Johns Hopkins was the United States’ first research university and is still the #1 school for medical research in the country. What a track record, honestly. If you’re here, you’re probably a pretty STEM-minded student, and you want to know exactly what you can do to get off the JHU waitlist. Let’s talk about it.
With an acceptance rate of 3% for their 2023 freshman class, Johns Hopkins is pretty exclusive. This translates to their waitlist too. In 2022, 3,443 students were offered a spot on the waitlist, and 2,358 students accepted their spot on the waitlist, and JHU admitted none of them. The year before, only 2 were admitted. That’s a challenging spot to be in, but that doesn’t mean there’s no hope. It will be an uphill battle, but it’s not impossible for you to get in.
Have you been waitlisted by your dream college? Reach out. We’re experts in helping you secure an acceptance letter.
If you’ve been waitlisted for Johns Hopkins, stop to take a deep breath. Maybe go grab some water or take a small walk. It’s very difficult to get off of JH’s waitlist, but it’s not impossible. To give yourself the best chance of becoming a full-time student, you should follow these steps.
Before Anything Else
When you’re notified of being put on the waitlist, Johns Hopkins will have a set of instructions in the email or letter you received that has instructions on how to accept your spot through their application portal. If you don’t accept the spot on the waitlist, they simply will not consider you for any open spots that may become available. With such low odds, you need to do everything in your power to do the things you can control, and this is an easy one to do.
Have a Backup Plan
We know JHU is probably your dream school, and you probably would prefer to wistfully stare out a window until your acceptance comes in, but we’re not risk-takers here. So, we recommend that you make a backup plan in case things don’t work out. Go ahead and accept an offer from a school you were accepted to and would be happy to attend. Because at the end of the day, you are going to college!! Onto the next step:
Follow Up
We (and Johns Hopkins) highly recommend sending JHU updates to your application to give yourself the best shot at getting in. First, let’s talk about the letter of continued interest. And let’s be very, very clear: if you do not write a LOCI, you aren’t getting off the waitlist. Period. With stats like JHU’s, you absolutely need to be writing a LOCI. This is your last chance to make an impact and influence your application, so take some time to write it and read our recommendations on how to put it all together.
Opening: We’re going for professional and confident here (no begging), so open with something like “Dear Admissions Committee” or “Dear [Admissions Counselor]” (talking to your regional counselor is always best). Again, we want this letter to be very profesh, like you’re talking to a future boss.
Reinforce Interest: Briefly reintroduce yourself and let JHU know, in no uncertain terms, that if you’re accepted, you will 100% attend. If you read no other part of this blog, know that stating, very plainly, that if you are accepted, you will attend is like the most important part of this letter. Give them a specific reason why JHU is the perfect school for you too.
Update: Next, you need to provide a very brief update on what you’ve been up to since you applied. Quality over quantity here, so we recommend capping this out at three things. These could include, but are not limited to:
New academic rankings
Awards
Completed research
New job/internship
New leadership positions
It’s also really great if you can connect these things you’ve done to the academic things you’re drawn to at JHU.
Closing: Just as you opened, you will close this letter very professionally. Reaffirm your interest, connect with a specific reason you want to go to JHU, and end with a formal send-off like “respectfully” or “sincerely”
The whole thing should be about 300-450 words. While letters of interest aren’t “mandatory” when you accept your waitlist spot at Johns Hopkins, filling one out shows the admissions committee that you’re willing to go the extra mile to get what you want. And like we said, not writing this takes your chances from slim to zero. If you feel intimidated, reach out to us. We can help.
Plan for the Future
For a school as exclusive as Johns Hopkins, you can’t be complacent once you’ve accepted your spot on the waitlist. Stay on top of your grades, especially since JH doesn’t start considering accepting waitlisted students until the first couple of weeks of May. In the meantime, make sure you have your backup college ready to go just in case, and send them updated versions of your transcripts. Best of luck!
Managing your college plans can be overwhelming. Let us help make securing your education as easy as possible. Send us an email today.