Thu 13 Dec 2007
Early decision results are being mailed today.
I’m absolutely freaking out.. I’ve managed to keep myself calm until now, but with just a few days to go I’m pretty much dying of stress… and if I don’t get into Williams I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself. And to top it off I’m currently ridiculously sick thus I’ve been home for the past week.. and all I can do is think about Williams and keep looking at college confidential.. which is absolutely a curse because I get even more worried every time I look.
Good luck to all the applicants.
December 13th, 2007 at 6:58 am
It ain’t the end of the world….
December 13th, 2007 at 7:51 am
True Frank, but given how much kids have to sacrifice nowadays (the credentials of those accepted at places such as Williams are now truly staggering, as are the credentials of many of those rejected) to gain acceptance to their college of choice, they are certainly justified in feeling like it is. For many, they have been working their butts off for years just for this moment, and while it is completely true that the experience at Bowdoin, or Middlebury, or Haverford is unlikely to differ materially from being a Williams undergrad, try telling that to someone who has made a lot of personal sacrifices in their quest for Williams (or any top choice school). I don’t blame them for being stressed.
December 13th, 2007 at 8:11 am
I feel for this kid. To put that much importance on being accepted at Williams, is just unhealthy.
Williams is certainly special, and I am thrilled that my Frosh is there, but life does go on, and happiness is possible, even if he doesn’t receive the big envelope with the purple smiley face.
December 13th, 2007 at 8:56 am
Innumerable people are happy, fulfilled, healthy, productive, wise, celebrated (or private - take your pick) and “successful” without having the foggiest notion of Williams’ existence, and some (probably bordering on many) people who are attending or have attended Williams are unhappy, unfulfilled, unhealthy, unproductive, foolish, uncelebrated (infamous) and “unsuccessful”.
December 13th, 2007 at 9:16 am
At the end of the day everyone is self-educated.
While an environment like Williams is a terrific hothouse in which to learn, I have worked with people much smarter than I who didn’t go to Little 3 or Ivy League colleges. I’ve worked with Harvard grads who are dunces and people who didn’t go to college and who are brilliant. Bill Gates didn’t do too bad, considering he’s a college dropout.
When you get older, the impact of a “name” college diminishes–people pretty much pay attention to how you conduct yourself in daily life, rather than the college name imprinted on a piece of paper that you received 30 years ago.
December 13th, 2007 at 10:23 am
A classmate of mine has a son who applied ED. He’s been hearing about the school his whole life. He’ll find out soon. Good luck ‘12, wherever you land.
December 13th, 2007 at 10:25 am
Gentlemen, tell it like it is!
I know a couple of wise guys when I see em.
December 13th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
My wife got into Williams, and chose not to go. This young person has put too much emphasis in life on something like this.
You have to roll with the punches. That is life. Getting into a school, is very low on the importance meter in the big scale that is life. In the end it is not where you go, or what you do, it is who you are with. Stay positive, stay focused, and the world will turn for you, and those around you.
December 13th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
Amen, PTC. I think the person running this blog (Dr. Kane) never got that through his thick skull. He seems to attach his well being to the success of Williams, and….he obsiously hasn’t figured out that Williams will be just fine (perhaps even better) without him.
December 13th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
to no-spinner:
Ouch. That was mean.
I have been known to disagree with David, but, in all fairness, he does a lot for Williams.
Just the fact that he is willing to put up posts for which he knows he will be skewered, is admirable.
And the ensuing discussions serve a very good purpose.
December 13th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
A lot of 17 year olds write these overly dramatic posts on CC - in real life, the teenagers I know are remarkably resilient when it comes to dealing with today’s hyper competitive admissions at highly selective colleges.
December 13th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
If they are scared and nervous, it’s normal in our society and any fault lies much more with the society, not with them. Their worlds hone in on the decision, however much the students may try to emphasize other things, take their sense of self from elsewhere, and change the subject. It’s very hard to keep things in perspective (a little like trying to ignore the Christmas industry in much of American during this time of year). I couldn’t do it.
To those who have applied to Williams Early Decision, I wish you all the best. It is a special place, one well worth yearning for. If your Williams dreams come true, welcome. If you suffer a setback, mourn it (and in so doing respect yourself and your dreams) but remember that there really are many wonderful colleges that will prove a wonderful fit; get yourself back on your feet, keep your head on your shoulders, and get back to those Regular Decisions applications. Best of luck to all of you.
December 13th, 2007 at 2:57 pm
No-spinner:
I have been reading this blog for a year (why, because from time to time, ephblog posters, provide facts and insights, regarding the marvelous college where my favorite person is now studying) and that is the best post I have ever read. How hypocritical and down right mean spirited for people who graduated 20-50 years ago, but still can’t let go, to sneer at the dreams of high school students. If you’re constant threat is withholding money, read your post by Fay Vincent. The momentum of the 2 billion dollar endowment, professionally managed (with all the disclaimers that past performance does not assure future returns), renders your threats meaningless. Best of luck to those who applied ED, you are young, dream big, and then if you have to change your dream, because no school can admit all the great students that apply, even though they might wish to, that’s ok, things will work out for the best.
December 13th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
Your not you’re, for those who love to correct.
December 13th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
This student’s comment is a bit overly emphatic, but that is to be expected right now. Highschool seniors that have applied ED are convinced that this is the “biggest week of their highschool careers,” because they have spent the last four years of their lives working towards one goal: college. At 50 years of age, four years seems rather insignificant; at 17, it is almost a quarter of your life spent perfecting your academic record, expanding your extracurriculars, and differentiating yourself from the many other qualified students across the world. Kids believe that their entire futures depend on this one decision, and in a sense they do. Perhaps it is not the end of the world if this student doesn’t get into Williams; if he or she has an academic record even close to that required for acceptance at Williams, then he can find success at various other prestigious colleges. Regardless, to be rejected from your top choice school is to have a dream shattered, and I sympathize with the stress and pressure that students are experiencing right now. Good luck to all those applying ED to Williams, and I hope your dreams are fulfilled.
December 13th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
PS. to reference above post, you can call me Mom993:)
December 13th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
Where are the guiding adults in the life of this applicant - who ought to be providing him with reasonable balance to and perspective on the process?
December 13th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
That’s a fair question (hypothetically), but realistically speaking that depends on the applicant. Some parents themselves are incapable of giving sound advice. Some parents actually push the name of a college more than their children, because they feel like “successful” parents when others recognize the name and prestige of the college which their child attends.
Just because a student is intelligent and has the credentials to apply to a top school like Williams does not mean that his or her parents have the sense to realize that he may be able to find success at a college that is not as well known (case in point: Davidson college, ranked within the top 10 liberal arts colleges, yet frequently unrecognized, whose applicants gain admittance to top law, medical, and business schools)
So is this child’s post irrational? Perhaps we should first realize that where he or she is coming from may have a tremendous impact on the reaction this student has to the stresses of applying to college.
PS. I’m going to assume that this student used College Confidential as an outlet to voice his stress. It doesn’t mean that he has awful parents and it doesn’t mean that he is incapable of coping with stress, or puts an “unhealthy” degree of significance on his admittance to Williams. This kid was stuck home from school for a week, with decisions looming.. I don’t blame him for being unsettled!
December 13th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
Young men this persons age are in a war right now, and dying in that war everyday. Something to think about…
How about a little perspective in our society?
The chances of these sentiments during WW2? The whole country is out to lunch.. “shopping”.. if you ask me.
December 13th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
No- spinner-
David seems cool to me. Very dramtic when it comes to Williams and his time in the Marines, but that makes for a good blog. If he did not love it so… then this blog would not exist.
December 13th, 2007 at 4:50 pm
I don’t think it’s wise to take an innocuous comment by a stressed teenager and create a huge societal discussion out of it. Chances are the kid wrote the comment in 15 seconds, and did not expect people to analyze his perspective and mental state when he wrote it. He was communicating to peers how worried he was about the process; this does not mean that he doesn’t care about the war in Iraq.
I agree with mom993 in that it was over-dramatized, and that it reflects a certain lack of perspective, but that does not mean that he doesn’t recognize the importance of the war in Iraq. Yes it is occurring, and yes it may deserve more consideration than admittance to one particular college; however, this student’s future is, to some extent, decided by which college he attends. Maybe after reading all of your comments he would change what he wrote, but the fact of the matter is that he is still worried about college, and he should be able to voice his concerns.
December 13th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
No-Spinner, I suggest that you try to show some respect to your fellow blog readers and posters. If you have a problem with David, as I do on occasion, then call him on it. Williams has nothing to lose from extra ideas being proposed, and plenty to gain. Neighborhoods aren’t fixed yet, by any means.
December 13th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
From the same thread:
At this point I regret the little consideration I put into my comment at the top of this page regarding how much I want to be accepted to Williams. It appeared in EphBlog: In The Mail, and from the responses that it has received, it would appear that people took it a bit too seriously.
It’s not that I don’t have perspective on life, or that I base my entire self-image on getting into a “top name” school. I could be happy at any number of places, but I hope fervently that Williams is the place that I end up. My comment was not intended to demonstrate an “unhealthy” degree of importance placed on acceptance at Williams, nor was it intended to reflect on my parents’ guidance (or lack thereof, according to the blog). I was in no way suggesting a lack of respect for those fighting in Iraq, and I did not mean to insinuate that my application to college is in any way significant in comparison to the war…
I apologize for creating a huge discussion on the overdramatization of the college experience, and I’m sorry if the fact that I really did write the comment in haste negates the many hypotheses presented in the blog. It’s too late to change my initial comment, but I just hope that everyone reading Ephblog and College Confidential realizes that most of us write on here to interact with peers going through the same process as us; we’re not trying to say that college is infinitely more important than anything else in the world around us.
Thanks for reading!
December 13th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
6:07 PM -
Thanks so much for stopping by and for taking the effort to put what you wrote into perspective and to correct our misperceptions. You write very well.
It sounds as though you are feeling better, and I’m glad. Over the years, I’ve learned that, when my world seems especially bleak, it’s a sure sign that I’m coming down with something.
Good luck with your application.
December 13th, 2007 at 6:56 pm
To 6:07:
I don’t think anyone was “sneering” at you. There was just concern. But no matter, and no regrets. We all hope your dream comes true.
I have a feeling, that with your boundless enthusiasm and good nature, you are going to do great wherever you end up!
December 13th, 2007 at 7:36 pm
Thanks Froshmom & 6:32 PM, but I actually didn’t post anything on Ephblog at all.. I had only posted on College Confidential, and someone else copied it here
December 13th, 2007 at 8:20 pm
[QUOTE]
a friend asked .. it seemed that Williams has postponed its expected Dec 13 date of notification … to Dec 15th!
[/QUOTE]
does anybody know if this is true???
December 13th, 2007 at 8:22 pm
does anybody know if this is true???
December 13th, 2007 at 10:08 pm
When our student came of age, that is, when applications needed to be posted for admissions to a college or a university, we did not have a working or experiential knowledge of Williams and the many other fine schools across the nation.
We simply flagged off the internet the entire list of first tier schools, and applied to those institutions that seemed appropriate to the student’s individual personality, interests, environment, and opportunities.
There were no dream schools, just the dream of entering college.
Since we did not share the great energy for one particular institution, we were not subject to any grave disappointment. Having a stoic perspective enables a certain disquietude when dealing with acceptances and most importantly rejections.
With the globalization of our schools and the roll call for diversity, elite schools appear to have fewer seats available to highly qualified applicants. The competition for seats, especially when you work for years for the singular goal can be quite daunting.
Best wishes to each applicant.
December 13th, 2007 at 11:30 pm
Reformat –
I don’t know. Last year, they mailed on Wednesday or Thursday and many of the letters showed up on Friday and Saturday in the New England and Mid-Atlantic states. If there was a delay at the College after they announced the letters were to go out today, they probably would have put something up on the Admission webpage, and I don’t see anything.
There was a big snowstorm in the Berkshires today that could have affected the mail. The College was open and observing normal business hours, but Pittsfield and the surrounding area (I believe the mail goes out through Pittsfield) were under a snow emergency. That might make the mail slow in getting to Pittsfield and slow in being processed and getting out of Pittsfield, but usually snow doesn’t affect New England surface mail. Anything going out by air is more likely to have a weather delay.
This is a difficult time. If you’re in the States, you should find out by sometime next week. If you don’t, you or your college counselor can call Admission late next week.
Wishing you all the best.
December 16th, 2007 at 2:20 pm
The Williams admission office mailed out decision letters on the 13th. There was no postponement.
December 16th, 2007 at 8:26 pm
I remember my letter arrived (in New Hampshire) on Early Decision Monday, late by most ED standards. It was a thin letter, too.
Those Admission Officers sure know how to get a rise out of you.
December 16th, 2007 at 9:53 pm
I don’t even vaguely remember applying, much less being accepted. Perhaps neither event occurred. My detractors will be pleased to argue that I’m a Williams College fraud. But I do have a sheepskin someplace, which I will be happy to return if the College returns my money.