What does it take to get admitted ED1? Current jr in rigorous HS will end senior year with around 13APs, numerous honors and a few dual enrollment classes. Will have around 4.4GPA (around 3.9 unweighted). Currently he has a 32 ACT and plans to retake. He plays HS baseball and club baseball all year. He’s in NHS, history honor society, international competitor for DECA, and puts on a charity basketball tourney each year. He has not cured cancer or done anything extraordinary, but is an intellectually curious athletic kid.
Background: The good news is that last year the ED acceptance rate went up to 21% with 500 less applicants in ED than the previous year but remember that half that class will be “hooked” (athletes, legacy, URM, QB, development cases, etc). Also about 170 will be accepted to Pratt Engineering. So at the end of the day, the average unhooked kid has about a 10% change of acceptance. In addition, 20% of the students will be “deferred” into Regular Decision where the acceptance rate for these deferred students is 10%.
With that said, for your son getting his ACT into the top 25% (34/35) will be helpful.
I would visit and find out what qualities Duke wants from its students and how he would utilize Duke’s resources to make the college better. For example, D20 played up her faculty/student collaboration experience in HS (she’s a student school district rep) and how she would bring that experience to Duke.
I also think that having a coherent, compelling story that resonates with adcoms and “validated” by your LORs and essays is Important. I’m a big believer in packaging your student in a way that adcoms will have ammunition to go to bat for you in committee discussions. Sounds like your son is on the right track.