Back From Vacation by Ben Jones

I’m back!

Here are the answers to some common questions that have been piling up in my inbox…

Where the heck have you been?!?

April 6-9 was CPW, followed by my first real vacation in over a year. A whole week off! Just got back today – 1000+ emails in my inbox – good times. :-)

What can you tell me about next fall’s Orientation and Pre-Orientation programs for admitted students?

Those are run by the Academic Resource Center (ARC) and not by Admissions, so I’m not really an expert on those topics. For the best source of information, please visit web.mit.edu/orientation. You’ll find various dates and ARC contact information there.

What is the deadline to accept MIT’s offer of admission?

You need to return our form by May 1 (postmark date) if you intend to enroll at MIT.

How much is the deposit to secure my place in the class of 2010? Where do I send the deposit?

No deposit is required. Just be sure to send in the form by the May 1 deadline.

Are you taking anyone from the waitlist this year?

We won’t know until a few days after May 1, when admitted students let us know if they intend to enroll.

If you go to the waitlist, when will decisions be made?

If we need to use the waitlist this year, we will begin looking at candidates during the week of May 8.

How can I apply to be an admissions blogger next year?

Contact us in August and let us know that you wish to be considered for a blogging position. As most of our bloggers will be returning, we will likely only be hiring bloggers from the class of 2010 (and perhaps one additional upperclassman).

There is no formal application process, but please note that we only hire experienced bloggers, and therefore your current blog (i.e. your “portfolio”) is the major factor in whether or not we choose you. The quality and frequency of your content (and how long you’ve been keeping your blog) will all affect your chances of being chosen. In other words – if you don’t currently have a blog and you want to be considered, you should probably start a blog ASAP. :-)

So what did you do on your vacation, anyway?

I built a swingset for my kids!

Prior to CPW, I used a wheelbarrow to haul boulders out of the woods to make a 32′ x 26′ perimeter.

On the Monday following CPW, I had 29 tons (yes, 29 tons – it sounded absurd to me too) of gravel delivered to the spot, which was dumped in a big pile. It took all of Monday and Tuesday to distribute it evenly throughout the perimeter of boulders (I used only a shovel). Towards the end of Tuesday, it looked like this:

And then I spent Weds, Thurs, and Fri building the thing:

Not bad for a non-engineer, eh?

On Saturday, my MIT co-workers all came over (with their kids) to test out the finished product and celebrate the end of the admissions cycle. It was quite a party, and we had amazing weather.

Sunday and Monday felt more like real vacation days, which were much appreciated.

And today… I am back.

Next up: my long-overdue personal CPW recap!