I sent an update letter to my colleges a good while ago, and I received a confirmation e-mail back from every college… except for Duke.
I was wondering if anybody knows whether the Office of Undergraduate Admission replies to the e-mails themselves, as at the bottom of the automatic response, it mentioned that they would respond if the e-mail did not fall under one of the categories covered including update letters.
Thanks in advance!
@capitalamerica: Have I accurately understood you: (a) you sent Duke an update letter; (b) Duke’s instructions specifically indicate that an acknowledgement would not be forthcoming for update letters; and © you’re now inquiring if Duke will respond to your update?
@TopTier Close. They did not mention specifically that they would not respond for confirmation, but more said that they would respond in case a question not covered was sent. I am simply asking for confirmation from another that they in fact specifically do not respond to such e-mails such as update letters, all in the effort for peace of mind.
@captainamerica
I quote from your initial post: “at the bottom of the automatic response, it mentioned that they would respond if the e-mail did not fall under one of the categories covered including update letters.”
That appears quite clear to me. Further, your posts seem (at least to me) to be quite inarticulate and confusing. Why would you expect an acknowledgement when you state that Duke’s instructions indicate no response will be provided?
@TopTier Once again, I am simply asking for confirmation from another person who has had a similar experience for my own personal peace of mind. I wanted to know for certain that the case of Duke’s lack of acknowledgment, because it is so relatively unorthodox compared with every other school to which I applied, is indeed true.
I really do apologize if you find my questions confusing. My current situation of being limited to typing on my cell phone while at school is admittedly not the best for articulating my concerns.
I will assume from your posts that my experience is, in fact, a universal one, and thus my interpretation of Duke’s automatic response message (alongside your own) is indeed true.
@capitalamerica: I do not KNOW if your experience is “universal,” however it certainly appears to be fully aligned with Duke’s announced policy. Therefore, I would not be concerned with not receiving an acknowledgment. Obviously, there is no reason for Duke (or any other institution, for that matter) to be “orthodox,” is there?
@capitalamerica Don’t worry; other than the automated response, I didn’t get any other sort of confirmation. @TopTier I really appreciate the help and information that you provide to Duke applicants, but you should know that you honestly come off as abrasive and rude at times. We’re high schoolers, and we’re stressed out about what we perceive to be an important decision in our lives. Your unnecessary acrimony is really discouraging, and had I not already been passionate about Duke, my observations of your behavior on this site would have really turned me off. Again, I respect your knowledge and appreciate your help. I just think you should think about how you reflect upon your alma mater.
I don’t mean any disrespect.
@marshmallowpop and @marshmallowpop: You’ll soon receive a PM.
Did you email your update directly to your admissions counselor? I did about a month ago and got an email back almost immediately.
@capitalamerica When I sent in an update to my application in December of last year, I received confirmation from my admissions counselor. I was an ED applicant so I don’t know if it might be different for RD applicants due to the sheer number of RD applications Duke receives every year. If you received an auto-response stating that the Office of Admissions received your update, I think that answers your question.
@marshmallowpop I don’t believe @TopTier necessarily needs defending but I’d like to point out something. I’ve known that I would apply to Duke for a couple years now and because of that, I have been a frequent visitor of Duke’s College Confidential page. It amazed, and continues to amaze, me that people ask the same questions about their applications every year. You’d think that Duke applicants would have the knowledge and problem-solving skills to use the search bar on this great website before making a thread and clogging up the Duke page. This small action emphasizes my generation’s laziness. Seeing that Top Tier has been an avid and helpful CC member for quite a few years now, I’d imagine it becomes tiresome by answering those same questions year after year. That’s just my two cents.
@classof2019a (re post #9):
Thank you; it is tiresome AND frustrating, but – even worse – it can be “dangerous” for applicants.
For future use, let me post a very relevant, current undergraduate admissions-year example. Specifically, Duke’s standardized testing policies changed slightly this academic year (2014 - 2105). However, the College Board’s website did not reflect this update (which is the CB’s responsibility). This resulted in several applicants’ (both RD and ED) failures to comply fully with Duke’s revised instructions . . . and in a good deal of confusion (students asserting, actually arguing, on CC that they had complied with Duke’s testing and submission requirements because they had followed the CB’s information, when – in fact – they had not).
In essence, if a senior is smart and conscientious enough to aspire to attend Duke (and its peers), s/he should also be bright and thorough enough to do the required “homework.” Therefore, I suggest:
a. Most important, obtain current and authoritative information from universities’ websites; don’t rely on secondary-sources and/or older – even just a year – information (GCs are not always entirely informed regarding every schools’ guidelines . . . how could they be, with thousands of institutions?).
b. If “a” doesn’t resolve the question or concern, research CC’s archives before posting a question – especially for inquiries that are more opinion- than completely fact-based.
It is simply indolent and negligent (often foolish, as well) to do otherwise – including “fast” one- or two-sentence CC posts that request information that is readily internet-available from the applicable university/universities. DO YOUR HOMEWORK, it’s a large part of adulthood.