W00t FIRST POST!!! HAHAHA

anyway, I was going to say your picture on the top did not reflect the change when I lit up upon the realization that I was probably the first to see your new entry...
:-D

Awesome! Best of luck to the applicants awaiting their decisions, and I hope to see many of you at CPW and at MIT in the fall. :)

"Fabrice"

Yeah, I had to refresh my browser to see it - just do the same if you don't see it folks. :-)

thanks for the pictures!!!

Congratulations to everyone who will be receiving a big envelope, I just hope that I will be one of them.

Haha, I would very much like if you can zoom in the lens so that I could see the names on those big envelopes :D

Anyway, very tension-smoothing actions, Ben ;)

Awesome pictures, and a much better job shaving than the 'MIT' attempt ;)

Good luck, yet again, to everyone waiting for their decisions!

<3 Katie

And off they go! mootmom promises not to weep too much over the missing chin hair, although it *did* look quite spiffy... (Love the tie, by the way, Ben: I have a pet carrier made of a similar material. Heh. Is it the one with the cats, or with the little rodents?)

Thank you so much for keeping it real these past few months for all the applicants and their families. And most importantly: all the best to every one of you, you MIT hopefuls, wherever you land!

Hey, there are two Bens now! To clarify, I'm the one who didn't apply this year). ;-)

Mootmom - turtles, of course! :-)

hahaahah I couldn't stop myself from smiling involuntarily, even though I know the chances are slim... I looked for MY packet in there!!

quite a celebration, eh? ;-)

You look great Ben! Thanks for the pictures.
Best of luck to everybody!!
peace and love,
hg

suspense is no good, I want to know right now!

ahhh a whole weeekend of waiting, but i guess the mail decision thingy has its Charm.

~30 bins with ~30 big envelopes in them == a possible 900 admits.

Just a guess...I have nothing better to do ;)

As a point of interest, why did MIT decide not to release admissions decisions online? I seem to recall that the calendar originally said that decisions would be released online and was later changed, though I could be mistaken.

Because there's more "charm" to getting an envelope. It's less personal Online.

And less susceptible to hacking.

I am going to cry when the rejection comes.
I am sure I will, no matter that I was always very strong in every situation, including another rejection. MIT is an exception in my life...
I am sorry in advance ;).

omg that's the cutest picture of matt's smile i've ever seen!

You tease, Ben! Every single person who veiwed this page (I'll bet) squinted really hard to try and see the names on those envelopes. I know I did.

Ohh, good luck everyone!

~Kelly

Whoaaa. I have just seen the transformation of the photo. Hey, there was no deja-vu when the system was being changed!

Hehehehe I expected Matrix-speak on an MIT blog ;-) All it needed was time....

Ben,grow your beard again.You look much better with it

how exciting!

It's now all over!
Thanks for all the work you've done for us. You've done a great job! Now a big envelope in my mail box will finish this long journey (hopefully not a small letter that says "YOU'RE REJECTED")

Meràþi beaucoup! Gracias!

WOw...there are so many of those nice, big envelopes, and yet so few.

Anyone have any ingenious ideas of how to keep one's mind off of MIT and Admissions letters this weekend??

I just checked my voicemail. At 7:48PM John from MIT Mail Services reported that 17 flats and 40 tubs were picked up USPS for delivery to South Station for sorting and distribution. If you live near Boston, check your mail tomorrow.

It's so different without the beard! Either way, I too squinted to find my name. If only the Hollywood-style "photo-enhancement" software actually existed... :)

Shipment times between Detroit and Boston == Arrival between pi-day and 3-16!

Ben... I would feel so, so violated if I found out that you had caressed my decision:-p

Wow!!!
those big ol' envelopes represent a lot of happy people!! great pictures Ben

Hi, everyone. I'm just popping in to say hello and to wish you all well, regardless of the admissions outcome. Tonight, like so many times, I feel like the luckiest woman on earth for the privledge of working with such extraordinary people. The MIT Admissions staff members are determined to see the *person* in the case always, and they work hard to get it right. They are fun and funny and smart - cute, too, with or without beards -and tonight they are all pretty tired. ;-)

Just remember that everything always works out for the best.
Marilee Jones

hi Ben,
well done man,
all of u have been great Matt, Ben, Mitra, Kevin and of course this last post by Marilee Jones.

U have done a great job and i can say no more than a Thank you. The blogs have been great and if i am accepted or rejected i shall always rememebr the experience of APPLYING TO MIT...........

Good luck to all of u..

omg ben ur cute!! Why have you been hiding that face of yours...

BTW I squinted too..couldnt make out the names on the envelope though, maybe i could try my new photo shop software
Totally agree with Saad, the process of 'APPLYING TO MIT' was by far the most fun and ineteresting ever and I will never forget it whether I get in or not( oh but i soooo wish i do!!)

Good luck to everybody!!! :)

~Eujin

I'm totally agree with all those applying people... You've done a great job, Ben!
Now, we have nothing to do but wait... and those 3 days, that I'm facing now, look too long.
It reminds the waiting for the medals at the Olympiad, when people are are seating in the hall and guessing how they did and what they recieved...
well >>GOOD LUCK<< to everyone!!!!!

Someone just has to copy a little bit of the black writing on the envelope and send the picture through a fractal equation. That might work! OR wait for next week.

How exciting!

~Kelly

One of the comments on the last thread quoted T.S.Eliot with April as the cruelest month. I was watching a Mamas and the Papas show on my local PBS station and one of the songs sung was Monday, Monday. On this weekend this song takes on a whole different meaning. For those who live in the Northeast and do not become part of MIT '09 it's your theme song at least while you mourn on Monday. For lyrics go to www.mathematik.uni-ulm.de/paul/lyrics/mamasand papas/monday~1.html

We all can still try for graduate studies in MIT. MAybe even transfer admissions. Its true that MIT seems to be a great place but there are many great places in our world or else MIT would have more than 10000 applicants.

I feel sad and though I know that I and all other applicants are extremely well qualified, I cant but help have the need to prove myself. Maybe my rejection will spark great things from me. Maybe. Life goes on -

As Calvin's dad (from Calvin and Hobbes) would probably say - "rejection builds character"

We will all be great - we will all be remembered if we all want it bad enough. I want to be remembered throughout time --- my name and deeds should echo through time till the human race (or any race that knows about me) dies out.

THERE ARE INFINITE PATHS TO GREATNESS, ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS FOLLOW ONE. - viggy

Viggy - people are not all world for people. Half is physics, and second part is the psychology [the result of being of physics. Guess why :")].

There is no need to echo through time till the human race (or any race that knows about me) dies out. You may want to lead your life in this way, but you can just do what you want. You will be best in this area, best fit, and most energetic.

If you would like to, I can explain why I regard it as the best solution. Basing on utylitarism. But I think that you can find it out without my help :).

Hehe, and about self-quoting.
When I read posts of people who feel hurt, I am wondering why people need to struggle with consequences of their living, even though it is not their fault? ;) ;) ;) - Jpsi :)

Oh. and BTW >> Rejection build character. That's right. MIT undergraduate studies are not as important, as the possibility of working there, if you would like to have the impact on the world. So do not be so down :).

i am ashamed to admit that i, too, zoomed in on the envelopes =)

well.. who didn't?
and Shahab, do you have your package?

It's been deleted. Please don't post that link again folks, and thanks to those of you who did your best to get it removed - that was absolutely the right thing to do. You ROCK!

Edit - followup is here:
http://www.3-107.com/archives/2005/03/the_dhl_fiasco.html

:) nice.

btw: I took a photo before shaving... If I do not get in, I will be sending the worse, and worse pictures! Month after month ;). Untill Grad studies admission :).

Don't worry Ben, it's been removed! have a nice dinner!

Thanks Ben!

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D:D:D:D:D:DD:DD:D:D:D:D:DD:D::DD:DD::D:D:D awww... I lost synchronization ;).

Thank You, and other admission officers very, very much [and very] indeed. I have about 50 photos from opening the envelope.
If you would like to, I could email it :).

Congrats jpsi - now you can continue your shaving habits :)

Congratulations ipsi.

Congrats jpsi! I'd love to see pics. :-)