Acceptance Letters
For hundreds of women in the 1970s, it all began with a YES. . .
When the long-awaited acceptance letter from Kirkland College arrived, a large, black, Gothic-script, capitalized YES announced the affirmative decision. YES— printed on a separate slip of paper–peeked through the sealed envelope and clearly revealed the contents to eager high school seniors.
YES boldly announced something else – how things were done differently at Kirkland. Rather than simply mailing out a standard acceptance letter Kirkland shouted one jubilant word before the translucent linen envelope could be peeled open. That YES captured our curiosity, symbolized our excitement, and generated enthusiasm that permeated every aspect of life at Kirkland College.
YES. . .our adventure was about to begin.
 Kirkland Class of 1979 acceptance letter |
Did You Know…? The “YES” envelope was the brainchild of Carole Walker, Kirkland’s first Director of Admissions. By Oct. 1968, 200 Hamilton men were enrolled in Kirkland courses, while 75 Kirkland women enrolled in Hamilton courses.
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Kirkland College 
My “YES” arrived on the day we were preparing for our Passover Seder–I think I must have screamed “YES” all the way up the stairs to the apartment–it was a memorable night–
Connie Halporn (K-78)
Kathy Sachar ’77 was a dear friend from my home town and the person who introduced me to Kirkland. She had received her “yes” and told me about it, and I thought it was so cool. I’m sure knowing about it fueled my interest in the college.
I will NEVER forget the day I received that letter. It was a Saturday, and I was working in the cheese store. My mother called (which rarely if ever happened when I was at work), and said there was an envelope with a big yes on it from Kirkland College. The feeling of pride and excitement still comes rushing back to me – after more than 34 years. Thank you for both this post and the website in general. Long live the spirit of Kirkland.