The OLINformer

We are almost finished reviewing your applications!

There’s one final step before we mail out the decisions… The Admission Committee… [cue dramatic music]…

After four very long, hectic, sleep-deprived and gut-wrenchingly emotional weeks - we have arrived at the moment when our Admission Committee will make the final decisions about who is invited to Candidates’ Weekends. And of course, I have noticed a sharp upward spike in the number of emails and IM’s asking me WHEN ARE WE GOING TO NOTIFY Y’ALL ABOUT CANDIDATES’ WEEKENDS!?!? So here’s the deal:

You should* receive your decision letter - one way or another - in the first week of February.

*Disclaimer regarding mail service: We have no control over what happens to the letters after they leave our office! While we aim to have a decision in every student’s hands in the first week of February… we cannot guarantee its arrival date!

That said, hold on a little longer! You all are such an amazing group of young people - your applications were phenomenal, your essays made us laugh and cry, your résumés made us feel like we have done nothing with our own lives! But in the end, we are a very very small school and we cannot admit everyone… no matter how much we love you and want to meet each and every one of you at a Candidates’ Weekend! This is, by far, the toughest part of my job. And so, yes, many of you will be disappointed come early February. I hate having to say that… but if there is one thing I’ve learned in all my years and experience (boy, that makes me sound old!) it’s that things happen for a reason - regardless of whether you know or even understand the reason at the time. Each of you will find your place for the next four year and it will be awesome… even if it doesn’t turn out to be Olin College.

Oh and as old-fashioned as it may seem, you will be receiving your notification by snail mail… There’s something to be said for being able to actually open an envelope!

It’s Friday night after an exhausting week - I’m planning my escape for the weekend! I’ll be back, I promise.
Allison

allison.bahme@olin.edu
781-292-2203
IM: OlinAdmission
http://www.olin.edu/

P.S. Did you know that the mere fact that we got about 300 more applications than last year means our little office had to process over 6000 more sheets of paper!?!? Crazy, eh? We’re still recovering!

Yep, ladies and gentlemen, I’m a loser.

I admit it.

I didn’t get those pictures posted - it was going to be this cool “Semester in Review” with lots of fun pics from current students. Sigh.

And it is highly unlikely that it will ever happen. As I’m sure many of you have learned by now, we (again!) have a record number of applications and, well, that means that my life at this point is completely devoted to completing your applications and then reading them… and getting ready for Candidates’ Weekends.

Story of my life these days, where snow = applications (and other duties as assigned)

But there is a light at the end of the lame-blogging-tunnel… We’re working on setting up a NEW blog for this coming semester - a student blog!! Woohoo! We have several current students who’d like to share their view of life and Olin with you, so stay tuned…

On a wackier note, we finally got proof that our pseudo-Admission-Office-mascot is actually in Antarctica:

August 2006 - we gave him to alum Adam Horton before he departed for “the ice”

This is just about the awesomest thing ever! And the closest I’m going to get to the South Pole

I’ll dispense with the penguin theme… although we’re finally getting a bit of winter-like weather in Boston these days, so maybe it’s not so random after all.

Oh and thanks for all the kind emails/IMs from folks - I’m glad to hear that y’all are reading this blog and seem to find my obnoxious, borderline-stalker emails amusing!

I’ll be back someday!
Allison

allison.bahme@olin.edu
781-292-2203
IM: OlinAdmission
http://www.olin.edu/