Duke University School of Law C/O 2019 Applicants Forum

[lymenheimer]

Lurker here. My PT app went complete on 1/21, and the math I've done countless times tells me the tenth day was yesterday, Feb 4. I spent all day stressing and still haven't received anything, I'm also still UR2. Has this happened to anybody else?

I'm not going to bother checking the math, but Duke seems to follow the 10 day rule exactly, even working on weekends and at night to get acceptances out on time.

Lol at "checking the math"...It's plus 10, man. haha. Anyways, if what this guy is saying is true, then we appear to have our first 10+ day PT decision. Did you register for the Feb LSAT or anything? I wanna say some folks were asked for a transcript update. Check your spam for that?

One of Duke's decision options is "held for further review," so it's surprising they'd miss their deadline instead of just saying that and technically conforming to the 10 day rule.

Willis, check that your PT-ness (for lack of a better word) went complete then too. IIRC, even after your app is complete, you may have to fill out something online to activate PT, and the 10 days starts then.

That's true. Also, I think you're supposed to activate the thing before you submit PT, but that it can be done afterwards. Don't really remember the wording. Either way, WaitersIsland is right. You should check your "complete" email and ensure that it says "Your Priority Track application is now complete. You will receive a decision within 10 days...etc"

[BruiseWillis]

Feel like an idiot, meant 1/25 that's when I got the "Priority Track file complete" email . I signed up for PT reg when they notified me I was eligible, before I sent in my application.

[lymenheimer]

Feel like an idiot, meant 1/25 that's when I got the email that my PT app was complete

(laughing at our reaction to what was a misstype - will post substantive/helpful reply later. Hopefully someone beats me to it)

[OtterLaw]

Feel like an idiot, meant 1/25 that's when I got the email that my PT app was complete

Well don't stress out. You could be like some of us lowly RD people that have been sitting at "complete; ready for review" for a month.

[Budfox55]

Feel like an idiot, meant 1/25 that's when I got the email that my PT app was complete

Well don't stress out. You could be like some of us lowly RD people that have been sitting at "complete; ready for review" for a month.

I went "complete; ready for review" around 12/15, didnt go UR until 2/1....

[BruiseWillis]

I've been super neurotic about this whole process so I made sure that everything was in order with my application, and the status checker says PT app complete 1/25. As it doesn't seem like this has happened to anybody else I'm kinda freaking out Would anybody say this warrants an email to admissions due to a possible error or am I just overreacting?

[theconsigliere]

There was chatter earlier about the scholarship committee meeting today. Are people thinking offers will go out soon? I was one of the first interviewers

[mattf27]

Feel like an idiot, meant 1/25 that's when I got the email that my PT app was complete

Well don't stress out. You could be like some of us lowly RD people that have been sitting at "complete; ready for review" for a month.

I went "complete; ready for review" around 12/15, didnt go UR until 2/1....

A similar thing happened to me. Submitted 11/30, Complete 12/3, finally UR on 2/1.

[RZ5646]

I've been super neurotic about this whole process so I made sure that everything was in order with my application, and the status checker says PT app complete 1/25. As it doesn't seem like this has happened to anybody else I'm kinda freaking out Would anybody say this warrants an email to admissions due to a possible error or am I just overreacting?

Wait like a week. You don't want to seem neurotic, and remember that most law school applicants wait literally months to hear anything, so even a 15-20 day turnaround is amazing. Hell, Duke sent me an offer before some schools even acknowledged that they had received my application.

[lymenheimer]

I've been super neurotic about this whole process so I made sure that everything was in order with my application, and the status checker says PT app complete 1/25. As it doesn't seem like this has happened to anybody else I'm kinda freaking out Would anybody say this warrants an email to admissions due to a possible error or am I just overreacting?

Wait like a week. You don't want to seem neurotic, and remember that most law school applicants wait literally months to hear anything, so even a 15-20 day turnaround is amazing. Hell, Duke sent me an offer before some schools even acknowledged that they had received my application.

idk about a full week. I'd give it until Monday.

[lymenheimer]

There was chatter earlier about the scholarship committee meeting today. Are people thinking offers will go out soon? I was one of the first interviewers

I think that's what the committee is meeting for I don't know about by today...But I am definitely expecting something next week (hopefully early next week)

[RZ5646]

Just posting to vent about NeedAccess being an absolute nightmare...

[BillClinton Jr]

Just posting to vent about NeedAccess being an absolute nightmare...

+1 there is no need to project income for the student and parents for the year and the next year...especially in the case of those of us who aren't (and haven't for years) receiving financial support from parents. **mini rant over**

[herecomesthesun]

Just posting to vent about NeedAccess being an absolute nightmare...

+1 there is no need to project income for the student and parents for the year and the next year...especially in the case of those of us who aren't (and haven't for years) receiving financial support from parents. **mini rant over**

I'm in a similar boat. I'm claimed by my parents but I get very little financial assistance and their income is stupidly confusing, so it looks like they make way more on paper than they actually do. So not only do I get screwed by that, I get no financial assistance from them anyway.

[RZ5646]

Just posting to vent about NeedAccess being an absolute nightmare...

+1 there is no need to project income for the student and parents for the year and the next year...especially in the case of those of us who aren't (and haven't for years) receiving financial support from parents. **mini rant over**

I'm in a similar boat. I'm claimed by my parents but I get very little financial assistance and their income is stupidly confusing, so it looks like they make way more on paper than they actually do. So not only do I get screwed by that, I get no financial assistance from them anyway.

There needs to be a checkbox for "my parents claim me as a dependent, but they squander their apparently comfortable income and don't care about my education anyway, so I'm basically on my own."

And I'm seconding that predicting the value of various unpredictable quantities at arbitrary future dates is dumb.

[herecomesthesun]

Just posting to vent about NeedAccess being an absolute nightmare...

+1 there is no need to project income for the student and parents for the year and the next year...especially in the case of those of us who aren't (and haven't for years) receiving financial support from parents. **mini rant over**

I'm in a similar boat. I'm claimed by my parents but I get very little financial assistance and their income is stupidly confusing, so it looks like they make way more on paper than they actually do. So not only do I get screwed by that, I get no financial assistance from them anyway.

There needs to be a checkbox for "my parents claim me as a dependent, but they squander their apparently comfortable income and don't care about my education anyway, so I'm basically on my own."

And I'm seconding that predicting the value of various unpredictable quantities at arbitrary future dates is dumb.

AGREED. Also there's literally no way for me to predict future income. I mean after August, my earned income will be zero dollars...sooooo

[earthabides]

It's also pretty strange that you have to provide the income of a parent who, in the case of divorce, has/had no custody or visiting rights.

[RZ5646]

Just posting to vent about NeedAccess being an absolute nightmare...

+1 there is no need to project income for the student and parents for the year and the next year...especially in the case of those of us who aren't (and haven't for years) receiving financial support from parents. **mini rant over**

I'm in a similar boat. I'm claimed by my parents but I get very little financial assistance and their income is stupidly confusing, so it looks like they make way more on paper than they actually do. So not only do I get screwed by that, I get no financial assistance from them anyway.

There needs to be a checkbox for "my parents claim me as a dependent, but they squander their apparently comfortable income and don't care about my education anyway, so I'm basically on my own."

And I'm seconding that predicting the value of various unpredictable quantities at arbitrary future dates is dumb.

AGREED. Also there's literally no way for me to predict future income. I mean after August, my earned income will be zero dollars...sooooo

I think one question was literally like "predicted credit card balance on June 1st, 2016". Is this a financial aid form or a screening test for fortune tellers?

[herecomesthesun]

Just posting to vent about NeedAccess being an absolute nightmare...

+1 there is no need to project income for the student and parents for the year and the next year...especially in the case of those of us who aren't (and haven't for years) receiving financial support from parents. **mini rant over**

I'm in a similar boat. I'm claimed by my parents but I get very little financial assistance and their income is stupidly confusing, so it looks like they make way more on paper than they actually do. So not only do I get screwed by that, I get no financial assistance from them anyway.

There needs to be a checkbox for "my parents claim me as a dependent, but they squander their apparently comfortable income and don't care about my education anyway, so I'm basically on my own."

And I'm seconding that predicting the value of various unpredictable quantities at arbitrary future dates is dumb.

AGREED. Also there's literally no way for me to predict future income. I mean after August, my earned income will be zero dollars...sooooo

I think one question was literally like "predicted credit card balance on June 1st, 2016". Is this a financial aid form or a screening test for fortune tellers?

LOL. I can't handle this form.

[BillClinton Jr]

Where I work I've been doing dozens of FAFSas since January 1 and all of those combined were still simpler than my own need access form. It's got to be created by the same sadists that make the LSAT

[B102]

It's also pretty strange that you have to provide the income of a parent who, in the case of divorce, has/had no custody or visiting rights.

+1 Pretty hard to get income tax information from someone you've had no contact with for 16 years...

[earthabides]

It's also pretty strange that you have to provide the income of a parent who, in the case of divorce, has/had no custody or visiting rights.

+1 Pretty hard to get income tax information from someone you've had no contact with for 16 years...

agreed. luckily if you actually CANT get the information you can fill out a form requesting not to include it but in cases where they are willing to provide information but that information for all purposes should be irrelevant then there is nothing you can do

[CJRpnw]

It's also pretty strange that you have to provide the income of a parent who, in the case of divorce, has/had no custody or visiting rights.

Totally. And it punishes single parent households, who you'd think would need financial aid the most. If you, say, have a deadbeat dad who won't provide the info (or who is just not in your life), you are SOL with both Need Access and FAFSA.

[Tycho]

Ditto on all the NeedAccess talk. Very glad I decided to start it early and get it out of the way.

[skimmilk]

It's also pretty strange that you have to provide the income of a parent who, in the case of divorce, has/had no custody or visiting rights.

Totally. And it punishes single parent households, who you'd think would need financial aid the most. If you, say, have a deadbeat dad who won't provide the info (or who is just not in your life), you are SOL with both Need Access and FAFSA.

Just curious, but how so? I plan to work on all of these forms this weekend, but I haven't looked at Need Access yet. I've never had any issues filling out FAFSA as the child of a single mom. What exactly makes Need Access different?