<p>@ArtsyGirl-sorry, can’t find out the info on the envelope size at this point. I can tell everyone not to freak out just based on the size of the envelope. Sometimes all decisions have come in “regular” business size envelopes, sometimes acceptances have come in larger envelopes. Good luck to all!</p>
<p>I’m sure when people start to “report in” within the next 48 hours, we’ll know the intimate details about the size of the envelopes. :)</p>
<p>Ha! x-posted with GvaMom</p>
<p>Sorry, everyone. The snowstorm brought everything to a halt. The letters won’t actually be turned over to the USPS until tomorrow. They were supposed to go in the mail today but didn’t make it. Sorry to get everyone all excited for an extra 24 hours. :(</p>
<p>Looks like Monday for West Coast people…</p>
<p>:( that is so saaaad</p>
<p>:( oh mannnnnnn</p>
<p>Does FedEx belong to USPS? Is it possible that some international envelopes are sent out first?</p>
<p>I would assume that internationals might get their emails first?</p>
<p>Guysss I’m going crazy I just want to know so bad. I don’t understand why Swarthmore only mails domestic applicant decisions… Isn’t emailing more cost and time efficient? Thoughts?</p>
<p>International mails, even FedEx, take about or over 4 days. Too much anxiety. Also, it is not practical to mail rejection or deferral letters to internationals. Through USPS, it takes weeks.</p>
<p>So international emails may come faster… Hopefully 
AHHHHH so anxious!</p>
<p>With the new mailing date I will probably hear back on my 18th birthday… I am now freaking out even more!</p>
<p>prospie7-All I can guess is that even though it’s more expensive to “snail mail,” Swarthmore likes the idea of students getting a “real” letter. </p>
<p>I also want to mention for those who may not know, that there have been some “epic fails” by other colleges who have used the email route. UCLA, Cornell, Vassar, UC San Diego are ones I can think of off the top of my head. I’ll bet I’m forgetting some. As in they accidentally sent a batch of email acceptances out to students who were actually rejected or deferred. Or something similar.</p>
<p>Here’s a link that show 1st class mail delivery times to the US from Swarthmore zipcode…</p>
<p><a href=“https://ribbs.usps.gov/modernservicestandards/ssmaps/find_map.cfm[/url]”>https://ribbs.usps.gov/modernservicestandards/ssmaps/find_map.cfm</a></p>
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<p>Swarthmore could do both. It could mail out letters and allow applicants to get decisions online. Someone who is too nervous to log in to her/his account or who wants the thrill of opening a letter first can do so. </p>
<p>It is also not clear why sending an e-mail decision is inherently more risky than sending out letters. One can print a batch of acceptance letters for the wrong people as easily as one can send an acceptance e-mail to the wrong people. (Yes, you can look at the letters one last time before sending them out, but redundancy can be built into e-mail systems, too.) With thousands of schools sending out decisions every year, the number of disasters is very small.</p>
<p>There is a picture on the AD Twitter page showing the decision letters…</p>
<p>Interesting… they removed the photo soon after posting it…</p>
<p>@Northeastdad101: Was there a thickness difference in the two letters? Of course you cant tell that from a photo, but more pieces of paper in the acceptance one?</p>
<p>I saw the photo as well before it was removed, all of the envelopes looked exactly the same!</p>
<p>I wonder if the letters have been mailed yet :/</p>
<p>@ladybug8u they were mailed today (it was tweeted earlier today by Swarthmore admissions) and momof3sons told us yesterday…</p>