Surfacing for Air, and waiting...
Once again it happened; once I allowed myself to pause three months had passed. My last blog entry was in January and here it is the middle of April -- life in admissions at a selective, independent university. Much has happened (besides multiple readings of 5,000+ freshman applications) but application review has consumed my life and that of the staff since January.
Saturday marked the 15th and last accepted student reception. Of course, it was one of our two on campus Accepted Student Open Houses, so it was an uber reception, and with well over 800 guests visiting it was the uber uber reception. While the Open House on April 5 had characteristically mercurial Seattle April weather, we were trully blessed this past Saturday. It passed 70 degrees and was a truly gorgeous day, greatly facilitating hosting so many people. Andrea Frangi's coreography was truly splendid and students and parents seemed to have a great time -- we even didn't run out of food, which was a tremendous concern with the last ~ 200 guests confirming in the last four days before Saturday. The program on April 5 was a home run also, with ~630 guests in attendance.
All of this year's receptions have been large and, for the most part, fun. I had 140+ guests at a reception in Honolulu last Tuesday, and there was good energy. Unfortunately, the day after I arrived in Hawaií I was bitten by one of two relentless flus that have been making their way through campus and was pretty debilitated, but was able to pull myself together for the 2 1/2 hours involved. However, I had incredible alumni participate and the charismatic president of *** O'Nani, Blaise Baldonado, flew out to assist me, and his mother helped as well. I'd been so looking forward to relaxing a bit in Hawai'i after the unforgiving demands of the past few months that it was really frustrating being sick, and the morning I arrived it was cold and rainy,and the same when I went. So, had to focus on my wife's adage of positive mental attitude. So I concentrated on appreciating the soothing sound of the waves, and watching the breezes rustle the palm trees, and appreciated the books I am reading -- David Halberstam's The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War, and Trail of Crumbs, by Kim Sunee, which is a memoir by an adopted Korean American. Both are excellent books (the Halberstam book is hard to put down; after finishing it I might have to start on William Manchester's American Caesar -- a biography of Douglas MacArthur that I have always intended to read.) Anyway,I took steady doses of antihistamines and I managed to make lemonaide out of the lemons, but it is always great to see the students whose applications you have devoted so much time to reading -- and seeing students you met in the fall at their high schools, or interviewed, is icing on the cake.
The receptions are when we can see light at the end of the tunnel: the financial aid packages have been sent, the vast majority of the applicant pool has been notified, and it is the students' time to determine whether we meet their requirements. For them the edge has been smoothed a bit since they have been admitted, yet is still an emotion fraught time. It is a huge decision. We have had some incredible receptions though. Gwen Jackson in her characteristically fine style did a superb job with the African American reception, making it a tail gate event for the Alvin Ailey performance at the Paramount. Of course, she had the awesome alumna and Regent Anita Crawford Willis collaborating with her. It sounded like a slice of heaven. And, it was great to see how jazzed Victor Zamora was by his Latino reception at Gallerias (an upscale Mexican restaurant on upper Broadway that is a very fine dining experience and is highly recommended.)
So we are now in an anticlimatic phase -- the workload was so unrelenting, and the need for careful but immediate turn over has kept the staff under steady pressure for so long that now everyone is adjusting to the ability -- and need -- to resume attention to ongoing long term projects. And, we now wait to learn the decisions of those admitted. By intention I direct that at this time we need to have a moritorium on contact with those we have admitted. They need the chance to breathe -- so we stop sending them mailings, and stop calling or offering chats, and want to allow them some quiet time to compare opportunities and to make a thoughtful decision about which is the best fit.
Please remember that if admitted you have until May 1 to make your decision. Your deposit only needs to be postmarked May 1. Note that this is true at 99% of the colleges to which students are accepted; May 1 is the national Candidate's reply date. Colleges and universities agree to allow you to make your decisions without fear of penalty by May 1.