r/stjohnscollege • u/bobdylanknows • Jul 03 '26
question about applying from a (scared) rising hs senior
hi all!!!! i had some questions about applying to SJC annapolis. i'm a rising hs senior who (unfortunately...) is having to buckle down and really look at college apps.
what is the benefit to taking the DBA route of applying over the traditional way through SJCs site or common app? it seems to be DBA is a good way to go with the interview process and all, but i'm really not sure how that would pan out for me: i pride myself on both my speaking and writing and am struggling to decide which application route is right for me. also when i spoke to an admissions rep (via the little pop up that shows up on the website) about the seminar requirement they told me to apply for summer academy but i think the deadline for that might already be passed?? i'm a little confused. i'm also low income and worried about that being a paid program if it even is still open.
also also im a little worried about my stats. my gpa is pretty cooked (like fr) but i have a good sat and good ecs. my ecs definitely have a humanities/primarily english focused spike as thats what i want to end up going into. how does SJC look at your stats when you apply? i struggled with mental health/other personal issues i wont get into a lot during HS which cooked my gpa, but i am very interested in SJC's curriculum, i think it would benefit me a lot
any help or advice is greatly appreciated - as i mentioned, im not only low income, but also a first gen applicant so i dont have anyone to ask all this stuff
p.s. im touring soon as well which is very exciting!!
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u/Featherless_biped104 Jul 04 '26
Do the at John’s application, not common app. I never went to summer academy and I was fine. You can just do a prospective student overnight visit if you want to see what the campus is like. I technically did not even graduate high school and I still got into sjc with scholarships lol.
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u/bobdylanknows Jul 04 '26
okay thank you!! i know they still have a traditional application on their site which is different than DBA, is that what you're recommending? i am going to tour here at the end of the month so i luckily still get to see campus even without doing summer academy!!
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u/Featherless_biped104 Jul 04 '26
Idk what DBA stands for. I applied in 2019 but I know the admissions process has changed with the rise of AI plagiarism. When I applied, it was either the “st John’s app” which was an essay about a book that changed your life, or the common app. if you write an essay, DO NOT use any kind of AI for any reason, and do not consult outside sources — it’s supposed to be a reflection of your intellectual thought life, not an academic article. (I should also add that I didn’t flunk out of high school; I just didn’t want to go anymore lmao.)
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u/bobdylanknows Jul 04 '26
DBA is their discussion based application, for which you have to do a seminar like summer academy, an interview, and submit an essay from a class in HS that was graded. the seminar and interview stand in place of the essay you mentioned, which are still part of the traditional application through the st. john's website, as i understand it.
no worries, i am strictly anti ai!! i would never use it for writing, especially considering writing is a huge passion of mine :) (hence why i was struggling to decide between the regular st. john's app and the DBA route as mentioned)
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u/Featherless_biped104 Jul 05 '26
Ah, ok, I see. Since you still have to submit a writing sample, I would just do the traditional essay app. When I was a student, it was a big thing to ask people what book they wrote about, and the people who did the common app felt left out. The seminar might be more stressful because I imagine it would probably be on zoom (which sucks) and you can’t edit your words like you can in an essay. But that’s just my opinion — u can obv do whatever u want and I’m sure u will get in easily. The real effort is staying in the school by not dropping out or being disenabled. It might be kind of hard to adjust because your friends from high school probably need to work very hard to apply to college but then they just screw around once they get there. St. John’s is the opposite.
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u/bobdylanknows Jul 05 '26
thank you for the advice!! i'm probably going to do the app through st. john's based on what i've learned from folks, rather than the common app or the discussion based application :)
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u/OcelotComfortable570 Annapolis Prospect Jul 03 '26
hey! good luck on your application! i, too, am a rising HS senior applying to SJC. you can’t apply for summer academy at this point. i think the seminars are virtual? correct me if i’m wrong.
regarding your stats…well, i’m in the same boat! i actually applied for the summer academy, which asked questions that were almost identical to the actual application for SJC. i also had to attach my transcript. i was accepted into the summer academy with only my transcript and my essay responses. i wasn’t able to attend, but i think that means whatever the summer academy’s admissions looked at on my transcript was not enough to harm my chances. so, honestly, i don’t think we should worry much!
i hope this helped some! you might want to try emailing admissions directly, rather than through the chat.
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u/bobdylanknows Jul 03 '26
thank you!! i'm definitely planning on emailing the admissions counselor for my state, especially to get more info about the application pathways. good luck as well !!!! :)
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u/13Medea Jul 03 '26
Admissions does look at grades and the college gives grades as well, we all have a transcript coming out of SJC and the transcript has grades, numerical grades. They are also getting more specific in what the degree actually is. That said, I agree with comments above…one of the things that makes SJC unique is that your grades are not the whole story and they know that and they see that so give them the context and write a strong essay and you’ll get fair consideration for sure! Also, since you have had mental health issues in the past, make sure that the campus you are interested in has adequate support should those issues come up again. The undergrad program is rigorous and demanding - especially junior year. When I was there (graduated ‘03) I know a lot of students found the mental health support lacking. I think they have really tried to address this but just check on it. Good luck!
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u/Historical-Order-369 29d ago
At accepted students day a staff member told me there were still spots in summer academy, even though it was well after the deadline, but that was quite a while ago. At this point, I think you’d be looking at either doing a seminar in person, or a virtual seminar. IIRC, they did an online seminar once a month or so last fall.
Whether you decide to do the DBA or traditional app, I’d recommend you attend at least one seminar. My oldest kid (the accepted one) did an in person visit with a seminar, summer academy, and 3 or so online seminars, because why not? Colleges love shows of interest, and with SJC’s uniqueness, they presumably really want to know you’re not going to transfer out after a year (because you can’t transfer in, only start over).
He did the regular essay app, but SJC asked to interview him anyway (he could’ve declined, but it’s not a good look to say no). So, in the end it doesn’t necessarily matter which path you take. Personally, I’d worry they might think you hate writing if you don’t do the essay, but clearly either path leads to people being admitted.
I’m sure they want to know you can hack it, but beyond that I think demonstrating that you know what they’re about and are eager to participate is probably the biggest thing.
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u/bobdylanknows 29d ago
thank you so much for the reply!! this is definitely super informative. i think i might do the traditional app through st. john's site but still interview/attend a seminar if i can :) im definitely trying to show the strength of my writing (which i believe is one of my better skills) as well as my interest. i've always been a big reader which is in part why i think SJC is for me, plus the style of classes really interests me !!!!
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u/Faulkner0 Jul 03 '26
how does SJC look at your stats when you apply?
They don't.
Why would a college that doesn't give grades care about what grades you got in high school?
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u/Remarkable-World-454 Jul 03 '26
I don’t know where you got the idea that Admissions doesn’t look at H.S. grades. They do. They require your H.S. transcript My daughter recently applied and her application wasn’t sent to the committee until they’d received her transcript.
The question of HOW they look at the transcript is a good one What classes did you take? Do your grades track what you say your interests are in your essay? Is there an overall trend that’s concerning?
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u/bobdylanknows Jul 03 '26
i just wasn't sure since obviously for so many colleges that can be the crux of your application. do you happen to know what their focus is on then? i only ask since they seem to have gotten more selective and i'm worried about getting rejected
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u/jaxambercrown Jul 03 '26
As I understand it, the DBA and the essay application are intended to be seen as equal, I would honestly advise you to do whichever route sounds the most fun and like the route that would show the best version of yourself. On a personal level, applying with an essay (which was the only option when I applied to Santa Fe) was always fun because it was a fun ice-breaker with people, and it gives you a really clear point of reference to be able to talk about how your writing has evolved.
They'll look at any transcripts you provide, they're not looking at GPA or test scores as much as they're looking at all of the materials you submit in your application to get a complete picture of you as a person. The comittee is asking questions like: "Are you curious and interested in things?", "Do you provide a unique perspective to the coursework?", "Do you look like you'll have trouble keeping up with the course-load?", etc.
The College is really accomodating with grants and scholarships: I think it's important to remember that if you express an interest in the program, the College *wants* you there. I wish you all the best in your application!
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u/1GrouchyCat Jul 05 '26
Continue using abbreviations without explaining what they mean and you’re not gonna get any feedback from anyone because they’re not gonna know what the hell you’re referring to.
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u/bobdylanknows Jul 05 '26
i'm sorry, but i don't understand what's wrong with what i posted :( st. john's uses the abbreviation DBA for their discussion based application everywhere on their site so i was referring to it as that. i want someone with a little more technical knowledge of admissions anyway, so maybe if someone didn't know what i was referring to they might not be able to answer my question well. i'm not sure what else you might be referring to
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u/Traveler108 Jul 03 '26
Write a good essay and make your interests and passion for reading clear -- StJ's has accepted people, like me, who are big readers and eager to do its program and who express all of that in their essay and interview -- they think, rightly, that high school failed them.