First-Class Mail and Mimosas Mark a Celebratory Day for Admissions Staff

After many months of anticipation, 1,031 high school students around the world today received the news for which thousands more had been hoping. But these Harvard admits were not the only ones with reason to celebrate “decision day.” For the members of Harvard’s Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, the day marked the end of months of application reviews and committee meetings that went into producing the Class of 2018.

More than a dozen members of the office met around noon to make the final preparations to mail out admissions packets.

Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons ’67 said that he can remember the years when he towed all the decision letters in his car to the post office for mailing. But as the number of applicants has increased, so has the number of staff members who have helped with the process and the mailings.

On Thursday, “Don’t Stop Believing” and “Eye of the Tiger” could be heard playing throughout a hall filled with staffers sealing envelopes, ready to be put aboard a mail truck and delivered to admitted students early next week.

Around noon, with photographers in place, the staff formed a human assembly line from within the office out to a waiting mail truck. Inside, a late breakfast of pancakes, coffee, and well-mixed mimosas awaited the celebratory staff.

And, staff members said, planning for the Class of 2019 is well underway.

—Staff writer Theodore R. Delwiche can be reached attheodore.delwiche@thecrimson.com. Follow him on twitter @trdelwic.