Johns Hopkins University, located in Baltimore, MD, is renowned for its research advancements in the biomedical sciences, as well as for being America’s first research university. From its 19th-century Maryland Quaker origins to its present-day impact on the global stage, Johns Hopkins has remained a prestigious educational institution. For applicants seeking admission to Johns Hopkins, the supplemental essay prompt can feel intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Let’s break it down.
Johns Hopkins University’s 2024-2025 Prompt
- How has your life experience contributed to your personal story—your character, values, perspectives or skills—and what you want to pursue at Hopkins? (350 words or fewer)
General Tips
When brainstorming essay topics, you may want to start with identifying any gaps in your application (in context). If your Common App essay, teacher recommendation letters, and other application materials all emphasize certain aspects your academic or personal background while neglecting other elements, your supplemental essay(s) can be a great place to fill in the blanks. For instance, if your cultural background isn’t explored anywhere else in your application, this supplemental essay might be the best place to dive into it.
That said, you don’t want to force a topic in where it doesn’t otherwise belong. Thus, make sure that whatever topics you choose for your supplemental essay(s) fits the context of the essays. Your response needs to be directly related to the prompt at hand! Only pursue this strategy if it makes sense for your application and the essay prompt you’re working with. It’s better to be slightly redundant than to miss the point of the prompt.
That said, for this particular prompt, there is no need to be redundant with your Common App personal essay topic. Even if your personal essay discusses your life experience, this essay can (and should) focus on a different aspect of your life experience. Now, let’s dive into the prompt specifically.
Johns Hopkins University Supplemental Essay Question
How has your life experience contributed to your personal story—your character, values, perspectives or skills—and what you want to pursue at Hopkins? (350 words or fewer)
This essay provides you with the opportunity to focus on a part of your personal story that you didn’t have the room for in your Common App essay. Therefore, if you feel that there is a story you’d like admissions officer to know about you, tell it here. You have fewer words to work with than in the Common App essay, though, so you will need to be especially focused in this essay.
Show, don’t tell.
Many students end up “telling” and “showing,” while others simply stick to “telling.” The drawback to doing both is that your essay is more redundant. The drawback to just “telling” is that your essay will read more like a list of your feelings and a cursory description of your experiences, rather than a compelling narrative.
Thus, focus on “showing” the reader your story throughout the beginning and middle of your essay. At the end of your essay, switch to reflecting on the story you just told. This will allow you room to demonstrate your growth and maturity since the events of the story have elapsed.
Show your “Why Hopkins?”, if you can.
This essay hints at the ways that your background may have influenced your decision to apply to Hopkins. In other words, if you have chosen to apply to Hopkins due to a specific life experience, you should mention this in your essay. Specific, legitimate reasons motivating your interest in Johns Hopkins can only increase your chances of getting accepted. If your application is held up against that of another student with similar accomplishments to yourself, then your strong motivating interest in Hopkins might move the needle in your direction.
Be authentic and specific.
Authenticity and specificity are keys to helping this essay stand out. Many students applying to Johns Hopkins will likely have overlapping life experiences with you. Yet, in an ideal world, your essays will all be unique. How could this be possible? Even if your identity isn’t “unique,” your life experience is. No one has lived life just like you have. Writing vividly and specifically about your life experience will give your essay the dimension it needs to make an impact on the admissions team.
Lastly, don’t forget to check out the webpage for Johns Hopkins essays that worked.
If you need help polishing up your Johns Hopkins supplemental essay, check out our College Essay Review service. You can receive detailed feedback from Ivy League consultants in as little as 24 hours.
