Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 10% (Not sure exactly how I made it LOL, maybe course rigor?)
AP (12 AP’s total (rigorous)):
Chemistry (3)
European History (3)
Calc AB (4)
Physics 1 (3) (LOL)
Spanish Language and Culture (3)
US History (4)
Senior Year Courses:
AP Computer Science
AP Gov
AP Physics C
AP Psychology
AP Calculus BC
Advanced Composition
Major Awards: None are major, but OCMC 5th place (math competition for my county).
Extracurriculars:
Summer@USC Summer Camp (Got an A in the Discover Engineering course!)
JHU CTY- Intro to Java Course
Intern at Social Security Office
Kaiser Hospice Office Intern
Mathnasium Tutor
CSF (3 Years)
Key Club (3 Years)
Spanish NHS
Taekwondo 3rd Degree Black Belt (13+ Years)
1st Place Cal State Open Taekwondo Tournament
Junior Leadership Team for Taekwondo
Taekwondo Instructor Experience (200 Hours)
Volunteer as Taekwondo Instructor (50 Hours)
Technology Director-Spanish Club
Love 2 Read (Library Reading Program)
Teen Advisory Board at Library
AP Scholar With Distinction
600+ Community service hours
I think it’s a reach but you’re in the general range. The 700 Math II score does not look great (48th percentile…). And neither do the 3 on AP Chem or 4 on AP Calc AB for a comp sci major. Grades are probably on the lower end for competitive Duke applicants, but not outrageously so depending on how competitive your high school is. You’ll have to stand out in some other way. Good luck!
The only person who I know that got into Duke when they applied was the valedictorian at my school last year. I believe he had around a 4.32 W GPA, took the full IB program (and received his diploma). He also founded a software company in Japan and his job in the states was high-level tech support. He was also an exchange student but lived here for 4 years I believe. Pretty sure he is majoring in computer science and got a perfect SAT and ACT. I’m not saying that you won’t get in (you have really good stats) but I’m just kind of letting you know what potential competition is. I would retake your SAT possibly to get yourself up in the percentiles
@JimBurles2189 California is one of the most represented states at Duke so that’s in your favor. Please don’t allow the stats of others to intimidate you. Duke has no minimum ACT/SAT score and no minimum GPA. My son was admitted to Pratt ED last year (class of 2020) and he had an ACT composite of 32. This isn’t just about test scores and grades (though of course both are important). It’s about fit in terms of your potential both on and off campus. Good luck.
Have you looked at the ED 2020 results thread? There are applicants with better stats who were rejected and applicants with worse stats who were accepted. Which means that they’re looking for certain factors beyond the usual gpa, test scores, and activities. Maybe they seek a combination of characteristics that are unique to each accepted candidate? I do not know what admissions wants for the Duke community and their future alum. I think the best thing to do is to present yourself authentically on your application and essays and if it’s a good match you’ll be accepted.
Just asking: if California is one of the most represented states for Duke admissions, wouldn’t applying as a Californian be a disadvantage? I would think that North Dakota might be relatively advantageous compared to another person from NY/CA/NJ/PA/IL/FL/TX/MA/CT.
California is, by far, the most populous state in the nation, so it is not surprising that many CA residents are accepted. Applying from there is certainly not a disadvantage. They don’t have a quota for each state.
You already got an 800 on the SAT math, so that won’t affect it much. The biology score shows something different and is nice but is not as helpful as it would be if you were interested in something related to that (ex. pre-med) and it certainly will not swing your application in either way.
“California is, by far, the most populous state in the nation, so it is not surprising that many CA residents are accepted. Applying from there is certainly not a disadvantage.”
No you have it backwards and should really refrain from spreading misinformation. Applying from California at best does not help you as an applicant. Applying from underrepresented states such as Alaska, Hawaii, or South Dakota could help marginally.
@JimBurles2189 Everything depends on the year you’re applying and the quality of the applicant pool. If you’re a world class pianist but Duke already has too many piano players on campus or in the applicant pool, it won’t help you. At worst, it could hurt but that’s why your entire application gets looked at as opposed to just one factor. In that year being a prodigious Ukulele player or famous tap dancer would’ve probably helped instead.
Same with geography. Your chances would depend on how many students are applying from your state. But generally yes, Duke gets a ton of California applicants yearly so it’s not particularly going to help you. I can neither confirm nor deny whether being the only person applying from your school helps.
@Jwest22, Respectfully, I am not spreading misinformation. Saying that being from California is a disadvantage is similar to saying that being from the US is a disadvantage compared to the one applicant from Togo. Yes, it may be a very slight advantage if you are from an underrepresented state or area of the world, but I don’t see any evidence that applicants from the entire state of CA are disadvantaged. CA admissions to Duke have been rising. Do you have any evidence that the Admissions Office is capping CA admissions?
@wstrav I’m an alumni interviewer and have spoken to the admissions committee numerous times on this very subject. Being from California does not help you. There are more people in Duke’s incoming class from CA because of the sheer number of students that apply from there as opposed to some advantage. But common sense should tell you that if Duke values diversity, then it values geographical diversity as well. Please refer to my analogy of the piano/ukulele players.
WLSdad23 is spot on with his comment. To add on, while there are no specific quotas, they are mindful of not taking too many students from a certain geographical/cultural/activity group.
