I’m planning on applying ED to Duke, and I want to maximize my chance for a merit scholarship. What do the Robertson/AB Duke/BN Duke committees look for in an applicant? Does applying ED either hurt or improve chances of receiving the scholarship?
Applying ED will probably help but only very little (it demonstrates interest).
They look for a student with great grades, test scores, a and unique story to tell (via hooks or incredible extra-curriculars.
Duke scholarships are incredibly hard to get, even “Ivy bound” applicants aren’t good enough for it. Duke is as good as the Ivy league by now, so they don’t have to issue many merit scholarships in order to attract students to convince them not to attend Stanford, Yale, etc…
I don’t believe they release statistics on ED vs. RD for scholarship recipients. Having said that, while nearly 50% of the student body is filled with ED applicants, there is NO WAY it is the same percentage for scholarship recipients. The vast vast majority are RD applicants. Anecdotally, I think I maybe heard of one person ever who applied ED and got an academic full-ride scholarship. Logically, this makes sense. If one of the primary drivers for the scholarship is to convince very top applicants to choose Duke over HYPMS then why would they “waste” it on somebody who is bound to attend if accepted at all (i.e. those applying ED)? They’d do it in truly exceptional circumstances (to grow/offer research opportunities to an outstanding applicant), but the reason to entice an applicant to attend Duke goes away for those applying ED.
Having said all that, if Duke is your #1, applying ED is the way to go as it helps your chance of admission, which is obviously quite competitive in and of itself. Their official stance is that you’ll still be considered for the merit scholarship (which you will be), but the chances of receiving one are incredibly small for everybody (ED or RD).
Good luck.
You apply to Robertson when you’re already at Duke during your freshman year.
I’m friends with some ABs and BNs…and none of them know why they were accepted. Overall, most are pretty neurotic when it comes to their grades and the ones that told me about their high school stats revealed that they had perfect GPAs and test scores. They don’t generally seem to have groundbreaking achievements (founded a large charity, backpacked the Himalayas to save Nepal orphans, etc. none of that), but usually have a few things they’re passionate about like debate or music.
The Robertson Scholarship has a separate application form. High school students interested in the Robertson should fill out the Robertson application which is due on November 15. @allthelamps, the majority of Robertsons at Duke and at UNC-Chapel Hill are chosen through the high school application process. There is a secondary process that enables students in their first year at each of the universities to apply for the Robertson then as well, but there are far fewer awards for currently enrolled students.
Duke will officially tell you that you have the same chance but in my experience, nobody I’ve met with a scholarship has been ED.
Merit scholarships in general seem to be reserved for HYP-bound students OR are given to very specific subsets of people (i.e. most first gen students will receive Rubenstein because there are very few first gen students who even attend). The scholarships you mention are generally the former category.
That being said, you have a greater chance of being admitted ED and Duke has good FA. Remember that about 11% of students are admitted, only 3% of admitted students receive merit scholarships, and most of those scholarships will not be applicable to you (unless you are a low-income, first gen, black male who lives in a specific county of North Carolina).
Good luck
You DO NOT apply to Robertson as a Freshman. That is one avenue of applying but Robertson typically adds 2 freshman to the group each year. Robertson Scholars have up to 16 spots to give to HS students entering Duke - if you want a Robertson your best bet is to apply using their application. www.robertsonscholars.org It is due November 15th for High School seniors.
The Robertson, AB, and BN selection committees are each looking for something different. BN, for example, has a service component. It’s impossible to predict who will be chosen for any of these programs-- it’s not simply the smartest or the one with the best resume. Something the applicant has done or says connects with the committee, for some reason.
Some ED applicants do receive these scholarships, but most are RD applicants. What applying ED will certainly do is minimize your chances of receiving a merit scholarship at any OTHER school. If you want to weigh other schools’ offers, don’t apply ED. If you’re set on Duke 100%, then apply ED.
And the person with the highest chance of getting a merit scholarship would probably be a first-generation minority from High Point, NC (eligible for Trinity, BN, AB, Reggie, Robertson, Rubenstein, etc.)