Hey all! Chance an international applicant?please!

<p>Hey there!
1)I was just wondering ...what exactly boosts a students application when it comes to duke admissions ??(apart from the grades)
Like....I have a lot of extra curricular activities that I've done in the past four years.for example classical dance,contemporary dance,batik,pottery,needle crafts like crochet and so on
2) I've also done a lot of community service work in my freshman and sophomore years
When I say community work ....i mean community work that is a integral part of completing my education at my then school (a boarding school)!
Every week ,the school would invoke the students of my batch in activities that required us to commute to the nearby villages and interact and teach english to the rural population of children OR activities like DIGGING channels near the dormitories to help with the water percolation after rains OR de-weeding of fields towel the local farmers OR create broomsticks from the tree waste </p>

<p>Does this county's community service?????
Is this fine for presentation in an application to duke?</p>

<p>3) as for my essay ...being a dancer of 12 years ...I plan to elaborate on my passion for it
The problem lies in the "why duke ?" Essay
I know why i want to apply to duke...but Unfortunately....I not sure how Togo about putting my thoughts into words for this particular one..so any advice would be helpful </p>

<p>4) my SAT scores were not too good the first time I tool the test
And I do plan rotate the test again in October
My question Is...how much would it need to be??</p>

<p>Thanx a million !!!!!</p>

<p>Duke: Reach (aim for 2150+/32+)</p>

<p>1) Your ECs sound great, as long as you’re passionate about them.
2) Those are are acceptable volunteering activities.
3) Try scouring Duke’s pamphlets and website and any other info you have on the school, keeping your eye out for anything that pops out as being super (and genuinely) interesting to you, and focus your essay on that; just make sure you don’t write anything too generic or too broad! Being specific and honest shows your true commitment to the school.
4)^I agree with Catria above. </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>