Transfer Decision Release

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A view from the upper quad.

Hello again from the JHU Office of Undergraduate Admissions! This post is just for our transfer applicants. Each year, we welcome a group of highly talented transfer students into our sophomore and junior classes. (Interested in applying as a transfer student next year? See http://apply.jhu.edu/apply/transfer.html for details.)

As you should know, we will be releasing admissions decisions for transfer decisions TODAY. Please see below for more details:

• Decisions will be released in batches starting this afternoon. You will receive an e-mail letting you know when your decision is ready to view.
• You will access your decision through the decision release site, https://mydecision.jhu.edu/. In order to get the log-in information for that, you’ll need to set up your account through the Johns Hopkins University Integrated Student Information System (ISIS). At this point, all applicants should have received instructions on logging into ISIS, either through our office or the Office of Student Financial Services if you’ve applied for aid. We’ve sent several e-mails throughout the month with the subject “Important Information about JHU Transfer Decision Release.”
• Follow the instructions in the log-in e-mail carefully. If you get stuck or run into problems, call our office at (410) 516-8171 and we’ll talk you through it. Some things you can try if you are having issues: Refresh your browser. Close out completely and re-open the page in a new window. Or, even if you think you haven’t been able to set a password, try the password recovery link anyway.
• Once you receive the e-mail letting you know your decision is ready to view, follow the link to mydecision.jhu.edu and use the ID and password you set up to log-in. There, you’ll see your decision and will be able to follow any pertinent instructions.
• There is one exception to this process: A small group of students have been chosen to remain on a wait list for transfer applicants. Those students will receive an e-mail informing them of their decision and will receive instructions on how to remain on the wait list if they would like to do so.
• If you haven’t yet received your e-mail with log-in instructions, try the following things:
  • Check all e-mail accounts, including your parents’ and any others you might’ve used throughout your college application process. We’ll send all official communications to the e-mail you supplied on your application.
  • Check your spam/junk folders. Sometimes (rarely, but sometimes) our e-mails get caught up in spam filters.
  • If you still don’t have the e-mail, call or e-mail us at gotojhu@jhu.edu and we’ll get it figured out.

Good luck to all of our transfer applicants!

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

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Hello again and welcome to Regular Decision Release Day 2013! Throughout the day, stop back here to read updates from Admissions_Shelly, Admissions_Shannon, and Admissions_Ardi as we give you a behind-the-scenes look at decision release day for the Class of 2017.

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Admissions_Shelly

8:40 a.m.

It’s a beautiful morning here in Baltimore as everyone starts to make their way into the office for one of our biggest days of the year. Of course, by the time I got here, our Operations staff was already doing one more check of the admit packets and starting to stuff them into their FedEx envelopes for final mailing.

Admit packets, almost ready to go...this is just one row of about 10!

This is a busy but exciting day for the whole staff. We know that our applicants have been eagerly waiting to hear from us, and we appreciate your patience. Over these past few months, our admissions counselors have spent many (many, many) hours reading your files, talking about the class, and figuring out who would be the best fit for JHU–and who JHU is the best fit for! It’s almost as exciting to the counselors who have gotten to know you through your application to see these packets all lined up as it will be for those students who get them in the mail.

For now, things are quiet in the office but that won’t last long. Soon there will be a flurry of activity as we make final checks and prepare for mailing and decision release.

Empty mail bins, ready to take those admit packets to their owners!

If you haven’t already, please read this blog about how the decision release will work to make sure you’re all ready to get your decision this evening: http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/blog/2013/03/an-update-on-regular-decision-notification-release/.

Thanks for tagging along with us today and talk to you soon!

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Admissions_Shannon

9:42 a.m.

I can’t believe this is my 8^th decision release! It’s crazy to think about how much things have changed since I first began at Hopkins – from stuffing and checking thousands of envelopes to an online system, our process has really developed with changing technology…not to mention we get to live blog now too.

In honor of Throwback Thursday, here is a shot of me during my first decision release.

my first decision release!

On top of releasing decisions today, our office is getting ready for our Admitted Student Events in the month of April. In just a few minutes I will be chatting with one of our students to coordinate all of the tour options we have to offer families.

Oh, we also have over 400 visitors here for our information session and tour this morning. You can definitely tell it is spring break for high school students!

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Admissions_Ardi

11:28 a.m.

In the same vein as Admissions_Shannon’s live blog post, I can’t believe I’ve reached my 1st decision release!  As a Hopkins alum, I remember exactly when I got my admit decision and packet (to this day, my packet and letter are still in my bedroom at my parent’s house).  In looking for a picture for this post, Admissions_Shelly and I were lucky enough to find an old copy of my 2008 envelope, and it’s exactly as I remember it (very eye-catching, but very sturdy…which is pretty important because your entire family will be grabbing, twisting, and bending it to see the news).  Here’s my admit packet in honor of Throwback Thursday (#TBT).

This envelope is a JHU tradition for admitted students and it's actually pretty similar to this year’s. Can you spot the differences?

It was quite a journey to get here.  As a first time counselor, the past three months have been a whirlwind of applications, student essays, and all the snacks that got me through them (Freshmen 15 anyone?).  It was quite a grueling process…which I’m so happy I went through.  Reading all these applications and seeing all the great things that the Class of 2017 has done already makes me proud to be a Hopkins Alum and makes me excited to meet the new additions to the Hopkins family.

Keep checking in on the blogs.  Admissions_Shelly, Admissions_Shannon, and I have plenty more in store for you all.

Signed,

One Proud Alum

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Admissions_Shelly

12:58 p.m.

An exciting update: the admit packets have left the building! The folders are now headed to their forever homes with the JHU Class of 2017! Here they are, starting their journey to admitted students in all 50 states and 51 different countries (well, the international envelopes are mailed separately, but you  get the idea):

The mail bins, all filled with admit packets and waiting for their ride on the elevator.

Carefully packed up and ready to go!

As Admissions_Shannon mentioned earlier, there are also many people visiting today. Just think–some of those people could be reading this blog next year! These are the times when being in college admissions gives you a really interesting perspective. It’s so fulfilling to wheel out bins of admit packets through a lobby filled with perspective students who might be getting a packet themselves in a year or two–and those students are being helped by our admissions student workers, who were perspective students themselves not too long ago. If you’re reading this now and are an applicant, it must seem crazy to think about yourself as a college student, living in a dorm and walking the same paths to class each day, hanging out with friends you haven’t met yet.  Whether it’s at JHU or another school, you’ll be in a totally different place (physically and probably mentally, as well!) in one short year. To our current student friends who are following along, do you remember being a senior and waiting anxiously for your decision? Do you remember wondering what it would be like to be a freshman? Were you nervous/excited/scared?

Looking for the Class of 2018 and beyond--our lobby is packed with visitors today!

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Admissions_Shannon

2:00 p.m.

Just got back from a late lunch – you have to squeeze things in whenever you can this time of year! Food trucks are out on campus, so students and employees are scattered everywhere, trying delicious treats from all around town. Admissions_Ardi made a quick stop at the Brazilian truck to get some Yucca Fries.

Admissions_Ardi fits in a quick lunch.

Now it is time to get back to planning for the coming month – with events for our admitted students, spring travel (yes, we are heading back out on the road with our Explore Hopkins programs!), and campus events like Spring Fair and Homecoming right around the corner, we are super excited for spring. At the end of this month, I will be making a stop in Los Angles to talk to prospective students about the university, and then joining admissions counselors from all over the country for a case studies event (a program where we meet with some schools and go through how the application process works). Hopefully it will be warmer in LA than it is here in Baltimore.

Only a few hours left to decision release…I can’t wait to welcome the new members of this year’s class!

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Admissions_Ardi

3:06 p.m.

As the old adage goes, “There is no rest for the weary,” and for us at Admissions, the show goes on after RD Decision Release.  As Shannon mentioned above, the Admissions staff is working hard with plans for the rest of the academic year.  While she works on plans for her travel in the spring, we all are meeting today for our first Transfer Reading Training for the season. Yes, there are more applications to read, and the admissions world is now entering the Transfer Reading Season. For all our readers interested in the transfer process for themselves or others, here is a good link on our website about our transfer process: http://apply.jhu.edu/apply/transfer.html.  As we continue with the transfer process, please keep up with our blogs and forums for all of your information and questions.

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Admissions_Shannon

3:57 p.m.

As we sit here and prep ourselves for the final hour before decision release, one of our student workers, Ian Han, was reminiscing about how he felt when decisions came out…

“I remember sitting by my computer refreshing my email, waiting for the email from JHU to pop up. It seemed like I was waiting forever, and then the news came. I found out I was accepted. I read, and reread the email…just to make sure that I was reading it correctly. I was so happy to find out that I was a Blue Jay and immediately shared the news with my family and friends. At first, I played a trick on them, by coming downstairs and looking really sad. Then, I told them I was accepted and they were super excited for me. It couldn’t have been a better day!”

We are so excited to welcome our new Blue Jays soon!

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Admissions_Shelly

4:46 p.m.

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 tomorrow during normal business hours.)

Here’s what you can expect this evening:

–All RD applicants will get an e-mail from us with a link to the decision release site. Decisions will be released here: https://mydecision.jhu.edu. You can check it out now, but there won’t be anything to see until we officially release decisions.

–Once decisions have been released, you’ll see a log-in screen where you’ll use the ID that we sent you via e-mail earlier in the month 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 all open browsers, reopen one browser, and try 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 earlier in the month. If you never received that, first check any and all e-mail addresses that you may have used during the admissions process. Check your spam folder, also. If you still don’t see it, 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 that we gave to Early Decision applicants also—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, 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 you!

An update on Regular Decision notification release

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Hello, friends! As you may have guessed, it’s been a busy, busy few months in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. For our Regular Decision applicants who have been eagerly awaiting information about decision release, here it is!

• Regular Decision notifications will be released around 5:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 28, 2013. 
• You will access your decision through a decision release site. In order to get the log-in information for that, you’ll need to set up your account through the Johns Hopkins University Integrated Student Information System (ISIS). At this point, all applicants should have received instructions on logging into ISIS, either through our office or the Office of Student Financial Services if you’ve applied for aid. You should log in now for two reasons: one, to make sure you’re all ready to access your decision once they’re released on the 28th; and two, by logging into ISIS, you’ll be able to check the status of your financial aid application and see any outstanding items. (Note: We don’t currently have a way to check your admissions application status online. At this point, we have already contacted those students who were missing any items from their applications. If you haven’t heard from us, your application is complete and you’re good to go!)
• Follow the instructions in the log-in e-mail carefully. If you get stuck or run into problems, call our office at (410) 516-8171 and we’ll talk you through it. Some things you can try if you are having issues: Refresh your browser. Close out completely and re-open the page in a new window. Or, even if you think you haven’t been able to set a password, try the password recovery link anyway.
• We’ll send out an e-mail on March 28 letting everyone know when the decisions are ready. That e-mail will contain a link to the decision release site. Once you get there, use your ISIS (or, for some students, your JHED) ID and password to log-in and receive your decision and follow any pertinent instructions.
• On March 28, our office will have extended hours until 7:00 p.m. ET to assist students who are having problems accessing their decisions. Any other questions will be addressed during normal business hours the following day.
• If you haven’t yet received your e-mail with log-in instructions, try the following things:
  • Check all e-mail accounts, including your parents’ and any others you might’ve used throughout your college application process. We’ll send all official communications to the e-mail you supplied on your application.
  • Check your spam/junk folders. Sometimes (rarely, but sometimes) our e-mails get caught up in spam filters.
  • If you still don’t have the e-mail, call or e-mail us at gotojhu@jhu.edu and we’ll get it figured out.

Good luck to all of our applicants!

The Home Stretch

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Hello Insider readers! It’s been awhile since I checked in, so I wanted to share some quick thoughts on my first reading season with you this morning. It’s hard to believe that we’re nearly at the end of application review. In some respects, it feels like we’ve been reading for-ev-er, and in others, it feels like we’ve just begun. However, there is one thing that I can say with confidence as a first time reader– this process has been unlike any other I’ve experienced. I (along with my fellow counselors) have now read hundreds upon hundreds of Common App essays, supplemental questions, activity summaries, and teacher recommendations. We’ve been wowed by the creativity, honesty, worldliness, humor, maturity and passion reflected in the prospective members of the Class of 2017. We’ve laughed at some very hilarious essays, cried during a few heartbreaking ones, and been reaffirmed in our belief of the incredible power of young people with big ideas.

Here’s a look at life as a reader. I spend a lot of time here, at my little at-home desk…

My "office away from office"

…with my constant companions of hot tea and water.

Hydration station

My yoga mat is perpetually rolled out for random stretch breaks and spontaneous sun salutations…

Yoga and reading... they're all about going with the flow

…and my shoes are always ready to go for a run, my ultimate sanity-saver.

Ready, set... RUN

Oh, and I’ve been knitting too.

The fruits of my reading-break labors thus far

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!

‘Tis the Season

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Happy Holidays from Johns Hopkins University! Here in Mason Hall, we’ve been celebrating the season by playing our Pandora Christmas music stations non-stop, hosting student group holiday parties, and wearing our favorite green and red sweaters and neckties. There’s an undeniable energy in the air, but for us Admissions professionals, it’s not coming from a gingerbread and candy cane overload (although that may be part of it, too). For us, the holiday season coincides with another wonderful time of the year: Early Decision season. In the past month and a half, we reviewed over 1,400 applicants who wowed us with their unique experiences, passions, and voices. On Friday evening, we’ll be releasing notifications and welcoming the first members of the Class of 2017.

There is perhaps no time of year as emotionally charged as the holidays. There’s the excitement of reunions with loved ones, the joy of giving and receiving gifts and sharing good food, and the reflections that inevitably accompany the end of one year and the start of another. But feelings of stress can be compounded in such a high-intensity time, especially if you’re a high school senior about to receive a decision that seems so huge in magnitude to many of the situations you’ve faced up to this point. Although these may seem like weak words coming from someone sitting in an Admissions Office far away from you and all of your hopes and dreams, I’ll write them anyway: Everything will be fine. You are not defined by your admissions decision. Although this may feel like the moment that will decide the course of your life forever and ever, it’s not.  We talk about the idea of “fit” a lot in our office, and we believe that there are many schools that can serve as a good fit for each student. Trust that you will end up in a place that is a good fit for you, whether that’s JHU or another institution.

             Speaking of admissions decisions, if you are an Early Decision applicant and have not yet logged into your ISIS account, please do so. You’ll need to set up your password to access your decision once they are released this Friday, December 14, at 6:00 p.m. EST. See more info in our previous post: http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/blog/2012/12/an-update-on-early-decision-notifications/. An e-mail with instructions on how to log in was sent to all applicants last Friday, December 7; a reminder was sent to those who hadn’t yet logged in yesterday, December 11. If you haven’t received an e-mail, please let us know at gotojhu@jhu.edu or (410) 516-8171 and we’ll help you out!

             One last note: this entry marks our 400^th Hopkins Insider post. This is quite a milestone in and of itself, but it gets better: the very first Hopkins Insider blog was posted by Admissions_Daniel on December 12, 2005—exactly seven years ago. During that time, H.I. has been viewed by thousands upon thousands of prospective students searching for an open and ”behind-the-scenes” perspective on the college admissions process. We hope to continue to bring warmth, humor, and lots of important information to those navigating their college searches, and we thank our readers for your support and thoughtful comments. Here’s to another 400+ blogs and many, many more years of the Hopkins Insider.

An Update on Early Decision Notifications

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This is a quick update for all of our Early Decision applicants who have been eagerly waiting since submitting their applications. Here’s what you need to know:

• Early Decision notifications will be released around 6:00 p.m. EST on Friday, December 14, 2012.
• You will access your decision through a decision release site. In order to get the log-in information for that, you’ll need to set up your account through the Johns Hopkins University Integrated Student Information System (ISIS). Never heard of that? Don’t panic. We’re sending out an e-mail to ALL applicants on December 7 that will include detailed instructions for accessing ISIS (or, if you have already attended CTY or a summer program here, you’ll be directed to re-activate your JHED ID.) You should log in now for two reasons: one, to make sure you’re all ready to access your decision once they’re released on the 14th; and two, by logging into ISIS, you’ll be able to check the status of your financial aid application and see any outstanding items. (Note: We don’t currently have a way to check your admissions application status online. At this point, we have already contacted those students who were missing any items from their applications. If you haven’t heard from us, your application is complete and you’re good to go!)
• Follow the instructions in the log-in e-mail carefully. If you get stuck or run into problems, call our office at (410) 516-8171 and we’ll talk you through it.
• We’ll send out an e-mail on December 14th letting everyone know when the decisions are ready. That e-mail will contain a link to the decision release site. Once you get there, use your ISIS (or, for some students, your JHED) ID and password.
• On December 14th, our office will have extended hours until 7:00 p.m. EST to assist students who are having problems accessing their decisions. Any other questions will be addressed during normal business hours the following week.
• If you don’t receive the e-mail on December 7 with your log-in information, try these things before calling us:
  • Check all e-mail accounts, including your parents’ and any others you might’ve used throughout your college application process. We’ll send all official communications to the e-mail you supplied on your application.
  • Check your spam/junk folders. Sometimes (rarely, but sometimes) our e-mails get caught up in spam filters.
  • If you still don’t have the e-mail, call or e-mail us at gotojhu@jhu.edu and we’ll get it figured out.

Good luck to all of our applicants!

In Their Own Words: Counselors on the Application Process

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Hello from Mason Hall! I hope those of you affected by Superstorm Sandy are recovering and finding relief. With the Early Decision deadline behind us (unless you were impacted by the storm, in which case you have until Tuesday, Nov. 6th to submit your application) and the Regular Decision deadline swiftly approaching, we Insiders thought it would be fun to gather some advice and reflections on the application process from our counseling staff. Read on to learn what Shannon Miller, Katie Rieder, and John Birney do when they need a break from work, what grabs their attention in an application, and what they wish they had known when they were in your shoes.

1) What really piques your interest when you’re reading a file? What gets you most excited about a student?

Shannon Miller: The part of the application that piques my interest the most is definitely the essay. This is the part of the application where I feel like I REALLY get to know the student who I have been reading about in all of the other pieces. It is where I get to hear his/her voice and imagine him/her on our campus. I know the student is a fit for us when after reading the essay I can see them in one of our classrooms, imagine them as a great roommate, or picture them giving back to our community.

Katie Rieder: Students that are passionate, and that passion is palpable in their application. It doesn’t matter what the student is passionate about – it could be jump roping, building robots, or being in beauty pageants. But if I find myself wanting to know more because the student is so excited about it, that’s a very good thing.

Demonstrated passion makes an application stand out.

John Birney: While academic achievements should be applauded, I’m really excited when I read students who are committed to being involved in various activities, and taking on leadership roles within them. Student-life is such a large part of what makes a school and its campus special, I do try to find students who will continue to make a positive impact on our campus by enhancing the various activities that excite them.

 2) If you could talk to your 17 year old self now, what is the one piece of advice you would give yourself about applying to college?

SM: Start earlier – I was a parent’s worst nightmare. I didn’t visit colleges until after I knew where I was admitted, and then we did a whirlwind tour of 7 colleges in 3 days. When it came to the application, I was THAT student submitting everything the night before the deadline. Now, don’t get me wrong, I LOVED my college experience (and definitely wouldn’t have changed it!), but the whole process would have been a lot easier and a lot less stressful if I had put a little more effort into it. I am NOT saying that you should be starting the college hunt in 7^th grade, or that you need to have your final list by 9^th. What I am saying is that during your junior year, you should start thinking about what you like, and how schools can match those interests, both inside and outside the classroom. Maybe, visit a few local schools – one large, one medium, and one small sized – to see where you feel comfortable. Then you can branch out further during the spring and summer, so when you go into your senior year, you have a solid list of where you want to apply. This will also allow you to focus on the application a bit earlier…maybe get some ideas rolling for that essay before the school year even starts. We all know that the fall of your senior year can be a bit crazy, so if some of the basic application stuff is already done, you can enjoy it a little more!

KR: Breathe.  It will work out.  And look forward to buying all new clothes. People dress very differently for college on the East Coast vs. the Midwest, where I grew up. That part of freshmen year was really fun.

JB: So much has changed since the days I applied to college! I would encourage myself to ask a lot of questions about what I really desire in a college experience, and then apply that to the vast amount of research that is available now, that wasn’t available then. Once I figured out my college choices, I would seriously consider applying Early Decision to my first choice school.

3) You’ve been reading applications for eight hours straight and you have one hour of “me time.” What do you do?

SM: It all depends on how I am feeling. Sometimes I will curl up on the couch and watch one of my favorite TV shows, sometimes I will go for a run, sometimes I’ll meet my friends for dinner, and sometimes I’ll go shopping. The one thing I do know about my “me time” is that I will definitely NOT be sitting by the computer…I need that time to give my eyes a break after all the reading I have been doing!

KR: Return all the clothes that I didn’t like/didn’t fit that I bought during an online shopping spree, which occurred while reading for 8 hours straight the week before. I obviously have a deep-seated shopping issue (see my answer to #2). I’d probably also make a nice dinner.

JB: Watch a Hopkins sporting event. It’s great to watch our competitive teams consistently win over our conference rivals – all while suppressing the memory that there are still more applications to read!

J.B. enjoys JHU athletic events, like lacrosse games, as his break from app reading.

 4) Choose one of the Common App essay topics. Write the first four sentences of your response to this topic.

SM: “Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.”

I overheard my mom talking to my dad – “the washing machine is clogged AGAIN…this time, with pizza crust. I just got all of the noodles out yesterday!” My sister, Catie, sat in the hallway crying, not knowing any English, and definitely not understanding why my mom was so frustrated. Of course, Catie put her leftovers from dinner in her pockets. Where else was she supposed to hide them?

JB: “Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.”

I’m not someone who cries. That’s not to say that I never have, or never will again, it’s just that shedding a tear isn’t on my daily list of things-to-do. At the birth of my first son Jack, I cried (more like a sob).  When my second son Carter was born, there I was weeping again. I cried when I presented my sister at her wedding; I even shed a tear at the when I hear the “Christmas Shoes” song. I’m learning that crying is really not all that bad, and recently, I cried at work.

See? Counselors are human too. They take shopping  and sports breaks, have things they would change about their college processes, and have interesting stories to share!

Best of luck as you complete your applications, and check back soon for more exciting news from Homewood!

FAQ Friday, Second Edition: The Essays

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Hello again and happy Friday from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. The hot topic this week that we know has been on your mind: What should you be for Halloween?? Great question. The possibilities are endless.

What’s that? You already know that you want to be the blue power ranger (good choice!) but what’s really on your mind is your application essay? I guess we can help with that, too. (And a note to our readers who are not quite application-ready: We know you’ve got questions too. I promise we’ll address some general, not-application-related questions soon.)

So. The application essay. There you are, all ready to submit your application and go about your business, except for the small matter of you versus the blinking curser. When it comes to application essays, there’s good news and bad news. The bad news is that the essay is an important part of your application. The good news? Your essay is an important part of your application! (Did you just do a cartoon double-take?) What this means is that your essays should be something that you spend some time on, because it’s your chance to show a little bit of your personality to the counselors who are reading your application. Admissions_Shannon already covered a lot of this in a post earlier this month: http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/blog/2012/08/the-write-stuff-essay-strategies-that-work/, and you can always read examples of previous essays that we liked on our “Essays that Worked” page: http://apply.jhu.edu/apply/essays.html. What we’re here for today are your FAQ about essays, so here goes…

You've read everything you can find about us... now we want to read about YOU!

#1. Are those, uh, word counts, like, totally set in stone, orrrr….??

We get it. By the time you’re asking this question, you’ve probably already got a 3,000-word masterpiece polished and ready to go. Good for you! There are tons of students staring at an empty page who hate you right now. Here’s the deal: the word counts are put there for a reason. Writing isn’t just about what you have to say, but how clearly and concisely you can communicate it when asked. (Do as we say and not as we do, as this “very brief” blog rambles on and on every week.) The essay form won’t cut you off, and your regional admissions counselor is not a robot programmed to self-destruct after the 500-word or 250-word limit, so don’t prematurely age yourself fretting over those last few words. BUT—and it’s a big but, which is why we made it bold and capitalized—the person reading your application has no obligation to read past the posted word limit so it’s in your best interest to get to the point quickly. In the words of John Mayer, say what you need to say, while keeping an eye on the word count limits. (Can we get #JohnMayerCollegeEssay trending on twitter? Anybody?) If you’re way over the limit and stuck on what to cut, employ your friends, family, counselors, dog, whoever, to help you whittle it down.

You'll get by with a little help from your friends...

#2 What makes an essay stand out?

Again, visit Admissions_Shannon’s excellent advice for essay writing or our Essays that Worked page for examples, but, in general, essays that are well written, interesting, and creative stand out. Essays that are heartfelt and genuine, or show a real passion for learning (or more specifically, learning at Johns Hopkins) or commitment to a social/extracurricular endeavor are memorable. Remember, the person reading your application is just that—a person. What kinds of things would stand out to you if you were reviewing essays all day? Think about that as you write your own piece. Which brings us to…

Take some time to plan out your essay. You'll be glad you did!

#3. What’s the appropriate amount of curse words in a college admissions essay?

Um. Ahem. Let us distract from the question at hand.  We’re not trying to stifle your creativity, but you should keep in mind that you’re writing for a specific audience. Things like excessive curse words, explicit descriptions of things that might make the common reader blush, etc., may not be your best choices. If you choose to talk about a controversial topic—which many students do, very successfully, every year—you should make sure your essay is constructed in a thoughtful way that reveals something about you  as a writer and as a scholar. You want your essay to be memorable because it was well written or thought-provoking, not because it made the application reader cringe. That being said, Johns Hopkins is a creative place and we have big hearts for the arts (trademark!) here, so you should feel free to get creative in the way that you’re delivering your essay. Not sure if your essay falls under “brilliantly creative” or “offensively off-putting”? Fair enough…some of the finest art in the world has gone through that dilemma. Check with your college counselor or a trusted teacher and they can help to steer you in the right direction.

To sum up: Be yourself. Be creative. And, try to stick to the listed word counts, even if you really don’t want to. Happy writing!

FAQ Friday, First Edition: Let’s Talk Testing

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If you’re a longtime reader of the site (which we assume you are; surely you have continued to keep up with the goings-on in the JHU Office of Undergraduate Admissions long after you applied, were admitted, attended, graduated, and went on to become a successful doctor/businessman or woman/author/philanthropist, etc.) then you  might remember a segment called “Friday Favorites” (http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/blog/category/friday-favorites/). We’re bringing it back, with a twist: check here on Fridays for a short segment called FAQ Friday, where we’ll briefly look at some of the most frequently asked questions we’re getting on the phones, from visitors, or through our gotojhu@jhu.edu account. Of course, you can always view our FAQ here: http://apply.jhu.edu/apply/faq.html, but maybe the question we’re addressing on some random Friday will be the very thing you’ve been meaning to e-mail us about.

The application race is underway...except it's not really a race. At all.

This week’s FAQ Friday: When do I need to send in my test results?

With the November 1 Early Decision deadline slowly/quickly approaching, we’re hearing this question a lot. Here’s the deal with when you need to submit your test results:

#1. (I think this will be a common thread in FAQ Fridays): Relax. You’re not alone. We receive over 20,000 applications each year, and every one of those applicants has to submit their scores so this is a common concern.

#2. Make sure you brush up on just what our requirements are. Someone should make a website for that. Oh wait! We already did and, being the geniuses that we are, we cleverly named it Standardized Test Requirements and you can find it here: http://apply.jhu.edu/apply/testreqs.html. Basically, you need either the SAT I Reasoning Test OR the ACT with Writing Test. We don’t have a preference on which test you take and you should send all of your scores to us. SAT II Subject Tests are not required, but are recommended. Go to the website. It makes things sound much more official than that.

We wouldn't recommend taking your SATs using a red marker like this clip art lady appears to be doing.

#1a. Sorry. This is out of order (and also brings to mind a pro essay-writing tip: outlines can be your best friend) but it speaks to the main message of #1 (It was “relax”…have you forgotten already? You should get more rest.): Yes, we are talking about standardized tests. Yes, they will be considered in your application. No, no, no, they are not the end-all, be-all of your application and there is no magic number that we’re looking for. If there were, our admissions counselors would have a lot more free time on their hands. Unfortunately for them but happily for you, your test results are a small part of your application.  But, scores are required and, for some unknown reason, they seem to cause lots of stress among our applicants, so that’s why we’re talking about them today.

Back to relaxing.

Where were we? Oh right...we were relaxing. Of course.

#3. So you’ve taken your SAT I or ACT with Writing Test and AS IF that wasn’t stressful enough, now you’re chewing your fingernails to nubs wondering if your scores will get here on time. First, you should stop chewing your fingernails. Nasty habit to break. Secondly, here’s our stance on that:

Johns Hopkins requires that Early Decision (ED) candidates complete their required tests no later than October of their senior year. This means that applicants must take either the SAT or ACT with Writing prior to the November 1 ED deadline. (When TOEFL is required that exam must also be taken before November 1.) Test scores need to be requested from the testing agencies prior to our stated application deadlines but may arrive after the deadline. Though October scores will arrive past the deadline they will still be considered if requested in advance of the deadline. There is no need to rush score reports as they do not arrive any earlier. We cannot guarantee that November scores will arrive before the Admissions Committee evaluation.

Past experience does suggest that exams taken in November usually arrive in time. Therefore, Early Decision applicants may submit November testing if they are taking the SAT, ACT, or TOEFL a multiple time, or if they are taking the recommended but not required SAT subject exams. If the scores arrive before the evaluation then they will be considered with one’s application. We cannot guarantee that scores sent after our application deadline will be processed in time to be reviewed with one’s application and we do not delay the review of an application to wait for scores sent after the application deadline. Again, there is no need to rush scores from the testing agencies, as our office will not process them any quicker.

For Regular Decision, the above holds true with the dates switched out: Regular Decision (RD) candidates should complete their required tests no later than December of their senior year. This means that applicants must take either the SAT or ACT with Writing prior to the January 1 RD deadline. Note that if you plan to send January scores, you must submit your previous test scores prior to the January 1 deadline and then send any January scores as a later update. If you do not submit test scores prior to the January 1 deadline then your application will be considered incomplete.

Wrap it up, Admissions_Shelly. We don't have all day to read this blog.

#4 So, OMG, get to the point. (I know, I know…if this were a Common Application essay, I’d be 300+ words over the limit and the admissions counselor would be getting antsy. Not okay.) So in short: If you are taking your required tests for the FIRST time, you need to do so and request that your scores be sent to us before the application deadline. If you’re taking the test a second/third/seriously, do you love taking tests or something? time (or if you’re submitting the recommended but not required SAT II Subject tests), you can take it after the deadline to supplement your application but we can’t guarantee that it will arrive at our office in time to make it into your file. Most likely, it will arrive in time; HOWEVER, we can’t guarantee it and we can’t hold up application review to wait for test scores, so if you are really counting on an updated test score for your application, you should be safe and take the test before the application deadline.

Sound good? Sounds good to us, but then, our policies and procedures usually do. And I guess we weren’t into that whole brevity thing this week—better luck next time! Have a great weekend!