Getting in, getting out

When we first heard about Duke's record-breaking number of applicants this year, we couldn't wait to get the scoop. Who was applying? And why?

As details about these prospective Blue Devils emerged, we were first awed. More high schoolers with astronomically high SAT scores applied this year than any other class-in fact double the number of applicants from our senior class. Applications to Pratt have more than tripled in the past five years. Duke is attracting awkward 17-year-olds from all corners of the globe-and across the country. From the cornfields of rural Indiana to the suburbs of Raleigh to the sprawl of Long Island, we hear from eager Duke wannabes in Emily Almas' "The Contenders."

When the dust settled and we had fully recovered from the sky-high grade point averages (who knew it was possible to score above a 4.0?) or the equally impressive rap sheets of extracurricular activities, we were left with one crucial question: Would either of us been admitted had we applied for the class of 2010? Would we have presented strong cases for admission against a pool of peers with these types of credentials? Were we-are we-intellectual enough? Quirky enough? Personable enough?

While certainly the class of 2006-our fellow seniors so equally set to graduate-may be quantifiably "less smart" than the class of 2010, we're just hoping for their sakes they can have a fraction of as much fun as we did.

But just being admitted to Duke doesn't lead someone to the same college experience or down the same path post-graduation. Jake Poses tackles the question of who the Duke student is today-and what defines his or her Duke experience-in his essay "Victims of Their Own Success."

And because famous Duke grads not only attract greater numbers of applicants but also make decisions that affect our world, Sarah Ball examines Blue Devils atop the power structures on Capitol Hill. From the National Security Council to Dick Cheney's inner circle, Duke alumni are in on the action in Washington.

So would either of us have been admitted now as a member of the class of '10? And how do we compare to them?

Luckily we will never have to find out, and, honestly, no one remembers their GPA or SAT score past freshman orientation.