ED For Pratt? A Chance Would Be Appreciated!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Duke University
1

<p>Objective:
ACT:32
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.5208 (weighted 5.0408)</p>

<p>Grades in AP/IB/honors classes (if applicable): A's and B's
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top Quartile (124 out of 477 in a REALLY competitive school, our Valedictorian has a 7.2 GPA)</p>

<p>AP: Taken 8, including most difficult offered (AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP Calculus, AP English Literature)
Senior Year Course Load:4 AP's (some of the hardest offered)</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars:
Yearbook [all four years]
Choir (two) [all four years]
Senior Council [Senior year]
Theater [all four years]</p>

<p>Clubs:
Leo Club
Tri-M Music Honor Society
Chemistry Club
Drama Club
French Club
French Honor Society
Relay for Life Club
National Honor Society
Senior Council</p>

<p>Leadership:
President of Chemistry Club
Editor-in-Chief of Yearbook [two years in a row, youngest ever to be awarded the position]
Secretary of Chamber Choir
Secretary of French Club/ French Honor Society
Vice President of Tri-M Music Honor Society </p>

<p>Job/Work Experience: Worked at a local salon since freshman year, and also got a job as a barista over the summer (within a month became shift leader at 16.)</p>

<p>Volunteer/Community service: Assistant Choral Director in a group designed to help teach music in underfunded schools. Also, my Music Honor Society hosts instrument fairs at children's cancer wards and Special Education classrooms, and carols in nursing homes and hospitals. (over three hundred hours of service).</p>

<p>General Essay (subject and personal opinions on it): About my father passing away and how his death led to my interest in medicine. Strong, touched my counselor's heart.
Second Essay (subject - and personal opinions on it): My Why Duke was amazing, I started it with an anectode of my great-grandfather in WWII, then talked about how Alzheimer's ravaged him and how that is what led me to being interested in neurology. Also used specific examples from Duke's program. My counselor said she had never seen anything like it and that it could be the thing to get me in.</p>

<p>Teacher Recommendation: Didn't see either, but I know one should be spectacular (she told me she spent four hours writing it and it took three pages) and I see no reason why the other should not be as phenomenal.
Counselor Rec: Didn't see but it should be good, we sat for an hour to talk and she seemed really into everything I've done for the school.</p>

<p>Other
State: Florida
School Type: Public school, but very competitive (one of top in state and highly ranked in country after being open for only eight years)
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Gender: F
Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): Parents are both immigrants, father never went to college, I am the youngest in my school to graduate [skipped a grade when younger so graduating at 17 after spending all senior year as 16].</p>

<p>Reflection
Strengths: EC's, Recommendations, Why Duke Essay
Weaknesses: ACT score, GPA [grades]</p>

2

<p>Well, your gpa is a bit low for Duke but I hear that Duke is more lenient if you have challenged yourself by taking several APs and honors (which you have done). Your test scores are about average for Duke. It seems that you are very involved outside of the classroom, especially with choir. Your essays seem very good. Id say about 30-40% chance as your a 1st gen college student too.</p>

3

<p>I’m sorry, but your GPA might be a bit too low. Depending on how you twist it, you might be able to pull it off, but definitely don’t expect a lot.</p>

4

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<p>It sounds as if OP is NOT 1st gen college student. While his/her father never went to college, I’d imagine mother did since that was omitted. But both parents being immigrants can help, but technically you’re not a first gen college student if your mom went. Nobody can say for sure, but I think your chances are relatively low to be honest unless you have a really compelling feature that the adcoms find attractive. GPA and class rank are just too low. If you live in a poor area or your school is not well-off that could compensate for perhaps lower academics, but it sounds like your school is great and thus has plenty of money (not saying you personally have plenty of money though). My guess would be deferral. But you never know if you don’t apply and it’s out of your hands at this point so anything we say won’t change anything. Good luck!</p>

5

<p>How can both parents being immigrants help, and how would they know? I’ve never heard of this before.</p>

6

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<p>Sorry for being misleading. It doesn’t necessarily help, but it can if they come from low income/uneducated backgrounds/areas of strife in the world. But I suppose that’s more applicable if the applicant him or herself came from and overcame those circumstances rather than the parents. But if the immigrantion story has shaped the applicant at all or posed challenges that the applicant has overcome, then that could certainly be seen as a positive attribute. Doesn’t the app ask where your parents went to college/where they’re from? Maybe not…</p>

7

<p>GPA sounds like it could make a dent.</p>

<p>How in the world does one get a 7.2 GPA… haha.</p>

8

<p>Oh yeah sorry my mother went to a local community college but that was in between different jobs and was never technically finished, so it’s confusing to write down. Also, my school does have lots of funding, but the reason for the lower class rank is due to the level of academics at my school. At another local school (the one I was originally zoned for) I would be in the top 10 percent.</p>

<p>Also, my parents immigrated from the Soviet Union before it disbanded, and were therefore considered traitors and forced to leave all their worldly possessions behind.</p>

9

<p>I doubt it… 32 ACT and nothing else doesn’t really cut it these days. sorry.</p>