CC Pros please chance me with Duke

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I originally posted this question on yahoo answers and someone replied telling me to repost it here. I know these 'chance me' posts get really annoying...but applying to college is coming up really soon and Im starting to freak out a little lol.</p>

<p>So here are my stats, not the best in the world for Duke from what Ive seen but say I have awesome recommendations + stellar essays, and Im applying Early Decision as a North Carolina resident (I heard that Duke gives some weight to residency due to the founder's desire to "educate the people of the Carolinas'? True or no?) what do you CC pros think my chances of admission are?</p>

<p>EC's: I am a member of all the honor societies at my hs (nhs, nhhs, snhs, mu alpha theta, etc) but my main focus clubs are the guitar club and the dental health club. I am the head of the guitar club and each week I teach the members about guitar theory and we discuss current events in music and use the theory I teach to improvise soloing and stuff. I am the founder/president of the dental club (I want to ultimately become a dentist) and our service project last year was donating a bunch of toothbrushes/toothpaste to an elementary school in a really underprivileged area. Also I hold 2 part time jobs, and over the summers Ive been doing internships at the local hospital and dental/orthodontic clinics. Freshman/sophomore year I was in a rock band and we played shows including charity shows that raised money through relay for life, donated money to a children's ranch in costa rica, and opened for the popular 80s band Quiet Riot and another opening spot for 90s top artist Days of the New. I also really enjoy working out/lifting weights, which I do usually 5-6 days a week, however this is independent and isn't affiliated with any group/club.</p>

<p>Quantitative data:I got a 2140 on SAT (I don't think Im going to send this, haven't taken SAT IIs) , 33 ACT, ranked top 2% of class (not sure the exact rank just know Im top 2%) out of 500ish students, and I have taken 12 AP/IB courses. </p>

<p>Oh and also, Im a white middle class American male. Would it make a difference if I state that Im 1/4 Arabic? (srs) Not sure if it will matter but Im willing to try using whatever may give me an edge...Duke is my #1, all day, 100%, any day, school...I would genuinely consider cutting off my ween if it were an admission requirement. Okay maybe not, but still. I am horny for this school.</p>

<p>P.S. For the duke essay on an EC in which Ive experienced meaningful personal development, I want to write on weightlifting. Is that pretty original? Will it help me stand out?</p>

<p>Thanks guys</p>

2

<p>1) I like your sense of humor :smiley:
2) You have a very strong chance at Duke. I’d say it’s low reach for you (which is a great position to be in judging that it’s a high reach for many!)
3) I know this ship has already sailed, but don’t get too caught up in going to one particular school. It’ll definitely hurt your pride if you get rejected, which is silly, because you seem like a dedicated person whose worth isn’t measured by what schools you get into. Just be mindful of that. </p>

<p>Good luck in the application process! :)</p>

3

<p>I think you’ll be fine. I have a friend at Duke at he had about the same credentials as you do.</p>

4

<p>Duke Trinty ED: Reach (are you sure accelerated dental programs aren’t for you, like Lehigh/UPenn, BU, Tufts?)</p>

5

<p>Your odds are better than average, which means you have 1:3 which is twice what most other applicants could expect - and with ED, you’re probably 1:2. But that still leaves you with considerable odds you won’t get in.
Since you’ve done everything to get in, now you should focus on two schools you would be happy to attend and where you’re SURE you can both get in and afford (via need based and/or merit aid. Typically you’d be in the top 10% of their applicant pool thus qualify for merit in addition to any need based merit aid). Why two safeties? Because if your Duke plan falls apart, you still want a choice. With these stats, you don’t want to be stuck at a school you never intended to attend, which happens to countless bright, competitive students each year (just look at the number of “not accepted anywhere” posts on CC from the Spring.)</p>

6

<p>thanks for all the replies, @MYOS1634 that’s a good idea. I am really lost with where I want to go besides Duke though, there are loads of awesome schools…any ideas on what would be a good ‘safety’ for me given my stats? </p>

<p>@Catria Ive looked those up and they look pretty cool, how would my chances be at getting into one of those programs? Are they extremely competitive? Do you know if I have to apply for the school first and then the programs, or is it all included in the initial application?</p>

7

<p>I knew Rutgers and UF were of the “apply-to-the-school-first-and-then-the-programs” variety and I think a safety could be that sort of accelerated dental program. But many BA/DMD or BSc/DMD programs where you have to apply directly are competitive to the level Duke Trinity ED is.</p>

<p>BU BA/DMD: Reach
Lehigh/UPenn: Reach
U Detroit Mercy BSc/DDS: Low match/Match (it’s a lower-tier accelerated dental program but I hope you don’t mind that)
Rutgers SEBS: Safety (even though you apply to Rutgers Dental as a sophomore, or junior, the first three years are covered in SEBS)
U Pacific 2/3/4+3: Match/High match (depending on which one you want to pursue; the 2+3 is more competitive than the 3+3 or the 4+3)</p>

8

<p>Given your stats, pretty much everywhere that’s not top 30 LAC/NU is a safety. We do need to factor in financial aid (what’s your EFC/how much can your parents afford?)
UN-Ch wouldn’t be a safety per se (but close) so any North Carolina public would be good, including their Honors College.
Do you want to stay in NC? If not, you could cast a wide net.
If your parents can afford to pay $50,000/year, you could apply to UCSD, UCSB, or UCI; you’d be a shoo-in for Penn State-Shreyers (the main campus’ Honors Program) and Pitt’s Honors Program, too.
If you want to stay in the South, you’d probably get a nice scholarship package from Rollins or Elon.
If you have financial need, it would depend what you’re looking for and how far you’re willing to go from NC.
BTW, being 1/4 Arabic is only a slight edge if you’re interested in taking Arabic (it’s a sought-after language). It would also help you get into one of the “Arabic language flagship” schools. [The</a> Language Flagship - Arabic](<a href=“http://www.thelanguageflagship.org/arabic]The”>http://www.thelanguageflagship.org/arabic)</p>

9

<p>I love your sense of humor! I think you have a good chance at Duke. I just finished up an internship with a bunch of Duke undergrads, and you seem to have around the same stats as them. Since Duke is your #1, ween-cutting-off school, I’d suggest that you somehow let them know that. Whether it be through ED or your interview, let them know that Duke is your number one choice. However, the drawbacks of that may be that you are disappointed with your choice later in the game. Duke was my friend’s dream school, and she only focused on getting in there. Now that’s she’s there, she kind of regrets not looking into other schools that may have been a better fit for her. I’d encourage you to think about your options and then make the decision to cut off your extremities. </p>

<p>Good luck! :)</p>

10

<p>@annazee13 debating going to the interview in a Blue Devils costume.</p>

<p>lol</p>

<p>Seriously though. Where can I buy one</p>