JHU 2015 College Conversations

1JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY | APPLY.JHU.EDU

The College Conversation: Building Your

Strongest Application

2

Spoiler alert.Let’s jump ahead. Imagine you’ve finished all

the essays and done every task on your to-do

list. How did you get there without the stress

that the college search process, with its

guidebooks and “don’t-forget”s, can bring?

Maybe it started with taking a deep breath,

and then moved forward with a conversation.

Maybe this is that conversation.

2


Odds are, this isn’t the first college guide

you’ve seen. But we know you’re busy,

so let’s get right to why you should

hold on to this one.

WHAT is this? This resource, put together by the Office

of Undergraduate Admissions at Johns

Hopkins University, will help you build your

strongest college application—not just to

Hopkins but to all the schools on your list.

WHY is it important?

The work you’ve done, the topics that matter

to you—those things already exist. We can

help you tie it all together to start a solid

college application that best represents your

accomplishments and goals.

HOW is it unique?

You’ll hear from admissions professionals

who actually read applications and from

current students, folks who were in your

shoes not too long ago.

[ ]

4

Prologue: Taking stock.Evaluate where you are right now in your

college search—even if you’re just thinking

about thinking about it.

Building a strong college application starts

with thinking critically about what you’ve

accomplished and how to demonstrate,

from your side of the process, why the

college you’re applying to is a good fit.

Use the advice and questions we’re

asking in this resource—based on things

admissions officers at selective schools

think about when reviewing applications—

to start the college conversation.

THINK FAST: What do you think is the most important piece of the college application?

4


Hopkins admissions officer says:

A useful piece of advice I received

during my own college search

was ‘don’t worry about picking

a favorite yet; colleges will make

some decisions for you.’ And that’s

where the Admissions Office comes

in. Selective colleges have more

academically sound students than

they have seats in the class, so here

at Hopkins, we use a holistic review

process to evaluate ‘fit.’

“

”


6

Big question #1:

We don’t mean to get personal—but we

kind of are, because figuring out what’s

important to you is a big step in preparing

your college applications. Seeing how you’re

already pursuing your academic passions

can help an admissions committee imagine

what kind of student you’ll be in college.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE?


Application translationFor selective schools, your test and transcripts

tell only a piece of the story.

Your recommendations should speak to

your level of intellectual curiosity—another

reason to make sure you’re asking teachers

who really know you as a student.

In your essays, admissions counselors

evaluate how you might take advantage

of the academic culture at Hopkins or

what kind of hands-on experiences may

interest you.

Don’t neglect the supplemental essay.

How might you grow with all the

opportunities—academic and social—

offered at a place like Hopkins?

PRO TIP from the admissions committee:

It’s worth the time to personalize your applications.

Read up on each school’s programs so that you can

really make a case for why that school is a good

match for your interests or goals. This benefits you,

too: if, along the way, you’re struggling to connect

your interests with a particular school, maybe

that’s not the best place for you.

8

—Jenny H. ’16, Public health studies

Read more about academics at Hopkins on pages 18–19.

The opportunity for academic

exploration [at Hopkins] with the

distribution requirements instead

of a core curriculum really appealed

to me because I had always been

interested in a wide variety of

subjects, which Hopkins not only

accommodated but encouraged.

“

”

Making an academic match:

8

9JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY | APPLY.JHU.EDU5 Steps to Finding The Right College 7

THINK FAST: If you had to take an entire year of one class, which one would it be?


10

Big question #2:

No matter where you go to college, you might be

surprised at the amount of free time you have.

At a place like Hopkins, with an active, vibrant

community, our students take advantage

of every free moment—so tell us what your

interests are outside the classroom.

HOW ARE YOU MAKING YOUR MARK?


Leap beyond the listAdmissions committees need more than a list of

all your activities to gauge how you thrive outside

the classroom.

Use your essays to introduce the things

that matter to you, how you’re currently

pursuing your interests and how you

might grow those interests in college.

Recommendations from teachers and

counselors can give an admissions

committee a view of the kind of leader

you are and how you contribute to the

community.

Remember that list of extracurriculars we

mentioned above? Include jobs, family

responsibilities, volunteer work, or other

pursuits where you’re investing a lot of

your time.


Being a leader doesn’t always mean President of

All Things. While you should list your leadership

positions on your application, use your essays to

highlight the roles that were the most meaningful

to you. When you’re really passionate about

something, it will show through in your writing.

12

HALF PAGE PHOTO

A place like Hopkins that has

passionate, enterprising students

spends a lot of time building a class

that cares about and will contribute

to the campus community.

Students who thrive here are

proactive and take ownership in

and outside the classroom. On your

application, we want to see that

you’ve taken your involvement

in extracurricular activities to the

next level and that you’re showing

passion by the actions you take.

“

Hopkins admissions officer says:

”

12


THINK FAST: Which of your extracurricular activities—whether it’s a sport, club, music, afterschool job, or service commitment—is your favorite? Is that something you see yourself continuing in college?


14

Big question #3:

That’s deep, we know. How about, what

personal qualities do you have that would

make you a good fit for the places where

you’re applying? What are you interested

in and why, and how do you see yourself

pursuing your interests at each of the

schools you’re applying to?

WHAT MAKES YOU, YOU?


Nice to meet you!It’s all about the essay here. Students who

are resourceful and driven will do well at any

college—tell admissions committees why

that should be their school. Think about how

you engage with your current community on

the academic, personal, and social levels,

and how you hope to do that in college. Then,

use that information to write a compelling

essay that speaks to why you think you’ll

succeed at each particular school.


A little (genuine) enthusiasm goes a long way.

One way to narrow down your list of schools

is by seeing which communities you’re really

excited about the prospect of joining. Once

you make those decisions, let that enthusiasm

show in your essays.

16

—Jorge J. ’18, Chemical and biomolecular engineering

Read more about academics at Hopkins on pages 18–19.

My favorite thing about Hopkins

is the students. In no other place

will you find so many interesting

individuals who are not only

incredibly smart but are also

extremely passionate about the

things they are doing—from

research to extracurricular

activities. The students are all

coming from different places in

the world, and getting to learn

from them as they learn from me

is one of the most exhilarating

experiences here at Hopkins.

“

”

On finding community:

16


THINK FAST: What would your best friend say are your best qualities? (Go ahead—ask him or her. We can wait.) How do you see those qualities connecting with the programs, academic and extracurricular, you’re interested in pursuing in college?


18

take a Meeting the main characterTake a moment to learn more about Johns

Hopkins University.

Embracing the liberal arts. Hopkins is a

research university that was founded on,

and continues to build on, a liberal arts

philosophy. Students in all majors learn how

to think critically and take a broader

world view.

Redefining research. Research and hands-

on learning are a part of our culture. Whether

in traditional labs or countries across the

world, our students are making discoveries

that shape the way they see the world.


breath.Academic freedom. With no core

curriculum, our students explore all their

academic options across disciplines.

That means students can take classes just

because they genuinely sound interesting;

they sometimes even find a new passion.

Over half our students double major or

minor, combining academic interests in

unique ways.

Engaged campus. As leaders, innovators,

or performers, or in ways we haven’t yet

imagined, Hopkins students are engaged

members of their community—both on

and beyond campus. The Hopkins campus

is located in Baltimore, Maryland, a city

that becomes an extension of campus for

learning, living, and entertainment.

20

Epilogue. We hope that you found this information

helpful. A few closing thoughts before we go:

Keep the focus on you, and what you

want out of your college experience.

All the rankings and guidebooks in the

world won’t help you make a match

where there isn’t one.

The advice here is meant to give you the

tips and tools to start a conversation—

One you should continue to have as you

start building your applications.

The hardest work has already been done.

All your accomplishments and pursuits

over the past few years are already in

progress. What you need to do—and

what this resource hopefully helped

you think about—is determine the best

way to present them in your college

applications.


Footnotes.Keep up with all things Hopkins

Admissions—including more advice and

tips from our staff—by reading the Hopkins

Insider: hopkins-interactive.com/blogs.

Learn more about Johns Hopkins by

visiting us online: apply.jhu.edu. While

you’re online, plan a visit to our Homewood

campus in Baltimore, Maryland.

Hear from current students and see blogs,

photos, videos, and more student-generated

content at hopkins-interactive.com.

TY | APPLY.JHU.EDU

222222


The advice in this resource can help you

build your successful college application,

with hints and tips from admissions

professionals and current Hopkins

students along the way.

Inspiration station: you received access to

“Essays that Worked” when you requested

this guide. Check them out to read successful

college essays, along with essay writing tips

from admissions counselors. [ ]


24

Office of Undergraduate AdmissionsMason Hall / 3400 N. Charles St.

Baltimore, MD 21218 Tel. (410) 516-8171 Fax (410) 516-6025

[email protected]

apply.jhu.edu

JHU 2015 College Conversations

Documents

Transcript of JHU 2015 College Conversations