Word has reached me that some of my students might get their first college acceptances today. A few others have already gotten what we used to call “the thin envelope” (back when colleges actually mailed their replies) but are now often sometimes called “re-direction” letters, i.e. advice to head in a different direction, like a different college. Today, though, we’re pretty confident that we will hear back with at least one big YES! The most popular Early Decision reply day is December 15, though, and, like last year, I will try to stay up late to hear the news live as my students hear back. 

Where will you be when you open your first replies? Will your family be recording you to post the clip on your IG? Would you be brave enough to stream live? Will you save the email for a private moment so that you can find out the news without anyone watching? 

I’m not sure I could deal with either a cherished acceptance or a hard denial in public. Both of those can cause a pretty strong wave of emotion that I’m not sure I’d ever want that to be recorded for posterity! Even if I open it in private though, I’d want to make sure I could run out and share any possible good news ASAP with someone who will be just as happy for me, so I can totally see opening up that certain email just before meeting up for a study date with a BFF or something.

Of course, if your luck is anything like mine, you’ll see what you think is that magic email from your ED school, save it to open at just the right time, and then find out it was only a bit of marketing spam and you have another few days of anticipation waiting to hear back from them. Of course.