Duke 2014 Hopeful

Colleges & Universities A-Z Duke University
1

<p>I feel kind of guilty putting up a chance thread as my first post, but Duke U is pretty much my dream school right now and I just wanted to check my chances. So any opinions? Also, what chances do I have for earning the AB Duke Scholarship?</p>

<p>Race: Asian
Gender: Male
Nationality: USA
State-of-Residence: Georgia
Current Location: Beijing, China attending a competitive International High School (hopefully a hook?)</p>

<p>Cumulative GPA : 3.96
Rank: Top 10%, no ranking
SAT Reasoning Test : 2300 (Math 800/ Critical Reading 750/ Writing 750)
SAT Subject Tests : Math IIC, Biology E/M, Chemistry (taking them all in Fall 2009)
Coursework: Full IB Diploma, taking 4 HL Courses and 2 SL Courses due to an appeal, rather than 3 HL Courses and 3 SL Courses.
IB Chemistry HL
IB Biology HL
IB English HL
IB Mandarin HL
IB Math SL
IB Psychology SL</p>

<p>Extracurricular Activities</p>

<p>Grade 9:
Jazz Ensemble – 1st trumpet
Musical Pit Band – 1st trumpet
Symphony Orchestra – 2nd chair trumpet
APAC Honor Band - Manila
Habitat for Humanity Educational Committee – Active Member
Participated in AMC 10</p>

<p>Grade 10:
Jazz Band – 1st trumpet
Symphony Orchestra – 1st chair trumpet
Rehearsed Handel’s Messiah with a professional symphony (International Festival Symphony)
APAC Honor Band in Kobe, Japan
Founding member of a comm. service organization teaching underprivileged children and helping to improve their self-esteem (called ESEE)
Model MUN - Delegate
Student Council – Sophomore Public Relations Officer
Distinguished Pianist at Simply Piano Recital
School Brass Award
High School Performing Arts Award
Participated in AMC 10
Invited and participated in University of Waterloo Galois Math Competition</p>

<p>Summer: Scholarship & Invitation to Stanford EPGY Summer Program</p>

<p>Grade 11:
JV Rugby – starting forward
Jazz Band – 1st trumpet
STUCO – Executive Secretary
Board of Trustees – Student Task Force to interview new Head of School candidates
President of ESEE (see above for description)
Beijing XTS (locally affiliated newspaper) – Photographer
Model MUN - Delegate
Student Ambassador
Prose Published in School Literary Magazine</p>

<p>Summer: Earned Competitive Internship at Beijing United Family Hospital</p>

<p>Grade 12 (confident that I'll have these EC's):
Varsity Rugby
Jazz Band – 1st trumpet (confirmed)
Jazz Combo soloist (confirmed)
International Honor Jazz Band - Rome (confirmed)
STUCO – Senior President (confirmed)
President of ESEE (confirmed)
Model MUN – BEIMUN - Delegate
Beijing XTS – Head Photographer
Student Ambassador</p>

<p>Other:
National Merit Scholarship Qualification (probably Semifinalist)
I'll be a 1st Generation College Student
Playing Piano since I was 8 & self taught for the past 2 years
Will apply for Financial Aid</p>

2

<p>I think you have a 70 percent chance of getting in. The 30 percent chance of rejection is because this year Duke rejected 1,000 valedictorians and thus we really don’t know and can’t know.</p>

<p>Make your application interesting and you will have a great shot.</p>

3

<p>Wow that was a fast reply :D</p>

<p>Yeah, I’m hoping that I’ll be able to play on the international surroundings I have and my passion for jazz in an Asian culture, especially for things like my essay.</p>

4

<p>If you apply ED, it’s nearly a guarantee. Regular decision still gives you a very good chance. As for the AB scholarship, many are winning national or international awards like International Math Olympiad, Intel/Siemens, debate, etc, so that’s still a long shot.</p>

5

<p>Personally I would recommend cutting down your application. All of that stuff is a drain. For example, school brass award isn’t really needed if you have international jazz band. </p>

<p>I think you have a good chance. Obviously if your essays are interesting your pretty much in. As far as AB, I think that is pretty much out of the question. If you are truly excellent at music, I would send in some tapes. That might give you a shot at AB. IMO your AB chances really hinges on your music ability.</p>

6

<p>I agree with OSUforme. I would not mention every single thing you posted in your application because it looks you are doing such activities to pad your resume. I would focus on the musical activities/musical awards you received and some of your leadership positions you are most proud of and were most passionate of. Continue pursuing the extracurriculars you are most passionate about and work hard on your essays, and I think you have a good shot of getting in. However, getting into Duke is pretty much a crapshoot, especially with the predicted peak in applications for the Class of 2014.</p>

<p>As for the AB Duke scholarship, I feel that might be out of the question for you. It is already very hard to get into Duke, so you must have truly exceptional stats to get this scholarship. The students who receive the AB Duke scholarship usually get into Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Stanford as well. However, nothing is impossible, so if you write really good, sincere essays (with your own voice of course), that might improve your chances of getting the scholarship, granted that you get into Duke first.</p>

<p>Also, keep your mind open to the other amazing universities out there.Good luck!</p>

7

<p>Isn’t national merit scholar for students that enroll in a USA school (hence the name National)?</p>

8

<p>yes it is, but i’m not an international. I’m an American citizen, and because a huge portion of my school are all US citizens, its also listed as a CollegeBoard testing center, so it all works out.</p>

<p>Also, when the marks come out for qualification and such international testing centers are all considered the “international region,” not from our states of residency. </p>

<p>I think when they say “National” they mean US citizens not just test centers IN the US.</p>

<p>Anyways, thanks everyone for posting their comments here, it helped a lot.</p>

9

<p>I have 2 friends who got the AB Scholarship.
One of them was a national finalist for the Siemen’s Competition/got a 2400 SAT
The other did research under a Duke professor and got a stellar reccomendation from him. </p>

<p>But I say it’s fair game for you to get into Duke. Nice extra curriculars.
And it’s hard for us asians to get into schools like Duke. :frowning: About 20% of Duke’s population is Asian.</p>

10

<p>I would have to say AB is more science/research based. I have a friend who recieved AB and he had a ton of research at a local medical school. However, I believe the University Scholars is more about all around students, those into arts and such, so you have a good shot at getting one of those.</p>

11

<p>hey Bennett, yeah i looked around at the student pop and a lot of the asians tend to self segregate, which isn’t scaring me too much though i plan to make more than just asian friends hopefully in college. </p>

<p>and it sucks how in beijing there are so few research oppurtunities. the most i did was from my IB extended essay</p>

12

<p>

</p>

<p>Actually, around 27%. I’d actually say Duke doesn’t really see “Asian” as a negative because they like saying that Duke is “40%+ minorities” (45% for class of 2012) - not mentioning that nearly 3/4 of those minorities are Asian. Other top schools, I’d agree that being Asian is a slight negative, but at Duke, I don’t see that as the case at all. </p>

<p>[Duke</a> University Admissions: Class of 2012 Profile](<a href=“http://www.admissions.duke.edu/jump/applying/who_2012profile.html]Duke”>http://www.admissions.duke.edu/jump/applying/who_2012profile.html)</p>

<p>You have a good shot at Duke. In regards to scholarships, who knows…It’s a crapshoot and impossible to really tell.</p>

13

<p>forget duke. you have a great shot at stanford!</p>

14

<p>frenchhorngirl, do you have nothing else to say than to tell other people to go to stanford? I have seen you post the same thing on almost all the threads you post. Do you not want them to go to Duke?
There is a reason why the OP said “hopeful”, it’s because the OP wants to go to Duke. The OP also said Duke is his “dream school”, I highly doubt that he wants to go to Stanford if he is saying that Duke is his “dream school”
You also said the same thing on other posters who ask for ED chances. I think they said ED for a reason, they are committed to Duke and want to go there.
I think the OP would find your post with little use, especially because you post the SAME THING on other posts within 24 hours. Please post useful information and consider thinking over what the OP is asking for before posting.
I believe the OP really wants to go to Duke and has a great chance especially with all the accomplishment he has done.</p>

15

<p>nice shot ED. RD is more of a crapshoot. hope it works out :)</p>

16

<p>Personally, I’m not too offended by the whole “stanford” ordeal." I’m sure she’s just using it as a compliment, that’s all. </p>

<p>By the way, does anyone know about Duke’s financial aid on a scale relative to other universities?</p>

17

<p>Duke’s pretty good on the financial aid, however, you get what they offer so if you are applying ED, you have to know that you can’t change you mind, your stuck with what ever you’re offered. (only under extreme circumstances can you withdraw from the binding decision that is if your parents lost there job or other extreme financial circumstance) other than that you’re stuck to pay the rest of the bills.</p>

18

<p>But they say that you won’t have more then $5000 in loans a year… so i guess it couldn’t be that bad even if you are ED?</p>

19

<p>yes it was a compliment. i think all these people applying early to these tier 2 schools actually have a pretty decent shot at the tier 1 schools like stanford and harvard. stanford is the best though. IMO.</p>

20

<p>Duke is a tier 1 school if you didn’t know (along with Rice, USC, UM, Northwestern, JHU, Washington U, NYU, SUNY, Georgetown and a whole bunch more), in fact there are over 100 schools that are tier one. What would make you think that Duke is a tier two school? Duke would be one of the last school in my mind to be a tier two school, just because a school isn’t a Ivy or Stanford/MIT doesn’t mean they are not tier one. Do you homework.
Also Duke is just as good if not better than Stanford, MIT, and sometimes even Harvard at many fields. Especially in its BME and Biology.</p>