You Be the Judge
MIT certainly has a reputation to be proud of, but its admissions
department went a little over-board, I think. I actually received
this letter, and actually mailed the following (original) response.
-John
April 18, 1994
Mr. John T. Mongan
123 Main Street
Smalltown, California 94123-4567
Dear John:
You've got the grades. You've certainly got the PSAT scores. And
now you've got a letter from MIT. Maybe you're surprised. Most
students would be.
But you're not most students. And that's exactly why I urge you
to consider carefully one of the most selective universities in
America.
The level of potential reflected in your performance is a powerful
indicator that you might well be an excellent candidate for MIT. It
certainly got my attention!
Engineering's not for you? No problem. It may surprise you to
learn we offer more than 40 major fields of study, from architecture
to brain and cognitive sciences, from economics (perhaps the best
program in the country) to writing.
What? Of course, you don't want to be bored. Who does? Life
here is tough and demanding, but it's also
fun. MIT students are imaginative and creative - inside and
outside the classroom.
You're interested in athletics? Great! MIT has more varsity
teams--39--than almost any other university, and a
tremendous intramural program so everybody can participate.
You think we're too expensive? Don't be too sure. We've got
surprises for you there, too.
Why not send the enclosed Information Request to find out more
about this unique institution? Why not do it right now?
Sincerely,
Michael C. Benhke
Director of Admissions
P.S. If you'd like a copy of a fun-filled, fact-filled brochure,
"Insight," just check the appropriate box on the form.
May 5, 1994
Michael C. Behnke
MIT Director of Admissions
Office of Admissions, Room 3-108
Cambridge MA 02139-4307
Dear Michael:
You've got the reputation. You've certainly got the pomposity.
And now you've got a letter from John Mongan. Maybe you're surprised.
Most universities would be.
But you're not most universities. And that's exactly why I urge
you to carefully consider one of the most selective students in
America, so selective that he will choose only one of the
thousands of accredited universities in the country.
The level of pomposity and lack of tact reflected in your letter
is a powerful indicator that your august institution might well be a
possibility for John Mongan's future education. It certainly got my
attention!
Don't want Bio-Chem students? No problem. It may surprise you to
learn that my interests cover over 400 fields of study, from semantics
to limnology, from object-oriented programming (perhaps one of the
youngest professionals in the country) to classical piano.
What? Of course you don't want egotistical jerks. Who does? I
am self indulgent and over confident, but I'm also
amusing. John Mongan is funny and amusing - whether you're laughing
with him or at him.
You're interested in athletes? Great! John Mongan has played
more sports--47--than almost any other student,
including oddball favorites such as Orienteering.
You think I can pay for your school? Don't be too sure. I've got
surprises for you there, too.
Why not send a guaranteed admission and full scholarship to
increase your chance of being selected by John Mongan? Why not do it
right now?
Sincerely,
John Mongan
P.S. If you'd like a copy of a fun-filled, fact-filled brochure, "John
Mongan: What a Guy!" just ask.
Disclaimer
The above, though written in the first person, was not written by me.
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
went to
Stanford instead. He says " I never went to MIT, although I
would have considered it if they had sent me that full scholarship and
guaranteed admission."
You can check out details at
http://www.stanford.edu/~john/mit.html if you like.
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