I know this is a bit early, but I wanted to create a discussion dedicated to results and decisions. This is where students can share statistics, what school they applied to (Trinity or Pratt), essays, extra curricular activities, etc…
Hmm, I think you should specify this is for 2024 just for future years.
Might as well just make a new one following the same format as previous years’
Heres the format for whoever wants to use it!
Pick one: Trinity or Pratt
Decision:
Major:
SAT I (breakdown):
ACT:
SAT II:
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0):
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):
AP (place score in parenthesis):
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load:
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Job/Work Experience:
Summer Activities: See work experience
Essays:
Common App X/10) -
Why Duke (X/10) -
Diversity (X/10) -
Teacher Recommendation:
Teacher (X/10)
Counselor Rec: (X/10) -
Additional Rec: (X/10) -
Interview: (X/10) -
Other:
State (if domestic applicant):
Country (if international applicant):
School Type:
Ethnicity:
Gender:
Income Bracket:
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):
Reflection:
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
General Comments:
Pratt
Decision: Accepted!!!
Intended major: Mechanical Engineering
Objective:
ACT: 35 (35M, 35S, 35E, 33R)
ACT Writing: n/a
SAT I: n/a
SAT II: n/a
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.96 (4 A-‘s as a FR; 1 A- as a SO; otherwise all A’s)
Weighted GPA: 4.58
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): HS does not officially rank (but w/in top 5% of 162)
AP: US History (4); limited AP classes available FR-JR; took advanced/honors classes when available
IB: n/a
Senior Year Course Load (w/ 1Q Grades Submitted to Duke):
AP Calc BC (90)
AP US & Comp Gov (96)
AP English Lit & Lang (95)
AP Stats (94)
Advanced Health Topics (98)
Doctrine & Apologetics (100)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): None
Subjective:
Extracurriculars:
Varsity Doubles Tennis FR-JR year (Co-Captain as JR; State Runner-Up & Sectional Champ as JR; State Top-10 & Sectional 3rd Place as SO; 1st Team All-State as JR; 2nd Team All-State as SO; All-Sectional Team as SO & JR; Conference Champ as FR, SO & JR; State Finals Sportsmanship Recipient as JR; HS records for most wins in a season & most career wins in first three seasons; inducted into HS’s hall of honor)
Project LEAD as JR & SR (selected by faculty & staff to join small group of upperclassmen who mentor and lead programs for underclassmen)
Volunteer/Service: 300+ Hrs (organized student groups to pack food for impoverished children around the world; student leader for two weeklong service trips to the Dominican Republic to construct new classrooms in poor rural community; four-year sponsor of young boy in DR; child sponsor advocate at local schools & churches)
Summer Activities: 30+ hrs/week training for tennis
Job/Work Experience: part-time tennis instructor; part-time lifeguard
Essays:
10/10 Common App Personal Statement (told story of significant personal growth during difficult two-year period in HS when dad had car accident, brain tumor and stroke)
10/10 Why Pratt? (told story of how first service trip to DR sparked desire to become engineer and how Duke’s global engineering certificate and other opportunities to make global impact make Duke an ideal fit)
9/10 Diversity Essay (told story of being a proud member of a recognized Native American tribe and how this heritage provides a unique perspective on overcoming hardship which will lead to meaningful contributions to the Duke community)
Teacher Recommendation: 10/10 (APUSH teacher and chaperone for 10-day Winterim trip to Europe; excellent letter based on significant interaction both inside and outside of classroom)
Teacher Recommendation: 9/10 (head of math department and teacher for advanced college algebra and advanced pre-calculus; did not see letter, but highly confident it was very strong; could be 10/10)
Counselor Rec: 7/10 (new to HS this year; only moderate interaction)
Additional Rec: 8/10 (former Pratt student and basketball player who currently serves on HS board of trustees and serves as personal mentor; excellent letter, but unclear how much weight will be given to one-year relationship)
Interview: 10/10 (based on feedback from alumna who said it was one of the best interviews she has ever conducted)
Other
State: IL
School Type: Private Christian (just received National Blue Ribbon award, but no previous enrollees into Duke)
Ethnicity: Native American (enrolled tribal member), White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: Top; no request for Financial Aid
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): possibly URM if mix of Enrolled Native American & White counts as a URM
Reflection (written before decision was received): feels like an attempt at a half-court buzzer beater, but proud and grateful for the opportunity to take the shot
General Comments: nothing but the bottom of the net!!! It is a miracle! Unbelievable!!! Go Blue Devils!!!
Pick one: Pratt
Decision: Accepted
Major: Computer Engineering
SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT: 36 (36R, 36S, 35E, 35M, 6W(My counselor made sure to explain the circumstances in her letter though))
SAT II: 800 Math II, 740 Chemistry
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): Not sure 5.07 Weighted (on a weird scale)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 3/220
AP (place score in parenthesis): Calc AB (5), Calc BC (5), World History (4), Modern European History (5), APUSH (4), English Lang (5), Chem (4)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: Advanced Topics Calculus III, AP Literature, AP Physics, Honors Cybersecurity (my school does not offer AP Comp Sci), Ethics IV (4 years of Ethics required), Study Hall (Sem 1), Music History (Sem 2), AP Latin
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar w/ Distinction, National Merit Semifinalist, Sewanee Book Award for Excellence in Writing
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Cross Country 9-12 (Varsity senior year),
Track and Field 9-12
Jewish Student Union 11-12 (President and Founder)
Key Club 10-12
Junior Classical League 9-12
Honor Council 10-12
BBYO 9-12 (Vice President, Secretary)
(Might be forgetting one)
Volunteer work: My school requires 16 hours as a freshman and sophomore and 24 hours as a junior and senior. I did write about my work at an inner-city community center tutoring kids.
Job/Work Experience: Internship in an IT department during summer of senior year, Dishwasher at a restaurant during summer of senior year
Summer Activities: See work experience
Essays:
Common App (10/10) - It was probably the best thing I’ve ever written. It was about caring for my father who has Parkinson’s Disease. I worked on it for months, and a bunch of friends and teachers read over it until it was the best it could be.
Why Duke (8-9/10) - I’m also really proud about this essay; it was very heartfelt and honest about why I loved Duke, which clubs I was interested in, and what made me want to apply ED. Such little space though!!
Diversity (X/10) - N/A - The most diversity I have is Judaism, and I already noted my involvement in starting a Jewish Student Union on the common app extra page. It was a tough choice, but I’m happy I didn’t waste time filling out this essay.
Teacher Recommendation:
-Computer Science Teacher (?/10) Honestly, I have no idea how good this is. He’s from Kenya, but my counselor said that he was a good writer. I had him for three years, and he is one of my closest teachers.
-Math Teacher (7-8/10) I never read it, but I’m sure it was a good letter. He was an amazing teacher and seemed eloquent. I had a good relationship with him but I wouldn’t say I was closest to him.
-Junior Year English Teacher (7-9/10) I never read this one either, but this is definitely a good letter. Her class was very writing-intensive, and I think she probably learned a lot about me through my writing. I also had to fill out a detailed application for her to have when writing it, so I’m sure it was very good. She was a wonderful teacher, and she helped me through the process when I was trying to dispute the 6 on the ACT writing. (Another reason I asked her was actually to justify my 6 on the ACT writing.)
Counselor Rec: (8-10/10) - I filled out a 15 page information sheet for her to draw from, and she definitely knew me pretty well separately from that. I’m sure she wrote an amazing letter that filled in any holes that were not in my application.
Additional Rec: (10/10) - She was someone who has seen me grow up, and she is one of the best writers I know. When I said my common app was the best thing I ever wrote, this is even better.
Interview: (X/10) - N/A - I was really worried when I never received any email from Duke until December, but it turned out that not having an interview did not prevent me from getting in.
Other:
State (if domestic applicant): TN
School Type: Private Catholic
Ethnicity: White (But I chose “prefer not to answer” on the application)
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: Not sure probably middle?
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Not really - I was not a legacy, I was not first generation, I am a white male, I applied for financial aid. The only special “hook” was that I checked off that I was dependent on a veteran, but I never really mentioned it throughout the rest of my application, so I don’t think it affected me
Reflection: Today was one of the hardest, most stressful days of my life. When I stepped onto the campus, I knew that this was where I wanted to go. Every second all day I was refreshing the page. I am so lucky that I have been accepted into this awesome university.
Strengths: High scores (other than writing), GREAT essays, PHENOMENAL letters, extracurriculars that I participated in consistently, good volunteer service
Weaknesses: White, male, South
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Honestly, I don’t know why I was accepted over some applicants who I am sure have better stats than I do. I’d say the most important thing I did on the common app was FILL OUT THE EXTRA PAGE. It is a free 650 words that no one seemed to mention. There were plenty of people I talked to who didn’t even know about it. It’s a crime that it’s not widely discussed. I used it to expand on some of my extra curriculars, and I included a thank you note at the bottom for reading my application. (I’m not advising whether or not to do this to get in; I just think it’s important to thank them for their time. I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t even notice it.)
General Comments: THANK G-D!! Congratulations to everyone who got in, and to the people who didn’t, I’m so sorry!
For those who see this and still have time before applying, do the extracurriculars you enjoy, start your essay as soon as possible (it shows), and try your hardest all around.
Pick one: Trinity
Decision: ACCEPTED
Major: Global Health (Co-Major) and Marine Biology
SAT I (breakdown): Didn’t take it
ACT: 34. (35 English, 35 Reading, 30 Math, 35 Science)
SAT II: 800 (Spanish)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.87
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): School does not rank, but in top 10% of class.
AP (place score in parenthesis): World (4), Spanish (5), Human Geography (4), US History (4), Computer Science (4), Calculus AB (4), Physics 1 (3), Psychology (5), Microeconomics (4), Macroeconomics (4), Lang (5)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: Physics, Calculus, Micro, Macro, Sports Medicine, Psychology, Sociology
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar with distinction. NHS Member, Homecoming King of the school (elected by principal and members of the community)
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Soccer (4 year varsity captain)
Student tutor and advisor
Great Outdoors Club (president, 4 years)
Self Taught Musician (recommended for schools Jazz Band)
Writer and editor for my schools paper.
Student Government council (senator)
Job/Work Experience:
Bed Bath Beyond cashier and stock-boy
Worked on a local farm in Costa Rica as a translator and guide
Summer Activities: See work experience
Essays:
Common App 9.7/10) - This essay was one of the best essays Ive ever written. I talked about having to move into my aunts house (a person I had never met before) and to a new country as well. Overcoming these two challenges were some of the hardest things i’ve ever had to do, but overall, made me who I am today.
Why Duke (9.6/10) - I had recently moved from Costa Rica to the United States, so understanding how to integrate into a new community was very challenging, however, Dukes community is very similar to what I used to have so its a perfect fit.
Diversity (10/10) - I had a lot to say for this essay because I had just moved internationally from Costa Rica. Seeing this culture shock in America really brought some perspective into my world and helped me with a struggling sense of community and integration.
Very important though, I did not write a sob story, your essay should be about how you have faced adversity and overcome it, in whatever aspect of your life that it may be, not asking for pitty
Teacher Recommendation:
Teacher (7/10) - My English teacher of two years. We had a good relationship and connection, but he did not really know too much about what I was like outside of the classroom, making it kind of difficult to talk about me.
Teacher (8/10) - My US History teacher. I had a very good relationship with her especially because she managed an after school club with me. She knew me outside of the classroom and I generally participated a lot in her class as well. She liked that I was outgoing and an active member.
Counselor Rec: (10/10) - She played such a major role in my acceptance. She was in my corner every step of the way and guided me along the path. She knew EVERYTHING about me and my story. She was very sympathetic and I got to know her very well and personally over the course of 4 years. When it was time to write my letter, she knew me like a family friend basically.
Additional Rec: (9/10) - My soccer coach and sports medicine teacher. He knew me as a leader in an environment that was not academic. I was the captain of the team and thus, he entrusted me with a lot of responsibility. This however, led him to write me a great letter of rec.
Interview: (6.9/10) - Pretty standard interview, nothing crazy or out of ordinary. I did know the answers to all questions he asked, but wasn’t ready for a couple of them which was evident.
Other:
State (if domestic applicant): New York
Country (if international applicant): USA
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Hispanic
Gender: Male
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Nope
Reflection: It can be very easy for students like myself to drive themselves nuts about the “what if’s?” of their situations. Today was one of the most stressful days of my life and in part because I kept asking myself what if this? what if that? Whatever happens, needed to happen and thats ok.
Strengths: Standardized test score, AP Curriculum, Essays
Weaknesses: GPA, Achievements?
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I think my passion for Duke really shined through my essays. I didn’t just tell them how great they were but instead, I talked about why I would be great at Duke. I think the admissions counselors really can tell when someone is genuinely in love with the school or just the name. I think there are definitely people with better stats and records than me but I think my story and voice really helped.
General Comments
I am really by NO means trying to brag or anything, I just want to post what would have helped me when I was applying. I hope this helps in some way. I think there is also a certain level of randomness that goes into these decisions. Nonetheless, 
GO Blue Devils!!!
Trinity
Decision: Accepted!
Major: PPE
SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT: 33 (30 Math, 35 English, 32 Reading, 33 Science)
SAT II: N/A
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 11/693
AP (place score in parenthesis): Human Geo (4), WHAP (5), US Gov (-)
IB (place score in parenthesis): Spanish B SL (5), Math SL (4), rest testing in May
Senior Year Course Load: AP U.S. Gov, IB Physics HL, IB Lit HL, IB TOK, IB Math Studies SL, IB Art History SL, IB Economics HL, IB History of the Americas HL
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): N/A
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
- Speech and Debate: 6 years; mentored and competed at 14+ tournaments nationally and regionally (Team Captain)
- Debate coach for three middle schools
- HS Democrats for America (President)
- TX JSA (President, GCR Senator)
- Philosophy Club (VP, Co-Founder)
- Environment Club (Webmaster, Co-Founder)
- National Honor Society
- IB Ambassador Diploma Program
Job/Work Experience:
- Worked on City Council Campaign
Summer Activities:
- Houston Summer Debate Camp: set up annual non-profit camp for middle schoolers to coach Lincoln-Douglas debate; had around forty students
- Two debate camps for Lincoln-Douglas debate
Essays:
Common App (8/10) - Wrote about debate but put a unique spin on the topic which I thought was interesting and fresh; talked about how I used debate to break down echo chambers between my friends and the larger contexts to which I applied those skills like politics, etc.
Why Duke (8/10) - Wrote about SOL and Hart Leadership Program. Thought it was good and very specific to the pedagogy that Duke strives for: education through student engagement. Specifically mentioned my plans to partner with certain groups to fight gerrymandering problems in NC
Diversity (9/10) - Felt this essay was the best one. Wrote about being a mixed kid and the hardships of both carrying inauthenticity but also stereotypes of people of color. Thought it was interesting since I used that narrative and tied it to political work I did and explained how I used my identity as a tool to organize support.
Teacher Recommendation:
Teacher 1 (8/10) - This was from my Physics teacher from the last two years. She also sponsored my school Democrats club I led and other political organizations and has similar alignments to myself.
Teacher 2 (9/10) - Felt that this letter was probably good as I had a strong bond with my US History/TOK teacher over the last two years and he already knew what he wanted to write about me before I asked.
Counselor Rec: (7/10) - We got new counselors senior year, however, this was my good friend’s mom so maybe she wrote an okay letter.
Additional Rec: (9.5/10) - This was a letter from my debate coach from the past three years. She had a lot to say about the ways in which I engaged the debate community using both my mentoring skills and identity position and I felt that resonated with Duke’s overall message.
Interview: (9.5/10) - Interviewed with a corporate lawyer I had already spoken to at a previous Duke info session and we had similar interests in comic books and political affiliations. I would put 10 but the interview was a while back so I may have forgotten about some things.
Other:
State (if domestic applicant): Texas
Country (if international applicant): N/A
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Asian, Hispanic
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: ~250,000 +
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Hispanic
Reflection:
Strengths: ECs, GPA, LOR, and Supps
Weaknesses: My ACT was a little below average overall and I think I had little national-level awards for my ECs. Also am a debater which my regional officer said was a little generic.
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I think my ECs, major, and essays really aligned with each other to make one cohesive narrative about me as a student with political passion. I also think that the hobbies I listed in the additional info section helped round out my nerdy side and paint another side to me.
General Comments: I’m so fortunate to attend Duke next fall. So Blue, Blue and Blue!
ACCEPTED!
*Econ Major? Stats?
*Stats: ACT 35, SAT 2 Math 2 800; AP Stats 5, Lang 5, Physics 4
*GPA W 4.3 (not sure unweighted, but using Naviance, his GPA was a little light for past Duke acceptances from his HS which on average they accepted 4.4 GPA).
*9 AP classes (took on-line Alg 2 class after freshman year to jump ahead to pre-calc)
*Public HS, white male, no financial aid requested, Connecticut.
*Triple legacy (Dad undergrad and Fuqua, Mom Fuqua, Uncle undergrad.) But we have only made small donations throughout the years, haha.
*Varsity Wrestling Captain (captain of freshman baseball and JV football.
*Tons of long term community service organizations - worked in public library children’s dept for 5 summers, President’s Volunteer Service Award 2 years, HOBY ambassador, Best Buddies, Appalachia Service Trips
*Spent last 2 summers doing academic programs at Georgetown in Economics and Montana Learning Center - Lewis and Clark Expedition Program.
*Funny, yet insightful essay on how wearing a wrestling singlet strips away (did not use THAT word, lol) facades and allows one to expose (did not use that word either) vulnerabilities which allow engaging and honest sideline discussions and friendships with competitors.
*Diversity essay - not diverse. But wrote about Sunday dinners at my Italian grandmother’s with family that consists of a Vietnamese uncle who Grandma adopted, and 2 immediate cousins, both adopted - one from Ethiopia and one from Texas who is Native American and the exchange of culturally interesting foods and conversations - 6/10, but it was all I had!
- Why Duke - besides Duke bball being RELIGION in my house, I highlighted 2 Duke programs - Program II and Duke Engage - and how they my interests for career etc.
- Good alumni interview - but interviewer was stiff, so not sure a great connection was made. 8/10
*Strong recommendations from Latin teacher for 3 years and young Physics teacher I connected with 8/10 - Outstanding guidance recommendation - she has known me and my family since I was 5 and been in class and on teams with her son since K. 10/10
*Strengths: ACT score. EC’s - Community Service involvement and leadership through HOBY and team Captainships. Really strong Guidance Recommendation
*Weakness: Grades could have been a little higher. One B Junior year, a few A-. Only submitted 1 subject test (the other tests taken, Physics 740 and Lit 730 were not strong enough to submit.) No summer job on resume.
*Why he got in - triple legacy plus President’s Volunteer Service Awards, 2 years. Overall well rounded applicant.
The CC class of 2023 thread helped me so much. My dad has been on the thread every day pretty much since I turned in my app!
Pick one: Trinity
Decision: Accepted
Major: Biology
SAT I (breakdown): 1530 (770 M, 760 R, 20 W)
ACT: 34
SAT II: N/A
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.6
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/450ish
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Human Geo (5), AP World History (5), AP Physics 1 (3), AP Lang (4), AP Stat (N/A)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc AB, AP Lit, AP Chem, AP Euro, AP Psych, AP Macro.
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): N/A
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Swim Team (Captain), Student Class Vice President, Math Team Captain, FBLA Vice President, HOSA Officer, Environmental Club Secretary
Job/Work Experience: Volunteered at Zoo, Shelter, and Nursing Home. Taught Children how to swim for pay.
Summer Activities: Stuff above and traveled lol
Essays:
Common App (7.9/10) - Original but I hated how I wrote it. Wrote about how different people call me different names and what each name means to me/ who I am with each name. Also talked about learning to love my full name.
Why Duke (8/10) - Wrote about all the options Duke has and as a bio major what I can do + general excitement about student life. Kind of generic haha
Diversity (9/10) - Wrote about learning to stand up for my beliefs when I live in a tiny town. Also about how I learned to love my culture and how living here makes me understand different POV
Teacher Recommendation:
Teacher (X/10) Waived rights so IDK. I think pretty good-- my healthcare teacher and my math teacher of two years wrote these so it should be goof.
Counselor Rec: (X/10) - Waived rights
Additional Rec: (X/10) - N/A
Interview: (X/10) - N/A
Other:
State (if domestic applicant): GA
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: 150,000-199,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): N/A
Reflection:
Strengths: GPA, test scores (maybe?), essay (maybe?)
Weaknesses: Generic Extracurriculars, no hooks, no major awards
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I neither know nor really want to know how they select students. I’m just thrilled to be here!
General Comments: Extremely excited about getting in. Did not expect it at all! Congrats to everyone else!
Pick one: Pratt
Decision: Accepted
Major: Mechanical Engineering
SAT I (breakdown): 1540 (800 M, 740 EBRW, 16 Essay)
ACT: Didn’t send
SAT II: 800 Math 2, 750 Physics
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.98
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 31/446
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP World (5)
IB (place score in parenthesis): At my school they do the Cambridge (AICE) Program:
A Level Physics (A), AS Level Math (a), AS Level English (a), A Level History ©
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus BC, AP Physics C (Mech and EM), AICE Economics, AICE Global Perspectives and Research, AICE English Literature, Student Government (Its a class at our school for some reason)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Commended, 8th at National Math competition, 10th at national math competition, 2nd at regional math comp, AIME Qualifier
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Math Team (president)
Varsity Baseball (Captain)
Student Government (Student Body Treasurer)
NHS
Organized a 5k race that raised 10k for schools affected by hurricanes in the panhandle of FL
XC Freshman year
Job/Work Experience: Mathnasium Instructor for about a year
Summer Activities: Harvard Pre-College Program studying Number Theory
Essays:
Common App (8/10) - Honestly I thought it was pretty average as far as how well written it was. I just talked about my passion for making fishing lures. I know it sounds weird, but I talked about the creativity involved in making the different lures. They are specifically for fly fishing, and I figured the Duke AOs might fly fish, which might have helped my case. I related it back to engineering, which is why I think it was stronger than I had realized.
Why Duke (9/10) - I think it was pretty creative, I did like a flash back and forward to my time at Duke and how it answered all of the doubts I had about the school at first. I talked about camping out in K-Ville for the Duke-UNC Basketball game. I also talked about some research I wanted to do with a professor there specifically with their aerospace engineering certificate program.
Diversity (8/10) - Im not a very diverse candidate in terms of race and ethnicity, but I think this essay was pretty good. I talked about my southern roots and how my family is rooted in country music and stuff like that. I also did it in the form of a knock knock joke, which I thought was pretty creative.
Teacher Recommendation:
Teacher (10/10) - This was my Geometry/Algebra 2 teacher and my math team advisor, and this was definitely my best letter. She knows me really well and was definitely able to speak to my strengths in mathematics and leadership.
Teacher 2 (8/10) - This was not as good as the first teacher, but she really likes me so I and sure it was pretty good.
Teacher 3 (6/10) - I got my physics teacher just because I needed a STEM teacher from the past 2 years and he let me read it. At first thought it was pretty good, but then he wrote one for my other friend who also applied to Duke (and got in!) and it was literally the exact same letter, so that probably didn’t look too good.
Counselor Rec: (7/10) - I know him pretty well but he had to write a lot and he only wrote it in a span of about 30 minutes so I don’t think it was too impressive.
Additional Rec: (9/10) - I got my coach to write it and he let me read it and I think it was pretty good.
Interview: (9/10) - It was honestly just a conversation which I thought went really well. She did not drill me with crazy questions it was just a nice conversation and really a way for me to learn more about Duke.
Other:
State (if domestic applicant): FL
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: High
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): N/A
Reflection: I think I worried too much about the test score, but I really think they were just looking for a range. As long as you are in a certain range, then I think they look at other parts of your application more closely.
Strengths: Math team awards
Weaknesses: Cambridge program isn’t as recognized as IB or AP, so I think that probably hurt some. SAT Essay is really bad lol, and I got too many letters of rec.
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I think they just thought I was a good match for the school, and I am glad they thought so!
General Comments: Go Blue Devils!
Pick one: Trinity
Decision: Accepted
Major: Biophysics
SAT I (breakdown): 1560 (780 M, 780 ER, 7/5/7 Essay)
ACT: 36 (36 E, 36 R, 36 M, 36 S)
SAT II: 800 Math II, 800 Chemistry
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Weighted GPA (out of 5.0): 4.71
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): N/A; school does not rank even if requested by colleges.
AP (place score in parenthesis): US History, Biology, BC Calculus, Chemistry, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics (all 5s)
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: AP English Literature, AP Physics Mechanics, AP Physics E&M, Dual Enrollment Calculus III, Writing Center Honors, AP Spanish V, AP American Government
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Semifinalist; Submitted a research abstract to an international conference that my PI said had a good chance of getting in (submitted in early December though, and at that point I didn’t bother notifying Duke about it)
Subjective:
Extracurriculars: (place leadership in parentheses): Quiz Bowl (President & Captain of HS 10-12, Coach for MS 11-12), Elementary Tutoring (Division VP 11, Executive President 12), Research w/ internationally renowned professor (10, 11, 12), Docent/Ambassador at Natural History Museum (~300 hours), some other school district committees
Job/Work Experience: Research described above, tutor middle school math at a program for inner-city kids (10-12), peer tutor in high school’s tutoring center (12), IT support role for high school (12)
Summer Activities: Research was done both over the summer (40 hr/week) and during the school year (varied), as was IT support
Essays:
Common App (7/10) - Talked about volunteering and how I’ve grown with the place I volunteer at now.
Why Duke (10/10) - Talked about Duke’s opportunities to combine science with social justice, and an anecdote on how the focus is truly on each student at Duke
Diversity (8.5/10) - Basically a repeat of the inner-city math tutoring, but with more details and a strong statement on how it impacted me included
[FERPA waived for all recommendations, this is just my best guess]
Teacher Recommendation:
English Teacher (9/10) - In a class where only 20% of students received As, I received an A due in part to my being one of the hardest workers she had ever seen. Offered to write me a rec letter without prompting (but made me fill out a 10-page brag form)
Math Teacher (7/10) - Had for 10-12 grade math, and was never super close with her, but a good relationship nonetheless
Counselor Rec: (9/10) - Didn’t really have much interaction with her until junior year, but I heard that my extracurricular advisors gave her a really good idea of who I am as a person, and she wrote extensively about my growth as a person and leader through high school
Additional Rec: (9/10) - From professor who mentored my research, saying how he almost never invites high school students to work in his lab for multiple years, but offered me the opportunity because my research was going somewhere. It’s too bad Duke has almost no research basis in the field that I did research on in his lab. I got a look at a draft of his letter.
Interview: (4/10) - Went pretty terribly, as it was a very recent graduate and it seemed like I was her first interview. We had absolutely nothing in common, and she was very robotic. I tried to have a conversation with her, but after every answer she wouldn’t ask any follow-up questions or anything and would move on to a question about something totally unrelated.
Other:
Region (if domestic applicant): Midwest
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: ~90k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): N/A
Reflection: I’m so glad I got in ED; I had 5 essays for RD this weekend and now I don’t have to do them. For the longest time my top choice was another university, but after I visited Duke I knew it was where I wanted to go. A bunch of people with similar stats as me got rejected or deferred, so I feel very lucky.
Strengths: Lots of demonstrated leadership in extracurriculars; likely excellent rec letter; stats were overall pretty good
Weaknesses: SAT Essay; wrote my Common App Essay in January and never edited it again; Asian male from a region of the country where many people live but nobody seems to care about
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I think all of my letters and my research experience did the trick, as well as my interest in intersecting science and social justice
General Comments: I can be a real Duke Blue Devil basketball fan now!
For D20:
Pick one: Trinity
Decision: Accepted
Major: Public Policy
SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT: 34 (36S, 35R, 34E, 32M)
SAT II: Did not submit
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): HS does not rank but top 5%
AP (place score in parenthesis): 9 APs (5 exams taken, two 5’s, two, 4’s and one 3)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc A/B; AP Lit; AP Gov; AP Art Hist.; Student Gov.
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): High School STEAM award, AP Scholar w/ Distinction
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Academic Decathlon; Varsity Athlete; Student Government(L) ; School District Rep (L); Social Justice Advocacy in Washington DC through my congregation(L), Friendship Circle (community service)
Job/Work Experience: P/t job hostess (15 hrs/wk)
Summer Activities: classes at UCSD (Media class) and UCLA (Physics)
Essays:
Common App X/10) - 9/10, unique perspective on how the person I see in the mirror is not the person I am and tied this to social justice and advocacy.
Why Duke (X/10) - 9/10, discussed how I will take advantage of all of the great resources; emphasized collaboration with students and faculty (e.g. FLUNCH); and balanced this with huge supporter of Duke sports/school spirit.
Diversity (X/10) - wrote about my sexuality, how it doesn’t define me, and how religion is important aspect of who I am and how I can/want to help others.
Teacher Recommendation:
Teacher (X/10): 10/10 APES/Honors Chem teacher is a huge supporter of mine (received STEAM award from her) and she is a Duke alum!
Counselor Rec: (X/10) - 8/10 she was a new counselor this year and did not know me but after reviewing my transcript said her LOR would be “easy to write”
Additional Rec #1: (X/10) - 10/10 APUSH / Aca Deca Teacher would have written a strong LOR for me and was the one who encouraged me to join the team.
Additional Rec #2: (X/10) - 10/10 my Rabbi wrote one to show my commitment to social action (L’Taken) and community support.
Interview: (X/10) - 9/10 the interviewer was also a Public Policy major and we had a great talk for almost an hour.
Other:
State (if domestic applicant): CA
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Large suburban public high school
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: Full pay
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None but played up my Jewish identity and attended a special meeting for prospective jewish applicants hosted by Admissions Dean Guttentag. Apparently is looking to increase Jewish student body (above 10%) more in line with the ivies.
Reflection: I was very surprised I wasn’t deferred or rejected but I feel my “well-roundedness” (being strong in academics, leadership, social action, and athletics) coupled with very strong LORs and personal essays really showed my authenticity. Since Duke was my #1 choice, I poured my heart into the essays. I also hired a private counselor who “packaged” tying together all of my activities and ECs as a great foundation for public policy major.
Strengths: grades, ACT scores, multifaceted student, LORs and essays
Weaknesses: no Subject Tests; no state or national awards, no AP Physics, AP Chem, or AP CS, only 3 years foreign language with one of those years online course, not great AP exams scores (5, 5, 4, 4, 3)
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I think my body of work showed the adcoms that I would thrive at Duke both academically and socially. Also, I got a little lucky in ED as applications were down by 500 this year. Timing is everything!
Trinity
Decision: Accepted!
Major: Environmental Sciences and English
ACT: 34 (29 Math, 35 English, 35 Reading, 35 Science)
GPA: 4.15
AP (place score in parenthesis): APES (5) AP LIT (4), AP BIO (NA), AP CALC AB (NA), AP PSYCH (NA)
Major Awards: National Merit Commendation, Young Scientist Foundation, High Academic Honors, Maryknoll International Essay Contest winner, Head of School Award.
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
- Yearbook: 4 years (Editor-in-Chief)
- Climate advocacy group social media coordinator
- Literary Magazine (Editor-in-Chief)
- Municipal Board Member
- Nonprofit Organization Behavioral Health Volunteer (Workshop Creator)
- Outdoors Club (Founder and President)
- Diversity Committee (President)
- Activism Club (Founder and President)
- Writing Tutor
Job/Work Experience:
- Communications Department Intern
- UMICH Summer Internship in Genetic Medicine
- Target Guest Advocate
Summer Activities:
- UMICH Summer Internship (2019)
- Tutoring
Essays:
Common App (8/10) - Wrote about building a collage on my wall and how it relates to me wanting to look to my environment for wisdom and my development as a critical thinker and my experiences of immersing myself in what I love to do.
Why Duke (9/10) - Wrote about Environment Hall and Duke Forest in connection to what I grew up with and how I find a home at Duke.
Diversity (8/10) - Talked about my growth period in going from conservative to liberal in the sense of being inclusive and accepting through my involvement with GSA, Activism, and Diversity clubs
Sexuality (10/10) - Discussed how I wanted to be a role model for young girls like me in finding their own “Wonder Woman” in queer figures that I had growing up, which allowed me to accept my sexuality.
Teacher Recommendation:
Teacher 1 (10/10) - My math teacher of three years wrote my rec letter and I feel that it was strongly written as we were close, especially from when I struggled in harder math classes but still persevered. I believe that he spoke to the fact that I’m driven and not willing to give up.
Teacher 2 (8.5/10) - My AP Literature teacher wrote my second rec letter, and, even though we only got to know each other over the course of one year, I believe that she really spoke about my love of analytic thinking and how I go beyond what’s required in class to challenge myself.
Counselor Rec: (7/10) - My counselor really got to know more about my interests and academic pursits so I hope it was good!
Additional Rec: (9.5/10) - I had a letter written by the chief researcher under the lab I interned at and he really spoke about my drive to learn more, challenge myself, and how that impressed him.
Interview: (10/10) - I interviewed with an alum who also majored in Environmental Sciences and I felt that it went really well! We talked for over an hour about the upcoming elections, my interest in the outdoors, the Duke community, and how I would feel right at home there.
Other:
State (if domestic applicant): New Jersey
Country (if international applicant): N/A
School Type: Private
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: ~125,000 +
Reflection:
Strengths: ECs, GPA, RECs, Supps
Weaknesses: My ACT, specifically my math subscore, wasn’t where it needed to be. Similarly, my ECs were a little all over the place and it was hard to pin down my actual interests if one hadn’t read my supplements.
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I believe that my strong academic interest and dual interests in STEM and the humanities truly benefitted me. I also had a lot of passion when talking about my ECs and made sure that my supplements created a cohesive and persuasive narrative about why my interests (both academic and otherwise) align. My rec letters probably helped a lot too!
General Comments: Go Blue Devils! I’m so ecstatic to be attending next fall.
Pick one: Trinity
Decision: Accepted
Major: Environmental Science/Policy and Economics
ACT: 31 (36 English, 35 Reading, 27 Science, 26 Math)
GPA (out of 4.0): 4.3
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): school doesn’t publish ranks but top 10%
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Lang(5), AP Psych(4), APUSH (4)
Senior Year Course Load: 5 AP classes (AP Lit, AP Macro, AP Gov, AP Comp Sci Principles, AP Spanish), 2 regulars (environmental science, world religions)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Placed nationally over past 3 years in Spanish proficiency, AP awards, award for Spanish 3 Honors
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Lacrosse team (captain), engineering club, NHS, sign language club, Jack and Jill of America (former president), Community and Inclusion Team
Job/Work Experience: internship at city government
Summer Activities: Full immersion Spanish trip to Salamanca, Spain/ studied at university of Salamanca
Essays:
Common App (10/10) - I wrote about how I learned to solve a rubik’s cube in 2 days and it taught me the meaning of life
Why Duke (10/10) - Wrote about my experience visiting Duke and my passion for the environment. Said I chose Duke b/c of the Duke Smart Home and the school’s commitment to sustainability.
Diversity (10/10)- Wrote about how I went on a foreign exchange trip to Beijing, China and how that experience taught me to appreciate America’s heterogeneous society.
Teacher Recommendation:
Teacher (10/10)- Biology/Environmental Science teacher and Algebra II teacher. Both adored me and I know they spoke well to my character
Counselor Rec: (10/10)- My college counselor wrote my rec and she loves me.
Additional Rec: (10/10)- Morality teacher wrote it and she now works in my school’s administration. Total genius and amazing writer.
Interview: (10/10)- My interviewer and I had a real connection. Interview was only supposed to take 30 min but we spent over an our just talking about life, social justice, and other interesting topics. Interviewer told me that Duke would be lucky to have me as a student.
Other:
State (if domestic applicant): Texas
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Private, Catholic, All-Girls
Ethnicity: black
Gender: female
Income Bracket: top 1%
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): I’m a worldly individual, intelligent and thoughtful, and fluent in Spanish bc I have a passion for the language
Reflection:
Strengths: I’ve had a strong academic performance with my GPA increasing every year, very unique common app essay and am generally a very talented writer, foreign exchange trips.
Weaknesses: Mediocre ACT score, not any particularly noteworthy extracurricular activities/clubs
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: My foreign exchange trips really put me over the top. To be completely honest I knew that I was going to be admitted just because of how unique it is that I went to two foreign exchange trips to Spain and China and my ability to draw meaningful conclusions from those experiences. It also doesn’t hurt that I come from a good background and am also African-American… I’m the perfect student on paper and it’s an added bonus that they can admit me as a minority without compromising their academic standards.
General Comments: Can’t wait to meet all the other Blue Devils at BDD! Go Duke!