of. Most of my new friends thought Belgium was a city in Germany. Though I have learned to appreciate the small-town atmosphere, familiarity, and safety my little Ebensburg provides, until college it was stifling. Most of the high school graduates in my town who go to college (around 60%) stay in the western Pennsylvania area, so it was a really big deal to me to apply to such a prestigious school. But when I visited Hopkins, I was immediately brought back to my international school days, where I felt comfort in the amount of diversity and opportunity I saw. So after my tour of Hopkins, my Dad and I sat in a restaurant on St. Paul Street. I couldn’t remember what the campus looked like or any of the figures the tour guide had provided, but all I could think about was how I had no idea what I would do if I didn’t get in.

Kimmy Hilson
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland
High School: McDonogh School
Major: Sociology
Minor: Entrepreneurship and Management

When I visited Hopkins the summer before my senior year, I immediately knew that JHU and Baltimore was where I wanted to spend the next four years of my life — I loved everything about it. Growing up in Baltimore, I had always had great affection towards the city…but since I’ve been at Hopkins and exploring Baltimore on my own (with friends, too), I’ve really seen firsthand all of the charm of “Charm City.” The ability to play sports in college was also something that was extremely important to me, especially since I had played a team sport for nearly my entire life. Because all sports (minus lacrosse!) at JHU are division 3 sports, I was able to pursue additional interests off of the field. The well-rounded college experience that I have had at Hopkins has been amazing, and applying ED was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!

Michelle Edelson
Hometown: New York, New York
High School: Hunter College High School
Major: Psychology
Minor: Entrepreneurship & Management

I decided to apply Early Decision because of the sense of community I felt during my very first visit to Hopkins in the spring of my junior year. After walking around campus for less than a day, I immediately felt the sense of belonging I always wanted to find in a college or university. It didn’t take long for me and my mom to realize Hopkins was the perfect school for me. My fall senior year visit only confirmed my choice to apply ED after interviewing and staying overnight and having the opportunity to interact with current students. Aside for the student body and the community aspect of Hopkins, what really sold me on the university is the amazing opportunities that Hopkins offers to its students, which I have definitely taken advantage of since I arrived freshman fall. Now two years after I applied, I look back at my process and confidently say that apply Early Decision to Hopkins was the greatest decision of my life and that I have never been happier!

Alessandra Bautze
Hometown: Arlington, Massachusetts
High School: Arlington High School
Majors: Writing Seminars and Film and Media Studies

I was drawn to Johns Hopkins for many reasons, particularly the strength of the Writing Seminars program. I visited JHU in the spring of my sophomore year of high school and then returned in October of my senior year for a special Open House and Overnight Visit program for students considering Early Decision. I took a 6 AM flight down from Boston, went to an interview that afternoon, and spent the night in Charles Commons, hosted by a current student. Applying Early Decision to Hopkins was definitely the right decision for me. It allowed me to demonstrate my passionate interest in the school. I will never forget December 15, 2009 when I received my acceptance e-mail. My dream had come true. As a junior who has found a community of like-minded individuals, and a true home at Homewood, I am still living the dream. The experiences I have had and the people I have met here have helped shape me into the person I am today. And it all started with a dream.  If you feel in your heart that you are meant to be a Blue Jay, then there’s no reason not to apply Early Decision

Go Blue Jays!

As these testimonials show, there are many factors that go into a student’s choice whether or not to apply ED and it becomes a personal choice based on what’s best for you. If you think  Johns Hopkins could be your home for the next four years and ED might be a good option, talk it over with your family and college counselor, or spend some time looking at our ED FAQ. We hope this has been a helpful discussion for you!

The Write Stuff: Essay Strategies That Work

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I once had a parent ask me if I actually read all of the essays from each applicant. With a serious face, I said “No, I like to throw the application in the air and only read the page that lands on top.” Her mouth dropped. I told her I was kidding. OF COURSE WE READ YOUR ESSAYS!!

The reality is, not only do we read every word of your application essay and short answer responses, but chances are strong that it is something your wrote that is going to make your application memorable. When I think back about my favorite students from last year, I don’t remember them because they had a 3.8/1520, their recommenders called them “enthusiastic” saying they “always went above and beyond,” or they were the president of their club or organization. I remember them because of what they wrote.

What will be your inspiration when writing your college application essays?

In my opinion, the essay is the one piece of the application where we get to hear YOUR voice, and, in all honesty, the one thing you have control at the time you are applying. You can’t go back and change your grades or add activities to your list, there is no time to retake the SAT or ACT, and you can’t dictate your letters of recommendation to your counselor and teachers. So, how do you make your application your own? The answer is simple: Take advantage of the essays!

Here are 3 tips to think about as you begin your essay:

1. Be yourself. The point of this essay is for the reader to get at the heart of who you are. It’s important to be personal. Don’t be afraid to write how you speak…we want you to tell us your story. When reading your essay, I am asking myself questions like “would this student be a good roommate?” or “what type of friend would this person be?
2. Catch the reader’s attention with your introduction. We read thousands of essays each year, so make your first sentences count. You should not be opening with a line that is a direct repeat of the question prompt.
3. Tell us how you fit. While you do not need to directly state what you would do at a particular college or university, remember that we are looking for students who are going to give back both inside and outside the classroom. What are your interests and how would they impact our school?

Still stuck? Need a kick start? Take a look at our Essays that Worked page! Each year, we select essays from our currently enrolled freshman to share with you. Best of all, the admissions counselor who read the essay shares a brief comment on why the essay “worked.” Maybe one of these will inspire you to start writing.

Please spell check.

And, speaking of beginning the process, we recently released our Johns Hopkins Supplement. Our short answer question are the same as last year, but in case you want to get a start, here are the topics:

1. Johns Hopkins offers 50 majors across the schools of Arts & Sciences and Engineering. On this application, we ask you to identify one or two that you might like to pursue here. Why did you choose the way you did? If you are undecided, why didn’t you choose? (If any past courses or academic experiences influenced your decision, you may include them in your essay.

2. Tell us something about yourself or your interests that we wouldn’t learn by looking at the rest of your application materials. (While you should still pay attention to sentence structure and grammar, your response is meant as a way for us to get to know you, rather than a formal essay.)

So, remember, be personal, be creative, and be original. We can’t wait to read your essays and see what you’ve come up with!

Summers in the City

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It’s summer time in Baltimore and we have had heat waves galore. Just yesterday we reached a whopping 108 degrees! While there have been many students, both current and high school, on campus taking summer classes or participating in summer programs like Engineering Innovations, Summer Programs, or CTY, there is much more to do in the city. Whether students are involved in internships, research, or just enjoying Baltimore, everyone is keeping busy.

Here are a few examples of some great things they are doing:

Ashley Adams – Class of 2014 – Psychology major from Montclair, New Jersey
After watching her older brother walk across the stage with the Class of 2012, Ashley decided to stick around this summer. While she works in our office as an intern several days a week, gives tours, and conducts interviews, she has also obtained a job downtown with the Neuroradiology Department at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She is currently assisting with data analysis and assisting in writing a paper on the correlation between inflammation in different regions of the brain and different psychological disorders related to it. She is planning to present this info at a conference in November. In addition, she is working with grant funding to study early onset memory deficits in NFL players! In her free time (yes, she does more!), she has been volunteering at a clinic:

“I’ve been attending a medical clinic once a week where Hopkins students ‘act’ as physicians to the homeless men in the shelter as we discuss with them their symptoms, then present our cases and possible treatment plans to the doctor. I’ve been learning so much about medicine, from the more common facts, such as when to prescribe ibuprofen (Advil) over naproxen (Aleve), to the more serious, such as the symptoms and diagnosis of tuberculosis. Most importantly, I’ve been able to gain hands on experience in a fun yet real clinical setting and have developed more confidence and composure while interacting with patients.”

Oh, and we had time to see an Orioles game too!

Ashley and I at the O's game.

Ben Wasser – Class of 2013 – Mechanical engineering major, mathematics minor from Watchung Hills, New Jersey
One last summer on campus before his senior year? Why not? Since Ben will be graduating next May, he decided that one last summer in Baltimore would be a lot of fun. He is continuing his research for the Applied Physics Lab (he was sitting in my office just the other day while he was waiting for some final experiments to be completed!) and enjoying the company of his friends. He has been embracing the heat—just the other day he told me he ate some hot soup to cool down. :)

“I’ve gotten an amazing experience conducting research for the APL—I honestly don’t know how many people can say they helped build a satellite by the end of their sophomore year! But more importantly, I love spending summer in Baltimore, trying out new interesting restaurants, First Thursdays in Mt. Vernon, and Artscape are all super fun. This year was the 200^th celebration of the war of 1812 and I went down to the harbor with my friends and we watched all the tall ships from across the globe sail in; it was quite the experience!”

Ben working with Habitat for Humanity.

Kimmy Hilson – Class of 2014 – Sociology major, entrepreneurship and management minor from Baltimore, Maryland
Half at home, half at Hopkins, Kimmy is technically going home for the summer and staying on campus! A Baltimore native, she is an expert at visiting all of the hot spots in the city – she will tell you that the best crab cakes are from Koco’s Pub on Harford Road and you can get a great funnel cake at any fair or festival in the summer. To keep busy, she has been working in admissions and downtown:

Koco's crab cake

“Other than working in the Admissions office two days a week this summer, I am also a marketing intern at a capital management firm in Mount Vernon, right near Peabody. It’s been a fun experience, and I am learning a lot about finance and investment, as well as applying the marketing skills that I have learned here at Hopkins. I am responsible for updating the company’s databases and maintaining client relationships, as well as working on marketing initiatives to attract new clients. 

When I am not working, I’ve become a real Baltimore Orioles fan, going to countless games with my friends from Mason Hall as well as some of my friends from high school. I even bought my first ever Orioles t-shirt! I spent 8 days in the dark and heat at home as a result of the derecho storm that hit Baltimore right at the end of June, but it has still been a fun time :)”

Really, she is a HUGE Oriole’s fan…take a look for yourself!

Kimmy at the O's game.

And another O's game...

...and one more!

Ian Han – Class of 2014 – Film and media studies and public health double major, entrepreneurship and management minor from San Diego, California
I first met Ian out on the road during his senior year in high school; shortly thereafter, he was applying Early Decision, and now he is working for me. Since he hails from across the country, he decided to stick around in Baltimore this summer. He has been holding a job down in both Admissions and in Levering Hall at the Information Desk. When it comes to exploring the city, he has been trying out new restaurants, venturing down to DC, and frequenting the farmers market. He attended the 4^th of July fireworks in the Harbor and plans on stopping by Artscape this weekend. On top of all of this, he is launching his second business on campus:

“One of the greatest things about Hopkins is the opportunities you can take advantage of. This summer I am in the process of building my second business, The Complete Dorm Room, a service for incoming freshmen to get all their living essential items from bedding to binders and everything in between. I had never thought about business before coming to Hopkins but early freshmen year I had an idea for a business and approached a student group on campus called Hopkins Student Enterprises, a venture capital fund for student businesses. They liked my idea enough to invest as well as provided me awesome mentorship from talented business people turned professors. Through this opportunity I was able to start up my first business. A year later the first business had enough capital to fund this summer’s project. I could never ask for a more awesome opportunity and support!”

Ian and his friend from CA.

So, after reading about these students, you think to yourself, “It would be great to meet Ashley, Ben, Kimmy, and Ian,” then come on out to our last Hopkins Preview this coming Saturday, July 28^th. We guarantee you will love chatting with them!

Time Flies

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I feel like it has been forever since my last post too, but I promise you it has been because we have been SUPER busy in the world of Admissions!

After we release decisions at the end of March, people often ask me, “How does it feel to be done?” or “What are you going to do now that the cycle is finished?” However, the reality is, we are never “done” or “finished.” So, here is the whirlwind wrap up of my very busy April, May, and June.

APRIL
As Admissions_Daniel mentioned in his last blog, our campus was bustling in April. We had admitted seniors on campus for our SOHOP programs, admitted student visit days, and current juniors and sophomores stopping by for the first time. Our lobby was always full of guests, and our counseling staff was constantly out meeting and greeting students and their families.

SOHOP 2012

MAY
During May, we found out our class was complete (welcome, Class of 2016!), worked on transfer decisions, and I even did some spring travel. This year I did two very fun trips! First, I headed to Southern California for a case studies program. This was a three-day event where I visited schools (with 40+ other counselors) from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles to talk about the admissions process and how it works. We met with students and parents to discuss how we read applications, and even did a mock reading with them. During this mock committee review, we looked at four different students who were applying to the same university. We discussed both the positives and negatives of each applicant, and then had to pick one admit, one wait list, and one deny. I worked with two different groups of parents and two different groups of students, and even though they reviewed the same applications, all groups chose different students to admit, wait list, and deny. It just goes to show that this some really tough decisions are made during application review and committee!

Driving along the California coast

Santa Barbara before an Explore Hopkins

Next, I was headed off to Colombia. I had never been before, and I absolutely loved it! For this trip, I traveled with a friend, Andrew, who works with Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Together, we visited Bogota, Cali, Barranquilla, and Cartagena. Each day, we toured schools, spoke to counselors, and shared information about our universities with prospective students. I enjoyed getting to meet students on the road and really understand how their schools worked. Another plus of getting to travel to Colombia was having some free time. Andrew and I had an evening in Bogota and a day to explore Cartagena.

Square in Bogota

While in Bogota, we were able to travel to the top of the mountain to Monserrate, visit the Museo de Oro, and walk around the many plaza areas and parks.

At the top of the mountain in Bogota

Pottery in Museo de Oro

Crown in Museo de Oro

Plaza in Bogota

In Cartagena, we spent our morning by the pool soaking up some sun, and then we went to the old city area where we had a great dinner at La Perla.

Balcony in Cartagena

Calle in Cartagena

The country was beautiful, and I hope that I can get back there soon! Oh, and how can I forget, while visiting Colegio Nueva Granada in Bogota, I was able to meet one of our newest members of the class of 2016. Great to see you Daniel – can’t wait to have you on campus in a few months!

Casa de Narino, Bogota

Finally, our seniors graduated on May 24^th.The day before graduation, our office celebrated with students who have both volunteered and worked in Admissions throughout their four years here, and then on the actual day, I served as an usher and was able to see our seniors walk across stage. While I am excited to see what the future brings for our graduates, it is definitely sad to see them go!

Corey and I at graduation

JUNE
This past month, my summer interns and I were focused on hiring and training over thirty new tour guides for the summer. Since many of our guides head home during the summer, we train a whole new set to step in and take charge during June, July, and August.

Our counselors have also begun to think about fall travel…with only about two months before we hit the road, we need to figure out all of the stops we are going to make, whether it be at high schools, college fairs, or regional presentations.

Finally, while it has been sad to see a colleague go, in June, we were happy to welcome a new addition to our staff – Laurin Wolf. For about two weeks now, she has been going through new counselor training, and she is doing great. Don’t worry, she will be joining our blogging team, so you will get to meet her real soon! Congratulations Laurin!

Now that you are all caught up (whew!), look for many more posts this summer and throughout the next school year.

:)

Live Blogging on RD Notification Day (Class of 2016)

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Six years ago on March 30, decision release day for the Johns Hopkins Class of 2010, I decided to post a new blog entry to our then just four month old Hopkins Insider Admissions Blog. That blog entry provided a run-down of how decision release day had gone and shared a few pictures. I remember posting the entry late in the evening when I got home from work and not thinking anyone would read it. A year later when we prepared to release regular decision notifications for the Johns Hopkins Class of 2011, readership of the Hopkins Insider blog was up so I decided to try something new … live blogging throughout the day. And a tradition was born.

Blue skies over Gilman - what a stunningly beautiful campus we have.

As I write this I embark on my 6th RD notification day live blogging experiment (#12 if you count ED releases as well) and I am excited to announce that I am going to have some help this year. Not only will you be able to follow along my thoughts and views on how the day rolls out, but my colleague and co-author of the Hopkins Insider, Admissions_Shannon, has also agreed to write periodic updates throughout the day. We will provide you a first-hand look at what takes place in Mason Hall (home to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions) on the day we release 19,000+ notifications to our Regular Decision applicants. Through frequent updates we will detail how this long admissions review season comes to a fulfilling end, and we hope we will provide context and helpful information as you prepare to learn of your decision. I will also attempt to keep up with my Twitter account – @AdmissionDaniel – throughout the day, for those who prefer updates in 140 characters or less.

And for those looking for details on how the process will work today, please return to the decision release explained blog entry I posted earlier this week. Check back often, and as always feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.

5:30am – Admissions_Daniel

My alarm clock goes off, which today is not a buzzing sound, but the rough tongue of my dog Soze on my forehead telling me he needs an early morning walk. Out we go into a chilly and dark morning and as Soze does his business I checked the weather report and see that it is going to be a lovely, mostly sunny spring day in Baltimore today. Back inside I turn on some music - I’ve been on a serious streak of listening way too much to a playlist of just three songs – “We Are Young” by Fun., “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye and “Charlie Brown” by Coldplay. This will hold me over until I turn on ESPN’s Mike and Mike in the Morning and get my “back and better than ever” fix from Greenie and Golic. Though the last week has been exhausting – scratch that, the last month has been exhausting – scratch that too, the last FOUR MONTHS have been exhausting, I feel I sense of energy and exhilaration that at the end of the day the hard work of all in Mason Hall will come to fruition and the Johns Hopkins Class of 2016 will continue to form. Decision release days have truly become one of the special days every year like my birthday or a big holiday.

He may be sleeping in this picture, but in just a few minutes Soze will be waking me up and getting Decision Release Day underway.

6:30am – Admissions_Shannon 

Is it Christmas? No. Are we going to Disneyworld? No. Is it Decision Release Day? YES! They all feel the same when you wake up in the morning – you’re super excited to start your day, but exhausted because you couldn’t sleep the night before. After months of reading applications and holding committee, decision release day has finally arrived! While tonight seems so far away, the day will be a busy one … there are still plenty of packets that need to be sealed and lists to be double checked. For now though, it’s time to get ready for work …

Admissions_Shannon wake-up call delivered by Jack the Cat.

7:30 a.m. – Admissions_Daniel

What an amazingly beautiful spring day it is in Baltimore. I had my sunroof open on my short commute into work and as I arrived, I continued a tradition of snapping a photo of Mason Hall. Now to get my day started in the office.

Dawn over Mason Hall on Decision Release Day

8:15 a.m. – Admissions_Daniel

Just finished composing my To Do list for the day. Seven important items to complete before the release of e-mail decisions tonight. Decided to go witha  Foo Fighters playlist for the morning. Going to tackle some e-mail, post a message on College Confidential (ugh!), and check out all of our social media sites. My colleagues are beginning to trickle in.

Yesterday's To Do List on the left (Accomplished!); Today's To Do List on the right (Get to Work!)

8:33 a.m. – Admissions_Shannon

Just got in the office and I am going to start my day now. I might not be as organized as Daniel is with competing To Do lists, but I have a lot on my desk too. First is to share some pictures with you all. Last night, much of the Admissions staff and some great student volunteers stayed late to get as much work done as possible so we could get decisions out today. We worked until about 8:00pm and Daniel and I snapped the following pictures.

Our award-winning admit packets. YES!

Decision bins waiting to be checked again and packets stuffed into envelopes.

The stuffing begins. DON'T SEAL YET.

Some important minds discussing next steps.

The long line of letters waiting to be checked one last time.

All Boxed Up

Admit Packets cost a lot to mail priority. $5.30 each!

10:03 a.m. – Admissions_Daniel

Nothing new to report. We are in a holding pattern as Financial Aid finishes stuffing some award letters and we do some database reviews. I have been getting through a variety of my to do list items and also had a compelling conversation with a colleague about Hopkins Lacrosse and how excited we are that they are ranked #1 in the nation. I wish I could head up to NYC this weekend to watch the team take on UNC in the Konica Minolta Big City Classic. It does though conflict with Wrestlemania 28 … Rock v. Cena in the “Once in a Lifetime Match” and Tripe H v. Undertaker in the “End of an Era” Hell-in-the-Cell match. Yeah, I may be 37 but I still watch wrestling. Got a problem with that?

10:45 a.m - We have begun the last round of checks of all decision letters. This will take some time. This is the third full check of letters against our applicant database and is proof of how meticulous our process is at every stage. Thorough doesn’t even begin to describe how much we put into each stage of our application processing, application review, decision making, and even production of decision letters. Best head upstairs to help my colleagues.

11:12 a.m. - OK, I need to clear something up. One of our admissions student volunteers questioned whether I am truly still a WWE fan (ugh, it was WWF back in my day) or whether I was just writing it to seem hip in this blog. Well, take a look at this photo. Yeah, that’s right … I have mini Rock and Cena figures on my desk at work. And even better, they were a birthday gift from Shannon. #YouCantSeeMe #TeamBringIt

Proof I am still in a fan of wrestling.

11:51 a.m. - Just got the call that the class is sealed, all checks are complete, and we can now seal and stack all of our decision letters and packets. Then off to the post office we will go. There will be a bit of silence for the next few hours as Shannon and I work with our colleagues to get all of this done. Stay tuned for more updates later in the afternoon.

11:45 am – Admissions_Shannon

Today has been a crazy one…a day full of double tasking! While we are preparing for the big mail, we are also getting ready for our Admitted Student events in April. In fact, just finished chatting with some of our current tour guides about our Lunch with a Student Program. Thank goodness for Bryan Nance … I missed out on breakfast so he brought me some potatoes to snack on. Yum. Now I am going to head upstairs and help everyone.

Yum, Potatoes. Thanks Admissions_Bryan.

3:00 p.m. – Admissions_Daniel

Apologies for the lack of updates. It has been a whirlwind of activity in the office for the last few hours. I need to take a breath and download some photos. I will have a re-cap of everything posted in the next half hour. But … YES … decisions have been mailed.

3:17 p.m. – As I know many of you are curious, I am going to reflect back over the last few hours. Here is how everything transpired in order:

1) Last check of letters is completed as the entire Admissions staff chipped in.
2) The sealing of admit packets commences.
3) The heavy lifters — Daniel and JB — move all sealed admit packets from their bins to U.S. mail bins.
4) In record time all packets are sealed, loaded into mail bins, and ready to move downstairs.
5) Three SUVs appear in the semi-circular driveway in front of Mason Hall just as all the mailed decisions arrive.
6) The loading of the cars commences with many, many hands.
7) The cars are loaded. Susan heads up to the main Johns Hopkins post office in Mount Washington with all deny, wait list, and international mailings. JB, Shannon, Calvin, Sarah, and Daniel head to the downtown Baltimore Post Office with two cars and close to 40 bins of admit packets.
8) The unloading of the cars takes place simultaneously in two different locations and just around 1:45 p.m. all regular decision notifications are out of the hands of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
9) Back to Homewood and Mason for some lunch and to reflect.
10) Time to blog.

Whew. A busy few hours indeed, but one of excitement and joy in our office. Slideshow to come very soon.

3:31 p.m. – Slideshow time. Enjoy.

3:35 p.m. – Admissions_Shannon

Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to the post office we went! With the final seal of approval from the president’s office, it was time to seal the mail. All hands on deck, the entire admissions staff – PR, operations, IT, communications, and counselors – got the priority mail envelopes ready for shipment. We then caravanned down to the Baltimore City post office where we unloaded two cars filled to the brim with acceptance packets.

When we returned to Mason Hall the first thing we noted was how empty the main room on the third floor felt. See!

What's missing?

Then it was time to play. Calvin decided that I needed to be pushed in one of the large mail bins. Thankfully no one was injured, but Daniel snapped some good pictures.

Ready ...

Set ...

Go ...

OK, I needed that.

Now that everything is in the mail, we have had a bit of fun, it is time to prepare the emails to be sent!

5:05 p.m. - After a LONG day at the office, things have really quieted down. People are once again busy, but this time, preparing for April. I had one last meeting with current students, and now I am out the door to head to Kickball – yes, I play adult kickball with some co-workers and friends! It will be great to relax and take a break after a super busy week.

Time for Kickball

5:15 p.m. – Admissions_Daniel

Here is our press release that discusses the release of Regular Decision notifications:

Press Release
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Johns Hopkins University
March 29, 2012

Thursday March 29, 2012—The Office of Undergraduate Admissions officially “sealed” the Class of 2016 today, sending admit packets and e-mails to 3,071 accepted Regular Decision applicants. These talented students will join 557 students who were admitted Early Decision in December.

A snapshot of the admitted members of the Class of 2016:

Total applications received: 20,496 – record applicant total for 11th straight year
Total students admitted: 3,628
Overall acceptance rate: 17.7% – an all-time low
Males/females: 50.4% / 49.6%

Preliminary areas of academic interest:

• Whiting School of Engineering: 38%
• Krieger School of Arts and Sciences: 62%
  - Humanities: 27% (of admitted KSAS students)
  - Natural sciences: 45%
  - Social and behavioral sciences: 26%
• Undecided: 3%

All 50 states represented, plus D.C., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands are represented. New York continues to lead state representation in both applications received and offers of admission.

293 international students have been admitted, residing in 65 nations. Of particular note, 18 European countries are represented with offers made to 83 students. 123 students represent 11 East Asian countries. There are also 34 Canadian students, 20 students from South America, 18 students from South Asia, and 12 students from Central America and the Caribbean.

Regular Decision admitted students have until May 1, 2012, to reply to the university’s offer of admissions.

Congratulations to the Class of 2016!

5:38 p.m. – Admissions_Daniel

As my colleagues on our IT team working diligently to prepare to begin the release of e-mail notifications starting after 6:00 p.m., there are a few important things I want to review, and I hope you heed this advice.

FIRST, we will start sending e-mails after 6:00 p.m. ET. Please note the bold, italic, underlined emphasis on the key words start and after. This means that you will not receive an e-mail in your in-box immediately at 6:00 p.m. It will take a while for all the e-mails to be sent out (probably over an hour) and there is a good chance we don’t start sending exactly at 6:00 p.m. If you keep refreshing your e-mail in-box at 6:00, 6:01, 6:04, 6:10, … and there is no message — DO NOT PANIC and do not assume anything. Be patient and allow the process to work properly. (Also, there is no specific order to how we will send e-mails.)

SECOND, here is some sound advice that I hope you follow. For the next hour (if not two hours) step away from your e-mail. Stop reading this blog. Stop checking your in-box. Stop checking College Confidential (in fact I suggest stopping that altogether). Relax. Take a nap. Get a snack. Read a magazine. Eat an orange. Go do something that will calm you and distract you. Take your mind off the ticking clock.

THIRD, and most importantly, after you receive your e-mail decision my strong suggestion is that you log-off and go spend some time with your family. No matter what decision you receive, let the news sink in and do it off-line. This is a major milestone in your life, and you should share your initial reactions and emotions with your family and those closest to you. These people have been there since the first moment of your life, and they will be there FOREVER. Your family is not an online community. Your family is not Facebook. Your family in not some anonymous screenname. Your family is not this blog. Please follow this advice. Receive your decision and sign off. Don’t update your Facebook status immediately. Don’t post a blog comment. Don’t go post your emotions on some Web forums. Share your thoughts and emotions in the real world first. The virtual world will be there later for you to provide a social media spin on your news.

I say it every year … let the news sink in first — react in the real world before entering the cyber world.

Best wishes to all of you. This is our last update until after we release the e-mail notifications. We will have a few final thoughts later on tonight.

8:15 a.m. – Admissions_Daniel

All our e-mails have now been sent. Please continue to have patience because e-mail servers all have different delivery times. The process seems to have gone quite smooth this year (fingers crossed). I will monitor things throughout the evening. Please remember a few things I posted in the decision release blog earlier in the week:

- DO NOT share your decision e-mail with other people nor post the message on any public form or Web site. The e-mails contain personalized information.

- If you did not receive an e-mail tonight, I suggest:

1. Check SPAM folders.
2. If your e-mail address is associated with a private school, your school’s server may block our decision e-mails and you should check with your school’s network administrator to have the e-mail released.
3. 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 an old e-mail address. (Check e-mails that you may have used when registering for the SAT/ACT for example, such as your parents e-mail accounts.)

I got a bunch of work to take care of, but I will have one final update a bit later on.

9:15 p.m. – Admissions_Shannon

By this point, decisions have been released. Now, I’ll be curling up with my book (currently reading the Hunger Games) and heading to bed. I am looking forward to meeting the admitted members of the Class of 2016 in the coming month, and, believe it or not, beginning to work with the potential members of the Class of 2017. This was fun sharing the live blogging duties with Daniel. I’ll let him finish it off later tonight.

10:10 a.m. – Admissions_Daniel

Wow, what a day. I’ve been going non-stop for nearly 17 straight hours, but it has been totally worth it. I started the day excited and exhausted and as we wrap-up another decision release day I must say I remain excited and exhausted. There will be time over the next few days to reflect on all the decisions, and I plan to post very soon new blog entries for the admits, the wait listed, and the denies. The work will continue tomorrow but I need to get some shut eye. I always wish I would have something more poignant to say at the end of this long day of blogging, but unfortunately the words are failing me. I will leave you with one of my favorite shots of the Homewood campus take by current Johns Hopkins junior Greco Song:

Sun sets over Homewood.

Good night.

Homewood Construction Updates: Spring 2012

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In case you haven’t heard, Baltimore has been in the midst of a warm weather spell for the last few weeks! Flowers are blooming, the sun has been out (for the most part anyway!), and students have been hanging out on the beach. With such gorgeous weather, Admissions_Daniel and I have been taking early morning walks around campus before we start our committee evaluations. While it has been great to see the daffodils springing up from the ground and the cherry blossoms opening, we have also been amazed at how far campus construction has come along. Whether it be the Brody Learning Commons addition to the library, the building of the lab facilities on the back side of Mudd Hall, the creation of the Cordish Lacrosse Center, or the improvements on the Homewood House, the campus is looking better than ever!

Here are some snapshots of the current construction sites during a recent walk around Homewood. For full details on these projects, read through our Homewood Expansion blog post from last August.

Brody Learning Commons

Brody Learning Commons

Brody Learning Commons

Homewood House Museum: Updating Front Entrance

Undergraduate Teaching Labs

Undergraduate Teaching Labs

Undergraduate Teaching Labs

Undergraduate Teaching Labs

Undergraduate Teaching Labs

Cordish Lacrosse Center

Cordish Lacrosse Center

Meet Your Admissions Counselor VII: Shannon Miller

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Name: Shannon Miller

Region:Alaska, California, and Hawaii

Meet Admissions Counselor: Shannon Miller

Educational Background: Gettysburg College, Spanish Major

JHU Start Date: August 8, 2005

Years in Admissions: 6 ½ years

Why did you choose to go into college admissions?
As an undergraduate student at Gettysburg, I absolutely loved volunteering and working in the Admissions Office. When I graduated, it seemed to be a logical next step. After talking to a Gettysburg grad who worked at Hopkins, he let me know he was leaving. He offered to put my resume in for the position, and the rest is history.

What do you like best about working in admissions at Johns Hopkins University?
The thing I like best about working in admissions is interacting with current students. When you get firsthand accounts of their research projects, team accomplishments, new groups being started, and weekends in Baltimore, it makes it that much easier to talk to and find prospective students that will be a fit for the university. Beyond that, their vibrant personalities and entertaining stories can always put a smile on your face!

What is your ideal set-up for reading applications?
I am currently still working through this – since I moved this summer, I am trying to find a comfortable reading space. Right now, I am at the dining room table with my big monitor and some Hershey bars.

What do you do when you need a break from application reading?
Depends on the day – bake, go for a run, eat ice cream with hardshell, do some online shopping.

What is one of the quirkiest things an applicant ever did with their application?
One of my first years here, the applicant put their essay in their old, smelly, dirty running shoe…this was when our application was on paper, so I had to dig it out. Needless to say, I much prefer reading online.

What makes an application essay really stand out for you?
When someone takes an everyday topic and makes it their own – don’t start your essay with something like “The most inspirational person in my life is my mom,” or “Interact has been my most meaningful activity.” I know you can be more creative than that!

What is the funniest thing you’ve overheard or seen while at Johns Hopkins?
One time, a Hopkins student asked me if a Salutatorian was someone who rode horses…sometimes the brightest of students can say the silliest things!

If you could take a class at Hopkins, which one and why?
Food and Dining in the Ancient World with Professor Roller – I love food and am fascinated by classics…I wish I would have taken more classes in this area when I was in college.

What is your favorite place on the Homewood campus?
The Archaeological Museum – I feel like every time I visit, I discover something new.

If you could teach an Intersession class, what would be the class name and description?
Baltimore Bucket List: Things to Do While You Are a Student in Charm City – Feel like you’ve been caught up in academics and activities on campus? Haven’t had the time to get out and explore Baltimore? Now is your chance! Every class involves a field trip to explore one of the many great things this city has to offer. (FYI, Restaurant Week is during Intersession.)

What is the craziest question you’ve ever been asked while recruiting for Johns Hopkins?
“I only have two F’s on my transcript – you said extracurriculars were really important though, right?”

If you could be a student at Hopkins for a day, what would you look forward to most?
Eating at the FFC – who doesn’t love a buffet and dessert with every meal?

If you could join any Hopkins club or organizations, which one would you join?
Spring Fair Committee – I really like organizing, they get awesome gear (yay free t-shirts!), and you get to drive a golf cart for the weekend. Also, rumor has it there is free food (another thing you will love in college!)

What song or book or movie makes you think of your college days and why?
Brittany Spears – I’m A Slave For You – One of my roommates got a web cam so she could talk to her friends from home while at school. Instead, late one night, we thought it would be a good idea to make a music video for this song. It was classic.

If a movie was made about your life, who would play your part and why?
Tina Fey – I think she would do a good job of rocking a mullet, just like I did growing up.

Want to know even more about Shannon Miller? Re-visit some of her past Admissions Staff Profiles: January 17, 2006, February 4, 2008, March 15, 2010.

Johns Hopkins Archaeological Museum – We Dig It!

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When I first arrived at Hopkins about six and a half years ago, one of the first “fun facts” I heard about was of an Egyptian mummy on campus, who had been given the nickname “Boris.” The mummy is in fact on long-term loan to the Johns Hopkins Archaeological Museum from Goucher College, and has been since the 1980s.  In 1988, Dr. Betsy Bryan, the museum’s director and an eminent Egyptologist, oversaw the CT-scanning of “Boris,” which resulted in the re-discovery that “he” was in fact a “she. “ For my first year, this was all I knew of our archaeological collection.

Then, I heard that there was more than an Egyptian mummy in our archaeological collection—we had thousands of objects. But where were they? Why had I never seen them? I had been to Gilman Hall where they were kept, but no one had ever pointed them out to me, nor did I notice any glass cases with these pieces. I soon learned that the reason I had never seen them was because they were not on display all the time. What a shame!

After my second year here, the news came that Gilman was to undergo a three-year, $73 million renovation which would include an archaeological museum! I saw mock drawings, building plans, and articles in the Gazette that talked about what was in store for the building.

A year and a half ago, it was time to reopen Gilman Hall. I couldn’t have been more excited to check out the new museum, and FINALLY meet the mysterious mummy that I had heard so much about. My first trip to the archaeological museum was fantastic! Sanchita Balachandran, Curator/Conservator of the museum and lecturer in Near Eastern Studies, took us on a tour and told us about the vast collection. She talked about hands-on work she had been doing with current students, and told us about Director Dr. Bryan’s work with specific artifacts.

With pieces from ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, the Near East, and the ancient Americas, the installation showcases almost 700 objects. These pieces, in addition to those still being sorted and cataloged, have come from a variety of different places—some have been purchased by the university, some gifted by prominent Baltimoreans, others donated by alumni, and others put on loan for us to identify, study, research, and display.  The museum also has an extraordinary loan of over 2,000 ancient Egyptian objects from Eton College in Windsor, England, as well as objects from the Baltimore Museum of Art, in addition to the Egyptian mummy from Goucher College.

The museum has not only done an excellent job of making the pieces in the museum accessible, but it has also done phenomenal work in conservation (just take a look at http://archaeologicalmuseum.jhu.edu/the-collection/conservation/ to see items restored or cleaned…it’s amazing!)

Here are a few highlights on what type of pieces are currently being studied:

• A Roman Lead Curse Tablet – We currently have a collection of lead tablets, all written by the same person, which curses five other individuals. One of the curses recently placed on view at the museum calls on the gods to destroy a man named Plotius with debilitating fevers, promising gifts in return if the curse is successful.
• Attic Red-Figure Vases – In the spring of 2011, Hopkins professor Alan Shapiro of the Classics Department conducted a course on these vases. It gave students the opportunity to examine the pieces, dive into their history, and create informational texts to be displayed along with them, allowing the public to more fully understand their purpose.
• An Unpublished Magic Spell from Late Antiquity – One of our Johns Hopkins professors, Theodore Lewis who teaches Aramaic at Johns Hopkins, and his graduate students were able to translate the text from a piece of an incantation bowl. They found that it was asking to ward off evil spirits from a person’s home!
• Archaeology of Daily Life - Hérica Valladares, a professor in the Classics Department at Johns Hopkins, created an undergraduate research seminar to “stimulate innovative research through the close study of objects.” In this seminar, students studied pieces that were used in the daily lives of people, as well as those that depict what daily life was like.

When Daniel Coit Gilman created Johns Hopkins University, his main goal was advancing knowledge through research and scholarship, so that this knowledge could then be spread to the world. (Click here to learn more about his vision.) As you can see, the new archaeological museum on campus has done just this! It has provided great opportunities for students at both the graduated and undergraduate level to learn through hands on experiences and share their findings.

When you visit campus next, be sure to stop by our archaeological museum (http://archaeologicalmuseum.jhu.edu/)— it is open Monday-Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and the outside cases can be viewed anytime the building is open. There’s no excuse not to visit!