Just wanted to ask what my chances of getting into Duke is (Trinity)–
Asian female
senior
GPA-3.92 unweighted
4.96 weighted
ACT-31, 8 on writing
SAT-1300
Extracurriculars: Math Honor Society VP, Science Olympiad secretary, cross country and track runner, member of several honor societies, swim team volunteer coach, etc.
APs- took Eng Language&Comp, Chinese, Chem, US History, Environmental Science, Chemistry, Psychology in the past, taking Calculus, Physics 1, Eng Literature&Comp, US Gov&Politics, and Statistics this year
Scored 4s and 5s on all except Chem
Also any advice on what to do raise my chances?
All your grades and scores are good, but nothing truly sets you apart. Just imagine how many other VP’s, athletes, society members, etc. will be applying. Try to find a few EC’s that you can really focus and develop to a higher level (state-national level), and if possible, try to make them specific to your major.
I’d also recommend SAT Subject tests if there are any that relate to the major you go into.
Lastly, I’d recommend retaking the ACT or SAT (whichever you can do better on), as your scores are below their average. Practice truly does help. In April 2017 I got a 32 with no studying. I studied ~50 hours over 3 months and got a 36 just this September. It’s possible, but just really crazy to me why so few put time into prep (let alone if it’s done effectively or accurately). If you want advice on how I prepped, I can reply with that. I’m just short on time to reply.
Hope this helps!
as an asian, your scores are quite low which puts duke out of reach as of right now. try to retake and score higher to improve your chances.
Leave the question about race blank on your application.
The best thing you can do is kill the diversity essay. My biggest regret is choosing not to write it because I didn’t think it applied to me. Think really hard about what you’re going to write because for Duke that essay is really important especially for you because as an asian female you don’t automatically stand out in that area, so make yourself stand out in that essay.