2013-2014 Duke University Application Thread

[YamNMangos]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I think when I interviewed, they mentioned the number to be around 700 interviewees for 120 spots in the incoming class.

But seriously, anyone now if they are going to release it on March 7th or it can happen anytime between now and Friday?

From what I can remember, they said their target date had to be moved to March 7th, but they could get it done faster, so it could happen anytime in between.

 

[ttothemac]

So just roll with it!

If only they had done that from the beginning.

 

[TedBuckland]

I can't wait anymore.

 

[happyfeet1292]

I can't wait anymore.

Well you just gave me a heart attack posting on this thread after the early morning disappointment died down..... I should probably disable SDN notifications for my own sanity, but the neuroticism in me prevents me from doing that.

 

[TedBuckland]

Well you just gave me a heart attack posting on this thread after the early morning disappointment died down..... I should probably disable SDN notifications for my own sanity, but the neuroticism in me prevents me from doing that.

My bad :/ such a Ted Buckland move of me.

 

[Nefertiti63]

@forealmannn I am in the EXACT same boat with wait lists and a "continued status" till March at another school in addition Duke. Duke is my top choice and I'm really nervous that I just won't get in. Anyone have any tips for ways to avoid letting the anxiety get to you?

 

[DChef]

@forealmannn I am in the EXACT same boat with wait lists and a "continued status" till March at another school in addition Duke. Duke is my top choice and I'm really nervous that I just won't get in. Anyone have any tips for ways to avoid letting the anxiety get to you?

Stay off SDN and disable alerts haha

 

[figlu]

@forealmannn I am in the EXACT same boat with wait lists and a "continued status" till March at another school in addition Duke. Duke is my top choice and I'm really nervous that I just won't get in. Anyone have any tips for ways to avoid letting the anxiety get to you?

Trust in the heart of the cards.

 

[hosurb]

I talked to a med student who I once worked with, and is also on the admissions committee. According to him, they're meeting this Friday, and may have decisions out then. But he said it's most likely going to be next monday, the 10th

 

[forealmannn]

.

 

[Papa Doc]

Damn, sucks to wait another week! But alas were right around the corner!!

 

[Nefertiti63]

I talked to a med student who I once worked with, and is also on the admissions committee. According to him, they're meeting this Friday, and may have decisions out then. But he said it's most likely going to be next monday, the 10th

Blergh! But I guess it helps to know a more definitive date.

 

[cinnamoncoffee]

I talked to a med student who I once worked with, and is also on the admissions committee. According to him, they're meeting this Friday, and may have decisions out then. But he said it's most likely going to be next monday, the 10th

That stinks...that you have a friend on the admissions committee. We know someone who's getting in ^^ haha.

 

[Nefertiti63]

Random question -- has anyone ever emailed RW and not gotten a response?

 

[cinnamoncoffee]

Random question -- has anyone ever emailed RW and not gotten a response?

Lol, no every time I email him it's like an immediate response.

 

[GreenMed]

Random question -- has anyone ever emailed RW and not gotten a response?

As an applicant or as a student? I'm just an applicant. I wrote him a pretty heartfelt note after interview day, and I never got a response to that.

 

[happyfeet1292]

Should we have been emailing RW after interviewing? After the survey I haven't had any contact with admissions....hopefully that wasn't a misstep.....

 

[Nefertiti63]

@GreenMed He responded really sweetly to the note I sent right after interview day in September, but I wrote him a note with an update a month or two ago and never received a response.

 

[GreenMed]

Should we have been emailing RW after interviewing? After the survey I haven't had any contact with admissions....hopefully that wasn't a misstep.....

Perhaps we should NOT have been emailing RW after interviewing. After all, I didn't get a reply. But he sent out an email (to my interview group at least) about taking the survey, and I was really moved by what he'd said at the end of the day and replied to tell him so.

I doubt that emailing vs. not emailing admissions had any bearing on our [soon-to-be-announced] admissions outcomes.

 

[Nefertiti63]

@cinnamoncoffee how many times is every time?!

 

[adbunnybabybay]

Random question -- has anyone ever emailed RW and not gotten a response?

I actually emailed my update letter to [email protected] at some point in January, and did not receive a response. About a week ago, I was following up, and decided to call the admissions office instead. The person who gladly helped me out asked me to email her directly so that they could add my letter to my file. My advice would be to call their office directly and ask them what the most appropriate way of making sure your letter is delivered to whomever you're trying to reach.

 

[Nefertiti63]

I actually emailed my update letter to [email protected] at some point in January, and did not receive a response. About a week ago, I was following up, and decided to call the admissions office instead. The person who gladly helped me out asked me to email her directly so that they could add my letter to my file. My advice would be to call their office directly and ask them what the most appropriate way of making sure your letter is delivered to whomever you're trying to reach.

It's probably too late at this point though right? One of my update letters with grades was to [email protected] and they replied to that one. The update letter to RW was more personal though.

 

[adbunnybabybay]

It's probably too late at this point though right? One of my update letters with grades was to [email protected] and they replied to that one. The update letter to RW was more personal though.

You know, I don't ever think it's too late. What do you have to lose? Especially if they're still potentially meeting throughout this week, just try one more time. Who knows who they're talking about. I mean, the letter is written right? I'd say go for it, I think that Mr. Wallace would appreciate it regardless.

 

[Nefertiti63]

You know, I don't ever think it's too late. What do you have to lose? Especially if they're still potentially meeting throughout this week, just try one more time. Who knows who they're talking about. I mean, the letter is written right? I'd say go for it, I think that Mr. Wallace would appreciate it regardless.

Thanks so much for the support and suggestion! I think I'll call now. <3333

 

[Anonymous1991]

Can you let us know what they say? I had an update I wanted to send in about 3 weeks after my interview in November but was told by RW that the committee wouldn't see it. I'm pretty confused given the array of responses people seem to be getting about updates at this point. I really hope I didn't miss out on adding some important stuff due to misinformation.

 

[snowys435]

Can you let us know what they say? I had an update I wanted to send in about 3 weeks after my interview in November but was told by RW that the committee wouldn't see it. I'm pretty confused given the array of responses people seem to be getting about updates at this point. I really hope I didn't miss out on adding some important stuff due to misinformation.

did you say who you were? or just generally asked? are they doing it depending on the person? because like they said yes when i called a few weeks ago and i didnt say who i was....but i ended up not sending one because i felt like at this point it was too late to matter. and i didnt have anythign substantial to say either way.

 

[happyfeet1292]

Can you let us know what they say? I had an update I wanted to send in about 3 weeks after my interview in November but was told by RW that the committee wouldn't see it. I'm pretty confused given the array of responses people seem to be getting about updates at this point. I really hope I didn't miss out on adding some important stuff due to misinformation.

+1. Posted a few weeks ago that I was told by someone in the admissions office that they were no longer accepting updates, and I'd really like to know if I missed out on sending one 🙁 also, I didn't say who I was so I don't know if that would have affected the answer, but I told them I interviewed in mid November.

 

[Nefertiti63]

So I just called and she said that he definitely received them, but most likely hasn't had time to reply to all the updates people have been sending. She also remembered me, which was super nice. 🙂 However, she did say that they are making acceptances next week, so they wouldn't be taking anymore updates, so that's probably why people have been told not to send any.

 

[cinnamoncoffee]

@cinnamoncoffee how many times is every time?!

Not many times, I updated my application via email like twice and he responded with a thanks it has been added etc.

 

[Anonymous1991]

did you say who you were? or just generally asked? are they doing it depending on the person? because like they said yes when i called a few weeks ago and i didnt say who i was....but i ended up not sending one because i felt like at this point it was too late to matter. and i didnt have anythign substantial to say either way.

I emailed him directly, told him I had recently interviewed and wanted to know if updates were still being accepted given the committee's "rolling" ranking process. He responded that the committee wouldn't see the update at this point.

 

[Anonymous1991]

This was ~2-3 weeks post interview and fairly early in the cycle, too.

 

[cinnamoncoffee]

So I just called and she said that he definitely received them, but most likely hasn't had time to reply to all the updates people have been sending. She also remembered me, which was super nice. 🙂 However, she did say that they are making acceptances next week, so they wouldn't be taking anymore updates, so that's probably why people have been told not to send any.

So she said that decisions would be delayed until next week and not be released this friday?

 

[Nefertiti63]

So she said that decisions would be delayed until next week and not be released this friday?

yeah she did. my guess is monday like @hosurb suggested

 

[Nefertiti63]

also can someone elaborate on this "rolling" ranking process that @Anonymous1991 mentioned? does that just mean they make a decision about you like right after your interview???

 

[petersme]

So my brother who is a Duke med student just texted me. He just ran into RW and he said acceptances are coming out this Friday.

 

[petersme]

Exact words were "decisions go out Friday"

 

[Anonymous1991]

also can someone elaborate on this "rolling" ranking process that @Anonymous1991 mentioned? does that just mean they make a decision about you like right after your interview???

Sorry, I didn't mean to insinuate anything about the process! I have a vague recollection of being told something along these lines during interview day, but truly cannot be sure of it. I got the feeling from RW's response to my update email that this is the case (decisions / rankings given to applicants post-interview), given that I was told the committee wouldnt see my update even a short 2 weeks after my interview. None of this was ever directly articulated to me though, so who really knows.

 

[cinnamoncoffee]

Exact words were "decisions go out Friday"

Looks like we got another insider with a good shot at acceptance ^^ haha. Thanks for the info though!

 

[Stabley17]

also can someone elaborate on this "rolling" ranking process that @Anonymous1991 mentioned? does that just mean they make a decision about you like right after your interview???

This is pure speculation, but I would imagine that just like rolling schools, committees meet regularly throughout the year to discuss applicants who have interviewed. At that time, applicants receive a 'score' of sorts based on their entire application including the recent interview.

Now, during these later stages in the cycle, a higher-up committee meets and discusses those applicants with the highest scores based on the sub-committees. They then make a final decision that probably takes into account making sure they have a well-rounded class. i.e. they might not simply pull from the top ~175 scores or whatever it is.

Like I said, I don't know the specifics of how Duke does it, but based on what I've learned from adcoms, most non-rolling schools have a similar system.

Whether updates aren't taken into account at all, or if they only have maybe a slight impact at the final committee's meeting, or if a sub-committee will review your file upon receiving an update, I don't know and it probably has a lot to do with the specific case (timing, significance, original score, etc.).

One day, we'll have all the answers!

 

[Anonymous1991]

I keep having to remind myself that desperately emailing Duke about my publication at this point will do no good! Guess I have something for a post-waitlist update if it goes that way ...

 

[Stabley17]

I keep having to remind myself that desperately emailing Duke about my publication at this point will do no good! Guess I have something for a post-waitlist update if it goes that way ...

Tough call, but my guess is that it may fall on deaf ears. My thoughts are that if it somehow would make the difference from W/L to acceptance, then sending it in at a different time would likely achieve the same result, and would be more likely to because of the higher probability it would be seen during a time when it could actually have an effect, if that makes any sense.

 

[Nefertiti63]

I keep having to remind myself that desperately emailing Duke about my publication at this point will do no good! Guess I have something for a post-waitlist update if it goes that way ...

Congrats on the publication! That's really awesome!

 

[Nefertiti63]

Exact words were "decisions go out Friday"

omggggggg the anxiety is just too much.

 

[Papa Doc]

also can someone elaborate on this "rolling" ranking process that @Anonymous1991 mentioned? does that just mean they make a decision about you like right after your interview???

I have a friend who works in the office who told me that they know whether theyre excepting you or not right after you interview. Which begs the question, why make us wait so long 🙁

 

[Nefertiti63]

I have a friend who works in the office who told me that they know whether theyre excepting you or not right after you interview. Which begs the question, why make us wait so long 🙁

:'(

 

[cinnamoncoffee]

I have a friend who works in the office who told me that they know whether theyre excepting you or not right after you interview. Which begs the question, why make us wait so long 🙁

Hopfully I don't get excepted and get accepted instead haha

 

[metview]

hmmm, according to a poster's friend, RW said Friday but another member in the admissions office said next week.

It is also kind of interesting how people have been getting mixed responses about sending updates.

 

[Anonymous1991]

I totally agree with this - I won't be sending anything until after we hear!

Tough call, but my guess is that it may fall on deaf ears. My thoughts are that if it somehow would make the difference from W/L to acceptance, then sending it in at a different time would likely achieve the same result, and would be more likely to because of the higher probability it would be seen during a time when it could actually have an effect, if that makes any sense.

 

[Anonymous1991]

Thanks! It was actually over two months ago but sadly too late for a Duke update. I may *knock on wood* have a first author paper accepted in time for waitlist updates also, but I'm not getting my hopes up. I'm really hoping I can break out of my streak of three straight WLs with Duke!

Congrats on the publication! That's really awesome![/quote

 

[Nefertiti63]

Thanks! It was actually over two months ago but sadly too late for a Duke update. I may *knock on wood* have a first author paper accepted in time for waitlist updates also, but I'm not getting my hopes up. I'm really hoping I can break out of my streak of three straight WLs with Duke!

Ugh I feel you. I'm in the same boat! Fingers crossed for both of us! 🙂