Trivia: Who was the first student blogger for MIT Admissions? And who is the most senior of the current student bloggers?
[answer at the end of the entry]

You may recall that last month we put out a call for new bloggers. The response was overwhelming: we received 48 applications. With a 12.5% "blogger admit rate," it was almost as hard to be selected as a blogger as it was to be selected for MIT this year (11.9%)!

Before we reveal this year's new bloggers, I'd like to share with you some of the excitement and agony of the application & selection process.

Some of the more interesting submissions were in response to short answer question #2.

Of the 48 applicants, the majority of the applicants chose Option A: "In a paragraph or two, describe to us a YouTube video, and why it is the single most important piece of art ever created."

Here are the videos that were submitted, in a fairly random order:

Large Hadron Rap
Hear My Train A Comin' (Acoustic) - Jimi Hendrix
Alive in Joberg
Rick Roll #1
Girls are like M&M's
Family Guy clip
Crank Dat Curry Sauce Music Video
The Dove Self-Esteem Fund
Since I Have Run
I Hate Everyone - Get Set Go
Self Defense
Where the Hell is Matt?
Pulp Fiction in Typography [warning: swear words]
Rick Roll #2
Black Screen
Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams
Cert - Wi-Fi feat. Sigma Beta & Busta Chi
Here It Goes Again - OK Go
The 5th Avocado
Gnarls Barkley - "Who's Gonna Save My Soul?"
Kerri Strug's Gold Medal Vault
Yo! Gabba Gabba Party In My Tummy
Korean Breakdancing to a Modern Remix of Canon in D by Pachelbel
Rick Roll #3
FREE HUGS in HOLLYWOOD!
Paintjam Dan Dunn
Test Your Awareness
Snowball - Our Dancing Cockatoo
A History of Evil
Japanese Penguin Goes Shopping
Christmas Lights
Crazy Indian Video... Buffalaxed!
Daft Hands - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

The remaining applicants chose Option B: "Create and submit MIT Admissions blog-related Lolcats (or Lolbeavers, or Lolsnivelys, or...)."

Here are the Lolcats, again in a fairly random order:

Having reviewed all of the YouTube videos, Lolcats, and the more substantial parts of the application, the committee -- which this year consisted of myself, Laura, Lulu, Mikey '05, and Kim '86 -- assembled and had some very tough discussions. In many ways, it was like the MIT freshman admissions committee; probably the biggest similarity was how there were so many good candidates but so few spaces. Our discussions were certainly spirited, but in the end, we were all thrilled with the new bloggers we chose.

Sadly, there were many, many awesome bloggers we weren't able to hire. It was hard to let go. Thank you all for applying!

Without further ado, here are the new student bloggers:
Kim D. '09
Cristen C. '10
Ahmed H. '12
Chris M. '12
Shannon M. '12
Yan Z. '12

They complement the returning student bloggers:
Laura N. '09
Lulu L. '09
Jess K. '10
Keri G. '10
Paul B. '11
Chris S. '11
Snively '11

Look for a future entry with a rundown of the full 2008-09 blogger roster.

This is going to be an exciting year!

Trivia answer: Mitra '07 was the original student blogger -- she and I share the same blogiversary, August 6, 2004. If you haven't read any of her entries, I recommend going back and reading them!

Ditto for Laura '09, the most senior of the current student bloggers. Respect the Laura!

Comments (Closed after 30 days to reduce spam)

Congratulations and welcome to the new bloggers!

I hope all the other applicants who couldn't be hired continue blogging. You guys are great - don't let your talents go to waste.

Posted by: Paul on August 26, 2008

Best lols:
Ware'd Ben go!?
Only 2390!?!?!?

Congrats to the new bloggers! YAY! Excitement!

Posted by: Snively on August 26, 2008

Also, I call party foul on Kim '86 and Mikey '05! Selection committee members AND new bloggers? RIGGED!

Posted by: Snively on August 26, 2008

Heh, I think I have to agree with Snively on the Best lols.

Congratulations to everyone who got chosen! I look forward to reading your blogs this year.

Posted by: Bethan on August 26, 2008

wow, those lolcats are BRILLIANT, and i don't even enjoy normal lolcats that much. wowowow =D

congrats other bloggers!!!

for those who got rejected, DON'T GIVE UP.
fun fact: I got rejected in 2006. Second time is the charm?

Posted by: cristen on August 26, 2008

Some good picks there.

Posted by: Jeremy on August 26, 2008

I left for a short nap and WOW.

Congrats!

Posted by: Oasis '11 on August 26, 2008

oh man, I actually cried earlier this year watching Kerri Strug's gold medal vault. I'm glad I wasn't on the selection committee, because I would have had to automatically choose whoever submitted that.

Posted by: Sam on August 26, 2008

@Cristen - Maybe third for me? =P I'll keep trying.

Congrats to the new bloggers! I'll be blog stalking =P

Posted by: Piper on August 26, 2008

Hilarious. So much talent, so little room. Glad to see that Ducktape made the final list.

Posted by: CalAlum (MIT Parent) on August 26, 2008

Good luck to those who won. I can't wait to read the new blogs.

Posted by: Steph on August 26, 2008

hooray! I'm super happy!

I love looking at those lolcats/snivelys/pauls/whatever. All four of mine made it!

Posted by: Chris the blogger on August 26, 2008

^ I meant I found all four of my lol's...me and the words dont always get along so well.

Posted by: chris on August 26, 2008

Congrats to the new bloggers.

Posted by: JWC '12 on August 26, 2008

I just ran through every floor of my dorm in a fit of ecstasy, followed immediately by a sprint down Mass Ave. and around the Kresge Oval, tackling down a row of orientation leaders in the process.

(some of the above may not be true)

Congratulations to everyone! Have a great time getting oriented!

Posted by: Yan Z. on August 26, 2008

I was surprised there was no Omar on the list! =I was surprised there was no Omar on the list! =<
But congrats to those who made it; can't wait to see more exciting blogs from our newly expanded team =)

Posted by: Vivi '12 on August 26, 2008

rofl @ all the rick rolls

Posted by: andrew on August 26, 2008

Congratz to all the new bloggers. I wonder what kind of new exciting blogs will be posted now.

Posted by: Alex on August 26, 2008

@Vivi'12
i was surprised too!

Posted by: mynameiscabbage on August 27, 2008

First, I'm really thrilled that you picked me. Second...I'm surprised that so many people picked ironic videos for their essay! I love to laugh, and to make people laugh, but I was completely serious in the application (my video is the Hendrix one near the top). Just saying. Congrats to the selected, and everyone else should continue with their blogs!

Posted by: Ahmed '12 on August 27, 2008

WOW! Awesome lolcats/lolsnivelys/lolbeavers/lolpauls/lolbens/lolstu's....ahem..

I was expecting a few other to make the cut, but what the hey, this is cool!(Please put in links to their original blogs too, thanks)

Posted by: Ahana on August 27, 2008

WOW! Awesome lolcats/lolsnivelys/lolbeavers/lolpauls/lolmatts/lolstu's....ahem..

I was expecting a few other to make the cut, but what the hey, this is cool!(Please put in links to their original blogs too, thanks)

Posted by: Ahana on August 27, 2008

Congrats everyone!

Posted by: Li'12 on August 27, 2008

@Vivi'12
I was surprised three! I enjoyed reading Omar's

Posted by: Cat13 on August 27, 2008

Yeah kids, show some respect. =P

But, I would also like to suggest that you also go read Sam's old entries. Sam was brilliant. I aspire to be him.

Posted by: Laura on August 27, 2008

Yay ducktape!
Congrats to everyone who's blogging for us next year!

Posted by: Tong '12 on August 28, 2008

anthony?

Posted by: 0 on August 29, 2008

So when will the new bloggers start blogging?

Posted by: Kelly on September 1, 2008

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