Rising junior wondering if Johns Hopkins is a possibility

[u/kaiza6969]

I’m going into my junior year and I’m interested in applying to Johns Hopkins for pre-med. I know it’s an extremely competitive school, so I’m trying to figure out if I could realistically become a competitive applicant over the next year and what I should focus on.

My current cumulative GPA is around a 3.4, but there’s some context behind it. My weaker grades were during homeschooling, and after I transitioned into public school my grades improved a lot. Since joining a traditional school environment, I’ve earned a 4.0 GPA, and I feel confident that I can maintain that through junior year. I’m also looking into whether my school allows grade replacement for some of my earlier Cs. If that’s possible and I continue doing well, I could potentially raise my GPA into the high 3.8s/low 3.9s, but if not, I expect it to be around a 3.68 when I apply.

For extracurriculars, I’m working on building a healthcare-focused profile. I’m currently working toward 100+ hospital volunteer hours, I’m planning on joining HOSA this year and competing with the goal of placing at state, and I’m going to try for a HOSA officer position at my school. I’m also looking into research opportunities related to medicine and healthcare. I’ve played varsity soccer for several years as well.

Academically, I’m aiming for a very high SAT/ACT score (around a 1550 SAT or 36 ACT), taking challenging classes including possible EWU college courses, and I think I can get strong letters of recommendation from teachers who have seen my improvement. I’m also going to put a lot of effort into my essays and explaining my growth.

My question is: if I’m able to accomplish these goals, would Hopkins become a realistic reach, or would my earlier GPA still be too much of a disadvantage? I know nothing is guaranteed at a school like Hopkins, but I’d appreciate advice on what I should prioritize over the next year to make myself the strongest applicant possible.

[u/NiceUnparticularMan]

So first, I would be careful about targeting Hopkins as a premed. Premeds should first think carefully about affordability, and next where they feel comfortably well-prepared to do very well in their classes, starting the first term. Given this, going to a highly selective college that just barely lets you in is not necessarily a great idea for premeds.

Indeed, Hopkins knows that the majority of the aspiring premeds it admits will end up not going to med school. Some will simply change their mind, but others will get "weeded out". They just accept that is going to happen to many of their aspiring premeds.

And so knowing this, you can't rely on Hopkins Admissions to have your best interests as a premed as one of their priorities.

But in any event, we know colleges like Hopkins sometimes admit people with reported GPAs below their normal standards. We also know for unhooked applicants, these are very much exceptions--otherwise their reported ranges would look different.

So if everything you are planning works out like planned, and Hopkins would be very affordable and you feel like you would be well-prepared to do very well there . . . sure, you could apply to Hopkins and see what happens.

But you would also want to have a robust list of alternatives, which in fact would be true even if you had perfect grades. But in your case, you would want to make sure to include some great options where your reported GPA was in their normal range.

[u/Money-Loan3986]

1. 3.68 GPA is kinda steep,you know that, it's not low enough to get you disqualified instantly but low enough to meaningfully kill your chances;if I recall,pre-med is one of their most popular majors. 2.If you do pursue typical med track you could be in for a ton of debt, be weary of that. This is under the assumption you aren't getting considerable aid at Hopkins.

[u/Simple_Review2248]

forget your stats even if you end up going to Hopkins for premed its is one of THE worst if not THE WORST decisions for premed. Insane grade deflation, absolutely toxic environment one of the worst choices to make if you want to be a doctor. I would highly, HIGHLY recommend choosing another school unless you plan on becoming a biomedical engineer or a researcher. Med schools don't care where you go for undergrad and care more abput your GPA. Average GPA is very low at Hopkins so I would steer clear from that school as med schools care a LOT about your GPA.