Social media, schmocial schmedia.

The other day I read an article about my colleagues at the Michigan Medical School making me look bad by being all competent with the social media situation. They are always breaking the curve, admissions-wise, doing things like randomly mailing out fleeces and sending e-birthday greetings. The part that really got me was this: “Officials at the Ann Arbor school have hit the road and hand delivered acceptance letters to students in Dallas, Boston, Washington, DC, and East Lansing. Admitted Ann Arbor applicants also have received in-person acceptances.” Frankly, this struck me as almost appalling. I can’t really remember the dean of admissions who admitted me to law school, but I remember the one from my undergrad vividly; visualizing her standing on my doorstep to give me news of my admission makes me also visualize having a heart attack. That lady was really scary (in a good way. But still. Scary.).

So I can’t quite see going that far lest it turn out that I too am scary; not knowing CPR, it would just be irresponsible. But maybe I’m just stuck in a rut. Maybe I am unreasonably ignoring good suggestions. Just yesterday, for example, I was urged to call people to let them know they’re admitted. Phone calls are a far less radical suggestion than in-person visits, but I nonetheless recoil a bit. What do I do about the whole voicemail thing—leave a mysterious “please call me” message, or just drop the bomb? And what about the people who I reach at work and the person in the next cubicle doesn’t know about the law school intentions? And what about the people who just really hate talking on the phone? Or the people who are asleep? I once called an applicant with some good news only to have his mom answer the phone and start a bit of a screaming match with him about whether or not he needed to come to the phone. It all seems so potentially awkward and fraught.

Yet… I recognize that it is not impossible that I should innovate. There’s a fine line between a groove and a rut; maybe I’m merely stuck in my ways. So let me climb on this social media bandwagon and crowdsource the question: Weigh in and let me know your views on the best way to find out you’ve been admitted to law school. (The survey is anonymous; you need not worry that I will actually show up to your house just because you say you think it’s the best way to learn about an admissions decision.)