“Mr. Postman, look and see. If there’s a letter in that bag for me…”

It’s December 14th, which is significant for many reasons.  For example, according to Wikipedia (always a trustworthy source) it’s “Monkey Day.”  But perhaps more relevant in our office, December 14th is “Early Decision I Decision Day.” (We’re still working on the title.)  In a matter of hours, EDI applicants will be able to check their decision status online.  Although most students will learn of their decisions online, the other admission officers and I have been busy stuffing good ol’ fashioned admit packets. 

As we carefully put letters into envelopes, I couldn’t help but think of this song:

In the age of the internet and electronic decision notifications, this golden oldie may be a tad anachronistic.  But trade “Postman” with “<insertinternetproviderhere>” and the song still captures the agonizing wait for college decisions.  Even many years later (never mind how many), I remember the gut wrenching anticipation of running home to see if “the letter” had arrived.  Based on current articles and blogs about the admissions cycle, that same anxiety is alive and well.  Even though the technology has changed, the anxiety remains the same!