2018-2019 Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

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Does anyone know when Johns Hopkins typically releases financial aid decisions (for those that submitted before Feb 1)?
 
FYI: Just got off the phone with financial aid and apparently the Feb 1st deadline is a soft deadline. If you have all of your stuff in by like the second week of February, you'll still be considered for priority aid. @desert_tortoise it's unclear what day we'll receive our package. The fin aid officer seemed to imply that it would be well before second look, which is the second weekend of April.
 
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Did people send thank you notes to their interviewers and admissions or just to their interviewers?
 
Does anyone know if admissions is going to release another statement with how many offers have gone out yet like they did back in December? To be honest I don't know if it's better to know or not to know lol
 
Has anyone who sent in updates to Mazza gotten a response lately? I sent an update letter on Thursday but I haven't gotten a confirmation email from her yet. Part of me doesn't want to call and risk the possibility of coming off as annoying either.
 
swissnational said:
Has anyone who sent in updates to Mazza gotten a response lately? I sent an update letter on Thursday but I haven't gotten a confirmation email from her yet. Part of me doesn't want to call and risk the possibility of coming off as annoying either.
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It took a few days for me but I got one. Give it time. I'm sure they're swamped right now.
 
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stickflip723 said:
Hey, thanks a lot for the detailed response. It's encouraging to hear that people still get aid from those sorts of backgrounds (my parents both dropped out of art school, so we're not exactly rolling in it). I'll withhold judgement until I see the numbers I guess.
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Even though scholarships are need-based only, I think most people find Hopkins to be quite generous with need-based aid. Hopkins is frequently people's most generous offer (excluding the occasional full-ride merit scholarship offer from a different school, that is). Hopkins is also known to heavily weigh in your favor if you have sibling(s) in college whose tuition your parents are also responsible for. Another strong factor in students' favor is that, unlike most med schools, Hopkins locks in your financial aid offer for all four years rather than making you reapply each year! If your family financial situation worsens, you're welcome to reapply and get an improved aid package, but if your family financial situation improves, you're under no obligation to reapply. e.g. If you had a sibling who would only be in college your M1 and M2 years, you get to benefit from a need-based aid rate as if they were in college all four years. All these factors generally help people get good need-based aid from here.

DakAttack4 said:
FYI: Just got off the phone with financial aid and apparently the Feb 1st deadline is a soft deadline. If you have all of your stuff in by like the second week of February, you'll still be considered for priority aid. @desert_tortoise it's unclear what day we'll receive our package. The fin aid officer seemed to imply that it would be well before second look, which is the second weekend of April.
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My year, the financial aid office sent out packages the first week of April. It's for sure by SLW because they enable each student to schedule an appointment with their office during SLW to discuss the package, provide any documentation that might lead them to reevaluate and increase your aid, etc. Absolutely fill out CSS now, even if you're waitlisted or won't hear back until March! This will help you down the line.
 
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When would classes start / would we have to be in Baltimore in the fall?
 
Do they provide fee waivers for the CSS profile? I'm currently waitlisted, should I even ask for one if they do or would it be only for accepted students?

Edit: In case anyone else was wondering, they don't offer them. I emailed and asked. I'm just not gonna submit it to them unless I get pulled off the waitlist.
 
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Hi guys, does anyone know if we should send thank you notes to Admissions or directly to our interviewers?
 
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alternativecreative said:
Hi guys, does anyone know if we should send thank you notes to Admissions or directly to our interviewers?
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Did you just have an interview Friday? I did too! I was planning on sending one, they said it was optional but it’s not discouraged
 
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alternativecreative said:
Hi guys, does anyone know if we should send thank you notes to Admissions or directly to our interviewers?
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Please send to admissions! They will route either the hard copy or emails to their intended recipients.

That said: thank you notes have no bearing on your post-interview decision. I didn't send any my cycle, save for student hosts and my UPitt faculty interviewer (who spent 90 minutes dropping straight pearls of wisdom).
 
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BRM797 said:
Did you just have an interview Friday? I did too! I was planning on sending one, they said it was optional but it’s not discouraged
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I also had an interview Friday - I didn't get their e-mail addresses directly, and was also on the fence about doing it. I think I will, just not sure if to ask admissions for their direct e-mails or just attach them and Mrs. Mazza can forward it for me.
 
Wasntmi said:
I also had an interview Friday - I didn't get their e-mail addresses directly, and was also on the fence about doing it. I think I will, just not sure if to ask admissions for their direct e-mails or just attach them and Mrs. Mazza can forward it for me.
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at my interview they told us to just email val mazza and ask her to forward them - I did this and she replied saying she would (i emailed my student interviewer directly bc she gave me hers)
 
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Wasntmi said:
I also had an interview Friday - I didn't get their e-mail addresses directly, and was also on the fence about doing it. I think I will, just not sure if to ask admissions for their direct e-mails or just attach them and Mrs. Mazza can forward it for me.
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Please direct to Ms. Mazza – she'll know exactly who interviewed you, even if you didn't jot down their name or ask for their email!

______________________________________________________________________

Only two more interview days to go; hope everyone has been having an enjoyable cycle and best of luck with decisions. If anyone has any Qs about Hopkins feel free to throw them up in the thread.

FYI **for those on waitlists or waiting for decisions** please, please don't message me asking what you can do to get an acceptance! I've gotten nearly a dozen of these messages thus far and cannot provide any recommendations short of sending a 1) letter of intent (if you're earnestly interested) or 2) a letter of intent (if you'd take Hopkins over all your other offers, even if one were to drop a full ride). I don't think I can recommend anything else. We're the same as any other medical school in that regard. As for how much these letters will help, I don't know.

Also please don't email the admissions office asking them to match a scholarship. I've gotten messages about this, so I'll just restate it again. In all my 4 years of being at Hopkins they have not done this and – to the best of my information – we do not have the funds to do so.

That said, historically we get good waitlist movement and this cycle will be wrapping up soon, so – nationally speaking – seats will be reshuffling.
 
hellanutella said:
Please direct to Ms. Mazza – she'll know exactly who interviewed you, even if you didn't jot down their name or ask for their email!

______________________________________________________________________

Only two more interview days to go; hope everyone has been having an enjoyable cycle and best of luck with decisions. If anyone has any Qs about Hopkins feel free to throw them up in the thread.

FYI **for those on waitlists or waiting for decisions** please, please don't message me asking what you can do to get an acceptance! I've gotten nearly a dozen of these messages thus far and cannot provide any recommendations short of sending a 1) letter of intent (if you're earnestly interested) or 2) a letter of intent (if you'd take Hopkins over all your other offers, even if one were to drop a full ride). I don't think I can recommend anything else. We're the same as any other medical school in that regard. As for how much these letters will help, I don't know.

Also please don't email the admissions office asking them to match a scholarship. I've gotten messages about this, so I'll just restate it again. In all my 4 years of being at Hopkins they have not done this and – to the best of my information – we do not have the funds to do so.

That said, historically we get good waitlist movement and this cycle will be wrapping up soon, so – nationally speaking – seats will be reshuffling.
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Dang, looks like I won't be able to hustle for aid in the end from them. lol
 
dodolol21 said:
If things go well might not need to hustle if the need-based aid is as good as they say it is
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well, still waiting on parentals to give me their financial info to complete the CSS profile. Avoided completing this blasted thing in undergrad for this exact reason. :/
 
TempuraOreos said:
well, still waiting on parentals to give me their financial info to complete the CSS profile. Avoided completing this blasted thing in undergrad for this exact reason. :/
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Incentivize your fam the best you can – if particular social barriers prevent you from obtaining this info, talk to Hopkins aid and see what they recommend. The CSS is, alas, is necessary for your initial estimates but I do not believe it needs to be resubmitted year-to-year. Congrats on the acceptance; just when you think the waiting is done... you have to wait for packages. :(
 
hellanutella said:
Incentivize your fam the best you can – if particular social barriers prevent you from obtaining this info, talk to Hopkins aid and see what they recommend. The CSS is, alas, is necessary for your initial estimates but I do not believe it needs to be resubmitted year-to-year. Congrats on the acceptance; just when you think the waiting is done... you have to wait for packages. :(
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Right. I mean I've accepted that this is process constantly replaces one stressor for another.
 
hellanutella said:
Please direct to Ms. Mazza – she'll know exactly who interviewed you, even if you didn't jot down their name or ask for their email!

______________________________________________________________________

Only two more interview days to go; hope everyone has been having an enjoyable cycle and best of luck with decisions. If anyone has any Qs about Hopkins feel free to throw them up in the thread.

FYI **for those on waitlists or waiting for decisions** please, please don't message me asking what you can do to get an acceptance! I've gotten nearly a dozen of these messages thus far and cannot provide any recommendations short of sending a 1) letter of intent (if you're earnestly interested) or 2) a letter of intent (if you'd take Hopkins over all your other offers, even if one were to drop a full ride). I don't think I can recommend anything else. We're the same as any other medical school in that regard. As for how much these letters will help, I don't know.

Also please don't email the admissions office asking them to match a scholarship. I've gotten messages about this, so I'll just restate it again. In all my 4 years of being at Hopkins they have not done this and – to the best of my information – we do not have the funds to do so.

That said, historically we get good waitlist movement and this cycle will be wrapping up soon, so – nationally speaking – seats will be reshuffling.
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for offering to answer questions--I'll take you up on it! I was wondering how taking time off for Step 1 works at Johns Hopkins? From the online curriculum info, it seems that you choose when to take time to study for it yourself; is this correct and, if so, have you found admin to be helpful in guiding you choose when the best time for you to take it would be? Are faculty and courses helpful in giving you material and exam questions that emulated the Step questions? Thank you so much!
 
desert_tortoise said:
Thanks so much for offering to answer questions--I'll take you up on it! I was wondering how taking time off for Step 1 works at Johns Hopkins? From the online curriculum info, it seems that you choose when to take time to study for it yourself; is this correct and, if so, have you found admin to be helpful in guiding you choose when the best time for you to take it would be? Are faculty and courses helpful in giving you material and exam questions that emulated the Step questions? Thank you so much!
Click to expand...

Pros: Yep; we've moved to a more flexible Step 1 scheduling system. You can take it any time from immediately post clinicals (so study block starting March of M2 year) to your very last rotation (study block starting March of M3 year). You can elect to take it any of the quarters in between as well. You are also not bound to take it in any location. About 60/40 seem to stay in Baltimore vs. study elsewhere. You get 9 weeks for a quarter, which can potentially be 11 weeks if you elect to take a study block abutting spring or winter break.

As for when to take it, that depends on your personal study habits, goals, etc. Do you want to rip the band aid off first? (I was interested in a competitive specialty so I wanted to know if it could even be a reality before jumping in to research). Do you want to experience the clinicals and have that knowledge? (Apparently the folks taking it after some clinicals are doing really great!) As with most med schools, we hold multiple Step 1 panels for students to voice their experiences and the pros/cons associated with each approach. There are also mandatory pre-Step 1 advising sessions with your college advisor (aka the attending who is the head of your "molecule") to ensure you have a viable plan in place. I personally never felt like I was going to slip through the cracks. Once the end of MS2 hits – for better or worse – everyone will be buzzing about Step1 and it will be inescapable.

Cons: I will say having so much choice can actually be inhibiting for some folks. UMD apparently has their entire class take Step 1 on the same day, with very few if, ands, or buts. One and done. Everyone on same page. Since our Step times are staggered, the allure of deferring the test or asking for extra study time is real. Due to the number of deferrals requested in previous years the core clerkships have been backlogged, but the administration is actively working on solutions to this problem.

As for the curriculum, I don't think it "teaches to Step" – meaning that our exams usually don't have retired NBME questions or sync up 100% with First Aid. Back in my day we were very weak on pharm so learning that for Step was a wee bit rough. However, due to student feedback, the curriculum committee reports that the preclinicals are now more closely aligning. That said, the vast majority (90+%) of info is covered. Someone once told me "your goal during MS1-2 should be to see everything once and then put it all together during Step," which I found to be very true. Regardless of school – unless you go to one that subsidizes UWorld and has you just step prep for 2 years – you'll be doing a lot of content integration on your own come dedicated study time. This ain't Hopkins specific.

n=1 but I took very good use of the P/F system and the diagnostic step I took at the end of MS2 was the minimum passing score. Didn't really study for step concurrently during MS2. Went home for dedicated, which was peachy. Took 7 wks to study (8h a day for 6d/wk – so nothing too nuts) and ended up scoring 60+ pts above my diagnostic. Everything I saw during dedicated was like "Aw yeah... I vaguely remember that from preclinical." Spent the last 4 weeks on holiday, since it adjoined a break. Knew some folks who failed their diagnostic and did better than me.
 
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hellanutella said:
Pros: Yep; we've moved to a more flexible Step 1 scheduling system. You can take it any time from immediately post clinicals (so study block starting March of M2 year) to your very last rotation (study block starting March of M3 year). You can elect to take it any of the quarters in between as well. You are also not bound to take it in any location. About 60/40 seem to stay in Baltimore vs. study elsewhere. You get 9 weeks for a quarter, which can potentially be 11 weeks if you elect to take a study block abutting spring or winter break.

As for when to take it, that depends on your personal study habits, goals, etc. Do you want to rip the band aid off first? (I was interested in a competitive specialty so I wanted to know if it could even be a reality before jumping in to research). Do you want to experience the clinicals and have that knowledge? (Apparently the folks taking it after some clinicals are doing really great!) As with most med schools, we hold multiple Step 1 panels for students to voice their experiences and the pros/cons associated with each approach. There are also mandatory pre-Step 1 advising sessions with your college advisor (aka the attending who is the head of your "molecule") to ensure you have a viable plan in place. I personally never felt like I was going to slip through the cracks. Once the end of MS2 hits – for better or worse – everyone will be buzzing about Step1 and it will be inescapable.

Cons: I will say having so much choice can actually be inhibiting for some folks. UMD apparently has their entire class take Step 1 on the same day, with very few if, ands, or buts. One and done. Everyone on same page. Since our Step times are staggered, the allure of deferring the test or asking for extra study time is real. Due to the number of deferrals requested in previous years the core clerkships have been backlogged, but the administration is actively working on solutions to this problem.

As for the curriculum, I don't think it "teaches to Step" – meaning that our exams usually don't have retired NBME questions or sync up 100% with First Aid. Back in my day we were very weak on pharm so learning that for Step was a wee bit rough. However, due to student feedback, the curriculum committee reports that the preclinicals are now more closely aligning. That said, the vast majority (90+%) of info is covered. Someone once told me "your goal during MS1-2 should be to see everything once and then put it all together during Step," which I found to be very true. Regardless of school – unless you go to one that subsidizes UWorld and has you just step prep for 2 years – you'll be doing a lot of content integration on your own come dedicated study time. This ain't Hopkins specific.

n=1 but I took very good use of the P/F system and the diagnostic step I took at the end of MS2 was the minimum passing score. Didn't really study for step concurrently during MS2. Went home for dedicated, which was peachy. Took 7 wks to study (8h a day for 6d/wk – so nothing too nuts) and ended up scoring 60+ pts above my diagnostic. Everything I saw during dedicated was like "Aw yeah... I vaguely remember that from preclinical." Spent the last 4 weeks on holiday, since it adjoined a break. Knew some folks who failed their diagnostic and did better than me.
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Thank you for such a thorough and overall super helpful reply :) It's great to have current students light the way for us aspiring ones!
 
Do we need to do anything with hopkins and the AAMC "Choose Your Medical School" tool?
 
pyhat said:
Do we need to do anything with hopkins and the AAMC "Choose Your Medical School" tool?
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No. If you’re relatively sure Hopkins is your top choice, you can select “plan to enroll”. It will help them calculate their yield and take people off the waitlist if needed. If you’re currently undecided, don’t do anything.
 
StanleyYelnats said:
No. If you’re relatively sure Hopkins is your top choice, you can select “plan to enroll”. It will help them calculate their yield and take people off the waitlist if needed. If you’re currently undecided, don’t do anything.
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Thanks :)
 
@hellanutella do you per chance know when we would have to be in Baltimore by for this August? Trying to plan a trip thanks so much!
 
sumptinclaus said:
@hellanutella do you per chance know when we would have to be in Baltimore by for this August? Trying to plan a trip thanks so much!
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Don't know the exact date classes start – check with the registrar!

I started around August 7th back in ye olden times and I think it's usually been around the first or second week of the month?
 
Does anyone know how many acceptances went out feb 1? I just know they sent out 81 in December. Trying to judge my odds for late March
 
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Anyone know what day in "late March" decisions should be expected to be announced?
 
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Sorry if already asked, do we have student hosts at second look?
 
StanleyYelnats said:
Sorry if already asked, do we have student hosts at second look?
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Wasn't there a something in the second look rsvp that gave you an option to request a host? Gosh, I hope I'm recalling this correctly.
 
TempuraOreos said:
Wasn't there a something in the second look rsvp that gave you an option to request a host? Gosh, I hope I'm recalling this correctly.
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Yoo sorry I always skim emails. Let me go back and check and will let you know.
 
StanleyYelnats said:
Yoo sorry I always skim emails. Let me go back and check and will let you know. If you’re right, you just saved me a hotel payment- real MVP right here @TempuraOreos
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Lol same. I avoided paying for hotels all this cycle. Would like to keep it that.
 
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StanleyYelnats said:
Yoo sorry I always skim emails. Let me go back and check and will let you know.
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On the Google form, there is a question that asks "Do you intend to request a student host?" Hopefully, there are enough people will to host.
Wipes sweat off forehead.
 
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For people who won't hear a decision until end of March, how are you accessing the scholarship application for IDOC? Idk how to get the document
 
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letsgoooo said:
Does anyone know how many acceptances went out feb 1? I just know they sent out 81 in December. Trying to judge my odds for late March
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~60 IIRC! Don't know when the release date will be, but it's coming!

Also: there ought to be enough student hosts for SLW – I didn't know of anyone who had to stay in a hotel back when I attended. Highly recommend, as this is a great way to get some insight into Hopkins life (and also not pay an arm and a leg).
 
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