<p>Today, I received a handwritten note on a postcard from my regional admissions dean that said "I enjoyed your [creative awesome] optional. A "responsible risk" that paid off."</p>
<p>(Note: I talked in my supplement about how taking responsible risks is the key to success.)</p>
<p>Did anyone else here get a handwritten note like this in the mail? What does it mean?</p>
<p>MusicalDreams, as deans review applications they send those Tribebook postcards to those whose applications we thoroughly enjoyed reviewing. Those students who receive a postcard can certainly take it to mean that their application has received a positive review by one of the application readers (in this case your regional dean). Postcards are not decisions (which are sent in early April) but they are positive reinforcement.</p>
<p>Those who do not receive postcards should not fret. We pull application files randomly and some simply get pulled to review earlier than others. So there are plenty of apps we enjoy who are simply reviewed later in the process and therefore do not receive the postcards.</p>
<p>Hope you liked the postcard.</p>
<p>just out of curiosity, do well written common app’s also get a postcard?</p>
<p>Eagles<em>for</em>Life, all of the applications submitted are Common Applications. The postcard musicaldreams got simply singled out her supplement as something the dean particularly enjoyed. The dean very easily could have noted musicaldreams’ Common Application personal statement or any other part of the application they found particularly well done.</p>
<p>Eagles, as a side not, I got a postcard that was complimentary of my main essay.</p>
<p>I hope this means that musicaldreams and I are in, I mean, how cruel would it be to send a postcard with a positive handwritten note, knowing the person was rejected?</p>
<p>I sure hope that you guys get in! I was just wondering how long it took for you guys between when WM sent the 1st email conformation to the postcard? I just got my 1st email conformation yesterday. Did u guys get the postcard after the 2nd conformation email or the 1st?</p>
<p>Great Question Eagle, I would like to see an answer for that.</p>
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<p>I’ve heard Stanford sends out birthday cards even if you’re rejected.</p>
<p>Could be mistaken though.</p>
<p>@ Eagles:</p>
<p>I got both of my confirmation emails before I received my postcard. I submitted my CommonApp around Dec 20 or so.</p>
<p>Just as background info, the supplement she said she liked had photos, many colored fonts, and nothing in paragraph form (actually, very few things were even in sentence form :P). To put it in simple terms, it was completely unconventional. She told me the specific parts of my supplement that she enjoyed.</p>
<p>I’m sure if a student wrote a great personal statement, had an outstanding academic record, or have won many distinctive awards, the similar would be highly plausible.</p>
<p>Good luck to all of you, and maybe I’ll meet you next year! ;)</p>
<p>yeah, I got both my confirmation e-mails before getting the postcard.</p>
<p>packer22, while no decision is final until you receive official notification from W&M (via email and mail), your logic is going in the right direction.</p>
<p>Eagles, postcards are sent only after an application has been reviewed at least once. We cannot review anyone’s application until that application is complete. If you have not received a second email it just means we haven’t matched all your materials together yet. Once you get that second email, your application will be in the pile to go out for review (that pile can be thousands of applications long). So some students who have great applications won’t get a postcard simply because they get read later based totally on when we randomly pull files to read. Not getting a postcard does not necessarily mean anything.</p>
<p>Oh, and thanks W&M Admission, I did really like the postcard :)</p>
<p>Glad you did MusicalDreams</p>
<p>I just read this thread this morning and this afternoon my DS got a postcard! Very cool.</p>
<p>W&M Admissions you rock. I think it’s great you and your staff take time out of your too busy schedule to answer questions here, send postcards and write your blog. </p>
<p>Made my DS’s day!</p>
<p>Not a postcard here, but my husband and I received a letter from the alumni association this week, letting us know that they were notified that our DS had applied. DS is a “double” legacy. The letter assured us that our son would be given full consideration by the Admissions Office, and we appreciated the contact. Is this standard for all legacy applicants?</p>
<p>VAMom, hope your DS liked the postcard. We enjoy being able to communicate with applicants personally because we so rarely get to meet them in person. The postcard at least allows us to tell them that we appreciate the effort they put into their application.</p>
<p>LoCoMama, thanks for your continued interest in your alma mater. All legacy applicants that are in our pool will or have received communication from the Alumni Office regarding their student’s application. I believe this is a new venture the Alumni Office and Admission are working on together this year to be sure that lifelong connections between alumni and the College are maintained. We will certainly view your student’s status as a double legacy as a plus factor when reviewing the application.</p>