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- Medical Student

Hi, everyone. I'm really interested in Duke and applying for 2012 matriculation.
The one thing I'm a little worried about is that their website seems to emphasize taking the MCAT early and it needing to be on the AMCAS app before submission. I was planning to take the MCAT in early July (realistically when I'll be very prepared). Is this a huge problem for applying to Duke? Does anyone have any experience with this?
Thanks!
Interesting article on how they select classes...
http://catalog.proemags.com/publication/b47aafea#/b47aafea/87
I am not sure if the link takes you direct to the right page, but flip through the magazine until you find the article titled "Capable of Brilliance"
I can't seem to find the answer to this, so please don't yell at me if this is somewhere within this thread and I missed it, but....
Does anyone know WHEN Duke notifies accepted applicants (March 1? March 15?) Also, do they notify by phone call? email? snail mail?
Thanks so much. Hoping for good news for everyone come March!
I can't seem to find the answer to this, so please don't yell at me if this is somewhere within this thread and I missed it, but....
Does anyone know WHEN Duke notifies accepted applicants (March 1? March 15?) Also, do they notify by phone call? email? snail mail?
Thanks so much. Hoping for good news for everyone come March!
According to the website posted above, they notify on March 1. Not sure as to how though.
so does duke accept updates or not?
just a random guess, but my sense is that though duke is a non-rolling school, the adcom meetings to assign your "score" is done on a rolling basis. as such, updates past a certain point are probably ineffective in boosting your chances.
In a recent phone call to Duke I was told that they do not accept any letters (update or LOI's).
just a random guess, but my sense is that though duke is a non-rolling school, the adcom meetings to assign your "score" is done on a rolling basis. as such, updates past a certain point are probably ineffective in boosting your chances.
I spoke to Duke a while ago, and they said that updates and letters are perfectly acceptable....
Interesting. Thanks for sharing, I'm going to call them again tomorrow.
do you know if they prefer e-mail or snail mail?
Called them today and yes they do accept update letters, regardless of when you interviewed. The kind woman on the phone explained that all applications are reviewed and decided on closer to March 1. So if you interviewed months ago you can still update your application and it should be considered in your final review. Hope that helps.
What about taking the MCAT like in early August? Would that put me in disadvantage?Nah, that's not a problem. I sent in my AMCAS a few weeks before I even took my MCAT--so like 6 weeks before scores were released--and I got an interview.
What about taking the MCAT like in early August? Would that put me in disadvantage?
I had to email Richard Wallace before I got mine scheduled after waiting for 3 monthsSo has anyone been able to actually schedule a virtual interview yet?
It shouldn't...I took the MCAT in late August and got an interview invite on New Year's Eve...
I probably won't refuse to apply to a school because someone in the office was busy that day.
Duke's a funny school. They interview a ton of people and seem to reward applicants who submit thoughtful essays, and the secondary serves its purpose of filtering out applicants who don't care much about the school.
The problem is they interview about half of the people (~1200) who submit the secondary (~2500, since many never go ahead with it) and only accept about 200 when it's all said and done. It's a nice school, but interviewing half of your applicants for a class of 100 ends up entangling lots of people who don't realistically have a chance.
Duke uses the length of your response as part of the evaluation. So...more isn't always better.
Good evenin'. Is second look only for accepted students? Or for waislisted students, too?
I interviewed using skype so I'd love to visit...
When did you submit your AMCAS?
This school is awesome lol.
Anyone know when final decisions role out this year?
Yea this is what I was also under the impression..especially based on that DukeMed article (which btw was given in our folders during our interview). I'm pretty sure update letters are welcome though (I submitted mine a couple days after my interview). I'm pretty sure they'll consider them before they assign you your "score."
So people were saying acceptances were happening in early March (via snail mail), but I feel like I remember Dr. Armstrong saying that her favorite part is the excitement she hears over the phone? I interviewed way back in September though, so maybe I'm mixing it up with another school... It would just be nice to know if I'm gonna have to stay glued to the phone again
I'm almost positive that Duke sends final decisions via snail mail only.
Nope. MD rejections get a monster of an email, just like the original secondary invitation email (I know this as a fact). Waitlists are probably by snail mail. Acceptances I'd bet a penny on being phone calls.
MSTP decisions correspondence are by snail mail, though.
My DukeMed Status:
Interview Complete
Your application is complete and is awaiting a final decision from the Committee on Admissions. All decisions for applicants who have interviewed for admission to the 2010 entering class are sent via the U.S. Postal Service and will be mailed from the Office of Admissions during the month of March 2010. To insure your privacy and to protect the integrity of the admission process, decisions will not be given over the telephone. We appreciate your interest in the Duke University School of Medicine and wish you the best of luck!
from https://admissions.duhs.duke.edu/pas/dashboard
I'll believe you if you say the decisions come by email, but that's certainly not what their website says.

lol me too.Previously, maybe as recently as two days ago, my status included the bit about the US mail. Today, I looked and it was changed to the status without the mail part. Its either a rejection, conspiracy, or they received a lot of calls and changed it!![]()
from the email post-interview..
"Our timetable for the remainder of our admission season is as follows: interviews will conclude in late February with a target date for mailing decision letters at the end of February through the first week of March 2010. Duke does not roll. "
urgh yet another thing to get neurotic about...