Chance Me Please! Class of 2016

Colleges and Universities A-Z Duke University
1

<p>Academic:
•My GPA at the moment is a 3.02/4.0
•My ACT is a 28
•I know that I don’t have the best grades, but i plan on getting them up.
•I’m an African-American (Somalian) student, Male, and Duke is my dream school
•Top Quarter Rank
•I planned on majoring in Sports Management, but they don’t allow that/have that major at Duke, so right know I’m thinking Marketing or communications, or if they have the opportunity to design my own major, I might do that as well.</p>

<p>Junior Course load:
•Psychology AP, American History, AP Language&Comp, Precalculus, Photography, Stats&Probablity, PhyEd 11, Guitar Methods</p>

<p>Senior Course Load:
•Yearbook Publication, Media Studies, Humanities (AP Lit&Comp), Senior Foods, Stats AP, PhyEd 12, Microeconomics AP, American Government AP</p>

<p>My EC:
•Student Council (VP Junior Year, and President Elect for senior year) (4 Years)
•DECA, which is like business leaders of America. And I am president of that. (4 Years)
•I am the founder and president of the African-American Leadership Council at my school
•I am the producer of the black history month show at my school.
•I am in speech, which has high prestige at my school is ranked in top ten in the USA
•Varsity Golf
•I help run a National Magazine for high school teachers nationwide.
•Been going to Muslim Religion classes every Saturday and Sunday since I was 6</p>

<p>Work Experience:
•I intern with the Minnesota Timberwolves
•I’m the basketball manager for my high school Varsity Basketball Team, and in the summer I manage an AAU team.
•Also this summer I’m working/ interning with a golf club
•I'm a golf caddy
•Mentor Somali Kids at a local Elementary School
•One of 2 students selected to work on the Roseville Park and Rec Board
•Habitat for Humanity this summer
•More volunteer work in the summers</p>

<p>Awards:
•Lettered in Speech and Student Council
•City of Falcon Heights Teen Leadership Award
•(More that I can’t think of)</p>

<p>Essays:
•Hopefully will be good, I know many people that I will have edit it, so it will be top notch when I turn it in.</p>

<p>Recommendations:
•Assistant Basketball Coach/Vice Principle at me Elementary school, in the Minnesota Hall of Fame for High School Basketball Coaching
•Counselor: He loves me, he worked in the Sports Management Field before becoming a counselor and I know his recommendation will be good.
•Teacher: Humanities/10th Grade Pre-AP English Teacher, One of the Top Teachers in the Nation, Has awards for being a top teacher In MN/USA. I work with her on a literacy publication magazine that a couple of other kids and I are working on together. (thenationalscholar.org) so her recommendation will be legit.
Addition Recommendation: Jeff Munneke; Vice President of Fan Relations and Guest Services I Intern with him, so he’ll write me a good recommendation</p>

<p>Other:
•State (if domestic applicant): Minnesota
•School Type: Large Public High School 2000+
•Ethnicity: Somalian (African-American)
•Gender: Male
•Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): URM and First Generation College. Research (Kinda?)</p>

<p>Reflection
•Strengths: Leadership, Experience, Recommendations’, and Extracurricular
•Weaknesses: Most academic related things.
•I know my grades aren’t the best neither is my ACT score, but the reason for that is because I was always busy with school, and extracurricular activities. And it wasn’t like I joined every club available just to be in them, I was an active member of each one, and I have leadership roles in many of them. I don’t know if my extracurricular will balance out my academics but do you think that I have a chance at all? Also I’m great at interviews so hopefully I nail that too.</p>

2

<p>ECs are great, gpa is average. I would take ACT again and shoot for a 32 at least, then you will have a decent chance.</p>

3

<p>

</p>

<p>GPA is not average for a Duke applicant. 3.02 is on the very *very *low end. 28 on the ACT is also on the low end. Unless you have a very compelling personal story, Duke is not very likely to accept you, I’m afraid. And saying that your GPA is low because you were involved in extracurricular activities is not a valid excuse; Duke wants applicants that are able to handle various responsibilities and succeed at all of them. Being a URM and first generation college definitely helps, but not so much to make up for such a poor GPA (by Duke standards). Sorry to be so blunt, but you asked, so I’m trying to be truthful. Good luck though. You never know if you don’t try.</p>

4

<p>Hey good news! I got a 3.78 this tri, and my gpa is up! I plan on taking summer classes, and online classes next year durring the school year, so these will all boost my gpa. I think/hope to have a 3.3-3.4 by the time my application is due. (Applying ED) and retaking the ACT is Sep/Oct (one of them or both) and hoping for a 30. Im very confident that my essay will be good and interview will be good as well! So what are my chances then?</p>

5

<p>a 3.78 late in your junior year will help because it will show that you are improving as long as you keep up said improvement in the first tri next year. If you can bring you gpa up to a 3.3/3.4, you would have a much better shot at say ED admission with your hooks. You would still have a shot with a 3.02, but most likely not a great shot. I would assume Duke’s avg gpa (high school that is) is probably around a 3.8/3.9, but I’m not sure.</p>

6

<p>a 3.3/3.4 is really bad for duke and a 3.02 would give you zero chance. A 28/29 would also hurt you. And even a 30 might hurt you and at the very least would just be approaching average. You have everything else in your favor and your ECs are outstanding, but overall I would say that your grades have killed you. Especially because you are not taking a lot of hard classes, at least compared to the average Duke applicant.
You have a very tiny chance, but frankly I would focus on other schools, because with your EC’s, at a school where your academics are average you will be a stand-out and could receive a lot of money.</p>

7

<p>bump. More opinions?</p>

8

<p>A 3.02 is in top quarter of the class? Your school must have severe grade deflation or a bunch of ■■■■■■■.</p>

<p>Keep up the good grades, do something meaningful this summer, and study for the ACT.</p>

9

<p>Oh right now im in the top half, but i meant at my estimated gpa when I apply in the fall (3.3-3.4) i should be in the top quarter.</p>

10

<p>Seriously, study your butt off for the ACT and try to get it to 32+. I got a 30 on my first try and improved it to a 34 (I NEVER would’ve gotten in with the 30 IMO) so a 32 is a reasonable goal for you. Work on bringing up the GPA and if it ends up putting you in the top quarter of your class as you said then your academics won’t be keeping you out of Duke. Write an interesting essay, and make sure all the subjective stuff is up to par. If you manage to do all that you’ll have a decent shot!</p>

11

<p>Yea I’ve been studying my butt off this summer! Hoping for that 31+. And I believe that I my essay’s and supplemental’s will be good. I used to go to boarding school so im used to essays and interviews so all that should be good. My academic profile is the only thing im afraid of right now!</p>

12

<p>how the hell is 3.3 in the top quarter</p>

13

<p>Just got my SAT scores back… and I got a 2040. Essentially that means I got a 31 on an ACT!! Beyond excited!</p>

14

<p>

Congrats! That is awesome. TBH I would recommend retaking the ACT and SAT again in the fall since you have the summer to prepare. But again congrats on the score!</p>

15

<p>Yea, I’m still definitely preparing and I’m going to take the SAT in Sep. and Oct.!</p>

16

<p>

They don’t offer the SAT in September, but you can retake the ACT then and then retake the SAT in October. Good luck!</p>

17

<p>Can I get some more advice please?! I’ve been busy lately and haven’t had time to think about college and what not, but anytime that I get to myself I just worry that I could be doing something to help my chances! So if anyone has any advice especially anyone with somewhat similar stats as me that got in, any info would be great!</p>

18

<p>Your ECs are great, but your grades are definitely below Dukes average. If you are really passionate about sports management, maybe you should look at schools that have that as a major, or call duke to see if they have the design your own program</p>

19

<p>But if you are just as passionate about duke as you are sports management, then apply and write great essays and see what happens</p>

20

<p>One word of caution-though I understand that you are really interested in Duke-make sure you keep an open mind and don’t completely fall in love with any school. I sort of made a similar mistake and after not getting in, it made it more difficult to make a college decision. From what I can tell, Duke seems fairly straightforward for admissions. I do feel like your scores are too low for Duke. If you could potentially get a 30/31 on the ACT, I think your chances will improve quite a bit. If your rec letters are really good, then I think your lower GPA can be offset by a little, but overall it is still a disadvantage (stating the obvious).
But dang, your ec’s are really interesting, especially with basketball/sports management (though I’m sorry about David kahn, lol). I think they give you a good chance. Write about those in your essays, since you clearly have a passion. Also, as a URM, you have a good shot.</p>