Hopkins Funding: Is there a real chance of getting it?

[Auraraptor]

Though I have heard 'there is movement' and most get funding, I was curious, does anyone know of someone who was accepted but not funded and was later so?

Does anyone know of someone who was accepted but NEVER given any funding?

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[Auraraptor]

Guess not.

 

[haricot]

my student host at the interview said she didn't get funding until right after the revisit.

 

[Auraraptor]

my student host at the interview said she didn't get funding until right after the revisit.

Cool, at least that means it is a real possiblity.

 

[chirurgino]

When I was applying (granted, it was 9 years ago), I got in without funding very early--mid-October--and was eventually offered full funding in March, but ended up going somewhere else.

 

[le gangs]

anyone else get their rejection today? lol

 

[Auraraptor]

anyone else get their rejection today? lol

I didn't get my offical snailmail response yet. (And I live down the road!) Did you interview on my day (Feb 7/8)?

 

[le gangs]

Nope. One week earlier. That's good news for you I hope.

 

[MSTPDad]

Has anyone admitted MD/PhD without funding been bumped up to MSTP funding yet this year? If not, does everyone agree that we probably will have to wait until after May 15 to see any such movement? Relatedly, does anyone have any idea as to how many people are in the unfunded boat?

 

[haricot]

Has anyone admitted MD/PhD without funding been bumped up to MSTP funding yet this year? If not, does everyone agree that we probably will have to wait until after May 15 to see any such movement? Relatedly, does anyone have any idea as to how many people are in the unfunded boat?

i vaguely remember them saying that they admit 30-35 people, and keep 12 offers of funding out an any given time. i was accepted two months ago and *just* got funding, so it happens. but i'd expect most of the movement to happen in late april, after the revisit.

 

[Auraraptor]

i vaguely remember them saying that they admit 30-35 people, and keep 12 offers of funding out an any given time. i was accepted two months ago and *just* got funding, so it happens. but i'd expect most of the movement to happen in late april, after the revisit.

How did they notify you? (congrads btw!!)

 

[haricot]

How did they notify you? (congrads btw!!)

snail mail. but i think that was after some big committee meeting. i imagine it would be by phone/email at this point. i just withdrew, btw...i hope someone on here will benefit!

 

[Auraraptor]

snail mail. but i think that was after some big committee meeting. i imagine it would be by phone/email at this point. i just withdrew, btw...i hope someone on here will benefit!

Seeing how I am waiting for funding, it is much appreciated!

 

[MSTPDad]

Thanks, Haricot. All of us waiting appreciate your prompt decision making. Hear that other JHU MSTP offer holders?

 

[Auraraptor]

I was reading the literaturs Hopkins gave interviewees, and it stated that they made 33 offers and matriculated 11 students. I would assume 11 students with funding. I am curious if they ever matericulated a student without funding....

 

[haricot]

"Each year, on average, two to three students decide to enroll as MD-PhD candidates at Johns Hopkins without MSTP funding."

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/mdphd/support.html

 

[Auraraptor]

"Each year, on average, two to three students decide to enroll as MD-PhD candidates at Johns Hopkins without MSTP funding."

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/mdphd/support.html

Interesting, thanks!

 

[MSTPDad]

Let's face it: The Hopkins unfunded MD/PhD offer is its own peculiar version of an MSTP waitlist. The candidate waits on the MD/PhD list (I wonder if it's ranked?) until enough people turn down their MSTP offers to justify Hopkins in offering full funding to the lucky ones. The program is prestigious enough that a small trickle of people (2 or 3 per year) actually accept without funding in the hopes of getting it the next year. Quite a gamble.

I really don't know why Hopkins does it this way. I can't see the advantage to Hopkins. You might think it really doesn't make any difference to the applicants either. After all it's sort of cool to say you have been admitted to Hopkins MD/PhD rather than saying you are on Hopkins MSTP waitlist. But in fact there is a tangible disadvantage to applicants in doing it this way. That disadvantage will manifest itself on May 15 when those holding these Hopkins "offers" will have to withdraw or gamble that they will be upgraded to MSTP offers later and withdraw all other offers from all other programs. Of course those on real wait list can simply wait while withdrawing from all but one of the other programs. To me that is an important disadvantage to the Hopkins applicants without any countervailing advantage.

 

[solitude]

good insight

Let's face it: The Hopkins unfunded MD/PhD offer is its own peculiar version of an MSTP waitlist. The candidate waits on the MD/PhD list (I wonder if it's ranked?) until enough people turn down their MSTP offers to justify Hopkins in offering full funding to the lucky ones. The program is prestigious enough that a small trickle of people (2 or 3 per year) actually accept without funding in the hopes of getting it the next year. Quite a gamble.

I really don't know why Hopkins does it this way. I can't see the advantage to Hopkins. You might think it really doesn't make any difference to the applicants either. After all it's sort of cool to say you have been admitted to Hopkins MD/PhD rather than saying you are on Hopkins MSTP waitlist. But in fact there is a tangible disadvantage to applicants in doing it this way. That disadvantage will manifest itself on May 15 when those holding these Hopkins "offers" will have to withdraw or gamble that they will be upgraded to MSTP offers later and withdraw all other offers from all other programs. Of course those on real wait list can simply wait while withdrawing from all but one of the other programs. To me that is an important disadvantage to the Hopkins applicants without any countervailing advantage.

 

[MSTPDad]

While dropping off to sleep last evening I finally thought of how this faux wait list system might benefit the Hopkins Admission Committee. By making MD/PhD "offers" to those who would be wait listed at other MSTP programs, Hopkins gets to see from what other programs the prospective students have received offers on March 15. IIRC programs that merely wait list do not have access to that info. How they use that info I have no clue.

Aside from that, I still can't figure out why Hopkins alone does it this way. As I mentioned above, it sure puts the squeeze on the "lucky" MD/PhD offerees come May 15.

 

[Neuronix]

Aside from that, I still can't figure out why Hopkins alone does it this way. As I mentioned above, it sure puts the squeeze on the "lucky" MD/PhD offerees come May 15.

They're one of the last holdouts that still have unfunded spots. This used to be much more common. For example, Penn used to have a large cohort of unfunded MD/PhDs, but that ended a few years before I started. When I was applying Baylor was still doing it and so was Pittsburgh. I don't know if they still do it. The whole idea of the unfunded MD/PhD is going by the wayside however, and I've been told a few times it's because the MD/PhDs without full funding are much more likely to drop out.

One PD also told me "It was just so hard explaining to a very talented individual that they weren't going to get the same treatment that their classmates were getting". In my opinion, there's something to be said for that philosophy if you're considering a program that still doesn't seem to have a problem with funding some and not funding others. What did it come down to? .01 GPA? 1 MCAT point? A month of research? Oh sorry, you're now $70,000 in debt.

Somehow I imagine there's more to that game. They aren't counting the people who turn down funding as people turning down their program maybe. Or perhaps your theory is part of the reason. It could also be the old foot in the door technique. "Oh, you're in at Hopkins, just keep sending us love letters and maybe we'll give you funding", as opposed to just waitlisting someone and have them be on your usual standard waitlist. Maybe it increases retention?

 

[MSTPDad]

Neuronix: All good theories for Hopkins' motives. I just thought of another one. It's very impressive during interview season to say to the interviewees: "We expect to give offers to 33 out of the 50 of you." Of course the interviewees normally don't need more motivation since they already went through hell to get the interviews.