Most of our posts last week revolved around environmental protection. All of that reverence to our planet got me thinking about the time-honored tradition of college acceptance letters.

Back in my day (ahem, 1989) there were two types of envelopes you'd receive from your chosen, prospective colleges. Even before you tore them open right there at the mailbox and read the words "Congratulations!" or "We regret to inform you," you knew:

• Fat envelope = Joyous acceptance! Plus financial aid paperwork!
• Skinny envelope = Polite, but nonetheless devastating, rejection.

In 2007, there's a new option: no envelope at all. College acceptance letters have gone virtual.

I discovered this by—what else?—watching more of MTV's "True Life" series. This time it was "True Life: I'm a Genius." Myles, one of three geniuses featured, anxiously stalked the mailbox for early decision news from Stanford University.  At the same time, his brother received acceptance news from another school simply by logging on to the admissions site.

Call me old-fashioned, but there are some pieces of mail—especially those that commemorate a specific occasion—that I prefer to receive in an actual mailbox:

• Holiday greetings
• Wedding invitations
• Future-determining college acceptance (or rejection) letters

After all, you've worked hard. If you get accepted, you deserve to read the news on ivory-colored heavy stock. And if you get rejected, you deserve to have something to rip up.