301 students were admitted to the Class of 2026 through the Early Decision II (ED II) cycle on Feb. 11. They joined the 520 students accepted through Early Decision I (ED I) in December. Over 3,000 students applied through ED II, an increase from the 2,874 that applied last year. This year is the second time the University has offered an ED II round.
Tessa Barcelo, who was admitted through the ED II round, described her stress prior to opening her acceptance letter in an email to The News-Letter.
“I was so nervous all day, I literally wore the paint off my anxiety ring. I was in one of the dressing rooms at school with my friend’s mom and my other friend, and when I opened it, we all started screaming,” they wrote. “I was just on cloud 9 the whole weekend.”
Eternity McDonell, also admitted through ED II, described the process of opening her acceptance in an email to The News-Letter.
“The moment that I saw the blue typing appear on my screen — my heart sunk. I had been waiting for the day for months,” she wrote. “When I pressed the button and I read what the words said, ‘You’re admitted’ plain and simple, I could not believe that my lifelong dream had become real.”
Admitted student Rafael Rojas cited an inclusive environment at the University as a key factor in his decision to apply through ED II. He explained that Hopkins felt like a place where he could be himself without being judged.
He added that he also appreciated the University’s strength in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math and medicine.
Lanre Famakinwa, who was admitted through ED I, highlighted her interest in the University’s academic programs in an email to The News-Letter.
“I decided to ED when I discovered Hopkins' Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering major,” she wrote. “It's perfect because it supports all of my academic interests and I can go in many directions with a degree from that major.”
Barcelo recalled that her tour of the Homewood Campus last fall convinced her to apply.
“I was able to visit campus in the fall and my friend, a current freshman, took me around. I had that feeling that’s impossible to describe, ‘This is it. This is where I’m meant to be,’” they wrote. “Every new thing I learned about Hopkins, it wasn’t just ‘This is cool,’ it was like ‘This is perfect.’“
Barcelo initially applied through Regular Decision, which is a non-binding process, because she was not ready to commit. They decided to switch to ED II after receiving an email informing her of the option in December.
After her acceptance this fall, Famakinwa has had the chance to familiarize herself with different organizations within Hopkins. She was also able to connect with fellow ED I and ED II applicants and has found the admitted students’ Discord particularly helpful in learning more about dorms, roommates and scheduling classes.
“I recently got into cycling so I want to bring my bike to explore the campus and the surrounding Baltimore community,” Famakinwa wrote. “Also, one of the coolest clubs I saw that Hopkins has is the Engineering Without Borders club, so I am excited to join that!”
