It is hard to pinpoint a more formative time in a young adult’s life than late April of his or her senior year of high school.

In addition to signaling the coming of May flowers, the last few days of April are the time when 18-year-old kids must decide which college to attend. For all of us already in possession of a DukeCard, we can still remember the angst, anxiety, sorrow and (hopefully) joy associated with the Russian Roulette that is the college admissions process (for those of you who got in early decision, just put your Duke brain to work and imagine).

But out of the entire gamut of emotions associated with this process, I would argue that the worst is uncertainty. If you get flat out rejected, the initial shot to the heart penetrates deep, to be sure, but it does bring closure. However, if after four months of waiting you get back a “maybe” in the form of a spot on the waiting list, it: a) still stings like rejection initially and b) does not allow you to move on even though you are going to have to put money down to reserve a spot at another college.

And for the 3,382 students that Duke has placed on its wait list, the small shard of hope they still hold is roughly the size of a mustard seed. The University has already extended 3,974 kids offers of admission in hopes of ending up with an incoming class of 1,705 students. So, by keeping such a large wait list, Duke is essentially protecting itself against the outcome in which everyone initially admitted says no and then half the kids on the wait list say no as well. Really, Duke? You thought that was a real possibility?

This scenario got me thinking: What, exactly, attracts high school kids to Duke in the first place?

Three years ago when I was an impressionable high school senior, one thing I did in order to size up schools was devour a variety of college guides to get the lowdown on what a school was all about. So last Thursday, I took a trip to Barnes & Noble on 15-501 to do just that.

According to a snippet from The Princeton Review, “Duke University ‘is the complete package: great academics, fun students, exciting athletics, and school spirit’ all enjoyed in ‘an almost Mediterranean climate.’” Furthermore, “Duke is for the Ivy League candidate who is a little bit more laid back about school and overachieving (but just a bit) and a lot more into the party scene.” About us students specifically, it says, “The typical Duke student ‘is someone who cares a lot about his or her education but at the same time won’t sacrifice a social life for it. To go to school here is to find the perfect balance, even if that means some late-night cram sessions or last-minute papers. Everyone’s focused on success, but that includes social success as well.’”

One factoid in the profile I disagree with is the statement that we do not have any support groups for ethnic minorities or lesbian, bisexual or transgender students. I’m fairly certain both exist.

My roommate, on the other hand, said she preferred the Fiske Guide to Colleges when she was school searching, and it sings similar praises. “What fun to be a Dukie—face painted blue, rocking Cameron Indoor Stadium as the Blue Devils score again. Duke is the most prestigious private university in the South—similar to Rice in selectivity and academically competitive with the Ivies and Stanford.” It does mention that, “Students say language development is weak” and that “Students of different ethnicities and races tend to ‘self-segregate,’ students say, producing little tension but also little interaction.”

But the Duke entry closes with, “’If you come here, there isn’t a chance in the world that you won’t fall in love with it, with its possibilities and opportunities and people and beauty,’ one student says. In addition to blending old and new, Duke also does an amazing job combining sports and academia, producing students who almost define the term ‘well-rounded.’ But this may be changing. Says a junior, ‘It’s attracting better students, shifting the focus away from basketball and fraternities, and trying to create a more intellectual environment on campus.’”

I think the book dates itself with that last assertion, at least in terms of basketball—see the 2010 NCAA Tournament as counterexample A—but overall, the buzz on Duke is extremely favorable. In fact, it makes it easier to see why roughly 26,770 high school seniors applied for admission. And it makes my heart heavy for those 3,382 on the waiting list that are one email from Christoph Guttentag away from getting a coveted spot in the Class of 2014.

The waiting list game is the worst—I would know, I played it—but as Emily Dickinson said, “Hope is the thing with feathers/ That perches in the soul/ And sings the tune without the words/ and never stops at all.”

Here’s to hoping.

Laura Keeley is a Trinity junior. This is her final column of the semester.