What we're up to today

Last week I came to work every day in “business ultracasual” attire (if there is such a thing).  The office was closed for much of each day while we processed applications, and opening mail always leaves me covered with bits of paper, so jeans seemed like the way to go.

Today we’re all looking more professional as we meet 18 of the Early Notification admitted students.  They’ll be in and out of the office, alternating with attending classes, special sessions and panels, lunch, and a tour.  I enjoy meeting these small groups — easier to sort out who’s who.

I’m actually going to be lunching not with the admitted students but with the current students on the Admissions Committee.  They’re fabulous!  (I might have said that before.)  Our “Lunch and Apps” session is to help them stay on track and support them as they read, read, read.

And there’s a TON for them to read.  Maybe not literally a ton, but hundreds of pounds, anyway.  A super-efficient crew came in on Saturday and processed, processed, processed.  Among the many positive results is that most applicants can now access useful information through the Graduate Application Management System.  (Another positive result is that there’s a bare table around which we can sit and eat lunch.)

I’m taking my first full reading day on Thursday, and I’m looking forward to it.  Somehow, until I throw myself completely into a mountain of applications, I don’t fully connect to the process.  I’ll be back to ultracasual attire, accessorized by fuzzy slippers, for a day of getting to know applicants via their essays.