Excited about starting at St. John’s? Well, if you were admitted through Early Action, you should have a gift coming through the mail this week to get you even more excited. It is the first book to check off on your St. John’s book list: Homer’s Iliad!

For last few years, the Admissions Office has been sending admitted students copies of the book to provide them with some reading for the winter months, but also to get them excited about the types of conversations they’ll be able to have once they are a student at St. John’s. There should also be a note, hand written from your Admissions Counselor, congratulating you on your recent acceptance.

The book is, of course, the first that you’ll be reading in the Program – a tale of war, love, and inhumanity in humanity. But, it also helps to establish a common link with all other admitted students considering St. John’s. Hopefully this small gift not only provides you with some good reading throughout the rest of the winter months, but also something to talk about with other students excited about great books, who you may meet on our facebook group, or at an Admitted Student event.

Here are a few pictures of the team putting the boxes together, all with love.

So many boxes!

And the whole thing should include a note from your counselor!

We also take care to wrap the book in protective tissue paper.

Any thoughts on the Iliad? What’s your favorite part (mine is Book 6)? Are you Team Achilles? Team Hector? Let us know!