CollegeVine College Essay Team August 5, 2022 4 Essay Guides 2022-23,Johns Hopkins University

How to Write the Johns Hopkins University Essay 2022-2023

As the one main supplemental essay, this is your greatest opportunity to shine for the Hopkins admissions officers. Though the word count is relatively low and there is only one question to answer, this prompt allows you to cover a lot of ground. 

Here, Hopkins wants to know a bit about you, a bit about how your life has defined your collegiate priorities, and a bit about how Hopkins may provide that for you. This is a multifaceted question which may require a unique approach when compared to other supplemental prompts, but overall, it is pretty similar to your typical “Why this College?” essay. In a sense, they are asking two key questions: why you, and why Hopkins? 

The answers may first be found through research. While you can hardly be expected to memorize the university’s entire website, it is important to truly understand the elements of Johns Hopkins which you most strongly find yourself gravitating towards, such as specific research and extracurricular opportunities, academic offerings, or even the school’s professed values.

Be specific here, and careful in avoiding vague or universal qualities. After all, plenty of schools have fantastic professors, small student-to-faculty ratios, and prestige. Admissions officers are often alma maters of the school you are applying to, super-fans who know the university inside and out, so it’s important to show them that you truly resonate with the school’s unique elements and spirit.

Be wary of discussing a major’s strength. Saying that you want to go to Hopkins because it is ranked first by the U.S. News Report for Biomedical Engineering is not only vague—after all, plenty of other schools are ranked similarly highly—but also wavers dangerously close to saying that you are only applying for academic prestige.

So take a moment to think about what you truly want out of your college experience and what is appealing to you about Johns Hopkins. Ideally, a student who is a strong fit will find a significant overlap between the two.

Consider an example case of a student who holds a deep-seated passion for policymaking. She spent much of high school volunteering at a geriatric care center and interned for a local politician the summer before junior year. She is now a prospective Public Health Studies major on the premed track. While reading about Johns Hopkins’ research opportunities, the student becomes particularly drawn towards the undergraduate research opportunities available through the Geriatric Medicine Labs under the Department of Medicine. A research position at the Ariel Green Lab, which conducts research relating to policy and decision-making regarding healthcare for the elderly, proves a natural fit for this student’s closely-held interests.

This student’s essay may begin with a lively, narrative anecdote from her volunteer experience for an assisted living facility, explaining that the afternoons she spent with aging patients helped her develop a patient and empathetic personality, while her experience as a political intern showed her how broader political systems could be built to meet specific, humanized needs like the ones she catered to in her volunteer work. 

Her growing skills in compassionate communication and penchant for political analysis helped her realize that she needed a school like Hopkins, where she could pursue a successful medical career while fulfilling her desire to understand and advance geriatric care and policymaking.

Every student’s story is different, so yours will be, too. Remember that while research opportunities will likely be the main draw for many prospective Blue Jays, your essay may be tailored towards any of Hopkins’ abundance of opportunities, including classes, clubs, or other specific campus resources. 

Given the word count, it’s likely you will only be able to cover a few elements of Johns Hopkins which resonate with your story, and that’s perfectly fine! Specificity is key to all essays of this nature, and the most important factor is the strength of the ties between your identity and Hopkins’ opportunities. By showing how deeply you will engage with the college’s resources and opportunities, you will demonstrate your capacity for giving back to your collegiate community. 

Your essay should flow smoothly, demonstrating clear connections between your interest/background/identity/community, what you want out of your college experience, and which unique Hopkins opportunities you will take full advantage of. These three components should be clearly and strongly linked, painting a clear portrait of you as a person who undoubtedly belongs on campus.

Want more tips? See this Johns Hopkins essay example to inspire your own writing.

Where to Get Your JHU Essay Edited for Free

Do you want feedback on your JHU essay? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool, where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!