Thread: In my last blog post, I sent my email and cell phone number out to the world, and told parents and students to contact me directly.

People thought I was crazy.

I've had about 100 emails and maybe 50 texts from parents and students, and while I probably had more interesting things to do on a vacation, this has been instructive.

Lots of questions about being test optional for scholarships. If you're not explicit about that on your website, you had better re-think it. The replies to my replies have been gratifying.

The desire to test is largely driven by the perception of tests as a scholarship driver.

A new trend emerging in emails from students: I have a weak high school record, and was really hoping the SAT would put me over the top. What should I do?

These are the tough ones to answer.

The fun ones are parents and students and high school counselors who appreciate some clarity on the topic. If you work in EM or admissions, I can't stress this enough:

Be direct. Be honest. Be clear.

And of course, the alumni who are so proud of their alma mater for taking a stand. And yes, I understand that the Pacific Northwest is different than other parts of the country. This stance (Please don't test) could be risky elsewhere.

Best thing? No sales pitches. So either they're not reading the blog, or they're following me on Twitter.

Texting me or calling my cell with a sales pitch would be the end of any potential relationship with me.

I've responded to every single one.

You should think about it. It will teach you far more than you thought possible about what's going on in the minds of your students and their parents.

Oh, and #EMTalk