Why Was My Son Deferred from Duke ED?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I bet that Duke does a more thorough read of applications then the other schools and questioned the validity (or at least depth) of your son's extracurriculars.
It just doesn't add up that any kid can do that many things at once with any degree of depth.

Listen, the editor of the newspaper at Jackson Reed just got into Harvard and to my knowledge that was his only outlying extracurricular. Why? Because it takes him 20 hours a week.
It's a serious paper and serious time commitment. Your son's resume indicates that he can head the school paper in about 10 minutes a day after he does 7 other things.
It doesn't add up that he's doing anything at more than a superficial level (that or he's never sleeping, eating or socializing).

Applications are read by real people who see through the BS or at least can think logically through resumes. I've seen this before on DCUM--a kid who claimed to have volunteered
for so many hours a year that it worked out to like 30 hours a week. This kid also didn't get into a top school despite having a crazy good resume and wondered why.
Hmm. Maybe someone at the school also did that calculation.

I'm not saying your kid made anything up but rather that Duke saw his impressive extracurriculars as being pretty shallow level stuff since he was able to do them all.

Actually the load seems very reasonable for a high achieving student. He plays two sports likely in different seasons so that’s just one sport at a time. Student body pres and editor in chief as main extracurriculars is impressive but doable. The schoolwork seems to take most of the load rightfully so. Interning for congressman is likely a summer role. Volunteering at library with a leadership position can also be during the summer. I found the profile very impressive overall - believable yet rigorous

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bet that Duke does a more thorough read of applications then the other schools and questioned the validity (or at least depth) of your son's extracurriculars.
It just doesn't add up that any kid can do that many things at once with any degree of depth.

Listen, the editor of the newspaper at Jackson Reed just got into Harvard and to my knowledge that was his only outlying extracurricular. Why? Because it takes him 20 hours a week.
It's a serious paper and serious time commitment. Your son's resume indicates that he can head the school paper in about 10 minutes a day after he does 7 other things.
It doesn't add up that he's doing anything at more than a superficial level (that or he's never sleeping, eating or socializing).

Applications are read by real people who see through the BS or at least can think logically through resumes. I've seen this before on DCUM--a kid who claimed to have volunteered
for so many hours a year that it worked out to like 30 hours a week. This kid also didn't get into a top school despite having a crazy good resume and wondered why.
Hmm. Maybe someone at the school also did that calculation.

I'm not saying your kid made anything up but rather that Duke saw his impressive extracurriculars as being pretty shallow level stuff since he was able to do them all.

Actually the load seems very reasonable for a high achieving student. He plays two sports likely in different seasons so that’s just one sport at a time. Student body pres and editor in chief as main extracurriculars is impressive but doable. The schoolwork seems to take most of the load rightfully so. Interning for congressman is likely a summer role. Volunteering at library with a leadership position can also be during the summer. I found the profile very impressive overall - believable yet rigorous

The kids I know who interned for congressmen got it through connections. Did the student secure these roles all by himself?

[Anonymous]

You may have covered this already and, if so, I apologize but how many AP courses did your son take snd were they the most rigorous offered by the high school? And approx what rank?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bet that Duke does a more thorough read of applications then the other schools and questioned the validity (or at least depth) of your son's extracurriculars.
It just doesn't add up that any kid can do that many things at once with any degree of depth.

Listen, the editor of the newspaper at Jackson Reed just got into Harvard and to my knowledge that was his only outlying extracurricular. Why? Because it takes him 20 hours a week.
It's a serious paper and serious time commitment. Your son's resume indicates that he can head the school paper in about 10 minutes a day after he does 7 other things.
It doesn't add up that he's doing anything at more than a superficial level (that or he's never sleeping, eating or socializing).

Applications are read by real people who see through the BS or at least can think logically through resumes. I've seen this before on DCUM--a kid who claimed to have volunteered
for so many hours a year that it worked out to like 30 hours a week. This kid also didn't get into a top school despite having a crazy good resume and wondered why.
Hmm. Maybe someone at the school also did that calculation.

I'm not saying your kid made anything up but rather that Duke saw his impressive extracurriculars as being pretty shallow level stuff since he was able to do them all.

Actually the load seems very reasonable for a high achieving student. He plays two sports likely in different seasons so that’s just one sport at a time. Student body pres and editor in chief as main extracurriculars is impressive but doable. The schoolwork seems to take most of the load rightfully so. Interning for congressman is likely a summer role. Volunteering at library with a leadership position can also be during the summer. I found the profile very impressive overall - believable yet rigorous

Believable but shallow.

No one is heading up a decent paper and also playing a school sport as a captain (with all the captain responsibilities) and being student body president if any of these things (outside of the sport) take more than a few minutes a day. They're just not.

I'm sure Duke admissions reps can see through this from a mile away. If we can see it, they can SEE IT.

[Anonymous]

This student and parent are PERFECT for Dook and I hope he gets in. “How dare Dook defer my perfect kid? He deserves Dook!”

You’re made for each other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your son sounds amazing so congrats on the great options so far! But you have to remember Duke has like a 4% acceptance rate and that includes the hundreds of athletes, legacies, and big donors who have a backdoor into Duke each year. People like Jamie Dimon, Jerry Seinfeld, etc. are notorious for having paid large sums in the past to get their kids into Duke, so you can expect similar situations happened this year too. Also Duke is known to take deferrals seriously unlike some other schools so your son still has a decent chance!

DP. Any links for the bolded? I had never heard that before.

NP but some quick googling got me: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/business/2012/11/jamie-dimon-tom-brady-hang-in-there
https://www.businessinsider.com/2008/7/jamie-dimon-gave-away-1-8-million-more-than-you-made-last-year?amp

Also Seinfeld was all over the news for like 5 months because media kept spotting him at Duke games, and it’s no coincidence his kids go there. Dimon and Seinfeld probably spent hundreds of thousands if not millions to buy the acceptances, most of it not publicized or made common knowledge

But no proof of that. Neither of those links provided any proof either. I think it's irresponsible to spread misinformation like that, don't you?

Celebrities have kids at all the top schools. It is a hook. Rob Lowe’s kids went to Stanford, so did Garth Brook’s daughter. Katie Couric’s kids went to Yale. Sarah Jessica Parker’s kid and Michael Douglas’ kids are at Brown. Gwynth’s daughter is at Vanderbilt. I could go on and on.

One of Rob Lowe's kids went to Duke and the other one went to Stanford.

Probably bc Lowe is obsessed with Duke. When he starred on the West Wing his character went to Duke and there was a fake Duke diploma on the wall of his office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This student and parent are PERFECT for Dook and I hope he gets in. “How dare Dook defer my perfect kid? He deserves Dook!”

You’re made for each other.

I’m assuming you’re a Duke hater? OP was pretty respectful and looked for feedback, which was given. Not once did they say their son is perfect, it sounds more like they were really excited about Duke and thought they had a good chance at getting in, which is reasonable given what they wrote about their son on paper

[Anonymous]

Take the UNC scholarship and don't look back. He dodged a bullet and hit the lottery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You may have covered this already and, if so, I apologize but how many AP courses did your son take snd were they the most rigorous offered by the high school? And approx what rank?

A lot of private schools don’t rank but OP said near perfect GPA so it’s safe to assume near the top of the class

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry for the deferral, it is always disappointing and while it doesn't help, it might a bit to realize your DC is one of tens of thousands who received the same news to their desired schools, this cycle.
To me the question is not Why Was My Son Deferred? It kind of never is. It is not personal. It is a function of all of the things PPs have said. TONS of applicants. TONS of extremely qualified applicants. Institutional priorities. Desire to balance class for a variety of reasons. Why a deferral - why not? No matter the package (and your DC sounds wonderful) - it is more interesting to me to say why did my kid get accepted - given the current set of realities. It is rough out there but a student like yours will ultimately do well wherever they go. Best to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bet that Duke does a more thorough read of applications then the other schools and questioned the validity (or at least depth) of your son's extracurriculars.
It just doesn't add up that any kid can do that many things at once with any degree of depth.

Listen, the editor of the newspaper at Jackson Reed just got into Harvard and to my knowledge that was his only outlying extracurricular. Why? Because it takes him 20 hours a week.
It's a serious paper and serious time commitment. Your son's resume indicates that he can head the school paper in about 10 minutes a day after he does 7 other things.
It doesn't add up that he's doing anything at more than a superficial level (that or he's never sleeping, eating or socializing).

Applications are read by real people who see through the BS or at least can think logically through resumes. I've seen this before on DCUM--a kid who claimed to have volunteered
for so many hours a year that it worked out to like 30 hours a week. This kid also didn't get into a top school despite having a crazy good resume and wondered why.
Hmm. Maybe someone at the school also did that calculation.

I'm not saying your kid made anything up but rather that Duke saw his impressive extracurriculars as being pretty shallow level stuff since he was able to do them all.

Actually the load seems very reasonable for a high achieving student. He plays two sports likely in different seasons so that’s just one sport at a time. Student body pres and editor in chief as main extracurriculars is impressive but doable. The schoolwork seems to take most of the load rightfully so. Interning for congressman is likely a summer role. Volunteering at library with a leadership position can also be during the summer. I found the profile very impressive overall - believable yet rigorous

The kids I know who interned for congressmen got it through connections. Did the student secure these roles all by himself?

My child got their congressional internship on their own. (I'm not OP.) Same for at least a few of the other interns in the office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bet that Duke does a more thorough read of applications then the other schools and questioned the validity (or at least depth) of your son's extracurriculars.
It just doesn't add up that any kid can do that many things at once with any degree of depth.

Listen, the editor of the newspaper at Jackson Reed just got into Harvard and to my knowledge that was his only outlying extracurricular. Why? Because it takes him 20 hours a week.
It's a serious paper and serious time commitment. Your son's resume indicates that he can head the school paper in about 10 minutes a day after he does 7 other things.
It doesn't add up that he's doing anything at more than a superficial level (that or he's never sleeping, eating or socializing).

Applications are read by real people who see through the BS or at least can think logically through resumes. I've seen this before on DCUM--a kid who claimed to have volunteered
for so many hours a year that it worked out to like 30 hours a week. This kid also didn't get into a top school despite having a crazy good resume and wondered why.
Hmm. Maybe someone at the school also did that calculation.

I'm not saying your kid made anything up but rather that Duke saw his impressive extracurriculars as being pretty shallow level stuff since he was able to do them all.

Actually the load seems very reasonable for a high achieving student. He plays two sports likely in different seasons so that’s just one sport at a time. Student body pres and editor in chief as main extracurriculars is impressive but doable. The schoolwork seems to take most of the load rightfully so. Interning for congressman is likely a summer role. Volunteering at library with a leadership position can also be during the summer. I found the profile very impressive overall - believable yet rigorous

The kids I know who interned for congressmen got it through connections. Did the student secure these roles all by himself?

My child got their congressional internship on their own. (I'm not OP.) Same for at least a few of the other interns in the office.

Did yours or any of the others end up at a service academy? Naval? West Point? Air Force?

[Anonymous]

Believable but shallow.

No one is heading up a decent paper and also playing a school sport as a captain (with all the captain responsibilities) and being student body president if any of these things (outside of the sport) take more than a few minutes a day. They're just not.

I'm sure Duke admissions reps can see through this from a mile away. If we can see it, they can SEE IT.

I disagree. There are definitely kids like this who balance it all. They go to school, make announcements at lunch as Pres, use their free period to touch base with people writing articles for the paper, go to practice after school, stay for club meeting after practice if that’s the meeting night and roll home around 8:30 pm to begin homework. The next day, same schedule but late to sports because they have a student government meeting after school with the principal, but home right after sports practice for dinner because they don’t have a club meeting. Telephone call with newspaper staff and homework til midnight or later. I have had kids with this schedule. It does happen. BTW, the captain thing really doesn’t require much time beyond the regular team commitment, other than brief check-one with the coach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your son sounds amazing so congrats on the great options so far! But you have to remember Duke has like a 4% acceptance rate and that includes the hundreds of athletes, legacies, and big donors who have a backdoor into Duke each year. People like Jamie Dimon, Jerry Seinfeld, etc. are notorious for having paid large sums in the past to get their kids into Duke, so you can expect similar situations happened this year too. Also Duke is known to take deferrals seriously unlike some other schools so your son still has a decent chance!

DP. Any links for the bolded? I had never heard that before.

NP but some quick googling got me: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/business/2012/11/jamie-dimon-tom-brady-hang-in-there
https://www.businessinsider.com/2008/7/jamie-dimon-gave-away-1-8-million-more-than-you-made-last-year?amp

Also Seinfeld was all over the news for like 5 months because media kept spotting him at Duke games, and it’s no coincidence his kids go there. Dimon and Seinfeld probably spent hundreds of thousands if not millions to buy the acceptances, most of it not publicized or made common knowledge

But no proof of that. Neither of those links provided any proof either. I think it's irresponsible to spread misinformation like that, don't you?

Celebrities have kids at all the top schools. It is a hook. Rob Lowe’s kids went to Stanford, so did Garth Brook’s daughter. Katie Couric’s kids went to Yale. Sarah Jessica Parker’s kid and Michael Douglas’ kids are at Brown. Gwynth’s daughter is at Vanderbilt. I could go on and on.

One of Rob Lowe's kids went to Duke and the other one went to Stanford.

Probably bc Lowe is obsessed with Duke. When he starred on the West Wing his character went to Duke and there was a fake Duke diploma on the wall of his office.

Such a good show! So fitting that Lowe sent a kid to Duke in real life, he was the best character!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Believable but shallow.

No one is heading up a decent paper and also playing a school sport as a captain (with all the captain responsibilities) and being student body president if any of these things (outside of the sport) take more than a few minutes a day. They're just not.

I'm sure Duke admissions reps can see through this from a mile away. If we can see it, they can SEE IT.

I disagree. There are definitely kids like this who balance it all. They go to school, make announcements at lunch as Pres, use their free period to touch base with people writing articles for the paper, go to practice after school, stay for club meeting after practice if that’s the meeting night and roll home around 8:30 pm to begin homework. The next day, same schedule but late to sports because they have a student government meeting after school with the principal, but home right after sports practice for dinner because they don’t have a club meeting. Telephone call with newspaper staff and homework til midnight or later. I have had kids with this schedule. It does happen. BTW, the captain thing really doesn’t require much time beyond the regular team commitment, other than brief check-one with the coach.

+1 it’s doable but the kids have to work really hard to maintain it. Some people are just better at handling the heavy load, and it sounds like OP’s son is one of them. But Duke is going to be filled with kids who’ve been able to maintain an above-and-beyond pace
.