<p>Try to bring up your score for a better chance. The mid 50 ACT for Arts/Sci is 31-34 and for Engineering 33-35. Aim at the admission average for a better chance.</p>
<p>Ya my scores are a little low for duke. But I don’t have time to retake. So what I’m kinda synthesizing from everyone’s posts is that it’s a stretch. A reasonable stretch, but still a stretch. @billcsho, do you think I have a better shot at arts and science then?</p>
<p>Anyone could answer that, I would really appreciate brutal honesty too!!!</p>
<p>I think you are a pretty solid match based on your somewhat standout ECs and your very impressive courseload. As others have said, your test scores are on the lower end for Duke, but I believe especially at Trinity, where the test scores are slightly lower, that if you applied ED you would have a very decent chance at getting in. Obviously no one without a 2400, 4.0, and million dollar business can be a lock at Duke, but I think you are a very qualified candidate for ED.</p>
<p>Read this article for the latest ED admission data.
<a href=“Duke Accepts 797 Early Decision Applicants | Duke Today”>http://today.duke.edu/2013/12/earlydecision2013-14</a>
The ED admission rate has dropped down to 25% this year (was 30% before). Also, they deferred 21.7% of ED applicants. In other words, 53.2% ED applicants were rejected right away. Of the 21.7% deferred, around half was expected to be accepted in RD. With your current core at the 25% for Arts/Sci (may be below 25% for this year due to the 25% increase in applicants), your chance to be rejected from ED would be rather high (probably more than the 53.2% overall rejection rate). I suggest you to improve your score a little bit and apply RD instead. You know, once you got rejected, you don’t have a chance. For schools that have low rejection rate at EA/ED, it does not really matter to apply early with less than required credential. But in this case, you may need to think it through.</p>
<p>According to the PDF you posted. I know that I am near the 75% in math and 40% in writing. And my reading is below the 25%. So overall my scores are in the middle 50% range but near the lower end the overall range is 2090 to 2360. At 2140 that means with an even distribution, I’m at the 34th percentile of accepted students… Doesn’t that mean I would most likely at least get deferred?</p>
<p>I’m just figuring that since duke values you placing them as your top choice, the sat ranges are probs a little lower for early. So I’m probs higher than 37 percentile for early. I’m probs closer to 50. </p>
<p>You have a pretty good chance of ED Duke. RD is notably more competitive. If Duke is your first choice, DEFINITELY do ED. There’s a reason why it’s binding - it offers a relatively high chance for admission.</p>
<p>I just read a post on by Steve Cohen titled “the biggest admissions edge” if anyone is interested check it out! </p>
<p>He says that ED expands the ‘sweat spot’ for SAT by about 20%</p>
<p>What is the sweat spot exactly? It seems like that’s a ridiculous claim because 20% of numbers in the 2000 gives a huge window! I think he might mean it expands the range 10% each direction. But even that seems insane to thing duke would take 1800s in ED…</p>
<p>2140/31 isn’t bad for Duke, but it would definitely help to get it up. I don’t know about the individual schools, but I think as a whole Duke is a match/high match.</p>
<p>@NotreDame75
Unfortunately, the section scores distributions are individual factors. For instance, if one has section scores at 25% in all 3 sections, he will not be in the 25% of composite score. When one student with weakness in one section, he will have strength in other 2 sections to be remain at that 25%. Fortunately, Writing is less important than the other 2 sections. With your current scores, you are more likely to be rejected than deferred. If you look at the other link, the ED admission rate has dropped ~20% this year while the admission stat pdf is from last year. </p>
<p>@NotreDame75
I thought your below 25% score was writing. Indeed, it is reading that is even more critical. CR+M at 1410 is not very competitive at top schools. If you apply RD, you should have time to retake.</p>
<p>Thanks for the honesty! Does anyone know the sat range for duke ED? I don’t think that’s published anywhere. I assume it’s much lower because if you look at somewhere like vanderbilt which in RD this year had an average around 1510 their ED range was 1400-1540… Is that just a vanderbilt thing, or are all schools more lenient in ED?</p>
<p>Don’t forget that ED/EA are filled with athletes recruit and legacies that usually have lower stat. Unless you are one of them, you should look at the overall admission stat.</p>
<p>My friend visited duke and they told him that was a rumor and not entirely true. They said the statistics for legacies are as competitive as anyone else there. But I’m considering taking my ACT again…</p>
<p>It would be hard to believe. Duke does consider legacy in admission and they do admit a lot of students with legacy (23% in 2002 <a href=“WSJ.com - Admissions Preferences Given To Alumni Children Draws Fire”>http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/golden3.htm</a>) but their stat probably not too far off. Legacy almost double the chance to be admitted at Duke. Anyway, recruited athletes are often the lower scorer. Also, the school always try to convince more students to apply. I have heard some misleading information from admission offices of other schools too. So if it is not on paper, I would not 100% trust what they say.</p>