Chances to Duke?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hi all,
I’m a junior and Duke EDs came out last week. A few of my highly qualified friends got deferred and it stressed me out, so I’d just like an objective opinion on my chances! Duke is a highly selective school, and it would be amazing to get in, but I totally understand that, after all, only around 10% of all that apply (even the highly qualified applicants) get in, and they can’t take everyone! Thanks for your input :slight_smile:

My intended major would either be Biomedical Engineering or Biology
Objective:

[list]
[] SAT I: (first time) 2280, 710 M, 770W, 800CR

[] ACT: Not yet taken
[] SAT II: No yet taken
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.00
[]Weighted GPA (out of 4.0): projected 5.04 by the end of junior year, 5.25 by the end of senior year (my school gives standard classes 4 points, honors classes 5 points, and AP classes 6 points).
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Sitting around 40/600, but rank is only calculated at the end of the year, and my GPA this year should bring me up a considerable amount.
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Psych(5), AP HuGe(5), APUSH, APCS, APES, AP Lang, AP Lit, AP Calc AB/BC, AP Bio, AP Comp Gov
[]Senior Year Course Load: I plan to take AP Lit, AP Calc AB/BC, AP Bio, AP Comp Gov, PLTW Human Body Systems, and PLTW Principles of Engineering
Subjective:

[list]
[] Extracurriculars: Varsity softball, Social Studies Honor Society, Science Honor Society, Math Honor Society, NHS, Odyssey of the Mind (world finalist multiple years), HOSA, possible Governor’s School
[] Volunteer/Community service: Service club through the school (25+ hours/year)- not much but something
Other

[list]
[] State: NC
[] School Type: competitive large public
[] Ethnicity:White
[] Gender: Female
[] Income Bracket: High
[]Intended Major: Biology or Biomedical Engineering
[li] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Double legacy (both parents), woman in STEM[/li]
I am torn between applying to Trinity (Arts and Sciences) or Pratt (Engineering). Duke has a program where you can apply to one school and transfer over once you are admitted, and I heard that it is (only slightly) easier for women to get into Pratt, but this information could be totally unfounded.
Thanks!

2

I forgot to mention that I am a founding member of the only high school chapter of the Girls Engineering Change Club, which was started by Duke University students. I hope to become an officer next year.

3

Ugh it’s late and I also forgot that I’ve held positions on Student Council for three years, and because of this, I am close with many of my school’s administrators. I plan to run for senior class VP next year. At my school, Student Council is a considerable commitment and we meet often.

4

lol u were a founding member yet u arent an officer?

if ur friends were just as qualified as you then that would strange (especially since its ED)
like 90% chance u can get in

also i dont think u shud bother taking ACT if ur SAT is high enough for u

5

@theofrelord Yeah, at my school a club has to have 25 members to get started.

6

I like your stats I got into duke ed with a few less ap’s just make sure your essay’s set you apart.

7

How involved are your parents with DAA?

8

@LAforDuke Thanks! It’s refreshing to know that you don’t have to take 15 APs to get in!
@sgopal2 My parents give a marginal amount of money to Duke every year and my mom has done alumni interviews for the past four years. My dad’s best friend from college gives a large amount of money every year and my mom’s best friend is the head of alumni admissions in Florida, and they said that they’d write letters for me.

9

That’s great. You have an excellent shot. Things in your favor: high scores, high GPA, class rigor, legacy, NC resident.

One thing that concerns me: class rank

Have you decided between Trinity or Pratt?

Have your parents taken you to the annual DAA admissions workshop?

10

I’d say you’re a bit over 50/50 to get in. GPA and SAT scores are on target-ECs won’t set you apart, but they’re good enough to get you win. Bringing up your class rank could definitely help your chances. Good luck!

11

Hey! So I’m a current Junior at Duke (Trinity and Biology major) and I can tell you that based on my high school stats, I really didn’t think it would be possible for me to get admitted. My SAT score was a 2340 overall (although I took it 3 times to get that), and although I had a 4.00 GPA, my weighted GPA wasn’t that impressive, so I was rank 50 out of 350 (I didn’t take the most challenging english/social studies classes as a freshman, and then I refused to take any APs in history or government. So my most challenging courses were math and science.) I had leadership positions in several clubs, but the only club I had done all 4 years was French Club. No internships, no volunteering, no legacy (and I’m a white woman from a middle class family), no sports, no music…but I think the things that stood out were that I was really committed to the things I was interested in (challenging myself in the sciences, and getting involved in the French language program), and I probably had decent letters of rec. I’m not trying to undermine how hard it can be to get into Duke, but it’s important not to psych yourself out just because people with better numbers than you didn’t get in.

Based on your stats, it seems like you definitely have a good enough chance to at least apply. So I would say, go for it, and don’t worry about whether or not you’ll get in until your applications are done and submitted. College admissions are really weird sometimes, and even if you get rejected to your top choice, you might still get into another top college that you’ll love just as much or even more. I was rejected by uPenn, U Chicago, and Johns Hopkins, but after visiting Duke for the first time I realized there’s no where I’d rather be anyway. I know other people who had better class ranks, weighted GPAs, and SAT scores than me who got rejected from Duke but got into Hopkins and Penn.

So bottom line, you should definitely apply to Duke, but even if you don’t get in, I’m sure you’ll love wherever you end up. Best of luck, and I hope you’ll be a future Blue Devil :slight_smile:

12

@sgopal2 I’m on the fence about Pratt. I don’t think my SAT math is up to par (30-40 points off) but I am waiting on test scores from the December test, but I don’t think I improved 30-40 points. I also am slightly leaning towards Biology over Biomedical Engineering, but I could potentially apply to Pratt and transfer to Trinity if the women-in-STEM thing would really give me an advantage. Also, I haven’t been to the DAA thing, but I’ll ask my parents about it. Thanks!
@jdecker9 Thanks! Hopefully my class rank will increase at the end of this year :slight_smile:
@diagonalph Your input was so helpful because I’m really similar to you in my interests and what I want to study! Thanks so much for the advice about not stressing :slight_smile:

13

If I may continue this thread, what are my chances for Duke ED?
I plan on retaking the ACT, but will my bad essay score be grounds for rejection?

I am a junior.

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2240 (Composite), 750 (Math), 710 (Critical Reading), 780 (Writing)
ACT (breakdown): 33 (Composite), 35 (English), 33 (Mathematics), 34 (Reading), 30 (Science), 23 (Essay/Writing)
SAT II: none yet, but most likely US History, English
Weighted GPA: 4.35 (most likely 4.40+ after this year)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): top 25% (school only ranks by quintile)
AP (junior year): US History, Physics 1, English Language and Composition
Awards: Day of Recognition (with certificate) from Governor on behalf of state, Geography Student of the Year, National Society of High School Scholars, National History Scholars Society, NHS, AP Scholar (most likely), Model Committee Chair (Youth and Government)

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Boys Service Club (Treasurer), Pre-Med Club (Officer), School Admissions (Ambassador), Youth and Government Conference (Chair of Senate HHS Committee, awarded Model Committee Chair, and elected President Pro Tempore of Senate), global peer-reviewed science publication for high school students (Senior Editor and help lead editorial staff), Yearbook (Copy Co-Editor), Computer Science Club, Varsity Tennis team, independent genomics research (possible abstract),

Job/Work Experience:
Volunteer/Community service: Work in school library, in a school for special-needs children, and for the science journal
Summer Activities: state-funded science research program (last summer), JSA Georgetown (this summer), Independent research
Teacher Recommendation: all should be excellent
Counselor Rec: my counselor knows me very well and is helping me in this process

Other:
Applying for Financial Aid?: probably not
Intended Major: Global/Public Health, Public Policy, Biology
State (if domestic applicant): North Carolina
School Type: smaller school (~80 people in class)
Ethnicity: Asian (Indian)
Gender: Male
Hooks: participated in National Spelling Bee twice? research article published in professional peer-reviewed science journal based off above summer research program?

14

@nociceptor123 please don’t hijack this thread. Start your own please