Oh, Goody

This posted on Brown's admission website: "This year, Brown received a record number of applications for undergraduate admission, 19,025, from 50 states and 72 countries. "

And I want to know this why, exactly?

Competition at Every Turn

2/16/07

A’s final interview yesterday, for Brown. They met at Peet’s Coffee in Newton Centre. On his way in he ran into another blue-blazer clad classmate en route to his Princeton interview. The competition, literally, is around every corner.
As for the interview, who knows? A is relaxed about it all now. We both have a “throw our hands up in the air” attitude. What else can he do?
The woman who interviewed him was about my age, mid forties. A liked her, though worries that he lost an opportunity to give a good answer. When she asked how he spent his last summer, he blanked. All he could think of was the MIT paradox class. Ideally, he would have told her about studying for his A+ exam. But wait, he can mention that in his thank you note to her. In fact, it will make the note that much better. I send A an email saying just this. He is such a patient kid, and I know I am over-controlling and annoying. May this be one of my last e-mail "suggestions."

To Be Interview or Not to be Interviewed--is that the question?

2/12

On the phone with T today we review the latest news. Her son hasn’t been invited for a Brown interview, A has. Does this mean anything? She makes the leap (as I would) that this means that her son is already in the “denied” pile. More realistically, I suspect, it means that the interviewer assigned to him simply dropped the ball. Or does it? On the one hand, I want to believe this. On the other, these schools can’t possibly interview all 20,000-whatever candidates that apply. Can they? Again, another big unknown. It might mean something, it might not.