Following a great paper-processing frenzy, the Admissions Committee is reviewing many applications submitted before the November 15 Early Notification deadline. The applications not yet under review are still waiting for the mail to bring us a transcript, or for that last recommender to submit a letter. We will continue reading these applications for the next few weeks and will send out decisions in late December.

Meanwhile, most of our applicants will aim for the January 15 deadline and we are still very much in the process of answering questions, conducting interviews, and sending information to prospective students who are midway through their graduate school planning. If this applies to you, then you should be taking the final steps to prepare to apply. Even if you haven’t already taken your standardized tests, you should have a test date appointment, and don’t forget to arrange for us to receive the official score report. Ask your college or university to send your transcripts. If the transcript arrives early, we will hold it while we wait for your application.

Their own October 15 deadline long passed, students admitted for the January 2007 semester have learned of our decisions and are making their plans to return to student life. We’re excited to see the interesting backgrounds that will be represented in this mid-year entering class.

These cycles of application deadlines and decisions have the potential to seem routine for those of us who have been through them a few times. But the interactions with applicants are always fresh – never routine – and we’re very aware of how complex this process is for our prospective students.