So I just read Ben's post regarding the official release date of early action decisions. SIX DAYS! Six days! Man, that's a short time. When I was your age, we didn't have any official release date to count down to because they came in the mail. In tubes. We also walked six miles to school every day, uphill. Both ways.
Anyway, I was thinking we could all be scared together because in six days, I'll be six days closer to finals. And that kinda blows because nobody likes finals. (Thus, in lieu of studying, I'm sitting on The Angela Monster's bed with May and Liz '11 and talking about what to blog about.) Also, nobody likes the suspense of big life decisions, but I can suggest a couple things to ease the pain. It's the big sequel to last year's Things To Do While Waiting For Decisions:
Things To Do While Waiting for Decisions, Part II!
1. Consider majoring in completely random majors that lend themselves to terrible puns. ("Like statistics. Statistically speaking, it's a very unpopular major." -Liz '11)
2. Think up really horrible names for this sequel list. (Return of the Blog?)
3. Get in the kitchen with your mom and don't leave until you've learned her secrets. (I REGRET NOT DOING THIS SO MUCH. I miss Korean food like I miss my own bed. Also, you'll get to spend quality time with your mom and THAT is something you should not take for granted. Your parents gave so much to make you into the fascinating person you are - don't deprive them of the pleasure of getting to hang out with you.)
4. Campaign to save Mr. Splashy Pants. (You named him, now save him.)
5. Celebrate the last two days of your favorite Jewish holiday with people you love. (I spent the earlier part of the evening on Burton Two- sometimes affectionately called 'Burton Jew' for its Jewish residents - eating latkes. I almost cut off my ring finger dicing onions.)
6. Work out a lot, and then count the number of days left on the number of pectoral abdominal (SORRY.. my mistake. I suck. Thanks to those who pointed it out to me) muscles you have. (Worst joke ever. Sorry. Wish I had a six pack.)
7. Thank everyone who made it possible for you to get to this point. (Do it now, before you find out what happens. It makes the gesture more genuine - even though it's genuine either way - and your teachers and parents deserve it. Yeah, this was on the list last year, but it's important, okay?)
8. Play Funny Farm. (It'll probably take you over six days since I (and several people on my floor) have been working on it for almost two weeks now and am STILL working on the meta puzzle, but it's an incredibly addictive game and I'm going to try to beat it tonight before finals really set in. Anyone know an eight-letter word having to do with the location of M*A*S*H?)
9. Be productive and start working on more applications. (You probably already have, and nobody wants to hear this stuff - but with big decisions like these, it's absolutely crucial not to invest all your hopes into one place. Especially because there's no way you can know how a school will fit you and force you to grow until after you've been there for some time.)
10. Relax. Relax. Relax. Relllaaaxxxxx. ("I can't relax! Who IS this girl, and why does SHE think she can tell me to relax??" Uh, because I was you two years ago, and I absolutely know what it's like to be stressed to your very core about what's going to happen. I know nothing I say will really truly be convincing, but it's my advice to you. Turn up Mika's "Relax", dance around in your underwear, and relax. Whatever happens will happen, and at this point there's nothing you can do to change it. Mika says relax. Take it eeee-aaaa-sy.)
On another note - I apologize for being slightly MIA for the past week or so! This weekend was our fall dance show, which left me incredibly exhausted. But I'm back, and I'll definitely post some pictures from Dance Troupe shortly, as well as write about majors (this post is long overdue, I know). In the mean time, if you can think of any other topics you'd like me to focus on, let me know.
And with that, I hope your waiting goes well, and that you escape the next six days with your sanity!
Comments (Closed after 30 days to reduce spam)
Posted by: Sean on December 10, 2007
relaxing just might be the last thing i'm capable of right now, besides that six pack.
Posted by: Samantha on December 10, 2007
Posted by: liz'11 on December 10, 2007
Posted by: Jess on December 10, 2007
Posted by: Nick on December 10, 2007
I do plan to finish my applications within that time limit since, essays written under severe depression are quite...unique, the bad kind...
Well, good luck on finals!
Posted by: Will on December 10, 2007
Very very nervous for Saturday.....
Posted by: Mw on December 10, 2007
Posted by: OmarA on December 10, 2007
My French teacher told us this, and then I brought in 'Life in a Cartoon Motion' to play.
I don't think I've lived down 'Big Girls' yet, or 'Billy Brown,' nor do I think that I ever will
Posted by: Karen on December 10, 2007
Posted by: 0 on December 11, 2007
Posted by: 0 on December 11, 2007
that just crossed my mind..except I just realized I have a calc test tomorrow that I will most likely bomb, and it would be best if I forgot about decisions coming out in 5 days..and stop procrastinating and study..
Posted by: anonymous on December 11, 2007
I'm trying to have the ultimate relaxed week in school that way when I have to stress about finishing all the rest of my apps in the next two weeks I'm be ready and in a good mood (or at least that's what the procrastinating devil on my shoulder tells me).
Posted by: M on December 11, 2007
true, but as people above have alluded, this is the most challenging, stressful, sleepless part of the year for us senior
but thanks for the taste of hakuna matata attitude (which if all goes well, i will enjoy in 6 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-D)
Posted by: Gleb Drobkov on December 11, 2007
Thursday night, three friends and I are going to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Friday afternoon I have to give my giant Research Project presentation that counts as a whole semester grade (and that in my stress over college, I've been ignoring much more than I should)
Friday night, Christmas party with friends!
so .. hopefully, I'll sleep in Saturday and wake up to a wonderful surprise ^_^
now .. just to fit those regular applications in somewhere .. -_-
anyway, good luck again, all.
~Donald Guy
Posted by: donaldGuy on December 11, 2007
Posted by: Amy on December 11, 2007
jk lol. i sent in my harvard one today actually
Posted by: Marie on December 11, 2007
By the way, I think that 8-letter about M*A*S*H location is Gyeonggi. Just saying...
Posted by: PS on December 11, 2007
Posted by: Danielle on December 11, 2007
I've just spent a good hour on that...
THANKS!
Must finished before 12 pm Saturday... :D
Posted by: Will on December 11, 2007
I'm sure everyone will go to bed tonight by midnight saying, ugh, everything will be alright, Jess Kim told me to relax.
At least that's what I'm planning on doing.
Posted by: Omar Fernández on December 11, 2007
Posted by: oh gosh on December 11, 2007
I just saw the Trans-Siberian Orchestra a few weeks ago and I thought that they put on an excellent performance. Hope you enjoy it!
And good luck to everyone!
Posted by: Sean on December 11, 2007
^.^
It's so worth it.
Posted by: Hunter '11 on December 11, 2007
I would've wanted for admissions to tell us of the Day 6 days before and not like 2 weeks in advance. Makes the waiting a whole lot easier!
Posted by: milena '11 on December 11, 2007
Oh well, its only about four more days now!
Posted by: Sean on December 11, 2007
Posted by: 0 on December 11, 2007
relax, don't do it, when you wanna come
Posted by: 0 on December 11, 2007
I should really proofread before I post...
Posted by: Sean on December 11, 2007
Posted by: Hawkins on December 11, 2007
Posted by: 0 on December 11, 2007
Posted by: A'non Imus on December 11, 2007
Posted by: Kes on December 11, 2007
Posted by: 0 on December 11, 2007
Anonymous - I'm definitely not in any way trying to show off, and I apologize if my entry came off that way. I'd appreciate if you'd point it towards what it was that led you to make that distinction, but mostly I hope you realize that I, too, was as much on pins and needs as you are now. College admissions is a really scary time - I know firsthand - and if you'll humor me, I'm trying to reduce that by writing this blog.
Posted by: Jess on December 11, 2007
and it's worse for me, here in India, because we get the decision later! as in, noon 15th for you is about 10:30 for me, so... longer to wait!! :O
Posted by: 0 on December 11, 2007
SPOILERS!!!
I only got Pink Floyd -> Animals because I am an avid Pink Floyd fan (and also, "Funny Farm" kinda reminded me of the album...). And, come on, Karma -> Karma Police? I'm lucky the one Radiohead album I have is OK Computer.
END SPOILERS
Great way to blow off two hours without even noticing it! ^_^
Posted by: fFFf on December 11, 2007
And I also think I'm going old school and waiting for the mail. Anyone else?
Posted by: Shannon on December 11, 2007
All that being said, I don't know if I'll be able to wait! Darn you, curiosity...
Posted by: BMG on December 11, 2007
I was surprisingly relaxed yesterday during IB math hl paper 1 mock exam (if that sounds vaguely familiar to anyone)
And I would love to tell you it worked, but it somewhat did and somewhat didn't. I got slightly lower than I expected, but I got better grades in my physics test that I took after the mock exam.
So, RELAX people! Cuz I know that most of you are going through exam week right now. Just think, a few more days (or weeks for the less blessed ones) and school's out!
I am SO waiting for Christmas and I'm definitely taking your advice on cooking with my mom, Jess! She's literally the best chef I know :D
Posted by: Ghysella on December 11, 2007
Posted by: ihnsee on December 11, 2007
Posted by: OmarA on December 11, 2007
Posted by: Meng! on December 11, 2007
Posted by: Marissa on December 11, 2007
why???!
i want to know in 4 days too.
no fair :(
and good luck for saturday all you people!
Posted by: Aditi on December 11, 2007
Posted by: Anon on December 11, 2007
¨I've found a distraction to pass the time between now and decisions: I've finally begun to scale down my Vista usage in favor of Ubuntu, which leaves me plenty of customization and learning to do. And when I'm done with that, I'm going to begin (for a second time) teaching myself Python via tutorials.
Oh, and even though I thought knowing the decision date would mean I didn't check the blogs again, clearly I was wrong."
Posted by: AwayfromHome on December 11, 2007
Posted by: Anon on December 11, 2007
Harvard University announced Monday that it would significantly increase the financial aid it offers to middle-class and upper-middle-class students, seeking to allay concerns that elite colleges are becoming too expensive for even relatively well-off families.
The move, to go into effect in the next school year, appears to make Harvard’s aid to students with household incomes from $120,000 to $180,000 the most generous of any of the country’s prestigious private universities. Harvard will generally charge such students 10 percent of their family household income per year, substantially subsidizing the annual cost of more than $45,600.
Officials said the policy would cut costs by anywhere from a third to 50 percent for many students and make the real costs of attending Harvard comparable to those at major state universities.
They said the initiative would increase financial aid spending by the university to $120 million annually from $98 million. A little more than half Harvard’s students get some form of aid, including many from families earning $120,000 or more.
The new aid policy is part of a broader effort by elite universities to alleviate the financial burden of rising tuition and ward off the perception that they have become unaffordable. Amherst, Williams, the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton are among those that have increased aid and substituted grants for loans to some students in recent years.
The move also comes as some members of Congress, concerned that tuition has steadily outpaced inflation, have been discussing whether universities should be required to spend a minimum amount of what their endowments earn on student aid. Harvard has a $35 billion endowment, the highest of any university.
Harvard officials said they had been considering the aid change for some time.
“We’ve all been aware of increasing pressures on the middle class,” said Harvard’s president, Drew Gilpin Faust. “We hear about this in a number of ways — housing costs, both parents working, the difficulty of amassing any kinds of savings, just the increasing pressures as middle class lives have become more stressed.”
Three years ago, under Harvard’s former president, Lawrence H. Summers ’75, the university decided that families whose income was less than $40,000 would no longer have to pay for their children’s undergraduate education, although students would still have to make some contribution though programs like work-study. It then raised the income level eligible for the waiver to $60,000.
Harvard’s dean of admissions and financial aid, William R. Fitzsimmons, said those changes had increased the number of low-income students by 33 percent in three years. But Harvard officials said they had become increasingly concerned about higher income families.
Many Harvard officials, Faust said, feared that cost was driving the choices students make about graduate school and careers and that it had created what amounted to a two-class system among Harvard undergraduates. Dean Fitzsimmons referred to it as “the upstairs downstairs syndrome.”
The officials said, for example, that often only the wealthy students can afford to pursue highly valuable but unpaid research opportunities with professors, take unpaid summer internships, study abroad or even spend time with their friends.
Under the new financial aid rules, the university said, a family making $120,000 would have to pay about $12,000 for a child to attend Harvard College, compared with more than $19,000 under current policies. A family making $180,000 would pay $18,000, down from $30,000.
The university also plans to substitute grants for loans in all financial-aid packages and will no longer consider home equity in calculating aid. The change in home equity considerations alone will mean, on average, a reduction of $4,000 a year in cost for those families whose home equity would previously have been a part of the financial aid calculation.
Harvard officials say they don’t want families borrowing against their homes — or selling their homes — in order to send their children to the university. “If you had an oil well in the backyard, you could sell the oil,” Dean Fitzsimmons said. “But you need to live somewhere.”
Currently, 763 students whose family incomes are between $120,000 and $180,000 receive some financial aid from Harvard, which has a total of 6,600 undergraduates. The new policy will be applied retroactively, officials said.
Posted by: StillDreamingGoingMIT on December 11, 2007
While you are waiting for the EA decision, how about seriously considering going to Harvard instead? It is time to revise and perfect your Harvard application in order to sell yourself well to it. This is what I will be doing from now to the end of this month. Good luck! O Harvard! I love you!
Posted by: A middle class EA applicant on December 11, 2007
Posted by: CatchHarvard on December 11, 2007
Please tell me you didn't apply just for the name, I would feel pretty uncomfortable.
Posted by: 0 on December 11, 2007
Posted by: Sudipta on December 11, 2007
Posted by: Eric Hopeful '12 on December 11, 2007
Posted by: M on December 11, 2007
Harvard's computer science and biology, as well as other "courses" are unbelievably excellent compared with MIT's.
Posted by: A middle class EA applicant on December 11, 2007
Posted by: Taylor on December 11, 2007
Yay food! Go cholesterol!
Posted by: Jing Jing on December 11, 2007
Posted by: Natalie on December 11, 2007
Oh oh
Wee-ell-Now!
Relax don't do it
When you want to go to it
Relax don't do it
When you want to come
Relax don't do it
When you want to come
When you want to come
Relax don't do it
When you want to to go to it
Relax don't do it
When you want to come
Relax don't do it
When you want to suck to it
Relax don't do it
When you want to come
Come-oh oh oh
But shoot it in the right direction
Make making it your intention-ooh yeah
Live those dreams
Scheme those schemes
Got to hit me
Hit me
Hit me with those laser beams
I'm coming
I'm coming-yeah
Relax don't do it
When you want to go to it
Relax don't do it
When you want to come
Relax don't do it
When you want to suck to it
Relax don't do it (love)
When you want to come
When you want to come
When you want to come
Come-huh
Get it up
The scene of love
Oh feel it
Relax
Higher higher
Hey-
Pray
Posted by: Nick on December 11, 2007
Dude did you make that up or is that a real song?
MIT's cheer = *above*
Dude did you make that up or is that a real song?
MIT's cheer = <3!!! (see below)
"I'm a beaver-you're a beaver-we are beavers all,
and when we get together, we do the beaver call,
e to the u du dx, x dx,
cosine secant tangent sine,
three point one four one five nine!
Integral, Radical, m-u dv,
Slipstick, sliderule, M-I-T!"
Yay!
Posted by: Jing Jing on December 11, 2007
"Harvard's computer science and biology, as well as other "courses" are unbelievably excellent compared with MIT's."
What? MIT = computer science. Google it
Posted by: angus on December 11, 2007
Posted by: Nick on December 11, 2007
anyway ... dirty 80s songs or not ... relax everyone (myself included)
~Donald Guy
Posted by: donaldGuy on December 11, 2007
And lol at "relax"
Posted by: Laser on December 11, 2007
Posted by: Amit on December 11, 2007
Posted by: OmarA on December 11, 2007
e to the x du dx, e to the x dx,
cosine, secant, tangent, sine,
three point one four one five nine,
square root, cube root, log base e,
slipstick, sliderule, MIT!
And this cheer is why I want MIT. (Or at least, represents it.)
Posted by: chad on December 11, 2007
Posted by: mathstar on December 11, 2007
Posted by: Taylor on December 11, 2007
Posted by: Laser on December 11, 2007
Posted by: Rachel on December 11, 2007
Posted by: 0 on December 11, 2007
How about going to Harvard and cross registering largely at MIT? Don't tell me about atmosphere. My brother (MIT '07) lectured me enough about it. You know what? I have seen my middle income parents used up every last bit of financial resource they could have their hands on to make sure my bro finish his MIT degreeS, not bad, 2 degrees in 4 years. A lot of loans to repay in the future!!! Pa and Ma are 4 years older now and I am thinking to give them a little break in scraping money for my MIT (??? don't know yet)education. Harvard really can be a thought. I'll beg my bro to look into my Harvard application during the Christmas break for me. I am serious. I know the money pressure and pains.
Posted by: A middle class EA applicant on December 11, 2007
Posted by: Laser on December 11, 2007
XDXD lol... how did i let this happen?? O.o??
Posted by: Trying REALLY hard!! - to relax... on December 12, 2007
It's awesome that you feel so strongly about Harvard, but why troll the MIT admissions blogs telling us about it? If you so wish to insult MIT's best programs, why not do so on a more appropriate forum than this one, at a more considerate time than a few days before EA acceptances?
By the way--I think we get it. You're middle income. So am I, but I don't let it define me. Why do you let your income define you?
Posted by: aaa on December 12, 2007
On the topic of financial aid, it would be my personal hope that MIT adopts something similar to the "$60,000" clause, since that's where I'd fall :D But then, I guess that position is pretty clearly intrinsically biased.
Posted by: bunny on December 12, 2007
how WOULD you walk uphill both to school and back home?
It's possible.
go ahead, figure it out.
Posted by: Johonaton on December 12, 2007
The reason you have to walk six miles uphill through waist-deep snow every day to school is because your school is 12 miles away on the other side of a mountain. And you have school-bus-phobia.
Posted by: Rena on December 12, 2007
Haha, Funny Farm you are going down!
Posted by: BMG on December 12, 2007
Posted by: Oasis on December 12, 2007
I am not insulting MIT, but neither do I think MIT is the only best. Harvrad is not my top choice school either. If Harvard still has EA this year, my "ONLY" EA schiool still will be MIT. Like I said my brother went to MIT and we love MIT, the whole family. Be realistic though. You, as well as I and many MIT EAers, are not sure if we will certainly get in MIT yet. While there is still time, work on other applications as fervently as we all have done to MIT! Harvard's new financial aid/grant thing is truly a welcome news. I don't feel like to be defined by financial either. But who am I? Am I the waist-bending breadmaker in my family?
Posted by: A middle class EA applicant on December 12, 2007
I wasn't thinking about the idea of cross registering. And, honestly, I wasn't thinking about money when I made that post. I was thinking about the people who apply to MIT and all of the Ivies, hoping that they get accepted to one of them so that they can tell people about how amazing they are for getting accepted. That point of view is something that bothers and upsets me.
Posted by: Taylor on December 12, 2007
Posted by: Taylor on December 12, 2007
Posted by: Prospective Student on December 12, 2007
Now, something I can really talk about - culture. Of course, MIT has vastly different from Harvard. Do I think ours a better culture? Of course I do. But I can certainly see why some people would be drawn to both schools, and it's not just the name. Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and all the other Ivies are very good schools, with impressive resources, top-notch faculty, great research facilities, and long histories of producing outstanding graduates. Incidentally, this same description also applies to MIT. Indeed, while not everyone on campus would "fit" at Harvard, I think many would.
As for those of you who are saying people shouldn't apply to MIT and Harvard, I can understand where you're coming from...but, honestly, that's pretty unrealistic and unfair. Everyone should be allowed to apply to as many schools, and as wide a range of schools, as they like. This is the main reason MIT's Early Action program is completely non-binding and non-restrictive. MIT wants you to look elsewhere, because we're confident that, if MIT really is the right place for you, you will end up here no matter what else happens.
Posted by: Paul on December 12, 2007
Posted by: Michael on December 12, 2007
I also have one that goes..
"And God said...
*complex equation*
And then there was light!"
Haha.. I love that shirt. :D
Posted by: Meghan on December 12, 2007
Posted by: 0 on December 13, 2007
(...in the Mika song. Dude...his voice is as high as mine, that's kind of scary.)
Funny farm is killing my research paper...
Why do I always get addicted to things when I really really need to get things done and get a few hours of sleep
Posted by: Camille on December 13, 2007
I have that shirt too! Is it the one with a black hole on the front?
Posted by: Stephanie on December 13, 2007
Posted by: 0 on December 13, 2007
Posted by: gaah on December 13, 2007
The Deadline Demon Strikes Again
Beware the Blog!
Blog. Boo! (not the mean "boo," but the ghost kind)
or maybe it could be one of those strange combinations of words. Like Jazzercise or ginormous. Relaxog, or Deciwalist(decisionwaitinglist)
ugh. I'm disgusting even myself. er... okay, what about majors? You know what I'd like to major in? Cabbage cultivation.
I mean, there must be so many interesting things about cabbages... or eggplants? I don't even like eggplant, but they're pretty.
Ever think about designing a new type of bagpipes?
< Give me credit for trying. Maybe I'll just go work on that cabbage idea.
Posted by: Caitlin on December 13, 2007
BTW, that was the best post I have seen. Ever.
Posted by: Ry on December 14, 2007
Posted by: 0 on December 14, 2007
Posted by: archimedes on December 15, 2007
I think it'd be interesting if you started a post like one that was started by a UChicago blogger about the best music/albums, movies, and books of 2007 or something aong those lines...
Posted by: Maya on December 15, 2007
Posted by: Lulu on December 15, 2007
YOU WENT TO MONTA VISTA? Wow!!! I am just down the street at another FUHSD school!!
When I saw "MVHS" on one of your t-shirts i was thinking Mountain View since you are from San Francisco.
Posted by: 0 on December 16, 2007
Posted by: Jess on December 16, 2007
that Jess Kim is also class of '10... maybe it was MontE Vista ....
Posted by: 0 on December 17, 2007
Posted by: mathstar on December 17, 2007
Posted by: Igor Naverniouk on December 17, 2007
Posted by: allin on December 17, 2007
Comments have been closed.