2009-2010 Duke Application Thread

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FluffyRabbit said:
So I've been looking through the interview feedback and it seems that Duke has more challenging questions compared to many other schools. Some of the more insane ones are:

What is the capital of Mongolia? What do you suppose a rheumatologist does? Do you know which chromosome is trisomic in Down Syndrome?

Who was the reigning British monarch when India gained its independence, or what was the 48th state to join the United States, take your pick.

For those who have already interviewed, were they like this in any way or much more conversational? I'm hoping that was all a long time ago..
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haha I got asked nothing like that but my student interviewer and I ended up talking about this crazy theory I came up with about deja vus...he seemed into it so lets hope it was a good sigh lol:laugh::laugh::laugh:
 
hitsugaaya said:
how do regional interviews work with this though in showing your 'spark' Do the interviewers mail in evaluations of you and the admissions commitee work with that?
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Mail??? Have you heard of computers? :laugh: No, I'm just kidding. We just score the interviewees and write some blurbs about them. I suppose the admissions committee then works with that.
 
FemalesCANTDriv said:
Mail??? Have you heard of computers? :laugh: No, I'm just kidding. We just score the interviewees and write some blurbs about them. I suppose the admissions committee then works with that.
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Score how? Is it like 1-10, do they have specific categories, give us some info.

Hey, do the interviewers see your recommendations ahead of time or just the rest of the application?
 
FemalesCANTDriv said:
Mail??? Have you heard of computers? :laugh: No, I'm just kidding. We just score the interviewees and write some blurbs about them. I suppose the admissions committee then works with that.
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by mail i meant any form of communication, be it email, duke website interviewer super application...snail mail, lol
yeah any more inside info? 🙂
 
I was a student interviewer last year. While this post won't live up to the expectations that likely came with that first sentence (I'm not going to get into specifics as I don't know what I can and cannot divulge), I will give some general advice.

First, don't worry about the small stuff (e.g. "is the interview open or closed?"). I mean, whether it's open or closed isn't going to change how you approach the interview, is it? Now believe me, I completely understand how you all are feeling. I've been there, and hell, I'm going through it again right now! Traveling all over the country interviewing for your specialty of choice, not knowing if you're going to match at all, much less where, until mid-March has an impressive potential for complete, unabashed neuroticism. So believe me, I understand. Which brings me to my next point.

Don't worry about what you can't change. Maybe your MCAT isn't as high as you'd like it to be. Or you got a C- in Theoretical Quantum Biophysics (not sure if that actually exists, but it should). Or maybe you got caught having a little too much fun when you were still underage. The point is that all that stuff is in the past, and what you're left with is a tremendous opportunity to pass into the next phase on the path to becoming a doctor. Put your energy into where you go from here. Which, you guessed it, brings me to my next point.

It is NOT Duke or bust. Duke is a fabulously phenomenal place, and I wouldn't trade my experience here for any other. But you know what? There are tons of schools out there that are also fabulously phenomenal! Okay, well, maybe just phenomenal. You can go anywhere from anywhere, I firmly believe that. This has been only further supported on the residency trail, as I interview in a competitive specialty at some top notch places (don't ask me how I got those interviews...) and see fellow applicants from every school. My point is that tanking the interview or ultimately getting the dreaded rejection letter is NOT the end of the world. It's not even the end of the path to doctordom. Treat it that way.

Finally, if Duke is the place you'd most like to spend the next four years of your life, let them know! It may not help. But it won't hurt, either. You want to finish this application season knowing that you did all you could and not be left wondering "what if?" What if you had sent in a letter of interest/intent? What if you had sent that extra update? What if you had sent a Harry and David fruit and cheese basket to every member of the admissions committee? Ok, maybe not that last one. The point is, do what you gotta do to give yourself the best chance at Duke or anywhere you decide is your first choice (and no, I don't mean sending in a letter of intent to more than just that special one).

Maybe that helps, maybe it doesn't. But I do want to wish you all the best of luck, and please don't hesitate to ask FemalesCantDrive any questions.*



*Fine fine, and me as well. 😉
 
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MrBurns10 said:
What if you had sent that extra update? What if you had sent a Harry and David fruit and cheese basket to every member of the admissions committee?
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Mmmm I wish someone would send me a fruit and cheese basket.
 
So do the interviewers see your recommendations ahead of time or not?
 
BerlinDude said:
So do the interviewers see your recommendations ahead of time or not?
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The interviewers are not supposed to disclose, on a public forum, what they do and do not have access to. What difference does it make anyway? Your LORs will be taken into consideration when your application is reviewed as a whole
 
diosa428 said:
The interviewers are not supposed to disclose, on a public forum, what they do and do not have access to. What difference does it make anyway? Your LORs will be taken into consideration when your application is reviewed as a whole
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Thank you for that wonderful selection from "The Big Book of Ethics" by diaso. Obviously, I'm asking because it makes a difference to me.
 
BerlinDude said:
Thank you for that wonderful selection from "The Big Book of Ethics" by diaso. Obviously, I'm asking because it makes a difference to me.
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There is nothing in my post that was meant to be "ethical". I was simply informing you why you haven't gotten an answer to these questions in the past, and will continue to not get answers in the future. While this forum may seem anonymous to you, the Duke students that post here all know each other, so it is not anonymous for us. And those of us on the admissions committee know that information regarding what interviewers do and do not have access to is not to be relayed to interviewees. Plain and simple. Perhaps one of your co-applicants can let you know if they thought their interviewer had access to their letters.
 
My faculty interviewer specifically mentioned my LORs.


Hope that helps.
 
Has anyone else who selected a regional interview gotten any info from the office? I scheduled one back in November, but I still haven't heard anything and every time I call I get the "You're in the que to be scheduled" line. I'm getting a little nervous, cause their interview season only has 3 weeks remiaing.
 
Hmm... Still haven't heard from any student hosts...

Does anyone have recommendations for hotels near the campus??
I'm really excited to visit Duke 😀
 
MarinaS said:
Hmm... Still haven't heard from any student hosts...

Does anyone have recommendations for hotels near the campus??
I'm really excited to visit Duke 😀
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I stayed at the Brookwood Inn. They have a van that will take you to campus, but it's also right next to the hospital and maybe a 10 minute walk from the medical school.
 
neuronc said:
I stayed at the Brookwood Inn. They have a van that will take you to campus, but it's also right next to the hospital and maybe a 10 minute walk from the medical school.
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Yeah, i stayed there too. The free shuttle is pretty sweet. The guy that drives it is really nice and he knows just where to drop you off. Plus, the hotel has a mini diner inside of it which worked out well for me since I was there without a car. Didn't seem like there was much within walking distance to eat so I just ate there.
 
Does anyone have the subscription to the US News grad school report thingy? I'm looking for this information:

"US NEWS: 6617 applied, 622 interviewed, 354 were accepted, 159 enrolled"

That's from the Keck thread...someone posted that data, which is different from whats available through the MSAR in that it actually posts the total number of acceptances offered, vs. the actual class size. Tells us a little more about our chances of acceptance. I'm neurotic enough to want that info for Duke, but not neurotic enough to pay $14 for the subscription. Anyone?
 
MsTaco said:
Does anyone have the subscription to the US News grad school report thingy? I'm looking for this information:

"US NEWS: 6617 applied, 622 interviewed, 354 were accepted, 159 enrolled"

That's from the Keck thread...someone posted that data, which is different from whats available through the MSAR in that it actually posts the total number of acceptances offered, vs. the actual class size. Tells us a little more about our chances of acceptance. I'm neurotic enough to want that info for Duke, but not neurotic enough to pay $14 for the subscription. Anyone?
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Total admissions data 5201 applied, 1077 interviewed, 218 were accepted, 100 enrolled
In-state admissions data 377 applied, 126 interviewed, 29 were accepted, 13 enrolled
Out-of-state admissions data 4824 applied, 951 interviewed, 189 were accepted, 87 enrolled
Women's admissions data 2222 applied, 507 interviewed, 112 were accepted, 47 enrolled
Minority admissions data 1730 applied, 363 interviewed, 114 were accepted, 51 enrolled
International admissions data 299 applied, 51 interviewed, 7 were accepted, 6 enrolled
 
MBHockey said:
Yeah, i stayed there too. The free shuttle is pretty sweet. The guy that drives it is really nice and he knows just where to drop you off. Plus, the hotel has a mini diner inside of it which worked out well for me since I was there without a car. Didn't seem like there was much within walking distance to eat so I just ate there.
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yea this is so true, i arrived at 2 am on the day of the interview and i was hungry. i'm from philly/new york so i knew that there would always be someplace open to eat around a hotel, so i walked around for a bit. i was wrong though
 
BubbaChuck3 said:
Total admissions data 5201 applied, 1077 interviewed, 218 were accepted, 100 enrolled
In-state admissions data 377 applied, 126 interviewed, 29 were accepted, 13 enrolled
Out-of-state admissions data 4824 applied, 951 interviewed, 189 were accepted, 87 enrolled
Women's admissions data 2222 applied, 507 interviewed, 112 were accepted, 47 enrolled
Minority admissions data 1730 applied, 363 interviewed, 114 were accepted, 51 enrolled
International admissions data 299 applied, 51 interviewed, 7 were accepted, 6 enrolled
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Awesome, thank you! That's a lot of interviews...
 
especially when you consider that 20% includes the waitlist acceptances
 
MarinaS said:
Hmm... Still haven't heard from any student hosts...

Does anyone have recommendations for hotels near the campus??
I'm really excited to visit Duke 😀
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If you want to make a fancy vacation of it you can try the Washington Duke Inn. It also has a free shuttle and is a really nice 4 star hotel.
 
brooklynblunder said:
yea this is so true, i arrived at 2 am on the day of the interview and i was hungry. i'm from philly/new york so i knew that there would always be someplace open to eat around a hotel, so i walked around for a bit. i was wrong though
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I want to preface this by saying that I don't think Durham is as unsafe as people say it is... but I wouldn't walk around the Brookwood Inn area alone at 2am. There are robberies that happen near campus occasionally.

If you're staying there and looking for food, there are 2 plazas down Erwin Rd (the road that runs right in front of the hospital). If you're facing the hospital, go right, walk past the VA and the gas station. The first plaza has a Dunkin Donuts, a sub place, a noodle place and a TGIFriday's. It's a little less than half a mile. The second one is a bit further and has a wine bar, another (IMO, better) noodle place, cafes, a sushi place, etc.

My guess is that most of those places close around 9-10pm. If you're looking for food at 2am, the Duke Hospital food court closes at 3am, but that's the best you're going to do.
 
MarinaS said:
Hmm... Still haven't heard from any student hosts...

Does anyone have recommendations for hotels near the campus??
I'm really excited to visit Duke 😀
Click to expand...
Don't know about hotels, but I would recommend changing your profile pic. I don't mean to be rude, but come on, how long are you going to post with your bad profile pic?

The girl tried to do a sexy face but failed miserably. Are you making fun of her? Are you the girl who made a bad sexy face? I don't know who you are or what you are doing. Please put a picture of a leprachaun or something that's a little less distracting.
 
BerlinDude said:
Don't know about hotels, but I would recommend changing your profile pic. I don't mean to be rude, but come on, how long are you going to post with your bad profile pic?

The girl tried to do a sexy face but failed miserably. Are you making fun of her? Are you the girl who made a bad sexy face? I don't know who you are or what you are doing. Please put a picture of a leprachaun or something that's a little less distracting.
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I think it's megan fox
 
BerlinDude said:
Don't know about hotels, but I would recommend changing your profile pic. I don't mean to be rude, but come on, how long are you going to post with your bad profile pic?

The girl tried to do a sexy face but failed miserably. Are you making fun of her? Are you the girl who made a bad sexy face? I don't know who you are or what you are doing. Please put a picture of a leprachaun or something that's a little less distracting.
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Lol. I'm sorry if it offends you, but I agree that it might be time to change it. I'm sick of it too.
 
Just wondering if anyone remembered when acceptances will be mailed out. For some reason, I keep thinking it's March 1.
 
RunLikeM4d said:
Just wondering if anyone remembered when acceptances will be mailed out. For some reason, I keep thinking it's March 1.
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I think they talked about more towards the middle of March....but I know I am going to start having daily heart attacks on March 1st. Oh it will be brutal lol.
 
I thought it was 15. now u made my heart attacks come 2 weeks early -.-
 
Anyone bothered to send a post-interview update to Duke? I'd prefer to help my case so I can end up on the right side of that 20 % acceptance rate.

CM
 
Is there any point in sending a Letter of Intent? Duke is by far my top choice (seeing as how I also went there for undergrad). Has anyone heard if sending one makes a difference?
 
Question123 said:
Do you know where to send one?
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Why, yes:

"[FONT='PrimaSans BT,Verdana,sans-serif'][FONT=Default Sans Serif,Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]You may send it directly to Richard Wallace, Associate Director of Admissions. Email address: [email protected]."

That's a direct quote from the admissions office. I'm just trying to gauge the relative utility in sending one. I have a few things to report (fall grades, new leadership position, some shadowing), but they're certainly not groundbreaking pieces of evidence.
..
 
MarinaS said:
Lol. I'm sorry if it offends you, but I agree that it might be time to change it. I'm sick of it too.
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Hmmm, I was kind of looking forward to a picture of a leprachaun, but I'll take what I can get.
 
New Rule:
People who have acceptances in hand cannot complain about how stressful the wait is.
 
WildcatS11 said:
What if I don't use the term stressful? Can I just say things like "I can't wait to find out" or "man I hope I get in" or "this wait is very long and tough and emotionally painful?"
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Or we can have a new rule: Everyone but Berlindude is allowed to vent all they like. The end.
 
Decisions go out first week of March (not necessarily first day).
I think consensus is e-mail rejection/waitlist and snail mail acceptance, but not sure.

Anyways, I have to say that I was extremely impressed by Duke - absolutely everything about it (curriculum, students, people, freedom, how they select the class, environment, camaraderie, free diet Coke). Moreover, I can actually see myself wanting to live in North Carolina.

Good luck guys! It's going to be a long wait..
 
MarinaS said:
I think we've just decided what your new avatar will be!
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Apparently it is really hard to find a good picture of a leprachaun. All I got is the Lucky Charms guy and the dude from "Leprachaun in the Hood". Sorry I brought it up...
 
MarinaS said:
Decisions go out first week of March (not necessarily first day).
I think consensus is e-mail rejection/waitlist and snail mail acceptance, but not sure.

Anyways, I have to say that I was extremely impressed by Duke - absolutely everything about it (curriculum, students, people, freedom, how they select the class, environment, camaraderie, free diet Coke). Moreover, I can actually see myself wanting to live in North Carolina.

Good luck guys! It's going to be a long wait..
Click to expand...

Blegh. Can we create a mass petition not to do it this way this year? That just really sucked last last year. Stalking your mailbox/avoiding your email is not productive. Anyways, as the interview season wraps up they'll update the login page for the PAS thing with more info about when decisions will go out and how they will go out. Although they kept changing it last year, just to mess with us.
 
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