Duke ED Dilemma....

Colleges and Universities A-Z Duke University
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Hey Guys!

I have a tough decision to make this summer and hope the CC Community could give me some advice.
I am 99% sure I want to apply to Duke ED in the fall but I don’t know whether to apply to Pratt or Trinity!

To be completely honest, I would be equally happy with admission to either Pratt or Trinity. Besides, I have heard / read that internal transfers between the two are relatively easy so it doesn’t (shouldn’t?) make that much of a difference which one I get into.

That said, I definitely want to give myself the best shot to get into Duke in the first place.
To clarify, my question is: Which school do I have a better chance of getting into?

My situation (Rising Senior):

  • GPA - 3.92 UW, 4.53 W
  • Course Rigor: 8 APs so far: - 2 APs Soph Year, 6 APs Junior Year (Will take 6 more APs Senior Year),
  • Class Rank - 10 of 764 (Decent CA Public HS)
  • SAT I - 1590 (790 EBRW, 800 Math) & 7/7/7 Essay
  • SAT II - 800 SAT Math II - Will take Chem and Lit in August
  • ECs - Speech & Debate Founder, President, Regional Champion (Public Forum) - Funded JPL Internship (Data Analytics) - Varsity Tennis Captain - Comedy Sportz Co-Captain - Theater Lead Actor / Stage Manager - Science Olympiad (Bronze Medal) - Capstone Research (Water Purification: Reverse Osmosis)
  • Ethnicity & Gender - Male Asian
  • Income Bracket - $15,000 approx.

Also, I took 2 years of engineering in HS and am taking Intro to Eng. at a Comm. College this summer if that is relevant.

I honestly can’t decide … I don’t want to shoot myself in the foot by applying to Trinity since I have decent stats … But I feel like my ECs aren’t STEM heavy enough …

Any and all advice is appreciated.

P.S. I am relatively new here so if I said / wrote anything offensive or incorrect, don’t hesitate to let me know. I know this topic has already been discussed at length but I believe my situation is slightly more specific than most discussed in previous threads.
Thanks to everyone who responds!

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If you want to study Engineering ------> Pratt

If you want to study something else -----> Trinity

Your ECs do not have to be “STEM heavy”.

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@yikesyikesyikes I don’t know yet, though. That’s the problem. I am currently considering becoming a medical doctor. Duke BME would be great. Its highly ranked and I heard 1/3 of Duke BME majors go to med school. Then again, I might want to major in something else to maintain a high GPA. BME may or may not be right for me.

Also, wouldn’t “STEM heavy” ECs be important for someone applying for engineering? I have debate, theater, and comedy as some of my main ECs. Unfortunately, I don’t think those convey a passion for engineering.

Look, I’m perfectly happy with either Engineering or Non-Engineering since I plan on going to Grad School. Which of the two, though, do you think might be easier for me to get into, based on my profile?

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Also, I realized I wrote $15,000 under income bracket. I meant $150,000. Sorry for the mistake.

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My daughter was accepted into Pratt for the upcoming year, and other than 4 years of PLTW engineering classes, she really did not have STEM EC’s. I do believe that Pratt places more emphasis on grades and testing than Trinity does. You really need to convey yourself in the essays that you write, because regardless of which one you apply to, they really look at them.

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@hopewhite25 In that case, since Pratt emphasizes grades & testing, would it be well-advised for me to apply to Pratt even though I’m not 100% sure I am going to major in engineering? My ECs and Essays will be my weakness so maybe Pratt would be a better option… but, then again, I don’t even have 4 years of PLTW …

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You’re just going to need to choose the one that you feel more strongly connected with. There is a Why Duke essay for Trinity and Why Pratt for Pratt and you really need to connect with the admissions staff on that essay. If you write a half-hearted essay about engineering because that is not your true passion, it will really show through. My daughter applied to Pratt because she was certain that engineering is where her passion lies, and it was reflected in her essays. Good luck!

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You should Apply questbridge with that income. That will boost ur chances

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^Nope, no Questbridge @ income of $150,000. (I realize you are basing that comment on just the first post, but the OP noted they left out a zero.)

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@JayZee21 Yeah, as @bluedog pointed out above, I made a mistake on my original post. Sorry about that.
Thanks @bluedog for clarifying.

@hopewhite25 I know exactly what you mean. If I apply to a school just based on the perceived selectivity instead of my true passion / interest, AOs will recognize that.

Please understand my situation though. I am 16 years old. I’m not sure whether I want to study engineering, the natural sciences, the social sciences, the humanities, or even something completely different.

You said: “If you write a half-hearted essay about engineering because that is not your true passion, it will really show through.” (I’ve seen it before, but I don’t know how to do that fancy grey quote thing.)

I find engineering fascinating. But I also find poli sci fascinating. And biology. And Philosophy.

My hope is, and correct me if I’m wrong, if and when I get into Duke (or a Uni of similar caliber), I will be able to switch majors / disciplines relatively easily so I can discover where my interests lie. But I can’t do that if I’m not admitted in the first place.

If anything I’m saying doesn’t make sense, please tell me. But if you do understand where I’m coming from, please help me decide which school to apply to. I’m not necessary asking which school has the higher acceptance rate (that’s on the Duke Freshman Profile). I’m asking which school I, based on MY profile, have a better shot of getting into.

Sorry for the long post / redundancy.

Anyone who thinks they can help, please comment.

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@Optimism2018 Don’t write a half-hearted essay about engineering. You can write a convincing essay even if it isn’t your true passion, and then decide what you want to do once you’ve gotten in, started doing the work, and have the basis for making a rational decision. There’s no crime in that. How anybody expects a high school student to know what they want to do with their life is beyond me.

One more thing…you might want to consider schools with minimal core requirements that will let you explore all your interests. Amherst College (no engineering) comes to mind…I’m sure there are others.

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@Optimism2018: I think your chances of admission to Pratt might be a bit higher given your experiences (not that common to have engineering coursework as a high schooler) and your strong “stats.” As stated above, Pratt tends to be a bit more “numbers driven” so it’s perhaps less random for somebody with high GPA/test scores, but still extremely competitive. But I think we’re splitting hairs. I don’t think your ECs are “not STEM heavy enough” for admission to Pratt. You have a wide array of experiences and Duke wants to see that even if you’re looking for a STEM major.

You are right that it’s very easy to transfer between Pratt and Trinity. In fact, I think something like 25% of Pratt students transfer to Trinity (consistent with engineering schools nationwide – engineering is NOT easy!) and it’s as simple as checking a box (you can even stop taking Pratt courses if you want before filling out the official “paperwork”). Trinity to Pratt is less common and a bit harder because Pratt has more pre-reqs, so you’d have to have taken some science/math and maybe the intro engineering and done okay in them for the transfer to be approved. But it’s certainly not burdensome if you prepare for it.

But for maximum flexibility, it’s easier to be admitted to Pratt and “see if you like it”/see how you do, and then make a decision accordingly. If admitted to Trinity, you have to take some courses perhaps outside your typical wheelhouse/curriculum to make the transfer seamless and you don’t get exposure to engineering to determine if you like it without taking proactive steps.

So, if you have an interest in engineering (which it sounds like you do), I’d say apply to Pratt.

Good luck!

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@bucketDad Thanks for the advice. I am especially glad that you empathize with my situation and agree that it is unreasonable for most high school students to commit to a certain field / major / profession. That said, LACs just aren’t my type. (If I was considering LACs, I would just apply to the Claremont Colleges a half hour from where I live.) I see what you are saying about picking a college with minimal core requirements, but as someone considering med school in the future, won’t I have to fulfil some basic requirements anyways? (English, Math, Science, etc.)

@bluedog Thank you! That was probably the most helpful poster so far. I was hoping that I would have a better chance at Pratt since my “stats” are decent so its good to hear someone confirm that. Yes, you are absolutely right I definitely have an interest in engineering (especially BME which Duke is ranked so highly in). It’s also good to know that it is v. easy to transfer between the two schools.

Hey guys, on a completely different note, something happened at home today. Its kinda a long story, so if I was supposed to make a new thread or something, I apologize in advance (again, I am pretty new to posting on CC). Basically, I mentioned the idea of applying to Duke ED today at dinner and my parents were aghast at the idea of me applying to Duke at all (forget ED).

They are both immigrants (from an Asian country) and are, for some reason, strongly convinced that Duke is racist, Republican, Frat-based, Segregationist (Southern), White Supremacist, etc. Neither of them have been to North Carolina, but my dad studied in Oklahoma, probably explaining his thought process.

Most of what I read online seems to indicate that Duke is as modern, diverse, and welcoming as any other top university. For example, Duke is roughly 25% asian (should be a big plus for my parents), Durham is a democratic stronghold (like most cities), and, according to other discussions on CC, Duke is making efforts to be inclusive (promote diversity).

Look, everything I have heard about Duke, academically, has been great. The basketball is a plus as well. But are my parents right to be worried? Is there some truth to their strong convictions about Duke? And, if so, should I apply RD (and risk tougher odds)?

P.S. I’m sorry if I come across as disingenuous in light of my previous posts, but I honestly had no idea my parents would react this way. (After all, they were enthusiastic about my idea to apply ED to my previous top choice, Columbia.)

What should I do?

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@Optimism2018 You are right on - if you are thinking pre-med, you will have a bunch of requirements anyway no matter where you go. If you pursue both pre-med and BME…even more requirements. I guess my point was that there are some schools (Columbia is a prime example) that have extensive core requirements. Those places may restrict the leeway in your schedule.

My DD is currently at Duke. It’s far more diverse and liberal than her east coast public high school. I could just tell you that your parents have nothing to worry about, but you are far better off hearing from current Asian students.

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Your parents have nothing to worry about. They are basing that on outdated stereotypes. In fact, Duke has more Asians than many top schools (like Harvard) and a huge south Asian contingent. Google Duke Diya. They put on a good dance show every year too. While it’s located in the south, Durham is extremely liberal and diverse and Duke, like basically every time elite academic institution skews very liberal (much to the chagrin of the few conservatives, but even those people are very accepting of diversity).