2016-2017 Duke University Application Thread

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Also, as this comes to a close, I want to congratulate you all. Not only for getting into medical school, but also because this is BY FAR the most sane thread ive been a part of on SDN.

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Also, as this comes to a close, I want to congratulate you all. Not only for getting into medical school, but also because this is BY FAR the most sane thread ive been a part of on SDN.

Hehe, revisit that statement after Wednesday....
 
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Can confirm decisions are this week. Wish you all the best of luck!
 
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My solution is to expect the worst. I walk out of every interview assuming a rejection and then put it out of my mind. If I hear otherwise, then it's a nice surprise. :)
Ive tried this, and then I realized, I internally and subconsciously always suspect the best.
 
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But in all seriousness. This is important and not enough people say it. No matter the decisions we get on Wednesday, and I am one who was shocked at my interview invite because my statistics are not on par with those interviewing and honestly dont think I will get in, realize you are insanely talented and smart for getting an interview here. You already achieved what most applicants dream of. If you are interviewing at duke you will most likely get into at least one school. It may not be the biggest or fanciest or highest rank around. But you will ultimately be a physician in 4 years, and hopefully be where we all want to be in the end. And this is advice for myself also. The decision should not determine your own self worth. If accepted, I will never be better than those not accepted and If not accepted, I will never be worse/less than those accepted.

Just my two cents before the craziness of decisions.I know we all really love duke!
 
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I can see the duke admissions office from my window at work....I keep looking over there as if I will be able to see my file in a decision pile. Hahaha
 
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Wednesdays are by far my longest day of the week. I'm going to try to have the willpower to not check my email until the end of the day but my willpower is not the greatest.
 
My solution is to expect the worst. I walk out of every interview assuming a rejection and then put it out of my mind. If I hear otherwise, then it's a nice surprise. :)

If I did that I would start feeling really dejected and that I would never have my dream career, etc.... Kudos, in all seriousness, that you can maintain that outlook and not be depressed.
 
If I did that I would start feeling really dejected and that I would never have my dream career, etc.... Kudos, in all seriousness, that you can maintain that outlook and not be depressed.
Hah, it helps that I have a couple of acceptances so far. I know I'm starting next year, so that's a good feeling.

I'm naturally kind of a fatalist. Just kind of believe if it's meant to happen, it'll happen. If not, oh well. I put forth the best effort I can, no matter what, assume the worst, and then am surprised when something good does happen. It works for me!

It's served me well throughout the application cycle. I sleep well most nights! :D
 
Hah, it helps that I have a couple of acceptances so far. I know I'm starting next year, so that's a good feeling.

I'm naturally kind of a fatalist. Just kind of believe if it's meant to happen, it'll happen. If not, oh well. I put forth the best effort I can, no matter what, assume the worst, and then am surprised when something good does happen. It works for me!

It's served me well throughout the application cycle. I sleep well most nights! :D

Good way to think. I'm just not quite there myself. It's been a long season, and I don't have acceptances yet - top-loaded my school list, I think. But most of my schools will be getting back to me this week, it sounds like, so it shouldn't be long - and statistically I should get in at a couple places, so I'm happy!
 
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I'm just so excited to hear back. And I was so lucky to even have an interview at duke. A year ago I didn't know if I would be accepted at any medical schools and this whole process has honestly helped me grow a lot as a person (and has taught me great patience). Whether or not I get into Duke, I have learned a lot. But if I do get in, I can genuinely say it will be the happiest day of my life to date. It would be a dream come true.
 
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I'm just so excited to hear back. And I was so lucky to even have an interview at duke. A year ago I didn't know if I would be accepted at any medical schools and this whole process has honestly helped me grow a lot as a person (and has taught me great patience). Whether or not I get into Duke, I have learned a lot. But if I do get in, I can genuinely say it will be the happiest day of my life to date. It would be a dream come true.
+1 to all of this
 
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so do they start calling today or are all calls and emails tomorrow?
 
I feel like it'll leak over into 3/2 or something
 
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I feel like it'll leak over into 3/2 or something
A friend called Monday and was told, "Decisions should go out Wed-Friday." He didn't ask if that was phone calls, emails or snail mail.
 
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A friend called Monday and was told, "Decisions should go out Wed-Friday." He didn't ask if that was phone calls, emails or snail mail.

I knew it was too good to be true for decisions to go out in one day haha...just confused cause someone said they called yesterday and they were told emails and portal changes happen tomorrow


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I knew it was too good to be true for decisions to go out in one day haha...just confused cause someone said they called yesterday and they were told emails and portal changes happen tomorrow


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A friend called Monday and was told, "Decisions should go out Wed-Friday." He didn't ask if that was phone calls, emails or snail mail.
Yeah, That was me the admissions told me all of us would get decisions tomorrow as in Wed March 1st and I also called yesterday. Would someone wanna be the person to call to clarify ALL these questions. I might call again, Nothing to lose decisions are already made
 
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Yeah, That was me the admissions told me all of us would get decisions tomorrow as in Wed March 1st and I also called yesterday. Would someone wanna be the person to call to clarify ALL these questions. I might call again, Nothing to lose decisions are already made

Ill call too after class, and then we can compare our answers haha
 
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a different lady answered this time, and said acceptance will go out wed-Friday. and all other wl and rejection goes out later.
 
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a different lady answered this time, and said acceptance will go out wed-Friday. and all other wl and rejection goes out later.

thats rough lol so 3 days of calls, then wl and rejections on monday im assuming
 
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a different lady answered this time, and said acceptance will go out wed-Friday. and all other wl and rejection goes out later.
well, ****.. does that mean portal changes might not happen tomorrow?
agony til friday..
 
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thats rough lol so 3 days of calls, then wl and rejections on monday im assuming
well, ****.. does that mean portal changes might not happen tomorrow?
agony til friday..
I got two different people two different answers so I don't know. I am just telling You all what was said :/. But the second answer is more in line with past years so I may give it more weight :( This sucks. I would rather know than be dreading for three days. Reject me tomorrow not give me false hope three days. Honestly to give someone hope is worse than a rejection
 
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I got two different people two different answers so I don't know. I am just telling You all what was said :/. But the second answer is more in line with past years so I may give it more weight :( This sucks. I would rather know than be dreading for three days. Reject me tomorrow not give me false hope three days. Honestly to give someone hope is worse than a rejection

Looking at previous years' threads, I really don't understand why Duke drags out this process rather than update the portals all on one day. Each year, there seems to be a wild emotional roller coaster during their release timeframe for so many applicants.
 
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Looking at previous years' threads, I really don't understand why Duke drags out this process rather than update the portals all on one day. Each year, there seems to be a wild emotional roller coaster during their release timeframe for so many applicants.
This seems to happen for a few schools actually. NYU this year comes into mind.
 
I know this wont happen, but i might as well try..what if We all agree to just wait until friday to post on here that we got accepted. I feel like not seeing people post about phone calls will definitely help the anxiety of the whole thing.
 
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I know this wont happen, but i might as well try..what if We all agree to just wait until friday to post on here that we got accepted. I feel like not seeing people post about phone calls will definitely help the anxiety of the whole thing.

definitely not man. id rather know my fate. please post...
 
so i just logged onto my portal and on the calendar to the side, it says that March 1st is the admissions decision. Praying for everyone's portal change tomo regardless of the decision!
 
so i just logged onto my portal and on the calendar to the side, it says that March 1st is the admissions decision. Praying for everyone's portal change tomo regardless of the decision!

what calendar to the side
 
I think if there's one thing we can learn from previous cycles is that we should expect a cluster.
 
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Lol every time I see an alert, I feel the need to check if it's someone who got their decision early...
 
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Ah darn. And I was relieved to not have to start guessing in what order they do phone calls. (is it by interview date? last name? random pile?). oh well. I guess I can commence with the overanalyzing and freaking out.
 
I'm positive when I interviewed we were told we would not receive calls, maybe there has been a change? Does anyone have an idea what the chances of getting accepted off the wait list is assuming no acceptance in the next few days? I know no one can say for sure, but I believe some schools rarely have to pull from the WL while others pull heavily from it, never heard about Duke.
 
I'm positive when I interviewed we were told we would not receive calls, maybe there has been a change? Does anyone have an idea what the chances of getting accepted off the wait list is assuming no acceptance in the next few days? I know no one can say for sure, but I believe some schools rarely have to pull from the WL while others pull heavily from it, never heard about Duke.

After the interview day was over, everyone sat down with a Duke faculty physician and he answered a bunch of questions from us. He specifically said he would be making phone calls and that usually 0-2 people get off the waitlist each year. He used last year as an example where no one got off it.
 
I'm positive when I interviewed we were told we would not receive calls, maybe there has been a change? Does anyone have an idea what the chances of getting accepted off the wait list is assuming no acceptance in the next few days? I know no one can say for sure, but I believe some schools rarely have to pull from the WL while others pull heavily from it, never heard about Duke.
The portal says no calls -- this might be what you're thinking of. Apparently, it has said for the past couple of years. But if you read previous years' threads, Duke doesn't really heed by their own rules. :) Recent interviewees have reported that calls will be maid!

At my interview date, they said not a ton of waitlist movement. They actually overaccepted last year's class, I believe.
 
I'm positive when I interviewed we were told we would not receive calls, maybe there has been a change? Does anyone have an idea what the chances of getting accepted off the wait list is assuming no acceptance in the next few days? I know no one can say for sure, but I believe some schools rarely have to pull from the WL while others pull heavily from it, never heard about Duke.
I actually Know someone who was pulled off of last years waitlist in may, so the over accepted confuses me a bit
 
After the interview day was over, everyone sat down with a Duke faculty physician and he answered a bunch of questions from us. He specifically said he would be making phone calls and that usually 0-2 people get off the waitlist each year. He used last year as an example where no one got off it.

When I was there, they said that the last 2 years nobody came off the waitlist, but in previous years, a reasonable number had; we'll just have to wait and see, I guess, but I won't be too hopeful if I get waitlisted.
 
When I was there, they said that the last 2 years nobody came off the waitlist, but in previous years, a reasonable number had; we'll just have to wait and see, I guess, but I won't be too hopeful if I get waitlisted.

Honestly that is really hard to believe considering how many people I know who interviewed at Duke who also interviewed at Harvard, Stanford, Hopkins etc. and I'm fairly certain they would go to those places before Duke just because of the obvious. But of course I'm biased as I would like to have some hope if I get WLed. Also, why interview so many people if no one turns down their offer? Kind of confusing.

I'm not sure about the phone call but I remember the doc who sat down with us at the end was on the admissions team and made a point of saying no calls will be made, but I interviewed a long time ago, so again maybe they changed their minds.
 
Honestly that is really hard to believe considering how many people I know who interviewed at Duke who also interviewed at Harvard, Stanford, Hopkins etc. and I'm fairly certain they would go to those places before Duke just because of the obvious. But of course I'm biased as I would like to have some hope if I get WLed. Also, why interview so many people if no one turns down their offer? Kind of confusing.

I'm not sure about the phone call but I remember the doc who sat down with us at the end was on the admissions team and made a point of saying no calls will be made, but I interviewed a long time ago, so again maybe they changed their minds.
For what it's worth, I've interviewed at quite a few top-10 schools, and Duke is probably my number one choice. I think it's just a matter of fit! Their yield might not be as high as Harvard, but there are still people who would choose it over Harvard, I think.
 
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Honestly that is really hard to believe considering how many people I know who interviewed at Duke who also interviewed at Harvard, Stanford, Hopkins etc. and I'm fairly certain they would go to those places before Duke just because of the obvious. But of course I'm biased as I would like to have some hope if I get WLed. Also, why interview so many people if no one turns down their offer? Kind of confusing.

I'm not sure about the phone call but I remember the doc who sat down with us at the end was on the admissions team and made a point of saying no calls will be made, but I interviewed a long time ago, so again maybe they changed their minds.

They don't accept the exact amount of students they need for their class, and then go to the waitlist. Every school has a yield calculation based on how many students they need to overaccept to fill their seats. Duke has roughly 115 seats available and accepted 250 students last year. Doesn't mean they took any off of the waitlist though.
 
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Honestly that is really hard to believe considering how many people I know who interviewed at Duke who also interviewed at Harvard, Stanford, Hopkins etc. and I'm fairly certain they would go to those places before Duke just because of the obvious. But of course I'm biased as I would like to have some hope if I get WLed. Also, why interview so many people if no one turns down their offer? Kind of confusing.

I'm not sure about the phone call but I remember the doc who sat down with us at the end was on the admissions team and made a point of saying no calls will be made, but I interviewed a long time ago, so again maybe they changed their minds.

I too interviewed at three schools ranked above Duke (USNews) and Duke is my top choice as well.
 
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They don't accept the exact amount of students they need for their class, and then go to the waitlist. Every school has a yield calculation based on how many students they need to overaccept to fill their seats. Duke has roughly 115 seats available and accepted 250 students last year. Doesn't mean they took any off of the waitlist though.


Ah yea I forgot about that, they already over offer spots. Though all schools do this and still tend to accept quite a few people off wait lists or at least not zero.

Yes I agree. I have also interviewed at higher ranked schools and intend on accepting Duke over them, but I don't think that's the norm. In any case, as always I guess we'll just wait and see what happens. :)
 
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