esrosedotblog

IN AND OUT

I got the word on which of "my" kids got accepted to MIT.

I am an alumnus who stands ready to visit with applicants on their way in the admissions process. I am called an Educational Counsellor. There are over 2000 of us across the country. This is my second year in the position.

Last year I shared the area with the outgoing EC and had no interviews requested. He only had a few.

This year I had ten kids setup interviews with me. As it turned out, this was almost all of the applicants who completed the full admissions process. Over 90%! Unprecedented.

I had a great time interviewing them. It is not easy. Some are a bit high on the introvert scale. I can identify with that.

So. I didn't interview one kid. One was a dud. The rest were pretty good and two were outstanding. I gave one of these the rare +1 rating. Too good to be passed up.

He didn't make it. Neither did any of the others.

There was only one admission. The kid who didn't interview! She got in on "early admissions" but I had several more in that category.

What a kick in the ass! My initial reaction was "to hell with it". I'll quit.

I got one email from the group thanking me for my help while also saying how bummed she was.

Well. After the initial disappointment, I braced up a bit.

I suppose that every EC had at least one +1 to promote. That would end up as 4000 plus students. They can only admit about about 1600 kids. About 10 % of the total applicants.

I got a letter today from the Head of Admissions. She knew the ache of the EC and hit the nail right on the head about how I was feeling.

Very nice.

I have gotten over the disappointment.

I won't resign.

I liked doing it.

My disappointment has to be nothing compared to the kids who didn't make it. Who wanted it so badly.

They all had backups of course. But for a couple of them, this would have been a wonderful opportunity and they won't get the shot that I had.

We live in a bit of a backwater here in the desert.

I was amazed at how good the kids I saw were. Even the dud! Actually she was very smart. Too smart by half. She had a particular kind of contempt for the un-smart that was palpable. Ego.

I will give it a go next year. Maybe I can get to interview the one or two that make it. If not, the downside is that I will have met some young people who are really interesting to talk to and maybe, just maybe, have a little influence on their choices down the road.

Labels: MIT