Hopkins accepted 1,652 additional members to the Class of 2025 from an applicant pool of 33,236 students on March 19 in the regular decision cycle (RD). They join 824 students who were admitted through the two rounds of early decision. Over 3,400 students were offered a spot on the waitlist.
While the official acceptance rate will not be released until the summer, the RD acceptance rate was just under 5%. The rate has hovered around 7% in the past few years.
Franko Piskulich from Southern California applied to Hopkins to pursue his dream of becoming a neurosurgeon.
“I cried [when I found out] because I couldn’t believe what was happening and how blessed I was to be accepted into such a great institution,” he said. “Moving across the country for college is a sacrifice to be away from your family. At first you’re going to feel uneasy, but you have to open yourself up and put yourself out there.”
Like Piskulich, new admit Anthony Lara was drawn to the opportunities for medical research at Hopkins.
“I want to interact with communities and people who understand my passion to use medicine for good. And Hopkins is not just medicine, which makes it even better. People are learning other incredible things, too,” he said.
Due to COVID-19, Hopkins, alongside many other colleges, waived standardized testing requirements. The University announced that the test-optional policy will continue in next year’s admissions cycle.
The University also stopped offering in-person campus tours last March due to the pandemic, and this year’s applicants relied on virtual resources to learn about the University.
John Liu from Louisiana was able to learn about campus life through the University’s social media.
“The pandemic made applying harder because I couldn’t visit any colleges on campus, so I had to rely on YouTube videos,” he said. “The Instagram page helped me decide to apply to Hopkins. It seemed like everyone had an outgoing and super fun personality.”
Liu has yet to make a decision, but he noted that the financial aid he received makes Hopkins an attractive choice.
While the University has yet to announce whether the hybrid model will continue in the fall semester, Allison Wu from Iowa expressed excitement about being in Baltimore.
“I haven’t had to make new friends since elementary school,“ she said. “I’m most excited to meet new people and explore a new big city.”
Lara also hopes that he will be able to experience traditional college life this fall.
“I’m excited for the all-nighters. It’s the best of both worlds, making memories with friends while we all focus on our passions and our work,” he said. “Hopkins already feels like home, and I’m excited to make it my home.”
Chris H. Park contributed reporting to this article.
