<p>Hi, I'm a future Duke applicant - probably early decision because I have fallen in love with this school. I fear that I will get lost in the pile with my boring/lacking extracurriculars, so I'd like some input/advice from people who know what Duke likes, at least more than I do.</p>
<p>My grades and test scores are fine and match the averages I've seen online for Duke.
Intended major: Biology, maybe pre-med</p>
<p>Current EC's:
Mu Alpha Theta
Editor for school newspaper, will be editor in chief next year
Sadly I'm not a musician or an athlete</p>
<p>Future EC's:
National English Honor Society
Speech & debate club? </p>
<p>Summer:
Seems like summer research is not uncommon among Duke applicants. Idk what qualifies as "research" but I'm entering the Intel ISEF science fair w/ a microbiology project, could I do something with that?
The Moffitt Cancer Center at USF (near me) has a summer program - 20 students are selected to work with biomed researchers. If selected, I think it could be a great opportunity, or would it just be bland? Link: <a href="http://www.moffitt.org/Spark">http://www.moffitt.org/Spark</a>
I could also try volunteering at a local hospital or shadowing a doctor.</p>
<p>Ideas:
Starting a club - looks really good, imo. My friend and I have flirted with the idea of starting a Red Cross club (we need to find a teacher sponsor) and I have considered trying to start Science NHS at my school but idk if that's going to stand out very much.</p>
<p>Feminism/social justice - my true "extracurricular" passions in that they have nothing to do with school. I love reading and writing about this stuff so much that I want to minor in Women's Studies but how do I show that on my application? I don't think trying to start a feminist club at my school would go over too well. </p>
<p>Something charitable. That always looks good. There are a lot of people in my area whose native language is not English and I feel like my school doesn't provide much opportunity for them to succeed, they just stick speakers of Spanish and Mandarin in a class with an English-speaking teacher...maybe I could do something to help out these students? </p>
<p>I want to do something. I have a goal and I want to get into Duke or at least have a great shot. My high school is kinda lame so I have to make my own way. Of the above, which should I pursue?</p>
<p>I respectfully suggest Duke Undergraduate Admission will find extraordinary EC leadership, innovation, SERVICE, self-discipline, self-sacrifice, teamwork, and sometimes even management to be “eye catching.” However, where (what ECs) and how you exhibit these attributes (and others) is not crucial. In essence, the all-state debater, shortstop, and oboist – who also lead the regional debate team, all star squad, and orchestra – are all ikely to receive a very similar EC admissions “boost.” </p>
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<p>You might want to read Cal Newport’s book “How to be a High School Superstar”. It will help you think about ECs that can make you stand out and still follow your interests.</p>
<p>@TopTier‌
Yeah, I know. Duke loves leadership and pursuit of passion, whether it’s musical or athletic or charitable. The thing is, my interests (my personal individual unique interests, because colleges also emphasize being yourself and following your interests) are hard to match with extracurriculars. </p>
<p>I love reading about evolution, genetics, diseases (all to match my biology major!) feminism, social justice, politics (my women’s studies minor!)…these are my interests. It’s just very difficult to carry these into “things” that I can put on a college app. I can’t just say “I’m a feminist and I also spend a good deal of time reading about why viruses should be considered living”. I have to have the activities/awards/service hours to show it. How? What does it mean when people on CC say “I conducted X hours of scientific research” and how can you put that on a college application? How does being a social rights activist impress colleges? </p>
<p>I find it frustrating that I am passionate about very specific things but, because I learn about them on my own time and don’t participate in many clubs, I’m unlikely to get “credit” for these interests and will come across as lazy, as opposed to someone who files paperwork at a hospital for 100 hours every summer and looks super impressive/driven. I need clubs and awards to prove that I love learning and I care about some things so so much. I’m not a carefully molded, robotic product of a top school and ambitious parents (far from it) - I truly love these subjects and I want to go to a great school that fits me. I feel like Duke could be that place. I want to prove that I don’t just scroll through tumblr all day, nor do I go for the same old boring EC’s, but my school/area does not offer any clubs or activities that match my interests and look impressive, and my research online hasn’t turned up anything helpful. </p>
<p>Apologies - I know I sound bitter and awfully annoying (it’s ok, I’m even annoying myself). I’m just stressed, like every other person on CC. =P</p>
<p>@‌intparent
I just looked through that book - the pages available on Amazon - and it seems really interesting. Does bring me back to my original problem, though. The book seems to emphasize pursuing one or two unique passions, but the mentioned students still manage to do so in a tangible way. They conduct research at a university or help start a company for a field they are interested in. My interests just involve me reading books/articles on the internet and writing essays (that no one ever sees) on my favorite subjects - the aforementioned biological and social/political subjects. Can’t tell you how many pro-choice arguments I’ve written and tucked away. These interests are something I could write a college essay on, yes, but the extracurricular part of my application will still be lacking greatly. </p>
<p>I’ve got a suggestion. Go back to the last few years of threads of accepted Duke students. Then put the stats of everyone who was accepted into a simple spreadsheet. List items like the GPA, SAT scores, and 4-6 ECs. Stop once you have at least 30-50 other students on the spreadsheet. Make sure you include yourself as a row.</p>
<p>Then show the spreadsheet to a neutral third party (parent, teacher, friend, etc). Ask if they can pick you out of the lot.</p>
<p>If they can’t, then the AdCom members won’t be able to either.</p>
<p>Cal Newports book was invaluable! It made a huge difference for dd. It really put things into perspective early on in her HS career.</p>
<p>@Rational‌e: While I truly admire your post (#3) and all that it conveys, I know you’ll understand my response that every university obviously has the requirement to establish its own standards for admissions evaluation. However, I believe what you have written in #3 would potentially be an excellent basis for an essay that simultaneously would: (1) explain your possible lack of copious ECs and (2) be attractively different, setting you apart from the “distinguished pack” of 25+ thousand outstanding applicants. </p>