Chance me?

<p>So, I'm looking to possibly ED to Duke (my parents and I are still debating on three schools and we're taking college visits and stuff before we make a decision) and I was wondering what my chances are. I live in Alabama and I attend the state's top magnet school which is a free boarding school. My GPA isn't perfect but I take the most challenging curriculum offered. For the most part, my grades are pretty good but I suffered through a bit of depression and anxiety after one of my family members died and my grades slipped a bit at the beginning of my sophomore year and mid-way through my junior year. </p>

<p>I'm a white male, middle-class, uh, I dunno what else to put. I'm pretty charismatic and friendly too I guess. </p>

<p>I found this profile on another thread and I liked it so I'm using its format. </p>

<p>Objective:
*Highest ACT with writing score: 36E, 30M, 34R, 31S, 8W. (taking again in June)
*Highest subscores overall: 36E, 31M, 35R, 31S, 8W.
* Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.8+. I don't know what it is, exactly, since my school has a complicated GPA system and I'd have to ask the school counselor.
* Rank: Top 50%. We only have top 50 and lower 50.
* AP tests I have taken/will take:
Biology: Find out in July.
Chemistry: Find out in July.
AP Calculus BC: Taking it next year.
AP Physics Mechanics: Taking it next year.
AP Physics Electricity and Magnetism: Taking it next year.
AP Spanish Language: Taking it next year.</p>

<p>Subjective:
* Extracurricular (place leadership in parenthesis):
-National Honor Society (11th and 12th grade)
-Math Circle (11th and 12th grade)
-Coexist (11th and 12th grade)
-Student Government Activities Committee (10th and 11th grade)
-Student Government Activities Committee Chair (12th grade)
-School Ambassador (11th and 12th grade)
-Relay for Life Team (9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade)
-Students for Fair Trade (11th grade)
-Film Club President (11th and 12th grade)
-Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica/Spanish Honors Society (11th and 12th grade)
-Beta Club (8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade)
-Literary Magazine (11th and 12th grade)
-Mobile Symphony Youth Orchestra (11th grade)
-Model United Nations (11th and 12th grade)
-Varsity Cross-Country (12th grade)
-Varsity Tennis (12th grade)
-Bassoon(5 years)
-Saxophone(5 years)
* Awards:
-Outstanding Sophomore in Chemistry
-Outstanding Sophomore in Physics
-Outstanding Junior in Mathematics
-Outstanding Junior in Biological Sciences
-Outstanding Junior in Spanish
-Silver medalist on the National Spanish Exam
-Various honor roll awards.
* Volunteer/Community service:
Animal Rescue Foundation (125 hours)
Tutoring in math, science, English, and Spanish (130 hours)
Organization of the Band's Library (300 hours)
Ronald McDonald House(60 hours)
Little Sisters of the Poor (25 hours)
Various service projects for campus life enrichment (90 hours)
TOTAL: 730 Hours
* Summer Activities:
Working at WalMart and tutoring over the summer.
* Teacher Recommendation: One from my English and Spanish teacher(10th-12th grade) and one from my math teacher and research adviser (10th-12th grade).
* Counselor Rec: She loves me to death.
* Additional Rec: If I need one, I can get one from another one of my math teachers or my biology teacher.</p>

<p>Other
* State (if domestic applicant): Alabama
* School Type: Public
* Ethnicity: White/Caucasian
* Gender: M
* Income Bracket: Less than 150,000 at least, but I think less than 120,000.
* Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): I don't know any? D:</p>

<p>COURSES TAKEN:
We have a trimester system at my current school (which is for 10-12) so that's why there are so many classes and why some classes have multiple parts.</p>

<p>Freshman Year:
Honors English 9: A
Modern World History: A
Algebra I: A
Geometry: A
Honors Biology: A
Spanish 1: B
Wind Ensemble: A
Freshman Composition: B</p>

<p>Sophomore Year:
Honors Algebra II: B
Honors Computational Science: A
Honors Chemistry and Problem Solving: A
Honors History of Western Thought: B
Honors Spanish I, 2/2: A
Health: A
Honors Trigonometry: A
Honors Sophomore English I: A
Honors Spanish II, 1/2: A.
Honors Biological Change and Diversity: A
Honors Crusades: A
Honors Theatre Arts II: A
Honors Precalculus: A
Honors Spanish II, 2/2: A
Honors Sophomore English II: A
Honors Advanced American Studies I: A
Honors Physics: A
Volleyball: A
Jazz Band: A/A/A</p>

<p>Junior Year:
Honors Differential Calculus: A
AP Biology 1/3: A
AP Chemistry 1/3: A
Honors Creative Writing: A
Honors 20th Century American Literature: A
Concert Band: A
Honors Group Theory: A
Honors Integral Calculus: A
Honors Math Problem Solving: A
Honors Advanced American Studies II: B
AP Biology 2/3: A
AP Chemistry 2/3: B
Honors Advanced Conversational Spanish I: B
Honors American Pop Culture: Heroes and History: B
Honors "A Theory of Everything: String Theory": A
Honors Visual Mathematics: A
AP Chemistry 3/3: A
Honors Differential Equations: A
Honors Advanced Calculus(Introduction to Real Analysis): A
Honors Advanced Prose Writing: A
AP Biology 3/3: A
Honors Advanced Conversational Spanish II: A</p>

<p>Projected Senior Year Course-load:
Spanish IV(AP Spanish Lang equivalent) 1,2,3.
AP Physics C 1,2,3.
Honors Introduction to Organic Chemistry.
Honors Organic Chemistry.
Honors Biochemistry.
Honors Linear Algebra.
Honors BC Calculus.
AP Calculus Review.
Honors British Literature 1 and 2.
Honors Economics.
Honors Government.
Honors Complex Analysis.
Honors Probability and Combinatorics.
Honors Topology.
Honors Knot Theory.
Honors Math Problem Solving 1, 2, 3.
There are probably some others, but I won't get my schedule until August so I can't say for sure. :/</p>

<p>How does this all look? I probably forgot something. Anyways, my application essays are probably going to focus mostly on my Activities Committee and volunteer work because, in all honesty, those are what keep me going on a lot of days. Helping people and knowing that I'm making a difference for someone really makes me feel good about myself and it makes me feel like I can achieve a lot of things as long as I put my mind to it. Cliche, I know, but it's what I love to do.</p>

<p>Thanks a ton for reading and chancing, if you do.</p>

<p>Good chance, even better chance assuming that you create a focused, revealing essay</p>

<p>Thanks. :D</p>

<p>Hopefully my essays will be good. I’m getting someone I know who goes to Yale(c/o 2014) to help me write essays. Not to write them, of course, just to help me along the way.</p>

<p>Maybe instead of having the person you know at Yale help you write the essay (because it should be Duke specific anyway), that person could write a peer recommendation letter!
You should think about it. I wish I knew someone who could do that.</p>

<p>I’m applying in the fall!!!</p>

<p>Can someone chance me, too?
:)</p>

<p>My thread is there!</p>

<p>It’s just that he works a lot so asking him to write a peer recommendation is a bit much, as well as the fact that he barely knows me.</p>

<p>Bump! I’d like to know more than one opinion.</p>

<p>I’d say you are a strong applicant. Your GPA and ACT scores are solid; the only “downside” might be that you don’t have a “hook” – however, I think being from Alabama, and assuming your recs and essays are great, you have a strong shot at Duke. I’ve heard chances usually increased for ED applicants, FWIW.</p>

<p>@psychmama I think I have a hook, actually. I’ve done some mathematics/theoretical physics research and I’ll continue with my mathematics research over my senior year as well as doing chemistry research. </p>

<p>Thanks so much, though. :D</p>

<p>You’re welcome, and you sound like a strong candidate. Good luck!</p>