You hit the send button. You lick the postage stamp. You walk your application out to the mailbox. But then what happens? Aaron and I followed the footsteps of a file around the office. Hold on to your hats, here we go!
We receive buckets of mail, from every corner of the world, daily. If you submit your application via the internet we print each piece from our snazzy bizhub.
Sandy "checks-in" each piece of an application. She registers applications in Recruitment Plus, our office database, which then shows you what we've received on the Generals' HQ. Please remember that this process can take a while. Sometimes up to a week!
Once Sandy has marked things in the system, a file is officially created. We keep our files in these drawers for easy access. Sandy and Vicki keep track of the status of all of the applications. When we're ready to read applications they pull the files that we need based on certain criteria(are you Early Decision? Did you apply for the Johnson Scholarship?). All of those files are pulled at the same time and created into bundles we call "stacks." Stacks usually include about 25 applications.
Stacks live in the hobbit hole upstairs. When we want to read a stack we "check it out." Robert is the master of the spreadsheet, so he's created an organized system for understanding who has which stack and what still needs to be read. This is an example of our Early Decision reading. You'll notice that every person in the office read every application during ED1.
Here's Aaron filling out his voting sheets. We record important details like where a student goes to school, how they did on the ACT/SAT, their GPA and what they do outside of the classroom. I usually write little notes that will help me remember a certain application too, including where the student is from and what they wrote their essay on.
Tony snapped this picture of us all huddled around Bill's office during our Early Decision file meetings last year. Fast forward one year, remove Jacob from the picture and insert Chris, and you've got an idea of what I've been up to for the past 2 days. During our reading meetings we each vote on every file. Sometimes a vote is unanimous. Sometimes it causes a stir. Sometimes we don't get what we want. 
But we make decisions. And files with decisions are handed over to Jan to "code" in the system. She also runs the official decision letters (each hand signed by Dean Hartog) based on their codes in the computer.
Files with decisions are stored in these special file cabinets, where Jan can keep a close eye on them. We currently have files for Admits, Defers and Denies. When a student sends in their deposit to enroll at W&L we move their file into a cabinet designated "Confirms."
As all of this shuffling and bustling is happening we're readying letters for the mailman. All of our letters come in little envelopes...sorry! While you guys are nervous about what letter will come in the mail, we're breathing a sigh of relief. We're one more mailing closer to April. And a few admits closer to a full enrolling class!
