2016-2017 Duke University Application Thread

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I'd try to switch it up at least a little bit. Better to be "the guy who did X, Y, Z cool things" than "the guy who did Teach for America" IMO.
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ChrisMack390 said:
I'd try to switch it up at least a little bit. Better to be "the guy who did X, Y, Z cool things" than "the guy who did Teach for America" IMO.
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But don't force something that doesn't apply/weren't passionate about
 
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MC_Infarction said:
With regards to the secondary, how much did y'all vary the topics/situations you talked about? The problem is that my most significant life experience (teaching via Teach For America) is basically a perfect fit for like 4-5 of these essays, so I'm struggling with whether or not I should keep talking about that, albeit with very different examples, or think about other experiences I have, though I think those are weaker examples.[/QUOTE

Duke Secondaries are a bitch mate...
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ChrisMack390 said:
I'd try to switch it up at least a little bit. Better to be "the guy who did X, Y, Z cool things" than "the guy who did Teach for America" IMO.
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Continuing off of this line, would it be okay to elaborate upon experience I already talked about in my personal statement? One of the prompts could basically be answered by what I put in my PS...
 
Hi guys!

Just had a quick question. I am trying to decide if it's worth filling out their secondary so I was looking to see if I could get any opinions. From underserved, rural background, got 3.75 undergrad, 512 mcat, 1 publication, research experience, sig. clinical experience, clubs, etc. Overall, pretty good ECs. Do you think it's worth filling out the secondary?

Thanks! :)
 
tkzangara said:
Hi guys!

Just had a quick question. I am trying to decide if it's worth filling out their secondary so I was looking to see if I could get any opinions. From underserved, rural background, got 3.75 undergrad, 512 mcat, 1 publication, research experience, sig. clinical experience, clubs, etc. Overall, pretty good ECs. Do you think it's worth filling out the secondary?

Thanks! :)
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Yes, 100%
 
II this morning! First one :) Surprised at the turnaround - submitted secondary 8 days ago, and letters were uploaded to AMCAS 8/3.
 
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How long did it take for you to receive a secondary invite after your application was verified and sent to schools? Mine was verified on 8/3 due to transcript issues and I still haven't received anything from Duke. Thanks!
 
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So, if I submitted my secondary around early/mid July, and people are getting II's from their late July submissions, does that mean I probably will not be getting one?
 
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Holla if you're currently working on this secondary.... it's taking me forever.
 
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I just submitted the secondary on Wednesday - my last one. Good luck to everyone applying! #DukesOutForHarambe
 
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Current MS1 here at Duke...so crazy to see how quickly things have gone by. It felt like yesterday I was submitting all of those secondaries! I'm happy to help answer any questions you guys have! Although I just started here, I'll do my best to answer / find the answer to your questions! Feel free to PM me or post here :)
 
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SkubaDuba said:
So, if I submitted my secondary around early/mid July, and people are getting II's from their late July submissions, does that mean I probably will not be getting one?
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Absolutely not. It is still very early in the year. Be patient, find things to do in your free time that bring you enjoyment and a sense of purpose. It can be a very long year waiting to hear back for IIs so just stay patient. Best of luck.
 
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BigSkyBeta said:
Absolutely not. It is still very early in the year. Be patient, find things to do in your free time that bring you enjoyment and a sense of purpose. It can be a very long year waiting to hear back for IIs so just stay patient. Best of luck.
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I really needed to read this kind of message...I agree with the person you responded to...I haven't heard from anyone with good news yet and submitted my secondaries all within three days of getting them and early on in July...so oiii freaking out also so thanks for this awesome reminder.
 
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Medfan651 said:
I really needed to read this kind of message...I agree with the person you responded to...I haven't heard from anyone with good news yet and submitted my secondaries all within three days of getting them and early on in July...so oiii freaking out also so thanks for this awesome reminder.
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Im in the same boat as you. Very quick replies, but all I have gotten so far are two rejections.
 
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tkzangara said:
Hi guys!

Just had a quick question. I am trying to decide if it's worth filling out their secondary so I was looking to see if I could get any opinions. From underserved, rural background, got 3.75 undergrad, 512 mcat, 1 publication, research experience, sig. clinical experience, clubs, etc. Overall, pretty good ECs. Do you think it's worth filling out the secondary?

Thanks! :)
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Are you serious about this question?
 
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TIGPYS said:
How long did it take for you to receive a secondary invite after your application was verified and sent to schools? Mine was verified on 8/3 due to transcript issues and I still haven't received anything from Duke. Thanks!
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Hi, I thought the same thing when I had my primary application verified and heard back from most of my schools in NC and everywhere else.
I found out that Duke's supplemental went straight to my spam box and was siting there for 8 days!... 8 days!!!
They basically send it to everyone immediately after your primary app is verified. So check your spam box.
 
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Does Duke accept application updates?
 
ChEdr said:
Does Duke accept application updates?
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The online portal doesn't indicate that they do. I think that pre-interview updates make little if any impact unless it is something significant (publication, etc.) or an experience where you've accumulated significant hours post-submittion due to not having those hours when you submitted your AMCAS (little to no volunteering, shadowing, etc.). I guess you can call the admissions office and ask, depending on the nature of the update.
 
Do you guys think they actually read everyone's secondary? It's like 12 pages of writing on top of AMCAS and letters... Doesn't that just seem like an absurd amount of material for them to collect?
 
I'm not sure if anyone had noticed this, but a few weeks prior after submitting my secondary, there was a portal link where it listed my reviewers' comments (I think there were 2 or 3 spots where faculty could read and leave feedback). It doesn't seem like I'm able get to this table again by clicking around on the supplemental website. Wondering if anyone else noticed it and is/was able to access it? Might be good to know if there actually is feedback written there after a reviewer reads it.
 
...and no, the above post isn't a troll post to make people freak out haha
 
bluedevil5126 said:
I'm not sure if anyone had noticed this, but a few weeks prior after submitting my secondary, there was a portal link where it listed my reviewers' comments (I think there were 2 or 3 spots where faculty could read and leave feedback). It doesn't seem like I'm able get to this table again by clicking around on the supplemental website. Wondering if anyone else noticed it and is/was able to access it? Might be good to know if there actually is feedback written there after a reviewer reads it.
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Did you actually see comments, or just the boxes?
 
Iwannaknow said:
Did you actually see comments, or just the boxes?
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Just boxes. It's been a few weeks and the details have been fuzzy but everything was blank other than title sections in the table for feedback.
 
bluedevil5126 said:
Just boxes. It's been a few weeks and the details have been fuzzy but everything was blank other than title sections in the table for feedback.
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Ahhh ok. Well I sincerely doubt they'd allow anyone to see that, so it must have been a big they fixed.
 
Iwannaknow said:
Ahhh ok. Well I sincerely doubt they'd allow anyone to see that, so it must have been a big they fixed.
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Yes, I most definitely agree. Just curious to see if anyone else had seen it or was still viewing it.
 
just another pre-med said:
Current MS1 here at Duke...so crazy to see how quickly things have gone by. It felt like yesterday I was submitting all of those secondaries! I'm happy to help answer any questions you guys have! Although I just started here, I'll do my best to answer / find the answer to your questions! Feel free to PM me or post here :)
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Hi! I was just curious how your interview day went? I know the MMI pressure varies from school to school! Did you feel like you had to talk for the full 8 mins they alot or did you just say what you felt you needed to say and then let interviewers question you if there was extra time?

Thanks for taking the time!
 
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II this morning! Complete late July! Duke is one of my top choices and I'm so excited!!!! The marathon of a secondary was worth it :D
 
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myboysiddartha said:
Congratulations! Do you mind sharing stats?
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My LizzyM is high, but I really think Duke puts a lot more emphasis on the secondaries than most other schools. I laid it all out in them and I think that's what did it more so than stats :) Then again what do I know.
 
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wahoodoc said:
My LizzyM is high, but I really think Duke puts a lot more emphasis on the secondaries than most other schools. I laid it all out in them and I think that's what did it more so than stats :) Then again what do I know.
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That makes a lot of sense, here's hoping I get some love as well! I hope you kill that interview :)
 
Can anyone offered an October interview post the dates available?
 
namaste08 said:
Hi! I was just curious how your interview day went? I know the MMI pressure varies from school to school! Did you feel like you had to talk for the full 8 mins they alot or did you just say what you felt you needed to say and then let interviewers question you if there was extra time?

Thanks for taking the time!
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Also current MS1 here.

What I can tell you from my interview day is this:

I found the MMI fun! This was my first encounter with the MMI format and my first interview of the year so I had a lot of nerves going in. However, once it was under way I was able to focus on the task at hand and everything went by very quickly. As far as talking for a full 8 minutes, I do not believe I filled the whole 8 minutes during any one of the stations. Upon entering the room I answered the prompt to the best of my abilities and when I was done speaking my raters were able to engage me with follow up questions. On some stations the follow up questions will challenge your answer, and on other stations they may ask you to clarify points you have made. Overall, I felt that it was very conversational.

Some takeaway points:
The MMI is designed so that if you underperform in one station, it will not have as large of an impact as if you underperform in a traditional interview. There are multiple stations so you have multiple shots to put your best foot forward. I did not do any extensive interview preparation, I just tried to remain calm and show Duke who I was. Also, keep in mind that sometimes it's not the answer that matters most but rather how you arrived at that answer. It doesn't hurt to explain your reasoning and also to show that you are aware of the other potential answers and any potential flaws in your argument.

My best advice is to stay calm and remember that you have been invited for an interview because Duke believes you are a quality applicant. Best of luck!
 
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BigSkyBeta said:
Also current MS1 here.

What I can tell you from my interview day is this:

I found the MMI fun! This was my first encounter with the MMI format and my first interview of the year so I had a lot of nerves going in. However, once it was under way I was able to focus on the task at hand and everything went by very quickly. As far as talking for a full 8 minutes, I do not believe I filled the whole 8 minutes during any one of the stations. Upon entering the room I answered the prompt to the best of my abilities and when I was done speaking my raters were able to engage me with follow up questions. On some stations the follow up questions will challenge your answer, and on other stations they may ask you to clarify points you have made. Overall, I felt that it was very conversational.

Some takeaway points:
The MMI is designed so that if you underperform in one station, it will not have as large of an impact as if you underperform in a traditional interview. There are multiple stations so you have multiple shots to put your best foot forward. I did not do any extensive interview preparation, I just tried to remain calm and show Duke who I was. Also, keep in mind that sometimes it's not the answer that matters most but rather how you arrived at that answer. It doesn't hurt to explain your reasoning and also to show that you are aware of the other potential answers and any potential flaws in your argument.

My best advice is to stay calm and remember that you have been invited for an interview because Duke believes you are a quality applicant. Best of luck!
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Thank you!! I am about to have my first MMI tomorrow (not at Duke, but the nerves remain the same!) and this made me feel a lot better :)
 
kringle said:
II last week.
Some dates in October are like the 3rd, 10th, 17th.

I think there were two others but I forgot.
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Thanks! Do you remember if the 31st was an option?
 
II yesterday morning! :) was psyched pretty much all day haha

from what i remember interview days were on mondays and thursdays all of october. a few might not be featured not 100% sure.
 
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