In my 9.65 (Cognitive Development) class, we've been talking a lot about the nature of memory and how it's divided into various type (conceptual short term memory, working memory and the visuospatial sketchpad, long term memory, etc.), and one experiment we ran in class involved everyone writing down their memories of an emportant emotional experience, a phenomenon called "flashbulb memories". In this case, specifically recalling the day you found out you got into MIT. What it felt like, what you were wearing, what you did before and after, etc. Crazily enough, even though that was way back in the dark ages of 2006 (in my day, I read my acceptance letter by candle, before saddling up my horse and picking up some celebratory goose fat from the general store), I can still remember exactly how it happened - driving home from school, seeing the tube sticking out the mailbox, SCREAMING MY HEAD OFF, screaming my head off some more, jumping up and down, scaring my dog, running in circles, shooting off fireworks, setting my house on fire, having to call 911, etc.)

(No. Not really. But everything short of fireworks, yes.)

Things are a little different now, since decisions are released online. But you still get a tube and/or big packet in the mail eventually, so whether you're early decision or just found out - what's your story? Feel free to share in the form of pictures, haiku, sonnet, or just plain comment below. Or read some old stories for inspiration (as well as a more comprehensive version of my story, sans fireworks).

Looking forward to meeting you all in a few weeks! :)

Check out your MyMIT Portal: Over at MyMIT, you'll find a bunch of stuff only available to admitted students, including:

• Campus Preview Weekend Registration: Please register for CPW by March 25 or when your travel plans are solidified, whichever is sooner. Also, when you fill out your CPW registration form, give us as much specific information as you can; this will help us make your CPW experience as good as possible. Finally, please complete the Medical Release Form.

  Notes to the wise: if you're flying in, book your plane tickets early. If your parents are joining you, have them book their hotel early. I highly recommend hotels that are within walking distance of MIT -- driving and parking in Boston is not a good experience.

• Local Admitted Students Meetings: During MIT Spring Break next week, MIT alumni across the globe will be hosting gathering for the Class of 2014, as nearby campus as Providence, Rhode Island, and as far away as Singapore. There will be meetings in dozens of locales, including New York City, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington (both the state -- in Seattle -- as well as the District of Columbia), Miami, Chicago, and many more. RSVP information is included.

• Class of 2014 Guestbook: Hundreds of your classmates have checked in to introduce themselves. Since only admitted students can enter themselves on the guestbook, it's a good way to share your contact information securely with your future classmates, and to get emails and screennames to be in touch with fellow MIT 2014s!

• The MIT Reply Form: As soon as you've made up your mind for sure about whether or not to attend MIT -- after you've received your financial aid package, come for CPW, or anything else that you need to make your decision -- please let us know your decision through the online reply form. You have three choices: tell us you're enrolling this fall (Yay! Welcome officially to the MIT Class of 2014!), that you're declining our offer of admission (it's okay, we know you're making the best choice for yourself), or to request a deferral/gap year(s) before enrolling at MIT (for a gap year, military service, or other reason). Take as much time as you need to make your decision (and if we can help, please let us know), but be sure to let us know by May 1.

• Overnight Program Registration: If you can't make it for CPW, don't despair, you can still come visit through our Overnight Program. Please register at least two weeks in advance, and we'll do our best to show you MIT.

Join the Facebook Group: Facebook is a great place to meet your future classmates and get questions answered by current students. Here it is: MIT Class of 2014.

Join in a Live Chat!: This Tuesday evening, and again the following Tuesday, we'll have some very cool video chats, with special guests! Watch your email and MyMIT for more information...

Await Financial Aid Info: I know many of you are eagarly awaiting finanial aid information... don't despair! Financiad Aid packages for Early Action students were mailed last week, and packages for Regular Action students were mailed yesterday.

Finally, Class of 2014, what would you like to see us do blog entries on over the coming month or so? How can we be best helpful for you as you make your college decision?

How does the waitlist work?

We are aiming for a class of about 1,075 students this year. Based on our estimates of the percentage of admitted students who will attend (known as the "yield"), we admitted 1611 students. However, it isn't possible to exactly predict how many student will attend this year. To help with the uncertainties, we also keep a waitlist of students.

Is the waitlist ranked?

No.

How many people are on the waitlist?

We offered 722 applicants -- approximately 4.3% of applicants -- a spot on the waitlist. Not all of those students will choose to remain on the waitlist.

Can you tell me where I am on the waitlist?

As I've said, the waitlist is not ranked. We will reconsider all of the waitlisted students again in May, when we know how many students remain on the waitlist, and how many we wish to take from the waitlist.

How many people will you admit from the waitlist this year?

It is impossible to know. We will have no idea how many people, if any, we will take from the waitlist until after the reply date of May 1.

What has the waitlist looked like, historically?

Last year we admitted 78 students from the waitlist. The year before that, we admitted 35 students from the waitlist, and the year before that we admitted 20 students. However, the four years before that, we didn't take anyone from the waitlist. But there was another year in this past decade where we admitted more than 100 students from the waitlist. So, it's hard to know how this year will look. Over the past few years, the "waitlist admit rate" has ranged from 0% to 18%.

What are the realities here?

I know that while we plan for the worst, usually things don't go quite so badly. Thus, it's likely that most people on the waitlist will not be admitted. I hope that you will have another great choice to fall in love with, so that no matter what happens with the MIT waitlist, everything will still turn out well for you in the end.

Who do you admit from the waitlist? For example, if someone from state X or major Y declines, are you likely to look for another student like them?

If we go to the waitlist, we will consider what our class looks like as one factor in choosing students. But we're not strict about it. So, if an oboe player decides to go somewhere else, we may, or may not, try to take another oboe player.

Are domestic students given priority over international students on the waitlist?

No, but we do consider whether admitting international students from the waitlist would put us over our 8% international quota.

I'm still very interested in attending MIT. What should I do if I hope to be admitted from the waitlist?

Certainly, you should return the postcard coming in the postal mail with your waitlist notification (decision letter). This letter was mailed yesterday. Additionally, I would recommend sending us a letter in mid-late April with an update on what you've been up to since our last contact. You can also feel free to provide any other information you think would be helpful.

What should I not do?

Here are some things you should not do: Fly to campus to make the case in person. Send us ridiculous items or bribes. Submit a whole new application. Bombard our office with way too much stuff. Be pushy. Be sketchy. Let your grades drop. Not choose another college to attend by May 1.

What should I do about the May 1 reply date for other colleges?

You should accept the offer of admission from another college before May 1, even if it means making a deposit. After May 1, when all students have sent their replies, colleges will determine if they need to go to their waitlist or not, and if so, how many students they need to admit. At this point, colleges will begin admitting students from the waitlist. Students who accept this offer will "unenroll" at the first college and enroll at the second. This shifting can lead to a second round of waitlist admissions. All of this is a standard part of the admissions process. We colleges recognize and accept this.

If I'm admitted off of the waitlist, do I have to go to MIT? What about financial aid?

You're not required to enroll. We'll give you a financial aid package and you'll have time to consider your decision before letting us know one way or the other. It is in your best interest to complete your financial aid application now, so that if you are admitted from the waitlist, we'll have a financial aid package ready to go. Our waitlist process, like our entire admissions process, is need blind, and we will meet full need for all admitted students.

Okay, what should I do now?

If you are still interested in MIT, you should stay in contact with us. A letter, a phone call, notes from people who know you well... these are good things to provide. Please always be very nice in all of your interactions with us! Keep us up to date all the way through May 1 and beyond if you remain interested.

And in the meantime... be patient. There won't be any waitlist news until after May 1.

to

Next, mix in a little of this (slightly nsfw for about 3 seconds)

Now, put Jess and I in charge, give us a couple of months to stir, and what do you get?

Wait and see!

(no spoilers in the comments if you know por favor)

I am thrilled to say that even though we do now have CPW, in fact we're preparing for it on campus already, there is still the opportunity for many of you to attend spring meetings hosted by ECs and alumni clubs around the world. At last count there are nearly 60 of them, ranging from Hartford to Hong Kong, Seattle to Singapore. Most meetings will be scheduled over MIT's spring break to allow current students to be on hand but some may fall into April as well.

Here's just a small sampling of what is in store:

Saturday

San Francisco/Bay Area meeting in the home of RC Walt Price '71.

Sunday

The Raleigh, NC meeting will be hosted by RC Al Tice '67

Monday

MIT President Susan Hockfield will be the guest at the MIT Club of Greece event.

Tuesday

The MIT Club of New Hampshire will have a dinner with Dr. David Gray who'll be talking about solar energy developments.

Wednesday

MIT Club of France welcomes MIT President Susan Hockfield.

Thursday

Both Cleveland, OH and Columbus, OH are having their spring meetings.

Friday

The Orange County meeting will be in the home of RC Joanna Tan '74

Saturday

Westchester County, NY and Basking, NJ and Washington, DC are all having meetings.

For a complete list of all the events, admitted students should log on to their my.mit.edu account and RSVP as indicated. I hope you and your parents will attend!

I learned a lot at the spring meeting I attended and had a great chance to get to know a few of my future classmates. Talking with the alums and current students was a huge help in deciding whether to stay in California for college or head east to Cambridge. Fortunately, over the years I even had a chance to say thanks to a couple of those I met and have never regretted spending that afternoon in Mr. Keller's backyard.

I think I got to call and congratulate about fifteen or so of you, although I spoke more with answering machines than actual people :( Since I'm from the Houston area, I begged Matt to let me call admits from Texas; I more or less got my wish, with a few Mainers thrown in :)

Based on yesterday alone, I feel safe in saying that the MIT Class of 2014 is AWESOME. Those of you whom I spoke with were funny, nice, and admirably ambitious - it was a pleasure to meet you :) The RA telethon will continue on Thursday, so if you didn't get a call yesterday, don't worry; we haven't forgotten you!

A lot of you asked great questions yesterday; here are some of the more common ones:

Are MIT classes ridiculously hard?
Hard, yeah. But not impossibly so. As with anything else, you have to work at it. If you have three tests coming up in next week, you might have to sacrifice a couple of your weekend plans. It's entirely feasible to get all As at MIT, and I know people who have done it. Plus, there's always help: professors, TAs, classmates, Wikipedia. I've discovered that office hours are more or less lifesavers.

What exactly happens at CPW?
The better question might be what doesn't happen? Sleep doesn't happen, food-that's-not-free doesn't happen, boredom doesn't happen, and homework definitely doesn't happen :) CPW is basically four days of nothing but fun, where you can explore any part of MIT you want to: the dorms, the classes, the clubs, the labs. I'm sure there'll be more CPW-related entries later; try to make it to CPW if you can! It played a huge role last year in my final decision to attend MIT.

Do people even have time for extracurriculars?
Definitely. I think some of my friends might actually be spending more time on clubs/activities than on classes. It helps that there are hundreds of student groups and that all of them are diverse. It's not too hard to find something you like - and then join.

Can you tell me more about the placement exams offered during orientation?
Sooo during orientation, Advanced Standing Exams in physics, chemistry, biology, and math (maybe? I can't remember...) are offered for anyone who wants to place out of introductory classes. A good way to study for them is by using the materials (lectures, practice problems, notes, etc) available on OCW.

If I think of any questions later, can I e-mail you?
Of course!

~*~23 days till CPW!!!~*~

On the night admissions came out (two nights ago), my good friend Steve '11 (freshman ex-roommate) was reminded of the story of Tim Tebow after the decisions were released. I knew about Tebow from talking with Steve many nights (or rather, him talking to me) about football, and I thought it was really a good story, and maybe some of you would enjoy it.

But yeah, that's it. Think of this as some light diversionary reading if you will. Remember Tim's promise.

Best of luck in the weeks ahead! :)

-Chris

---

You're probably feeling down right now. You know you'll get over it but you feel like you never will.[1] So if I can offer any advice it's just to emote. Let your psychological immune system kick in. Get off the blogs and let out a few tears. Then watch some awesome YouTube videos Or eat a Vermonster with your friends.

("editor's note:" so for the people that don't know, a vermonster is essentially a gigantic tub of ice cream that you can get at Ben and Jerry's, an ice cream chain that's pretty prevalent in the US - fun fact: it contains 14,000 calories :D but makes for a good bonding ritual followed by heartburn :P)

I'll give you two sentences to stop reading. The rest of this post will be here waiting for you tonight. Kthxbai.

There are two things I want to say. But first, listen to this important message from Dan Gilbert, a professor of Psychology at the other Cambridge school.

A lot of events in life-both good and bad-are the products of factors that you cannot control. As Dan's story shows, some things that seem bad turn out to be a blessing in disguise. More importantly, you don't have to go to MIT to be a success. You can go to a community college and still end up at the top of your field.

Now, I hope you don't obsessively dwell on this blog in the future. It's time to move on, so I will bid you adieu with an inspirational true story.

Tim Tebow was the best college football player to ever played the game. That is a fact, not an opinion. He was the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy, a two-time national champion, and the most statistically dominant player in history.

Yet last December he was sitting on the sidelines watching Alabama crush his dream of winning a third national title in four years. He started sobbing because he just couldn't choke back the tears (see video). He invested so much in his team, his last season, in the championship run the media said destiny, that he couldn't hold it together.

They say you shouldn't cry over spilt milk. I guess you shouldn't cry over college admissions either, it's not that important in the long run. But even Tebow admits that many things, including academics, are more important than football. That didn't stop "Tebow crying" from becoming the number one Google trend of the day.

Of course, this wasn't the first time Tebow let his team down. A little more than a year earlier he failed to gain crucial first down and it cost his team the game. But that's not the important thing. What happened next is part of college football lore: the promise he made (see video) is etched in stone at the University of Florida.

Tim Tebow could easily be known as the wunderkind who choked when it was 4th and 1 or the baby who drowned the Georgia Dome in tears.

But he's not. He's remembered for picking himself up and making a promise to do better.

As you probably can guess, Florida won 22 consecutive games and the BCS title after Tebow made "The Promise." A few weeks after losing to Alabama, Tebow played the best game of his life in the Sugar Bowl.

Today he is remembered as the greatest not just of our time, but of all time.

Don't let setbacks set you back. Thanks for reading.

[1] - Most people say something stupid like "I'll never eat again" after eating too much on Thanksgiving. They know they'll be hungry the next day-they are every year-but to a remarkable extent people are simply stuck in the present.

This past Friday, the MIT Symphony Orchestra (MITSO) played an exceptionally original and edgy concert. As a violinist in MITSO, it was quite an interesting experience unlike any other. This concert was unique for several reasons:

1. We premiered a newly composed symphony. How often does an opportunity like that come around?! The symphony was composed by Charles Shadle, a faculty member in the Music Department here at MIT. This was the first time I had ever been exposed to a modern piece, and boy, was it fascinating (and at times, difficult to learn)!

2. We featured the 2010 Concerto Competition co-winner, Latifah Hamzah, who performed the third movement of the Dvorak Violin Concerto. It was stunning!

3. We premiered, in Massachusetts, the "Adam and Eve Ballet" from the movie Can Can. (You know, the cheesy 1960 movie with Frank Sinatra and Shirley MacLaine. It featured absolutely incredible music, though!) This piece has only been performed one other time, in Arizona, actually.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

4. We performed with the Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, led by MIT Music and Arts Lecturer Mark Harvey. They treated us to a couple movements from Duke Ellington’s The River, and then, together, we accompanied the lively and jazzy voice of our guest artist, Patrice Williamson, who sang You Make Me Feel So Young, I Stayed too Long at the Fair, and Embraceable You.

Patrice Williamson, Guest Artist. (Photo via arts@mit)

The performance of "Adam and Eve Ballet" was simply naughty! The music originally accompanied a scene in Can Can where dancers were performing the Adam and Eve story. The piece starts off rather heavenly, you know, the orchestra playing beautifully and peacefully as we usually do :) . Then, all of sudden, the serenity is abruptly halted by the entrance of the snake who induces Eve into apple eating. From that point on, musically, there is an aural duality, a good versus evil, present in the music. The sweet and heavenly side represented by the classical phrases and the sinful and raunchy side represented by the wild, less-restricted, jazzy phrases played by the Aardvark Jazz Orchestra. So who won, good or evil? You know the story! Evil won of course! And evil's triumph was blatant in the music since the piece ended with an outrageously loud, energetic roar of swingy jazz. The audience went crazy, demanding an encore! And that's how this historic MITSO concert ended. While our next concert won't be filled with debuts and jazz, it will be just as thrilling. I mean, we're playing Saint-Saens, Bernstein, and Weber for cryin' out loud, how can that not be exciting? During CPW, I encourage you to inquire about MITSO! There will be opportunities to learn about MITSO, as well as other performing groups such as MIT Wind Ensemble (MITWE), MIT Chamber Music, and MIT Concert Choir. Join the excitement and keep music alive at MIT! I hope to see some of you in MITSO next year.

You can log in using the same username and password that you use to log into your MyMIT account. There are no interim screens, so you should be sure you are ready to receive your decision online before logging in to decisions.mit.edu.

Admissions decisions will be available exclusively online. Admitted students will receive information on their financial aid package and Campus Preview Weekend in the mail next week.

The numbers:

Applications: 16,632 (6.2% increase over last year)
Admitted students: 1,611
2010 admit rate: 9.7%
Waitlisted students: 722
Represented: 50 states and 59 countries

The record number of applications means that the admissions committee has worked harder than ever to choose the Class of 2014. We have put our heart and soul, and our best judgment, into every decision, and most decisions are extremely difficult. Most students who applied to MIT this year were excellent matches for MIT, and most were extremely qualified. Our task is to choose from these many, many excellent applicants to bring together a class.

I know I speak for all of the admissions officers when I say that this has been a very difficult admissions process because of the large numbers of very, very qualified applicants. It made reading the applications a joy, but it made turning away students that much harder. Thank you for applying!

We'll have more to say about the process for the admitted students, waitlisted students, and the not admitted students in the days and weeks to come. In the meantime, we'll provide open threads today for all three groups.

FYI, the reply form and CPW portlet in MyMIT will live in a day or two.

When regular action decisions came out last year, I was at a debate tournament, with no access to a computer. A friend of mine had promised to let me use her Blackberry to check my decision, but just as the pivotal moment arrived, I couldn't find her; she'd disappeared to go eat lunch at a nearby McDonald's. I don't think I've ever disliked fast food more.

After fidgeting for a good ten minutes, I decided to call home and get my mom to check for me. It took me a great deal of nerve to do that, to know that if I were to be rejected, my mom would see it first. But still, I called. And told her how to log in. And listened to her read the letter. And proceeded to hyperventilate in disbelief and happiness.

I've wondered before what my life would be like if I hadn't gotten into MIT and hadn't chosen to come here. I believe it would have worked out fine: I would have still gone to college, made new friends, learned to work hard, had a blast.

Your decisions will come out in less than six hours, and it's possible that no amount of distraction will ease your anxiety. I hope you guys have all read Chris's entry. Really, don't panic!

To those of you who get in: Welcome to MIT! Celebrate with your family and friends - and join the Facebook group! Make sure you thank the ones who helped you make it this far :) I can't wait to meet some of you at CPW!

To those of you who don't get in: Take a deep breath. It's okay.
In my psychology class, we talked about an experiment where people attempted to predict their level of happiness before and after receiving a raise. Several stated that they'd be much happier after receiving such a pay increase; months later, however, both those who hadn't received a raise and those who had reported the same level of satisfaction with their lives.
I'm sorry for giving you guys a psych lesson :( I just want you to know that it's going to be fine. You're all talented and creative; you might not be using MIT as your stepping stone, but you're still going to change the world.

And to those of you who get waitlisted: Waiting's hard, yes. But the sentiment of this entry still applies. Don't give up hope! People really do get off the waitlist, and you could be one of them :)

To everyone: As my Star Wars-loving friends frequently say: May the Force be with you.

For Some:

For Others:

And Then Some:

(In reference to this.)
(Photo credit: Liz Kimball '11.)
(See part one.)
(Yes, we ate it afterwards.)