Application Migration

Every day, I take a few minutes to check the boxes of applications on counters throughout our office.  At this point in the enrollment process, I can see the gradual shifting of files from the “admitted” box to the “enrolling” box.  Occasionally, they move to the “deferring” box and, sadly but inevitably, some move on to “not enrolling.”

I’ll take a peek in the files to remind myself who everyone is.  (We often refer to applicants by their characteristics, rather than their names, as in, “Remember the guy who walked from Kenya to Uganda?” or “You know that reapplicant who spent two summers in Antarctica?” so I have to check the file to remind myself who’s who.)  There are many applicants whose files never go past me, but then there are those I have interviewed, or whose applications I have read, and I experience a few seconds of happiness when I figure out who’s joining us at Fletcher.

Just about two weeks from now, the gradual shift will turn into a more pronounced migration, as we reach enrollment decision deadlines.  I can’t deny that there’s always a bit of disappointment for the Admissions staff in this process, when we find out that an applicant we liked won’t enroll, but those feelings are far outweighed by the happy anticipation of a new class in September.