Chances?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Duke University
1

<p>Rank: 1 of 683
GPA: 4.0 (unweighted)</p>

<p>1550 SAT I May Soph year (800M 750V)
2290 SaT I March Jr year (800M 770CR 720W)
SAT IIs: 800 Math IIC, 800 Writing, 800 Chem, 800 Physics
APs: 5 Calc BC, 5 AP USH, 5 AP Chem, 5 AP Phys C (on both parts)</p>

<p>Major Awards/Important things
[First of all, my main thing and passion is research, which I do sometimes around 15-20 hours a week for a month or so, then it goes back down to just 5-10 on the "off-season"]
Siemens Westinghouse Regional Finalist (2004)
Siemens Westinghouse Semifinalist (2005)
ISEF Finalist (2005)
RSI
Top 10 Presentations at Research Science Institute
National Merit Semi
AP Scholar w/ Distinction
USAMTS Silver Award
123 AMC 12B (highest in state)
6 AIME
Taken Mathematical Structures, Number Theory, and Linear Algebra at University (all with A or A+)
Attended HOBY leadership seminar, and another similiar local leadership program
Random School awards like student of the year in calc 1-2,3-4
Accepted to conference with one of above projects</p>

<p>ECs and stuff</p>

<p>100 volunteer hours at local hospital (soph and part of jr year only though, got busy with research)
30 or so hours at library
Karate black belt (9 years of it)
Founded Science Research Club
President of Spanish Honors Society (3 years in club)
VP of NHS (2 years in club)
VP of Speech and Debate (2 years in club)
Random other positions in less prominent clubs (done 2 other clubs for 4 years now)
[I have had other positions, such as VP in all the clubs I'm Pres. in now, etc. but those are jr and soph year]</p>

<p>4 recs:
-One amazing one from Chemistry teacher,
-one from Harvard professor that I worked under (actually, I worked under his postdoc, but both will probably sign the letter) very closely and just submitted a paper for publication,
-one from English teacher,
-one from a Math Prof</p>

<p>Essays are eh ok i guess. Main one is about passion for research, but my duke supplement one will be mediocre.</p>

<p>P.S. Is it clear that I have done three projects? SWC 2004, SWC 2005, and RSI were all from different projects, but does the awards list make it look like I just submitted the same thing over and over again. They were in completely different fields (Biology, Comp. Sci, Bioinformatics, respectively).</p>

2

<p>Wow... big wow. If you haven't checked out the 6 categories that they judge you on (from 1-5, 1 being the worst.... 5 being the best), that should clarify (slash solidify) your chances...</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Strength of Curriculum- amazing (most likely a 5 but i don't know about how your curriculum stacks up to your peers... which is what matters. I have a hunch that's it's pretty much as awesome as it sounds on the east coast!)</p></li>
<li><p>Performance in classes (5, obviously all A's)</p></li>
<li><p>Extra Curriculars (4/5, your list could give someone an inferiority complex... lol, but they consider a "5-worthy" applicant to have had national impact... my bet: 5)</p></li>
<li><p>Teacher Recommendations (those sound like a collective 5 to me)</p></li>
<li><p>Standardized Tests (SOLID 5)</p></li>
<li><p>Essays.... if you get a 3 in this one section you'll have a boatload of points...</p></li>
</ol>

<p>The thing is that they don't just weigh your points and take the highest ranking 25%. They consider things VERY CAREFULLY based on your likelyhood for success and/or role within the Duke community. All of your amazing ECs, wonderful SAT IIs, Awesome everything pretty much should impress them enough for them to send you the big envelope w/ the Duke Class of 2010 return address label ;)!!!</p>

3

<p>hahaha thanks. The thing is, my Why Duke essay is only alright, and my commonapp personal statement is probably mediocre at best. I'll have to hope for an STS award this January to help my chances :) The only problem is that it is with a project I've never competed with before, so I have no idea of my chances there.</p>

4

<p>The best thing to do with the "why duke" essay is to be honest. From your research interests and consistant 800s in math on the standardized testing, you sound like a solid pratt applicant. They focus less on the essays for Pratt apps and more on the test scores/ECs and research.</p>

5

<p>That's with almost all Engineering students. They are the kind of people who are supposed to fall into the curve and do well ont he tests. Where us humanitarian types are all over the place. lol</p>

6

<p>Do you think I should aply for Pratt or Trinity? I have no clue what I want to study AT ALL. I like science/math of course, but is Trinity geared towards the arts more? You guys seemed to assume I was Pratt, so that makes me think all science people go to Pratt. Is that true?</p>

7

<p>People that go to Pratt take classes at Trinity. People that go to Trinity take classes at Pratt. From what I've heard from the Duke reps @ my HS, you can be pre-med and be based at Trinity. Based on your concern about your essays and your crazily awesome research studies and perfect math SATs, I'd say that you'd be wise to apply to Pratt (esp since they're expanding by like 100 people this year!!!), but yeah idk what you want to do, so idk. I don't really even know what I want to do so... haha yeah (just that science isn't really my thing ;)).</p>

8

<p>Is it possible to switch? What if I don't want to do an engineering major? What if I want to do physics or chemistry, or math? Should I still apply to Pratt?</p>

9

<p>It's easier to move from Pratt to Trinity than vice versa.</p>

10

<p>But it's easier to get into Pratt in the first place? I don't get that...</p>

<p>ahhh which should I do? Math, physics, chemistry > engineering for me, but I don't really have good essays. Which?</p>

11

<p>It's not necessarily easier to get into Pratt. If you have extraordinarily good test scores and ECs like yours, it would probably be easier for you than someone else, but it all depends on the person.</p>

<p>And one of the reasons it's easier to switch from P to T is b/c Pratt first-year classes can all be used for Trinity credit, but if you were to transfer from T to P, you would be behind, b/c you wouldn't have taken some of the classes that Pratt people had.</p>

12

<p>Ohhhh good. I just read an article about how almost everyone from Pratt gets into Trinity transfer. The only thing I was concerned about was that the courses might not receive credit, but you just dispelled that.</p>

<p>Is Trinity known more for sciences or for its arts?</p>

13

<p>Zogoto-
If I were you, I would definitely go for Pratt. Pratt puts so much emphasis on your tests scores and your test scores in the maths and sciences are PERFECT. I would say you're in at Pratt, no question. Once you get in you can always switch..</p>

14

<p>Thanks a lot! Finally I have resolved this lol. Ugh now I have to add to my essay...</p>