<p>I just had a random thought about it. Let’s assume that on average, each applicant’s file is about 1 cm thick. For schools like Harvard, they had almost 30000 applicants last year, which means the total thickness of all applicant files is 300 meters. Since they still keep applicant files in paper form, it means 300 m of shelf length is required for each year. Where the hell do they have room for that?</p>
<p>Not to forget that many schools retain unsuccessful applications for a few years… by that count those schools may need almost a kilometer of shelf length.</p>
<p>Also, assuming you have a 7m by 7m room and shelves on too sides of the room, and 6 layers on each side</p>
<p>take away 1m from each side, you have 5X2X6=60m of shelving, and that’s in a relately normal sized room. If you just have, say 1 room with all the files, </p>
<p>say 15x15m</p>
<p>so you have shelves/walking space/shelves/walking space</p>
<p>lets say a shelf takes 50cm, and walking space 1.5m</p>
<p>Yeah I realized it’s probably not 1 cm, which is about 100 sheets tightly squeezed together. The Common App has 15 pages of application forms, college-specific supplement is typically 2 pages, and the typical applicant would add to that 2 pages of resume, perhaps 4 pages of essays, and maybe 5 pages of teacher recommendations. Then we have test scores from CollegeBoard, maybe 2 pages. HS transcripts, depending on school maybe 2 pages. Add to that 5 pages of extra stuff I can’t quite think of right now.</p>
<p>Assuming everything is single-sided, we now have at least 37 sheets, about 0.37 cm. I’m sure they make multiple copies of applications for multiple admission officers on admission committees, etc. Not sure if they would archive them. Still there are applicants who will send in many other supplements, including art, music, writing or research, and additional letters explaining special circumstances or just plain sucking up to adcoms. Plus the typical cardboard-ish material that an application folder is made of is probably as thick as at least 2 sheets of paper, so add 4 pages (2 for each cover). Let’s take 0.50 cm for our total.</p>
<p>During application season, MIT’s folders are carried around by admissions officers, who are reading them. They also come to selection, where they are placed in different bins according to who’s admitted and who’s not.</p>
<p>Afterward, there’s a room in the basement of the Infinite Corridor where the files are kept.</p>
<p>When you said that, I had this unlikely image of admission officers constantly carrying around hundreds of applicant files around the campus, but am I right to say that you mean the files are kept with the respective admission officers in their own desks and cabinets during application seasons? lol</p>
<p>Cool, I’ve read Matt’s posts before and he really gives great insight into the lives of admission officers But seriously, that means admission officers are NOT in their office most of the time? Or is it just an MIT thing?</p>
But seriously, that means admission officers are NOT in their office most of the time? Or is it just an MIT thing?</p>