2014-2015 Duke University Application Thread

[greatjoe4life]

---

Members don't see this ad.

My parent's just got the acceptance letter.

I had lost all hope, but miracles can still happen!!!!!!

so you did not receive a phone call?

 

[Coolchurro]

My parent's just got the acceptance letter.

I had lost all hope, but miracles can still happen!!!!!!

You didn't receive the call and your mailing address is on the east coast?

 

[GoBlueDevils]

@GoBlueDevils @2018Duke - any idea why they're MAILING letters this year? Doesn't seem like it happened last year and I don't know why they wouldn't just send e-mails :/

Edit: Also, was there ever a portal change last year after you were admitted?

Thanks!

No clue why they are mailing the letters this year. I only ever got an email.

As I recall, there was never a portal change after I was admitted.

Sorry that this has been so stressful for you guys....

 

[Pedsmdplease]

@omartine22! congrats! are you east coast?

 

[mostlyharmless1]

I live in Durham, so now I'm 99% certain that I wasn't accepted. Can't say that I'm terribly surprised.

 

[GoBlueDevils]

Can a current student comment on where the clinical rotations take place? I know that they are will within the Duke University Health System, but are all facilities in close proximity to the medical school, or are there some that require driving a further distance to?

Most of the current rotations take place within Duke Hospital, Duke Children's or Duke Regional (all in the Duke University Health System). Some people are assigned to the VA for part of a rotation or a whole rotation. The VA is right across the street from Duke Hospital, but technically not part of Duke Hospital. For the family medicine rotation, you have the option to be assigned anywhere in North Carolina. People typically like the family med rotations because they go places like the beach or the mountains and get a nice change of scene. Of course, if you have a compelling reason to stay in Durham, then you can ask to be assigned to somewhere local.

 

[attemptedintrepid]

I live in Durham, so now I'm 99% certain that I wasn't accepted. Can't say that I'm terribly surprised.

I'm only four hours away by car, so I feel the same way. But there's still hope until we hear definitively from Duke!

 

[Coolchurro]

Where those waitlist emails be at?

Tomorrow it is...I guess??

 

[Willy38]

Where those waitlist emails be at?

Tomorrow it is...I guess??

its funny how tomorrow never comes

 

[nightfury414]

My bet 11:59 PST wait list emails roll out.

Duke: Well technically we sent them when we said.... somewhere

 

[innov8]

Why split up waitlist from rejections?

 

[deleted643377]

Why split up waitlist from rejections?

Because efficiency is the natural and sworn enemy of ADCOMs

 

[mdblues]

Wouldn't it be more environmentally friendly to email/portal everything? Unless the government wanted them to help stimulate the economy by using the postal service to send out hundreds of letters...

 

[mostlyharmless1]

Wouldn't it be more environmentally friendly to email/portal everything?...

Yes, yes it would be.

 

[gettheleadout]

Wouldn't it be more environmentally friendly to email/portal everything? Unless the government wanted them to help stimulate the economy by using the postal service to send out hundreds of letters...

On this note, serious question:

What is the rationale for sending physical acceptance letters only?

Physical letters (1) can be stolen, (2) can be lost, (3) are more expensive, (4) are more wasteful (e.g. paper, ink, cost of mailing), and (5) are slower.

In contrast, an email notification of a portal status update directing you to the actual decision on the portal (1) is virtually instantaneous, (2) cannot be lost (or at least not anywhere near as easily), (3) cannot be stolen (right?), (5) ensures privacy (since it requires the applicant to enter confidential log-in information in order to view the decision), (5) costs basically nothing, and (6) uses basically no resources.

If the argument is that a physical letter is more personal than an email, then attention to this fact should merit every accepted applicant receiving a phone call (more personal than anything else), since some acceptees got them this year and privacy concerns with phone communication (though noted on the portal) are clearly not significant.

 

[LetItGoo]

Any PCLTers hear anything?

Nope... have not heard anything.. May be WL ... Who knows..

Suspecting same here for pclt.

Same.... Haven't heard anything for PCLT... do you guys think a PCLT acceptee would have posted here by now? 😛 Maybe all of us just haven't heard back..? (remaining naively, foolishly optimistic but flicker of hope is fading with each passing day...)

 

[CTU Surgeon]

On this note, serious question:

What is the rationale for sending physical acceptance letters only?

Physical letters (1) can be stolen, (2) can be lost, (3) are more expensive, (4) are more wasteful (e.g. paper, ink, cost of mailing), and (5) are slower.

In contrast, an email notification of a portal status update directing you to the actual decision on the portal (1) is virtually instantaneous, (2) cannot be lost (or at least not anywhere near as easily), (3) cannot be stolen (right?), (5) ensures privacy (since it requires the applicant to enter confidential log-in information in order to view the decision), (5) costs basically nothing, and (6) uses basically no resources.

If the argument is that a physical letter is more personal than an email, then attention to this fact should merit every accepted applicant receiving a phone call (more personal than anything else), since some acceptees got them this year and privacy concerns with phone communication (though noted on the portal) are clearly not significant.

While your argument makes perfect sense logically, there is something special about receiving something physical in the mail that you get to open. Everyone loves getting packages and it's fun to get home at the end of the day and hope for something to be in your mailbox and then find it. We've waited years for this. What's another day or two when you look at the big picture?

 

[JRDBRNBLU]

Same.... Haven't heard anything for PCLT... do you guys think a PCLT acceptee would have posted here by now? 😛 Maybe all of us just haven't heard back..? (remaining naively, foolishly optimistic but flicker of hope is fading with each passing day...)

That's what I'm hoping for!

 

[Pedsmdplease]

While your argument makes perfect sense logically, there is something special about receiving something physical in the mail that you get to open. Everyone loves getting packages and it's fun to get home at the end of the day and hope for something to be in your mailbox and then find it. We've waited years for this. What's another day or two when you look at the big picture?

well i imagine it's a little easier to wait a day or two if you know you've already been accepted via phone 😛 😉

 

[Harvey Spector]

Do you guys think that there are many people that were accepted via mail only? I feel like there are probably very few applicants that got accepted, but didn't receive a phone call notifying them

 

[innov8]

Just received a phone call about 45 minutes ago.

Accepted! Beyond excited. The dream survived.

It was an ADCOM representative, but beyond that I'm so sorry I didn't gather any more info...

To everyone still waiting, I hope you hear great news soon. Just keep being hopeful! You never know what life can bring. Best wishes. 🙂

 

[gettheleadout]

Do you guys think that there are many people that were accepted via mail only? I feel like there are probably very few applicants that got accepted, but didn't receive a phone call notifying them

Impossible to know, I expect. Could be anywhere from a handful to several dozen or more.

 

[Pedsmdplease]

Just received a phone call about 45 minutes ago.

Accepted! Beyond excited. The dream survived.

It was an ADCOM representative, but beyond that I'm so sorry I didn't gather any more info...

To everyone still waiting, I hope you hear great news soon. Just keep being hopeful! You never know what life can bring. Best wishes. 🙂

congrats @innov8 !!!!

 

[ProbablyAPenguin]

Based on what I read in the letter, if you come back next week, you should have no problem making the deadline.

Thanks muchly! was there any additional info about second look? I am getting anxious about buying plane tickets (I just looked and they're already getting expensive)

 

[gastronome]

Thanks muchly! was there any additional info about second look? I am getting anxious about buying plane tickets (I just looked and they're already getting expensive)

Second look mar 20-22 and coincides with match day! During my tour, the students mentioned that if that happens, the weekend is essentially a party haha; also the adcom that called me said they take us to arguably the best brunch place in Durham ^_^

More information about registering should come soon

 

[ProbablyAPenguin]

Second look mar 20-22 and coincides with match day! During my tour, the students mentioned that if that happens, the weekend is essentially a party haha; also the adcom that called me said they take us to arguably the best brunch place in Durham ^_^

More information about registering should come soon

well.. hopefully it's really soon! I got the second look dates over the phone, but I still need to figure out what time of day to get tickets for 😛

 

[PML]

That's what I'm hoping for!

Yup. same here.. I think it's very possible they might not have released PCLT..but that is little strange...might be a good idea to call???

 

[JRDBRNBLU]

Yup. same here.. I think it's very possible they might not have released PCLT..but that is little strange...might be a good idea to call???

Want to call and ask? It'd be golden to know....

 

[ProbablyAPenguin]

Want to call and ask? It'd be golden to know....

Since when has calling and asking actually provided a reliable source of information?

 

[JRDBRNBLU]

Since when has calling and asking actually provided a reliable source of information?

Word.
But still.....

 

[Ecologyman]

Day 9..... Still waiting for a response....

How's everyone doing?

 

[Harvey Spector]

Did people from the Midwest get acceptance packets yesterday (in the mail is what I meant)?

 

[Scribblers]

Did people from the Midwest get acceptance packets yesterday?

I did here in Minnesota.

 

[Harvey Spector]

I did here in Minnesota.

Congrats. Did you also receive a phone call? If Adcom sent mail on Friday and Saturday, it's quite possible not all mail has been received. Also, (this a complete shot in the dark) I think things were most likely mailed to applicants that received phone calls before being sent to people that wouldn't.


Edit: hoping WL email goes out this morning!

 

[greatjoe4life]

Congrats. Did you also receive a phone call? If Adcom sent mail on Friday and Saturday, it's quite possible not all mail has been received. Also, (this a complete shot in the dark) I think things were most likely mailed to applicants that received phone calls before being sent to people that wouldn't.


Edit: hoping WL email goes out this morning!

@innov8 (who got the phone call) also lives in the upper midwest and has not received any mail. At this point. I'm not assuming anything, waiting to get a response.

 

[Harvey Spector]

@innov8 (who got the phone call) also lives in the upper midwest and has not received any mail. At this point. I'm not assuming anything, waiting to get a response.

Thanks for info. That makes my theory posted previously void.

 

[deleted643377]

Thanks for info. That makes my theory posted previously void.

I feel the only theory applicable to ADCOM behaviour is Chaos Theory

 

[Harvey Spector]

Hate to be a double poster, but what have the stats of those accepted thus far been? Intuition tells me the stats have been crazy good.

 

[mostlyharmless1]

I feel the only theory applicable to ADCOM behaviour is Chaos Theory

Quick! Everyone start sneezing!

 

[asterix531]

I actually got an email last night about the PCLT program second look saying congrats on my acceptance to Duke, except that I haven't heard back from Duke! Hopefully that's not a mistake!

I called the admin office this morning to clarify. She said acceptance letters were mailed Friday. WL letters on Monday. Rejections today.

 

[kjj17]

WL and rejections are physical letters too? great

 

[kjj17]

also, I kid yall not, I had a crazy dream last night where - my interview was 2 part, and the reason I hadn't heard back yet was cus I didn't yet attend the 2nd part of my interview; this involved an adcom teaching me a hula hoop routine. did not nail it. did not get in. hopefully the dream is total nonsense, not half...

 

[deleted643377]

WL and rejections are physical letters too? great

Other schools definitely do this, but they tell you about it. If you're not going to send emails, DON'T SAY YOU ARE!

 

[Willy38]

WL and rejections are physical letters too? great

 

[JRDBRNBLU]

I actually got an email last night about the PCLT program second look saying congrats on my acceptance to Duke, except that I haven't heard back from Duke! Hopefully that's not a mistake!

I called the admin office this morning to clarify. She said acceptance letters were mailed Friday. WL letters on Monday. Rejections today.

Congrats! This disproves my theory about PCLTers

 

[Harvey Spector]

So we won't be getting emails about WL today?

 

[mostlyharmless1]

And I thought NYU was bad this cycle (accidentally reveal rejected statuses to applicants briefly in August, send out a batch of mistaken II's)...

 

[dnjuofr]

Congrats! This disproves my theory about PCLTers

I am in the exact same boat as you. Received the email yesterday congratulating on my acceptance but I have yet to receive any mail. Just emailed the PCLT contact back

 

[JackyLin]

Just called and lady says WL went out via email and so will rejections...? (and she used went out on WL). Not sure how accurate this will be but that's the latest update. Nobody got WL emails yet?

 

[attemptedintrepid]

Just called and lady says WL went out via email and so will rejections...? (and she used went out on WL). Not sure how accurate this will be but that's the latest update. Nobody got WL emails yet?

I haven't received any WL or rejection email yet