massachusetts institute of technology freshman admissions portal/community v. 2.0

Hi folks! My name is Ben, and from 2004-2008 I was Director of Communications for the MIT Office of Admissions. My job (other than reading applications and selecting four amazing freshman classes with my colleagues) was to establish a communications platform for MIT Admissions that would enable MIT to communicate with you as fluently and as transparently as possible.

I designed and built this website as the primary venue for that, and I managed its day-to-day production for four years. I can honestly say that interacting with current and future MIT students and working with such terrific colleagues made those some of the best years of my life.

In the summer of 2008, I returned to my alma mater (Oberlin) to become VP for Communications. I'm really enjoying the new challenges, but I do miss MIT a great deal, pretty much every day.

My MIT friends were nice enough to allow my blog entries to remain part of the archives - hopefully you'll still find some of them to be relevant. If you're new to my blog, begin with these posts (one, two, three) - they're some of my favorites.

Best of luck in all of your adventures, and be well!

New Orientation Blog Site
June 12, 2008 | Are you excited?
Posted in Miscellaneous | 15 Responses Big News
May 15, 2008 | The next chapter in the life of Ben Jones.
Posted in Miscellaneous | 67 Responses MTB Party Pic & TechTV CPW Coverage
April 14, 2008 | Some fun ways to remember the weekend...
Posted in Miscellaneous | 16 Responses
06.12.08 New Orientation Blog Site posted in Miscellaneous
05.15.08 Big News posted in Miscellaneous
04.14.08 MTB Party Pic & TechTV CPW Coverage posted in Miscellaneous
04.10.08 CPW LiveBlogging Project Followup posted in Student Life & Culture
04.03.08 The CPW LiveBlogging Project posted in Student Life & Culture
03.31.08 CPW Registration - Important! posted in Miscellaneous
03.26.08 Updates And Shannon's Formula posted in Miscellaneous
03.15.08 Eye Of The Storm posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
03.09.08 Online Decisions To Be Released This Saturday posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
01.04.08 Odds & Ends posted in Miscellaneous
12.17.07 MIT TechFair THINK Competition posted in MIT's Influence On The World
12.10.07 Early Action Decisions posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
11.27.07 LOLZ CATS posted in Miscellaneous
10.31.07 Answers To Questions Fall 2007 posted in Questions And Answers
10.31.07 The Next Generation Of College Campus Tours? posted in Notable Alumni
10.29.07 Soothing Words About Deadlines From Joanne Cummings posted in Deadlines
10.26.07 The Human Factor And String Theory posted in MIT's Mission: Who We Are
09.25.07 Advice On The Essay posted in The Freshman Application
09.18.07 Overnight Program: Now Taking Requests posted in Staying Overnight
09.07.07 Blogger Decisions Released posted in Miscellaneous
08.15.07 Wise Words From Mikey posted in The Match Between You And MIT
08.09.07 Driving On The Infinite posted in Miscellaneous
07.30.07 New Server posted in Miscellaneous
06.26.07 Call For Bloggers posted in Miscellaneous
06.18.07 Random Monday Fun @ MIT posted in Miscellaneous
06.13.07 Checking In posted in Miscellaneous
04.26.07 Message From Ben And Matt posted in Miscellaneous
04.04.07 Answers To Recent Questions! posted in Questions And Answers
03.30.07 CPW Registration Browser Issues posted in Miscellaneous
03.28.07 Brain Dump posted in Miscellaneous
03.17.07 Admitted posted in Miscellaneous
03.17.07 Waitlisted posted in Miscellaneous
03.17.07 Not Admitted posted in Miscellaneous
03.12.07 Online Decisions To Be Released This Saturday posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
03.03.07 The Mystery Of The Missing Application Tracking Portlet posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
02.22.07 MIT Idol posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
02.08.07 A 'Chances' Thread That Is Actually Worth Reading posted in Student Life & Culture
01.23.07 Where Have I Been? posted in Miscellaneous
01.05.07 The Match posted in The Match Between You And MIT
12.21.06 Happy Holidays! posted in Miscellaneous
12.20.06 Answers To Your Questions Dec 2006 posted in Questions And Answers
12.05.06 While You Wait... posted in Miscellaneous
12.01.06 If You Wish To Receive Your Decision Online... posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
11.22.06 Answers To Your Questions posted in Questions And Answers
11.08.06 My First Full Reading Day posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
11.02.06 Long Overdue Q&A Post posted in Questions And Answers
10.19.06 MyMIT Status posted in Miscellaneous
10.19.06 Television Show Decisions posted in Miscellaneous
10.03.06 Fall Travel Recap; New Bloggers Announced posted in Fall Recruitment Travel Schedule
09.14.06 The Birth Of My Third Child posted in Miscellaneous
09.04.06 RA Blogger Applications Due Wednesday 9/6 At Noon posted in Miscellaneous
08.23.06 50 Things posted in Work/Play Balance At MIT
08.17.06 A Preview Of My Summer Project posted in Miscellaneous
08.09.06 Class of 2010: Wondering Where Everyone Is Living? posted in Residential Life / Housing Options
08.08.06 EA Blogger Application Decisions posted in Miscellaneous
07.31.06 I Am Not As Lame As I Appear posted in Miscellaneous
07.24.06 Howdy posted in Miscellaneous
07.12.06 So You Wanna Be A Blogger? posted in Miscellaneous
07.11.06 Your Profile On The Web: Can It Hurt You? posted in Questions And Answers
07.10.06 Back From Vacation posted in Miscellaneous
07.09.06 The LiveJournal Survey posted in Miscellaneous
07.08.06 The MySpace Survey posted in Miscellaneous
07.07.06 The Xanga Survey posted in Miscellaneous
06.15.06 Ecosystems And Web Sites posted in Miscellaneous
06.07.06 Thoughts On Global Leadership posted in Miscellaneous
06.01.06 A Morning With Sir Tim Berners-Lee posted in Faculty At MIT
05.26.06 Varsity Blogging posted in Miscellaneous
05.23.06 MIT '10s: Prom, Graduation, And Other End-Of-Year Photos posted in Incoming Freshman Class Profile
05.19.06 An American Idol Math Question posted in Miscellaneous
05.18.06 Excitement On The Road posted in Miscellaneous
05.16.06 Admitted From The Waitlist? posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
05.12.06 Brain Dump posted in Student Life & Culture
05.09.06 Waitlist, Etc. posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
05.04.06 The Night I Shared A Stage With Marilee posted in Music & The Arts
04.26.06 Dating At MIT: Episode 1 posted in Work/Play Balance At MIT
04.21.06 My Long-Overdue CPW Recap posted in Miscellaneous
04.18.06 Back From Vacation posted in Miscellaneous
04.06.06 Best. Hack. Ever. posted in Hacks & Traditions
03.30.06 Campus Preview Weekend posted in Miscellaneous
03.23.06 The Only Answer I Have posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
03.17.06 It's More Than A Job posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
03.17.06 Won't Be Long Now... posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
03.15.06 Checking In posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
03.11.06 Selection = Finished posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
03.09.06 Financial Aid Tracking Portlet Now Available posted in Financial Aid
03.08.06 The Role Of A Teacher posted in Miscellaneous
03.06.06 Online Decisions = YES posted in Questions And Answers
03.02.06 MIT Meets The OC posted in Miscellaneous
03.01.06 Financial Aid Tracking + Evie Pix posted in Miscellaneous
02.27.06 Fun With Photoshop posted in Miscellaneous
02.22.06 Mid-year Grade Reports And Other Common Questions posted in Questions And Answers
02.21.06 Pi Day = Mail Day? Too Early To Know posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
02.20.06 The Decisions Are Not In The Mail posted in Miscellaneous
02.19.06 Howdy From The Middle Of RA Selection posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
02.14.06 Ben's Ninth Semi-Annual Q&A posted in Questions And Answers
02.11.06 For My Fellow Coffee Lovers posted in Food / Dining Options
02.08.06 Regarding Online Decisions posted in Miscellaneous
02.06.06 The New MIT Viewbook! posted in Miscellaneous
02.02.06 Superbowl posted in Miscellaneous
01.24.06 Ben's Eighth Semi-Annual Q&A posted in Questions And Answers
01.18.06 Regarding The Tech Article posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
01.09.06 Holiday Stories posted in Miscellaneous
01.09.06 Ben's Seventh Semi-Annual Q&A posted in Questions And Answers
01.02.06 2006 Already?!? posted in Miscellaneous
12.22.05 Happy New Year Everyone! posted in Miscellaneous
12.22.05 Ben's Sixth Semi-Annual Q&A posted in Questions And Answers
12.19.05 Happy Holidays! posted in Miscellaneous
12.19.05 Ben's Fifth Semi-Annual Q&A posted in Questions And Answers
12.14.05 Followup To Mailing Disaster posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
12.14.05 Please Read This posted in Miscellaneous
12.14.05 What's Up With The Mail?!? posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
12.14.05 More Public Art Projects posted in Music & The Arts
12.13.05 Decisions Beginning To Arrive posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
12.11.05 Happy Sunday Everyone posted in Miscellaneous
12.09.05 Countdown To Mail Drop posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
12.05.05 From The Midst Of Selection posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
12.01.05 November Scores posted in Standardized Test Requirements
11.26.05 Checking In posted in Miscellaneous
11.13.05 Bye Bye Weekends, See You In April posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
11.08.05 Ben's Fourth Semi-Annual Q&A posted in Questions And Answers
11.02.05 Ben's Third Semi-Annual Q&A posted in Questions And Answers
10.30.05 MyMIT Problems - EA Deadline Now 11/4 posted in Miscellaneous
10.28.05 Ben's Second Semi-Annual Q&A posted in Questions And Answers
10.20.05 Ben's First Annual Q&A posted in Questions And Answers
10.19.05 MIT Professor Creates DEATH RAY! posted in MIT Inventions & Breakthroughs
10.11.05 4 8 15 16 23 42 posted in Miscellaneous
10.06.05 Elephants? posted in Miscellaneous
10.05.05 Many Ways To Define "The Best" posted in Recommended High School Preparation
10.03.05 Fall Travel Days 8,9,10,11,12: PA, NJ, and Home! posted in Fall Recruitment Travel Schedule
09.26.05 Fall Travel Day 7: Philly posted in Fall Recruitment Travel Schedule
09.24.05 Fall Travel Days 4,5,6: NACAC Conference posted in Fall Recruitment Travel Schedule
09.21.05 Fall Travel Days 2+3: Westchester County posted in Fall Recruitment Travel Schedule
09.19.05 Fall Travel Day 1: Hartford posted in Fall Recruitment Travel Schedule
09.12.05 Fall Travel posted in Fall Recruitment Travel Schedule
09.02.05 Katrina posted in Miscellaneous
08.24.05 Scenes From Admissions, Round Two posted in Miscellaneous
08.10.05 Where We've Been And Where We're Going posted in Miscellaneous
08.02.05 Want To Play Music @ MIT? posted in Music & The Arts
07.29.05 I'm A Famous Rockstar posted in Miscellaneous
07.19.05 Scenes From Admissions Round One posted in Miscellaneous
07.12.05 As The Saying About Assumptions Goes... posted in The Match Between You And MIT
07.06.05 What MIT Grads Do With Their Free Time posted in Work/Play Balance At MIT
06.22.05 Back From Paternity Leave posted in Miscellaneous
06.01.05 You Guys Are Used To Getting No Sleep, But I Am Old posted in Miscellaneous
05.19.05 Meet The Admissions Staff posted in Miscellaneous
05.10.05 The Waitlist posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
05.06.05 Welcome Susan Hockfield posted in Faculty At MIT
05.05.05 Happy Cinco De Mayo!!! posted in Miscellaneous
05.04.05 Enrolled 09's: Watch Your Mailbox posted in Miscellaneous
05.03.05 Note To Prefrosh With Time Machines and/or Good Ideas posted in Student Life & Culture
04.29.05 And So It Ends, And So It Begins posted in Miscellaneous
04.09.05 CPW Day 3 posted in Miscellaneous
04.08.05 CPW Day 2 posted in Miscellaneous
04.07.05 CPW Day 1 posted in Miscellaneous
04.04.05 Blog Links posted in Miscellaneous
03.28.05 In Real Life posted in Miscellaneous
03.21.05 Bad Haiku posted in Miscellaneous
03.18.05 Online Decisions, Sortof posted in Miscellaneous
03.17.05 The Burning Question Part 2 posted in Miscellaneous
03.16.05 The Burning Question posted in Miscellaneous
03.16.05 Upside-Down Letters posted in Miscellaneous
03.15.05 Waitlist Questions posted in Miscellaneous
03.15.05 Two Sides Of The Coin... For Us Too posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
03.14.05 Please Stop posted in Miscellaneous
03.14.05 Decisions Are Beginning To Arrive posted in Miscellaneous
03.14.05 Changes To Your MyMIT Account posted in Miscellaneous
03.14.05 The DHL Fiasco posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
03.11.05 In The Mail posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
03.11.05 Today's Mailing Day posted in Miscellaneous
03.08.05 Only You Have The Power posted in Helping Your Parents Through This Process
03.08.05 Status Pic, As Promised posted in Miscellaneous
03.08.05 Back From The West Coast posted in Miscellaneous
03.05.05 Decision Mail Date: March 11 posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
02.24.05 Very, Very Important News posted in Miscellaneous
02.21.05 Notes From The Middle Of Selection posted in Majors & Minors
02.15.05 The Day Before Selection Begins posted in The Match Between You And MIT
02.03.05 New MIT Viewbook posted in Miscellaneous
02.01.05 Stu Saves The Pact posted in Miscellaneous
01.31.05 And Then There Was One posted in Miscellaneous
01.28.05 The Beard, The Name, The Response, and EC posted in Miscellaneous
01.27.05 Welcome To Room 3-107 posted in Miscellaneous
01.14.05 Highlights From The Past Week posted in Miscellaneous
01.06.05 A New Year's Resolution, MyMIT-Style posted in Miscellaneous
12.20.04 Long-Overdue Responses posted in Questions And Answers
12.17.04 Clarification On Last Post posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
12.16.04 There Is No Formula posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
12.11.04 Late Night Thoughts On You Guys & This Whole Process posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
12.10.04 EA Letters Are In The Mail posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
11.14.04 App Reading In The Western 'Burbs posted in The Selection Process: Application Reading, Committee, And Decisions
11.08.04 New Portlets? posted in Miscellaneous
10.29.04 MyMIT is fixed! posted in Miscellaneous
10.25.04 Application Reading Season Kickoff posted in The Match Between You And MIT
08.06.04 All About The Author posted in Miscellaneous
life  •  learning  •  pulse  •  blogs  •  before  •  apply  •  mit » you  •  you » mit  •  financial aid  •  for parents  •  for schools  •  home
admissions office • 77 mass ave, 3-108 • cambridge, ma 02139 • tel 617.253.3400 • email usprivacy & nondiscrimination policies