Originally Posted by Tumbleweed

There were at least 5 new hires (most Compass flow-through) who washed out of training in '10 on the DC-9. I imagine it's hard to go from a glass cockpit to an airplane that has no automation and very little situational awareness. I doubt a new hire will see the DC-9 now but the MD88 would also be challenging (can't speak from personal experience). On the first bid the 717 went surprisingly senior. It is now more senior than the MD88 in ATL. However, with 35 vacancies in ATL and 65 in DTW, the 717 will probably be more accessible to new hires. I wouldn't hold out hope of getting the 7ER as a new hire.
"While the plan is still preliminary, over the next 12 months 10 757s have been slated for retirement, with six more during the second half of 2014. For 2015 the plan is for 15-20 757s to be removed from service."
There will be vacancies posted on the 737 and 717 approximately every 60 days, however, I would expect vacancies on the 737 to be filled by pilots being displaced off the 7ER as they draw down the category (just a hunch though).
Regardless of what you get assigned in class... expect to get a thumb drive that covers all of the systems. Focus on the Learning Objectives Document (LOD) and you should do well on the systems final.
The climate is a little different than it was in '10, however, military and non-flow-through regional pilots shouldn't abandon all hope. Delta is proud of their screening process and will still maintain a ratio in each class. Good luck