Countdown to Duke 2005!

[LauraSimmer]

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well then how could you possibly know you'll be accepted there? Without special considerations acceptance to top schools is pretty much a crapshoot. There are many deserving students who are not accepted b/c there just aren't enough spots to go around. I hope if you get in it is on your own merit just like everyone else. Lots of luck.

I don't know if I will get accepted there. But my confidence tells me I will get accepted.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

I don't know if I will get accepted there. But my confidence tells me I will get accepted.

then best of luck and hope you're not disappointed. i've yet to meet anyone even someone who had 4.0, 43 and tons of ECs, research and clinical experience who felt totally confident on Harvard. But then again connections sometimes helps or at least may give you an early notification

 

[Psycho Doctor]

Don't leave. I found a culture for which disinterest means love and adopted it. That means I love you psychodoctor. Please stay.

now if my fellow douche bag is asking, how can i say "no"? 😀

 

[GuyLaroche]

now if my fellow douche bag is asking, how can i say "no"? 😀

Congratulations on Columbia! You're bagging them all.

Go Duke!

 

[davidus]

I don't know if I will get accepted there. But my confidence tells me I will get accepted.

troll. i just tried making a new mdapp profile for kicks and it just happens to be #3139. laura is a little too overconfident

 

[LRmed2003]

umm...getting back to Duke kiddies..can we stay on topic?? are all ya'll going to 2nd look?

~L

 

[Psycho Doctor]

troll. i just tried making a new mdapp profile for kicks and it just happens to be #3139. laura is a little too overconfident

great detective work 👍 ; i didn't even notice the mdapplicants reference but her posts reeked of arrogance

 

[dopaminophile]

troll. i just tried making a new mdapp profile for kicks and it just happens to be #3139. laura is a little too overconfident

I dunno... uber applicants exist. In this thread, they're more likely to post than some others.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

umm...getting back to Duke kiddies..can we stay on topic?? are all ya'll going to 2nd look?

~L

honestly i'm not sure; i think it conflicts with another one, so i need to see all my options before i commit to anything. besides you don't really think i'm going to admit that "psycho doctor" is going to be there and have everyone spit on me..or at least have a preconceived opinion of me? i'd rather people develop their own opinion of me in person b/c people's perceptions of me on an internet board doesn't really do justice to what i am like in real life

 

[ellia08]

honestly i'm not sure; i think it conflicts with another one, so i need to see all my options before i commit to anything. besides you don't really think i'm going to admit that "psycho doctor" is going to be there and have everyone spit on me..or at least have a preconceived opinion of me? i'd rather people develop their own opinion of me in person b/c people's perceptions of me on an internet board doesn't really do justice to what i am like in real life

I think that sometimes posters can forget that these are real people posting and they say some really harsh or unecessary things (not funny, which is usually ok, just dumb and hurtfull). Neither you nor Guylaroche should take that junk seriously, it just shows that you both post enough to be recognisable to a troll and to the occasional reader. Plus, if he really cared all that much he would have spelled douchebag correctly.


OK... back to duke.

 

[NubianPrincess]

I want to go to second look, but it depends on my finances because if I go there's a chance that I will be staying in a hotel instead of with a student. But I would really love to go.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

I think that sometimes posters can forget that these are real people posting and they say some really harsh or unecessary things (not funny, which is usually ok, just dumb and hurtfull). Neither you nor Guylaroche should take that junk seriously, it just shows that you both post enough to be recognisable to a troll and to the occasional reader. Plus, if he really cared all that much he would have spelled douchebag correctly.


OK... back to duke.

you've got a point there.

i don't really care what people think of me here except much of it is wrong, so i certainly wouldn't want to start off school with people in real life having preconceived incorrect opinions of me...that's all

 

[Wiggy73]

Oh boy! I get to be the first to post with a non-acceptance! Psycho, hang on to your spot because there's no way your withdrawing will do me any good.

 

[criminallyinane]

Oh boy! I get to be the first to post with a non-acceptance! Psycho, hang on to your spot because there's no way your withdrawing will do me any good.

That is such BS. What more could they want? Should you have saved a small country in Africa to be worthy of them? This process is total bullsh*t. I am so sick of waiting for my non-rollers!

 

[LRmed2003]

I want to go to second look, but it depends on my finances because if I go there's a chance that I will be staying in a hotel instead of with a student. But I would really love to go.

nubian..

why would you stay in a hotel as opposed to with a host? just curious..

~L

 

[Psycho Doctor]

Oh boy! I get to be the first to post with a non-acceptance! Psycho, hang on to your spot because there's no way your withdrawing will do me any good.

that is just totally insane. are you sure you didn't accidentally check the box that said you were arrested for drugs and spent 3 years in jail? how else could they reject you? or they know you are too good for them and don't want people to turn them down. i'm really so sorry; this process really sucks.

 

[NubianPrincess]

nubian..

why would you stay in a hotel as opposed to with a host? just curious..

~L

I might not be alone 😳

 

[LauraSimmer]

troll. i just tried making a new mdapp profile for kicks and it just happens to be #3139. laura is a little too overconfident

funny. Don't know if I should take this as an insult or just ignore it.

 

[LRmed2003]

I might not be alone 😳

tru tru... well keep let me know...it'd be nice to put and face with a name. 😳

 

[GuyLaroche]

Oh boy! I get to be the first to post with a non-acceptance! Psycho, hang on to your spot because there's no way your withdrawing will do me any good.

Perhaps you should have applied to the MD/PhD program. I know the Duke MSTP program loooooves high-scorers. In any case, I am sure there is more good news coming for you elsewhere. This is such a weird process. Here's to hoping Wiggy73 gets great news soon!

 

[dopaminophile]

rejected officially today.... letter and all. *sigh*

 

[NubianPrincess]

I'm so, so sorry, dopaminophile 🙁

 

[TommyGunn04]

awww.. you're leaving sdn psycho? 🙁 Oh well. I probably will too. Now that this process is all done, I'm not as obsessed with checking threads and really only come on to give advice.

Wait 'till you have to take the boards or apply for residency positions...you cannot escape SDN!!! Mwa haha hahahahaha!

 

[so_nice]

rejected officially today.... letter and all. *sigh*

I am so sorry dopaminophile...

Remember, it is their loss and not yours! And I am still rooting for you! I know you will be a great doctor soon with so much to offer your future patients! Don't forget...

 

[Psycho Doctor]

rejected officially today.... letter and all. *sigh*

i'm so sorry; i was really rooting for you 🙁

 

[LRmed2003]

rejected officially today.... letter and all. *sigh*

don't sweat it kiddo..i know it seems easier said than done but i've been there and it WILL make you stronger.. i promise..

~L

 

[dopaminophile]

Thanks for the kind words everybody. No worries though, you win some and you lose some. I'm into some good schools so I really can't complain. My goals are met; I'm going to be a doctor! Wahoo!

 

[Psycho Doctor]

Thanks for the kind words everybody. No worries though, you win some and you lose some. I'm into some good schools so I really can't complain. My goals are met; I'm going to be a doctor! Wahoo!

congrats! and i completely agree with you. an MD is an MD! where are you choosing between?

 

[dopaminophile]

congrats! and i completely agree with you. an MD is an MD! where are you choosing between?

My options are Case, EVMS, Loyola, and Marshall. I think it's going to be between Case and EVMS. I have to think hard about which direction I might want to take my career... research or primary care/surgery. We'll see... I think I'll hit up a few 2nd looks before I make a final decision.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

My options are Case, EVMS, Loyola, and Marshall. I think it's going to be between Case and EVMS. I have to think hard about which direction I might want to take my career... research or primary care/surgery. We'll see... I think I'll hit up a few 2nd looks before I make a final decision.

great choices; best of luck to you!

 

[sweatybrain]

Sorry about that wiggy and dope. I know how much you love Duke. 🙁 I have a sinking feeling my rejection is on its way too, but given my love for Tar Heels basketball, I don't know if I can be a student at Duke anyhow 🙂

Congrats to everyone who is accepted.

 

[tacrum43]

now if my fellow douche bag is asking, how can i say "no"? 😀

Okay, this has nothing to do with Duke (I didn't even apply there) but, OMG that was so funny. PD, who knew you had a since of humor? BTW, I did defend you (well, kinda) in that thread. Anyway, don't leave, what would SDN be without psycho doctor?

 

[LRmed2003]

bumpety bump..jeez we were on the third page..umm..so i started a thread on folks who might be intending to go to duke..umm..sort of a graduation from this thread..soooo post away!!! 😀

 

[seethrew]

hey folks... can i join the club... i'm on the alternate list... pleasantly surprised! 😎

 

[LRmed2003]

congrats seethrew

 

[seethrew]

congrats seethrew

😳 thanks!

Now I want to rant and rave about the alternate list! If anyone has any info - give it up!!! I doubt there is much movement... anyone know?

 

[LRmed2003]

well at least two folks on SDN.. LauraSImmer and krelian have said they are giving up their spots next week when they are most assuredly accepted into harvard.sooo...here's to hope...fingers crossed for ya..

 

[TommyGunn04]

Now I want to rant and rave about the alternate list! If anyone has any info - give it up!!! I doubt there is much movement... anyone know?

If you do some clever searching you'll find lots of my own personal rants about the waitlist, from a few years ago. Ultimately though, I was never really able to learn much about it, other than people's speculations...Duke's very secretive compared to other schools. In fact, even students I know on the actual admissions committee aren't told how it works! Duke won't tell you where you are on the list, nor will they tell you how big it is, or even if it's possible to move up in the list by updating them on your grades, publications, etc. That said, I do know that in my class there's a good 5-10 of us who came off the waitlist...I think I was one of the last few, as it was mid-July when I got my acceptance, only 2-3 weeks before classes started! And as it gets closer to the start of classes people either withdraw from the waitlist, or turn down an offer once their plans are solidified elsewhere, which increases the chances for people who really really want to be at Duke and are willing to make other sacrifices in the hopes of being pulled off the list. So being flexible is a big part of the game. If you really want it, then it's worth the sacrifice. For example, I set up plans to live with an older medical student at my second choice school, Penn, so that I didn't have to sign a lease there and would be able to drop everything to come to Duke even at the last minute. But I had never even met the guy! It was a big risk! But if I hadn't done that, I wouldn't have been able to come down here so late in the game.

The nice thing about this system though is that it's pretty much a guarantee that a school will draw from its waitlist, because the alternative is overfilling the class, which is a very very poor option financially. It turns out that educating a medical student is very much a financially burdensome endeavor. Despite the fact that tuition is so expensive, it still doesn't come even close to covering the cost of educating a student, which is probably one reason why Duke's class is only ~100. Still, it's important to realize that a school needs to make its alternate list large enough to avoid the possibility of somehow NOT filling its class. So if you happen to be one of the unlucky ones at the bottom of the list, then chances are very slim indeed. All the more reason why it really sucks that Duke won't even tell you "top half" vs "bottom half" or somehow create waitlist "tiers" the way schools like Penn do.

Also, although no one seems to know whether or not it's helpful, I'm a big proponent of writing occasional letters of interest, or an occasional letter updating the school on your life. So if you get into Phi Beta Kappa in the spring, tell Duke about it. If you get something published, tell Duke about it. I did this a few times, and it worked out for me, although I don't know if these things really made a difference...maybe I just happened to be high enough on the list. Still, as long as you're not obnoxious about it I don't see how it could hurt, so what's there to lose? It doesn't take long to write a short letter.

Anyway, I hope that's helpful info. I know how frustrating the whole waitlist game is. Hang in there, and let me know if there's anything I can do to help. I'll let you know if I hear anything. This year has been extraordinarily competitive and pretty unbelievable for Duke admissions, so just the fact that you've been chosen to be on the alternate list is a heck of an accomplishment. It means that, if they could, Duke would happily take you as a student, but they're unfortunately limited to 100 seats. From a top school like Duke, that's pretty flattering.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

Okay, this has nothing to do with Duke (I didn't even apply there) but, OMG that was so funny. PD, who knew you had a since of humor? BTW, I did defend you (well, kinda) in that thread. Anyway, don't leave, what would SDN be without psycho doctor?

i actually do have a sense of humor; too bad it's lost on message boards....

i did finally read that thread so i'm aware of what you and everyone else said. and my anticipated diminishing posting is not directly related to that thread although as i said, it makes it easier.

 

[ftbstep]

Congrats seethrew...and I'm also on the alternate list and feel very fortunate to be there. Like I said in the other post, my interview went great, but just wasnt great enough to overcome my lower MCAT. But like I said, I'm happy

 

[QofQuimica]

Congrats to those of you who got into Duke. I have decided that I am going to apply there for fall 2006 after all. (I almost wrote them off because of their age of pre-requisites rule, but it turns out that I can request for that to be waived.) So the insane process continues. Best of luck to everyone, and I hope that those of you still waiting for non-rolling schools hear good news soon!

 

[muchlove]

Maybe I've been subjected to worse than rejection. Maybe I'm so bad that they didn't even bother to send me a rejection letter. I LIVE in DURHAM!!! Why haven't I gotten my rejection??? Just let me have it already. I want this to end 🙁

 

[beep]

i got waitlisted, am super interested in duke, and really really would like to go to the 2nd look weekend. have any of you waitlisters asked to go or heard anything about it?

 

[Scrubz67]

Waitlist for me too! I feel very fortunate as well, but now I'm just waiting for some of you over-achievers to head to some other top school...hehe