<p>@dsultemeier: I will admit that Duke has a pretty high statistic of girls entering into sororities. However, as a student, I don't feel that statistic. If you ask me to approximate, I would say maybe 15-20% instead of the 40% or so that I think it actually is. Point being, it's okay if your D doesn't want to join a sorority. Personally, (note I am male) I felt no pressure to rush, and have tons of male and female friends who felt the same way.</p>
<p>Three more other pieces of good news for your daughter. First, sororities (unlike fraternities) are non-residential at Duke, meaning the girls don't live together. As such, sororities become more like a really involved club rather than an exclusive lifestyle that might otherwise be the case. Second, while there is no pressure to join any kind of selective living, there are other options besides sororities and fraternities. See the link below for more information on these. And third, at Duke rushing doesn't happen until second semester and you don't "really" join frats or sororities until your sophomore year. Therefore, you have plenty of time to develop friendships across the board before students start dividing themselves into factions, and, as a result, the factions that do form are less divisive than if they would have formed earlier.</p>
<ol>
<li>That is not possible, neither technically nor humanly and 2. There are so many, SO MANY others who feel just like you, they just can't prefer you right?</li>
</ol>
<p>First of all, I know this plan sounds crazy, but how do know this couldn't/hasn't been done? Were is your proof.</p>
<p>I realize there are so many, SO MANY others who feel the same way, and I know that there are so many, SO MANY others who have better qualifications than myself. I am not denying that fact. But, almost all of those other applicants have found a spot in another school, so that is why I am going "crazy". </p>
<p>I think one phone call which can determine the next four years of my life is not crazy, (obsessing about my decision on an internet forum is, i guess) Anyways, if they totally ignore my requests (for an explanation/info) and give me the same BS I found in the rejection letter, I will hang up. Nothing gained, but nothing lost.</p>
<p>@waitn184: you've gotten our opinions. if you don't like them then don't take them and act accordingly. you have the right to do that. but let us, on both sides, end this fruitless, tangential bickering.</p>
<p>@waitn184: Whatever you end up doing, I'd at least recommend not stressing the point about "how I have been rejected/waitlisted at all my colleges of interest, and how desperate my situation has become."</p>
<p>No one can tell you to not call them, but we're just warning you to not expect much. Either way, for what it's worth, good luck.</p>
<p>Next year, I will be in college at the same time as an older brother (non-Duke private). After my first year, however, my brother will graduate. Do you know how much Duke expects to increase our EFC by as a result of my brother's graduation? I know that Vanderbilt estimates ~40%, but I haven't seen any such estimate from Duke.</p>
<p>I'm assuming that this situation is too specific to be answered with a statistic, but if any of you have come across an anecdote that relates, please share. Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>I did not say I hate your opinions. The only reason I am questioning your advice is to see if I can get some advice concerning the appeal; but, you totally reject the idea, so I agree, my "bickering" is fruitless on this thread, and your advice to me is completely fruitless. Thanks for trying.</p>
<p>@knat: my situation is somewhat opposite to yours, but I think it still might be able to answer your question. I am the oldest, and my brother is entering college in two years. Regardless of how much his tuition cost, I have been told that my family contribution should decrease by 40% (what vandy said as well). Considering that, I would expect yours to jump up accordingly: about 40%. It also might depend on if he goes on to grad school, but again, I'm not sure. I'd say just check with the finaid office to find out, but you can use the above as a rough estimate.</p>
<p>Thanks p<em>hp</em>fan!
Another one: how commonly are computers used in classrooms to take notes? And is it necessary to have a laptop chain/lock, or is laptop security generally not a problem?</p>
<p>duke 2013 waitlisted. duke has been my dream school since kindergarten but my dad just lost his job and there's no way to know if even if i get admitted if i could pay. i have a $33000 scholarship to UT & everyone seems to be telling me to ust give up on duke(ive talked everyone i've met and nobody has said wait it out for duke). i can live with waiting and i love duke but what makes it worth the 150k over ut?</p>
<p>@Knat and hp-fan, thanks for your input. Sorry if I had annoyed everyone with my obsessive and perpetual questions. Don't get me wrong, I realize the extreme odds of reversing decisions, I am sure there are many applicants who call admissions complaining about their decision, and that the adcoms are told to ignore every appeal. But this is not the first time I was told something was impossible (e.g changing the AP policy at my school), and by never giving up on my arguments, I was able to work around a rule set in stone by convincing the principal to change the policy after three weeks of lobbying teachers/counselors/et al. The truth of the matter is that there is nothing to lose, at least I will have the satisfaction of trying.</p>
<p>and Knat, thanks for the advice about how I should avoid talking about the "desperation" of the situation. That was all I was looking for in this thread. I just wanted you all to suspend your disbelief for a minute in order to give some advice about how I could go about this ridiculous appeal.</p>
<p>Changing one rule concerning APs at your local high school and having Duke, a top 10 university, reverse its entire admissions policy are two VERY different things.</p>
<p>I don't know if I can communicate how incredible the difference is. It's not even apples and oranges. It's like apples and all of East Asia. Where do you even begin to draw a connection between the two?</p>
<p>I'm really sorry waitn184 but nothing good will come of this.</p>
<p>I did not mean reverse an entire college policy, just an individual case! For my school, I just reversed an individual case and unintentionally caused a stir among the teachers which lead to a permanent change. </p>
<p>But by giving a very persuasive argument, I can possibly slide onto the waitlist.</p>
<p>Nothing good will come of this, but nothing bad can come of this. </p>
<p>Even when they deny my arguments, they might remember this when they look at someone, similar to myself, next year, who they originally intended on denying.</p>
<p>^ I agree that you might as well give it a shot, if you actually have something worth bringing to their attention, and if you do it with a completely calm, gracious demeanor. Nothing to lose.</p>
<p>Thanks for the hope. I will be sure to keep the calm gracious demeanor part in mind, because even if I give a good argument, they will automatically ignore me if I am disrespectful.</p>
<p>It will be similar to some extent (except the parts about adcoms being pricks, and the African American example (because they may see that as a racist example)). I also have other points to bring up (e.g very brief interview).</p>
<p>"My anger centers around the fact that they use the phrase "to promote diversity" as a tool to admit URMs with weaker stats (than mine/other applicants). I am fine with promoting diversity in a college campus. But if they are going to use that argument, shouldn't they accept academically qualified applicants with extreme cases of diversity? I just dont understand how being an African American (without any evidence which proves he/she has significantly different upbringing/experiences) is more diverse than myself (given my upbringing/experiences). </p>
<p>I agree, I should not have called the adcoms, pricks. That comment was just a result of the natural anger one gets (regardless of qualifications/situations) from a rejection.</p>
<p>Again, I totally understand how I could have been rejected by any of these schools. In no way do I feel entitled to a spot. Nor do I believe that my race/experiences equates to qualifications, given the amount of applicants far more qualified than myself academically. But if colleges are going to use that as an excuse for applicants of only a select few races, I am entitled to complain. "</p>
<p>Waitin184: You're argument is an old washed up one and you self-contradict yourself in more ways than one. You say that you hate when "they use the phrase "to promote diversity" as a tool to admit URMs with weaker stats" only because you thought being URM would be to "your advantage" when it wasn't. I am an URM, and I know that I have worked my butt off for four years and I deserve my acceptance and do not like it belitted by bitter students who say all URMS get in with weaker stats, because that is just NOT TRUE. And I doubt you got rejected because your Lebanese. What you are entitled to do make sure your argument makes sense before you complain to the admissions office.</p>