Duke and Hopkins BME chances?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>My stats:</p>

<p>Unweighted GPA - 4.0 (95.14/100)
Weighted GPA - N/A
Class Rank - 26/417
APs - N/A (my school offers zero AP classes - self studied and took AP bio but I only got a 3)
School type - elite private Catholic school
ACT - 34 Composite (34 English, 35 Math, 35 Reading, 33 Science, 10 Essay)
SAT Subject Tests - 750 Math I, 740 Math II, 730 Bio M</p>

<p>Family Info:
Income Bracket: ~$60-65k last year, up to about $90-100k this year (my dad owns his own business)
Divorced parents
One younger brother
Low EFC
I'm a white male from Long Island, NY</p>

<p>ECs:</p>

<p>String Orchestra (cello) since 4th grade
BME Internship at a top 10 cardiology hospital in the nation (assisted in the repair and maintenance of medical devices and facilities, as well as did inventory and other administrative work)
Volunteered in the administration office at the same hospital
Officer of my school's Computer/Technology Club
Co-editor-in-chief of my school's literary magazine
Member of my school's social studies club (I've gone on trips to DC a few times, heard famous speakers ranging from Holocaust survivors to the former head of Homeland Security and various other speakers)
National Honor Society
Camp counselor for one summer (camp shut down the next summer )
Catechist at local parish (I've taught religion to 3rd-5th graders for 2 years; this will be my third year)
Worked as an administrator at a pre-school for one summer
About 250 total hours of volunteer/community service over 4 years in high school</p>

<p>Only other award that I've received (no letter as of yet but I'm 100% sure I got the award) is the I'm a National Merit Commended Scholar. I got a 204 on the PSAT and I'm pretty sure that the cutoff is a 200 this year. Thanks to anyone who chances me.</p>

<p>Chances for:</p>

<p>Duke (Pratt + BME)
Johns Hopkins (BME)
Case Western (BME or Aerospace Engineering)
Brandeis University
Fordham
Northeastern
SUNY Binghamton (in-state)
Ohio State
Tufts University (ED 1)
University of Delaware (Honors College)
University of Rochester
University of Virginia (School of Engineering and Applied Science)
WPI</p>

<p>Thanks in advance to anyone who chances.</p>

2

<p>Is Tufts your first choice?</p>

3

<p>Yes, Tufts is by far my first choice. If I get in there I’d be ecstatic and will never look back.</p>

4

<p>BME at JHU is admitted separately from standard admissions. It would be hard.</p>

<p>Duke does not admit by major but by school. You may stand an ok chance in ED but regular will not be easy.</p>

5

<p>@texaspg I know. I’m specifically asking because I feel relatively confident that my chances aren’t awful as a Biochemical Engineering major, but as a BME major I feel that I have basically no shot.</p>

<p>For Duke, I honestly have almost no shot. There are four or five kids from my school applying ED, all of whom are incredibly well qualified. I would love to go to Duke (probably my second choice, depending on affordability), but I’m relatively certain that I won’t get in. There’s also a recruited lacrosse player from my school already, so that limits it to possibly one or two other students from my school who get in, if any others get in at all.</p>

6

<p>Have you posted on the Tufts forum with Tufts in the title? </p>

7

<p>The Tufts forum seems to be relatively dead, honestly. I felt like I would get more exposure in a general thread, but I can try over there and see.</p>

8

<p>Bump.</p>

9

<p>I’m a Duke alumni interviewer. Getting in for BME at Pratt is difficult, probably the most difficult of all of the engineering majors. Take a look at the class of 2018 profile <a href=“http://admissions.duke.edu/images/uploads/process/DukeClass2018Profile.pdf”>http://admissions.duke.edu/images/uploads/process/DukeClass2018Profile.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>You will see that your ACT score will place you below the 25th percentile for accepted Pratt students. If you can raise your ACT score (or better yet score high on the SAT) you will stand a better chance. The engineering professors are involved in the selections, so they tend to focus on scores more than qualitative features.</p>

<p>Good luck</p>

10

<p>@sgopal2 - I don’t want to contradict you, but I’m pretty sure you’re wrong about that. Looking at that picture, it says I’m right at the 50th percentile for Pratt, and above the 50th percentile overall (closer to the top third). I scored a 34 on the ACT (composite), and scored a 35 on the math in particular. When the Duke admissions counselor for my area came to my school, she actually talked about BME being the most popular (and probably the most difficult) engineering major at Duke.</p>

<p>I would like to know if you have any other recommendations for me other than just to improve my ACT score. If I have a good shot other than that, I’m pretty happy with how everything has gone so far.</p>

11

<p>Sorry you are right. 34 ACT is at the 50th percentile for Pratt. Here are some other things you can do:</p>

<ul>
<li>show demonstrated interest in Duke</li>
<li>try to get to the know the admissions officer for your region</li>
<li>put together a good story of why you and BME are a perfect fit</li>
</ul>

<p>good luck</p>