<p>Do any of you have statistics about legacy admissions at Duke? I have solid extracurriculars (student body president, history of leadership in community service, musician, varsity athlete), good sats (2180/1470 might take again/780 US/ 700 Bio-E), but my gpa (3.63 UW in all honors/3-APs so far, 7APs-by end of senior year) is a little weak, and I would probably not apply to Duke if not for my legacy status. I just visited and fell in love with the school, and my grandfather was on the wall of donors in the Bryan Center...could this give me the boost I need if I apply ED? </p>
<p>-My school doesn't rank
-My weighted GPA is somewhere around 4.1, my school doesn't have this, so this is an estimate.</p>
<p>You say you are a musician so you might consider sending a tape to the music deparment - there is a separate part of the application for this. Talk to your orchestra/band teacher or private instructor and ask them for an honest opnion of your talent - you don't want to send in a mediocre performance. And pay close attention to your college essay - write from your heart - something you are passionate about. Admissions officers love essays that are unique and give them a good picture of the applicant. </p>
<p>Don't worry that your school does not rank - my D's school did not rank either and it did not affect her college admissions process.</p>
<p>Thanks very much guys for the suggestions...I wasn't going to mention the legacy factor as my motivation in an essay, it isn't the reason why I'm picking Duke, but rather the curriculum, what I've heard about the Public Policy program, and the excellent opportunities available including: Study Abroad, the Hart Leadership Program/Focus/Duke Engage. I would just be too discouraged to apply early if I didn't have the legacy component, considering the selectivity of the school.</p>
<p>If this is the one school you want to go to above all others, then by all means apply ED. The admissions % is higher. Either way, your legacy status will definitely help you--it won't get you in if you aren't qualified, but it will get you a good look, and it may keep you from being passed over or lost in the multitudes of applications from applicants with stats similar to yours. Even if you don't get in ED, they sometimes defer to the regular admission pool, which isn't the worst thing in the world. There's no need to refer to your legacy status in the essay or Why Duke essay--if the application hasn't changed, there is a spot on the application where you mark relatives who have gone to Duke, and I know Duke pays attention to that.
Westcoastmom has some good advice, but unless you are intending on majoring in music, then I wouldn't recommend sending the music tape. If that is your intended major and you are an incredible musician, then by all means. Don't be scared off by the selectivity. Even if it's a stretch, what have you got to lose?</p>
<p>Download the Optional Artistic Material Form. This form is optional. If you have exceptional talent in dance, theater, art, or music you may submit supplemental materials which will be evaluated by an appropriate faculty member. You will not be required to major in this area but you should have an interest in continuing it in college. You'll find complete instructions for submitting supplementary material on page 2 of the Artistic Material Form . If you want to submit supplementary material that doesn't fit into one of these categories, please do not use the Artistic Material form. Simply submit the material with the rest of your application.</p>
<p>Thanks again guys for the suggestions. I row, and it is a really big time commitment. I row in both the spring and fall and I train in the winter, and it is about an 18hr/week time commitment, almost always on weeknights. I understand that this is not going to factor into my admissions athletically, because men's rowing is not a varsity sport, but I hope that it shows that I manage my time well, and that I am a well-balanced person. I also attend a very competitive public school, which doesn't weight grades or rank students, but I received the Colgate book award which seemed to imply that I am in the top 10% of my class.</p>
<p>Thanks again for the music suggestions, it is something that I participate in almost daily, however I am not exceptional, therefore I probably would not consider submitting tapes.</p>