Johns Hopkins

[mosquito0016]

Not a school I'm too invested in, but they just waitlisted me. I've never been on a waitlist, honestly. I know for undergrad the advice is often to be very proactive: write letters, note changes to your resume, check up with the school's secretary every month or so. Is the advice the same for graduate programs? Should I contact a POI? How should I respond to the waitlist email itself? Should I say nothing in response, or provide a cover-letter-esque response about why I'm awesome?

I'm posting this here because I'm also interested in anyone's specific knowledge about JHU's department, or about their admissions cycle this year. One thing I would kill to know is if the waitlist is ranked, and if so where I am on it. I'm guessing the secretary wouldn't be responsive to that kind of query, though.

Edited February 15, 2010 by jblevins09

[ratiocinator]

I just got the waitlisted e-mail from Johns Hopkins too. I don't really have any information to offer—but I'm also quite curious as to proper waitlist etiquette, and hopeful as to our final prospects for admission. Good luck to all of us!

[mosquito0016]

I am actually going to reply to my own topic, after some sleuthing. According to the results page JHU English has never waitlisted before. If anyone has any different info, please let me know. It think it's interesting that they've started this year. I think there are two options:

1) They, like everyone else, are expecting a lot of shuffling this year.

2) They really meant their story about not knowing the class size yet.

If option 2 is true--and I'm leaning towards it being true--then I think our chances are good. The letter itself indicates that their estimates were conservative. What that says to me is that they admitted a conservative number and then waitlisted enough candidates to fill out the class at the ideal size. I think chances look pretty good in that light, particularly considering the turnover that's going to happen on top of that.

[ratiocinator]

I like the way you think... partly because your prediction bodes well for both of us, but also because, to my inexperienced eye, it makes a lot of sense.

[ornithology]

have they sent out the rejects?

[mosquito0016]

have they sent out the rejects?

I think not yet. According to past trends they send out rejects around the 25th. Acceptances (and apparently waitlists) go out now.

[minnares]

First round of rejects went out yesterday, apparently. So anyone who didn't get the ax must have made it to the second round. I'm just relieved to finally have heard from somewhere, anywhere at all. My kids are overjoyed they don't have to move to Baltimore .

~ m