2015-2016 Johns Hopkins University Application Thread

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Are dogs to us what Penguins were for 2019? Can't say I'm excited about that
 
As for the 'describe your single most rewarding life experience' question, does anyone feel strongly that there is a best way to go about answering this question?

For instance, I really had a great experience with my tennis career (high school, tournament, and collegiate level), but I dealt off/on with weight issues that at times limited my play / led to injuries. My junior year of college, my team beat one of our biggest rivals for the first time in school history, and we made the playoffs for the first time in school history. BUT I broke my fibia at the start of the conference season, and while we enjoyed unprecedented success as a team, I had to watch it all from the sidelines.

I want this to be when i describe overcoming adversity, but in a similar fashion, my senior year comeback, in which my doubles partner and I went 4-5 at #1 doubles in the conference and were named honorable mention all-conference, is absolutely one of my most rewarding life experiences.

Is two secondary essays focusing on my athletic career going to be perceived as too redundant?

Any feedback would be appreciated!
 
mojanglez said:
hm.. id combine the theme of breaking your fibia -> sitting on sidelines w/ that of your senior year comeback and honorable mentions for the adversity essay. then id select something else for the rewarding life experience just to make yourself appear to have had more going on in your life than just sports and its downfalls/triumphs
Click to expand...

Good idea, appreciate the feedback!
 
Would it appear a bit cliche to go with the whole, "Team is greater than the sum of its parts" as the lesson learned and how that will apply to a career as a physician, "Facilitate cohesiveness and inclusion in medical team settings"?

I don't intend for it to be cheesy, but with only 900 characters, it can be difficult to describe grandiose lessons learned without the use of succinct cliches.
 
Also... (Sorry for all the questions! But doing the essays now so I figure why not ask?!)

For "Single, most rewarding experience" does anyone anticipate it being an issue if I bring up my weight loss as a junior in high school? It was 7 years ago, but it is something I somewhat incorporated into my personal statement and, as most would figure, losing a significant amount of weight was not only rewarding, but also one of the most important parts of my life.

So basically, my concern is saying my most rewarding experience happened 7 years ago, as if to say everything since then is less important (like research, clinical experiences, etc.)

I can definitely use my clinical internship as a sophomore in college if people feel that using my weight loss (which was forever ago) is not a smart call.

Thanks!
 
babolat91 said:
Also... (Sorry for all the questions! But doing the essays now so I figure why not ask?!)

For "Single, most rewarding experience" does anyone anticipate it being an issue if I bring up my weight loss as a junior in high school? It was 7 years ago, but it is something I somewhat incorporated into my personal statement and, as most would figure, losing a significant amount of weight was not only rewarding, but also one of the most important parts of my life.

So basically, my concern is saying my most rewarding experience happened 7 years ago, as if to say everything since then is less important (like research, clinical experiences, etc.)

I can definitely use my clinical internship as a sophomore in college if people feel that using my weight loss (which was forever ago) is not a smart call.

Thanks!
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I think of weight loss more as a personal challenge that you overcame. For significant experience I think that something you did in an external sense would be more appropriate.
 
Hello, my stats are pretty low compared to the average (3.6/3.45, 33, Not URM). But if I knock it out of the park with personal statement and secondary, do you think I have a shot for an interview? Or should I not even bother?
 
undercookdpork said:
Hello, my stats are pretty low compared to the average (3.6/3.45, 33, Not URM). But if I knock it out of the park with personal statement and secondary, do you think I have a shot for an interview? Or should I not even bother?
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3.45 sGPA is really low…I’m not sure I would bother tbvh
 
undercookdpork said:
Hello, my stats are pretty low compared to the average (3.6/3.45, 33, Not URM). But if I knock it out of the park with personal statement and secondary, do you think I have a shot for an interview? Or should I not even bother?
Click to expand...
You have to decide if the chance is important enough for you to apply and pay the fee. If you don't mind the work and don't have unrealistic expectations, there's no harm in applying. But don't expect a "stellar" PS or secondary to save you--with JHU receiving thousands of apps, I doubt they'll consider any PS/secondary to be extremely stellar.

Work hard and good luck! 🙂
 
phuynh94 said:
You have to decide if the chance is important enough for you to apply and pay the fee. If you don't mind the work and don't have unrealistic expectations, there's no harm in applying. But don't expect a "stellar" PS or secondary to save you--with JHU receiving thousands of apps, I doubt they'll consider any PS/secondary to be extremely stellar.

Work hard and good luck! 🙂
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Agreed. And I think people way overestimate how good their writing is. The reality is that for the majority of people (and this is by definition), your essays will either be below average, average, or negligibly above average.

Btw: You have an extremely impressive app by the looks of your MDApp!
 
undercookdpork said:
Ahh, bummer. Well, I appreciate your honesty!
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I mean who am i to say for sure but when 10th percentile is 3.72 at JHU…i think the money should go elsewhere unless you’re a non-trad with a unique story
 
justadream said:
Agreed. And I think people way overestimate how good their writing is.
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premeds especially, of all people, have no right to assume their writing is any good hahaha
 
carpediem22 said:
I think of weight loss more as a personal challenge that you overcame. For significant experience I think that something you did in an external sense would be more appropriate.
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Hm.. that's a good point!

Part of the reason why I went for weight loss as being my most rewarding experience is that I don't want to keep bringing up over-and-over again how my summer internship where I got to scrub in on cases in 7 different surgical specialties is so important to me. I also talk about this internship in the, "any particular interest in a field of medicine?" essay, so both in my primary and secondary material I already bring up how important this experience was to me.

Any other thoughts on this issue? If my weight loss is perceived as more of a personal experience, not external experience, do you think they'll perceive it as me having misinterpreted the prompt?
 
Also...

Regarding the question about being in the minority, is it even worth including if the best I can come up with is having visited foreign countries and coping with language barriers?

I really have nothing else to answer for that particular prompt.
 
babolat91 said:
Also...

Regarding the question about being in the minority, is it even worth including if the best I can come up with is having visited foreign countries and coping with language barriers?

I really have nothing else to answer for that particular prompt.
Click to expand...

If you were there for an extended period of time, for sure!

Also I agree with the above poster. Go with your gut. It's hard to get good advice on a forum where no-one knows your full story. 🙂
 
Is there any way to check if they have received LoRs?
 
justadream said:
Is there any way to check if they have received LoRs?
Click to expand...

Doesn't look like it. The Status (Check your Application) page simply says:
Congratulations, UCGal2016! All required questions have been completed and your Application has been successfully submitted.
 
For summer jobs is best to average it or break out each summer as its own employment experience?
 
Appreciate the positive vibes and advice, everyone!

Best of luck to you all throughout the cycle and beyond!
 
I know it's been said already, but the amount of information logging I'm doing for this secondary is annoying haha
 
i'm assuming they don't want employment history from before college?
 
Okay for this situation you werent in the majority prompt... do they just want one specific instance, or could I go with qualities about me that would put me in a minority? I cant really think of any situations I was in a minority that are significant enough/appropriate to write an admissions essay on tbh

Like I'm currently talking about the advantages/disadvantages and what Ive learned from being the youngest volunteer at a hospital I'm at and I have a decent amount to talk about, but it seems a bit...vanilla to me
 
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What should I do if I have way more extracurricular activities than they allow, and only a handful of volunteer? I wish they gave us 6 volunteer and 12 EC spots rather than the other way around... 🙁
 
heywhatsuphello said:
Okay for this situation you werent in the majority prompt... do they just want one specific instance, or could I go with qualities about me that would put me in a minority? I cant really think of any situations I was in a minority that are significant enough/appropriate to write an admissions essay on tbh

Like I'm currently talking about the advantages/disadvantages and what Ive learned from being the youngest volunteer at a hospital I'm at and I have a decent amount to talk about, but it seems a bit...vanilla to me
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I think this is a rather open-ended prompt – you could probably go with a one-time instance or a recurring situation in your life.

For example, I wrote mine about being invited to a friend's religious festival even though I was not a member of that faith. I talked about how this experience motivated me to study their religion in college and dispelled all the myths I had been told about this religion. :shrug: Super simple, but it was the first scenario that popped into my head at the time.
 
I hope they still read our primary app experience section because I can't fit everything on to the secondary.
 
Do you guys see a benefit in discussing primary care for the specialization question over other fields?
 
Svenson said:
Do you guys see a benefit in discussing primary care for the specialization question over other fields?
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If it's what you want to do I would mention it. I wouldn't really try to say it just to say it?
 
panda16 said:
If it's what you want to do I would mention it. I wouldn't really try to say it just to say it?
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Thanks. I have experience with primary care thanks to a year-long internship, and I do have interest in it, so it's not like I'd be BS'ing. But I think I have more of an interest in other fields, which I also have experience with.
 
Svenson said:
Thanks. I have experience with primary care thanks to a year-long internship, and I do have interest in it, so it's not like I'd be BS'ing. But I think I have more of an interest in other fields, which I also have experience with.
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Great. Didn't mean to sound too standoffish there, just becuSe I know they would likely ask you about why you would want to do that in your interview if it's something you mentioned in the secondary and it wouldn't be advantageous for you to say it without meaning it! 🙂
 
panda16 said:
Great. Didn't mean to sound too standoffish there, just becuSe I know they would likely ask you about why you would want to do that in your interview if it's something you mentioned in the secondary and it wouldn't be advantageous for you to say it without meaning it! 🙂
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No worries, didn't take it like that lol. I am just aware many schools are looking to put out primary care physicians and was unsure if it would make it harder to get an II if I mentioned another specialization.
 
I don't think Hopkins is like that- it's a private school with a hospital well known for its specialties, not primary care. The question is most likely just to get to know you and see if you've actually put any thought into what type of doctor you want to be and why
 
Also, I applied last year (not to Hopkins) and got asked at an interview why I was interested in primary care- I'm not....and completely forgot I wrote that on my secondary to that school. Needless to say, I tried to BS my way through the answer, but I would highly recommend staying true to yourself, since it's way easier to remember the answers!
 
From the way the question is phrased, it almost seems as if the "area of medicine that are of particular interest to you" question is optional.

Have any JHU matriculants NOT answered this question on their secondary?
@hellanutella @Mwoods18

Just curious
 
Svenson said:
No worries, didn't take it like that lol. I am just aware many schools are looking to put out primary care physicians and was unsure if it would make it harder to get an II if I mentioned another specialization.
Click to expand...

FWIW, Hopkins emphasized that they are starting a new primary track in the near future, so that's definitely up their alley!
 
timeflies said:
From the way the question is phrased, it almost seems as if the "area of medicine that are of particular interest to you" question is optional.

Have any JHU matriculants NOT answered this question on their secondary?
@hellanutella @Mwoods18

Just curious
Click to expand...

I answered it. I answered everything that I had an answer for because I felt like the more information I gave them the better. Unless a question just didn't pertain to me (MD/PhD or something) I answered it on all schools' secondaries. I honestly don't remember all the specific prompts from JHU off-hand. I remember answering that one though.

In reference to the primary care/specialty discussion, I honestly don't think they have any preferences whatsoever. They want to teach people passionate about being a physician and helping patients, but don't have a primary care or specialty emphasis. IMO.
 
timeflies said:
From the way the question is phrased, it almost seems as if the "area of medicine that are of particular interest to you" question is optional.

Have any JHU matriculants NOT answered this question on their secondary?
@hellanutella @Mwoods18

Just curious
Click to expand...

I answered it and second all that @Mwoods18 responded!

My response was also fairly broad; I wrote about how I was leaning towards the surgical subspecialties and related this interest into some of my projects/hobbies. So yeah, don't feel pressured to wax poetic about your love for primary care if you're actually a die-hard specialist... or vice versa.

As always, just answer honestly. Don't try and pander to what you think the adcom wants to hear, because I honestly couldn't tell you what they're looking for aside from authenticity and enthusiasm.
 
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Any other MSTP applicants struggling with the letter requirements? From how it sounds they want the typical MD version (2 science, 1 nonscience) and in addition they want two more science ones to talk about research! This means 4 total science letters....


Not quite sure what to do as of now. I have 2 research/science, one science alone, and 2 nonscience. I may just send them all and hope for the best or should I run to try and grab one more in the next month?
 
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