Chances of Admission and then Merit Scholarship

Colleges and Universities A-Z Duke University
1

<p>This is a general chance post. I know I have somewhat acquired a reputation for being perceived as a "troll" on this website, but this a serious post. I'm really wondering about my future right now and my junior year is pretty much over. I'd like to know what kind of chance if any I have of getting into Duke University next spring. Then, I'd like to know, if Duke acknowledges my potential awards for next winter, what are my chances of being named a University Scholar or getting another full merit scholarship. Please give thoughtful, kind, and reasoned opinions. YOLO, I know I have next to zero chance for getting into the University Scholars Program, but let me embolden my request and ask if I have any chance whatsoever (even 1/2 a % lol) of being a Robertson Scholar at Duke? Finally, if I don't get in to Duke as a freshman, but go to UNC Chapel Hill for my freshman year and keep a 4.0 GPA in tough courses, join a few clubs, research in a medical lab, and volunteer at a hospital, what would be my chances for transferring to Duke my sophomore year. Also, does Duke offer scholarships to outstanding transfer students?</p>

<p>Ethnicity: South Asian American (Pakistani)</p>

<p>Age: 17</p>

<p>Schools: Large Public in IN (9)
Small Private in TN (10-11)
Medium Public in TN (12)</p>

<p>Family: MD (Dad), Master's (Mom), 2 younger siblings, 180K income (for financial aid)</p>

<p>Recs (Potential- I've talked to the teachers about what they will write): AP Euro History Teacher, AP Bio Teacher, Community College Professor (Very Good-They talked about mow I found motivation and became a role model.)</p>

<p>Essays (Potential) : One on being an agnostic Pakistani Democrat in Tennessee, One on how I went through three years of high school without a passion and then found a love for math and science which inspired me to learn about them in very great detail and partake in the national competitions that I will. </p>

<p>Intended Major: Physics or Math (Firm Plans)</p>

<p>Objective:</p>

<p>Grades (9-11): 50% A- 50% B Range in All Honors Classes and 2 AP Classes: AP Chemistry and AP Calculus BC</p>

<p>Senior Course Load and Grades (Potential): All A's (97% or better) in AP Statistics, AP Biology, AP European History, AP English Literature, AP US Government, AP Macroeconomics, and AP Psychology at School and A's in Organic Chemistry with Lab at a community college.</p>

<p>GPA/Class Rank (Potential): 4.05 Ranked in Top 25% in 300 Students</p>

<p>SAT: 2400 ACT: 36 SAT Chemistry: 800 SAT Math II: 800 SAT Physics: 800</p>

<p>AP Exam Scores (Self-Studying for all besides Chem and Calc BC) (Potential):</p>

<p>5's in AP Chemistry, AP Calculus BC, AP Physics C-Mechanics, AP Physics C-Electricity and Magnetism, AP Computer Science A, AP English Language, AP US History, AP World History</p>

<p>Extra-Cirricular Activities:</p>

<p>Speech and Debate (10-12): State 2nd Place (10), 350 Tournament Points</p>

<p>Piano (9, 11-12): Gold Star Rating in Region (9), Did Well in Regional Festival (12-Potential)</p>

<p>Mock Trial (11): Lawyer- 2nd Place in Region</p>

<p>Young Democrats (10-11): VP (11)</p>

<p>NHS and Mu Alpha Theta Member (10-12)</p>

<p>Community Service (10-12): 200 Hours in Mosque and Science Center</p>

<p>Employment (12-Potential): Kumon Math Tutor</p>

<p>Math Club (9, 12): President (12-Potential)</p>

<p>Student Newspaper Member (12-Potential)</p>

<p>Cross Country JV (12-Potential)</p>

<p>Research (12-Potential): Work in Chemistry Lab with Community College Professor</p>

<p>Other Awards/Distinctions: Regional Math Test Top 5 (9, 10), National Merit Commended Scholar (12), National AP Scholar (12-Potential), Published Article in Local Chemistry Journal (12-Potential), State Math Problem Solving Test Top 10 (12-Potential)</p>

<p>Awards to be sent after initial submission of application (all potential): </p>

<p>Intel STS Semi-Finalist in Chemistry (Sent in Late January)</p>

<p>USA Physics Olympiad Semi-Finalist and AMC 12 Perfect Score (Mid-February)</p>

<p>USA Chem Olympiad Top in Region and USA Biology Olympiad Semi-Finalist (Early March)</p>

2

<p>I remember reading one of your posts on the Princeton forum. Apparently all these scores are speculative, are they not? If they aren’t, you have as good a shot as any, but if they are, I would spend less time asking for hypothetical assessments on internet forums, and more time actually working to attain those impeccable credentials.</p>

3

<p>@happyman2, I am almost done with this year’s AP’s of which I’m quite sure I got a 5 on all besides for one. My SAT, ACT, and SAT II scores are not potential. They are real. Only my senior grades and major national awards for next year are potential. Also, I’m working on getting those awards as well. I spend 5 hours a day studying for them, and will spend all summer studying for them (20 hours a day).</p>

4

<p>“One on how I went through three years of high school without a passion…”</p>

<p>This is a bad idea for an essay… You aren’t even done with your third year of high school. It’s not a good idea to write about what you will do (unless if that is the essay prompt).</p>

<p>If you do well in Siemens or Intel STS, you have a decent shot, but I don’t think you will get a scholarship.</p>

5

<p>@WhaleWhale, agreed about not getting the scholarship but if I went to UNC Chapel Hill for 1 year and was the president of a few clubs, had a 4.0 GPA in toughest pre-med classes, held a good research position and wrote a few papers, did well in a few national math/science competitions, and volunteered regularly each week in a hospital, would I have good chance of getting into Duke for my next three years of college, and if so what kind of scholarship opportunities does Duke offer to transfer students?</p>

6

<p>Merit scholarships are usually given to attract students who would otherwise attend other schools. There isn’t much incentive to award merit scholarships to transfer students.</p>

<p>If you have to work 20 hours a day (?) over the summer to get into the school of your choice, then you are probably choosing the wrong school. What well balanced person would propose the sort of plan you are talking about? I suspect that you are either kidding yourself about working so hard and doing so many things, or you really lack a healthy perspective about college.</p>

<p>I have interviewed medical school applicants with stories like this. I always find those applicants to be unimpressive and generally give them low scores. The approach you describe is not generally exhibited by the happy, well rounded, and balanced students that we think make good doctors.</p>

<p>I would suggest that your relax a bit and enjoy your summer. You should continue to work hard, but do it out of passion for what you are engaged with, not because you feel a need to build a resume that will get you into your “dream” school. I think it would be better if you spent more time being content with what you can honestly accomplish and with who you really are. There is certainly a “best” school for you that might or might not be Duke. You should try to figure out which school you will fit in without feeling so driven to overachieve. Good luck.</p>

7

<p>@ourmutualfriend, I don’t want to be defined by a group of people with the kind of “story” you are talking about. But, this summer, I will work very hard so I can achieve all the goals I want to for next year’s competitions. I am doing this b/c I truly love these things but of course I’d like to see that if I’m able to achieve the level of success I want on all 5 of these competitions, that I can get a full-ride merit scholarships to some place like Duke or UNC. I understand what you’re saying about the merit scholarships being mainly for entering freshman and I think that if I get one to UNC Chapel Hill (as good as Duke in my opinion), I’ll stay there for college. Then I’d like to tell you that I don’t intend to do this kind of cram-studying in college. I want to have tons of fun (meet new people, travel, and just chill every day) in addition to being at the very top of my class in terms of grades, MCAT scores, national awards, research activity, and community service work. I don’t have any “dream” college in mind but Duke and UNC Chapel Hill are some of the best schools that offer full merit scholarships for (others include Vanderbilt, Johns Hopkins, Wash U, and Emory) and I’d really like to get one so I can have a fun and awesome college experience that will get me into an amazing medical school in an MD/PhD program.</p>

8

<p>Score-wise, of course you’ll be at the top of Duke’s applicant pool. But as someone who just got a full ride to Duke (and from Tennessee, no less), I can assure you that scores have only the most rudimentary baring on your chances at getting one of their merit scholarships. The same is true of your extracurriculars- while splendid, there are absolutely none of them that really stick out to me. You have the same resume, more than likely, of hundreds of other supremely qualified candidates.</p>

<p>My two cents? While the University Scholars program might seek you out, its sister program, the A.B. Scholarship (which is, in my humble opinion, a more interesting and valuable option) is most definitely looking for students that are less well rounded and more intellectually hungry. You don’t need a top GPA or top scores (I certainly didn’t have them). What you need is passion, and if you’re truly spending your summer studying twenty hours a day, it looks like you are definitely lacking that. If you honestly want to increase your chances of sticking out in a highly competitive applicant pool and gaining a scholarship, go outside and do something interesting and unique. I’m not going to tell you what to do, because that’s not the point- find your own passion, and then when applications come around, take that passion and write about it. Do you really want to limit what you bring to the table to a stellar academic record and not much else?</p>