Johns Hopkins University pulls off something highly improbable. The university is the #1 school in the United States for research investment, but also a mid-sized (5,600) close community. So, it’s a powerhouse, but also a welcoming space that embraces their undergraduate community. In fact, 98% of students conduct at least one year of research or internship experience before graduation. The first-year acceptance rate is about .

Johns Hopkins accepts first-year application through three paths: Early Decision I, Early Decision II, or Regular Decision. Applying ED is a big commitment, but it is also a major strategy play. We hear from students who were strong candidates for John Hopkins, but didn’t want to commit to using their ED option. Tragically, they reach out after being waitlisted or outright rejected. Because they were strong candidates for admission, they thought Regular Decision would be alright. What they overlooked, though, is that the Johns Hopkins acceptance rate is an average of the Early Decision options and the Regular Decision route — and the ED acceptance rate is significantly higher. For students entering in the fall of 2025, the ED acceptance rate was 11%.

of the accepted students were in the top 10% of their class, and their academic performance in high school was exceptional. The average GPA was a 3.95. Johns Hopkins also that all first-year applicants submit standardized testing. They don’t have a minimum score to apply, nor is there a required minimum to be accepted. However, functionally there is a threshold that you need to meet. The ACT for accepted students was a formidable 35, and the middle 50% range for the SAT was a 1530-1570. Yes, you can get in with a lower score, but if you want to go to Johns Hopkins, you should really be aiming to be within, or above, the middle 50%.

Once you have your grades and scores sorted out, it’s time to focus on the pieces of the application that will really make you stand out against other academically accomplished students. That’s where the supplements come in.  

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The Johns Hopkins application supplement has only one prompt, and it allows for a response of up to 350 words. After you read the question, you will probably recognize it. Many colleges are asking basically the exact same question, but for Johns Hopkins they have added two twists.  

At Johns Hopkins, community is built through dialogue, collaboration, and a willingness to engage across differences.

Whether on campus or in the broader world, community depends on bridge builders who can listen to differing perspectives, challenge their own assumptions, or work together toward shared goals.

Drawing on your own experiences, what have you learned about engaging across differences and how has it shaped the way you think about building bridges, enhancing community, and working with others? (350-word limit)

So, what are the twists? First, they aren’t asking about a conflict that resulted in coming together. You could write about a conflict, but you aren’t required to. The next twist is the length. Most supplements similar to this for other colleges are 250 words or less. Here, you have 350 words.  

If your reaction to the longer length is either a groan or a sense of relief, neither is really correct. More length can be an opportunity, but it can also be a trap. What really is going to determine the success of your supplement is whether you start with a super strong concept. So, let’s get you a strong concept.  

Before you can even write a single sentence, you need to have a core story to build the supplement around. This is going to be the experience that you are drawing on, and we did use a singular here on purpose. While the prompt allows for writing about more than one thing, keeping this supplement focused is super important.

Not every experience that has been formative to you is a good candidate for this supplement, though. We strongly discourage writing about travel, paid programs, or other opportunities with a high barrier to entry. Johns Hopkins won’t be impressed by you playing on the beach with locals on break in the Caribbean, nor do they find it impressive if your family was able to pay for you to go to a summer academic program.  

You also don’t need to find an experience in your recent past that you can tie to some big life-changing epiphany. Johns Hopkins is far in process than in the product of what you are writing about, so what they really need to hear about is how something shifted how you think or your belief system.

What ultimately matters most, though, is how you write the story of whatever bridge building experience you chose to focus on. You can have an amazing topic, and tank it in the execution. You can also have a topic that fits the brief but isn’t deeply compelling on its own, and write it so well that it is riveting. When we work with students, we can’t change how they spent the years before applying. What we have to work with together is what they have accomplished and experienced thus far. But that’s precisely where the magic of storytelling comes in, and we work with our students to develop the writing chops to do exceptional work far past college application season.

As you draft and develop your response, remember that detail is your friend. Small details, like the way a place smelled or the taste on the tip of your tongue as you try to find the right words to respond in an uncomfortable situation are crucial to building a compelling response to the prompt.

If you find yourself getting stuck, reach out. We’ve found that the best college applications come from collaboration.

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