A Post for the JHU Transfer Applicant

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Today the Hopkins Insider blog welcomes guest author and Senior Assistant Director of Admissions Sarah Godwin. Sarah is the Transfer Admissions coordinator and has been with Johns Hopkins for over three years.

Hello and greetings from Undergraduate Admissions. As you know, the focus of the past few months here has been to admit and enroll the freshman class. The entire month of April, I watched as one tent after another was set up outside of my window—preparation for the many visitors we welcomed to campus in April, including alumni and admitted freshman students and their families. (See, isn’t that a beautiful tent?)

One of the tents that appeared on Decker Quad in April

While my colleagues were 110% focused on the admission and recruiting process for freshmen, I was (and still am) thinking about you, our transfer applicants. As the transfer coordinator here, my job is to make sure that your application gets reviewed thoroughly and in an organized fashion. This year, we received over 1,000 applications for transfer admission which is a record here at Hopkins.  With such a large number of applications, it is important to mention that each transfer applicant is unique, since there are a large variety of reasons that students make the decision to transfer. As an office, we try to understand your unique situation. Our goal is to reach a decision that is best for both you and the institution regarding your future educational plans.

Here is what happens when you apply:

Step 1: A complete application is eligible for review (students with incomplete applications were contacted on April 20, so if you did not get an incomplete notice, you can assume your application is complete).

Step 2: After admissions staff performs an initial review of all your credentials, your college transcript gets sent (electronically—we’re very high-tech!) to our colleagues in Academic Advising. If you indicated interest in an engineering major, the engineering advising office gets your transcript; if you’ve indicated a major in arts and sciences, the arts and sciences office gets your transcript.

Step 3: The respective advising offices do a second look at the transcript to check for appropriate preparation and make suggestions on course preparation. If you are offered admission, you will receive a personalized preliminary credit evaluation so you can see what courses may count towards your Hopkins degree.  Depending on your individual situation, it may also include suggestions for summer classes to make sure you are well- prepared when you arrive.  More information about credit transfer is available here: http://apply.jhu.edu/apply/faq_transfer.html#credits.

Step 4: If you are a financial aid applicant, your information is also sent to Student Financial Services so that your file may be reviewed by them. *Note that steps 3 and 4 are typically performed simultaneously (but one of them had to go first!)

Step 5: Committee Review. After steps 1-4 are completed, your file is now totally complete and the transfer committee does a final review on your transfer application. At this time, we take into account course capacity issues, availability of housing on campus (freshman and sophomores are required to live on campus), overall academic preparation, and ability for students to contribute to life at Johns Hopkins outside of the classroom.  

Step 6: Decisions are ready to mail! In 2011, all transfer decisions will be released by the final week in May. You will be notified of your decision first by e-mail, and then via postal mail.

The Quintessential Hopkins Image

The most frequently asked questions I get about transfer admissions are “when will I know my decision?” and “is there any way to get my decision prior to then?”  The only answer I can provide is that all transfer decisions will be released by the end of May. Unfortunately, because of the process outlined above, we are not able to release transfer decisions prior to the end of May.  Please note we are not able to process requests for those who would like an earlier decision. We certainly understand that you may need to make a decision to attend a different institution during this time. If you choose to do so, let us know (via e-mail at transfers@jhu.edu) and we will withdraw your application.

A Happy Group of JHU Students

I hope this post has given you a bit more information about our transfer process here at Johns Hopkins. If you have not yet visited the transfer FAQ page, it has further information about the transfer process. http://apply.jhu.edu/apply/faq_transfer.html

That is my exclusive, “inside peek” into the transfer admissions process at Johns Hopkins.  I hope you’ve found it useful!

Additional May Updates: Wait List, Transfer, and Vacation

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I was looking back over the past four plus years of this blog and specifically entries posted in the month of May and there are two common themes: (1) frequent updates on wait list and transfer; and (2) discussion of my first vacation of the summer. Well, since those entries have worked so well in the past I thought what better blog topic then updates on wait list, transfer, and my pending vacation.

Wait List Status Update
Earlier this week my Admissions colleagues initiated step two of our wait list process. In my previous wait list update, I explained that the staff had previously selected and contacted approximately 30 students for admission from the wait list. Those phone calls were made on May 14 and May 17 and we have received the responses we were waiting for. After reviewing the numbers, it was decided that an additional 20 or so students would be contacted this week by phone (step two) and be offered a place in the Class of 2014. As of this morning (Friday, May 21) all of our phone calls have been made and about 50 students have been offered admission from the wait list.

Now we move into another waiting phase. It is important to note that we have a certain number of spots to fill in our class but that number changes throughout the early summer as students are admitted from other wait lists and remove themselves from the JHU Class. We are able to predict that movement in general, but we also need to meet specific enrollment targets. It is our belief that the wait list decisions we have made the last two weeks will enable us to hit our target but there is still uncertainty in that. Therefore, at this time we do not have plans to release our wait list, nor are we stating that we will not admit any additional students from the wait list. We have made offers, now we wait for responses, and wait to see if any other students withdraw. In early June, we will re-evaluate everything and see what next steps are necessary.

As I stated previously, it is our expectation that if we need to admit any other students from the wait list it will only be a handful at best. It is fair to say that if you have not yet been contacted, the chances for your admissions from the wait list are slim. We have essentially met our enrollment targets now, and though we are not releasing the entire wait list at this time it does appear that will most likely be our next step. I do wish I could provide a more concrete and definitive timeline but unfortunately this is how the wait list selection process works. As always, keep an eye out on our Wait List Discussion Thread for further updates.

Transfer Update
It was just determined that the transfer decision mail date this year will be Wednesday, May 26. The Transfer Admissions Committee is using the next few days to finalize all decisions and then turn the process over to our Operations team to generate all the letters. As typical, decision letters will be mailed on May 26 and in the late afternoon e-mail decisions will be sent to all applicants who provided a working e-mail.

Please note that the Admissions Office will be closed on Thursday, May 27 for Commencement ceremonies, again on Monday, May 31 for Memorial Day, and once again on Tuesday, June 1 for an office retreat. There will be a skeletal staff in the office on Friday, May 28 so please understand that we will not be accepting phone calls about transfer decisions until Wednesday, June 2.

Best of luck to all the transfer applicants and thanks for your patience.

Vacation Time
This will be the last update for the next few weeks. I have actually been out of the office since Friday of last week down in Florida with my family. Tomorrow I depart for a much need vacation in the Bahamas. Though my laptop will be making the trip with me, I plan to only use it to add music to my iPod and watch DVDs on the plane ride. I’ll be back in Baltimore in early June and will post a blog update when I am all caught up with the work I am ignoring while on vacation.

Early May Updates

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I returned from my travels in New England last weekend and have spent the week in the office catching up on a lot of little tasks. March and April are such busy months for me that a number of smaller tasks are pushed to the back-burner and it is always this first week in May that I tackle those projects. At the same time that we are ramping up the recruitment phases of the next admissions cycle (the Class of 2015!); there are still tasks to complete regarding the wrapping up of the current admissions cycle. I am specifically referring to the Wait List and Transfers.

Many in the Admissions world point to May 1 every year as the close of the admissions cycle. Though May 1 – the National Response Deadline Day – is a very important day, it is not the end as there are always Wait List and Transfer decisions to render. Since I know that the students who selected to remain on the Johns Hopkins wait list have many questions, as do the Transfer applicants who applied by the March 15 deadline, I thought I would provide the most up-to-date information I can at this time in early May. This will be my first, but not last, blog entry dedicated to Wait List and Transfer updates.

Wait List Status Update
The theme of this update is pretty simple, NO NEWS YET. There has been a lot of speculation and curiosity about whether we will need to admit students from our wait list, but I can confirm that as of the morning of May 6 the Admissions staff has had absolutely no discussion on this topic. For us, it is simply too early to make such decisions. Our process is and has always been quite deliberate. Just because some of our peer institutions have decided to activate their wait list does not mean we will be doing the same, nor does it mean we need to be acting in haste. We work with our own time-line and right now we are still analyzing all the responses by the May 1 deadline.

I suspect (and this is just my speculation) that we will have some discussion early next week regarding next steps. At that time we could decided to still wait, or we could decide to admit some students. I have no idea what conclusions will be made because they will only be made after Dean Latting discusses the options with the Admissions Committee. So the conclusion to gain from this update is that you need to remain patient.

Also, I remind you all that you should continue to review our Wait List Discussion Thread as there is a ton of helpful information there. Included there is the following response to the question of when one might hear about their wait list status:

“Our decision of whether we will admit students off the wait list will not be made prior to May 1 and it is more likely we will make that determination closer to June 1. We strongly recommend that you submit your deposit to a school where you have been accepted. If you are later admitted to Hopkins from the wait list and choose to attend, you will withdraw your enrollment from the other school and forfeit the previous deposit.”

And remember, if you have any questions about the Johns Hopkins wait list, post them there: Wait List Discussion Thread.

Transfer Update
The Transfer Admissions Committee (which I am part of for the first time in my career) is nearing completion of the first-read evaluations on the nearly 825 transfer applications we received this year. This total continues an increase of the number of transfer applications we receive each year, and based on feedback from my colleagues the quality of the applications is on par with the previous years (which means they are quite good). It has been an enjoyable for me to participate in the transfer review process as it is quite different than reviewing freshmen applications. Nearly each applicant has a unique story to tell, and has taken risks including going through the transfer admissions process. Participating in this process makes me reflect on my own experiences, which I discussed in a May 2007 Insider Blog entry entitled “An Ode to the Transfer Applicant.”

Over the next couple of weeks the Transfer Admissions Committee will be continuing the evaluation process and the plan is to release decisions by the end of May. No official date has been selected yet, as the official number of transfer students we can admit is tied to a number of issues revolving around the overall enrollment of the school. Expect transfer decisions to be released via e-mail and postal mail sometime during the third or fourth week of May.

At this stage in the transfer review process the discussion is as much about the quality of each individual applicant and the fit of each applicant to Hopkins, as it is about the overall number of admits we can offer. The enrolling freshmen class size, retention rates, housing spaces, academic distribution of programs, class sizes, and a number of other factors all tie into our decision making process. So there are a lot of numbers that will be figured out in the coming weeks — but rest assured the Transfer Review Committee is hard at work.

If you are a current transfer applicant and have any specific questions, please feel free to utilize the Transfer Exchange section of our Hopkins Forums.

LipDub Time Again
That is it for now. I’ll leave you all with something that constantly puts a smile on my face – the second production of a LipDub by the Hopkins Interactive students:

Hopkins Interactive presents: LipDub – Take 2 from Hopkins Interactive on Vimeo.

The second installment of our LipDub features the HI members having some fun in the Bufano Sculpture Garden on the Homewood Campus.

May Updates (Part One)

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Welcome to a new year. Most of you are looking at the calendar and also seeing that this entry is posted on May 18, 2009 … and now you are all thinking I am crazy. But I am not. In my world, the one dominated by the college admissions calendar, this past weekend was the start of a new year. In my cyclical profession the traditional January through December calendar just doesn’t make sense.

For those who work in college admissions there are specific dates every year that mark the changing of cycles and responsibilities. Yes, the job is seasonal with generally the fall being recruitment time, the winter being reading time, the spring being conversion time, and the summer being relaxing time. But every year that seasonal breakdown gets muddled. For me there are always those crucial dates that act as sign-posts along the way. First came December 15 and the release of Early Decision notifications. That was followed by March 27 and the release of Regular Decision notifications. Ultimately, the “end of the year” came this past Friday, May 15, when final decisions were rendered about the wait list and transfer applicants. As I left the office on Friday I realized two things, the 2008-09 admissions cycle was complete AND I could finally relax. I actually enjoyed my first weekend free of work for the entire year (traditional Jan-Dec. calendar year), hence the lack of update on Saturday are I alluded to in my last entry. More on my relaxation to come.

Friday, May 15 was one of those sign-posts days. Since I didn’t provide details about the events of May 15 like I did on December 15 and March 27, I thought I would as promised provide additional information about our wait list and transfer decisions. If neither of these topics interest you, then skip to the end.

WAIT LIST UPDATE
Simply put, we have enrolled the Class of 2013. More specifically, at this time we have over-enrolled the Class of 2013. This was not something we expected to do, but over the last two weeks since the May 1st response deadline, it was clear that we would have more than the enrollment target of 1235. How big the class will ultimately be will not be known until probably August, as we expect a “summer melt” do to wait list activity at other universities and other smaller reasons such as deferment and the possibility of academic / disciplinary issues. However, after discussions this past week it is pretty clear that we probably will not need to admit any students from the wait list this year.

Upon making that decision Friday, we sent emails (today we will send letters) to all students who sent back the blue postcard and decided to “remain on the wait list.” The vast majority of these messages states we currently do not intend on admitting any additional students from the wait list this year and that we have now met our enrollment target for the fall. This is our wait list release letter and though a disappointment, it does end the waiting process. We wish you the best in your college career and appreciate the interest you showed in Hopkins.

A small handful of “remain on wait list” students will receive a slightly different correspondence. This group of students was selected by the Admissions Committee to receive an offer to remain on an extended summer wait list. This message states that although we have met our enrollment targets, in the rare event that space might become available, we will consider the students on this extended wait list. For those selecting to remain on the extended summer wait list from this group, an official final decision will be rendered no later than July 31st. Two important things to note about the extended summer wait list: (1) the chances for admission remain slim and only will occur in the rare cases that more spaces become available. In recent years we have not had to use this extended summer wait list. And (2) the Admissions Committee selects the students to be offered a spot on the extended summer wait list, it is not something a wait listed student may request.

I hope all this makes sense. As always, if you have any questions please feel free to post them on the Wait List Discussion Forum. We understand that this process can be frustrating and at times the waiting seems as if we were “stringing you along.” We appreciate your patience. Every year these decisions are quite difficult to make, and I hope you understand how much we agonize over these decisions. Best of luck to each and every one of you.

TRANSFER UPDATE
As I mentioned in my short updates at the end of last week, transfer decision notifications were released via email and postal mail on May 15. The transfer admissions committee worked diligently over the last couple of weeks to hit this earlier than normal decision release date. Beyond the reading of the 799 transfer applications, the Committee also faced numerous conversations about how many transfer students to admit. Unlike with freshman admission, transfer admission is highly linked to questions of the overall size of the class, housing availability, course registration availability, and a number of other factors unrelated to the actual application for admissions. Ultimately, we offered admission to 70 strongly qualified and unique students, and students we feel will make excellent Hopkins students.

Congratulations to those admitted transfer students. I hope you will use the Transfer Exchange section of the Hopkins Forums as well as the Admitted Transfer Facebook group we set-up for you to ask questions and obtain useful information. The Admissions and Advising staff as well as Transfer Ambassadors / Buddies (current JHU students who were former transfer students) are a great source of information as you make the decision whether to attend.

To those not admitted, we understand your disappointment. Applying as a transfer student to Hopkins is quite competitive, especially since we have so little room in the class for transfer students. We wish you the best of luck with your continued college search.

FURTHER UPDATES TO FOLLOW
This post has gotten a bit longer than I originally anticipated so I am going to stop here and get back to some other work. Check back on Thursday for a special Commencement entry, and then early next week a post on a random collection of updates. I’ll leave you with a random collection of pictures that will be related to those updates.

Transfer and Wait List Decisions Released Today (5.15.09)

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This is going to be a quick update as I must get back to my "to do list" for the day. As the entry title states, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions will be releasing notifications to all transfer applicants as well as all wait listed students who chose to remain on the wait list. Notifications are going out via postal mail and email later today.

I can't reveal anything else at this time, until notifications are released. I'll post more either tonight or Saturday morning. Please do not call the Admissions Office as we will not release decisions about transfer admissions nor wait list decisions over the phone.

A Full Update is on the Horizon

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Apologies for the long absence. No I haven’t disappeared. No I haven’t been fired. No I haven’t gone on vacation, YET! And, no I haven’t been lazy. The reason for the two plus week absence is simply because there has been a lack of information to update you all on.

This time of year the primary people visiting the Hopkins Insider blog are looking for updates on one of two categories: (1) The Wait List and (2) Transfer Decisions. Though there have been quite active discussions regarding both of these issues throughout the month, unfortunately there has not been any official decisions rendered, hence nothing I can share on the blog.

What I can assure you is that staff is working quite diligently on both fronts and hope to have updates shortly. The goal for transfer decision release has been this Friday, May 15 and as I depart the office on Wednesday it appears we are still on target. Please do not take that as an official confirmation as there are still some crucial decisions that need to be made before we can release those decisions. Any further deliberations could lead to us pushing the decision release date to early next week.

As far as wait list, there have been many discussions this week and there is hope during a staff meeting this Friday some final determinations will be made. Please do not read into anything here … no decision about whether or not we will use the wait list has been made. As always, stay tuned to the Wait List Discussion Thread for any updates.

Not much more I can say right now. I am off to root on the Washington Capitals in a crucial Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs (yes, I am a huge hockey fan) and then it is the season finale of LOST. No worries, I’ll be back in the office with my colleagues on Thursday and Friday working diligently on both transfers and the wait list. Just a bit more patience please.

I’ll leave my blog fans with one last update preview … more to follow on who this amazing young man is.

Updates 2.0

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Lots been going on this week, so instead of being miserable watching my mediocre NY Mets lose to the Atlanta Braves once again, I have devoted this evening to providing you all with some important updates. It would be easy for me to start this blog entry with some traditional popular culture references … such as how I am not sure if I can wait any longer for the season finale of LOST next Thursday … or how I think my addiction to Grand Theft Auto 4 has become a full blown illness … or how I look forward to a double feature of summer movies over Memorial Day weekend (Iron Man and Indiana 4) … or how I really hope the NHL Stanley Cup series between Pittsburgh and Detroit is as amazing a series as it is set-up to be … but instead of elaborating on these topics I am going to go straight to the updates. So without further adieu…

TRANSFER DECISIONS UPDATE

As of late this afternoon (Wednesday, May 21), transfer admissions decisions have been released. In the morning, the Transfer Admissions Committee confirmed decisions on the just over 730 applications for Fall 2008 admissions, with just under 70 students being admitted. Decision letters were dropped off at the Baltimore post office at just around 4:00pm and a little while after that decision emails were sent to those applicants who provided a working email address with their application.

Congratulations to those admitted transfer students, and as mentioned in the last two Insider Blog updates, we hope you will use the new Transfer Exchange section of the Hopkins Forums to ask questions and obtain useful information. JHU_Tanya and the other JHU Transfer Buddies are a great source of information as you make the decision whether to “stay or go.”

To those not admitted, we understand your disappointment. Applying as a transfer student to Hopkins is quite competitive, especially since we have so little room in the class for transfer students. We wish you the best of luck with your continued college search.

Finally, for those who did not receive a decision email, please note that just like with the release of freshman decisions we are unable to re-send decision emails. You will need to wait for your decision to arrive via the postal mail. The Admissions Office will begin to receive phone calls starting next Tuesday (May 27) for those who would like decisions to be released over the phone. Note that the Admissions Office is closed on Thursday for Commencement and next Monday for Memorial Day, and on this Friday are unable to discuss transfer decisions over the phone.

WAIT LIST UPDATE

Not much new news to report from what I wrote on May 9th. The number of offers of admissions to wait list students this year stands at just about 30 students. We continue to be deliberate about our choices on whether or not we need to admit additional students from the wait list. All signs currently point to either a small handful of additional offers in the next week or no additional offers at this time. I wish I had more to report, but nothing has been finalized. Continue to check the Wait List Discussion Thread for any additional news.

What ever decisions we make in the next week or so, it is apparent that we will once again choose to release the majority of our wait list some time in early June. Additionally, we will most likely decide to hold a small percentage of students on an extended summer wait list. For details on how the summer wait list works, I suggest reading this update post from last year. Continued patience is much appreciated.

COMMENCEMENT 2008

In just about 7 hours from now I will be arriving at the Homewood campus to volunteer for Commencement 2008. I have the fantastic job of driving around campus in a golf cart to help people get from one place to another during the busy day of Commencement activities. This is actually my first ever Commencement day at Hopkins, because this time of year I am usually on vacation in the Bahamas. Come to think of it, this is actually the first graduation I will ever attend since entering the field of college admissions ten years ago. I am happy that I am able to attend this year, as the Class of 2008 is the first class at Hopkins that I was involved with the admissions selection process. There are some amazing students graduating tomorrow, ones that will truly be missed.

One of the cool things about the Hopkins Commencement ceremonies is that there is a live webcast. If interested, and have some free time on Thursday … check it out.

GO HOPKINS GO!!!

Besides Commencement ceremonies, the Memorial Day weekend is a huge one for Hopkins fans. Both the Men’s Lacrosse team and the Men’s Baseball team will be vying for National Championships this weekend.

The Men’s Baseball team has made it to their second Division III World Series in school history. On Friday in Appleton, WI the baseball team will take on Adrian with hopes in remaining in the winner’s bracket and having the chance to host the trophy on May 26th. Stay updated here.

The Men’s Lacrosse team makes another appearance in the LAX Final Four, this year held at Gillette Stadium in New England. On Saturday, Hopkins faces nemesis Duke in one of the two semifinal games, with the hope that we can repeat our success from the 2005 and 2007 Final Fours by beating Duke once again. If so, then we face the UVA vs. Syracuse champion on Memorial Day. Can you say 3 championships in 4 years??? Fingers crossed. Watch all the excitement on ESPN2 or keep updated here.

I’ll be back next week with additional updates if available, and hopefully some great pictures from Commencement and maybe a couple of National Championships too.

A Transfer Student’s Tale: Should I Stay or Should I Go?

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Back in the fall, the Hopkins Insider blog had a few guest authors that shared their own personal entries. We had my Mom providing advice to parents as well as Tabitha, an international freshmen student, writing about the transition to Hopkins as an international student. I find guest authors to be a great part of the Hopkins Insider blog, because I can call on others connected to the whole admissions process who can provide their own words and expertise in areas that I am less familiar.

So today I turn to my next guest author, Tanya Lukasik, who has become in many ways my transfer admissions guru. I first connected with Tanya more than a year and a half ago through this blog, where she infamously pressured me to write more information for transfer applicants. Since that is not one of the areas I directly work with it was not one of my natural inclinations to write Transfer topics. Well, Tanya has continued to push me, and since she has become an expert in a lot of these areas I turn the Hopkins Insider blog over to her today. Enjoy!

******************************************************************************************************************************************************

Following in a rather time-honored Hopkins Interactive tradition, I have listed a song title to highlight the general theme of my blog entry, the decision to embark on the transfer admissions journey, as well as to pay homage to a musical gem with significant contextual and symbolic meaning — a classic song brought to us by no other than the ‘ultimate’ eighties band, The Clash. (Cue strum of the imaginary electric air guitar)

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Taking a moment to briefly introduce myself, my name is Tanya M. Lukasik, and I am a junior student enrolled at Johns Hopkins, double majoring in Psychological and Brain Sciences as well as Public Health, with a Pre-Medical concentration. I am interested in pursuing a career in psychiatric medicine, specifically child and adolescent psychiatry, and am originally from Long Island, New York.  I am a member of the Student Admissions Advisory Board and undeniably bring a rather unique perspective to our student admissions team, as I am a TRANSFER student — one of the few brave souls who made the courageous decision to “go,” rather than “stay” at their previous institutions and happily ended up at Hopkins. I can state with pride and relief that I successfully survived the battle of transfer admissions, a mysterious, rather unknown undergraduate realm plagued by lengthy applications and incredibly frightening acceptance statistics; remarkably, I came out standing, unscathed, and am here to report on my transfer tales.

In an effort to reach out to the on-edge applicants who have recently submitted their transfer application(s), (the Hopkins deadline was March 15!), as well as to address the concerns of the upcoming waves of prospective transfer students, Admissions_Daniel has graciously given me the opportunity (and honor) to utilize this blog entry to offer my advice regarding the monumental decision many students, (and maybe several readers) will ponder and possibly encounter during their academic collegiate journey: the decision to transfer.“Should You Stay, or Should You Go?”

Please explain in detail why you wish to transfer to Johns Hopkins University?

Just 13 measly words! Reviewing this Johns Hopkins Application Supplement essay prompt during the summer of 2006, these thirteen words simplistically invoked such a complex, introspective personal inquiry and required an in-depth explanation highlighting why I wanted to specifically leave the ‘comfort’ of my home institution, and venture into the collegiate unknown.

What were my reasons, my motivations, my plans and my goals, and what was potentially lacking at my current university that could be offered and solved at Johns Hopkins? What was precipitating my desire to leave New York and travel to a new environment within the city of Baltimore, a campus full of new faces, new professors, and new challenges? Maybe I could sum it up with the words of the Clash front man, “If I go there will be trouble…And if I stay it will be double.” Nah, I don’t think the Admissions Committee would like that response….

“Once upon a time….” I was a sophomore at a local state university, unhappy with my overall academic experience which left me searching for a new and improved college environment, a greater scholastic challenge, and a more well-rounded undergraduate education. The limited course selections, a restrictive core curriculum, academic advising frustrations, an intellectually uninspiring campus, (rumor has it the academic buildings were designed by a prison architect), and my daily, exhausting commute, served as the perfect combination of ingredients leading to an undergraduate transfer.  Furthermore, I was interested in obtaining a top-notch pre-medical education, complete with individualized attention from professors, accessible teaching assistants, small class sizes, an abundance of science laboratories, and access to ample research and clinical opportunities, something that my current institution unfortunately could not offer.

Other valid reasons that may lead to the consideration of transferring to a new institution include:

1. Institution Size (Too small, too big? Not just right…)
2. Class Size and Types (Availability of discussions, seminars, and tutorials? Student-Teacher Ratio?)
3. Major Selection (Want to major in Neuroscience, Political Science, Public Health, Education, Classics, Basket-weaving?)
4. Course Selection and Level of Difficulty (Flexibility of Curriculum? Is it too easy, too difficult?)
5. Campus (Close to a city? Lack of pretty scenery? Safety?)
6. Student Life (Lack of a social scene, or too much partying? Campus organizations, Extracurriculars.)
7. Quality of Faculty (Is there interaction? Too involved in research? Bueller, Bueller?)
8. Off Campus Opportunities? (Research, hospitals, courts, proximity to metropolitan areas?)
9. Housing Issues (Want a chance to live on campus, or alternatively, off campus?)
10. Special Programs Offered (Want to study abroad, shadow a physician, or enroll in a class at the School of Public Health?)

Assuming the role of Sherlock Holmes, transfer student style, I went into my exploratory search looking for an institution that would meet my specific, personalized criteria. I visited numerous undergraduate admissions web sites, reviewed transfer requirements and application deadlines, and requested admissions material from universities I was interested in potentially attending during the upcoming fall.  My mailman became pretty agitated during this period, as bulky, rather heavy view books and packages from numerous colleges were sent to my home address. (Sorry Mr. McFeely!)

After narrowing down my institutional search to about ten contenders, (warning: applying to five or more schools will increase your risk for a future clinically insane diagnosis), I contacted admissions representatives with specific questions, visited admissions-based message board forums to discuss student life, (Shameless Plug: apply.jhu.edu/forums), made plans to visit five universities, took notes and snapped pictures during my campus tours, and finally, the organizational nerd that I am, I ranked my transfer university selections utilizing a “Pro-Con” List.

Important Areas to Also Consider

During the Application Phase: Meeting eligibility requirements, the time of year, your class status, your academic and professional resume, your readiness to research and visit schools, collect recommendation letters, handle transfer credits and acceptance anxiety.

During the Acceptance Phase: Are you willing to potentially move to a new campus; are you ready to meet new people coming in as a glorified freshman; are you okay with the prospect that you might graduate later than anticipated; affordability and feasibility; housing; improving your study habits; bottom line, are you ready for a totally new educational experience?

The Final Decision – Should You Stay or Should You Go?

After I received all of my acceptances during the Summer of 2007, final things that ultimately swayed my decision regarding where to transfer were:

1) My initial “PRO/CON” List analysis
2) Transfer credit processing and the acceptance of credit
3) Tuition and off campus housing costs
4) Meetings with Academic Advisors = The time they reserved to meet with me, as well as their tone, warmth, and professionalism
5) And finally, which school had imaginary trumpets blaring when I arrived…  (Please read my first guest blog, to understand)

In conclusion, the decision to transfer to a new institution is something that should not be taken lightly.  It is a process that requires the applicant to make an important personal, reflective inquiry regarding their past and their future, as well as a process that involves a tremendous amount of research, time, effort, and commitment, all boiling down to the original question, “should you stay or should you go?” I hope my transfer-related advice has served to provide some helpful assistance and to close, I’m happy to report: I’m incredibly pleased and grateful that I decided “to go…”

Update Time: Wait List News / Transfer Happenings / and LOST Theories

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"It’s May … I am not supposed to be busy."

This is what I keep saying to myself. After the fury of February (finishing first reads), the mayhem of March (committee reviews), and the abundance of April (tons of visitors and events), — [you all like that alliteration, huh?] — the month of May is supposed to be my down time. However, this year it does not seem to be going that way. My spring travel was quite busy (details to follow soon) and now it is past 7:00pm on Friday evening and I am still at work.

Why is this you ask? Well, because after a busy day it is time to provide updates to some of my readers … namely (1) those on the wait list; (2) those who applied for transfer admissions; and (3) those who are fanatics for LOST like me. So without further adieu … it is update time:

WAIT LIST UPDATE

This afternoon (Friday, May 9), the Admissions Committee contacted approximately 30 students who had selected to remain on the Johns Hopkins wait list and offered them a spot in the JHU Class of 2012. Congratulations goes out to those students and we hope you all choose to attend. The Class of 2012 is shaping up to be one of our best ever, and we feel those selected today will make a great addition.

For the rest of you, please understand this is just step one in our process. Because you were not contacted today does not mean you will not be offered a spot in the class in the future. As always, we are quite deliberate in our process regarding the wait list. Everything is tied to the number of students in the enrolling class, and at this time we have slightly surpassed our 1235 enrollment target. Despite being slightly above our target, the Admissions Committee decided today to admit a handful of students off the wait list to increase our enrollment slightly and to protect against the "summer melt." (Don’t know what summer melt is click here.)

I said it last year and will said it again this year … we have not in the past, and will not this year make any rash decisions. Over the next few weeks, the staff will continue to monitor the numbers and discuss wait list issues. We may decide to admit another round of students off the wait list, or we may determine that the class is sealed. We could also choose to select some students for an extended summer wait list and release all the others. There are a number of options available to us, and we will continue to discuss all of them in relation to our enrollment figures over the coming days and weeks. We hope to have finalized all decisions about the wait list by mid-June. Once we have reached a decision, all students who selected to remain on the wait list will be notified by mail or email.

What we ask of you all now is PATIENCE. We respect and understand the frustration that comes with being asked to wait, and we are placing as much urgency on these wait list questions as possible. However, this takes time. In addition to your patience, we request that you refrain from contacting us to ask about your individual status on the wait list. As I have stated on the Wait List Discussion Thread, we do not rank our wait list. Therefore, we can not field questions from wait listed students requesting an individual assessment of one’s chances of being admitted off the wait list. Your patience and restraint will be appreciated, and once an update is available I will post again.

TRANSFER APPLICATION UPDATE

The transfer student is the forgotten student when it comes to the Hopkins Insider blog, but I hope that such impressions will change with a few of the initiatives we will launch in the coming weeks. Before we get to that announcement, let me provide you all with a brief update as to where we stand with regards to transfer applications.

The Transfer Review Committee is nearly completion of the first-read evaluations of the over 700 completed transfer applications we received this year. This is a consistent total of applications for the last few years, and based on reviews the quality is on par with the previous years as well. Over the next couple of weeks the committee will be continuing the evaluation process and the plan is to release decisions by the end of May. No official date has been selected yet, as the official number of transfer students we can admit is tied to a number of issues revolving around the overall enrollment of the school.

As always, at this stage in the transfer review process the discussion is as much about the quality of each individual applicant and the fit of each applicant to Hopkins, as it is about the overall number of admits we can offer. The enrolling freshmen class size, retention rates, housing spaces, academic distribution of programs, and a number of other factors all tie into our decision making process. So there are a lot of numbers that will be figured out in the coming weeks — but rest assured the Transfer Review Committee is hard at work.

Now for the exciting news …

Last year I began to outreach a bit to transfer students with my "Ode to the Transfer Applicant" blog entry. I confessed in that entry though that since I am not part of the Transfer Admissions Review Committee I have little information to supply to prospective transfer students and applicants. I do the best I can and reference my colleagues often, but my focus is elsewhere in the office. But through the extremely hard work of a current transfer student at Hopkins, Tanya Lukasik, we have number of initiatives through Hopkins Interactive for transfer students.

First, in the next few days I will posting a special Guest Author entry from Tanya discussing the transfer process through her experiences. I think you will all enjoy this entry and learn a lot from her. Stay tuned.

Second, we launched today the Transfer Exchange section of the Hopkins Forums. Now transfer students have their own discussion thread to ask questions of Admissions and more importantly connect with and get advice with current students at Hopkins who successfully navigated the transfer process. Check back over the next few days as we expand this new forum section and as the "Transfer Buddies" are introduced. As always, ask your questions there for quick responses … and if you have any feedback share it with us.

More to follow …

LOST FANS READ ON

For those of you who read the Insider blog just for the updates on Hopkins and Admissions you may want to stop reading and move on to something more of interest to you on the Internet. For the rest of you who enjoying the random ramblings of Admissions_Daniel at times … oh do I have a doozy of an update for you today. After last night’s episode of LOST I have figured out the central mystery behind the show and specifically the Island. Yes, yours truly has figured it out. Curious? Well read on …

The Island is … wait for it … wait for it … The Island is THE HOLY GRAIL. Huh? Yes, my theory (as of right now) is that the Island is some form of mythical holy grail tied to eternal life that must be protected at all costs and against all invaders. The "Others" supposedly led by the mysterious Jacob, the ageless Richard, and the African with the piercing eyes are the hereditary knights enslaved in all eternity to protect the grail and its powers. These "Others" recruit new followers such as Ben and now Locke to protect the mysteries of the Island and its amazing healing powers. There have been many threats to the Island like the Dharma Initiative and currently with Mr. Whitmore, those who hope to unlock the powers of the Island/Grail and use them for personal gain. Add to the theory the mystery of how the certain "dead" people — Jack/Claire’s Dad, Charlie, the Mathematician, etc. (maybe even Claire herself) — are also protecting the mysticism of the Island.

OK, clearly this is a far-fetched theory, but last night I thought I had solved the puzzle and was so excited. My theory has more holes than a pound of swiss cheese, but that is why I love this show. After every episode you are more LOST than ever and more ADDICTED than ever. I actually thought today over lunch that maybe the reason I came up with those whole Holy Grail theory is because I have been watching too much old Indiana Jones films (and the Young Indiana Jones series) and also just recently saw the Da Vinici code again. Whatever the reason, throw my theory in the mix … who knows I could be right.

And finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t somehow tie this discussion of LOST back to Hopkins. In the shower today I actually had an epiphany … LOST = Hopkins. See one of the underlying themes of the LOST mythology is a battle of faith/theology (present in Locke) versus science/reason (present in Jack). These two ideologies are constantly in battle on the Island, and it seems that one of the end conclusions is that no one theory is correct but rather science and faith must co-exist. This being true, where else does science and faith co-exist … well simple … at Hopkins.

See at Hopkins we have our Natural Science and Engineering students who base their conclusions on facts and proofs. On the same campus, in the same classrooms, and in the same housing and dining facilities are the Humanities and Social Sciences students who believe in a more philosophical and theoretical approach to understanding. And what makes Hopkins great is that they co-exist and intermingle.

OK, that was even cheesier than my LOST = Holy Grail theory … but you know this is my blog … this is my "bully pulpit" … and I can share on occasion some of the crazy ideas that run threw my simple mind. I hope you enjoyed these ramblings, and if you have your own theories or just want to crush and ridicule my thoughts … use the comments section.

I am off to enjoy my weekend finally … HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY. And go Hopkins Lacrosse … beat Hofstra (PLEASE!!!).

An Ode to the Disgruntled Student

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Very rarely in the two plus years of the Hopkins Insider blog have a stepped up on the proverbial soap-box and become all preachy. Well after a week of frustrating conversations and discussions I am motivated to step up and state my opinion now. (No this is not related to the frustrating writer’s strike or the ridiculous attention being paid to Britney Spears in the mainstream media — though I definitely could go off big time about both of those topics.) This post is dedicated to the disgruntled students out there and my advice for them after ten years of witnessing these students and listening to their complaints.

First, a bit of background. About a week ago I received a friendly call from a guidance counselor I have known for a long time. The call was a quick check-in about an applicant, but then we started discussing a variety of topics. One of those topics was about Facebook and how today’s youth really don’t understand the concept of good common sense when it relates to such online social networking. That is a topic for another time though. Near the end of the conversation the counselor was talking about one of her former students who is now a freshman at a University I used to work at. This student is miserable and strongly considering the possibility of transferring to another school. Since I still feel a connection to this former employer, I inquired about what the student’s chief complaints were about her school, which by the way she applied Early Decision to and was admitted. After the counselor explained the student’s main criticisms I just rolled my eyes because I had heard them so many times while working at that University. To keep this story short, the basic summation is that the student made the wrong choice and now is regretting her decision.

This discussion would not have stuck with me if I didn’t get an email the next day from one of my childhood friends who was asking me some questions about my alma mater. She had had a discussion with someone a few days before about the school I attended and shared my tale about how in the end I didn’t think my alma mater was the best place for me to go to school. Basically the person my friend was talking about had similar experiences at her alma mater and had always thought if she had gone to the school I went to her collegiate experience would have been perfect. This reminder about my problems with the college I chose to attend reflected a lot of the emotions I had the day before during my conversation with that guidance counselor.

Now I have been focused on two major things lately … reading applications obviously and purchasing a new car. For these reasons I didn’t spend much time reflecting on this little tickle in my brain that was saying deep down inside that there was something I wanted to get off my chest. It wasn’t until earlier this week that the tickle became a pounding in the back of my head and I decided it was time to put pen to paper. (Yes I actually use the archaic form of pen and paper to outline the blogs I write – call me a technical dinosaur but it works for me.) As for what pushed me over the edge, let’s just say in the last two days I have come into contact with a number of what I label "disgruntled students." One of these contacts was overhearing a conversation between two students as I walked from the library back to Mason Hall … another was a conversation with a prospective transfer student … and finally let’s just say I have been reading too much of College Confidential lately.

So what is it I want to say you ask? Well to those disgruntled students out there, very simple … STOP COMPLAINING AND DO SOMETHING! Get up and make a change. No one is going to do it for you. Opportunity is out there if you just get out of your own way and seek it. Decide what it is you want and then go pursue it. The only change that will occur is one that you set forth and pursue on your own.

What do I mean when I use the term disgruntled student? Well I am narrowly defining this term as current college students who basically don’t like / enjoy / value the current institution they are attending. Every school has these students, even those historic Ivy League schools. These students are miserable. They find fault in everything about their university from the academics, to the social life, to the people, to the faculty, to the facilities, to the resources, etc. They complain constantly, they infect those around them, and they have a chip on the shoulder feeling that their institution is out to make their collegiate experience horrible.

Where do the disgruntled come from? First in my opinion these are students who conducted a poor college search and ended up choosing the wrong school for them. Many times these are students who choose more because of reputation rather than looking at personal fit. These students typically did not put enough time in conducting their own research about the schools they were considering attending. Word of mouth is usually considered more reliable than actually experiencing a campus visit and engrossing themselves in a campus before signing that enrollment agreement. And when I say word of mouth, I include the "marketing" messages coming from the specific colleges too.

The other group of disgruntled is those who are created after they arrive at their college destination. These are the students who feel that their institution of learning should lay everything out there so simply for them. They expect the University to make the academics fit their specific wants and needs. They expect the University to plan social events specifically for their interests. They expect their classmates to be perfect representations of what they consider the right student body. The expect faculty to be accessible 24/7. Clearly I am exaggerating the point here, but these are students who find so many things to criticize just because their college experience is not moving along as they had expected it to be. In the end though, it is always the fault of the University … it is always that the University misrepresents itself … it is never something within the disgruntled student.

Some may read this and say I have no background to talk about such things. Well, I do and that is because back in my college days I was one of these disgruntled students. I actually made the wrong choice of colleges to attend and for the second half of my undergraduate years I complained and criticized constantly. I didn’t make change … I didn’t adjust my thinking … I just wore my flannel, listened to my grunge rock and came up with theories on how my college was against me. I could have made my undergraduate experience better but I was too lazy, and it was so much easier just to criticize. I could have talked more with faculty, I could have experienced more of the city I lived in, I could have tried other campus events or parties, I could have gone to the Career Center, but I chose not to. Thankfully, I don’t regret any of this now because my college frustration then, ultimately led me to become an Admissions Counselor now. And yes, I have found my dream job. (They call that a silver lining!!!) [I actually wrote a bit about this in the spring of last year during my Ode to the Transfer Applicant.]

So to the disgruntled student I say, MAKE A CHANGE. Yes, you make the change. Try something new. Find a new group of friends. Go to a different party. Experience a part of the city you have never been to. Take some different classes. Read the student newspaper or daily announcements and attend one of the various campus events. Stop complaining. Stop making excuses. It is not "cool" to be disgruntled. And in the end, if it still is not working out for you then make the biggest change possible – TRANSFER.

Speaking specifically about Hopkins, I have never and will never say that the University is for everyone. I also have never and will never say the University is perfect. But this is true of all colleges and universities across this country, and globally too. There will always be disgruntled students at Hopkins, and always students who have complaints. I actually think that is a rite of passage for college students to complain. But I have absolutely no patience for the disgruntled student who has not attempted to change and improve their personal situation. College is WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT.

For the prospective student or current applicant out there, I sum it with two pieces of advice and one caution. The caution is that unfortunately you might make the wrong choice of colleges. This rarely happens, but don’t go into this process thinking that everyone always makes the right choice. As for the advice to help avoid this, you need to first make sure you do the research and experience your future college before signing on the dotted line. And second, when you arrive in college, don’t expect your school to create a life for you. Go out and grab it yourself, and design an academic and social life that you want. Don’t be lazy about this, because the four years will fly by.

Thankfully in my four plus years at Hopkins I have come into contact with less and less of these disgruntled students. Heck, the freshman to sophomore year retention rate is above 95% so many, many, many students at Hopkins know they have made the right choice. The disgruntled still exist and though they probably will never read this entry I hope in some way they will heed my advice in the future. If I could back to my collegiate years and do things differently, I definitely would have. Hopefully, I can educate future potential disgruntled students and help guide them to finding ways to change and improve – or else they might follow my fate and become an Admissions professional.

OK, I am done … time to watch American Idol. I’ll be back later in the week with some updates and announcements.