The Return & Reflections on the Last Few Weeks

It has been a bit more than two weeks since the release of Regular Decision notifications and now that the dust has mostly settled, I have returned to blogging. Before I explain my absence and touch on a bunch of topics, I need to reflect back on March 28, 2008. What a day it was! 

I was going through all the pictures I took of the file room, stuffing of decision letters, and the mailing process and I came across this last one which is posted on the right. I didn't even take this picture. I believe Lauren snapped the shot, and Jessica was the one who chose the sign.

It is actually the perfect picture to summarize my emotions the evening of March 28. We were done, we made it, and in retrospect it is amazing to think how we got there. It truly was a mix of ... Blood (from paper and folder cuts), Sweat (from the weird heating system in Mason Hall), and Tears (from lack of sleep and the difficult decisions we had to make). With the strength of this year's applicant pool, it was a bit miraculous that the whole Admissions team was able to work together and get the decisions out even a couple of days earlier than April 1st. I think it was the exhaustion of the past few weeks that led me to collapse that Friday evening and go in a sort of hibernation over that first weekend.

So what has Admissions Daniel been doing since the release of decisions?
After my weekend of hibernation and lots of sleep, it was time to get back to work and prepare for the mayhem that is April. No rest for the weary. There were Open Houses to prepare for, Engineering tours to arrange, the Westgate Scholarship program to organize, Spring Travel plans to be made, CRIBS videos to post, Parent, Faculty, and Alumni blogs to upload, etc. etc. etc. But in addition to all that there were the many phone calls to receive, the voicemail messages to respond to, and the emails to answer. The weeks after the release of decisions is the busiest time of year when it comes to fielding phone calls and emails.

And these calls and emails are not the easiest to handle. In a year as competitive as this year has been across the entire college admissions landscape, there is a lot of confusion, frustration, anger, and emotion. By far this is the hardest part of my job ... handling the aftermath of decisions. So many questions of why, can you reconsider, did you make the right decision ... and unfortunately a lot of anger. Despite being quite difficult, I think I do handle these conversations well and try as best as I can be to be understanding and respectful. Unfortunately, sometimes nothing will help.

There is a whole other part to this process and that is the response that takes place in online forums. Whether it be the forums that Hopkins Interactive presents (our blogs, message boards, Facebook) or whether it be other popular college-oriented discussion board (read: College Confidential), there is a lot of debate, discussion, and argument that takes place online. I do read everything, but this year I made a very important decision -- I took two weeks off. I followed the discussions, but I did not contribute. I also chose to not blog during this time to allow all the initial reactions to occur.

Some may disagree with my decision, but as I return to the online discussion community now, I feel I made the best choice. Though I personally disagree with a lot of discussions that occur on sites like College Confidential, I do understand the popularity of such forums. First, they are pretty much anonymous and allow anyone to say anything. Second, they allow people to vent without consequence or concrete arguments. Third, they allow the uninformed to appear knowledgeable and they allow the "loudest" person to dominate. Fourth, ... well I can go on with a ton more reasons but I will refrain and maybe hold all those thoughts for a time when I am running low on blog topics.

That is not the case right now. I have a lot to say and I lot to write. Unfortunately, it is closing in on midnight and I have to be on-campus quite early tomorrow for our second Admitted Student Open House. So I will be signing off, but encouraging you to all check back at the end of the week and frequently over the next few weeks ... because Admissions_Daniel is back, the Hopkins Insider Blog is back, and there is a lot to be discussed. Thanks for your patience and thanks for sticking with me.

Before I sign off though, I do have two final things that must be said:

To Those of You Who Have Taken the Time Over the Last Few Weeks to Speak Favorably of the Hopkins Insider Blog and My Work (Whether In Person or Through Correspondence):
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Your comments and positive feedback are truly appreciated by me. Though there is absolutely no need for you all to thank me, I must be honest and say it feels good to hear such positive reinforcement. I have had a lot of people share with me their enjoyment of the blog and Hopkins Interactive, and that they find me to be very accessible. That is what I am working towards, and it is such an affirmation that the long hours and work is reaching an ever-growing audience. Often the only feedback one gets is the angry, negative comments -- and oh boy I have gotten a few of them -- but the last few weeks the positive response has been overwhelming and it really means a lot. Thanks again!!!

To Those of You Visiting Campus and Who See Me Around, Come Up and Say Hello:
I'm not kidding. I really enjoy meeting the people who read this blog. I always joke that no one reads my ramblings. So if you see me at an Open House or during your visit to campus, come up and say hi and let me know you read the blog. I will almost always make a joke about how Admissions_Daniel is my evil alter ego, but I will also probably be able to answer any of your questions and just make you feel welcome on the Homewood campus. Also, I am typically around some of the amazing current Hopkins students, and they are wonderful to engage with. So I hope to see some of you at the Open Houses or around campus.

OK, I am off to bed. Check back soon, as I promise ... I have a lot to say and I think you will enjoy. Cheers!

Comments

[Amanda]

So I've been reading your blog all year but hadn't really considered Hopkins as a possibility. I was admitted (a complete surprise to me, by the way, I was thisclose to calling and making sure you had actually read my application and knew what you were doing!) and came to the open house last week. I have to say, I fell in love with the school, the campus, the people and the academic programs. I wanted to tell you how impressed I was with the programs and presentations, and how sweet and kind everyone was. I'm 90% sure I'm going to JHU next year because of that open house, so thanks for showing me how great your school is! And thanks for the blog all year. It's been so helpful. :)

[Daniel Creasy]

Amanda,
Thanks so much for the comment ... and Congratulations!!! I like to hear that you are 90% sure you will become a Blue Jay ... the only better thing would be if you were 100% sure. Come on, you know you love us. (Just kidding.)

I actually have had a few students ask me if we made a mistake in admitting them ... and my answer is always, a definitive NO. We struggle over our decisions, but if you got that black folder with the YES tab than that clearly shows that we want you at Hopkins, we think you are a great fit for the school, and we think you would do amazing things here. Glad you enjoyed the Open House, and as always if you need anything just let us know.

Cheers!!!

[Jongyoon]

I "REALLY" envy Amanda..because I'm waitlisted..
Daniel, is there any way to increase my chance to be admitted on the waitlist???

[Daniel Creasy]

There is a ton of information for Wait Listed students here:

http://z14.invisionfree.com/Hopkins_Forums/index.php?showtopic=971

It answers a lot of frequently asked questions, and also lets wait listed students know what they can do.

[Sarah]

Hi! I'm currently a junior who has been reading your blog all year, and it's been really neat getting an insider's perspective on the admissions process before I actually go through it myself. The insider blog has definitely calmed my nerves about the admissions process, and it has definitely drawn me to Hopkins as well. Thank you for all of your work in keeping prospective students informed!

[Jongyoon]

Thank you very much, Daniel. It was a great help!!
I have one more question..
The campus visit--attending info session or campus tour--will be beneficial to my application?

[Daniel Creasy]

Sarah:
Thanks for the comment. I am glad to hear you have enjoyed the Insider blog and that you have found it helpful. Much to come for prospective Class of 2013 students in the coming months.

Jongyoon:
If you plan to visit campus, that is to benefit you. It does not factor in the review of your application.

[Christine]

Hi Daniel,

I was wondering if there is a separate blog with updates on transfer applications. Thanks for all your help!

[Daniel Creasy]

Christine:
There is no separate blog that provides transfer updates, but in the coming weeks there will be information for transfer both here at the Hopkins Insider Blog and also on the Hopkins Forums. Stay tuned!