Duke is out...anyone?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a white alum who came from a good UMC suburban HS and was very smart, well-rounded but not super pointy, my type no longer exists at Duke, and it is very unfortunate. Duke has always been known as being more fratty than its peer schools, but at its core were a lot of smart, friendly but not phony, well-rounded kids who liked the occasional party and could hold their own in lots of different situations.

Duke is now three communities:
1. Rich legacies/children of the rich and famous who join frats, go to parties in fields, and use connections to get great jobs.
2. FGLI and other minorities to make Duke feel good about itself, especially after some undeserved bad press a few years ago. There are a lot of kids from the Carolinas in this bucket
3. Nerdy Asian/Indian kids who never set foot in Cameron, Wally Wade, etc.

My kid is very similar to who I was and I am struggling with whether to even have them apply. I am fairly active and give a decent amount but probably not enough to move the needle.

I am also very curious to see the impact of the new admissions director. So far I have been underwhelmed, particularly with the late rush of wait list admits last summer which was a really bad look.

Wake Forest is full of your type!

Visit when school is in session so you and your DC can see the kids out and about. You’ll love it. Definitely Duke-in-the-90s vibes there now.

It’s an easier admit than Duke but selective enough to scratch that competitive itch. Plus, you’ll love meeting the other parents at drop off and parents weekends.

I think Wake does rolling ED decisions, so you’ll be done by October if you get the ED application in by September. So no having to wait around until December like everyone else. Your type loves that, too.

Do, but something is very wrong with you.

I guess the douche baggy reputation of Duke remains well earned.

Yep. The PP is indeed a cliche douche baggy Duke alum.

At least he recognizes that this is why he's now unhappy with Duke. They indeed accept far fewer of his stereotypical racist "type" these days.

Following his lead, I suggested he look elsewhere for his DC. My sense is that he and his "type" tend to flock together in larger numbers at Wake.

You do you, PP who sees value in stereotyping 6,000 kids into three buckets. Personally, I'm team Duke 1995 AND Duke 2025. Cheers to them for moving forward with fewer of the entitled, UMC, white racists.

(Apologies PP if you are female, not male. I felt some serious frat bro energy coming at me in your post. But, I certainly recognize I might be wrong on that front. If so, sorry if it feels like I stereotyped you incorrectly. )

The lack of self awareness displayed here truly stuns. She stereotypes an entire university while complaining about stereotypes.

If this is the product Duke puts out, those who were rejected should take solace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a white alum who came from a good UMC suburban HS and was very smart, well-rounded but not super pointy, my type no longer exists at Duke, and it is very unfortunate. Duke has always been known as being more fratty than its peer schools, but at its core were a lot of smart, friendly but not phony, well-rounded kids who liked the occasional party and could hold their own in lots of different situations.

Duke is now three communities:
1. Rich legacies/children of the rich and famous who join frats, go to parties in fields, and use connections to get great jobs.
2. FGLI and other minorities to make Duke feel good about itself, especially after some undeserved bad press a few years ago. There are a lot of kids from the Carolinas in this bucket
3. Nerdy Asian/Indian kids who never set foot in Cameron, Wally Wade, etc.

My kid is very similar to who I was and I am struggling with whether to even have them apply. I am fairly active and give a decent amount but probably not enough to move the needle.

I am also very curious to see the impact of the new admissions director. So far I have been underwhelmed, particularly with the late rush of wait list admits last summer which was a really bad look.

Wake Forest is full of your type!

Visit when school is in session so you and your DC can see the kids out and about. You’ll love it. Definitely Duke-in-the-90s vibes there now.

It’s an easier admit than Duke but selective enough to scratch that competitive itch. Plus, you’ll love meeting the other parents at drop off and parents weekends.

I think Wake does rolling ED decisions, so you’ll be done by October if you get the ED application in by September. So no having to wait around until December like everyone else. Your type loves that, too.

Do, but something is very wrong with you.

I guess the douche baggy reputation of Duke remains well earned.

Yep. The PP is indeed a cliche douche baggy Duke alum.

At least he recognizes that this is why he's now unhappy with Duke. They indeed accept far fewer of his stereotypical racist "type" these days.

Following his lead, I suggested he look elsewhere for his DC. My sense is that he and his "type" tend to flock together in larger numbers at Wake.

You do you, PP who sees value in stereotyping 6,000 kids into three buckets. Personally, I'm team Duke 1995 AND Duke 2025. Cheers to them for moving forward with fewer of the entitled, UMC, white racists.

(Apologies PP if you are female, not male. I felt some serious frat bro energy coming at me in your post. But, I certainly recognize I might be wrong on that front. If so, sorry if it feels like I stereotyped you incorrectly. )

Team Duke 1994 and Duke 2027, glad my alma mater is no longer 75% full pay. As poor yet super-smart top scoring white it was at times a difficult place to be. Met my spouse there and our wasian kid is thriving in the much more diverse and frankly much more intellectual atmosphere. Duke is only 11% legacy now, but most legacies are similar to our kid these days: former low income or first gen or multicultural parents.

Congrats Duke 2030.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a white alum who came from a good UMC suburban HS and was very smart, well-rounded but not super pointy, my type no longer exists at Duke, and it is very unfortunate. Duke has always been known as being more fratty than its peer schools, but at its core were a lot of smart, friendly but not phony, well-rounded kids who liked the occasional party and could hold their own in lots of different situations.

Duke is now three communities:
1. Rich legacies/children of the rich and famous who join frats, go to parties in fields, and use connections to get great jobs.
2. FGLI and other minorities to make Duke feel good about itself, especially after some undeserved bad press a few years ago. There are a lot of kids from the Carolinas in this bucket
3. Nerdy Asian/Indian kids who never set foot in Cameron, Wally Wade, etc.

My kid is very similar to who I was and I am struggling with whether to even have them apply. I am fairly active and give a decent amount but probably not enough to move the needle.

I am also very curious to see the impact of the new admissions director. So far I have been underwhelmed, particularly with the late rush of wait list admits last summer which was a really bad look.

Wake Forest is full of your type!

Visit when school is in session so you and your DC can see the kids out and about. You’ll love it. Definitely Duke-in-the-90s vibes there now.

It’s an easier admit than Duke but selective enough to scratch that competitive itch. Plus, you’ll love meeting the other parents at drop off and parents weekends.

I think Wake does rolling ED decisions, so you’ll be done by October if you get the ED application in by September. So no having to wait around until December like everyone else. Your type loves that, too.

Do, but something is very wrong with you.

I guess the douche baggy reputation of Duke remains well earned.

Yep. The PP is indeed a cliche douche baggy Duke alum.

At least he recognizes that this is why he's now unhappy with Duke. They indeed accept far fewer of his stereotypical racist "type" these days.

Following his lead, I suggested he look elsewhere for his DC. My sense is that he and his "type" tend to flock together in larger numbers at Wake.

You do you, PP who sees value in stereotyping 6,000 kids into three buckets. Personally, I'm team Duke 1995 AND Duke 2025. Cheers to them for moving forward with fewer of the entitled, UMC, white racists.

(Apologies PP if you are female, not male. I felt some serious frat bro energy coming at me in your post. But, I certainly recognize I might be wrong on that front. If so, sorry if it feels like I stereotyped you incorrectly. )

The lack of self awareness displayed here truly stuns. She stereotypes an entire university while complaining about stereotypes.


If this is the product Duke puts out, those who were rejected should take solace.

It is not. The shameful PP is among a dying breed of alums most commonly graduated pre-1995, with the peak in the 80s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a white alum who came from a good UMC suburban HS and was very smart, well-rounded but not super pointy, my type no longer exists at Duke, and it is very unfortunate. Duke has always been known as being more fratty than its peer schools, but at its core were a lot of smart, friendly but not phony, well-rounded kids who liked the occasional party and could hold their own in lots of different situations.

Duke is now three communities:
1. Rich legacies/children of the rich and famous who join frats, go to parties in fields, and use connections to get great jobs.
2. FGLI and other minorities to make Duke feel good about itself, especially after some undeserved bad press a few years ago. There are a lot of kids from the Carolinas in this bucket
3. Nerdy Asian/Indian kids who never set foot in Cameron, Wally Wade, etc.

My kid is very similar to who I was and I am struggling with whether to even have them apply. I am fairly active and give a decent amount but probably not enough to move the needle.

I am also very curious to see the impact of the new admissions director. So far I have been underwhelmed, particularly with the late rush of wait list admits last summer which was a really bad look.

Wake Forest is full of your type!

Visit when school is in session so you and your DC can see the kids out and about. You’ll love it. Definitely Duke-in-the-90s vibes there now.

It’s an easier admit than Duke but selective enough to scratch that competitive itch. Plus, you’ll love meeting the other parents at drop off and parents weekends.

I think Wake does rolling ED decisions, so you’ll be done by October if you get the ED application in by September. So no having to wait around until December like everyone else. Your type loves that, too.

Do, but something is very wrong with you.

I guess the douche baggy reputation of Duke remains well earned.

Yep. The PP is indeed a cliche douche baggy Duke alum.

At least he recognizes that this is why he's now unhappy with Duke. They indeed accept far fewer of his stereotypical racist "type" these days.

Following his lead, I suggested he look elsewhere for his DC. My sense is that he and his "type" tend to flock together in larger numbers at Wake.

You do you, PP who sees value in stereotyping 6,000 kids into three buckets. Personally, I'm team Duke 1995 AND Duke 2025. Cheers to them for moving forward with fewer of the entitled, UMC, white racists.

(Apologies PP if you are female, not male. I felt some serious frat bro energy coming at me in your post. But, I certainly recognize I might be wrong on that front. If so, sorry if it feels like I stereotyped you incorrectly. )

The lack of self awareness displayed here truly stuns. She stereotypes an entire university while complaining about stereotypes.


If this is the product Duke puts out, those who were rejected should take solace.

It is not. The shameful PP is among a dying breed of alums most commonly graduated pre-1995, with the peak in the 80s.

And a new breed shamefully thinks it’s funny to stereotype an entirely different school about which they clearly know nothing. The more things changes, the more things stay the same.

Not shocking you all stick together in being jerks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a white alum who came from a good UMC suburban HS and was very smart, well-rounded but not super pointy, my type no longer exists at Duke, and it is very unfortunate. Duke has always been known as being more fratty than its peer schools, but at its core were a lot of smart, friendly but not phony, well-rounded kids who liked the occasional party and could hold their own in lots of different situations.

Duke is now three communities:
1. Rich legacies/children of the rich and famous who join frats, go to parties in fields, and use connections to get great jobs.
2. FGLI and other minorities to make Duke feel good about itself, especially after some undeserved bad press a few years ago. There are a lot of kids from the Carolinas in this bucket
3. Nerdy Asian/Indian kids who never set foot in Cameron, Wally Wade, etc.

My kid is very similar to who I was and I am struggling with whether to even have them apply. I am fairly active and give a decent amount but probably not enough to move the needle.

I am also very curious to see the impact of the new admissions director. So far I have been underwhelmed, particularly with the late rush of wait list admits last summer which was a really bad look.

Wake Forest is full of your type!

Visit when school is in session so you and your DC can see the kids out and about. You’ll love it. Definitely Duke-in-the-90s vibes there now.

It’s an easier admit than Duke but selective enough to scratch that competitive itch. Plus, you’ll love meeting the other parents at drop off and parents weekends.

I think Wake does rolling ED decisions, so you’ll be done by October if you get the ED application in by September. So no having to wait around until December like everyone else. Your type loves that, too.

Do, but something is very wrong with you.

I guess the douche baggy reputation of Duke remains well earned.

Yep. The PP is indeed a cliche douche baggy Duke alum.

At least he recognizes that this is why he's now unhappy with Duke. They indeed accept far fewer of his stereotypical racist "type" these days.

Following his lead, I suggested he look elsewhere for his DC. My sense is that he and his "type" tend to flock together in larger numbers at Wake.

You do you, PP who sees value in stereotyping 6,000 kids into three buckets. Personally, I'm team Duke 1995 AND Duke 2025. Cheers to them for moving forward with fewer of the entitled, UMC, white racists.

(Apologies PP if you are female, not male. I felt some serious frat bro energy coming at me in your post. But, I certainly recognize I might be wrong on that front. If so, sorry if it feels like I stereotyped you incorrectly. )

Team Duke 1994 and Duke 2027, glad my alma mater is no longer 75% full pay. As poor yet super-smart top scoring white it was at times a difficult place to be. Met my spouse there and our wasian kid is thriving in the much more diverse and frankly much more intellectual atmosphere. Duke is only 11% legacy now, but most legacies are similar to our kid these days: former low income or first gen or multicultural parents.

Congrats Duke 2030.

Do you have data or a citation to back this statement or is that just your opinion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My private high school in Richmond had 3, and it's not a big school. I do think Duke loves certain high schools as feeders and you have very little chance if you aren't from one of those or don't have some kind of hook (legacy, mega donor, athlete).

one of those is a recruited athlete and another has legacy connection

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a white alum who came from a good UMC suburban HS and was very smart, well-rounded but not super pointy, my type no longer exists at Duke, and it is very unfortunate. Duke has always been known as being more fratty than its peer schools, but at its core were a lot of smart, friendly but not phony, well-rounded kids who liked the occasional party and could hold their own in lots of different situations.

Duke is now three communities:
1. Rich legacies/children of the rich and famous who join frats, go to parties in fields, and use connections to get great jobs.
2. FGLI and other minorities to make Duke feel good about itself, especially after some undeserved bad press a few years ago. There are a lot of kids from the Carolinas in this bucket
3. Nerdy Asian/Indian kids who never set foot in Cameron, Wally Wade, etc.

My kid is very similar to who I was and I am struggling with whether to even have them apply. I am fairly active and give a decent amount but probably not enough to move the needle.

I am also very curious to see the impact of the new admissions director. So far I have been underwhelmed, particularly with the late rush of wait list admits last summer which was a really bad look.

This is true for many T20 colleges…. Note that Duke’s dna has always been southern and sin money…

[Anonymous]

I’ve always been baffled by the fact dcum celebrates Duke while openly criticizing any SEC or southern school as havens for MAGA frat bros. I mean, Duke has always skewed white, privileged, and conservative.

I know it’s a “better” school in terms of stats, but come on, people. The lack of self-awareness coupled with the mental gymnastics needed to distinguish this conservative enclave as something it is not is very odd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a white alum who came from a good UMC suburban HS and was very smart, well-rounded but not super pointy, my type no longer exists at Duke, and it is very unfortunate. Duke has always been known as being more fratty than its peer schools, but at its core were a lot of smart, friendly but not phony, well-rounded kids who liked the occasional party and could hold their own in lots of different situations.

Duke is now three communities:
1. Rich legacies/children of the rich and famous who join frats, go to parties in fields, and use connections to get great jobs.
2. FGLI and other minorities to make Duke feel good about itself, especially after some undeserved bad press a few years ago. There are a lot of kids from the Carolinas in this bucket
3. Nerdy Asian/Indian kids who never set foot in Cameron, Wally Wade, etc.

My kid is very similar to who I was and I am struggling with whether to even have them apply. I am fairly active and give a decent amount but probably not enough to move the needle.

I am also very curious to see the impact of the new admissions director. So far I have been underwhelmed, particularly with the late rush of wait list admits last summer which was a really bad look.

Serious question. Why do you continue to give your hard earned money to a school like this?

As a fellow alum, I agree 100%. My 2 kids were also like me (well rounded and smart but nothing special) but more interesting than I was (I went to a DC private and they go to DCPS) and neither applied at all, even RD, knowing they didn't stand a chance. The fellow alums that I know who sent kids to Duke are all VERY wealthy, and all went to private schools in other parts of the country or the world.

You deem them smart while most will call them mediocre. Oh the folly of parenthood!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a white alum who came from a good UMC suburban HS and was very smart, well-rounded but not super pointy, my type no longer exists at Duke, and it is very unfortunate. Duke has always been known as being more fratty than its peer schools, but at its core were a lot of smart, friendly but not phony, well-rounded kids who liked the occasional party and could hold their own in lots of different situations.

Duke is now three communities:
1. Rich legacies/children of the rich and famous who join frats, go to parties in fields, and use connections to get great jobs.
2. FGLI and other minorities to make Duke feel good about itself, especially after some undeserved bad press a few years ago. There are a lot of kids from the Carolinas in this bucket
3. Nerdy Asian/Indian kids who never set foot in Cameron, Wally Wade, etc.

My kid is very similar to who I was and I am struggling with whether to even have them apply. I am fairly active and give a decent amount but probably not enough to move the needle.

I am also very curious to see the impact of the new admissions director. So far I have been underwhelmed, particularly with the late rush of wait list admits last summer which was a really bad look.

Serious question. Why do you continue to give your hard earned money to a school like this?

As a fellow alum, I agree 100%. My 2 kids were also like me (well rounded and smart but nothing special) but more interesting than I was (I went to a DC private and they go to DCPS) and neither applied at all, even RD, knowing they didn't stand a chance. The fellow alums that I know who sent kids to Duke are all VERY wealthy, and all went to private schools in other parts of the country or the world.

You deem them smart while most will call them mediocre. Oh the folly of parenthood!

Wow, you're a jerk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My private high school in Richmond had 3, and it's not a big school. I do think Duke loves certain high schools as feeders and you have very little chance if you aren't from one of those or don't have some kind of hook (legacy, mega donor, athlete).

one of those is a recruited athlete and another has legacy connection

Correct. Not many private schools in RVA. Those who know know

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a white alum who came from a good UMC suburban HS and was very smart, well-rounded but not super pointy, my type no longer exists at Duke, and it is very unfortunate. Duke has always been known as being more fratty than its peer schools, but at its core were a lot of smart, friendly but not phony, well-rounded kids who liked the occasional party and could hold their own in lots of different situations.

Duke is now three communities:
1. Rich legacies/children of the rich and famous who join frats, go to parties in fields, and use connections to get great jobs.
2. FGLI and other minorities to make Duke feel good about itself, especially after some undeserved bad press a few years ago. There are a lot of kids from the Carolinas in this bucket
3. Nerdy Asian/Indian kids who never set foot in Cameron, Wally Wade, etc.

My kid is very similar to who I was and I am struggling with whether to even have them apply. I am fairly active and give a decent amount but probably not enough to move the needle.

I am also very curious to see the impact of the new admissions director. So far I have been underwhelmed, particularly with the late rush of wait list admits last summer which was a really bad look.

As a white alum from the 90s who knows many varied races of alums from those years, to be blunt on average Duke students were not as smart then as now. The deans have said it and there isSAT percentile data. The top25% then are equivalent to the top 75% now, before TO. Most legacy kids do not get in. The ones that do almost all had parents who were definitely in that top 1/4, went on to top law or top med. The progeny of the average alums almost never get in. They would not succeed there now if they did: it is much more competitive with regard to the talent of the student body

[Anonymous]

^I have one there. Those who have had one get in and go know howmuch smarter the average student is now. And frats are not that popular anymore either

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a white alum who came from a good UMC suburban HS and was very smart, well-rounded but not super pointy, my type no longer exists at Duke, and it is very unfortunate. Duke has always been known as being more fratty than its peer schools, but at its core were a lot of smart, friendly but not phony, well-rounded kids who liked the occasional party and could hold their own in lots of different situations.

Duke is now three communities:
1. Rich legacies/children of the rich and famous who join frats, go to parties in fields, and use connections to get great jobs.
2. FGLI and other minorities to make Duke feel good about itself, especially after some undeserved bad press a few years ago. There are a lot of kids from the Carolinas in this bucket
3. Nerdy Asian/Indian kids who never set foot in Cameron, Wally Wade, etc.

My kid is very similar to who I was and I am struggling with whether to even have them apply. I am fairly active and give a decent amount but probably not enough to move the needle.

I am also very curious to see the impact of the new admissions director. So far I have been underwhelmed, particularly with the late rush of wait list admits last summer which was a really bad look.

Wake Forest is full of your type!

Visit when school is in session so you and your DC can see the kids out and about. You’ll love it. Definitely Duke-in-the-90s vibes there now.

It’s an easier admit than Duke but selective enough to scratch that competitive itch. Plus, you’ll love meeting the other parents at drop off and parents weekends.

I think Wake does rolling ED decisions, so you’ll be done by October if you get the ED application in by September. So no having to wait around until December like everyone else. Your type loves that, too.

Do, but something is very wrong with you.

I guess the douche baggy reputation of Duke remains well earned.

Yep. The PP is indeed a cliche douche baggy Duke alum.

At least he recognizes that this is why he's now unhappy with Duke. They indeed accept far fewer of his stereotypical racist "type" these days.

Following his lead, I suggested he look elsewhere for his DC. My sense is that he and his "type" tend to flock together in larger numbers at Wake.

You do you, PP who sees value in stereotyping 6,000 kids into three buckets. Personally, I'm team Duke 1995 AND Duke 2025. Cheers to them for moving forward with fewer of the entitled, UMC, white racists.

(Apologies PP if you are female, not male. I felt some serious frat bro energy coming at me in your post. But, I certainly recognize I might be wrong on that front. If so, sorry if it feels like I stereotyped you incorrectly. )

The lack of self awareness displayed here truly stuns. She stereotypes an entire university while complaining about stereotypes.

If this is the product Duke puts out, those who were rejected should take solace.

Ugh. Sorry. I really botched this!!! I should know better by now . . . don't respond impulsively . . . don't respond impulsively . . . don't respond impulsively . . . .

I feel awful about stereotyping Wake! I was so offended by the anti-Asian sentiment in PP's post, that I reacted without thinking it through.

Here's the ridiculous part: We love Wake! We visited last year, and DC liked it so much they got their RD application in good and early this fall. It's an amazing place, both academically and socially, and we'd be thrilled if DC went there.

I was just being unnecessarily and inappropriately snarky. Sorry.

And, for what it's worth (which may not be much), my research and observation from our visit indicated that yes, Wake does seeem to have a higher proportion of UMC white kids than Duke does these days, along with fewer Asian students, which seems to fit PP's priorities. I think the demographic stats confirm that. Plus Wake has Greek life on campus, which PP also mentioned with nostalgia.

To be clear, the demographic stats are not at all an important factor to us, and I feel awful about suggesting that the entire school fit that "type". That absolutely isn't true, and I know it well. And I'm not even against Greek life. I loved my Greek experience in college, and my DC is interested in schools with vibrant Greek life, too. I'm all for it if they feel it's a good fit.

So what should I have said instead? Absolutely NOTHING.

But if I had to say something, it should have been that we loved Wake and they might want to check it out. No snark required. Sorry, all.

[Anonymous]

Yes, holton arm