A Guide to Johns Hopkins University's 2023-2024 Supplemental Essays

The path to Johns Hopkins University (JHU) winds through a set of carefully curated essay prompts. These prompts enable the admissions team to see beyond your grades and test scores to the unique individual you are. In this blog post, we will guide you through each of this year's prompts, offer strategic advice, and share examples from successful past applications.

Prompt 1: Successful students at Johns Hopkins make the biggest impact by collaborating with others, including peers, mentors, and professors. Talk about a time, in or outside the classroom, when you worked with others and what you learned from the experience. (300-400 words)

This prompt aims to assess your teamwork skills and openness to collaborative learning. An example of a captivating response from a 2022 applicant reads:

"In my sophomore year, I joined our school's robotics club, a newly formed group of students who were passionate but inexperienced. We had one mentor, an alumni with a busy job, leaving us largely to our own devices.

We hit our first roadblock while preparing for a local competition. Our robot's arm would either swing too fast, sending the ball flying, or too slow, failing to launch it at all. No one had a solution, and frustration permeated the group. As the team's self-designated 'Motivator,' I saw an opportunity to help us grow from this challenge.

I proposed a team brainstorming session, hoping that pooling our knowledge would lead to a solution. Everyone brought different skills to the table: Sophie's physics knowledge, Alex's programming skills, and my knack for mechanics, among others. We sketched designs, calculated angles, and wrote codes. It took three iterations and many late nights, but we finally created a robot arm that launched the ball accurately.

From this experience, I learned the value of diverse perspectives in problem-solving. It was through our collaborative effort that we overcame the obstacle. This experience highlighted the power of unity in diversity and cemented my belief in the importance of collaborative learning."

The University of Chicago is eager to know more about your intellectual curiosities, personal experiences, and what unique perspective you bring to their community.

As you approach JHU's supplemental essays, keep your responses authentic and deeply personal. Your unique experiences and perspectives will set you apart.

The admissions committee is eager to learn about you. Let them do that through your essays.

Best of luck with your writing!