McNutt

Reviewer #2: "The application would be strengthened by a discussion of steps should unanticipated results occur." Reviewer #3: "The applicant has a clear understanding of the research he proposes and has included alternate approaches in case of difficulty." :roll:

Your chances are good. But again, nothing is set in stone b/c it's all up to the professor. One of the girls I interviewed with ended up getting rejected for no obvious reason. So, it does happen. But I would say your chances are very good. :wink: EDIT: And I don't know jack about the international student stuff, besides the fact that there definitely are a few at duke. i wonder if private schools have it easier than public?

That response about being reviewed by the committee is probably not the end of the world. It might mean he hasn't gotten any applications yet, hasn't had time to look at any/yours, yours might be in the hands of someone else, etc. Maybe you're his #2 and he's waiting to gauge interest from his #1. Maybe he's waiting to hear about fellowships/grant funding. None of those are reasons that he would want to explain via email, but aren't necessarily terrible. Or maybe he already threw your application in the trash haha. When you are admitted into the lab, as opposed to the program as a whole, there are a lot more variables that go into it. It also extends the time things take to shake themselves out with funding and spots being taken by others. All you can really do is try not to stress and hang on for the ride. :mrgreen:

yep, at least for domestics.

Unlike a lot of places, there is no admissions committee. You are basically applying to labs.

I'm a grad student at Duke and went through this mess last year. As I understand it, Duke does not do waves of calls. The professors pick and choose at their own pace and invite you for interviews. Good luck!