"Official" Duke Waitlist 2005 Thread

[Laelia]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hey - who's with me here? Let's get this started, and remember to post your good news as soon as you hear it! I imagine people will start hearing next week... good luck to everyone!

 

[seethrew]

im on the list, but havent made any effort.
meh.

 

[Penelope1]

I'm on it. Yay for May 15th, (or 16th as the case may be)! I'll continue to cling to some measure of hope for the next couple weeks at least. Good luck everyone! I wish there were an icon for crossing one's fingers....

 

[DukeDoc08]

Good luck everyone! I got in July 6th last year and now I am paying the price for going to Duke as I study for Monday's exam (after I finished the take home part this afternoon)...
just kidding of course (about the paying the price part)! 7 more weeks and BYE BYE classroom and amphitheatre!! HELLO wards and sleepless nights!!!
I can't wait! Really, seriously, I can't wait!!!
Anyway, I made a lot of effort last year to get in....but I'm not sure if it mattered or not other than the fact they knew I wanted to go to Duke very badly! I think they are molding the class they want (men, women, trad, non trad, minorities, east, west, north, south) with the initial acceptances and then with the waitlist people to make sure the final class is just what they were looking for (unique background can be thrown in there, as well)....just a theory of course because no one knows what goes through their minds (or Dr. Armstrong's mind I should say since I think she makes the waitlist decisions solo)

WOW, July 6th....it was a little too close for my liking and NO I didn't feel like I was getting sloppy seconds from Duke....I'm not top of the class and I'm not rock bottom either, so I guess that means that even the last person to get in (which I wasn't) has what it takes!

 

[Laelia]

Thanks for your post, DukeDoc! It's really great to hear from someone else who was in this situation last year. Do you have any idea by talking to your classmates how likely it was to hear back earlier, like in May? Or did most people hear sometime in July? Also, did you experience any difficulties with finding good, affordable housing when you only found out in July? Thank you!

 

[Laelia]

Also, good luck on your exam!! 🙂

 

[DukeDoc08]

Lealia,
No, I didn't have any problem finding housing...there are a lot of apartments, but you might have trouble getting a roommate. I remember that we had an email sent to the incoming class last year when someone was taken off of the waitlist really close to school...I'm not sure if he found a roommate or not from the class...I think he did, so even if it was REALLY close to start of school people still may be looking.
Yes, I'm sure people were taken off the waitlist much earlier than I was! If you do a search in this forum you may be able to dig up the waitlist thread from last year....people were getting in *I think* starting around May 22 and that email about the student was sent out around late July....so there is a large window of opportunity.....
I was informed last year that a larger # of females than expected turned Duke down from their initial acceptance so a lot of the early waitlisters came from the female pool (if you believe my theory about "demographically" filling the class from the waitlisters)

 

[Laelia]

Thanks DukeDoc, your information is a great help! I think in past years people have found out through the regular mail - is this how you found out?

I guess all of us waitlistees will have another chance to anxiously wait by our mailboxes in the next couple of weeks! 🙂

And c'mon, I know there are more of you out there on the waitlist - join the chat! Where are you going if not Duke? For me it'll be UNC.

 

[DukeDoc08]

Thanks DukeDoc, your information is a great help! I think in past years people have found out through the regular mail - is this how you found out?

I guess all of us waitlistees will have another chance to anxiously wait by our mailboxes in the next couple of weeks! 🙂

And c'mon, I know there are more of you out there on the waitlist - join the chat! Where are you going if not Duke? For me it'll be UNC.

NOPE! I got the glorious phone call at work at which time I ran around the lab screaming like a little girl thanking Jesus!!

 

[Medikit]

Hey guys, just wanted to say good luck 👍

 

[Laelia]

Hey guys, just wanted to say good luck 👍

Thanks Medikit! And DukeDoc, I think that may be my reaction too. I think all of us are gonna go crazy if we see any 919 area code numbers show up on our phones in the next few days...

 

[Crafty]

Thought I'd add my 2 cents and some words of encouragement. It's been quite a while since I've visited this site, and man, it's way bigger than just a few years ago when I was using it regularly. Anyway, I just graduated from Duke Med this weekend, and I was also taken off the waitlist four years ago. I remember getting "the call" from Admissions in mid-June, and I accepted their offer immediately. Duke had been my #1 choice all along, and I was not shy in letting them know this after I got my waitlist letter.

As for the issue of finding an apartment late in the summer, I actually found a rising second year student who had an extra room, and after calling him up in late June, I had a place without a problem. Don't know it that's typical, but hopefully those sorts of things still happen.

Hang in there everyone!

 

[Laelia]

bumping up from page 3 😀

Thanks Crafty for your input - all of you current students who were once waitlisted give us hope!

 

[seethrew]

sent out love letters today... including dukey.

 

[Dr. Donkey]

someone has claimed to have gotten a call from duke in the duke 2005 official thread

 

[Laelia]

someone has claimed to have gotten a call from duke in the duke 2005 official thread

Thanks for the heads up, Dr. Donkey! Hopefully the rest of us will be so lucky!

 

[Eyesayah55]

That was me...They called about 4 hours ago. 🙂

 

[Laelia]

Congratulations, Eyesayah! Did you also receive financial aid information?

For the rest of us, I don't know if anyone has visited the Duke Account Login site recently, but they have this posted:

May 17, 2005 (Tuesday): Admissions will begin mailing accept letters to students accepted from the waitlist.

So no worries if you're away from your phone for a few minutes!

 

[Eyesayah55]

Thanks Laelia! 🙂

I haven't gotten financial aid information yet. They told me that it would take about a day to change my status from alternate to accepted. They said that I could call in tomorrow to get more information.

 

[Penelope1]

Congratulations Eyesayah! Thanks for posting to let us know. 🙂

 

[TommyGunn04]

That was me...They called about 4 hours ago. 🙂

Congrats on the acceptance!!! 😀

And to respond to some previous posters, I too am one of those current Duke students who got in off the waitlist VERY late, like DukeDoc, sometime in mid-July. I had absolutely no problem finding great housing. I'm actually still living in the same complex because I love the place so much! And although I was accepted only about 3 weeks before classes started, Duke's financial aid office literally more than doubled the grant money of my next best offer, which was another top 5 school. Duke financial aid rocks!!! It can't be beat!

 

[Laelia]

Thanks for the input, TommyGunn! Wow, I'm surprised at the number of mid to late summer acceptances! Where do so many late spots come from? People who are already accepted to Duke get in other places off of waitlists? Well, whatever the case, as long as the spots are there! 🙂

 

[mr. sparkle]

oh man, so looking forward to this...good luck to everyone

 

[djali]

Aaaaahhhhhhh!!!! I Just Got The Call So Excited Ahhhhh!!!!

 

[ramblinwreckie]

Aaaaahhhhhhh!!!! I Just Got The Call So Excited Ahhhhh!!!!

wow, that's awesome. congrats! 😀

 

[Dr. Donkey]

Nice work! Question for you: did you update them much or just leave them to their decision?

Aaaaahhhhhhh!!!! I Just Got The Call So Excited Ahhhhh!!!!

 

[djali]

Nice work! Question for you: did you update them much or just leave them to their decision?

I wrote them a one page letter maybe 2 weeks ago saying why they were my first choice and also giving a brief update on my doings since I interviewed (and that's all). This is crazy. I can't believe it worked!

 

[Dr. Donkey]

Napoleon says, "luhcky." Do you think you'll be going down south or Columbia (I saw you got in on a different thread).

I wrote them a one page letter maybe 2 weeks ago saying why they were my first choice and also giving a brief update on my doings since I interviewed (and that's all). This is crazy. I can't believe it worked!

 

[Dr. Donkey]

Sorry, ignore my post...forgot about the first choice thing

 

[Laelia]

Congratulations, djali! 🙂

 

[djali]

Congratulations, djali! 🙂

Thank-you!! 😀

 

[Scrubz67]

Hey guys, just BUMP-ing and seeing if anyone has any good news today. Here's an update of what is posted on the DukeMed site.

IMPORTANT UPDATES
Updated May 18, 2005

May 17, 2005
ALTERNATE LIST UPDATE
If you are selected from the alternate list,
you will be contacted (as positions become available)
first by phone and then by an
an offical letter; please do not call the
Office of Admissions.

Anyone else thinking that chances of getting off the list are decreasing exponentially as we get further from May 17th??

 

[Laelia]

You would think that the later it gets, the less chance we'd have. But we've had three or four current Duke Med students post and say that they got in anywhere from mid-June to mid-July. So even if it takes that long (though I hope it doesn't), we still have hope!! 🙂

 

[Scrubz67]

You would think that the later it gets, the less chance we'd have. But we've had three or four current Duke Med students post and say that they got in anywhere from mid-June to mid-July. So even if it takes that long (though I hope it doesn't), we still have hope!! 🙂

Good point...I think I'm just getting worn out from spending every minute glued to my phone...I'm also telling mysef that they are carefully sifting through all the alternates to find places for those who have already dropped. I like to live with the illusion that the waitlist Gods are meticulously re-reading apps to find replacements. hehehe...

 

[Laelia]

Oh believe me Scrubz, I hear ya. The wait is definitely a killer. The prospect of another copule months of this is not a fun one. I just hope the waitlist gods smile upon us. 😀

 

[Scrubz67]

BUMP

hear any good news??? anyone? anyone? ...Bueller?

 

[Penelope1]

No good news here, but I know someone must have heard in the last two days....Right?

 

[Laelia]

Yeah, no news here either. C'mon Duke, keep the list movin!

 

[Scrubz67]

Yeah, no news here either. C'mon Duke, keep the list movin!

you guys think all the movement due to May 15th is done for now??? 😱

 

[ISABELLE22]

Hi there, I just got in off the waitlist and am excited about Duke! How much free time (if any) do you have first year? How filled are the weekends?

THanks!

Good luck everyone! I got in July 6th last year and now I am paying the price for going to Duke as I study for Monday's exam (after I finished the take home part this afternoon)...
just kidding of course (about the paying the price part)! 7 more weeks and BYE BYE classroom and amphitheatre!! HELLO wards and sleepless nights!!!
I can't wait! Really, seriously, I can't wait!!!
Anyway, I made a lot of effort last year to get in....but I'm not sure if it mattered or not other than the fact they knew I wanted to go to Duke very badly! I think they are molding the class they want (men, women, trad, non trad, minorities, east, west, north, south) with the initial acceptances and then with the waitlist people to make sure the final class is just what they were looking for (unique background can be thrown in there, as well)....just a theory of course because no one knows what goes through their minds (or Dr. Armstrong's mind I should say since I think she makes the waitlist decisions solo)

WOW, July 6th....it was a little too close for my liking and NO I didn't feel like I was getting sloppy seconds from Duke....I'm not top of the class and I'm not rock bottom either, so I guess that means that even the last person to get in (which I wasn't) has what it takes!

 

[Scrubz67]

Hi there, I just got in off the waitlist and am excited about Duke! How much free time (if any) do you have first year? How filled are the weekends?

THanks!

CONGRATS!!!!! 😀 Isabelle, when did you get the call?

 

[Laelia]

Hi there, I just got in off the waitlist and am excited about Duke! How much free time (if any) do you have first year? How filled are the weekends?

THanks!

Isabelle - congratulations! You got the call today? Are you going to accept?

 

[ISABELLE22]

Thanks! The call was on Tuesday. I'm excited and waiting for a financial aid package.

Isabelle - congratulations! You got the call today? Are you going to accept?

 

[bluefly]

Does anybody know how big the duke waitlist is or how many people usually get off the waitlist?
thanx!

 

[Penelope1]

Hi there, I just got in off the waitlist and am excited about Duke! How much free time (if any) do you have first year? How filled are the weekends?

THanks!

Congrats Isabelle! 👍 🙂

 

[seethrew]

Does anybody know how big the duke waitlist is or how many people usually get off the waitlist?
thanx!

its v secret.
last year i think i heard 10 peeps came off waitlist that attended.

 

[DukeDoc08]

its v secret.
last year i think i heard 10 peeps came off waitlist that attended.

First of all...congratulations to everyone that has gotten that great blessed phone call!! I hope you are even 1/2 as excited as I was to get into Duke (even those who got in straight-away) because there isn't a day that goes by that I smile and am SOOOOO thankful and SOOOOO happy to be here and that makes the studying and the long nights and the stress and dissapointment and joy a thousand times better!!!!

I think there are probably about 15 that came from the waitlist in my class...this is just a guess but I am pretty sure that it is more than 10....people that got in right off the bat also got into some other amazing schools and some of them were offered pretty hefty scholarships to them or to their state schools and many times graduating debt free is too much to pass up....so Duke (and pretty much EVERY school) has to bring in the best of the best from the waitlist 🙂 so there is a good number of people each year from the waitlist.
About free time and such....it is what you want it to be (which is good). I know people that study 7 days a week and go out with their friends on the weekend and then come home and study some more before bed....I also know people who don't pick up a book between Friday morning and Monday night. I think in general people in the class go out maybe once a week and then Friday and Saturday night..it might be to a bar or it might be to a movie.....we have gotten into the OC (both as fans and as a social gathering) so we usually meet at someone's house and watch it and hang out on Thursdays or go to someone's house and watch the Duke basketball game during the season or big football games at a sports bar...
In short...there is as much time as you want there to be...many people (myself including) have taken long weekends off where I didn't do ANYTHING for 4 days...then you just have to catch up with the lectures (all streamed for the less informed) and get cracking!
The weekends before tests are study study study (sometimes in groups if that is better for you)....
we had one stretch where we had 4 tests in 4 weeks, so that drained ALL of us because we really didn't have a weekend off for a while (actually leading into spring break)......
For example, this weekend many people are at the beach together (about 30 or so) and earlier in the year a bunch of us went skiing for a weekend.

I know I ramble a lot on this thread (if you ever have med student that does a 45 minute history...that's ME) but one more summation:
you can bust your butt all week...or spread the work out over 7 days or wait and cram that last 5 days before the exam (or however long it would take) but sooner or later it has to be done...and it is up to you to figure out how, when, and how long!
Keep your priorities and don't let anything (including school) take over your life!!

 

[Laelia]

Any news today? None yet here...

 

[Scrubz67]

None here either...come on folks, if you're vacillating between Duke and some other school, chances are that you really don't want to go to Duke that badly, let some of us go instead!!!! (yea I know its a blanket statement but I'm at work and in a crabby mood) hehe

 

[mr. sparkle]

None here either...come on folks, if you're vacillating between Duke and some other school, chances are that you really don't want to go to Duke that badly, let some of us go instead!!!! (yea I know its a blanket statement but I'm at work and in a crabby mood) hehe

agreed...