Early Decision Defers - Read This!, What You Should Know - Second Chance?

If you are reading this thread then you are probably one of the students who was disappointed when you received your Early Decision notification. Let me start by saying you should not lose hope. ED deferred applicants are admitted every year, and are provided the same chance of admission as the applicants who apply regular decision. At Hopkins, we do not defer all applicants who are not admitted ED - we actually do deny a number of ED applicants who we determine do not have a chance for admission in the RD review process. Deferred applicants do have a second chance.

Here is a list of suggestions and some advice that I feel will be helpful in better understanding the process and the decisions. I hope this post and subsequent discussion will assist you as you move forward over the next few weeks and months.

(1) Apply to other schools. Though obvious, your chance for admission to Hopkins is not guaranteed and you want to make sure you have options.

(2) Make sure you update the academic portion of your application. This would include mid-year grades (which will play a MAJOR role in your re-review), additional standardized test scores you may have taken, and maybe even an updated letter of recommendation from your guidance counselor.

(3) Consider updating the non-academic portion of your application. Though not required, an updated resume and an additional letter of recommendation (especially from a senior year teacher) can always help. Just make sure anything you add does contribute in a new way to your application. Do not be redundant.

(4) Write a letter to the Admissions Committee. Though not something all deferred applicants need to do or even should do, some of you may consider writing a personal letter to the Admissions Committee stressing your interest in Hopkins and why you feel you are an appropriate candidate for admissions. Consider this a cover letter to your overall application.

(5) What not to do:
*Do not request an interview - there are no more.

*Do not repeatedly contact the Admissions staff. Update your application, ask questions if you need to, but do not stalk. You will get your final decision at the end of March along with the other RD applicants.

*Do not ask to meet one-on-one with a staff member. We need to focus on reviewing Regular Decision applications and unfortunately we do not have the time.

*And do not ask why you were deferred. We do not discuss applicant's case nor the reasons behind our decisions.

(6) Most importantly, have a stellar senior year academically. The most important part of the review of a early decision deferred applicant is their academic progress throughout senior year.

We know you have additional questions, so feel free to post them here.

Happy Holidays and Best Wishes.

I though it would be helpful to post answers to the most frequently asked questions we have received in the past from ED deferred applicants:

The second paragraph of your email notification will reveal your decision.

If it reads:
"The committee has reviewed your application for admission to Johns Hopkins, and has decided to defer its final decision until April."
...then you have been deferred and your application will be reviewed under the Regular Decision process.

If it reads:
"I am very sorry to inform you that we are not able to offer you a place in this year's class. "
...then you have not been offered admission and you also have not been deferred. This is a deny decision and your application will not be reviewed again.

We ask that all additional information be received no later than February 1st.

This is the most difficult question we will receive regarding deferred applicants, and actually there is no clear answer. Statistically the majority of deferred applicants will not be offered admission. During the Regular Decision review process we will offer admission to less than 20% of all applicants.

However, that last sentence should not be read as a deferred applicant has no chance. The competition will be difficult during Regular Decision, however as I stated above, all deferred applicants will be re-reviewed and given a fair shot for admission. There is no advantage nor disadvantage for deferred students ... just a second chance.

The number that we admit varies greatly year-to-year, it is not a set number, and it relates primarily to how well deferred students do between now and the finalizing of RD decisions.

No. Early Decision applicants do not need to re-submit their application. In fact, as I stated above your application will automatically be re-reviewed during the regular decision admissions round even if you do not send in an update.

All update materials must be submitted by postal mail. We are unable to process updates through email and you are unable to re-access your online application. The address to send materials to is:

Application Coordinator
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Johns Hopkins University
Mason Hall
3400 N. Charles St.
Baltimore, MD 21218

Please make sure all application materials include your full name, birth date, and current school. You should also include a cover letter denoting that the additional materials are for an ED Deferred application.

No. All Early Decision deferred applicants will receive their final admissions decisions when we release Regular Decision notifications. That will be done during the last week in March. There is no rolling admission for ED defers.

Yes. First reads of all applications and re-reviews of ED defer applications will always be reviewed by the regional admissions counselors. There is no negative to this as applications are always reviewed by multiple admissions counselors and the overall admissions committee. All ED applications have had multiple reviews, and all ED defer applications will have multiple re-reviews. No files is every decided by one person.

Unfortunately that is a statistic we do not release since it changes drastically year - to - year. I can assure you that anyone deferred from ED will get a thorough review during RD.

I was wondering, as an IB student in Hong Kong, the mid-year grades would be my Current Performance Grade right?

Hi, I'm a deferred applicant.

Is it possible to mail in a new common application essay (not supplement) to replace the initial?

And if it is, is it a bad idea?

Every high school is different when it comes to mid-year reports. What is required is that your school submit a report that includes the most recent senior year academic performance by Feb. 15. If that is your "Current Performance Grade" report then yes, that is what your school needs to submit.

You may submit a new essay, but it will not be used to replace any former essays that you have submitted. We do not replace application materials. Anything you previously submitted will be included in your application review.

Hi,
I am a deferred student and I was wondering if I have to send in my grade 12 marks by mail or if I can upload it on common application.
Would my mid year report be reviewed if the counselor submitted it on common app?

If your guidance counselor uploads your mid-year school report and updated senior year transcript through the Common Application online system then there is no need to also mail those items. Your application will be updated every time your school official uploads additional school materials such as mid-year reports.

Thank you:)
but i have few other questions.
For the cover letters, would it be better if we write it emotionally about how much we want to attend JHU or explain why we want to attend JHU by indicating our specific interests?
And what is the best length for the cover letter?

It is your choice. Unfortunately, we do not provide advice on what you should write. We provide it as an option for you to write to the Admissions Committee whatever you choose to highlight.

For deferred students, instead of mailing NEW reference letters, can they be submitted through common app? And would the undergraduate admissions office know who the deferred applicants are or not?

The preference is new recommendation letters for deferred applicants be sent through the postal mail that includes a cover letter stating the recommendations are updates for a deferred applicant. If submitted through the online Common Application system there is no way for the letters to be tracked as new information and there is a chance they will not be reviewed.

As far as your second question, when your file is re-reviewed during the regular decision round, yes the Admissions Committee is aware that they are reviewing an Early Decision deferred application.

Sorry, one last question
then as a deferred student, if i update my transcript on commonapp, would they not be reviewed just like the reference letters? Would it be better if it were sent by mail?

If your updated transcript is part of the mid-year report, then that will be a new document even if submitted online. However, if your updated transcript is not part of the mid-year report submission, then it should be sent via postal mail.

I applied as an Undecided major. However, now I have decided on a major. Should I send in an essay that answers the supplement essay question explaining what major I have picked so that the Admissions Committee knows that I am applying not as Undecided?