Johns Hopkins University requires applicants to respond to a single supplemental essay prompt, with a maximum limit of 350 words.
Required Prompt (Maximum 350 words)
Over the past 150 years, every monumental discovery at Hopkins has started with a first step: The first draft by a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. A prototype that led to a life-changing medical invention. The first pitch that launched a new startup venture. As we commemorate the university’s sesquicentennial—150 years since its founding—we continue to celebrate first steps just as much as final achievements. Tell us about an important first in your life—big or small—that has shaped you.
JHU 'First Step' Essay Slides
Q: What "first" should you write about?
A:
Select a first that demonstrates a new skill or perspective.
Not your first day of high school.
Not your first soccer game.
Example: The first time a failed experiment taught you to question assumptions.
Example: The first time you built a complex model from scratch.
Q: What should your story focus on?
A:
Focus on the moment before and after the first step.
Describe the problem you faced or the question you had.
Describe your action.
Example: My first failed attempt to automate a lab process led me to study system optimization.
Q: How did this "first" shape you?
A:
Explain the specific insight you gained.
Describe how this insight changed your behavior or perspective.
Connect this learning to your future at Hopkins.
Example: This failure taught me the value of patient iteration, a quality I will apply to complex research at Hopkins.
Q: Final check and what to avoid?
A:
Do not focus on a final achievement. Focus on the beginning.
