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yomama'sdoctor said:
Would duke give you money for the plane ticket? Some schools give money for 2nd look...is duke one of them
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The initial second look e-mail didn't seem to allude to any travel recompensation, nor the website, but perhaps some get it but not others (Baylor, for instance gives compensation, but 2nd look is by invitation only). Did anyone actually pick up the phone call yesterday? I was getting my haircut, and I thought it was my stalker frm Chapel Hill. Was it just a congratulatory call or was there real info?
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HumbleMD said:
The initial second look e-mail didn't seem to allude to any travel recompensation, nor the website, but perhaps some get it but not others (Baylor, for instance gives compensation, but 2nd look is by invitation only). Did anyone actually pick up the phone call yesterday? I was getting my haircut, and I thought it was my stalker frm Chapel Hill. Was it just a congratulatory call or was there real info?
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Damnit! Traced again!!! I gotta stop being so sloppy about these things. :rolleyes:
 
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does everyone get the same waitlist letter? how can we tell if it's simply a delayed rejection? :eek:
 
soydelish said:
does everyone get the same waitlist letter? how can we tell if it's simply a delayed rejection? :eek:
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Duke doesn't do delayed rejections. If they think you have no chance of being accepted in the end, they'll just outright reject you. Trust me. And yes, everyone gets the same letter.
 
So Mr. Burns, I guess no phone call means no acceptance?
 
DoctorMario said:
So Mr. Burns, I guess no phone call means no acceptance?
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Like I said before, I have no idea if every student got a phone call. Last year, some kids heard that they got in by receiving the 2nd look e-mail before they got their acceptance package, but I don't know if things are working similarly this year.
 
Did anybody who has been accepted NOT get a 2nd look email yet?
 
Do any of you current students remember when you started on Monday of New Student Week, and what happened? I have a wedding I want to go to the Sunday evening before in Minnesota, and I'm trying to figure out travel feasibility.
 
Natytilly said:
Do any of you current students remember when you started on Monday of New Student Week, and what happened? I have a wedding I want to go to the Sunday evening before in Minnesota, and I'm trying to figure out travel feasibility.
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If you're referring to orientation week, it's packed with stuff we have to go to. I believe that monday was general orienting, photo ID taking, white coat buying, lectures on something that started with C, etc. You could call the office and ask, but I don't think you'll be able to miss that Monday.
 
Duke Stats for Class of 2011

Acceptances: 18 (AnEyeLikeMars, sister of kmpedro, urmd2007, JohnMadden, new_doc, BetterNBest, HumbleMD, thebeast, Natytilly, EmbellisMaVie, Grace2002, Stolenspatulas, yummysushi, WitchDoctor, dreamersmelody, CaramelDlie, yomama'sdoctor, gopherthegold)
Waitlists: 3
Rejections: 0
SDN folks staring at the mailbox: 100+
SDN Member in charge of Duke Admissions: RWallace :cool:

:luck: :luck: :luck:
 
I have a feeling today is going to be a very depressing Duke D-day. I also have a feeling that if you don't know by now (no call/2nd look email/packet), you are SOL... like me :(
 
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last year, i didn't get a phone call or a letter. my first notification was the invitation to second look.
 
and c/o 2010, is it just me or are there a LOT more accepted people on SDN this year than last year?
 
FemalesCANTDriv--I'm so feeling you. I'm in the same boat. Have heard nothing nothing at all. =( Maybe our mailing system is baddddd... Pray!!! ;) Good luck to you and everyone else waiting.
 
Yea, females, you're right, and the waiting and slow agonizing is the worst part while all these new developments, calls, emails, letters come out. At this point, I'm hoping to get a waitlist in the mail today - better than a rejection. I do think an online status page would be preferable in this modern age where we can find out instantly about people getting letters around the country.

Fingers crossed. :luck:
 
Ok, first off, I'm sorrry for freaking y'all out with that post earlier. I wasn't technically allowed to say much more than that but I at least wanted to give you some idea of what the hell was going on. No, not everyone was called last night because not everyone picked up their phones. However, everyone currently on "the list" got at least one attempt at a phone call. For some people it appeared as though the phone number listed was their cellular phone. For others, it appeared as though the phone number listed was their home phone. For still others, they didn't even have voicemail or an answering machine so if it was a house line maybe they were just gone - and they'd have no idea if anyone called or not.

Please please please let me remind you that even if you didn't get a call or a packet by this point you are by NO stretch of the imagination SOL. Keep in mind that a number of the first-round acceptancees are also those that are gonna be accepted to other big name schools and will (in all honesty) probably go elsewhere. The amount and speed of waitlist movement here is strong to quite strong. That's how we end up with such great classes - they're made up of people who really want to be here.

That said, if you do get a little envelope with a waitlist in it, it's possible that a lot of cool stuff has happened in your life since your interview, or that you've just decided that there's nowhere else you'd rather be. If that's the case, write a letter. They do help. I'd say the majority of people in our class wrote a letter - me, diosa, and burnsie did and it's not as though we were the world's most competitive applicants but here we are.

Let me leave you with the story of one of our current 4th years, who is somewhat of a legend now. The details may be shaky, but this is what the legend has turned into. He was living in Atlanta with his girlfriend and had gone through a pretty rough cycle of applying, but it was now July and so he decided he had to face facts. He had an acceptance somewhere but it was a) not where he really wanted to go and b) far away from his girlfriend. But hell, an MD's an MD, right? So he packed up and said goodbye to his girlfriend, got in his car and was on his way. A few hours into the drive his phone starts ringing. A 919 area code? WTF? It was Richard Wallace asking if he was still interested. Without a moment's hesitation this guy swung his car around and started driving in the opposite direction, to a little town called Durham. He pulled into town, spent the night in his car, and then showed up for orientation the next day. At the end of the introductory lecture, good old Dean Sandy Williams asked if anyone had any questions, and this good fellow raised his hand and asked "Yeah, is anyone looking for a roommate?"

His nickname? "Caboose"
 
i am feeling pretty hopeless as a waitlister. can any of the m1s that were waitlised tell me when they heard?
 
Vaya2 said:
i am feeling pretty hopeless as a waitlister. can any of the m1s that were waitlised tell me when they heard?
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Burns and I and quite a few others heard the day the waitlist opened (May 16th) via phone call. Some others heard later - in June I think, and in past years students have heard in July. I think they make most decisions in May, but then as students withdraw (after getting in off the waitlist at other schools or deciding to defer or whatever) they take individuals off on a case by case basis. Honestly, a bunch of ppl get off the waitlist - they don't waitlist everyone (as you can tell by the fact that many have already been rejected). My advice, for the billionth time, is to write an LOI (or several). If you have an update, send it in, and, while you're at it, tell them that Duke is your top choice.

This is basically what I did:
-In early Feb, I sent an update with my fall grades, etc, and added why I loved Duke and why it was my top choice, and stated that I would definitely come if accepted.
-In March, I got waitlisted, and immediately sent Dean Armstrong an email restating my interest and reiterating that Duke was my top choice. I also indicated that Duke was my top choice on the little waitlist card that I had to send back.
-In the end of April, I sent another LOI and included another update (I had successfully defended my Master's thesis at this point).

Yes, this was probably excessive, but I didn't really care. I figured if they were going to take people off the waitlist, I would just bug them until they gave up and accepted me. And I figured that even if I didn't get in, at least I'd know I gave it my best shot. However, I cannot verify that this is why I got in, because I know others that got in off the waitlist who didn't write anything at all. Good luck!
 
So have we decided that anybody who didn't get the "2nd Look" email has not been accepted? I mean, we should just assume that the email went to everybody who's been accepted, right?

No, that doesn't include me, unfortunately...but thanks for all the waitlist strategies.
I really hope they work out for me.
 
ryandote said:
So have we decided that anybody who didn't get the "2nd Look" email has not been accepted? I mean, we should just assume that the email went to everybody who's been accepted, right?

No, that doesn't include me, unfortunately...but thanks for all the waitlist strategies.
I really hope they work out for me.
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The email implies that it has been sent to all accepted students, so I think your right.
 
This process has somehow made me hate Duke.us Maybe it's because I haven't been getting any sleep for the last 6 days as a result of the anticipation.
 
honestly, i think adcomms have no NO NO NO idea what anticipation and anxiety do at this point in our lives. Its enormous.

I honestly dont think it would be difficult to guarantee that we will send out letters on X date, thus giving you 2-3 days to receive them if you're accepted. Why spread out sending letters in batches? there is no advantage for the adcomm to do so! (from what I can devise...?)

I like what Penn does by having a status page available for everyone to check.

Screw phone calls and spaced out letters. This process has made me hate the mailman.
 
So I was just looking at mdapps, and I think I've realized my problem: my 37 MCAT just didn't quite make the cut!

Just kidding, but if anybody has checked the accepted profiles....wow. I had no idea that the people posting on here were such geniuses! There isn't one listed below a 38.
 
There's gotta be some below that fo sho. The avg for our class is a 34-35 I think. . .
 
pagemmapants said:
There's gotta be some below that fo sho. The avg for our class is a 34-35 I think. . .
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35.2

I am below average, although I'm sure I didn't need to tell you all that, as you have probably already guessed it :D
 
Also, there were some people with NASTY stats rejected last year. Duke, although seemingly a number *****, definitely looks at the whole package.
 
Got my waitlist letter today, came in a standard white envelope mailed first class. Better than being rejected I guess.

It says to complete my financial aid application materials as soon as possible if I want to stay on the waitlist. Do they mean FAFSA? :confused:
 
TakoCA said:
Got my waitlist letter today, came in a standard white envelope mailed first class. Better than being rejected I guess.

It says to complete my financial aid application materials as soon as possible if I want to stay on the waitlist. Do they mean FAFSA? :confused:
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Yeah you have to do FAFSA and then some other supplimental thing. I think you can find all the information on the financial aid website. Be sure to fill it out so that if they pull you off the waitlist, they can send you your FA asap. I actually got my financial aid packet in the mail before my acceptance packet.
 
got my rejection letter today. :(

good luck to the rest of you.
 
So are yall saying that there is no way the waitlist will move until May 16th... is it sad that I kind of hope I get rejected from Duke (obviously my dream^2 school) just so I don't have to put myself through agony again May 16th-July. This process is seriously cruel.

PS: My MCAT is below the average also so I guess I'm dreaming thinking that I have a chance of getting in. Hence the term "dream school."
 
Whoops! There is actually one mdapps acceptee this year with only a 37! Oh, wait...he has an MBA from Duke and an MPH from Johns Hopkins, too.

Seriously, though, I'm not bagging on you guys and I'm not too bitter. I must have tanked my interview or something. I'm actually pretty impressed with the caliber of people at Duke and on SDN. I'm particularly impressed with the caliber of the MS1's that are on this thread. Very down-to-earth people, helpful, and friendly.

And now I bid adieu until I can report whether I was waitlisted or rejected. And if I was rejected, I don't know if my heart could take looking at this thread again so I'll probably just drop off the face of the earth..
 
Still nothing in MA!! I'm just hoping for a waitlist letter...
 
Nothing from Duke was delivered in my mail today. It takes, at most, 2 days for mail to get here from Durham, so there is no way my letter was sent on Wednesday, otherwise it would be here! This process reflects poorly on Duke. If they say they're going to do something, they need to do it. If there are any changes, they need to send an email to everybody. Even if by some odd chance I were to receive a manilla envelope in the mail on Monday, this makes me less inclined to put Duke at the top of my list. And don't even get me started on the email and phone call fiasco, that was just cruel.
 
DoctorMario said:
Nothing from Duke was delivered in my mail today. It takes, at most, 2 days for mail to get here from Durham, so there is no way my letter was sent on Wednesday, otherwise it would be here! This process reflects poorly on Duke. If they say they're going to do something, they need to do it. If there are any changes, they need to send an email to everybody. Even if by some odd chance I were to receive a manilla envelope in the mail on Monday, this makes me less inclined to put Duke at the top of my list. And don't even get me started on the email and phone call fiasco, that was just cruel.
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I understand that you're probably unhappy and upset right now, and I understand how you feel (I was in this position last year, and hadn't heard anything when everyone started getting the second look emails and I did not). However:

1 - you cannot blame Duke for the fact that the postal service does not deliver mail as quickly as you would like it to.
2 - March 7th was the anticipated date to release decisions, it was not set in stone and changed more than once as admissions reevaluated how the process was going.
3 - phone calls were made several days after acceptances had been sent out, primarily to encourage accepted students to attend second look and answer any questions they had, NOT to inform them of their acceptance.
4 - the emails were also sent out to accepted students, NOT to inform them of their acceptance, but to encourage them to attend second look and decide if Duke is the place for them.
5 - admissions does not run this process assuming that everyone will check internet boards and get really stressed out based on what information other people have received.

Again, I'm sorry that you haven't heard and are unhappy, but I do not think that anything that you mentioned actually reflects "poorly" on Duke, and if you would actually base your decision of which school to attend on which school's admissions notification process you preferred, then perhaps you should seriously reevaluate your selection process. The things that you mentioned were implemented to encourage those that were admitted to come to Duke, not discourage others.
 
Sadness! Just got my white, regular-sized envelope from Duke today, but at least it had a waitlist letter. :) I'm off to start drafting my update and love letters... I just hope the waitlist is really small and mobile this year... sigh, it's going to be a long next couple of months.
 
I'm not basing my selection solely on the best selection process, I'm just saying that bad impressions can have an impact on decisions. I understand that this is not an official representation of the entire medical school, faculty, students and staff. Perhaps I spoke a little too harshly, and this doesn't mean I'm no longer interested in attending Duke. It's just pretty tough not to be even a little frustrated considering I live a short drive away from NC, was told that absolutely all letters were mailed out on Wednesday, but still haven't heard anything; even one day after a letter should have reached me. I'm not saying that this means Duke is a crappy medical school, rather it's one of the best in the world. I'm just saying that this process, while it may send a good message to those who are initially accepted, does not send as positive of a message to potential waitlisted applicants and other fee-paying applicants who dedicated countless hours to the supplemental application and interviews.
 
i got waitlisted. it says that if you want to accept your waitlist spot, you need to send in all the financial aid forms, fafsa, etc. how do we confirm that they receive all the materials and save us a waitlist spot?
 
GreenCenter said:
i got waitlisted. it says that if you want to accept your waitlist spot, you need to send in all the financial aid forms, fafsa, etc. how do we confirm that they receive all the materials and save us a waitlist spot?
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To confirm your waitlist spot, you should have a little card, right? If you send it back in, your spot will be saved. I never confirmed that they got mine, although I guess you could call the office in a week or two to confirm that they got it if you want. You don't need to send the fin aid stuff in to save your spot, but you should get it in anyway so they can process it asap if you get off the waitlist. I didn't bother confirming anything with fin aid until I got my acceptance phone call - then I called the office to double check and make sure they had everything they needed.
 
GreenCenter said:
i got waitlisted. it says that if you want to accept your waitlist spot, you need to send in all the financial aid forms, fafsa, etc. how do we confirm that they receive all the materials and save us a waitlist spot?
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So I've been thinking that if I'm lucky enough to get a waitlist spot, calling to confirm that they received your card is a good excuse to call. As is an update, or change of address, etc. You obviously want to have contact to express your desire to get off the waitlist, but it is going to get old for them if you call and say:

"Uh, hi....this is ryandote......yeah, it's me again. Well, I just wanted to call again to say I still want to go to Duke.... okay, thanks, goodbye."

If you actually have a semi-valid reason for calling you probably won't be as irritating. - Obviously, since I haven't gotten in off a waitlist, this is just my $.02
 
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