Woof!  It's been quite busy here these past few weeks in Johnson House.  Our Early Decision applications were up over 20%... which isn't an absolutely good or bad thing.  As we discovered last week in our first gathering of committee deliberations, the increase in numbers was accompanied by a major increase in applicant quality, too!  Yikes.  This, too, is a blessing and a burden.  While we're always delighted to work with such talented students, it's difficult as we grapple with a new set of standards. (Hmmm... reminds me of a Radiolab episode, "New Normal" - check it out.)   It's already difficult to describe Who Gets In both accurately and encouragingly, and when the quality of our applicants jumps up without warning, it's a bit scary for us, and for you.  Frustratingly, it sometimes means that the borderline students we could advocate for with a good amount of conviction no longer have a chance, too.  But, fear not, oh reader... we're still dedicated to our thorough application review process, which takes into account a huge variety of factors, not just SAT and ACT scores.

On a more lighthearted note... here are some snapshots from around the office this morning.