The Wait

It’s decision time. The time when college decision letters are sent out to all the eagerly awaiting High School Seniors who have been waiting on pins and needles to hear whether it’s a yea, nay, or sit a spell.

A sit a spell is what I call the Wait List. That’s the list they put you on when the college decides “you’re okay, but not okay to be initially accepted.” So if the students the colleges really want say “no”…then they’ll take you. Personally, I say to hell with them. If they didn’t want me the first go around…then they can’t have me. (I like to play hard to get.)

So the next couple of weeks are filled with anticipation of the college decision letters. Listening for the mailman to come around the corner in his mail truck. (I’m curious, how does he not fall out of that thing going around corners with his door wide open?) Will Mr. Mailman have good news or bad news…or no news? “They” say no news is good news…but after waiting for so long, it doesn’t always feel that way…feels more like bad news.

The size of the letter tells you a lot. No matter what anyone tells you…size does matter. The big envelope is a sure sign they have admitted you into their college. No college would spend the extra money in postage to send out a big envelope with the words REJECTED on it. It doesn’t take much space to say: HIT THE ROAD.

Students are also hearing online through email and websites whether they have either been accepted or rejected…with the official letter to follow in snail mail. I’ve heard some colleges even have snazzy links to their e-letter. So if you get the good news that you’ve been accepted…you click on a link and a marching band plays…fireworks explode. I don’t think they’ve linked a rejection letter to a funeral march procession. Or maybe they just haven’t thought of it yet.

I have an idea for Brianna. I think she should send out rejection letters through email to the schools who have accepted her, but she has decided against attending:

“Dear Mr. Dean of Admissions:

After carefully comparing your school to the other schools I have been admitted to, I regret to inform you that I have decided to not attend your college in Fall, 2009. Unfortunately, there was fierce competition between many highly qualified schools and only one of me to go around. This does not mean, in any way, that you are a bad school. I wish you future success in obtaining other students to attend your college.

P.S. You will be receiving a copy of this e-letter in the mail to make it official. In other words Mr. Dean of Admissions…HIT THE ROAD.”