Too tired to post stats but I got in! I received an invitation to BSAI (I am going btw), but it was a relief to see the official acceptance letter tonight! Congrats to everyone else who got in, and to everyone who didn’t, y’all’s futures are going to be very bright regardless.
Decision: Accepted Pratt School of Engineering
Objective:
[ul]
[] SAT I: 2310 (750 CR, 770 M, 790 W, 11 E)
[] ACT: 35 (36 E, 34 R, 34 M, 36 S, 11E)
[] SAT II: 800 Bio M, 800 Math II, 780 Chem
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
[] Weighted GPA: 4.8
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 4/570 (Top 1%)
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): Human Geography (5), European History (5), Environmental Science (5), Biology (5), Chemistry (5), English Language (5), Psychology (5, self study), US History (5)
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus, AP English Literature, AP US Government, AP Economics, Wind Ensemble, AP Physics C Mechanics
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National AP Scholar, National Merit Finalist, other smaller awards and recognition [/ul]
Subjective:
[ul]
[] Extracurriculars: Wind Ensemble (9-12, First Chair Saxophone, Librarian), Marching Band (9-12, Flute Section Leader 10-12), All-State Honor Band (9, 11-12), All-County Honor Band (9-12, First Chair), National Honor Society (12, Project Leader), National English Honor Society (11-12, Vice President), Special Olympics Club (11-12), School Writing Tutor (11-12), School Math Tutor (11-12), HOBY Local Leadership Seminar (10), HOBY World Leadership Congress (10), Gay-Straight Alliance (12), Lab Internship at UCLA (12), Hospital Volunteer (11-12, Student Coordinator/Shift Supervisor), Spring and Summer Music Camp Volunteer (10-12), Vacation Bible School Volunteer (9, 11)
[] Job/Work Experience: Surgical Assistant at an Oral Surgery Office (Summer between Junior and Senior year)
[] Volunteer/Community service: Tutoring, Hospital, Music Camp, Vacation Bible School; 500+ hours, Gold President’s Volunteer Service Award
[] Essays: Common App (8): represented myself through a symbol and a short anecdote, revealed a lot about me but could’ve been more eloquent; Why Duke (7): Honest and well researched but generic; Diversity Supplement (7): Wrote about a personal situation but it’s hard to effectively get a point across in 250 words while still being unique and compelling
[] Teacher Recommendations:English Teacher (8): didn’t read it but we have a good relationship and she liked me as a student; Biology Teacher (7): was less personal with me as a teacher, but I did exceedingly well in the class and she liked me (I hope)
[] Counselor Rec: 7, we’re very friendly with each other but I’m sure it wasn’t anything special
[] Additional Rec: 9, written by my lab mentor; she said she made me sound amazing in her letter
[] Interview: 6, fumbled my way through much of it
[] Arts Supplement: 8; submitted two (saxophone and flute)[/ul]
Other
[ul]
[] State (if domestic applicant): CA
[] School Type: Public
[] Ethnicity: Asian/White
[] Gender: Male
[] Income Bracket: <$50,000
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): none [/ul]
Reflection
[ul]
[] Strengths: Stats/Scores
[] Weaknesses: Pretty generic Asian male applicant applying STEM
[] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I honestly don’t know how admissions officers can distinguish between such qualified individuals. I’ve worked extremely hard throughout high school and all that I’ve done/what I said resonated with Duke.
[] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted - UC Berkeley Waitlisted - UCLA, Rejected - Northwestern, Waiting - Stanford, Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, USC[/ul]
General Comments: Absolutely ecstatic right now - congrats to everyone who was accepted and good luck to everyone who is still waiting on decisions.
Hello, just wondering when Duke released their decisions? What day was everyone notified? Thank you!
Decisions were released last night at about 7pm.
Decision: Accepted!!
Objective:
[ul]
[] SAT I: na
[] ACT: 29 - yep you read that right
[] SAT II: na
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.7
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): top 10%
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): Took all the AP classes my school offered, which were limited
[] IB (place score in parenthesis): na
[] Senior Year Course Load: All advanced classes available
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):[/ul]
Subjective:
[ul]
[] Extracurriculars: National Honor society, tutor middle schoolers, travel around the world (connected to hook), speak several languages, several Varsity sports, competitive boxer
[] Job/Work Experience: lifeguard
[] Volunteer/Community service: Volunteer for inner-city charity and hospital
[] Essays: All were pretty solid. They were pretty personal and reflective.
[] Teacher Recommendations: Two were 9/10, one I didn’t read
[] Counselor Rec: I didn’t read it but would guess it’s around 7/10.
[] Additional Rec:
[] Interview:[/ul] na
Other
[ul]
[] State (if domestic applicant): NYC
[] Country (if international applicant):
[] School Type: public
[] Ethnicity: multiracial
[] Gender: f
[] Income Bracket: average
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):[/ul] URM, very interesting background/hook , legacy
Reflection
[ul]
[] Strengths: hooks
[] Weaknesses: test scores
[] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Thankfully Duke has a very holistic approach to admissions and I think my hooks were able to outweigh my embarrassingly low test scores
[] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:[/ul] Accepted: Fordham, Middlebury, UCLA, Northwestern, JHU
Deferred: Harvard EA
General Comments: TEST SCORES DO NOT DEFINE YOU!!! I remember being so depressed after getting my ACT results back and thinking I would have to go to a state school (although they are still a great option) even though I had set my heart on attending a school like Duke or Brown. I never in a million years thought I would get into Duke but if you can demonstrate your love for a college and your passion for life through your essays, the admissions officers will be sure to feel it. Schools just want to see that you’ve been trying your hardest and making the most of what you’ve got. No matter where you go, you’ll be sure to find the best in it! Congrats and good luck to everyone!! 
Decision: Accepted
Objective:
[ul]
[] SAT I: M(650), CR(600), W(580): 1830
[] ACT: Didnt take
[] SAT II: Biology M (650)
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.692
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 19/400
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): World History (3), Psychology (4)
[] IB (place score in parenthesis):
[] Senior Year Course Load: Calc, Enviornmental Science, Physics, Band,
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):[/ul]
Subjective:
[ul]
[] Extracurriculars: Debate, Swim, Chill, Girls
[] Job/Work Experience: None
[] Volunteer/Community service: Work with special needs kids
[] Essays: Revealed some very personal stuff
[] Teacher Recommendations: Toss up I have no idea what they wrote
[] Counselor Rec: He was very interesting, who knows
[] Additional Rec: I was confident about this one
[] Interview:[/ul] The guy was cool, I messed up a bit
Other
[ul]
[] State (if domestic applicant): Iowa
[] Country (if international applicant): US
[] School Type: MEDIUM
[] Ethnicity: Half Black/Half Arab
[] Gender: Male
[] Income Bracket: 90K
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):[/ul] First Gen, BLM,
Reflection
[ul]
[] Strengths: BLM
[] Weaknesses: Scores
[] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: BLM
[] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:[/ul] Pomona and Hopkins,
General Comments: For all of you kids who are reading this for the class of 2021 trying to find a certain way to crack the “adcoms” hidden secrets, just give up. Work on your apps. This site is terrible.
[ color=red][ b]Decision: Rejected**[/color]
Objective:
[] SAT I (breakdown):
[] ACT: 30 C 29 E 31 M 27 R 34 S
[] SAT II: ugh
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.97
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 6/379
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Calc AB (4), AP Lang (4) AP USH (5), AP Humano Geo (5)
[] IB (place score in parenthesis): -
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP Physics 1, AP world, AP Stat, AP Literature
[li] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): AP Scholar W/ Distinction; 2nd place in Science Fair (actually went and studied this experiment more in depth abroad), Principal Honor Roll Every Year, SOS International Volunteer Recognition Award, FBLA Regional Awards[/li]
Subjective:
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
National Honor Society 2 yrs
Future Business Leaders of America (Parliamentarian and Historian, actually helped my school host the Regional Conference and invited guest speakers, made sure to emphasize this in my extracrit short essay)
Environmental Club
Math Club
Created/Founded a Social Media group called “The Global Diplomats” (I had to do this bc it was ridiculous that my school didn’t offer or had any motivation to bring Model UN)
[] Job/Work Experience: Assistant/Weekend Job at Computer Repair Store
[] Volunteer/Community service: Alot of Tutoring in school (including some foreign languages)
[] Summer Activities: Went to Jordan for an internship in helping out refugees across the Middle East
[] Essays: Common App (10/10) wrote about my experience over summer in Jordan helping refugees
Why Duke? (9/10)
Optional Essay: (10/10) Was about my research experience overseas
[] Teacher Recommendations: AP US History (11/10 ) it was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen someone write about me
Pre-Calc (9/10)
[] Counselor Rec: 10/10, We had an amazing relationship
[] Additional Rec: -
[li] Interview: No[/li][/list]
Other
[] Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
[] State (if domestic applicant): MD
[] Country (if international applicant):
[] School Type: Large, Public (3000+)
[] Ethnicity (Hispanic Y/N/not reported): White, Middle Eastern though
[] Gender: M
[] Income Bracket: 30K
[] Hooks/tips (URM, athlete, legacy, 1st gen, etc.): 1st gen
[/list]
Reflection
[] Strengths: Essays, Recommendations, and I guess my Experiences in the EC section
[] Weaknesses: DEFINITELY THE TEST SCORES
[] Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Deferred at Princeton, Waitlisted at UC Berkeley, Accepted at UMD and U of Miami
[] Where else are you applying for RD: Brown, Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Duke, Dartmouth, Stanford,
[/list]
General Comments: First off congrats to all those that were accepted; you truly deserve it. For those using this as a reference for class of 2021, just know that this is a complete lottery. There are plenty of qualified students who get rejected and that will obv happen with a 8.7% acceptance rate.
Be sure to remove the spaces within the brackets to achieve the desired format.
Decision: Accepted
Objective:
[ul]
[] SAT I: 2110 (one sitting, and I actually threw up during it) (R700, M680, W730) / 2150 (superscored) (R700, M720, W730)
[] ACT: 35 (E35, M35, R36, S35, W32)
[] SAT II: none
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): I don’t know my unweighted off the top of my head, but my weighted GPA is 4.895.
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 2/328 when I sent in my application, but I dropped to 3/328 after first semester.
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): US History (5), Chemistry (4), Statistics (4), Calculus AB (5), Art History (5)
[] IB (place score in parenthesis): none
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP Biology, AP French 5 Language and Culture, AP Physics 1, Government / Economics, AP Calculus BC, AP Studio Art 2-D, AP Literature, Band
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):[/ul] National Merit Scholarship Finalist, AP Scholar with Distinction, AATF Grand Concours (4th in state in level II, 12th in state in level III, 6th in state and 14th in nation in level IV), American Scholastic Achievement Contest (1st in state and 4th in nation), PTA Reflections in Visual Arts category(1st in age division for 9 years with numerous placements in district and honorable mention at the state level), AMC 8 (top ten in state), President’s Award of Excellence
Subjective:
[ul]
[] Extracurriculars:
National Honor Society
National Art Honor Society (communications officer)
National French Honor Society (vice president)
Marching Band (flute section leader)
Concert Band (flute section leader)
Symphonic Band (flute section leader)
French Club (co-president)
Newspaper (editor-in-chief)
Taekwondo (second-degree black belt instructor)
Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony (co-principal flute in Group II, member of Group I)
Northern Ohio Youth Orchestra (member of Philharmonia Orchestra)
2013 grisaille oil painting workshop with Stanka Kordic at BAYarts
2013 encaustics workshop with Erin Schechtmann at BAYarts
2015 figure drawing class with John Carlson at BAYarts
2015 portraiture class with Melissa Harris at Cleveland Institute of Art
2015 portfolio preparation class with Eddie Mitchell at Cleveland Institute of Art
10+ years of flute / piccolo
13+ years of piano
13+ years of dance (ballet, tap, jazz)
[] Job/Work Experience: none
[] Volunteer/Community service:
Church youth group (volunteer at numerous church events throughout the year)
Piano accompanist during youth group services (weekly)
Basic Korean language teacher (weekly)
Great Lakes Science Center (camp volunteer during school breaks)
Taekwondo (second-degree black belt instructor; twice weekly)
[] Essays:
My Common App essay was about my being Korean and being the first in my family to be born in the United States; the topic sounds rather generic, but its being well-written allowed it to overcome the typical essay tropes of being the child of immigrants. When I asked my AP Lit teacher to read over it, she told me that it was “beautifully written” with all the “poetic” metaphors that I used to address all the struggles my family has faced adjusting to American culture - all she corrected were a few grammatical errors, but she essentially didn’t change a thing.
My “Why Duke?” essay was pretty generic too in its topic (talked about the academic prowess and close-knit familial nature of the Blue Devil community), but its execution was pretty unique since I compared myself with a typical rom-com protagonist and Duke with “The One.”
My diversity essay was (again) about how I am Korean, and I talked about how nosy Koreans tend to be - my opening line was “There’s something to be said about Korean mothers in how they know every other Korean mother, their sons, and their sons’ girlfriends.”
[] Teacher Recommendations:
AP Chemistry teacher - I loved his class (though it may have been the absolute hardest one I’ve ever taken), and I asked him to write a letter for me since I did struggle in his class and he was able to see me overcome all the challenges his class presented to me.
AP Art History teacher - I loved, loved, LOVED her class and I absolutely loved her. I’m very close with my art history teacher, and we talk a lot outside of class and I always try and make a point of saying hello to her when I can. Honestly, if we were the same age, we’d definitely be the best of friends. Not to sound arrogant or anything, but I’m pretty sure I was (and still am) one of her favorite students, not to mention that I absolutely crushed that class.
AP French teacher - I’ve had my French teacher for honors French II, honors French IV, and now AP, so I’ve known her for nearly my entire high school career. We’re very close too, and she is well aware of my determination and all the things that I’m involved in outside of school.
[] Counselor Rec:
Counselor - I’m not at all close with my guidance counselor (mostly because he’s a series of uncomplimentary words that would get me reported if I wrote them on here), but he knows how driven I am academically and how involved I am in many of the school’s clubs.
[] Additional Rec: (see teacher recommendations)
[] Interview:[/ul] Didn’t have one.
Other
[ul]
[] State (if domestic applicant): Ohio
[] Country (if international applicant):
[] School Type: Public
[] Ethnicity: Korean (not North, but Gangnam Style South)
[] Gender: Female
[] Income Bracket: ~$70,000
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):[/ul]
Reflection
[ul]
[] Strengths: I am very strong academically, but I’m as equally strong in my involvement in extracurricular activities and the community.
[] Weaknesses: I wish I had done an internship at some point since it probably would have given me more edge, but hey, I guess that doesn’t matter now that I’m in.
[] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I guess I’m well-rounded with how many things I do, and I’m very passionate about my Korean heritage. My SAT scores worried me a little (esp. since I threw up during the one sitting), but I think I covered that with my strength as a writer (I didn’t get chosen as editor-in-chief of the school newspaper for nothing).
[] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:[/ul]
ACCEPTED: Ohio State University (Scholars Program), Boston University, Notre Dame, Tufts, Fordham, Rhode Island School of Design, School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts
WAITLISTED: Case Western, UChicago
REJECTED: Johns Hopkins, Northwestern
STILL WAITING ON: Brown University (I applied ED there since they’re my first choice but got deferred so I’m waiting for a legitimate answer now), Georgetown (applied ED but got deferred), Amherst, Columbia, Harvard, NYU, Princeton, Reed, Rice, UPenn, Yale, Cleveland Institute of Art
General Comments: Good luck to everyone! No matter where you may end up, as long as you keep working hard, you’ll all do great!
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2020 (670CR 670M 680W)
ACT (breakdown): 29
SAT II: 770 Chemistry 760 Bio M
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): Don’t technically have one but I calculated it, around 4
Weighted GPA: N/A
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): N/A
AP (place score in parenthesis): N/A
IB (place score in parenthesis): Chem HL 7; Bio HL 7; Philosophy HL 7; Math SL 5; French SL 5; English SL 6
Senior Year Course Load: IB and self taught SATs
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Best drum kit grade score in country (Exhibition Award)
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): I’ll just copy from the CommonApp:
- Rugby Captain for 5 years, we’ve been county champions, I’ve been awarded both Most Improved and Player of the Season awards
- Got a full scholarship to the Gilman School in Baltimore to study there for 4 weeks
- Head Percussionist of school’s concert and marching band (Toured Germany and Belgium, perform half time show at Lord’s Cricket Ground annually for England, also at Lord Mayor’s Show and St Matthew’s Day)
- Grade 8 in Flute, Snare Drum, and Drum Kit (All distinctions, Ist Flautist in flute quartet, and recieved an ‘Exhibition Award’, best mark in country, for a Drum Kit exam)
- Hosted website with brother to self-publish essays: http://lucasfmkovacs.wix.com/kotchbrothers.
- Published various musical videos and arrangements on YouTube channel. URL = https://www.youtube.com/user/rizzo742
- Participated in school’s SATB choir. Recorded for BBC, released CDs, performed for various events including St. Matthews Day and for Archbishop of Canterbury
- Will be competing for a Men’s Physique competition. Going to the gym has been a hobby for years, so I decided to finally compete in May 2016
(Additional Info)
-My GCSE and IGCSE examination grades (taken between June and July 2013) are as follows:
-International GCSEs: 6As in Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Mathematics (taken 6 months early), English Literature, English Language
-GCSEs: 2As in Theology & Philosophy and Music, and 2As in Art and French. (8A*s and 2As overall)
In the Rugby VIIs county tournament of 2013 we won First place, and thus represented Sussex in future tournaments.
-Our percussion section of the marching band was asked to perform a Splits performance in the Mansion House in 2014, and we have also been asked to perform in various other events (memorials and weddings primarily).
-I was awarded the Sixth Form Philosophy Scholarship in 2013.
-I have traveled to various recording studios in South East England to record drum kit and flute primarily over the summer and Christmas holidays of 2015.
-I am also self-taught on the piano.
-Consistently achieved perfect effort grades from year 10 onwards (straight 5.00 averages- 5 being best effort and 1 being the worst).
Job/Work Experience: Have been employed at LA Fitness until we got bought out, so now work at Darlings of Chelsea
Volunteer/Community service: Volunteered at home in local charity stores, at school with a club, and also went busking on my snare drum in Wales for the RSPCA
Summer Activities: Not much other than study, music, and volunteer work. We don’t really have summer stuff in the UK like the US does
Essays (rating 1-10, details): CommonApp = 7 or 8/10, kinda generic but definitely conveyed my passion for political philosophy. Supplement = 6/10… I did rush it. It was short and I reckon I wrote it well. But I didn’t take full advantage of the opportunity
Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1: Probably very nice and sycophantic I suppose, very close teacher. But I felt like he was trying to do me a favour by writing in that manner rather than writing about who i really am I guess
Teacher Rec #2: Never saw, probably more accurate about my personality even though we weren’t as close as my other rep
Counselor Rec: Never saw. I think he hates me.
Additional Rec: N/A
Interview: Didn’t get one.
Other
Applied for Financial Aid?: YES. I CAN’T CONTRIBUTE ****
Intended Major: Philosophy/Political Science
State (if domestic applicant): N/A
Country (if international applicant): UK
School Type: Independent Boarding School but is a ‘charity’-- Christ’s Hospital (check it out, J.K Rowling got idea for Harry Potter from us)
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: <£13,000 or <$19,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): First Gen College Student
Reflection
Strengths: My music arrangements on my website were probably my strongest aspects (i.e. that made me stand out the most I guess)
Weaknesses: SCORES.-_-
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Financial Aid probably didn’t help seeing as I need a full ride. My scores in the SAT and the IB were way lower than anticipated. And the fierce competition is the icing on the cake I guess
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Rejected: Yale NUS and Duke and Stanford and Dartmouth. Still waiting from the rest of the Ivies. Also got unconditionals from LSE (politics and philosophy), UCL (philosophy), and Warwick (PPE)
General Comments: I really hope I get in somewhere. It’s honestly everything I’ve been working for. I know there are far better qualified people than me out there who have also been rejected. Let’s just keep our heads high I suppose haha
**Decision: Accepted: Trinity **
Objective:
[ul]
[] SAT I: 2300 (800M, 770W, 730 CR)
[] ACT: N/A
[] SAT II: 800 Math II, 800 Physics
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): School doesn’t do GPA, but around a 92/100 cumulative
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): School doesn’t rank, but probably top 10%
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): Physics C: Mechanics (5), Physics C: E&M (5), Calc BC (5), Chemistry (5), Eng Lang and Comp (5), Microeconomics (5)
[] IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
[] Senior Year Course Load: English, Comp Sci, World History, Philosophy, Economics, Statistics
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): This is where I thought I really stood out: International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) bronze medallist, International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) bronze medallist, AAPT PhysicsBowl Canadian winner, a few other national/international physics competition awards that I won’t list for the sake of the reader (lol) [/ul]
Subjective:
[ul]
[] Extracurriculars: Debate Club (President), Physics Club (President), physics olympiad training (this one was huge), astrophysics research and biochemical research at 2 local universities, JV basketball
[] Job/Work Experience: Taught science at a local tutoring hub
[] Volunteer/Community service: Volunteered at local science centre
[] Essays: Essays were above average at best. Nothing spectacular and I don’t think I got in because of my essays.
[] Teacher Recommendations: English Teacher (who is also my debate club coach): 9/10 and Physics Teacher (who is also my physics club mentor): didn’t see but probably 8-9/10
[] Counselor Rec: Didn’t see, probably pretty good though (8/10)
[] Additional Rec: N/A
[] Interview: N/A [/ul]
Other
[ul]
[] State (if domestic applicant):
[] Country (if international applicant): CANADA BABY
[] School Type: Semi-competitive public
[] Ethnicity: Ashun
[] Gender: Mael
[] Income Bracket: ~ High enough to not qualify for Fin. Aid
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): International awards? Not sure if this counts as a hook [/ul]
Reflection
[list]
[] Strengths: Awards, ECs, recommendations, test scores (I guess)
[] Weaknesses: ESSAYS, grades
[] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: AWARDS
[] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: [list] Accepted: JHU, Columbia (likely)
Waitlisted: UChicago, Stanford,
Rejected: MIT (I cry)
Waiting on: Harvard, Yale, Princeton (deferred EA), UPenn, Dartmouth
General Comments: Well its been a long ride and I’m extremely lucky to be in such a good position. I’ll refrain from being all sentimental and stuff, but for future applicants I would recommend developing a spike (focus alot on something), like I did with physics. I think that was the reason I was accepted, and this way, its easier for you to stand out.
Cheers and good luck to everyone!!!
Decision: Accepted
Objective:
SAT I: n/a
ACT: 34 - best composite (36 English, 35 Math, 34 Reading, 34 Science, 10 essay)
SAT II: Math Level 1 (770), Biology-Ecological (730), Literature (710), Biology-Molecular (690), World History (560, lolz)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1
AP (place score in parenthesis): Biology (4), Calculus AB (4), World History (4)
IB (place score in parenthesis): n/a
Senior Year Course Load: A.P. Language and Composition, A.P. Physics 1, A.P. Environmental Science (online), A.P. Calculus B.C. (online), Chemistry 2, Leadership 2, Independent Study for NHS pillars, and LINKS special education mentor class.
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): none
Subjective:
Extracurriculars: Cross Country (captain), Track and Field (captain), NHS president, student council executive officer, class secretary, LINKS special education mentor, panther pride freshman mentor, co-founder of pro-life/political activism group, and co-founder of an educational coral research project
Job/Work Experience: n/a
Volunteer/Community service: Volunteering at a donkey rescue, volunteer at a retirement home, and volunteer at an animal shelter
Essays: My Common App essay was about failing in running after training too much and how I learned that my work ethic needed to be revised. The “Why Duke” essay was about the opportunities that Duke offers for marine biology, and the optional essay was about the impact that my pro-life group has had on my community and how I value all beliefs and discussion over argumentation.
Teacher Recommendations: Pretty good for teachers who haven’t written recommendations for schools of this caliber before.
Counselor Rec: I’m assuming it was good because she really likes me.
Additional Rec: Really good
Interview: none
Other:
State (if domestic applicant): Michigan
Country (if international applicant): United States
School Type: Public, 100 students in my class
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: 70k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): first gen
Reflection:
Strengths: essays, grades, recs, involvement in a ton of things
Weaknesses: not having one stand-out thing or winning any major awards
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I’ve done the most that I could with what was available to me, and I displayed a sincere commitment to education in my application.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted to U of M and William and Mary; rejected from Stanford; waiting on Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Cornell, Brown, and Dartmouth.
General Comments: inspirational message
Decision: Accepted Pratt Engineering!
Objective:
[ul]
[] SAT I: Didn’t submit
[] ACT: 35
[] SAT II: Math 800, Physics 760
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.96
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): School doesn’t rank, probably 5%ish
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): 5: BC Calc (self-studied), AB Calc (self-studied), Physics: M, Comp Sci, APUSH, Lang, 4: World, 3: Physics: E&M
[] IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
[] Senior Year Course Load: above AP math and physics electives, AP Chem, Lit, Micro/Macro, Stats
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): NCWIT Affiliate Award [/ul]
Subjective:
[ul]
[] Extracurriculars: President of four clubs, involvement and leadership positions in a few others, some state-level awards, ~15 hr/wk involvement across all clubs
[] Job/Work Experience: summer engineering research, 20 hr/wk for 6 wk
[] Volunteer/Community service: tutoring math and physics 5 hrs/wk
[] Essays: alright
[] Teacher Recommendations: positive
[] Counselor Rec: good
[] Additional Rec: N/A
[] Interview: seemed impressed [/ul]
Other
[ul]
[] State (if domestic applicant): SC
[] School Type: magnet
[] Ethnicity: white (middle eastern)
[] Gender: female
[] Income Bracket: ~100k
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): girl in engineering? [/ul]
Reflection
[ul]
[] Strengths: academics and extracurriculars
[] Weaknesses: essays not as well-written as they could have been
[] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I don’t think anything in my application was spectacular, but I feel like it was generally on par with Duke’s level
[li] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted at GA Tech and Rice and a couple noncompetitive state schools, Waitlisted at Swarthmore[/ul][/li]**General Comments: Congratulations to everyone who was accepted! Go Blue Devils! **
Waitlisted at my 6th school! No private school admission. I worked so hard in high school and it is not paying off. 
Superintendent personally recommended
33 ACT - 36 English, 34 math, 31 reading, 30 science
3.9 unweighted GPA
4.7 weighted GPA
Top 3% of the class.
All honors and AP classes
Female, not a minority
[ b]Decision: Accepted**
Objective:
[ul]
[] SAT I: n/a
[] ACT: 33
[] SAT II: n/a
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 3/317
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): Bio (3), Lang (4), US Hist (3)
[] IB (place score in parenthesis): n/a
[] Senior Year Course Load: Statistics. AP Calc AB. Community College courses. AP Lit. AP US Gov
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):
AP Scholar I guess[/ul]
Subjective:
[ul]
[] Extracurriculars: Academic team captain, NHS member, key club secretary, track, and cross country.
[] Job/Work Experience: n/a
[] Volunteer/Community service: Working with NHS and the events they set up. Elementary school carnivals and book readings
[] Essays: 8/10 probably
[] Teacher Recommendations: AP Lang and Pre-AP trig/analysis teacher loved me but I didn’t read them.
[] Counselor Rec: my counselor didn’t really know me so I don’t know how good it is
[] Additional Rec: my sister in law wrote about me. I read it and thought it was really good
[] Interview: didn’t get one [/ul]
Other
[ul]
[] State (if domestic applicant): Oklahoma
[] Country (if international applicant): US
[] School Type: medium sized public school. All of the students go to an Oklahoma school pretty much
[] Ethnicity: White/Native American
[] Gender: Male
[] Income Bracket: <15,000
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM, first gen, underrepresented area?[/ul]
Reflection
[ul]
[] Strengths: I think my essays were good. And I think my GPA and ACT scores helped a bit.
[] Weaknesses: Not very many AP classes because not many were offered. I don’t really have anything that makes me stand out.
[] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: tbh probably because I’m first gen and Indian.
[] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: rejected REA at Stanford[/ul]
**General Comments: waiting on Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Dartmouth
** Decision: Accepted **
Objective:
- [] SAT I: 2210 (730 CR, 770 M, 710 W)
[] ACT: n/a
[] SAT II: Math I (750), English Literature (750)
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): Our school doesn’t offer GPA’s, but a rough estimation would be 3.97
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): n/a
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): n/a
[] IB (place score in parenthesis): English Literature A HL (7), Psychology HL (7), Visual Arts HL (6), Mathematics SL (7), French B SL (7), Physics SL (7)
[] Senior Year Course Load: English Literature A HL, Psychology HL, Visual Arts HL, Mathematics SL, French B SL, Physics SL (Note, our school offers a 2-year full IB diploma course)
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): No major national or international awards, but I did win 4 awards for being the best student in the above subjects, was an intra-school public speaking semi-finalist, won best science essay, etc.
Subjective:
-
[] Extracurriculars: Student Librarians (Founder/Leader), Book Club (Founder/Leader), Psychology Pastoral Prefect, Debate Club (Leader), Political Debating Club (Administrator), Design Club, Art History Club, Manga Club
[] Job/Work Experience: n/a
[] Volunteer/Community service: Founder and Leader of Fashion for Life charity
[] Essays: In my Common App, I wrote about my passion for art and how it helped me overcome the limitations of my physical disability. I was quite pleased with it and so were my counselor and head librarian, so I’d give it an 9 or 10. My “Why Duke?” essay wasn’t that great and felt a bit contrived, so I’d give it a 6 or 7.
[] Teacher Recommendations: I waived my right to read all of my recommendations, but my counselor told me that my teacher recommendations were amazing, so I’ll guess a 9 or 10.
[] Counselor Rec: I’m pretty sure it was good, because she said that she was proud of my achievements, so maybe a 9 or 10.
[] Additional Rec. I got mine from my head librarian, with whom I’ve been working with for 8 years, but she’s more used to the conservative British system, so I’ll guess a 8-10.
[] Interview: My alumni interviewer really liked me and said he’d write me a great recommendation. I’ve never heard any other interviewer say that so I thought it was odd, but I was lucky nevertheless.
Other
-
[] State (if domestic applicant): n/a
[] Country (if international applicant): Singapore, but I’m a US citizen, so I’m actually a domestic applicant
[] School Type: Private British International
[] Ethnicity: Korean-American
[] Gender: Female
[] Income Bracket: High
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): I’m hesitant to call it a hook, but I have a physical disability that renders me wheelchair-bound and lowers my overall strength. In my Additional Comments section I explained how this limited my opportunities to do activities out of school.
Reflection
[list]
[] Strengths: GPA, Common App essay, and recommendations. Also, I had a few good clubs that I founded and lead.
[] Weaknesses: Lack of major awards, volunteer and work experience, and activities outside the school in general.
[] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I think (hope?) that I came across as motivated and academic. I am also relatively confident and sure about my interests and passions.
[] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted at UCLA, UCSD, Pomona, Scripps, USC, WashU, Yale-NUS (a joint program college in Singapore), Duke. Waitlisted at CMC and Vanderbilt. Rejected at UCB and UCD.
General Comments:: I’d advise people to do the best that they can in their own circumstances. If you have limited opportunities, don’t compare yourselves to other people who have a lot of opportunities, because the admissions process is holistic and the admissions officers really take personal circumstances into consideration. So, do the best that you can, and be confident!
Decision: Accepted
Objective:
[ul]
[] SAT I: 2360: 800/800/760
[] ACT: 35/35/35/35
[] SAT II: 800/800
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.6
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/160
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): 5x5, 1x4
[] IB (place score in parenthesis):
[] Senior Year Course Load: 6 AP’s
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):[/ul]
Subjective:
[ul]
[] Extracurriculars: 10
[] Job/Work Experience: 7
[] Volunteer/Community service: 10
[] Essays:10
[] Teacher Recommendations: 10
[] Counselor Rec: 9
[] Additional Rec: 10
[] Interview: 6 (interviewer was new to the process) [/ul]
Other
[ul]
[] State (if domestic applicant): South
[] Country (if international applicant): US
[] School Type: Private
[] Ethnicity: White
[] Gender: Male
[] Income Bracket:
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Partial-legacy [/ul]
Reflection
[ul]
[] Strengths: Scores and several national extracurriculars
[] Weaknesses: Writing
[] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Strong interest in the school
[] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted: Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech, Baylor; Waitlisted: UChicago[/ul]
General Comments:
Decision: Accepted Pratt Engineering
Objective:
[ul]
[] SAT I: Didn’t take
[] ACT: 35 (35 english, 34 math, 34 reading, 36 science, 9 writing)
[] SAT II: Didn’t Take (I didn’t even really know what these were until I started the application process!)
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1 of 125
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): APUSH (5), AP Chem, AP English Lit & Comp, AP Calc AB, AP Studio Art 3D design
[] IB (place score in parenthesis):
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc AB, AP Chem, AP English Lit & Comp, Speech, Personal Finance, Traditional PE, AP Studio Art 3D Design (Independently taking the exam). I am taking all the AP courses my school offers.
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): 3 National Medals in the Scholastic Art & Writing Competition including one Gold Medal in Ceramics, one Silver in Fashion, and a Silver Medal for my art portfolio (I included my portfolio as part of my application). Various athletic honors in cross country/track[/ul]
Subjective:
[ul]
[] Extracurriculars: Cross Country (3 year captain), Track (3 year captain), Scholastic Bowl (2 year captain), FBLA (2 year treasurer, 1 year chapter president), NHS (president), Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering
[] Job/Work Experience: Tutoring several people (mainly ACT prep)
[] Volunteer/Community service: Unpaid internship with Clinical Engineering Dept at local hospital, tutoring third graders at local elementary school, various other activities
[] Essays: Common app essay was about a failure in cross country when I was in 8th grade and how that moment taught me the value of hard work. (9/10 I guess… It is hard to give it a numerical score, I would be willing to share it if anyone is interested)
Why Duke Essay: Average, I discussed how I wanted to pursue tissue engineering (7/10)
Diversity Essay: Not sure why I submitted one (because I’m a white male), but I discussed my passion for art, and specifically fashion design, which isn’t super common, especially being a male interested in fashion. The essay was super personal
[] Teacher Recommendations:
Teacher Rec #1: AP Chem Teacher: I have had her as a teacher the past 3 years and she is my scholar bowl coach. The letter was super detailed and very well done (10/10)
Teacher Rec #2: AP English: I had him my sophomore year and for senior year and also as my track coach for 2 years. I thought it would be really good, but it was kind of generic and recycled (8/10)
[] Counselor Rec: I have no idea but she really likes me (9/10 maybe)
[] Additional Rec: My College Physics teacher that I had my junior year. He teaches at a local community college and he really liked me as well (9/10)
[] Interview: I didn’t get one, I was kind of disappointed about it…[/ul]
Other
[ul]
[] State (if domestic applicant): IL
[] Country (if international applicant):
[] School Type: Small, rural public
[] Ethnicity: White
[] Gender: Male
[] Income Bracket: 100,000-150,000
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Strong Interest in art as an Engineering major (my goal was to demonstrate a high level of creativity)[/ul]
Reflection
[ul]
[] Strengths: Essays, Art portfolio, athletics, ACT score (although I don’t think scores are all that important)
[] Weaknesses: not many ap courses taken
[] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I put a lot of passion (through my artwork and essays) into my application and I think that was very evident
[] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Vanderbilt, UVa, UNC-CH, Arkansas (with Honors Fellowship), Clemson
Waiting: Harvard and Yale[/ul]
General Comments: Very excited, but my financial aid offer was not great so I’m not sure I could afford it…
Hey, I got my packet from Duke today–did all you accepted people also get notes from your admissions officer/assitant director people? Or was it just Briggs that wrote notes?
Decision: Accepted!
Objective:
[list]
[] SAT I: 2370
[] ACT: didn’t take
[] SAT II: Math 2 800, USHist 720
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.12 (not sure how it’s greater than 4.0)
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 4/974
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): Stat (5), APUSH (5), German (5), Eng Lang (5), Calc BC (5), Calc AB (5), WHAP (4)
[] IB (place score in parenthesis): none
[] Senior Year Course Load: all AP: Physics Mech and E&M, Gov US and Comp, Eng Lit, Econ Micro and Macro, Studio Art, Computer Science A
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): nothing really just NM Finalist and National AP Scholar
Subjective:
[list]
[] Extracurriculars: German Club (President)
[] Job/Work Experience: Engineering teacher for 4-14 yr old kids
[] Volunteer/Community service: just around the community, at local elementary schools, with NHS etc.
[] Essays: eh I took another school’s and shortened it bc word limit
[] Teacher Recommendations: didn’t read I trust it was ok/good - math and eng lehrer
[] Counselor Rec: I don’t know her that well it must have been so generic our school is too big
[] Additional Rec: didn’t do one
[] Interview: didn’t have one (no one in area I think because my friend who also applied didn’t get contacted either)
Other
[list]
[] State (if domestic applicant): PA
[] School Type: huge public
[] Gender: F
[] Income Bracket: >250k
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): none
Reflection
[list]
[] Strengths: transcript and SATs probably, cool job/work experience
[] Weaknesses: just a normal girl! ORM
[] Why you think you were accepted: I have no idea I am pretty pleasantly surprised I thought Duke was too much of a reach!
[] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted Pitt (full tuition), Penn State UP (Schreyer and 10.5k a year), Carnegie Mellon, waitlisted UChicago, rejected Johns Hopkins, waiting on 6 more
General Comments: As I said earlier I’m pretty surprised! Currently Duke is at the top but I already feel bad about possibly giving up Schreyer and paying only some 18k where here I’d pay 69k… I signed up for April 7-8 Blue Devil Days (7 hour drive ugh…) and I’m excited to meet people! Will have to see whether the other schools want me to make my final decision but it’s all boiling down!
I got one too @HermioneGranger what did yours say? I’m trying to see if they are even somewhat exclusive, at least in content.