2014-2015 Duke University Application Thread

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I think there's still reason to hope. Dean Armstrong said to my group that they were planning to start offering acceptances on the 23rd and finish by the following Monday... so I wouldn't give up hope just yet, at least that's what I keep telling myself...

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But guys, I remember hearing (if not from the interview, then afterwards somewhere) that they sit down and make a decision on interviewees within a few weeks after interviewing.

So all of us that interviewed prior to February, shouldn't they already have decisions for us?

Why not just let us know and be done with it?

UNLESS, they don't necessarily decide between accept/reject/waitlist but also include a "reevaluate/later" option. Which then means they'll go over these people and the later interviews all together for the last bunch??
 
Edit: I deleted my post, I felt that my theories were becoming redundant... I'm just going to sit here quietly tonight, staring out the window and watching the snow fall, until I either get a phone call or don't feel feelings anymore.

What you do is you sit at your windowsill, one hand on your phone, the other around a generous tumbler of scotch, and drink until you either get a phone call or don't feel feelings anymore.
 
What you do is you sit at your windowsill, one hand on your phone, the other around a generous tumbler of scotch, and drink until you either get a phone call or don't feel feelings anymore.
This guy... Please go to the same school as me so we can hang out. You seem awesome haha

Edit: Trying this method right now with Guinness instead of scotch..
 
Phone call from an ADCOM member! My portal is still the same 'Application Complete' status; he also verified that acceptance letters were mailed today.
...by postal mail??


Edit: Did they mean a letter in the mail in addition to a call?
 
Phone call from an ADCOM member! My portal is still the same 'Application Complete' status; he also verified that acceptance letters were mailed today.

Just now or earlier today ?? And Congrats!!!!!!!
 
Why do you think so? We've had one person report a call today and SDN is not a pulse on every Duke adcom member that could be calling.

And tons of people reporting calls yesterday. I'd like to think you're right, but...
 
I still think there is hope. It doesn't seem like there is much organization to this. I bet it's just a few people just like "yeah sure maybe I'll call a few of these guys on break" haha something like that. Maybe the adcom people just have instructions so make the phone calls this week and it is really up to them when they do it. A lot seemed to get it done early and some people are taking their time. There's another meaningless theory haha.

Mailed? Like using a mailmen and mailwomen? That's madness...
 
I still think there is hope. It doesn't seem like there is much organization to this. I bet it's just a few people just like "yeah sure maybe I'll call a few of these guys on break" haha something like that. Maybe the adcom people just have instructions so make the phone calls this week and it is really up to them when they do it. A lot seemed to get it done early and some people are taking their time. There's another meaningless theory haha.

Mailed? Like using a mailmen and mailwomen? That's madness...
I like this one. Prevailing theory of the thread in my opinion.
 
Honestly, I love Duke but this is such a mean way to do this. We all started the application process last MAY and our pre-med journeys long before that. We all bought a suit, prepped for the interview, hopped on a plane and flew there with our goal to do our very best on our interview day. I feel like the least admissions could do is stay true to what it says on the portal (deliver decisions via email) vs. doing literally the exact opposite (by phone and postal mail) sporadically. At the very least, it would be nice to get consistent information from the admissions office when we call, or an admission that it's changing day by day. It feels unnecessarily cruel and is really bumming me out!

Edit: Trust me, I went into that interview knowing Duke was a long shot. I'm certainly not trying to say I was expecting to be admitted.
 
Hey guys I've been waiting anxiously as well like so many of you! Hang in there!!!!

Duke called my parents an hour ago as I am currently abroad! My parents seemed pretty darn gitty when they called to notify me...they are prolly lurking this thread now.

Anyways Interviewed late January! Last initial is late in the alphabet!

I wish you guys all the best and they said they were sending snail mails out soon!
 
Well, like the peeps said earlier. Don't expect much tomorrow, snow day in NC.
 
Hey guys I've been waiting anxiously as well like so many of you! Hang in there!!!!

Duke called my parents an hour ago as I am currently abroad! My parents seemed pretty darn gitty when they called to notify me...they are prolly lurking this thread now.

Anyways Interviewed late January! Last initial is late in the alphabet!

I wish you guys all the best and they said they were sending snail mails out soon!

Congratulations big guy (or girl)!
 
Honestly, I love Duke but this is such a mean way to do this. We all started the application process last MAY and our pre-med journeys long before that. We all bought a suit, prepped for the interview, hopped on a plane and flew there with our goal to do our very best on our interview day. I feel like the least admissions could do is stay true to what it says on the portal (deliver decisions via email) vs. doing literally the exact opposite (by phone and postal mail) sporadically. At the very least, it would be nice to get consistent information from the admissions office when we call, or an admission that it's changing day by day. It feels unnecessarily cruel and is really bumming me out!

Edit: Trust me, I went into that interview knowing Duke was a long shot. I'm certainly not trying to say I was expecting to be admitted.

Now that I got a decision I'm gonna send them an email similar to this one expressing my concerns for this method of delivery of information! Technology has evolved and thanks to sdn we all know what is happening to everyone...the last week has been brutal for me. I wasn't even that excited when I got the news for this reason.
 
Honestly, I love Duke but this is such a mean way to do this. We all started the application process last MAY and our pre-med journeys long before that. We all bought a suit, prepped for the interview, hopped on a plane and flew there with our goal to do our very best on our interview day. I feel like the least admissions could do is stay true to what it says on the portal (deliver decisions via email) vs. doing literally the exact opposite (by phone and postal mail) sporadically. At the very least, it would be nice to get consistent information from the admissions office when we call, or an admission that it's changing day by day. It feels unnecessarily cruel and is really bumming me out!

Edit: Trust me, I went into that interview knowing Duke was a long shot. I'm certainly not trying to say I was expecting to be admitted.

Totally relate to how you feel, but I think one possibility is that if Duke just copy and pasted the message from last year (since it said 2014 on the portal), then they didn't change the part about how they will inform us either. This would make sense as last year they did inform everyone by email and not by phone.
 
Totally relate to how you feel, but I think one possibility is that if Duke just copy and pasted the message from last year (since it said 2014 on the portal), then they didn't change the part about how they will inform us either. This would make sense as last year they did inform everyone by email and not by phone.
Totally possible, but I believe a current student said calls did go out last year as well.
 
I wonder if any students (besides the already accepted) will even be accepted via email at this point.

I don't know peeps.

At least tomorrow should be a break, right? Adcom not having to work. Staff not having to send out mail or email. etc.
 
Totally relate to how you feel, but I think one possibility is that if Duke just copy and pasted the message from last year (since it said 2014 on the portal), then they didn't change the part about how they will inform us either. This would make sense as last year they did inform everyone by email and not by phone.

I skimmed a couple previous years' Duke threads and it appears the portal wording hasn't changed at all for several years, with the exception of the year listed (March 20xx). And of course this year they didn't even update the year.

Admissions staff might not even know how to change it. They probably have to call a programmer in to do it.


EDIT: For example, see this post from two years ago, where it had the previous year in the text, just like now. So the portal text is at least on its fourth year now.
 
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I think they outsource the website...explains why there has been barely any updates to it since they introduced the mmi format..
 
This guy... Please go to the same school as me so we can hang out. You seem awesome haha

Edit: Trying this method right now with Guinness instead of scotch..

Guinness is ok but it's got nothing on a big, American stout. The kind that tastes like melted, bitter chocolate toffee in your mouth.

My nightcap is Elysian's Space Dust — a great citrusy IPA that a lot more of you will be seeing on shelves now that AB-Inbev purchased (and is pumping $$$ into) the once-independent brewery.
 
It's snowing here in NC (so far like 6-8 inches). I made a quick snowman for you guys. I was in my pajamas so it wasn't a very pleasant experience.

I think I can see that exact snowman from my window...or at least one that looks just like it 🙂
 
Guinness is ok but it's got nothing on a big, American stout. The kind that tastes like melted, bitter chocolate toffee in your mouth.

My nightcap is Elysian's Space Dust — a great citrusy IPA that a lot more of you will be seeing on shelves now that AB-Inbev purchased (and is pumping $$$ into) the once-independent brewery.

Speaking of chocolate stouts, I really want to drink a Left Hand milk stout nitro right now. Great hard pour.
 
Speaking of chocolate stouts, I really want to drink a Left Hand milk stout nitro right now. Great hard pour.

That's my favorite part of the left hand milk stout nitro. Amaze your friends with the hard vertical pour. Convince them to do the same with their Sculpin IPA lol

They actually make a non-nitro milk stout in bottles too, as if anyone would want that instead.
 
How's all that snow looking today? Enough to keep the admissions office closed?
 
anyone know what happens if you miss the call? prob being neurotic/ overly hopeful but I've been away and have a missed called from no caller ID on Tues AM and no way to interpret what that means......... trying times.
 
anyone know what happens if you miss the call? prob being neurotic/ overly hopeful but I've been away and have a missed called from no caller ID on Tues AM and no way to interpret what that means......... trying times.
I'm sure if you missed a call from Duke, they would either try to recall or let you know through whatever method they are currently planning on releasing the remainder of the decisions...it was smoke signals last I heard.
 
anyone know what happens if you miss the call? prob being neurotic but I've been away and have a missed called from no caller ID on Tues AM and no way to interpret what that means......... trying times.

I'm abroad and they missed me twice via cell phone. They called my home line where my parents are and said he should expect good news and didn't disclose any info for privacy reasons. Since I wasn't there they said just wait for the email.

Edit: I think they missed me..blocked number
 
I'm abroad and they missed me twice via cell phone. They called my home line where my parents are and said he should expect good news and didn't disclose any info for privacy reasons. Since I wasn't there they said just wait for the email.

Congrats! Well at least we know they'll (maybe) release decisions via email soon. Did they say when the emails would come out?
 
I'm abroad and they missed me twice via cell phone. They called my home line where my parents are and said he should expect good news and didn't disclose any info for privacy reasons. Since I wasn't there they said just wait for the email.
Any mention of when those enigmatic emails are supposed to go out?
 
Any more acceptance calls since yesterday eve?
 
My parents said the doctor said soon, sorry... No actual date. But I would bet a lot of money on Monday based on last years thread and what admissions officers said.
 
My parents said the doctor said soon, sorry... No actual date. But I would bet a lot of money on Monday based on last years thread and what admissions officers said.

Nice! So physical letters were mailed yesterday afternoon and emails incoming Monday
 
Nice! So physical letters were mailed yesterday afternoon and emails incoming Monday

It's a guess at best... Don't want to give you guys false hope like med school Twitter accounts and portals do.
 
anyone know what happens if you miss the call? prob being neurotic/ overly hopeful but I've been away and have a missed called from no caller ID on Tues AM and no way to interpret what that means......... trying times.

I missed a call from an unknown number Monday night, but they tried again and got through to me on Tuesday.
 
I got a call from an unknown number on Monday, but it was a woman with a heavy Indian accent telling me I owed the government back taxes from 2004. I'm pretty middle school students don't have to file taxes.

If you follow up with her and pay the taxes from 2004, then they might let you help finance a Nigerian prince with who needs $500 right now, but will pay you back $5,000 in a month. I say do it...
 
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