I ventured to check on my JHU Application status on the Common App website, and it says that my application and teacher recommendation letters were downloaded but not my supplements. Should this be of any concern or are supplement essays downloaded with the application?

Johns Hopkins University does not have an online system for tracking application status. Checking the status of submitted / downloaded on the Common Application Web site does not accurately represent the status of application materials received and processed by our Admissions Office. Our application processing system does not automatically update the Common Application status page, and therefore it is not an accurate system in tracking one's application. Applicants will be emailed an acknowledgment of the receipt of their application; this email does not confirm that one's application is complete but rather that it has been received by our office and is being processed. Rest assured that application files are checked carefully for completeness. We will contact students whose applications remain incomplete. Those students will be given an opportunity to provide us with any missing items before we complete the evaluation of their applications.

I turned in my early decision application in late october before the deadline date and had thought everything was fine.  However, I recently found out that I was missing my early decision agreement form.  I called my counselor and turns out there was a miscommunication that ended up in the fax not getting sent.  The email says I have until december 2nd to turn it in (this can be arranged for), but I'm worried that this missed form will have a negative impact on my review process.  Is this true or am I just worrying too much?

If you received a message about missing application items such as the ED agreement, just follow the instructions in the message and get the missing items to our office by the deadline. Your application review will not be impacted in any way. As I always write when people ask about checking the status of their application or inquiring about missing application materials:

Rest assured that application files are checked carefully for completeness. We will contact students whose applications remain incomplete. Those students will be given an opportunity to provide us with any missing items before we complete the evaluation of their applications.

Could someone explain to me if the supplement will be downloaded or is it already attached to our application.  My status hasn't shown downloaded yet and I am getting worried.  Thanks!

See this previous response:
http://www.hopkins-interactive.com/forums/ask-admissions/early-decision-questions/msg5615/#msg5615

I saw the response in reference to ED applicants sending first quarter grades. At this point (December 6), if the first quarter grades were, to the applicant's knowledge, not sent proactively, would JHU prefer that an ED applicant request that the school send them now? Or just wait until (or IF) JHU "contacts the school directly to obtain the information"? I would want to be helpful and not pesky and am not sure at this point if this is out of the students hands and would be a transaction between JHU and the high school counselor. Thank you for your help.

There is nothing Early Decision applicants need to do at this time with regard to submitting senior year grades. If we want them we will get them.

Hi,
I am applying ED to Hopkins. I was wondering if we get accepted, how will dropping a class affect our decision? I am taking an AP class, and I am not sure i can maintain a good grade.


Please let me know soon!


Thanks!

I am applying ED to Hopkins. I was wondering if we get accepted, how will dropping a class affect our decision? I am taking an AP class, and I am not sure i can maintain a good grade.

Your question has been already asked and answered here:
http://www.hopkins-interactive.com/forums/ask-admissions/final-transcript-review/msg4652/#msg4652

Hi. I applied ED to Hopkins and because the admission office asked for my quarter grade, my quarter grade has been sent. But the problem is I have 3Bs and 3As which are worse grades than I usually make. My grade has improved, so my college counselor said that she will update the admission officers, but my AP euro teacher hasn't upgraded my final test grade yet, so my college counselor is still waiting to update the admissions office so that I can have all As on my new updated transcript. But I'm really worried because the decision comes out next Thursday and there would be no point of me sending new grades. Will the admission officer still get my new grades even if my college counselor send them at the last minute? Will having 3 Bs matter in making the decision? Thanks

At this time the Admissions Committee is in the process of rendering final decisions and will be doing so over the next few days. It is unlikely at this time that any new information will be added to a student's file in time. Your first quarter grades are what the Admissions Committee will be reviewing and there is nothing you can do about that at this time. There has to be a timeline to our making of decisions, and for the Admissions Committee official first quarter grades of senior year is what is used to make ED decisions.

As far as your question about how your current grades will impact the decision, that is an impossible question to answer without the review of a student's full application and not a question that I will answer. You need to stop worrying and just wait for your decision.

You mention that first-quarter grades are used to make ED decisions, but first-quarter grades for my school are letter grades (E=excellent; S=satisfactory, N= needs improvement, U=unsatisfactory). Are these still the grades that the Admissions Committee use to determine decisions, or will the committee be waiting for second-quarter grades (they are numerical)? My report card comes out on Tuesday, only two days before ED decisions are released.

Also, I'm not sure if this holds for other schools, but in my school, teachers tend to give lower grades for first- and second-quarters than for the final semester grades that are present in our transcript. For instance, many teachers do not give E's for the first quarter because they wish that an S will encourage all students to continue working hard, even if some students actually deserve E's. I'm wondering how the Admissions Committee might take these factors into consideration.

As I have stated many times on these forums in the past, the Admissions Committee always reviews any transcripts (including first quarter transcripts) in the context of a student's school. Every school has different policies on grading and therefore there is no standard format in the way grades are reviewed across high school. Your transcripts, including first quarter grades, will be reviewed in the context of your school. You have no control over these issues so you need not worry about them. Just have patience and the decisions will be released on December 15.

Hi. I got accepted into Early Decision program this year yay!
But if I drop a class without taking another class, would that be a really bad thing?
Would that affect my admission decision although I'm already admitted?

As far as senior year schedule changes for admitted Early Decision students it is not something that is recommended by the Admissions Committee. It is important to note that that admission to Johns Hopkins for all admitted applicants is contingent on the successful completion of high school and the review of an enrolling student's final transcripts. This final transcript review is not only a review of a student's continued academic performance in their senior year (grades) but also a review that a student continued to pursue rigorous coursework after admission and did not drop courses. There are no set rules to the review of post-matriculation transcript as each and every situation is taken on a case-by-case basis. Every year though a handful of students have their admission rescinded for poor grades, a decline in the rigor of their schedule, disciplinary actions, and/or providing false information in their application.

This being stated, we do understand that senior year schedule changes are sometimes necessary. We will respect the decision for students to change their senior year schedule for such reasons as scheduling conflicts, the cancellation of a course, or exchanging one course for a similarly rigorous course.  It is the policy of Johns Hopkins University to not comment on a student's course selection throughout high school, and specifically about what courses a student should or should not take. This policy extends to student's requesting advice about senior schedules, and whether to drop or add classes mid-year. We are unable to offer specific advice for individual students. There is no way to predict whether a student's admission will be rescinded as it takes a complete review of their work after their admission.

In the end, if ones make a schedule change, your application must be updated. Any notification of a change to a student’s senior schedule must be sent as an updated transcript by one’s high school guidance counselor. The updated transcript should contain an explanation for the change in the schedule by both the counselor and the student.