2016-2017 Duke University Application Thread

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Secondary Submitted. Now to wait for a hopeful interview.
 
Still waiting for their fee waiver approval.. I bet they're playing a game of figurative chicken. Let's see if he cracks and just pays before we approve it!
 
Still waiting for their fee waiver approval.. I bet they're playing a game of figurative chicken. Let's see if he cracks and just pays before we approve it!
i sent them the confirmation email and they approved it within an hour
 
For the essays how many words on average did you guys write? For some I can only get up to around 400 words before I feel myself writing a bunch of BS.
 
For the essays how many words on average did you guys write? For some I can only get up to around 400 words before I feel myself writing a bunch of BS.
A friend of mine got into Duke last cycle and she sent me her essays (mostly out of curiosity to see what Duke likes, obviously I can't taker her stories), but for several prompts she wrote about 250 words, so I am planning to just say what I need to say and not go over 600 words.
 
Anyone else only seeing the following two prompts and the optional any more info essay? I am an MSTP applicant so maybe that changed the prompts?

Tell us more about who you are. You may provide additional information that expands your self-identity where gender identification, racial and/or ethnic self description, geographic origin, socioeconomic, academic, and/or other characteristics that define who you are as you contemplate a career that will interface with people who are similar AND dissimilar to you (500 words).

Describe an experience when you were confronted with an individual or group whose values differ from yours? How did you resolve the conflict/ challenge? Describe at least one outcome that the experience created.

Edit: Checked and it clarifies this under 'Program Selection' if anyone else is wondering in the future.
 
Hey can anyone who's complete the secondary tell me how much the fee is?
 
Does Duke accept updates after the secondary is submitted but before interviews begin?
 
Question: how does Duke consider multiple MCAT scores? (Avg? Highest?) Also, should I wait until I get my new score back or submit now? I don't want them to throw out my app because my old score won't cut it...thanks!!
 
Doesn't duke send II to everyone who gets verified?
 
Complete 7/5 (literally the same day I got the secondary invite)
Stats: 3.3 ugpa, 4.0 postbacc gpa, 517, URM, nontrad
Did your II come by email/phone call/or on their application website?
 
Alright, I put off this monster for too long. What does functional impact mean?
 
Alright, I put off this monster for too long. What does functional impact mean?

I must have kinda glazed over that portion of the question because I didn't stop to think about what exactly it meant. When I wrote my essay, I basically wrote about what I learned from the experience and how the experience affected my mindset, behaviors, etc.
 
I must have kinda glazed over that portion of the question because I didn't stop to think about what exactly it meant. When I wrote my essay, I basically wrote about what I learned from the experience and how the experience affected my mindset, behaviors, etc.
What's your opinion of using an example from my personal statement for the advocacy question. I honestly can't think of another good example 🙁
 
What's your opinion of using an example from my personal statement for the advocacy question. I honestly can't think of another good example 🙁

I think that it's just fine. I have used examples from my personal statement multiple times on secondary essays. I just expounded on them in more detail and tried not to sound repetitive.
 
Did anyone or is anyone submitting a fairly short essay? Most of my are around 500+ words, but for the "humbling experience" one I have pretty much said all I can think to say in just under 300...
 
Did anyone or is anyone submitting a fairly short essay? Most of my are around 500+ words, but for the "humbling experience" one I have pretty much said all I can think to say in just under 300...

One of my essays was less than 300 words. I think if you can get the point across in half the maximum length, you should (and I'm sure the adcoms will appreciate it). Quality is better than quantity.
 
One of my essays was less than 300 words. I think if you can get the point across in half the maximum length, you should (and I'm sure the adcoms will appreciate it). Quality is better than quantity.

Congrats on your 5 IIs. Never felt so jealous....
 
Jealous. I'm still waiting for one.

I'm sure you will. It's still pretty early. There are several schools that I haven't even received secondaries from yet, even though I submitted my AMCAS the second day after it was open for submission.

I think the thing that made the biggest difference for me was pre-writing secondaries. It allowed me to have less than a 24 hour turnaround time for secondaries once I received them. I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't have received such a positive response this early if it wasn't for that.
 
I'm sure you will. It's still pretty early. There are several schools that I haven't even received secondaries from yet, even though I submitted my AMCAS the second day after it was open for submission.

I think the thing that made the biggest difference for me was pre-writing secondaries. It allowed me to have less than a 24 hour turnaround time for secondaries once I received them. I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't have received such a positive response this early if it wasn't for that.
Do you think turning around that fast makes a difference in the decision for giving an II. I really don't think it makes a difference between a day or a week in turning around . I can understand if you took a really long time ..
 
Does anyone know how much the secondary app fee is with fee assistance? I got approved but i'm not sure it got deducted from the fee.
 
Do you think turning around that fast makes a difference in the decision for giving an II. I really don't think it makes a difference between a day or a week in turning around . I can understand if you took a really long time ..

I'm not sure exactly how much of a difference it makes to turn in a secondary a week versus a day late. I was just trying to give my best guess on the situation. I'm sure if someone had a really impressive application but turned in their secondary later rather than earlier, that person might still get an earlier interview invite.
 
I'm not sure exactly how much of a difference it makes to turn in a secondary a week versus a day late. I was just trying to give my best guess on the situation. I'm sure if someone had a really impressive application but turned in their secondary later rather than earlier, that person might still get an earlier interview invite.
You maybe right , who knows !
 
Is anyone else unable to actually get to the secondary website? I keep getting error messages 🙁
 
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