Ok, now that I know Harvard is going to email its rejections I hate being online. It's one thing to go to your snail mailbox and know that a rejection letter could be sitting inside. For email, you aren't prepared. It could show up at any time. Every time my message indicator lights up, I jump thinking this is the inevitable ding. It's like getting shots as a kid -- the anticipation is so much worse than the actuality. You know it will sting for a second and then be over, but waiting -- is it now, is it now -- that is the excruciating part.

I had a friend that (disturbing as it may sound) had taken to hanging his rejection letters on a wall in his room (fortunately he did get an acceptance from an Oxford Master's Program). He'd be pretty ticked about this email rejection system. (I think another poster mentioned how angry he was to not have a letter to frame).

I'm with you, YF. I'm in front of my computer at work, and I'm worried that I'll have a client at my desk when I get Harvard's (or anyone's!) rejection in my inbox. Of course, I won't be able to stop myself from clicking on the message, and I'll have to try and not react when I get the bad news so my client doesn't wonder what's wrong.

I prefer snail mail in the privacy of my own home. I don't care if it takes a couple more days to get.

I have my waitlists on the fridge, but that is more to remind me to follow up.

BC is definitely on my fridge.

Reminds me to stay hungry

Isn't Harvard still sending out TStock phone call emails as well? So you'll see an email from Harvard, and not know whether it's there to set up an interview or to reject you? Awesome.

The subject line of the interview email says: Harvard Law School - Phone Call

What about the subject line of the denial email?

Hm, can't you set your comp so you don't know the exact instant you get an e-mail? Like people did in the Stone Age...aka 2002?

I tape them on my door. So far there's only one -- on letterhead that says "The University of California".

I'm cool with emailed decisions. I'd rather have them immediately than wait for snail mail.

In addition to that, they seem to be sending out emails regarding a new status checker. Those sadists.

I dislike it as well. Especially since I just got an e-mail from Harvard and assumed automatically it was them rejecting me. It was just them notifying me of the online status check, but I had a short period of panic there. I suppose it's more environmentally friendly and efficient to do it online, but there's just something classier about regular mail. And, as you say, it's just something you have to face once a day when you open your mailbox, not every time you check your e-mail.

Funny, I did the same thing.

Yeah, I got the status check email literally right after I posted my complaints upthread. You win again, Harvard. Well played.

I didn't know Harvard was rejecting via email.

Anyway, while reading these posts I got an email notification and my heart stopped. This is going to be hell every time I get an email now.

Thanks HLS. I don't wanna go to your stinking school anyway (Denial)

I fail to understand why anyone would not want to know as quickly as possible. Hearing "decision" and having to wait a week for mail to arrive is cruel.

Schools should have to call everyone, even if it's a rejection. Then they'd think twice for being so heartless!

Right now my phone is regularly not ringing through and not giving me voicemails until up to two days after they were left. And the post office has decided to start dropping off any large packets from law schools at random addresses (thank you neighbors for bringing them by). So personally, bring on the emails, as at least Gmail has yet to let me down. Much better to know - whatever the answer is - than to have the school think you know, but you don't because TMobile or the USPS suck.

I'll say this, I like snail mail rejections.

Since almost everyone does email you could get my Friday (In at GW via email, come home to BC rejection). That's an awesome day in my book cuz you don't care about the rejection then.

I dunno, I think everything should be by e-mail. Acceptances/rejections/etc. I had one of my acceptances get lost in the mail, and didn't find out till a month later.

wow... you should switch providers... maybe join "America's most reliable network" or whatever they call themselves now.

Emails are only sweet when they're admits, otherwise... work become impossible. These status checkers are playing on my already out of control neuroticism.

The delivery method doesn't matter to me - all rejections are evil. I have a little list I keep of the people who signed the rejection letters.

^^^ hahaha.

the only reason schools are rejecting by email is because of too many applicants. They probably ran out of money to print out those rejection letters. Or they're just being environmentally friendly. Especially with those top schools where the number of applicants close to 10,000. I applied for grad school at an elite school, surprise surprise I got rejected via email.

i guess i'm in the minority but i would prefer an email rejection because i can just quickly delete the electonric file. having a paper rejection is like having the rejection take on a tangible form and you can touch it, smell it, and have to physically throw it away. i dunno... it's just a bad feeling. i want to be able to hit the delete button and move on.

I got the status checker email--does that mean I'm complete at Harvard?