May Day From The Sidelines

Today is May Day.

A little celebrated holiday once you are over the age of eight and done making flower head-wreaths (or part of the labor force).

But in the admission world - my world - May Day takes on so much more significance.

It is Election Day.
It is the last day of school.
It is opening night.

May 1st is the nationally recognized day in which seniors must make their college decision. As such, admission counselors eagerly await (OK, we aren't really waiting...we are emailing and greeting visitors and note-writing and calling and reception hosting...) this day as the day in which we find out who will be arriving on campus the following fall. It is the day we have been working for all year (plus).

We are also doing a whole lot of praying. Pleasepleaseplease may the numbers come in on target. Pleasepleaseplease may that really cool student from Montana decide to enroll. Pleasepleaseplease may the Dean have a smile on his face come 5 o'clock.

Yes, our livelihood is centered around the whims of 18 year-olds whose prefrontal cortex has yet to completely develop. Yep, that same prefrontal cortex that functions as a decision maker. We are in for a bumpy ride...

When I started in admissions almost 20 years ago enrollment deposits (and declines) came in pre-addressed/stamped #10 envelopes. We had one person in the office that opened the mail and everyone hovered around her desk as she calmly slit open the day's mail. We paced. We looked over her shoulder. In short...we drove her nuts.

Nowadays students can let us know online, on Facebook, with a swipe of that square dohickey you attach to your smart phone. And yes, we still accept that pre-addressed/stamped #10 envelope for the quaint of heart. But despite how they tell us of their decision, when they tell us still hasn't changed. My life for the past (almost) 20 years holds this day as significant.

It is the first day of spring training.
It is Tax Day (if you are an accountant).
It is Christmas.

So here I sit, this May 1st, not having checked my work email since noon-ish on March 20th. I can't believe I've lasted this long (I'm sure some people took bets on how long I could stay away). Oh, yes, I'll admit I sent a text to a colleague this morning wishing the office a "Happy May 1st", but that's it.

Instead of checking email every 3.5 minutes for an updated list from the Dean, and then eagerly scanning that list of names for "my" students, I'm staring at this:

May Day 2014 couldn't be any better.

But I do hope I get an email today from the office with the results of those pre-addressed/stamped #10 envelopes.

Old habits die hard.