Eye Of The Storm by Ben Jones
Reflections in the brief moment between the last hours of selection committee and the release of decisions.
Hi all,
I am here in the office preparing the blogs for the post-decision-release onslaught of comments. It’s eerily quiet, which is both nice and unsettling at the same time. In the last two months – days, nights, weekends, whenever – I can’t remember a time in which I was alone here. I hope that all of my colleagues are still asleep – they deserve it!
I’m sitting here reflecting on the class we just admitted and feeling incredible about it. We’ve admitted some great classes over the years, but there’s something about this one that just feels perfect. (Yes, I say that every year. Yes, it’s true every year.)
Having said that, there are of course many of you to whom we were not able to offer admission, and I am feeling equally sad about that. Having you in the class would have made it no less perfect. But the numbers are the numbers, and there are only so many spots.
Shannon ’12 did an amazing thing for me and calculated whether my job is net joy or net sorrow as a function of admitting, not admitting, and time. Maybe she’ll let me blog her results sometime. ;-)
Anyway, I need to go get some things set up before we release decisions at noon. If you’re looking for a way to pass the time, and you haven’t read this already, check out this post from a couple of years ago. Hopefully it will help you understand what the last few weeks have been like for us.
Best of luck to you all! I’m thinking about you.
-B
First
Cant blive it
Oh! my GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD
As the clock seems to grind to a halt…just 80 more minutes…
AM THE SECOND!!!
Thanks for everything you do, Ben.
Here we go guys… we’re almost there….I’m getting nervous, heart beating faster, knees trembling
Wow…Just read the linked article. I suppose I had some idea of the admissions process…but no idea it was that stressful. Thank you to all involved for all your hard work, and best of luck to all waiting for decisions.
me too! MIT has been my dream. I have a picture of it on my cabin… I love MIT
for everyone else frantically refreshing the decisions page: save your F5 key, get this https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/115
The longest hour of our lives is just about to begin. DA DA DA DAAAA…..
i’m scared. i can’t pretend like i’m not. and i’m already in. i’m scared for the people i know.
the blog you linked to really made me tear up. it was really sweet… i’m glad people like you read my application.
saying that, it kind of reminded me that i’m not nearly wonderful enough for MIT…
but it’s ok.. i’ll be fine…
thank you alot for doing what you do. for all of us.
lol, refreshing the decisions page doesn’t work. You’re refreshing a page that will always say “Not Yet.” You have to actually log out and then back in to see.
BLOG IT. You know you want to.
And if you give me an hour’s heads up, I’ll even recalculate it to give you your weekends back.
Good luck everyone.. I’ll be thinking of you.
I can’t wait to meet the rest of ’12 at CPW!
Well, I suppose this is it. However, getting in or not doesn’t change my accomplishments over the past four years, and my only regret is that I am occasionally way too intelligent for my own good.
Having said that, I have a script to finish to pass the next hour or so.
i’m actually shaking. and will be shaking for the next few hours, either way. it’s ridiculous. i should NOT be THIS worried. Been waiting for this for at least two years. And it’s finally HERE! And it’s scary. But it’ll work in the end, either way. Our lives will be fine with or without MIT, but I’d still absolutely love to go. Good luck all. I really mean it. And if I’m moody and cynical later because I didn’t get in, I’m still really excited for all of you who did get in. Make the best of it.
I share the shaking sentiment.
Alright…~
omg
No matter what comes to my kid, here I thank all MIT admission officers for your dedication and hard work. Reading your blogs really help a lot to understand the processes. Thanks again.
A mom.
This is it!…the culmination of an incredible journey (regardless of the result)…
A BIG Thank you to each and every person who played a part in bringing us here…we owe it all to you!
Oh boy…anyone else just staring at their screen and talking to 15 people on msn and begging them to wish you luck?
Hey rohan where are you from?
india, cant wait for da results
where in india? just half an hour !
I want to cry….I really do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
UAAAHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ben after reading your blog from 2006, i got tears in my eyes. I truly appreciate the work u do to make our lives..after reading that ..i m a little more comfortable truly..if i dont get in I know that someone out there read my story and appreciated it…and the ones who get in are really more deserving than me…so no problem…i wont loose hope, i will still chase my dreams and succeed..with or without MIT..
I am so so proud to have been a part of MIT’s admissions process..atleast
I can’t wait too
delhi
i think i’ll faint
delhi
i think i’ll faint
were are u from?
I am just numb…. I dont know what to say :(
But really, Ben! You rock :D And so does Matt! And the entire admissions team!
27
Thanks, Ben. You are my favorite blogger
I’m excited as well, but if it doesn’t go as planned what can one do? Not the end of the world
Hey guys! Best of luck to you all!!!!!!! ^__^
Thank you, Admissions Team, you have done so much for us and am ever so greatful. No matter what happens I will always be glad I went through this process and glad that I met the people I did. Best of luck
half an hour left…
When exactly are admissions decisions coming out?
Have faith in Ben Jones
cant wait
lalalaaa
lalalaaa
<3
?!
nvm
im from India too … live in the UAE though…. anyone from the UAE?
Waitlisted. :(
but that’s ok. I love you guys anyway. Thanks for being there for us!
Anon above me, why did you post just an interrobang?
And congradulations to the Admissions team for actually being able to make this decision, either way. I just hope that I got in.
!
im from the uae lionel…. are you in dubai?
Thank you Ben, the blog article really helped me see things in a new perspective.
As the clock seems to freeze…just 63 more minutes…
So, when are the decisions post coming out?
Hi guys, I was not waiting for a decsision (i’ll be, though, next year), but I could feel the heat!
For those who got in – congrats, work hard, invent ,trust your mind and hand . For those who have the rest of the world to themselves, remember, physics works everywhere!
paralysis.
the index finger hovers in air while the grip of my hand strangles a poor defenseless mouse.
click!
don’t click!
click!
don’t click!
the battle continues and my mind grows foggier with the bloodshed, the explosions, the gunshots.
one man down
two logics killed
running low on resources
war must end and life must go on
only a matter of time.
deep breath
the war is over, honey, open your eyes
open your eyes, open your eyes
@miri
thats one classy poem you got there.
does any one know how to email ben or ask him a question ?
Well, got rejected from MIT. I think the interview is what killed me. After all, the interviewer and I didn’t click at all. And to be honest, I don’t think I ever had a worse interview. Got into CalTech despite being an international student. So I am happy, although I am disappointed with the MIT decision.
I second Aditi. A HUGE, HUGE THANK YOU for everything Ben. We love you, and all the others at Admissions, not because you admitted us, but because who you are, the way you do your job, and the way you pour your heart out to us exactly the same way we try to do to you.
And now I have to stick up your blog post #2 on my study wall and learn all the 50 things (and MORE….) to do while we are at MIT.
Thanks for everything again, and especially for creating a two-way traffic.
i hope this class is as awesome as ours.
“Having you in the class would have made it no less perfect”
Ben, that means the selection is purely on luck …or the above is just for consolation.
Thank you for everything Ben !
And a big huge thank you to the entire admissions team!
I love you guys
what do you do with the nice summaries of applicants . could you mail them or something? That+ the polite letter might really cheer up someone who’s not admitted. just an idea.
Shannon — A mathematical approach to a situation that is mostly emotional—intriguing. Wouldn’t you have to account for the relative happiness of the applicant with their decision, though?
I’m going to have to second Rik
Thank you again!
I cant wait to meet the bloggers. ( have I said this already?)
I was procrastinating for my test tomorrow, and I decided to drop by and read a blog…your linked article was really touching…now i wonder if admissions officers from other colleges are like this, since everytime I read mit blogs..I keep thinking “wow…mit admissions people are actually real, live, talking people”, not those computer-generated ones from the other colleges..Thank you for everything! =)
Hey BEN! I’m just wondering…is there no string for transfer applicants? I mean, we don’t get an online app., we don’t get an interview…you could at least put us at more ease with a blog string! Please start one for us or tell me where I can find one. Thanx!
-an enthusiastic blogger