essays that worked johns hopkins 2023

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College Essays

Johns Hopkins University is considered one of the top-10 national schools in the United States. As the country's first research university, Johns Hopkins is interested in fostering lifelong learning and research. Although their medical school is perhaps their most famous department, Johns Hopkins has many prestigious programs—and their reputation means that admittance is extremely competitive, with just a 8% acceptance rate .

If you want to join the band of Blue Jays, you'll need to be a stellar student—and you'll need to write a killer Johns Hopkins essay. This guide will walk you through the Johns Hopkins supplement, including best practices for answering the prompt, how to plan your essay, and analyzing essays that got other applicants in.

Feature Image: Matthew Petroff /Wikimedia Commons

What Should You Know About the Johns Hopkins Supplement?

The Johns Hopkins application process is fairly straightforward. You can apply using the Coalition Application or Common Application , which each have their own essay questions to answer.

In addition to whatever essay you choose for your application, Johns Hopkins asks for an additional required essay of up to 400 words. There is just a single prompt, so no struggling to pick which one will best suit your needs here!

What Is the Johns Hopkins Essay Prompt?

Johns Hopkins has just one essay prompt. The 2022-2023 prompt focuses on collaboration and teamwork, asking you to think about your own role in working with others:

Founded in the spirit of exploration and discovery, Johns Hopkins University encourages students to share their perspectives, develop their interests, and pursue new experiences. Use this space to share something you'd like the admissions committee to know about you (your interests, your background, your identity, or your community), and how it has shaped what you want to get out of your college experience at Hopkins. (300-400 words)

This prompt is a bit less structured than Johns Hopkins essays in the past, which can present new challenges to students. It can be hard to figure out what exactly Johns Hopkins wants you to write about with a prompt like this one! But don't worry: we're going to break it down for you.

What This Prompt Is Asking You to Do

First things first: let's take a closer look at the first sentence of the prompt. In this sentence, Johns Hopkins is outlining exactly what kind of student they want to admit. Admissions counselors are looking for students with diverse ideas and experiences who are curious and passionate. They also want to admit students who aren't stuck in their ways: Johns Hopkins wants their students to be brave enough to try new things, pursue new ideas, and push themselves academically and otherwise.

To that end, this prompt is asking you to share one thing about yourself and how it has impacted both you and your future goals at Johns Hopkins.

How to Answer the Prompt

To answer this prompt well , you need to zero in on an aspect of your personality that a) isn't addressed in your other application materials, and b) fits with Johns Hopkins' mission and academic culture. Our secret trick to choosing the right trait to talk about? Make a list.

Sit down with a pen and paper and write down unique and interesting things about you. While it's good to focus on the categories in the prompt (identity, background, etc.), don't be afraid to branch out if it makes sense. For instance, maybe you have an incredibly interesting hobby or skill you want to share. Even though those things aren't explicitly listed in the prompt, it's okay to list those things down, too.

Once you've built your list, go through and start culling down until you have a topic that works. Here's what you should ask yourself as you start crossing off ideas:

• Do I talk about this in my application already?
• Is this a common topic that other applicants will write about (like being in band or enjoying the outdoors)?
• Is this aspect of your personality too broad or vague?
• Can you tell a story about this part of yourself?

Once you've picked the aspect of your personality that you want to write about, you need to tell a story around it . Don't just say you've hiked the Appalachian trail. Tell a story about your hike. What was it like? What did you experience? Why did you do it in the first place?

And of course, you also have to explain how this aspect of your personality will impact your education at Johns Hopkins. Maybe you decided to hike the Appalachian Trail because you enjoy testing your endurance, and you want to bring that same tenacity to your studies at Hopkins. Make sure you're tying everything back to your education!

There's no wrong way to celebrate a successful essay.

2 Johns Hopkins Essays That Worked

Even with a guide, it can be hard to figure out exactly what Johns Hopkins is looking for in their essays. Thankfully, the college posts successful essays on their website —complete with admissions office comments—giving you the chance to look through Johns Hopkins essays that worked.

These examples are responses to past prompts, so they do some things quite differently. But reading through them can still give you valuable insight into what Johns Hopkins University values in an essay, such as a cohesive look at each applicant and a creative frame for the topic.

#1: "Time to Spin the Wheel"

Add the fact that I was raised in a Bengali household and studied Spanish in high school for four years, and I was able to add other exotic words. Sinfin, zanahoria, katukutu, and churanto soon took their rightful places alongside my English favorites.

And yet, during this time of vocabulary enrichment, I never thought that Honors English and Biology had much in common. Imagine my surprise one night as a freshman as I was nonchalantly flipping through a science textbook. I came upon fascinating new terms: adiabatic, axiom, cotyledon, phalanges … and I couldn't help but wonder why these non-literary, seemingly random words were drawing me in. These words had sharp syllables, were challenging to enunciate, and didn't possess any particularly abstract meaning.

I was flummoxed, but curious … I kept reading.

… and then it hit me. For all my interest in STEM classes, I never fully embraced the beauty of technical language, that words have the power to simultaneously communicate infinite ideas and sensations AND intricate relationships and complex processes.

Perhaps that's why my love of words has led me to a calling in science, an opportunity to better understand the parts that allow the world to function. At day's end, it's language that is perhaps the most important tool in scientific education, enabling us all to communicate new findings in a comprehensible manner, whether it be focused on minute atoms or vast galaxies.

Romila's interest in language is introduced at the very beginning, but the essay takes a surprising turn midway Because she focuses on language, we'd expect that she's interested in pursuing a literature or writing degree; instead, her interest in language helped shape her love for biology.

What works particularly well in this essay is that it demonstrates Romila's unique background as a language-loving biology major of Bengali heritage. She doesn't need to declare her diversity; it's demonstrated through each unique facet of her personality she brings up.

As the admissions committee comments below the essay, Romila also does a wonderful job of showing her interest in interdisciplinary learning . It's not just that she loves linguistics and biology, but that she sees a clear line from one to the other—she loves both of them and the ways that they flow together.

It's unlikely that you have the same experience as Romila, but keep these things in mind when writing your own essay. How can you use your essay to discuss your educational aspirations? Does the work you've done with others fall into interdisciplinary learning? That can be as unconventional as an edible presentation on nuclear physics or as simple as understanding that your soccer team was made up of people with different skills and positions and how, together, you won the championship.

#2: "And on That Note"

While practicing a concert D-flat scale, I messed up a fingering for a low B-flat, and my instrument produced a strange noise with two notes. My band teacher got very excited and exclaimed, "Hey, you just played a polyphonic note!" I like it when accidents lead to discovering new ideas.

I like this polyphonic sound because it reminds me of myself: many things at once. ... Even though my last name gives them a hint, the Asian students at our school don't believe that I'm half Japanese. Meanwhile the non-Asians are surprised that I'm also part Welsh. I feel comfortable being unique or thinking differently. As a Student Ambassador this enables me to help freshman [sic] and others who are new to our school feel welcome and accepted. I help the new students know that it's okay to be themselves.

There is added value in mixing things together. I realized this when my brother and I won an international Kavli Science Foundation contest where we explained the math behind the Pixar movie "Up." Using stop motion animation we explored the plausibility and science behind lifting a house with helium balloons. I like offering a new view and expanding the way people see things. In many of my videos I combine art with education. I want to continue making films that not only entertain, but also make you think.

Like Romila, Curtis' essay uses an introductory framing device—his experience with playing a polyphonic note—to transition into a discussion of all the ways he is multiple things at once.

Demonstrating his multiple interests is part of why Curtis' essay succeeds so well, but most of these examples aren't just examples of contradictions or subverted expectations. They show other things, too, such as the way other people see him (Asian students don't believe he's half Japanese, non-Asian kids only see him as Asian), how his interest in different fields leads him to create unique projects, and how his experience being different allows him to be welcoming to others.

Curtis' writing is lively without getting lost in the metaphor. The framing device is clear, but it doesn't come up so much that it feels too focused on the idea of a polyphonic note. The essay would work just fine without the metaphor, which means his points are strong and sound.

According to the admissions officers' notes, Curtis' essay stood out in part because of the way it shows his ability to think across disciplines. Creative thinking is a huge asset at a research university such as Johns Hopkins. Like Romila's essay, this interest in interdisciplinary learning proves that he'll be a good fit for Johns Hopkins.

4 Key Tips for Writing Your Johns Hopkins Essay

Because the Johns Hopkins supplement has just one prompt, you'll want to do your absolute best on it. That means getting started early and giving yourself plenty of time to polish and refine your work.

As with all college essays, you should go through multiple drafts and seek feedback from others to make sure your essay is as strong as it can be. The earlier you start, the more time you'll have to whip it into shape!

#1: Brainstorm

Remember all those exercises your high school teachers had you work on, such as mind mapping and free writing? Now's the time to bust them out.

Look at the prompt and write down as many short answers as you can think of, no matter how silly they might sound—you don't have to use them if you don't feel strongly about them! If you spend some time writing down all your ideas, you can choose the one that speaks most strongly to you rather than getting midway through an essay before realizing that it's not what you really want to write about.

#2: Be Specific

Specificity is extremely important. With just 400 words, you need to make sure you're using your space wisely.

Tie your idea directly to Johns Hopkins University rather than speaking in generalities. Look through their course catalog and club offerings, and try to connect some of them to your goals and aspirations. Because the prompt asks about collaboration, try to envision yourself in those spaces, accomplishing your goals thanks to your classmates' support.

#3: Get Feedback

Once you've gone through a draft or two, it's time to turn your precious essay over to someone else for feedback. Find people you trust to give you honest and helpful critique. If they're too harsh, you're not going to want to use their advice. But if they focus too much on praise, you might not end up with anything to change.

Look to teachers or other people who have experience with writing—preferably not parents, as they're a little too close to you to be objective—for good advice.

Let all that feedback sit for a while before you sit down to revise your Johns Hopkins essay. Often, our initial response to feedback is to either implement or reject all of it, neither of which is necessarily the best way to improve an essay.

Consider the feedback you receive and find a middle ground between the recommendations and your voice and goals. It's OK if you don't agree with some of it, but do be sure that you always ask yourself why someone might not have understood your meaning. If clarity is an issue, you can still address that even if you don't agree with someone's suggestion.

What's Next?

A good essay is just one part of a successful Johns Hopkins application. Take some time to make sure your GPA , ACT , and SAT scores are up to par, too!

Need some additional help in writing a great college essay? This guide has all the tips and tricks for turning your ideas into essays !

The college application process can be long and confusing, especially when you're applying to a competitive school like Johns Hopkins. This expert guide to college applications will give you all the tips and information you need to create a truly spectacular application!

Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education.

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2 Successful Johns Hopkins Essay Examples

Johns Hopkins University is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Known for its strong foundation in research, the world-renowned teaching hospital (Johns Hopkins Hospital) and Undergraduate Research Awards Program provide opportunities for students to get hands-on experience during their time at Hopkins.

Since Johns Hopkins is a highly selective institution, you’ll need a strong essay to better your chances of acceptance. Let’s take a look at the prompt, and how one student answered it. After, we’ll break down what’s working well, and potential areas for improvement. 

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Read our Johns Hopkins essay breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts. 

Essay Example #1

Prompt:  Founded in the spirit of exploration and discovery, Johns Hopkins University encourages students to share their perspectives, develop their interests, and pursue new experiences.  Use this space to share something you’d like the admissions committee to know about you (your interests, your background, your identity, or your community), and how it has shaped what you want to get out of your college experience at Hopkins. (300-400 words)

My fingers drummed across the table at a rhythmic pace. The musical beat played the chords of my growing anxiety. I ignored the triumphant cheers from the other groups as I held my breath waiting for our results. 

My shoulders fell as a wave of defeat accompanied the empty screen. The only thing that arose was the doubtful thoughts belting in my head. 

“I’m wasting so much time.” “Do I not have what it takes to be a scientist?”

The contrast of my dark skin and bright lab coat was noticeable in the laboratory. Yet, the white coat stayed on as I continued jotting my observations in my lab notebook. An array of different colored beakers decorated my workstation along with many pipets. For the duration of my eight-week internship, my partner and I had to extract DNA with PCR primers and show its dilution through gel electrophoresis. If done correctly, the DNA bands will appear on the imaging scanner. In other words, we had to grow resilience.

Along with our increasing failed attempts, our resilience began to blossom. Despite setbacks, our endeavor’s brought us closer to the scientists we worked with. “Success doesn’t come easy, if it did then it wouldn’t feel successful” one of our directors lectured. With those words, an inferno ignited as I put on my lab coat once again, eager to continue my attempts. By the seventh week, we were back in the imaging room awaiting our results. I held a pencil in one hand and my notebook in the other keen to note any areas of improvement. Surprisingly, the screen presented our DNA with zero contaminants. My heart skipped a beat as my face grew sore from my grin, eyes glued to the rows of perfect DNA bands– I felt successful. 

This kind of prosperity attracts me about Hopkins,– a victory that is met with consistent labor. Being America’s first research university shows the resilience and dedication it takes to make the world a better place. I would like to be a part of this trajectory by working with Dr. Bastian and her fascinating investigation in advancing our understanding of the genetics of inherited neurological and psychiatric diseases. At Hopkins, I can continue experiencing success along with a community of like-minded people.

What the Essay Did Well

This essay does a fabulous job of conveying this student’s feelings through descriptive imagery. We understand their initial anxiety when they say “ My fingers drummed across the table at a rhythmic pace ” and “ I held my breath waiting for our results. ” Then, when they provide their internal dialogue second-guessing themselves, we understand their anxiety stems from self-doubt and a lack of confidence. We’ve barely begun the essay, and we have already learned so much about this student.

The student uses their lab coat as a symbol throughout the essay, bringing an extra layer of depth, nuance, and maturity. While it originally makes them feel out of place, “ The contrast of my dark skin and bright lab coat was noticeable in the laboratory, ” as they grow more comfortable and resilient, they welcome it with pride: “ With those words, an inferno ignited as I put on my lab coat once again, eager to continue my attempts. ” Using an object as a proxy for their feelings is a beautiful way to convey their growth and demonstrate their talent for story-telling.

Because this essay tells a story of how a student overcame a personal obstacle, we see so much of their character shine through. This student didn’t just limit themselves to discussing their interests, but really hit the nail on the head when it came to showing how it has shaped them, by framing their response in the manner of an “ Overcoming Challenges ” essay. This is a good example of not boxing yourself into one essay archetype just because that’s what the prompt asks for. Make sure you address the prompt in full, but don’t be afraid to elevate your essay with elements of other essay archetypes.

What Could Be Improved

Although this essay does a very nice job sharing who this student is, it could have used more elaboration on who they hope to be at Hopkins. Not addressing the school until the final paragraph makes it seem like an afterthought. As much as admissions officers want to know who you are, they also want to know how you will fit into the campus community. Therefore, it is a better idea to integrate resources and opportunities the school offers throughout your essay, rather than saving it for the end. 

They could have compared the professor they want to work with to their inspiring director who taught them about success and mused over what life-changing tidbits Dr. Bastian will share. They could have mentioned a class that covers the nuances of DNA imaging that they hope to take to understand what their perfect bands of DNA mean. Maybe there is a club on campus for scientists of color that they want to join to collaborate with people to fully conquer their self-doubt.

There are many different opportunities that this student could have weaved through their essay to truly demonstrate how they would fit seamlessly into Hopkins, without sacrificing the descriptive narrative they have crafted about themselves.

Essay Example #2

As I stretch the rubber band to touch the edge of the cardboard strip, the fingers curl. I release the elastic, watching as the joints, made of popsicle sticks, relax successively. Finally, my project is ready. In the Biomedical Engineering section of the GAMES camp at the University of Illinois, we were asked to construct a prosthetic arm that could grip and move a block of clay. After hours of meticulous redesigning, I crafted a successful prototype and became obsessed with using engineering to tackle challenges in medicine.

The following summer, I explored bioengineering on a cellular level at the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes, where a project on limb regeneration sparked my interest in biomedical research. I eventually pursued hands-on research experience with the USC Biomechanics Research Lab. In my project, I apply scientific principles to running to prevent stress-induced injuries in athletes. By analyzing video frames of PAC-12 athletes in motion and linking them to force plate data, I create videos and graphs for analysis. Comparing this data to athletes after a stress fracture, I observe differences that increase susceptibility to injury, ultimately improving the health of athletes using engineering.

From these experiences, I grew interested in majoring in Biomedical Engineering at Hopkins, where I find a distinct focus on hands-on learning. I am particularly excited to participate in design projects in the course “Rehabilitation Engineering Design Lab”. The uncommon structure of this course will allow me to design a medical device to fit the needs of patients with disabilities, which will then be analyzed in rehabilitation centers. Through this real-world approach to learning, I will strengthen my teamwork skills and address modern medical issues, furthering my interest in Biomedical Engineering through first-hand exploration.

As a top-tier research institution, Hopkins will also provide me with ample opportunities to explore my curiosities and build on my research experience from the USCBRL. In the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, I hope to work under Dr. Marilyn Albert in discovering new treatments for dementia. I became interested in neurological research when my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. As I watched her diagnosis progress, I became curious about the underlying biological mechanisms behind her decline and wondered how biomedical research could prevent neurodegenerative disease. In this lab, I will tie my personal interest in neurological research to my passion for improving medicine through engineering, making Hopkins the ideal place to explore my interests.

This essay starts off with a strong hook:  “As I stretch the rubber band to touch the edge of the cardboard strip, my fingers curl.” This is intriguing, as the reader is urged to continue following the action of the scene and piece together what this student is passionate about.

The student uses personal examples, like their experience at the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Institute and their grandmother’s Alzheimers, to make their passion for their intended area of study clear. It’s important to do this, to create a purposeful essay that speaks to who you are and why you are choosing a specific area of study, career path, and university.

The student moves back and forth seamlessly between their own personal life, and their plans for studying at the university. The writer always connects their life to their collegiate identity : for example, in the third paragraph it says “From these experiences, I grew interested in majoring in Biomedical Engineering at Hopkins, where I find a distinct focus on hands-on learning.” This narrative structure results in an engaging essay.

A major weakness of this essay is how broad it is. With a more general prompt like this that asks you to “share something you’d like the admissions committee to know about you,” students often make the mistake of trying to convey their whole life story, and this student fell into that trap a bit. 

Rather than telling us about the GAMES camp, the Stanford Institute, and their grandmother’s diagnosis, this student could have tightened up the essay by choosing one of their deepest fascinations and delving into how they will explore that particular interest at Hopkins.

They could include one strong, detailed anecdote, rather than squeezing in two or three that aren’t flushed out. There would be a central idea running through the essay that makes it very easy for the reader to appreciate what this student cares about, why they care, and how they plan to act on their interest in college.

It’s okay to not address multiple facets of your personality and interest in an essay—in fact, it’s usually preferred! Admissions officers will still understand the complexity of your personality from other parts of your application, but your essay will provide them with much more insight if it is focused and detailed, not a broad summary.

Where to Get Your Johns Hopkins Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your Johns Hopkins  essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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Johns Hopkins University Supplemental Essays 2022-2023

Johns hopkins supplemental essays 2022 – 2023.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to approach each of the Johns Hopkins essays. But before diving into how to write the Johns Hopkins supplemental essays, let’s learn a little about this prestigious university’s history and popularity. 

Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins University is a private research university located in Baltimore, Maryland. Widely considered the first research university in the United States, Johns Hopkins’ popular majors include public health, biomedical engineering, molecular biology, international relations and affairs, and economics. JHU consistently ranks as one of the best universities to study science, specifically biology and public health . 

This Johns Hopkins essay guide will teach you how to maximize your Johns Hopkins University essays and increase your chances of admission.

Johns Hopkins Essay: Quick Facts

• Johns Hopkins University acceptance rate: 8%— U.S. News ranks Johns Hopkins as a most selective school.
• 1 essay (300-400 words)
• Johns Hopkins application note: Students must submit their applications via the Common App or Apply Coalition on Scoir . Johns Hopkins admissions look at three important aspects when evaluating applicants: academic character, impact and initiative, and personal contributions. 
• Johns Hopkins supplemental essays #1 tip: Applicants who overcome the competitive Johns Hopkins acceptance rate will use their Johns Hopkins supplemental essays to show the admissions committee who they are and how they’ll enrich the Johns Hopkins community. So, try to be creative in your Johns Hopkins supplemental essays. 

Does Johns Hopkins require supplemental essays?

Yes—in addition to the main essay prompts on the Common App or Coalition App , you must complete one Johns Hopkins essay . The Johns Hopkins supplemental essay is a key part of your application. For a complete list of application requirements and access to the Johns Hopkins supplemental essays, visit the Johns Hopkins admissions website .

The Johns Hopkins supplemental essays and the Common/Coalition App essay are extremely important, especially given the low Johns Hopkins acceptance rate. Need help navigating your Common App application? CollegeAdvisor.com’s Common App essay breakdown can demystify the process.

JHU is a popular and competitive university. Over 30,000 students applied to be a part of the 2025 class. The school boasts famous alumni like novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, and film director Wes Craven. So, if you get into Johns Hopkins with a strong Johns Hopkins essay, you’ll be in good company.

Your Johns Hopkins supplemental essays can be a great opportunity to introduce yourself to admissions officers, fill in gaps in your application, and make a case for why you deserve an acceptance letter from Johns Hopkins. So, you should do all you can to highlight your strengths in your Johns Hopkins essay. In this guide, we’ll help you craft engaging Johns Hopkins supplemental essays and maximize your admissions odds.

What are the Johns Hopkins essay prompts?

Students will be required to to submit one Common App or Coalition App essay of their choice from the prompts listed on each site. Additionally, all applicants will respond to the same Johns Hopkins application essay prompt. 

The following is the prompt for applicants’ Johns Hopkins supplemental essays: 

Founded on a spirit of exploration and discovery, Johns Hopkins University encourages students to share their perspectives, develop their interests and pursue new experiences. Use this space to share something you’d like the admissions committee to know about you (your interests, your background, your identity or your community) and how it has shaped what you want to get out of your college experience at Hopkins. (300-400 words) 

Like many essay prompts, the Johns Hopkins supplemental essay prompt focuses on the idea of community. Your Johns Hopkins essay should not only highlight who you are as a person, but also what you would bring to campus life. So, successful Johns Hopkins supplemental essays will need to answer both of these questions. 

Johns Hopkins Essay Prompt: Preparing your response

Applicants only need to write one Johns Hopkins essay, which has a limit of 300-400 words. Since this is the only Johns Hopkins essay prompt, you’ll want to give the Johns Hopkins essay the attention it deserves.

The Johns Hopkins essay prompt aims to learn more about how students envision themselves contributing to the Johns Hopkins community. When writing your Johns Hopkins supplemental essays, keep in mind the ideas of identity and community. These ideas are extremely open-ended, which gives you lots of flexibility in your Johns Hopkins essay. This also gives applicants the opportunity to get creative with their Johns Hopkins supplemental essays.

While that may be overwhelming, remember that it isn’t necessarily what you choose to write about that matters most; it’s how you do so. So, think carefully about how you structure your Johns Hopkins essay. This starts by choosing the right Johns Hopkins essay topic. 

Zoom in on your passions

As you write your Johns Hopkins supplemental essays, focus on your passions. This is one of the most important factors for successful Johns Hopkins University essays. Remember that you will brainstorm, draft, edit, and rewrite your Johns Hopkins supplemental essays many times. So, you’ll want to choose a Johns Hopkins essay topic that you won’t get tired of looking at. 

It’s also okay if writing college essays doesn’t come naturally to you. Give yourself ample time prior to the Johns Hopkins application deadline to choose a topic and understand how to write a college essay . Then, you can dig into writing your Johns Hopkins essay. 

How do I write the Johns Hopkins essay?

We mentioned before that the Johns Hopkins essay prompt is similar to many other universities’ supplemental essays. Like other prompts, the Johns Hopkins essay prompt gives students the opportunity to share more about their interests , backgrounds, identities, or community. Essentially, Johns Hopkins supplemental essay prompt asks how your experiences have impacted you. It also asks what you want from your Johns Hopkins experience. 

Before we get into how to write successful Johns Hopkins supplemental essays, applicants may want to look to other similar prompts from other universities for inspiration on how to get started. Check out our essay guides from Rice University and Caltech , which both have similar prompts.  

Research institution

As you approach the Johns Hopkins supplemental essays, remember that Johns Hopkins University is a research institution. Like any university, they want to build a diverse academic community of intellectually curious individuals— inside and outside of the classroom.

This Johns Hopkins essay invites you to share what makes you, you. Then, the Johns Hopkins essay prompt asks how this aspect of your identity will guide your time at Johns Hopkins and beyond. So, strong Johns Hopkins essays will invite the reader into the world of the applicant.

Successful Johns Hopkins University essays will use descriptive, dynamic language. In your Johns Hopkins supplemental essays, focus on setting a scene rather than trying to dazzle readers with SAT vocabulary words. After all, the best Johns Hopkins University essays will be the most authentic.

Ready to craft an impressive Johns Hopkins application essay? Let’s get started. 

Organize your thoughts

Begin drafting this Johns Hopkins supplemental essay by thinking about who you are. First, write a list of your key qualities. Then, categorize each item using the criteria in the Johns Hopkins essay prompt: your interests, background, identity, and community.

Distinguish each category—interests, background, identity, and community—as carefully as possible as you start to tackle this Johns Hopkins essay prompt. Begin with your interests. For example, if you devour every article and book you can find on quantum mechanics, that’s an interest you could write about in the Johns Hopkins supplemental essays. 

Avoid listing non-intellectual interests like an obsession with learning new TikTok dances. Of course, students who plan to major in dance or sociology may be able to connect these activities to what they hope to experience at Hopkins in order to craft successful Johns Hopkins University essays. However, your Johns Hopkins supplemental essays should showcase you in the best possible light. Think of yourself as a student and community member. Then, use that to guide your Johns Hopkins supplemental essay topic.

Next, shift to your background. Think about where you come from and how these places and experiences have made you who you are. In your Johns Hopkins essay, you’ll want to avoid cliché, overly sentimental aspects of your background. For example, having a parent who attended Johns Hopkins may have shaped why you want to attend. However, this doesn’t tell admissions officers anything interesting about you or what you hope to learn at Johns Hopkins. So, these types of topics won’t lend to crafting impressive Johns Hopkins supplemental essays. 

Instead, look for experiences that sparked intellectual curiosity. Are you a softball player that spent a season perfecting your pitch but, in the process, began learning about physics ? That could be a great topic for your Johns Hopkins essay.

After exploring your background, move to identity. When categorizing identity in this Johns Hopkins essay, you may automatically default to the classic definitions: ethnicity, gender, age, religious beliefs, first-generation college student , etc. While there’s nothing wrong with starting here, think outside of the box for this Johns Hopkins essay prompt. Are you a contrarian? An activist? A pessimist? Thinking about the less obvious ways that you self-identify can help you write an interesting Johns Hopkins essay. 

Finally, shift to your community. Jot down some of the communities you belong to. Whether it’s a religious community, your neighborhood, or even the building where you live, list the spaces you inhabit. 

Again, this Johns Hopkins supplemental essay rewards those who think outside the box. Are you an active member of an online community of gamers? Do you spend time with fellow gardeners sharing tips on how to care for plants? Community manifests in a wide variety of ways. So, as you brainstorm for the Johns Hopkins essay prompt, make sure to cover all important ways you live and work with others.

After jotting down experiences, interests, identities, etc., sit with your list for a day or two. Do any items stick out as a perfect response to this Johns Hopkins essay prompt?

If not, don’t worry. Try our reflection exercises to help you get started. Set a timer and spend 30 minutes or so expanding on a few of your topics. Limit yourself to 10 minutes per topic. Were there any topics that you couldn’t stop writing on? If so, you’ve found the subject for your Johns Hopkins supplemental essay!

Tell the Story

In this Johns Hopkins essay prompt, you only have 300-400 words. Use them wisely to maximize the impact your Johns Hopkins essay can have in admissions.

This word count creates the key challenge of the Johns Hopkins essay: namely, you’ll want to balance a concise structure with descriptive language. Your language should draw the reader into the interest, background, identity, or community your Johns Hopkins essay addresses. At the same time, strong Johns Hopkins supplemental essays will avoid excessive wordiness.

How do I write the Johns Hopkins Essay?- An exercise to get you started

Let’s try an exercise to help you make your Johns Hopkins essay shine. Which of the descriptions below seems more engaging?

Example 1: Since the age of five, I’ve belonged to my local church.

Example 2: There is a pew in the center of my church. If you look closely, you’ll see where I scratched my initials into the wood at age five.

See the difference? Both sentences communicate the same information (church attendance from a very young age). However, the second example provides details that invite the reader into your story. This type of enticing and descriptive writing will often lead to successful Johns Hopkins University essays. 

Read over your Johns Hopkins essay carefully. Then, think about how every word serves your essay’s overall narrative. Your Johns Hopkins essay should use as few words to make as significant an impact as possible.

Make Johns Hopkins Connections

This Johns Hopkins supplemental essay isn’t a “Why Johns Hopkins” prompt in the classic sense. However, the Johns Hopkins essay still asks how your identity, background, interests, and community have shaped what you will bring to Hopkins. Johns Hopkins supplemental essays that answer this part of the prompt will be the most impressive.

Maybe you know what you want to major in and can draw a clear connection between your background/identity/community and that intended major. If so, use this Johns Hopkins essay to emphasize that connection. Successful Johns Hopkins supplemental essays will reveal both who an applicant is and why they belong at Johns Hopkins.

Let’s revisit the “gamer community” example.

I have learned so much from organizing coding events in my online gaming forum. My friends from all over the world have shown me that even if we don’t speak the same language, our passion for coding and games is universal. I’m looking forward to taking classes in the JHU video game design lab and building a bridge between my online community and the in-person one I’ll find at JHU.

This example clearly shows us how this student’s gaming interest has prepared them to take full advantage of this JHU-specific program. Successful Johns Hopkins University essays will show, or even hint at, how you would thrive on campus. 

If you haven’t chosen your major yet, you can still answer this portion of the Johns Hopkins essay. To do this, you’ll want to make the focus of your Johns Hopkins essay more abstract. For example, let’s say you choose to write about your community, specifically the apartment building you live in.

The hot Houston sun draws the people from my building by late afternoon. Grannies of every race and culture line the long bench in front of the building and watch the younger children play. The other families in building 3318 are like my extended family. I’m reminded of this when I knock on Mr. Johnson’s door to borrow an extra onion for my mom’s soup or when I’m invited to a birthday party for one of the Gonzalez cousins. Family is where you find it, and location makes all the difference. At Johns Hopkins, I’m hoping to build a community like the one that my family and I have found in building 3318.

This example shows how community can be found in many different ways. Successful Johns Hopkins supplemental essays can creatively show how your lived experiences will enhance your time on campus. They will also highlight how you will enrich the lives of those around you at JHU. 

Johns Hopkins Essay Reflection Questions:

When you’ve finished your Johns Hopkins essay prompt draft, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I clearly identify an interest, part of my background, identity, or community?
• Am I writing about my topic using descriptive, dynamic language that draws the reader in?
• Does my Johns Hopkins essay draft show evidence of how this interest, background, identity, etc. has shaped me?
• Is there a connection between my topic and what I hope to learn/experience at Johns Hopkins?

Johns Hopkins supplemental essays & their admissions process

The best Johns Hopkins supplemental essays will be genuine and vulnerable. Johns Hopkins University essays should also showcase traits that would make you a valuable addition to the Johns Hopkins community. 

Strong Johns Hopkins supplemental essays should reveal who you are beyond your scores and transcript. This allows the admissions committee to view you as a person rather than a statistic.

Read successful past essays

Every year, the university publishes several successful Johns Hopkins supplemental essays. Read over these Johns Hopkins University essays that worked to get an idea of what impresses admissions. Notice in these Johns Hopkins supplemental essays that each student has a concrete sense of self. 

For example, in the Johns Hopkins essay “Red Over Black” by Elizabeth, she discusses how playing solitaire with her grandmother allowed her to learn the value of hard work and self-motivation. Elizabeth shares how that learning shapes every aspect of her life: academics, athletics, and even family life. 

Similarly, the Johns Hopkins application essay “Lifelong Learning” by Rozanne explores how her search for passion has allowed her to have and learn from many new experiences. This Johns Hopkins essay is a great example of how applicants don’t have to have a clear career path or even major when applying. Rozanne shows that while she is still discovering her passions, she will be an active participant in the Johns Hopkins community.

Highlight your creativity

You’ll also notice that many of the successful Johns Hopkins supplemental essays are written creatively. Rozanne and Elizabeth both use descriptive language to make us feel like we are right there crocheting and playing solitaire, respectively. 

In fact, all of the Johns Hopkins supplemental essays that worked listed on the site are unique. Successful Johns Hopkins University essays are often creative. So, don’t be afraid to start your essay with an exciting and intriguing description to set the scene. 

By including these types of Johns Hopkins supplemental essays, the university encourages you to be creative. So, you can structure your response to the Johns Hopkins essay prompt in any number of interesting ways. Think about how you can highlight your creativity in your Johns Hopkins supplemental essays.

Remember the prompt

Make sure your Johns Hopkins essay structure serves the prompt. While creativity is good, you don’t want your Johns Hopkins supplemental essay to look and read like a gimmick. Above all, tell your story in the way most authentic to you.

You’ll notice one successful essay “Stepping Out of my Comfort Zone” by Samuel was more traditional than the others mentioned. However, it’s still listed as one of the top Johns Hopkins University essays submitted. So, don’t feel pressured to write in a way that isn’t true to you. Use your own writing style and voice to best respond to the Johns Hopkins essay prompt. 

Finally, and it should go without saying, these Johns Hopkins supplemental essays are examples . So, don’t think of them as a blueprint of how you must structure your own Johns Hopkins supplemental essays. You also shouldn’t compare the experiences shared in these Johns Hopkins supplemental essays with your own.

Finally, the Johns Hopkins supplemental essays are personal statements. Every person is unique—every Johns Hopkins essay will be, too. Strong Johns Hopkins University essays will be inherently individual, so don’t worry if yours doesn’t look like the examples.

Does the Johns Hopkins essay matter?

Every aspect of the Johns Hopkins application is important, from your mid-year report to the Johns Hopkins essay. When applying to JHU , treat each item on the application as crucial to creating a compelling candidate profile.

It will take far more than just meeting the Johns Hopkins application deadline and requirements in order to secure your spot. Make sure to allow yourself enough time to craft compelling Johns Hopkins supplemental essays that will bolster your college application narrative. 

With more selective schools like Johns Hopkins, most candidates have high test scores and GPAs. The Johns Hopkins essay, then, becomes a chance for you to truly stand out from other applicants. Since Johns Hopkins has extended their test-optional policy through to the 2025-2026 application year, essays are now more important than ever when trying to stand out among a large pool of qualified candidates. So, strong Johns Hopkins supplemental essays can make a major difference in admissions.

Additionally, applicants may want to submit other supplemental materials to support their Johns Hopkins application essay and overall application narrative. For example, you may want to add a college application letter or an art portfolio. While JHU accepts supplemental materials, they encourage applicants to only submit extra materials if they will genuinely add to their application. 

Other Johns Hopkins Resources from CollegeAdvisor

Ranking as #7 on U.S. News Best National Colleges list, it’s no surprise that the Johns Hopkins acceptance rate is so low. As one of the best colleges in the nation, applicants will want to do all they can in order to stand out. An integral deciding factor in the application process are the Johns Hopkins supplemental essays; however, there are other important factors such as applicants’ GPAs and recommendation letters . 

While we’ve outlined how to write successful Johns Hopkins supplemental essays in this guide, it’s also important to understand the whole application process. Remember that the Johns Hopkins admissions committee will look for applicants who show academic excellence and community involvement. So. make sure that you have a well-rounded application. Strong Johns Hopkins supplemental essays will add important value to your application narrative by filling in any gaps or adding information not mentioned elsewhere. 

Additionally, if you’re seriously considering how to get into Johns Hopkins, then you should first look at our guide . 

How to Get Into Johns Hopkins Guide

Read Johns Hopkins essay examples

As previously mentioned, the Johns Hopkins admissions site shows some examples of Johns Hopkins University essays that worked. These can give you some inspiration as you craft your own Johns Hopkins essay. 

We’ve also chosen some of our favorite successful Johns Hopkins supplemental essays. In this guide , we show some examples of strong Johns Hopkins supplemental essays and explain why they work. While you shouldn’t try to mimic any of these examples, understanding important qualities in successful Johns Hopkins supplemental essays will help you to write your best Johns Hopkins essay. You may also want to look at other successful college essay examples in order to get you motivated and inspired to start writing your Johns Hopkins essay. 

Johns Hopkins Essays that Worked

Another resource that hopeful Johns Hopkins applicants should take advantage of is our Johns Hopkins admissions article . While it’s important to write the best Johns Hopkins supplemental essays possible, it’s impossible to do so without truly understanding what the admissions committee looks for. In this article, we break down acceptance rates and look at the average GPA and standardized test scores for recently admitted JHU students. We also explain how to visit JHU in person or virtually. 

Find your fit

Finally, remember to focus on your college fit. The more you know that JHU is the place for you, the stronger your Johns Hopkins essay will be. Your essays, grades, and other application requirements are important, but students should remember that you need to make sure the school is a good fit for you . While JHU is a renowned university, you won’t actually know how you feel on campus until you’re there. Try to visit the school before making important college enrollment decisions down the road. And, lucky for you, if that’s not possible, then there are virtual tours that could show you how you may feel on campus. 

Finding Your College Fit

Another great way to learn about Johns Hopkins is by speaking with current students or alumni. You’ll be able to hear about their first-hand experiences of applying to and studying at this prestigious institution. Watch this recent webinar where two alums answer some common questions about what it takes to apply to and attend JHU. 

Johns Hopkins University Panel

Once you’ve done some research, you’ll be in an even better position as you approach the Johns Hopkins essay. 

Research scholarship opportunities

Scholarships are also an important part of the college application process. With the cost of college so high, it only makes sense to apply to all the scholarships possible in order to lower your education costs. Check out our webinar which gives you tips on making your scholarship and college applications stand out. 

Johns Hopkins is committed to admitting the “brightest minds” no matter their socioeconomic status. You can use their college cost calculator to get an estimate of your potential tuition costs. Keep in mind that most schools will give students the opportunity to estimate their tuition cost which may be an important factor when choosing colleges. When considering college costs, use all the resources available. This includes our article which outlines how to pay for college . 

Johns Hopkins Essay – Final Thoughts

Completing the Johns Hopkins application essay can seem daunting. Try to view this Johns Hopkins supplemental essay as an opportunity to introduce yourself to the admissions team. Use the Johns Hopkins supplemental essays provided on the JHU site and in our “Johns Hopkins Essays That Worked” article for inspiration. Remember that you have plenty of personal experiences to draw from for this Johns Hopkins application essay—you just have to think critically and creatively about them. 

Remember that the Johns Hopkins application essay matters—a lot! Maybe you’re applying with fewer extracurricular activities than you would like or perhaps a lower SAT/ACT score than normally accepted. A well-written Johns Hopkins essay can be the difference. Use this guide to help you approach the Johns Hopkins supplemental essay with a solid strategy and a clear timeline. That way, you’ll have plenty of time to perfect your Johns Hopkins essay before the Johns Hopkins application deadline. Good luck—you’ve got this!

This article was written by Sarah Kaminski. Looking for more admissions support? Click  here  to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how  CollegeAdvisor.com  can support you in the college application process.

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Approaching the Johns Hopkins Supplemental Essay 2023-2024

October 5, 2023

Recognized as one of the top 10 schools in the nation, Johns Hopkins University has built a strong reputation for itself. With its exceptional medical programs, this esteemed institution attracts talented students in STEM and pre-med fields from around the globe. However, if your interests lie in the humanities or arts, fear not, as Johns Hopkins offers a wide array of over 50 majors to choose from, including a notable strength in creative writing. In addition to academic prowess, Johns Hopkins places a high value on collaboration, making the Johns Hopkins supplemental essay 2023-2024 a crucial opportunity for you to showcase your teamwork abilities and how you would contribute to the thriving Johns Hopkins community.

With just one supplemental essay question, your response holds significant weight. It presents a valuable chance for you to demonstrate your skills as a team player and establish connections between your collaborative experiences, academic interests, and your desired major at Johns Hopkins. To help you navigate this essay prompt in detail, I have provided an outline of the prompt, along with dos and don'ts for crafting your response, as well as additional tips to kickstart your writing process for the Johns Hopkins supplemental essay 2023-2024.

Prompt for the Johns Hopkins Supplemental Essays 2023-2024

Tell us about an aspect of your identity (e.g. race, gender, sexuality, religion, community, etc.) or a life experience that has shaped you as an individual and how that influenced what you’d like to pursue in college at hopkins (this can be a future goal or experience that is either academic, extracurricular, or social). 300 word limit.

If you’ve worked on other applications, you know that many schools throw multiple prompts at you. While this might be a welcome change from the number of essays you’ve had to write, having only one prompt also makes it more challenging to make a lasting impact. As your only school-specific question, it’s a chance to seal the deal on why you’ve chosen Hopkins and how you would be a valuable addition to the campus. Here, you have a relatively generous amount of space to elaborate on who you are and what makes you tick. 

Note that Hopkins refers to this part of you as “something” and “it.” They are looking for that one special aspect of you, so avoid sharing multiple sides of you. Think depth rather than breadth. Admissions officers want to know about what’s important to you. In writing your essay, make sure to answer the following questions: 

• What is the one thing that makes you most unique?
• How has this shaped your experiences and perspectives?
• How has this shaped your goals?
• What do you want to accomplish at Johns Hopkins and how will you do it?

Johns Hopkins wants “students who are eager to follow their interests at the college level and are enthusiastic about joining the campus community.” In order to have a personal, individualized response, think about an anecdote that ties your background or interest to your intellectual pursuits. Have you led any initiatives to help your school or local community? Have you started a club or organization within your field that engages others? Did a part of your family background heavily influence what you’ve decided to pursue academically? Admissions officers make it clear that it can be any side of you. As long as you haven’t already mentioned this aspect of your identity in your Common Application personal statement, you can write about anything.

The question asks how this side of you has impacted why you’ve chosen Hopkins . Admissions officers don’t just want to understand what makes you different from other applicants, they want to know what you’ll bring to their specific school. They want to know what you value in a community or classroom, and evaluate how you would get along with your peers at Johns Hopkins. Johns Hopkins highly values leadership and community, sure you choose an example that best showcases your collaborative nature, and use the space you’ve been given to transport the admissions officers to the scene of a particular anecdote. 

However, don’t spend too much time talking about what happened;  instead, portray how you have made an impact, show how the incident has shaped your perspective and goals, and articulate how Hopkins is the place to pursue your interests. Upon reading your essay, admissions officers should understand the impact you have made. They should also take away what your biggest interests are and be able to envision how you might contribute to the Johns Hopkins campus if accepted.

Additional Tips for Writing the Johns Hopkins Supplemental Essays 2023-2024

• Read the website! You may not have been asked the traditional “Why Hopkins” question for your Johns Hopkins supplemental essay 2023-2024, but it’s still crucial that you conduct thorough research on the school. In your search, you might find that the Johns Hopkins website has a page on “ Essays that Worked. ” This page provides you with some useful examples that can help you get a clearer picture of what the admissions officers are looking for. Reading these responses might just end up being what inspires your own essay, so don’t underestimate the power of research.
• Dedicate significant time to brainstorming: Since there’s only one prompt for the Johns Hopkins supplemental essay 2023-2024, a lot of students might take it lightly. However, Johns Hopkins states that the essay can be “ one of the most important components of your application. ” Don’t just come up with the exact same topic as your personal statement. At the same time, think about a part of you that really shaped you. Choose an instance that allows you to be as specific as possible. Ensuring that your essay topic has a cohesive connection to the rest of your application can go a long way toward convincing admissions officers that you’re a strong candidate who has spent time specializing in your field.
• Check out our blog from a Former Admissions Officer: For further reading, you might be interested in the “ How to Get into Johns Hopkins ” blog by our Former Admissions Officer Zak Harris, who served as the Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Hopkins. In the article, he provides insights into how to frame your application, and what makes up the ideal candidate for the school. Regarding the supplemental essay component, Zak adds, “Some students take this essay for granted and don’t spend nearly as much time on it as they should. Or, they use an underdeveloped idea or a rather generic topic that doesn’t come across as very impressive. My advice is to spend significant time thinking about how you work with others and provide concrete anecdotes exemplifying your collaboration skills.” 

With a large pool of applicants vying for admission to Johns Hopkins, it's important to find ways to set yourself apart. Crafting your Johns Hopkins supplemental essay 2023-2024 in a truly distinctive manner is the key to achieving this. Your essay will showcase your depth of interest, intellectual engagement, and how you would contribute to the vibrant campus community. Take this opportunity to distinguish yourself from the competition and demonstrate to Johns Hopkins why you are the perfect fit for their collaborative environment.

If you are looking for a college admissions counselor to help maximize your chances of getting into your dream school, we can help! InGenius Prep has helped more than 6,000 students around the world gain admission into the most competitive schools including Harvard, Yale, MIT, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, NYU, and more. Sign up for a free strategy call today and join the 6,000+ students we've helped get accepted into their dream schools. 

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How to Respond to the 2023/2024 Johns Hopkins Supplemental Essay Prompts

Varonika Ware is a content writer at Scholarships360. Varonika earned her undergraduate degree in Mass Communications at Louisiana State University. During her time at LSU, she worked with the Center of Academic Success to create the weekly Success Sunday newsletter. Varonika also interned at the Louisiana Department of Insurance in the Public Affairs office with some of her graphics appearing in local news articles.

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Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

Johns Hopkins University is a private research university located in Baltimore, Maryland. This university is widely known for its emphasis on medicine and science. Johns Hopkins is a highly selective institution that admits only 8% of applicants. Therefore, your application really needs to stand out. One way to do this is by learning how to craft a stellar response to the Johns Hopkins supplemental essays.

The John Hopkins supplemental essay prompt

Supplemental essays are an opportunity to give the admissions office a deeper look into who you are and what you’ll contribute to the university. There is only one JHU essay prompt, but you should make sure that you add a personal touch to stand out. Applying to college isn’t just about academics,– it’s about everything that makes you special!

“Tell us about an aspect of your identity (e.g. race, gender, sexuality, religion, community, etc.) or a life experience that has shaped you as an individual and how that influenced what you’d like to pursue in college at Hopkins. (This can be a future goal or experience that is either academic, extracurricular, or social). (350 word limit.)”

While this prompt may seem daunting and open-ended, this is the perfect opportunity for you to shine. The main focus of your essay should be what makes you unique in comparison to other applicants. 

Get started by asking yourself:

• Will you be a first-generation college student? 
• Have you overcome something in your life?
• How have your interests shaped your identity?
• Do you have any notable skills? 

Take this opportunity to define yourself outside of academics by telling the admissions office who and what shaped your identity and where and how you spend your time. The prompt is actually quite straightforward in asking you to share “your interests, your background, your identity or your community,” so do just that. In addition to what you share, be sure to answer the second part of the prompt that asks how “ y our interests, your background, your identity or your community” has shaped you

Remember to incorporate Johns Hopkins into your story too; you chose this university for a reason, and want them to choose you as well. Make your essay personal by explaining how attending John Hopkins will help you become your best self. The prompt explicitly mentions that JHU “encourages students to develop their interests and pursue new experiences.” JHU wants to know how you will make the most of the opportunities presented to you while attending their university.  

JHU specific questions to consider

• Does JHU have a unique curriculum you want to study? 
• Have you taken trips to the campus before? 
• Do you hope to improve the community surrounding Johns Hopkins?
• What do you plan on achieving at Johns Hopkins that you can’t do anywhere else?
• How does JHU connect to the interest, background, identity, or community element that you’ve chosen to share?

Also see: How to write an essay about yourself

Final thoughts for students

Organize your thoughts with an outline before jumping right into writing your supplemental essay. By doing this, your essay will transition smoothly from one thought to the next and avoid unnecessary changes in direction. While it may not seem like it, 300-400 words goes by quickly, so start with your main points before adding additional details. 

Before you hit that “submit” button, make sure to:

• Proofread thoroughly to correct grammar mistakes
• Cut out any run-on sentences
• Read your essay aloud at least once to catch any small mistakes you might’ve missed

Don’t miss: How to respond to the Common App essay prompts

Additional resources

Once you’ve completed your Johns Hopkins supplemental essays, there is surely more to be done! Organizing for college can be stressful, but Scholarships360 is here to help. Get a jump on preparing for college with some of our resources to make your application process easier. Learn how to complete the FAFSA and how to  compare your financial aid award letters . Throughout your higher education journey, make sure that you are applying for all the scholarships you qualify for!

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• Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN)

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Johns Hopkins University | JHU’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Identity short response.

Tell us about an aspect of your identity (e.g. race, gender, sexuality, religion, community, etc.) or a life experience that has shaped you as an individual and how that influenced what you’d like to pursue in college at Hopkins.? (This can be a future goal or experience that is either academic, extracurricular, or social).

Common App Personal Essay

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

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June 27, 2022

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Secondary Application Essay Tips [2022 – 2023]

The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine maintains a strong emphasis on integrating scientific innovation with patient care. Their “Genes to Society” curriculum moves medical students from a basic understanding of the human genome project all the way through risk, prevention, and disease outcomes. They also give students a grounding in public health, health policy and improving societal outcomes. Ranked #1 in multiple specialties (Internal Medicine, Surgery, Rheumatology), #2 in Anesthesiology, and #3 in Psychiatry in the U.S. News & World Report 2023 Rankings . Johns Hopkins has a long tradition of training physician-leaders who are committed to both clinical medicine and improving health on a larger scale, whether through research, education or health care delivery. Use your secondary essays to show that you are prepared for and eager to take on the dual nature of this role.

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine 2022-2023 secondary application essay questions:

Johns hopkins school of medicine essay #1.

Briefly describe your single, most rewarding experience. Feel free to refer to an experience previously described in your AMCAS application. (max 2,500 characters)

If something fantastic has happened since you submitted your primary (a new job, a research breakthrough) and you want to include it, here is your chance. If not, choose one of your three most meaningful activities and give it a new spin. This is your opportunity to include things that did not fit in your primary. To show your fit with Johns Hopkins, try to show how this experience has motivated you to contribute further in your chosen field.

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine essay #2

Are there any areas of medicine that are of particular interest to you? If so, please comment. (max 2,500 characters)

If you have your heart set on a specialty, go ahead and tell them. It’s also okay to say that you are interested in multiple fields, and list a few that you want to explore. To support your interest, briefly describe your exposure and why this appeals to you. Lastly, state how you hope to further medical knowledge in this area. In other words, how will you contribute to making this field better?

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine essay #3

Briefly describe a situation where you had to overcome adversity; include lessons learned and how you think it will affect your career as a future physician. (max 2,500 characters)

Start by brainstorming a list of challenges you have faced. On a sheet of paper create 3 columns titled: Challenge, Success, and Strengths. For column one, think of a challenge that you worked hard to overcome . For column two, success can be redefined and may include learning about yourself, understanding how to work with others, or knowing when to admit you were wrong. In column three, describe what you will bring to medicine as a result of this experience. After you decide which challenge/success/strength you want to include, it’s time to start writing. First, state the challenge briefly and describe how you handled it. Next, include what you learned and/or what you might do differently next time. Lastly, discuss how this experience will guide you in similar challenges you face as a physician. Examples might include a financial hardship, a teamwork situation , or a challenging leadership role. Personal and family health crises might be tempting, but they can distract the reader away from your strengths, so are generally not the best choice to use here.

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine essay #4

Briefly describe a situation where you were not in the majority. What did you learn from the experience? (max 2,500 characters)

This is a “self-awareness” question, and the key is to show how you grew from the situation. You may be tempted to spend most of the essay discussing the circumstance, however it will be stronger if you briefly describe the situation, then spend more time discussing what you learned about yourself. Main points could involve trust, communication, empathy, etc.

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine essay #5

Wonder encapsulates a feeling of rapt attention … it draws the observer in. Tell us about a time in recent years that you experienced wonder in your everyday life. Although experiences related to your clinical or research work may be the first to come to mind, we encourage you to think of an experience that is unrelated to medicine or science. What did you learn from that experience? (max 2,500 characters)

The keywords in this question are, “wonder,” “everyday life” and “learn.” Have you ever had a moment of amazement during a seemingly routine or mundane activity? Possibilities include time spent in nature, with a child, a pet, an older relative, doing a hobby, or even a chore. Your tone should be introspective, contemplative, and reflective. The prompt specifically asks you to look outside of your clinical and research activities, so do not choose something medically related. This is a chance to be creative, and to show your ability to learn and grow, no matter where you are.

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine essay #6 (optional)

The Admissions Committee values hearing about each candidate for admission, including what qualities the candidate might bring to the School of Medicine if admitted. If you feel there is information not already addressed in the application that will enable the Committee to know more about you and this has influenced your desire to be a physician, feel free to write a brief statement in the space below. You may address any subject you wish, such as being a first generation college student, or being a part of a minority group (whether because of your sexual orientation, religion, economic status, gender identity, ethnicity) or being the child of undocumented immigrants or being undocumented yourself, etc. Please note that this question is optional and that you will not be penalized should you choose not to answer it.

The optional essay is a chance to include something you have always wanted to say in your applications but could not find the right place. Try to avoid a fluff answer, such as, “I have always wanted to help people.” Instead, focus on the “qualities” you will bring to their school. These might include compassion, curiosity about how things work, conscientiousness, leadership. etc. Show how you demonstrated these qualities , rather than just stating you have them.

The character count is 2500 for all answers. While you should not feel pressured to fill this space up, a noticeably short essay might convey a lack of interest or effort. Aim for 4-5 quality paragraphs that show your ability to communicate your ideas and write with purpose. 

Applying to Johns Hopkins? Here are some stats:

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine average MCAT score: 521

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine average GPA: 3.94

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine acceptance rate: 5.1%

U.S. News  ranks Johns Hopkins #3 for research and #52 for primary care.

For more stats,  check out the Medical School Selectivity Index.

If you would like professional guidance with your Johns Hopkins Medical School application materials, please consider using Accepted’s Medical School Admissions Consulting and Editing Services , which include advising, editing, and interview coaching for your application materials.

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine 2022-2023 application timeline

Source: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine website

*Strong recommendation: Submit your secondaries within two weeks after receipt.

Dr. Suzi Schweikert has served on the UCSD School of Medicine’s admissions committee and has mentored students in healthcare programs for more than 20 years. She holds a BA in English literature from UCLA, an MD from UCSD, and an MPH from SDSU. Want Suzi to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch with Dr. Suzi Schweikert ..

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• What NOT to Write in Your Medical School Secondary Application Essays

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Johns Hopkins Supplemental Essays (2023-24) Prompts and Advice

September 3, 2023

In the most recent admissions cycle, Johns Hopkins University admitted approximately 6% of applicants into the Class of 2027. As a school that rejects thousands of applicants each year with 1500+ SATs and impeccable transcripts, those hoping for a positive result at JHU need to find additional ways to shine in the eyes of the admissions committee. The Johns Hopkins supplemental essay is one such opportunity.

(Want to learn more about How to Get Into Johns Hopkins University? Visit our blog entitled:  How to Get Into Johns Hopkins  for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

Given that 19 of every 20 RD applicants to Johns Hopkins University are ultimately unsuccessful, you need to do everything you can to stand out amidst a sea of uber-qualified teens from around the globe. Through its one mandatory essay prompt, Johns Hopkins University’s supplemental section still affords applicants an opportunity to highlight what makes them uniquely qualified for admission. Below is Johns Hopkins’s supplemental prompt for the 2023-24 admissions cycle. Additionally, you’ll find our tips on how to write a winning composition.

Johns Hopkins Supplemental Essay Prompt

Tell us about an aspect of your identity (e.g. race, gender, sexuality, religion, community, etc.) or a life experience that has shaped you as an individual and how that influenced what you’d like to pursue in college at Hopkins. (This can be a future goal or experience that is either academic, extracurricular, or social). (300 word limit)

JHU is inviting you to share more about your background/identity/community through the lens of how that will impact your experience at the university. Take note of the wide-open nature of this prompt. You are essentially invited to talk about any of the following topics:

• A perspective you hold
• An experience/challenge you had
• A community you belong to
• Your cultural background
• Your religious background
• Your family background
• Your sexual orientation or gender identity

Johns Hopkins Supplemental Essays (Continued)

Although this prompt’s open floor plan may feel daunting, a good tactic is to first consider what has already been communicated within your Common App personal statement and activities list. What important aspect(s) of yourself have not been shared (or sufficiently discussed)? The admissions officer reading your essay is hoping to connect with you through your written words, so—within your essay’s reflection—be open, humble, thoughtful, inquisitive, emotionally honest, mature, and/or insightful about what you learned and how you grew.

You’ll then need to discuss how your background/identity/experiences have influenced your academic, social, or extracurricular college goals. As such, think about what you learned and how it relates to one of the previously mentioned areas. For example, perhaps growing up in Northern California has made you passionate about post-wildfire ecosystem restoration, which you hope to pursue further through Johns Hopkins’ environmental science program. Or, perhaps your experience as a tutor has made you interested in The Tutorial Project , or the discrimination you watched your sibling face after revealing their gender identity has informed your desire to be part of initiatives like the Safe Zone Program .

To that end, be sure you address how you will take advantage of Johns Hopkins’s immense resources. The includes both inside and/or outside of the classroom. You can accomplish this by citing specific academic programs , professors , research opportunities , internship/externship programs , study abroad programs , student-run organizations , etc.

How important are the Johns Hopkins supplemental essays?

Johns Hopkins University considers six factors “very important” in evaluating a candidate. The essays are among them. In addition to the essays, Johns Hopkins gives the greatest consideration to the rigor of one’s school record, GPA, standardized test scores, recommendations, and character/personal qualities.

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A Guide to Johns Hopkins University's 2023-2024 Supplemental Essays

The path to Johns Hopkins University (JHU) winds through a set of carefully curated essay prompts. These prompts enable the admissions team to see beyond your grades and test scores to the unique individual you are. In this blog post, we will guide you through each of this year's prompts, offer strategic advice, and share examples from successful past applications.

Prompt 1: Successful students at Johns Hopkins make the biggest impact by collaborating with others, including peers, mentors, and professors. Talk about a time, in or outside the classroom, when you worked with others and what you learned from the experience. (300-400 words)

This prompt aims to assess your teamwork skills and openness to collaborative learning. An example of a captivating response from a 2022 applicant reads:

"In my sophomore year, I joined our school's robotics club, a newly formed group of students who were passionate but inexperienced. We had one mentor, an alumni with a busy job, leaving us largely to our own devices.

We hit our first roadblock while preparing for a local competition. Our robot's arm would either swing too fast, sending the ball flying, or too slow, failing to launch it at all. No one had a solution, and frustration permeated the group. As the team's self-designated 'Motivator,' I saw an opportunity to help us grow from this challenge.

I proposed a team brainstorming session, hoping that pooling our knowledge would lead to a solution. Everyone brought different skills to the table: Sophie's physics knowledge, Alex's programming skills, and my knack for mechanics, among others. We sketched designs, calculated angles, and wrote codes. It took three iterations and many late nights, but we finally created a robot arm that launched the ball accurately.

From this experience, I learned the value of diverse perspectives in problem-solving. It was through our collaborative effort that we overcame the obstacle. This experience highlighted the power of unity in diversity and cemented my belief in the importance of collaborative learning."

The University of Chicago is eager to know more about your intellectual curiosities, personal experiences, and what unique perspective you bring to their community.

As you approach JHU's supplemental essays, keep your responses authentic and deeply personal. Your unique experiences and perspectives will set you apart.

The admissions committee is eager to learn about you . Let them do that through your essays.

Best of luck with your writing!

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Don’t Sweat the Supp Stuff: Advice for Crafting Your Supplemental Essay

It can feel daunting to choose what to write about in your college application essays. How do you sum up the complex, dynamic individual you are with such limited space? 

The short answer: You can’t. But that’s OK. 

The goal of your application is not to share every detail of your multifaceted life. Rather, the process allows you to share your story with the admissions committee about what makes you a strong match for the institution. Each piece of the application reveals something about your academic experiences and personal journey that shows us how you might contribute to the Hopkins community. 

In some ways, the essays help tie together the rest of the application. They offer space for you to tell stories that represent the most important parts of your identity, which provide context for other components of the application. 

Let’s zero in on the supplemental essay . 

The supplemental essay portion of the application is specific to each school. Each institution has intentionally crafted a question (or multiple) to help determine whether a student might be a good match. We look for individuals who share Hopkins’ institutional values but will also bring unique experiences and perspectives to the community.  

Below is the supplemental essay prompt for students applying for entry to Hopkins in the fall of 2024:  

Tell us about an aspect of your identity (e.g., race, gender, sexuality, religion, community, etc.) or a life experience that has shaped you as an individual and how that influenced what you’d like to pursue in college at Hopkins. This can be a future goal or experience that is either academic, extracurricular, or social. (350-word limit) *

Picture your life in college. What does your community look like? Which aspects of your identity are most important for you to develop and nurture?  

Now jot down some thoughts about experiences or parts of your identity that have had a significant effect on your life. Maybe it’s a hobby you love, a cultural tradition, or an instance when you discovered something new about yourself. 

Once you have a list, think about how each of these will continue to play a role in your college life. Choose one to focus on and spend some time building it out. 

Keep in mind this essay is not an exercise in “tell us everything you know about Hopkins.” While it’s important for the admissions committee to see you’ve done your research and understand what Hopkins has to offer, simply listing what you hope to pursue on campus is only half of the puzzle. Be sure to connect the dots by explaining why you wish to pursue those things, and how they’ll help you remain connected to and grow in your identity. 

If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas or crafting your essay, reach out to your school counselor or an English teacher. They can help you brainstorm and ensure your piece is answering the prompt in a meaningful way. 

Happy writing! 

* An important note about the essay: In this essay question, we are looking for how an aspect of your identity or background has contributed to your personal story—your character, values, perspectives, or skills—and how you think it may shape your approach to college as a scholar, leader, or community member.

Please note that the U.S. Supreme Court recently limited the consideration of race in college admissions decisions but specifically permitted consideration of “an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life” so long as the student is “treated based on his or her experiences as an individual—not on the basis of race.” Therefore, any part of your background, including but not limited to your race, may be discussed in your response to this essay if you so choose, but will be considered by the university based solely on how it has affected your life and your experiences as an individual.

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August 7, 2023

2023-2024 Johns Hopkins Supplemental Essay Prompt

Johns Hopkins University has released its supplemental essay prompt for the 2023-2024 college admissions cycle. Johns Hopkins, which in recent years, has asked applicants to answer only one supplemental essay, is again requiring applicants to answer only one essay prompt — a 300-worder. But it’s not the length of Johns Hopkins’ essay prompt for applicants to the JHU Class of 2028 that’s interesting. Instead, it’s the topic .

2023-2024 Johns Hopkins Essay Topic

Below is Johns Hopkins’ essay prompt for applicants to the JHU Class of 2028:

Tell us about an aspect of your identity (e.g. race, gender, sexuality, religion, community, etc.) or a life experience that has shaped you as an individual and how that influenced what you’d like to pursue in college at Hopkins.? (This can be a future goal or experience that is either academic, extracurricular, or social).

Johns Hopkins’ Supplemental Essay Is a Bold Response to SCOTUS Ruling

You read Johns Hopkins’ 2023-2024 supplemental essay prompt correctly . The school’s admissions committee is directly asking about a student’s race (or gender, sexuality, religion, community, or something else) to understand their perspective and lived experience.

It’s a bold move in response to the Supreme Court’s outlawing of the practice of Affirmative Action in late June 2023. At the time, some surmised that many of our nation’s elite universities would avoid directly asking applicants to comment on their race. But not us. No, we at Ivy Coach have a crystal ball . That crystal ball, once even cited on the pages of America’s oldest college newspaper, forecasted that America’s elite universities would still find ways to indirectly consider race in the admissions process to create diverse classes, capitalizing on the opening provided by Chief Justice John Roberts.

In the majority opinion, Roberts wrote, “At the same time, as all parties agree, nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise.”

Yet not every school put themselves directly in the line of fire by using the word “race” in their supplemental essay prompt(s). Johns Hopkins — a school that proudly previously banned the un-meritocratic practice of legacy admission , or the tradition of offering preferential treatment to the progeny of a school’s alumni base — dared to do so. Agree or disagree with Affirmative Action, Johns Hopkins’ bold response to the ruling is  noteworthy .

Johns Hopkins Even Changed Its Essay Prompt, Leaning into Race

And it’s not as though Johns Hopkins simply cut and pasted their essay prompt from last year. Last year’s essay prompt did not explicitly mention race. It read as follows:

Founded in the spirit of exploration and discovery, Johns Hopkins University encourages students to share their perspectives, develop their interests, and pursue new experiences. Use this space to share something you’d like the admissions committee to know about you (your interests, your background, your identity, or your community), and how it has shaped what you want to get out of your college experience at Hopkins.

How to Approach Answering Johns Hopkins’ Supplemental Essay

One doesn’t need to be an underrepresented minority to be able to answer this essay prompt. It’s why Johns Hopkins specifically cited any community that an applicant may deem themselves a part of or even, more broadly, a life experience that has molded their outlook on the world.

While race is explicitly mentioned in the wording of the essay prompt, applicants really have a blank canvas for this essay question. As such, they can direct their answer just about any way they wish — though it should ultimately address the second half of the hybrid question of how that perspective, community, or life experience has shaped what they hope to study at Johns Hopkins.

It’s thus essential to include a few specifics that only apply to Johns Hopkins (and, no, name-dropping professors or listing classes do not count as genuine specifics about an institution). After all, JHU admissions officers want to understand how that perspective will influence what you bring to their vibrant campus.

Ivy Coach’s Assistance with Johns Hopkins Essay Prompt

If you’re interested in optimizing your case for admission to Johns Hopkins and wowing admissions officers with compelling storytelling, fill out Ivy Coach ’s consultation form , and we’ll be in touch to outline our college counseling services for seniors.

You are permitted to use www.ivycoach.com (including the content of the Blog) for your personal, non-commercial use only. You must not copy, download, print, or otherwise distribute the content on our site without the prior written consent of Ivy Coach, Inc.

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Johns Hopkins University 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Early Decision: Nov 1

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 2

You Have: 

Johns Hopkins University  2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 1 essay of 300 words.

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why

Tell us about an aspect of your identity (e.g. race, gender, sexuality, religion, community, etc.) or a life experience that has shaped you as an individual and how that influenced what you’d like to pursue in college at Hopkins.? (This can be a future goal or experience that is either academic, extracurricular, or social).  300 word limit.

JHU is purposefully leaving this question super open-ended, so you can write about any facet of your identity or background that has been most integral in shaping who you are. Admissions also wants to know how this aspect of your life experience has impacted what you want to gain from your time attending Hopkins. Start by thinking about your identity. You can write down some words that you would use to describe yourself or work backward by thinking about what you hope to pursue at Hopkins, then consider how that relates to your identity, background, or community.

Maybe you dream of becoming a surgeon, specializing in gender-affirming surgery, to combine your interest in science and medicine with your passion for helping members of the trans community. Perhaps you don’t know what you want to major in yet, but you hope to expand your horizons at JHU as a first-generation student, bringing what you learn back home to share with your family and community. As long as you put aside time to brainstorm freely and edit meticulously, we’re confident you’ll impress admissions with your response!

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In This Issue

Bill & melinda gates institute for population and reproductive health, child and adolescent health measurement initiative (cahmi), center for adolescent health, early childhood services research program.

• Center on Early Life Origins of Disease

Located in the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Gates Institute is dedicated to the advancement of scholarship and science for social change. The Institute conducts and facilitates cutting-edge research in family planning, adolescent and youth reproductive health and population dynamics, and translates science into evidence-informed policies, programs, and practice. For more information, please visit www.gatesinstitute.org

Gates Institute representatives attended the 2023 Population Association of America (PAA) Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana in April 2023. This important event brings together demographers and social and health scientists from around the world to share the latest research and insights in the field of global health.

GI was proud to participate in PAA2023 and showcase our cutting-edge research in demography, population, and family planning. Our team of experts engaged with attendees and presented at over 15 scientific sessions featuring our research. Our participation included presentations from our Research, Measurement and Performance Monitoring platform, Performance Monitoring for Action (PMA) , and our Demographic Dividend Initiative (DD) , among others. Read more about GI’s participation in PAA 2023.

Findings from a recently published program case study in the Global Health: Science and Practice journal from four Nigerian states – Edo, Niger, Plateau and Ogun – reveal it is possible to integrate and improve adolescent and youth-friendly health services (AYFHS) within a systems-based approach. TCI supported the state governments in Nigeria by updating the already existing family planning supportive supervision (FPSS) tool that the Nigerian government had previously endorsed for AYFHS, leveraging the WHO’s Regional Office for South-East Asia (SEARO) AYFHS checklist and Nigeria’s National Standards & Minimum Service Package for Adolescent & Youth Friendly Health Services . To ensure that the quality of family planning (FP) service delivery aligned with the national FP service protocol and facilitate improvement in the quality of service delivery, state government staff conducted supportive supervision activities using the updated FPSS QA tool at the health facilities. Ultimately, findings from this program case study show that it is possible to integrate a adolescent and youth FPSS quality assessment tool and its associated quality improvement processes within an existing health system’s supportive supervision checklist, with the relevant support for enhanced capacity to administer, analyze and translate the findings into action through performance improvement plans. Click here to r ead more .

BMJ Open recently published Gates Institute’s novel Demographic Dividend Effort Index tool for measuring efforts in harnessing a country’s demographic dividend for socio-economic growth. The DDEI aims to provide a standard measure to quantify the nature and strength of in-country demographic dividend efforts in governance and economic institutions, family planning, maternal and child health, education, women’s empowerment, and the labor market. The tool is able to identify sector-specific gaps in the implementation of policies and programs, as well as to identify areas of improvement in research and advocacy. The index proved to be a reliable and internally consistent tool, fostering measurements, dialogue and innovation in six key sectors that have the potential to cultivate the DD. Learn more about this novel tool and the Demographic Dividend Initiative.

The International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP) has just announced the launch of the official ICFP2022 Recap Report . The report is an in-depth, data-driven look at successes and learnings from the hybrid conference in Pattaya City, Thailand.

ICFP 2022 welcomed over 3,600 in-person delegates and thousands more virtually to the conference in Pattaya City, Thailand. With over 300 scientific sessions, 31 pre-conferences, and 63 side events, attendees had the opportunity to engage with a variety of programming. Attendees networked and collaborated with scientists, researchers, government officials, bilateral organizations, civil society organizations, over 700 youth delegates, and beyond.

The report provides a comprehensive summary of all the major highlights from the sixth ICFP held virtually and in Pattaya City, Thailand, including information on scientific sessions, pre-conferences, youth engagement, and more. The ICFP2022 Recap Report is available now to view and for download in English and French here .

The Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI) recently put forth the Engagement in Action! (EnAct!) Framework , a framework toward an integrated early childhood health system to promote the early and lifelong health of children and families. The EnAct! Framework is the result of the CAHMI’s partnership with Mississippi Thrive! Child Health and Development Project initiative, which was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration through a cooperative agreement. CAHMI’s leadership was also supported through a current RWJF grant to scale the CAHMI’s   Cycle of Engagement (COE)   model to promote the healthy development of young children in low income communities of color.  The EnAct! Framework sets forth a pathway to support national, state, and local efforts to establish a   family and community engaged , whole child and family well-being focused, integrated early childhood health system. Using state and national data, a partners landscape analysis, national guidelines and decades of research, EnAct! defines roles for current and potential partners, shares a novel approach to child and family care based on the COE theory of change and approach to family engagement and integrated services, and provides principles for collaborative action, a set of “Possibility Prototypes” for application across system partners and implementation action plan towards policy and practice reform , and  provides implementation action steps towards policy and practice reform.  The framework became the basis of the charter for Mississippi’s new Early Childhood Development Coalition (ECDC), who will be continuing the work of Mississippi Thrive!

Dr. Christina Bethell provided a call to action at the recent ECDC charter signing ceremony in which legislative, pediatric, and community leaders across the state signed the charter and agreed to advance EnAct’s mission and goals. The CAHMI would like to thank the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for the opportunity to partner in this systems-change work and the Mississippi Thrive! leadership team for their ongoing collaboration and commitment to advance child and family health.   

Dr. Terri W. Powell has been appointed the Assistant Director of the Center of Adolescent Health (CAH), where she will lead the center’s Training Core and oversee diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Powell shares Assistant Director duties with Dr. Beth Marshall, who leads the center’s Research Core.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Dr. Powell to the leadership team at CAH,” said CAH Director Dr. Tamar Mendelson. “She has a long history of working within CAH and has helped make the Center what it is today. She also has years of experience doing community-based work with youth in diverse setting including schools, churches, and libraries. As Vice Chair for Inclusion, Diversity, Antiracism, and Equity (IDARE), she will help deepen the Center’s use of an equity lens in all that we do.”

Dr. Powell is a Bloomberg Professor of American Health, and within the Bloomberg School of Public Health she serves as the Vice Chair for Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-Racism and Equity and Faculty Director of the MCH Postdoctoral training program within the Population, Family, and Reproductive Health Department; and is the Faculty Director for the Brown Scholars and Health Equity Scholars Program.

“The Center has been my home for over a decade. I love it here! Over the years, I’ve supported the center in lots of ways including research, community engagement, training, and dissemination,” Dr. Powell said. “Being invited to be on the leadership team is such a treat! As an Assistant Director, I’ll focus on continuing our strong training efforts, designing and implementing policies for standard operations, as well as ensuring that our equity principles are upheld in all we do.”

CAH also welcomes Dr. Annie Smith to its faculty as an Assistant Scientist. Dr. Smith received her doctorate recently from the Bloomberg School.

“We are so excited to welcome Dr. Annie Smith as faculty in the center,” said CAH Assistant Director Dr. Beth Marshall.  “Dr. Smith has worked closely with Center faculty during her time at Hopkins as a student.  She will continue to work on several projects focused on the implementation comprehensive sexual health education and care programs and the translation of research to practice focused on trauma informed and inclusive approaches in these programs.”

The Home Visiting Applied Research Collaborative (HARC) housed in the Early Childhood Services Research Program in the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, recently received a third round of funding from HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Now directed by Dr Allison West, HARC recently went through a process to redevelop its website and logo.  The website redevelopment process began with a set of focus groups with intended website users to learn about their current use of the website and the changes they would like to see in the redevelopment. Using this information, we worked with a local firm to design a new outline for the website and features that would allow us to better showcase our current body of work and the work we plan to do in the future. One of the features on the new website is a Resource Library that contains all of the HARC’s resources that are searchable by keyword, topics and author. The new website also features new content describing HARC’s Precision Paradigm , an innovative framework to support precision home visiting research questions. Once the site was designed, several members of our team were trained to merge content onto the website and to troubleshoot any technical issues. 

The redeveloped website was launched at HARC’s 8 th Annual Collaborative Science of Home Visiting Meeting on May 10 th . Preliminary feedback shows that users of the website find it useful and easy to navigate. Please check out HARC’s website at www.hvresearch.org .

Center on Early Life Origins of Diseases

Third-year PFRH PhD candidate Mengmeng Li, MD, MSPH, delivered a platform presentation on her PhD research last week at the annual Pediatric Academic Society meeting in Washington, DC. Dr. Li’s oral abstract, titled Maternal Exposure to Ambient Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM 2.5 ) During Pregnancy on Child Risk of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in the Boston Birth Cohort , was delivered during the first Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics session of the conference on Friday, April 28 th , 2023. The presentation concluded that children with increased exposure to PM 2.5 pollution during the third trimester and across the whole pregnancy had increased risks of ADHD, especially when their mothers also experienced smoking, high stress, preterm delivery or intrauterine inflammation during index pregnancy. This project represents the first aim of Dr. Li’s PhD dissertation, advised by Dr. Xiaobin Wang within the Center on the Early Life Origins of Disease, and is part of a larger effort at the Center to understand the relationship between neighborhood exposures and childhood health outcomes within the Boston Birth Cohort, a multiracial, mostly low income group of mother-child pairs seeking care at Boston Medical Center. Dr. Wang, the Center, and the entire PFRH department express their congratulations to Dr. Li for her accomplishment and fantastic presentation!

E-NEWS Spring/Summer 2023

2023 Graduates

Election Updates: Biden’s team brushes off the latest bad poll for him.

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J. David Goodman

In a speech tonight lasting more than 30 minutes, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promised to fire government officials who publicly lied, stop U.S. involvement in foreign wars, end chronic diseases and increase transparency by putting federal spending on the blockchain. And he pledged to unite warring partisan factions. “You don’t hear that we’re all part of a giant family,” he said. Afterward, he took selfies with a long line of fans.

At a campaign rally in Austin, Texas, tonight, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. crystallizes his pitch: Voters already know what they will get with a vote for President Biden or former President Donald J. Trump. “If Nicole and I get into office, everything is going to change,” he says to big applause, referring to his running mate, Nicole Shanahan. “And don’t you want everything to change?”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appearing tonight in Austin, Texas, says he turned in just under 250,000 signatures to the state, more than double the threshold to get on the ballot there. “If you can get on in Texas, we can get on anywhere,” he said. New York is the next, he added, saying that the campaign was on track to get on the ballot there.

I’m in Austin, Texas, where hundreds of supporters of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — bitcoin enthusiasts, former Trump voters and at least one self-described “extreme liberal” — have gathered to celebrate with the candidate, who says he turned in enough signatures today to get on the ballot in Texas.

Maggie Astor

One Nation, a conservative super PAC, announced $70 million in new ad spending in Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, where Republicans are trying to flip Senate seats — bringing its total from April through Labor Day to $88 million when combined with previously announced spending in Montana. The first ads in the new series will start running later this month and will focus on border security and inflation.

Katie Rogers

I spent the day interviewing pollsters, including Molly Murphy, who works on the Biden campaign, about the poll’s finding that voters want major change . “This campaign is not arguing for the status quo,” she said, and she added that “the problems and the struggles that people are facing were not caused by this president.”

One interesting data point from our new poll is that a large swath of voters say that major changes need to happen to America's political and economic system — a sentiment that poses a challenge to President Biden, who has staked his candidacy on a return to normal. Voters frustrated with his handling of Gaza and the economy may not want his version of it .

Chris Cameron

Vice President Kamala Harris drew applause and cheers after using an expletive as she talked about her personal experience with breaking barriers at a summit in Washington today. “Sometimes people will open the door for you and leave it open. Sometimes they won’t and then you need to kick that," door down, she said, inserting the expletive.

Kellen Browning

Cash is flowing into Arizona’s Senate race. On the heels of a $19 million fall advertising reservation from Ruben Gallego, the Democratic candidate, a $10 million purchase is coming from the primary’s leading Republican, Kari Lake. She is up with a new television ad, partly funded by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, attacking Gallego on immigration.

Rebecca Davis O’Brien

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s independent presidential campaign says he will be on the ballot in Texas this November, having filed more than 245,000 signatures — double the required number — with the state on Monday, the deadline for independent petitions. State officials still have to approve his application. Kennedy is already all but certain to be on the ballot in Michigan, Hawaii, California, Delaware, Utah and Oklahoma.

American Bridge 21st Century, a major Democratic super PAC, will spend $25 million on ads in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, as part of a planned $140 million campaign. The first ads are focused on abortion. One has an OB-GYN who learned that her fetus had a fatal condition, and another features a father who describes Trump’s boasting about overturning Roe v. Wade as “a slap in the face.”

Jonathan Weisman

One note of caution on polling: The numbers look definitive, but voters are not necessarily so set. Victor Khai Nguyen, a 32-year-old Arizona's Maricopa County, is down as a split-ticket voter for Trump and Ruben Gallego, the Democratic Senate candidate. “Essentially that was based on what they asked me,” he said. Pressed more, he said he views Biden more favorably than Trump, but he probably won’t vote at all.

Black men may be the most interesting demographic of the 2024 campaign. Jabari Tiffith, a FedEx worker in Las Vegas, said he “would absolutely vote for Jill Stein,” the left-wing candidate, if she makes the ballot in Nevada. Otherwise, he said, he’ll vote for Trump. The one thing that might sway him to Biden? “Reparations. If there was some serious talk about that, I could vote for Biden," he said.

Adam Nagourney

I am usually wary of horserace polls this far out: Trump is on trial, the conventions are coming, and there are million of dollars in advertising to be spent. But something the Biden campaign, for all its outward confidence, must be thinking about today: Voters know Biden and Trump, and at a certain point, these kind of impressions and opinions, when they are so consistent, become self-enforcing. They get baked in.

Ruth Igielnik

Voters who backed Biden in 2020 but are planning to vote for Trump this time around are the crucial group in the swing states we polled . The economy and inflation are driving their voting decisions more than anything else. Second to that, about 10 percent of these swing voters say foreign policy and getting the U.S. into more wars is driving their vote, and 10 percent say immigration.

Nicholas Nehamas

Biden has dismissed polling at this stage of the race, saying voters aren’t paying attention yet. “This far out, the polls don’t mean a lot,” he said recently, before the bad news from our latest polling , and he added that voters don’t tune in until “they get closer to September.” Still, his campaign has spent tens of millions on ads in battleground states since last fall, to little apparent effect so far.

Both the Trump and Biden campaigns have worried about how Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s campaign will affect them, and in our latest polling , Kennedy won an average of 10 percent of the vote across six states and drew roughly equally from Biden and Trump’s base. That was reflected at a Kennedy event in Houston on Saturday, where I met both Democrats and Republicans who said they were disappointed in their party’s candidates.

While Biden is down in five of the six battleground states we polled, Democrats are ahead in Senate races in Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada and Pennsylvania. This also helps reveal Trump’s striking strength among Hispanic voters: Republican Senate candidates are winning only 29 percent of Hispanic voters, while Trump is getting 42 percent of the group.

Contrary to the old adage: It’s not necessarily the economy, stupid. I talked to a union construction worker in Wisconsin who works on the Microsoft A.I. job site that President Biden touted last week as a promise kept, and compared it to Trump’s broken promises. But the worker, Chris Myers, doesn’t credit Biden and is firmly for Trump. He will also vote for Senator Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat.

Entering his trial in Manhattan on Monday , former President Donald J. Trump stopped to boast to reporters about the New York Times/Siena College poll results , brandishing a sheaf of papers and saying he is “leading everywhere by a lot.”

Shane Goldmacher

Despite President Biden spending millions of dollars on advertising, his contest with former President Donald J. Trump looks much like it did last fall, our new poll shows . Biden’s strongest state in the survey was Wisconsin, similar to last fall. His weakest is a bit of a surprise, as it’s a state Trump has never won before: Nevada. That is the only state where Trump reaches 50 percent in a two-person race.

Most swing state voters are not paying much attention to Trump's trial, according to our polls , and it seems to not have affected his standing in these battleground states. They trust Trump more on the economy and to handle the conflict in Israel and Gaza, while more voters trust Biden on abortion. But far more swing state voters say the economy is the main issue motivating their vote, rather than abortion.

Our new polling finds former President Donald J. Trump up in five of the six crucial battleground states: Nevada, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia, while President Biden is up in Wisconsin. Most voters in these states said they want to see the political and economic system upended, or at least have some minor changes, and they think for better or worse, Trump is more likely to bring about change than Biden.

Reid J. Epstein

Reporting from Washington

Biden’s team brushes off the latest bad poll for him.

President Biden’s campaign on Monday brushed off the findings of new polls from The New York Times, Siena College and The Philadelphia Inquirer that found him trailing in five of the presidential battleground states, dismissing their significance and arguing that the president still has six months left before Election Day to persuade voters to support him.

“Drawing broad conclusions about the race based on results from one poll is a mistake,” said Geoff Garin, one of the Biden campaign’s pollsters. “The reality is that many voters are not paying close attention to the election and have not started making up their minds — a dynamic also reflected in today’s poll. These voters will decide this election and only the Biden campaign is doing the work to win them over.”

Mr. Garin’s comments, which the campaign distributed to reporters on Monday morning, came as part of the Biden campaign’s regular playbook for responding to bad polls.

On Monday, Biden aides dismissed the polling industry as inherently broken, arguing about the metrics and reminding supporters of other polls that show Mr. Biden in a better position. The campaign’s aides and allies sought to emphasize how many months remain before Election Day and highlighted the structural and financial advantages the Biden campaign has built while former President Donald J. Trump is tied up in court.

Working the spin on polling is an ever-present effort for Mr. Biden and his campaign.

In the weekend before the latest poll was released, Mr. Biden traveled to the West Coast. Speaking to donors in San Francisco and the Seattle area, he made the case that they should ignore the polling — especially if it looks bad for him.

“People are engaged, no matter what the polling data says,” Mr. Biden said Friday in Seattle. “It’s awful hard to judge the polls these days because they’re so difficult to take.”

The president’s comments suggest he is a close reader of other public polling that mirrors the findings from The Times and Siena College, which found a sizable gap between registered and likely voters.

“We run strongest among likely voters in the polling data,” he told supporters at a campaign fund-raiser on Saturday in Medina, Wash., an upscale suburb of Seattle. “That’s a good sign. And while the national polls basically have us registered voters up by four, likely voters we’re up by more.”

And then there’s Mr. Biden’s campaign, which has opened 150 offices with more than 500 staff members across the battleground states. Those employees, along with what is expected to be a $2 billion advertising campaign by the end of this cycle, are aiming to turn the November election into a referendum not on Mr. Biden, but on his predecessor, by reminding voters about Mr. Trump’s record on abortion and democracy.

Part of Mr. Biden’s problem, his aides and advisers have said for nearly a year, is that too many voters have forgotten the most alarming parts of the Trump years. Mr. Biden’s campaign aides — and the president himself — have gone to great lengths to try to highlight Mr. Trump’s part in limiting abortion rights and his public statements about democracy and health care.

“Trump is trying to make the country forget how dark and unsettling things were when he was president,” Mr. Biden said at the Seattle fund-raiser. “But we’re never going to forget.”

Gallego places $19 million ad buy in Arizona, most of any Senate candidate so far.

Representative Ruben Gallego, running unopposed in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Arizona, placed a reservation on Monday for $19 million in television advertisements for the general election this fall, according to his campaign — the largest any Senate candidate in the country has made so far.

Come fall, Mr. Gallego is likely to be locked in a tight race with Kari Lake, the Republican and ally of Donald J. Trump. They are set to be competing for the seat now held by Senator Kyrsten Sinema, the Democrat turned independent who decided not to run for re-election. Ms. Lake faces a Republican challenger but is expected to easily prevail in the Republican primary on July 30.

The contest is rated a “tossup” by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, but Ms. Lake may enter it as an underdog if she and her allied groups are unable to keep up on the airwaves with Mr. Gallego, who is raising and spending money at a torrid pace. Mr. Gallego’s $19 million reservation is expected to go toward ads that will run in the Phoenix and Tucson markets, beginning on June 18, though it does not commit the campaign to following through with the purchase.

The reservation is greater than those placed so far by incumbent Democrats facing re-election battles; Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio has reserved $14.3 million; Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada has reserved $13.9 million; and Senator Jon Tester of Montana has reserved $8.9 million, according to the media-tracking firm AdImpact.

Ms. Lake, who made bogus claims of election fraud a key aspect of her failed bid for governor in 2022, has worked to broaden her base of support this year in her second statewide run by courting establishment Republicans. She has earned the endorsement of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is the Senate Republicans’ campaign arm and which is backing a new television ad debuting on Tuesday , and she has raised campaign money alongside top Senate Republicans.

But she has struggled to moderate her tone, and some national Republicans have indicated that, before deciding whether to invest heavily on trying to capture Arizona, they are prioritizing what they see as more winnable Senate races as they work to take back control of the chamber.

Mr. Gallego, meanwhile, can count on $23 million reserved for advertising by the Senate Majority PAC, a Democratic group, and he has out-raised and outspent Ms. Lake so far in the race. A member of Congress who represents a district in Phoenix, Mr. Gallego has long described himself as a progressive but has shed that label as he courts a broader statewide electorate. His ability to flood the airwaves with positive advertisements could help him ensure that most voters’ first impression of him is as a pragmatic lawmaker and former Marine.

Michael C. Bender

Choice for Maryland Democrats comes down to star power versus experience.

Harry Dunn, a former Capitol Police officer who was on duty during the Jan. 6 riots and is running for elected office for the first time, has become one of the nation’s top political fund-raisers by leveraging the power of his emotional testimony delivered during televised congressional hearings about the attack.

His $4.6 million war chest is larger than any other House candidate in Maryland — and more than all but three non-incumbent Democratic House candidates across the country, according to campaign finance records.

But those contributions and his “save democracy” battle cry face a stiff test from a crowded field of fellow Democrats squaring off Tuesday in a closely watched Maryland House primary that will signal where concerns about Jan. 6 and its aftermath stand among a list of issues for voters on the left.

Mr. Dunn’s main competition is Sarah Elfreth, a state senator who has raised $1.5 million for her campaign and received $4.4 million more in help from outside groups, campaign finance reports show.

Nearly all of that spending has come from United Democracy Project, a super PAC affiliated with the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee. Mr. Dunn has also pledged to support the Jewish state.

Both Ms. Elfreth and Mr. Dunn have vowed to make campaign finance reform a top priority in Congress. Mr. Dunn has sworn off help from outside groups as part of his pro-democracy platform.

He said the outside money spent in the race was ironic considering that the candidates are running to replace Representative John Sarbanes, a retiring Democratic lawmaker who worked to limit the influence of money in campaigns during his nine terms in office.

“It kind of sucks,” Mr. Dunn said. “I wanted to make it one of my objectives in Congress to get big money and corporations out of influencing elections. And now I’m facing it. I know that’s how the system works, but that’s not how it should be.”

Still, much of the money he has raised is largely related to the national platform he gained after receiving attention as one of four officers who testified at the first public hearing of the House committee investigating the attack aimed at disrupting the certification of the 2020 presidential election.

Mr. Dunn’s testimony detailed how his fellow officers were bloodied in the incursion and how rioters used racist slurs against him. He quickly became a fixture on cable news and, in 2023, received the Presidential Citizens Medal from President Biden for his role in protecting the Capitol.

He has described himself as the candidate best equipped to combat former President Donald J. Trump’s conservative movement, a message that has resonated with liberal donors across the country.

Ms. Elfreth has leaned into her political résumé as a contrast. She was the youngest woman ever elected to the Maryland Senate when she won her seat in 2018. Since then, she has passed 84 bills with bipartisan support, according to her campaign.

Like Mr. Dunn, Ms. Elfreth said she would make campaign finance reform a priority in Congress.

“I plan to do my damndest to get money out of politics, but in the meantime, this is the system we have,” she said.

Maryland’s Third Congressional District includes Annapolis, the state capital, and Howard County, a rapidly growing area with exurbs, including Columbia and Ellicott City, in the orbit of both Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

The primary winner will immediately become the odds-on favorite to capture the heavily Democratic district in a general election against the Republican nominee, which will also be decided on Tuesday.

Other Maryland Democrats in the primary include Clarence Lam, a state senator from Howard County and a physician on the faculty of Johns Hopkins University, who has raised $736,100; Juan Dominguez, an Army veteran and son of Cuban immigrants, who has collected $377,000; and Michael Coburn, a criminal defense lawyer who has raised $230,000.

No other candidate has collected more than $200,000, campaign finance records show.

The Maryland contest is one of three primaries in Mid-Atlantic House districts that include candidates from the “save democracy” movement.

In Pennsylvania last month, a broader campaign on women’s rights, abortion access and inflation proved more valuable than a narrow focus on defending democracy when Janelle Stelson, a former news broadcaster, easily defeated Mike O’Brien, a retired Marine Corps officer who made preservation of democracy central to his candidacy.

In Virginia next month, Yevgeny Vindman, who goes by Eugene, is running for a House seat by highlighting the key role played by his twin brother, Alexander, in spotlighting Mr. Trump’s effort to strong-arm Ukraine into digging up dirt on Mr. Biden. Mr. Vindman is seeking to replace Representative Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat who is running for governor.

Reporting from Houston

Nicole Shanahan ventures onto the stump for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

She quoted Carl Jung as she opened her meandering speech, cited what she called the “ruthless” American psyche, alluded to her friendship with the director of the “Black Panther” movies and talked about how Americans needed to remember their ancestors.

Nicole Shanahan, the Silicon Valley millionaire chosen by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his running mate, had previously said that she would spend little time on the campaign trail, leaving stump speeches mainly to Mr. Kennedy.

But in her first outing on the hustings, in Houston on Saturday about a month and a half after she joined Mr. Kennedy on his independent presidential ticket, Ms. Shanahan signaled that she was a fitting match for him, speaking about the electorate as if it were the victim of a vast Covid-related conspiracy and defying easy categorization along partisan lines.

“I often said Covid was the truth serum,” she said of the pandemic. “Because it showed us things that people have been trying to hide from us for a really long time.” She added, with an expletive at the end for emphasis: “We can’t unfeel it — that raging sense of being controlled and captured and manipulated and herded. We’re not going to stand that anymore.”

Pausing frequently and checking a printed copy of her remarks that she held in one hand, Ms. Shanahan spoke of restorative justice and of her backing of a progressive district attorney in California, but also warned of the specter of communism in the American education system and assailed President Biden’s support for Ukraine in defending itself against Russia.

When a National Guardsman asked how she would help restore faith, as he put it, between the military and the government, Ms. Shanahan said that she was appalled by Mr. Biden’s foreign policy, warning that he was putting U.S. troops “at risk of getting into a third world war.”

“We have sent hundreds of billions of dollars to a former actor to lead a military position — a proxy war — on behalf of this country against Russia,” Ms. Shanahan said of military aid to Ukraine and of the country’s wartime president, Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ms. Shanahan also supported stringent border restrictions pushed by House Republicans, endorsed an ultraconservative congressman the day after he moved with other hard-right Republicans to oust the House speaker last week and, adopting the language of those conservatives, criticized what she called “ the uniparty in Congress .”

Praising Mr. Kennedy, Ms. Shanahan described his campaign as fulfilling his family’s legacy, though many Kennedy family members say that his campaign is sullying the memories of his uncle, John F. Kennedy, and father, Robert F. Kennedy, by risking throwing the election to former President Donald J. Trump.

“Bobby Kennedy is finishing the story of what was robbed from his father and his uncle,” Ms. Shanahan said at a cocktail lounge in midtown Houston. “His father and uncle were murdered for taking a stand. They were both shot in the head. They were silenced.”

Ms. Shanahan, 38, a political neophyte, was brought on as Mr. Kennedy’s running mate after buoying his campaign with millions of dollars in donations.

Until now she was absent from the campaign trail , leaving Mr. Kennedy to stump on his own. She began a campaign podcast earlier this month, and has suggested that she would “give the occasional stump speech, but my primary focus over the next six months is to be with the people.” The campaign then announced last week that Ms. Shanahan would attend two campaign events in quick succession: Saturday’s event in Houston and a rally on Monday with Mr. Kennedy in Austin, Texas.

Those listening as she spoke in Houston included at least some Republicans who have cooled on Mr. Trump.

“I really want to love Trump, but his ego is just out of control,” said Denise Chranowski, 55, who voted for his re-election in 2020. She added later in a text message: “Nicole is articulate, intelligent, pensive and a breath of fresh air. She is not a politician and I am fine with that.”

Michael Gold

Trump, bashing migrants, likens them to Hannibal Lecter, movie cannibal.

In an extended riff at his rally on Saturday in New Jersey, former President Donald J. Trump returned to a reference that has become a staple of his stump speech, comparing migrants to Hannibal Lecter, the fictional serial killer and cannibal from “The Silence of the Lambs,” as he aims to stoke anger and fear over migration in advance of the election.

“Has anyone ever seen ‘The Silence of the Lambs’? The late, great Hannibal Lecter. He’s a wonderful man,” Mr. Trump said in Wildwood, N.J. “He often times would have a friend for dinner. Remember the last scene? ‘Excuse me, I’m about to have a friend for dinner,’ as this poor doctor walked by. ‘I’m about to have a friend for dinner.’ But Hannibal Lecter. Congratulations. The late, great Hannibal Lecter.”

He continued: “We have people that have been released into our country that we don’t want in our country, and they’re coming in totally unchecked, totally unvetted. And we can’t let this happen. They’re destroying our country, and we’re sitting back and we better damn well win this election, because if we don’t, our country is going to be doomed. It’s going to be doomed.”

Mr. Trump, beginning with his announcement for the presidency in 2015, has frequently claimed that those crossing the border are violent criminals or mentally ill people who have been sent to the United States by other countries. There is no evidence to back his assertion, and border authorities have said that most migrants who cross the border are vulnerable families fleeing poverty and violence.

But that has not kept Mr. Trump from saying that migrants come from “mental institutions” or “insane asylums,” and comparing them to the fictional psychopath.

Mr. Trump, who often veers into asides during his stump speech, then returned immediately to decrying the migrant crisis and criticizing the Biden administration’s handling of it.

Throughout his campaign this year, Mr. Trump has frequently brought up Hannibal Lecter, once calling him “legendary” and another time referring to him as a nice fellow. In Wildwood, he spoke on the 1991 movie longer than he generally does.

Hannibal Lecter, a fictional psychopath who paired human organs with fava beans and an Italian red, was played memorably by Anthony Hopkins, winning an Oscar for his performance.

It is not clear what Mr. Trump meant by “late, great,” given that neither the character — nor the actor who played the role — have died, in person, film or the books the character originated from.

“The Silence of the Lambs” is one of several references that Mr. Trump frequently invokes during his rallies.

Another favorite is the gangster Al Capone, to whom Mr. Trump often compares himself.

“I’ve been indicted more than the great Alphonse Capone. Scarface,” Mr. Trump said incredulously on Saturday. “Al Capone was so mean that if you went to dinner with him and he didn’t like you, you’d be dead the next morning. And I got indicted more than him.”

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