<p>...because the admissions office doesn't feel the need to stick to its announced decisions time and instead opts to sometimes surprise applicants a several days early, really lowering that expectant anxiety by doing away with our mental countdown timers. When I opened my email on that fateful December day, I was so floored by its unexpected arrival that I wasn't in the state of mind to play games (i.e. closing my eyes, biting my nails, rocking on the floor in the fetal position, or having someone else read it), but rather clicked it reflexively.<br>
I'm glad that Stanford isn't so anal about their release time because I think that this essentially negates that build-up that can really amplify feelings of stress and, if the outcome is negative, those of regret/loss.</p>
<p>I completely agree. If only other schools like the Ivy League didn’t have such strict agreements on when to release decisions… Stanford has more apps than most of them and still finished well in advance, and was nice enough to end the process sooner.</p>
<p>I agree with 1337toast (fun name to type). I didn’t really know what the REA decision email was until I actually started reading it, which was nice. There was no “I’m about to choke and die in anticipation” feeling.</p>
<p>totally agree there. When I was checking my email it was early in the morning, and my brain was pretty dead. I couldn’t react for 5 seconds when I read the letter haha - but I’m glad that I didn’t have to start preparing myself for a heart attack 5 days before opening the email.</p>
<p>Having already received a similar email for SCEA a few days early that resulted in sincere disappointment (deferral), I kind of expected this and was hesitant to open it because I knew what it could contain. I left it off for 24 hours, sleeping on it, but eventually opened it because of my friend’s advice: “Think about it… You could have gotten into Stanford! What are you waiting for?!” If you look at it that way, it’s tough to resist.</p>
<p>When I saw my SCEA email I opened it expecting it to be a notification of when decisions were going to be released. Boy was I suprised when I saw “Congratulations…”</p>
<p>^haha that’s exactly what I thought too</p>
<p>^ bahaha, same for me. I was polishing my coffin and preparing flowers for my funeral already. D: I was like ‘decisions are out soon, sigh’, and then lolwut they’re already out?!</p>