Hi everyone! I am a white high school senior (female) and Duke is my absolute dream school/top choice. I really want to apply ED because I know the changes of getting in is much higher for ED than RD, but I can’t because of the financial aid commitment. What would my chances be getting in ED vs RD? Is it worth risking the financial aid probelm and applying ED? (I am also applying for the Robertson scholarship)
here are my stats:
ACT- 33 (retaking in late October- will most likely do better)
E: 36 (June)
M: 35 (June)
S: 34 (April)
R: 29 (February)
SAT Subject Tests-
Math 2: 710 (just retook, most likely will do better- took one full practice test before hand, of which I got a 790 on)
US History: 630 (probably won’t send in)
Chem: I just took the chem test, felt iffy about it so I am retaking in November
EC-
Senior Class President (previously class secretary freshman and junior year and on school council sophomore year)
did a 7-week coding immersion program this past summer through Girls Who Code
paid employee at small shop in my town (3 years)
student head of the relay for life event leadership team
principal flautist and piccolist in Wind Ensemble (highest band, must audition to get in)
Girls Who Code Alumni Ambassador (selected to serve as leader to keep the class connected with each other and the STEM community)
babysitting (paid, since sophomore year)
section editor for school’s yearbook (2 years)
NHS
volunteer at local food bank
Your chances are definitely higher if you apply ED. However your ACT scores are a bit on the low side if you apply for engineering (Pratt). If you apply Trinity your ACT scores are at about the 50th percentile. For an unhooked candidate in ED you really need to be in the 75th percentile or higher to get some serious attention.
The ECS look good, but nothing of international/national prominence. So I think your chances for Robertson are not that high.
I’m confused by the months listed next to your ACT scores. Do you mean that you have already taken the ACT 3 times? And if so, the 29 reading is your best result on that section in 3 attempts?
I have already taken it three times and i currently have an act tutor helping me work specifically on reading- weve been working together since late august. i did not do much prep for the other tests before
Taking the SAT/ACT more than 3 times is something a lot of schools frown on. You might want to reconsider, especially as a 33 will be within the 25-75 midrange at any school in the country.
yeah i thought about that i wanted to be done in june but my mom pushed me to take it again. plus shes paid for a tutor so there isn’t exactly much i can do
To reinforce what @pittsburghscribe said, when I attended the Admissions Department presentation on campus the benefit to applying ED was stressed three times by the presenter. Statistically, roughly 25% of ED applicants are accepted vs. roughly 9% of RD applicants. Furthermore, almost 50% of the class is represented by ED applicants even though they represent less than 12% of the applicant pool. Many of the top colleges reflect a similar fact pattern, and the benefit of ED is even greater at top LACs. Two years ago Harvard accepted over 21% of Single Choice Early Admission (“SCEA”) applicants versus roughly 4% of RD applicants, while at Williams it was 43% ED and low teens for RD.
Yes, it is true that many hooked applicants (athletes and legacies) are admitted ED. However, there is still a very meaningful advantage conferred to an unhooked applicant. As an aside, in today’s admissions environment legacy status is given far less weight at the elite colleges than is generally perceived. All being equal it might make a difference, but for a qualified legacy who is not fully equal it earns a slow rejection via the waitlist.