A Post for the Wait-Listed Applicant (2012)

1

College admissions wait lists have been compared by many as a state of purgatory—not yet admitted and not denied. I often feel that a wait list decision is harder to deal with than a deny decision because there is no closure yet, no definitive answer. The college admissions process is defined by waiting, and now some students must wait for another month or two for their final decision. I have written previously that this wait list process is one of the most discussed topics in my field. Just do a quick Google search and you will find countless articles about the subject and also “supposed” services or advice columns on how a wait list works. Go to YouTube and you can find an endless collection of wait list “plea” videos. Personally, I can tell you that video pleas do not work and that vast majority of articles by the media are way off-base when they report on college admissions. Since at this time of year I have an overwhelming fear of students buying into these “how to get off college wait list” schemes, I sit down and compose this post for those on the Johns Hopkins wait list.

Wait list decisions exist because of the sheer competition to get into college these days, and they work as a form of protection for schools to make sure they yield their class each year. It would be wonderful to exist in a world with definitive decisions and no wait lists, but unfortunately that ideal just doesn’t exist.

So what to do? Well first it is important to know that being placed on the Johns Hopkins wait list is NOT a rejection of you and your abilities. It is a statement about the exceptional quality of our applicant pool and the limited number of spots we can offer to make our class. We respect the frustration and apprehension that exists with being placed in a state of limbo, so to assist we try to provide as much information as we can along the way.

Over the years, I have composed an extensive list of frequently asked questions and answers about how the Johns Hopkins wait list works. I have posted the complete list to the Hopkins Forums in an attempt to assist you along the way:

WAIT LIST DISCUSSION THREAD (2012)

A selection of the questions posted on the discussion thread:

How does the wait list work?
Our enrollment target is 1,275 new freshmen. Based on our estimates we have admitted a percentage of our applicant pool that we expect will yield a class that size. However, it is quite hard to exactly predict the number of students who will accept our offer of admission, hence the existence of the wait list. If we miss our target, then we will admit students off of our wait list to assure that we enroll a complete class.

I still really want to go to Hopkins. What should I do if I want to remain on the wait list?
Instructions on how to remain on the wait list are included in the decision notification e-mail you received. Follow the personalized link in your e-mail to make the decision to remain (or be removed from) the Johns Hopkins wait list. You need to respond by May 1 at the latest.

Should I do anything else besides selecting to remain on the wait list? I heard we can update our applications. Is that true, and what kind of updates can we submit?
You may certainly send updates that you would like added to your application. Such information can assist the Admissions committee if we do review wait list candidates for admission. We suggest the following if updating your application:

– A Letter of Interest: A one or two page letter to the Admissions Committee that states why you are interested in Hopkins, why you feel it is the right school for you, and why you should be admitted from the wait list.
– Updated resume: Let us know what you have gotten involved with during your senior year. This should include updated information not in your original application.
– Recommendations: One or two additional or updated letters.
– Updated transcript: Your most recent grades, even beyond the mid-year report, can be helpful. Ask your guidance counselor to submit them if possible. In addition, a final transcript when it becomes available is requested. (If you are admitted from the wait list, a final transcript will be required.)

Please DO NOT send the following:
(1) additional writing samples
(2) supplemental materials such as CDs, slides, portfolios, etc.
(3) research or term papers.
Just stick to the list above.

Do note that you are not required to submit any additional materials, only to respond online using the personalized link in your e-mail. Also, if you choose to submit updates to your file, it is important that you make sure that they will contribute in a substantive way or provide new information. All updates should be sent to the Admissions Office either via postal mail or fax (410-516-6025). We cannot process application updates submitted through e-mail. When mailing or faxing, include your full name, birth date, school name, and a note that the materials are to be used as a wait list update.

Why was I wait-listed? Was this just a way to break the bad news more gently?
Admissions decisions are comprehensive decisions that take into account many factors included in each individual application within the context of the overall applicant pool. In every application we are searching for the ideal fit with the university based on the information in the applicant files. The Admissions Committee is unable to discuss with applicants why we were not able to offer admission, but it is important to know that offering a student a spot on our wait list is not done out of a courtesy or to lessen the impact of our decision. Any student on the wait list who chooses to remain on the wait list will have a chance for admission if spaces in the class become available.

When will I hear if I’ve been accepted off the wait list? The other schools I was admitted to require a deposit by May 1—should I wait until I hear from Hopkins?
Once again, this all depends on the response from our admitted students. 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.

Do you have any historical data of how many students were admitted from the wait list in previous years?
Though every year is different and the numbers vary, here is what happened the past few years:

2011 – Approximately 20 students were admitted from the wait list.
2010 – Approximately 30 students were admitted from the wait list.
2009 – No offers of admission from the wait list.
2008 – Approximately 40 students were admitted from the wait list.
2007 – Approximately 80 offers.
2006 – No offers.
2005 – No offers.
2004 – Approximately 150 offers.
2003 – Approximately 100 offers.
2002 – No offers.
2001 – Approximately 50 offers.
2000 – No offers.

As I said, there is much more information over at the Hopkins Forums. Do make sure to visit the Wait List Discussion Thread (2012) for the complete list of questions and answers. As well, when updates become available they will be posted to that thread first. It may be a good idea for you to bookmark the page.

If you have any questions about the Johns Hopkins Wait List, post them to the discussion thread as I am sure others are wondering the same thing. I will be as prompt as I can be with responses and provide as much detail as possible. I hope this helps.

A Post for the Wait-Listed Applicant

1

College admissions wait lists have been compared by many as a state of purgatory—not yet admitted and not denied. I often feel that a wait list decision is harder to deal with than a deny decision because there is no closure yet, no definitive answer. The college admissions process is defined by waiting, and now some students must wait for another month or two for their final decision. I have written previously that this wait list process is one of the most discussed topics in my field. Just do a quick Google search and you will find countless articles about the subject and also “supposed” services or advice columns on how a wait list works. Personally, since I find the media so far off-base when they report on college admissions, and I have an overwhelming fear of students buying into “how to get off college wait list” schemes, I sit down and compose this post for those on the Johns Hopkins wait list every year.

Wait list decisions exist because of the sheer competition to get into college these days, and they work as a form of protection for schools to make sure they yield their class each year. It would be wonderful to exist in a world with definitive decisions and no wait lists, but unfortunately that ideal just doesn’t exist.

So what to do? Well first it is important to know that being placed on the Johns Hopkins wait list is NOT a rejection of you and your abilities. It is a statement about the exceptional quality of our applicant pool and the limited number of spots we can offer to make our class. We respect the frustration and apprehension that exists with being placed in a state of limbo, so to assist we try to provide as much information as we can along the way.

Over the years, I have composed an extensive list of frequently asked questions and answers about how the Johns Hopkins wait list works. I have posted the complete list to the Hopkins Forums in an attempt to assist you along the way:

WAIT LIST DISCUSSION THREAD (2011)

A selection of the questions posted on the discussion thread:

How does the wait list work?
Our enrollment target is 1,245 new freshmen. Based on our estimates we have admitted a percentage of our applicant pool that we expect will yield a class that size. However, it is quite hard to exactly predict the number of students who will accept our offer of admission, hence the existence of the wait list. If we miss our target, then we will admit students off of our wait list to assure that we enroll a complete class.

I still really want to go to Hopkins. What should I do if I want to remain on the wait list?
Instructions on how to remain on the wait list are included in the decision notification e-mail you received. Follow the personalized link in your e-mail to make the decision to remain (or be removed from) the Johns Hopkins wait list. You need to respond by May 1 at the latest.

Should I do anything else besides selecting to remain on the wait list? I heard we can update our applications. Is that true, and what kind of updates can we submit?
You may certainly send updates that you would like added to your application. Such information can assist the Admissions committee if we do review wait list candidates for admission. We suggest the following if updating your application:

– A Letter of Interest: A one or two page letter to the Admissions Committee that states why you are interested in Hopkins, why you feel it is the right school for you, and why you should be admitted from the wait list.
– Updated resume: Let us know what you have gotten involved with during your senior year. This should include updated information not in your original application.
– Recommendations: One or two additional or updated letters.
– Updated transcript: Your most recent grades, even beyond the mid-year report, can be helpful. Ask your guidance counselor to submit them if possible. In addition, a final transcript when it becomes available is requested. (If you are admitted from the wait list, a final transcript will be required.)

Please DO NOT send the following:
(1) additional writing samples
(2) supplemental materials such as CDs, slides, portfolios, etc.
(3) research or term papers.
Just stick to the list above.

Do note that you are not required to submit any additional materials, only to respond online using the personalized link in your e-mail. Also, if you choose to submit updates to your file, it is important that you make sure that they will contribute in a substantive way or provide new information. All updates should be sent to the Admissions Office either via postal mail or fax (410-516-6025). We cannot process application updates submitted through e-mail. When mailing or faxing, include your full name, birth date, school name, and a note that the materials are to be used as a wait list update.

Why was I wait-listed? Was this just a way to break the bad news more gently?
Admissions decisions are comprehensive decisions that take into account many factors included in each individual application within the context of the overall applicant pool. In every application we are searching for the ideal fit with the university based on the information in the applicant files. The Admissions Committee is unable to discuss with applicants why we were not able to offer admission, but it is important to know that offering a student a spot on our wait list is not done out of a courtesy or to lessen the impact of our decision. Any student on the wait list who chooses to remain on the wait list will have a chance for admission if spaces in the class become available.

When will I hear if I’ve been accepted off the wait list? The other schools I was admitted to require a deposit by May 1—should I wait until I hear from Hopkins?
Once again, this all depends on the response from our admitted students. 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.

Do you have any historical data of how many students were admitted from the wait list in previous years?
Though every year is different and the numbers vary, here is what happened the past few years:

2010 – Approximately 30 students were admitted from the wait list.
2009 – No offers of admission from the wait list.
2008 – Approximately 40 students were admitted from the wait list.
2007 – Approximately 80 offers.
2006 – No offers.
2005 – No offers.
2004 – Approximately 150 offers.
2003 – Approximately 100 offers.
2002 – No offers.
2001 – Approximately 50 offers.
2000 – No offers.

As I said, there is much more information over at the Hopkins Forums. Do make sure to visit the Wait List Discussion Thread (2011) for the complete list of questions and answers. As well, when updates become available they will be posted to that thread first. It may be a good idea for you to bookmark the page.

If you have any questions about the Johns Hopkins Wait List, post them to the discussion thread as I am sure others are wondering the same thing. I will be as prompt as can be with responses and provide as much detail as possible. I hope this helps.

Final Wait List 2010 Update

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Later today (Friday, June 25, 2010) we will be contacting all wait-listed applicants who selected to remain on the wait list with final decisions. During this week the Admissions Committee met for a final time to make decisions regarding the wait list for the Class of 2014.

If you have been keeping up with this wait list discussion thread you will know that in late May and early June we admitted a handful of students off the wait list. Since then the Admissions teams has been very methodical and carefully tracking the size of the enrolling class. Though we had anticipated more fluctuation this year then in years past due to the volume of wait list movement by our peers, in the end our class size has not dropped below our enrollment goals. Therefore the decision was made not to admit any more students off the wait list. In the end, we selected 32 students for admission from the wait list.

The vast majority of you who remained on our wait list will be receiving correspondence today that states we 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 message 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 Johns Hopkins.

A small handful of those students who remained on the wait list (~100) 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 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. Further instructions about the extended summer wait list will be included in the e-mail message that this select group will receive later today.

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. 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 Thread on the Hopkins Forums. 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, and assure you that the time line was necessitated by our need to be careful and methodical in our decisions. 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.

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.

Wait List Update: Step One

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Over the last few days the Admissions Committee has met to discuss the Johns Hopkins wait list. Starting tomorrow afternoon (Friday, May 14), the Admissions Committee will be contacting via phone approximately 30 students to offer them admission to the JHU Class of 2014. Congratulations goes out to those students we will be contacting and we are all excited to welcome them to the class. The Class of 2014 is going to be the strongest incoming freshmen class in Hopkins history, and we feel that these newly selected students will make a great addition.

The Admissions Committee is also excited that we did not need to look at a student’s financial need in our wait list reviews, continuing our fully need-blind admissions cycle this year. This is the first time any of us can recollect that we were able to offer admission to wait-listed students who had applied for financial aid.

For those of you who are not contacted tomorrow, please understand that 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. We are not at this point releasing our wait list and we reserve the possibility of needing to admit additional students later in the month. As always, we are deliberate in our wait list review process. Everything is tied to the number of students in the enrolling class, and at this time we have surpassed our 1,235 enrollment target. Despite being above our target class, the Admissions Committee decided to admit this group of students from the wait list to increase our enrollment slightly and to protect against the “summer melt.”

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 from 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 weeks. We hope to finalize all wait list decisions 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 e-mail.

With all that being said, I think it is fair to say that if you’re not contacted during this first wave of calls, the chances for your admission from the wait list are slim. Any additional selections from the wait list will be small, as we have essentially enrolled our target class.

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. Please do not call our office or e-mail us to ask us if you were one of the students selected or what your chances of being selected will be. Your patience will be appreciated, and once another update is available it will be posted here and on our Wait List Discussion Thread.

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.

A Post For the Wait-Listed Applicant

0

College admissions wait lists have been compared by many as a state of purgatory — not yet admitted and not denied. I often feel that a wait list decision is harder to deal with than a deny decision because there is no closure yet, no definitive answer. The college admissions process is defined by waiting, and now some students must wait for another month or two for their final decision. I have written previously that this wait list process is one of the most discussed topics in my field. Just do a quick Google search and you will find countless articles about the subject and also “supposed” services or advice columns on how a wait list works. Personally, since I find the media so far off base when they report on college admissions, and I have an overwhelming fear of students buying into “how to get off college wait list” schemes, I sit down and compose this post for those on the Johns Hopkins wait list every year.

Wait list decisions exist because of the sheer competition to get into college these days, and they work as a form of protection for schools to make sure they yield their class each year. It would be wonderful to exist in a world with definitive decisions and no wait lists, but unfortunately that ideal just doesn’t exist.

So what to do? Well first it is important to know that being placed on the Johns Hopkins wait list is NOT a rejection of you and your abilities. It is a statement about the exceptional quality of our applicant pool and the limited number of spots we can offer to make our class. We respect the frustration and apprehension that exists with being placed in a state of limbo, so to assist we try to provide as much information as we can along the way.

Over the years, I have composed an extensive list of frequently asked questions and answers about how the Johns Hopkins wait list works. I have posted the complete list to the Hopkins Forums in an attempt to assist you along the way:

WAIT LIST DISCUSSION THREAD (2010)

A selection of the questions posted on the discussion thread: 

How does the wait list work?
Our enrollment target is 1,235 new freshmen. Based on our estimates we have admitted a percentage of our applicant pool that we expect will yield a class that size. However, it is quite hard to exactly predict the number of students who will accept our offer of admission, hence the existence of the wait list. If we miss our target, then we will admit students off of our wait list to assure that we enroll a complete class.

I still really want to go to Hopkins. What should I do if I want to remain on the wait list?
Instructions on how to remain on the wait list are included in the decision notification e-mail you received. Follow the personalized link in your e-mail to make the decision to remain (or be removed from) the Johns Hopkins wait list. You need to respond by May 1 at the latest.

Should I do anything else besides selecting to remain on the wait list? I heard we can update our applications. Is that true, and what kind of updates can we submit?
You may certainly send updates that you would like added to your application. Such information can assist the Admissions committee if we do review wait list candidates for admission. We suggest the following if updating your application:

– A Letter of Interest – A one or two page letter to the Admissions Committee that states why you are interested in Hopkins, why you feel it is the right school for you, and why you should be admitted from the wait list.
– Updated resume – Let us know what you have gotten involved with during your senior year. This should include updated information not in your original application.
– Recommendations - One or two additional or updated letters.
– Updated transcript – Your most recent grades, even beyond the mid-year report, can be helpful. Ask your guidance counselor to submit them if possible. In addition, a final transcript when it becomes available is requested. (If you are admitted from the wait list, a final transcript will be required.)

Please DO NOT send the following:
(1) additional writing samples
(2) supplemental materials such as CDs, slides, portfolios, etc.
(3) research or term papers.
Just stick to the list above.

Do note that you are not required to submit any additional materials, only to respond online using the personalized link in your e-mail. Also, if you choose to submit updates to your file, it is important that you make sure that they will contribute in a substantive way or provide new information. All updates should be sent to the Admissions Office either via postal mail or fax (410-516-6025). We can not process application updates submitted through e-mail. When mailing or faxing, include your full name, birth date, school name, and a note that the materials are to be used as a wait list update.

Why was I wait-listed? Was this just a way to break the bad news more gently?
Admissions decisions are comprehensive decisions that take into account many factors included in each individual application within the context of the overall applicant pool. In every application we are searching for the ideal fit with the university based on the information in the applicant files. The Admissions Committee is unable to discuss with applicants why we were not able to offer admission, but it is important to know that offering a student a spot on our wait list is not done out of a courtesy or to lessen the impact of our decision. Any student on the wait list who chooses to remain on the wait list will have a chance for admission if spaces in the class become available.

When will I hear if I’ve been accepted off the wait list? The other schools I was admitted to require a deposit by May 1 – should I wait until I hear from Hopkins?
Once again, this all depends on the response from our admitted students. 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.

Do you have any historical data of how many students were admitted from the wait list in previous years?
Though every year is different and the numbers vary, here is what happened the past few years:

2009 – No offers of admission from the wait list.
2008 – Approximately 40 students were admitted from the wait list.
2007 – Approximately 80 students were admitted from the wait list.
2006 – No offers.
2005 – No offers.
2004 – Approximately 150 students were admitted from the wait list.
2003 – Approximately 100 offers.
2002 – No offers.
2001 – Approximately 50 offers.
2000 – No offers.

As I said, there is much more information over at the Hopkins Forums. Do make sure to visit the Wait List Discussion Thread (2010) for the complete list of questions and answers. As well, when updates become available they will be posted to that thread first. It may be a good idea for you to bookmark the page.

If you have any questions about the Johns Hopkins Wait List, do post them to the discussion thread as I am sure others are wondering the same thing. I will be as prompt as can be with responses and provide as much detail as possible. I do hope this helps.

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.