I would say reach - maybe even high reach.
I mean, with your high gpa, class rank of 9, ACT of 30, it just makes it look as though you have an inflated gpa. If you had 33 or above, then your chances would definitely increase.
Good luck to you. Duke is never a sure thing. Test scores are low, as you have been told, and I don’t see any SAT2 or AP scores. Where did you take or are you taking those college courses?
None of your schools are safeties for that matter, and I suggest you find one so that you are not scrambling at the 11th hour for a school for that scholarship that you have gotten. Congrats for getting a very competitive scholarship. Matching it up to a school is going to be the next tough step.
I’m a Duke alumni interviewer, and here are my impressions:
- Pratt is heavily focused on the numbers. Your ACT scores are < 25th percentile. You stand a fairly low chance unless you can get your scores above the 50th.
- Trinity has lower ACT medians, but then it would look very strange that you suddenly changed from Pratt to Trinity without a good reason.
- You are coming from an area of the country (NY) where SAT is the norm. Did you take the SAT and are not sharing scores because you did poorly on them? Why did you not take any SAT IIs? Perhaps if you had several high scores on SAT 2 subject test exams, this could offset a low ACT score.
- BME is the most popular major for new applicants to Pratt.
- The fact that your uncle is a faculty member will place your application in special status. There is a spot in the alumni interviewer website where special connections are noted (alumni, legacy, etc). So yours will be tagged. However your uncle’s pull will be limited if you don’t meet the scores. your grades and ECs look fine though.
If there is time, why not sit for an upcoming SAT I or SAT II test to show that your low ACTs are just a fluke?
Thank you everyone for all of your help.
@sgopal2
is one allowed to switch their application to trinity from Pratt even though I already submitted my application.
i just had my alumni interview, and the interviewer never asked me about my uncle, but he has submitted a letter of reference on my behalf to the admissions department.
Should I email the alumni interviewer to let her know about my uncle?
also after visiting Duke and speaking with the director of admissions for my area, she emphasized the point that test scores are just one of many aspects of an applicant. I feel as though I have many stronger aspects of my application that outshine my lower than average ACT scores.
Any thoughts.
I have received a 5 on every AP test that I have taken, and I have sent those scores to Duke.
I also have sent to Duke a few SATIIs that were all above 650.
Also, I have officially had my scholarship assigned at Duke, and I was told by the director of NROTC at Duke, that my application would be flagged for NROTC (AKA they know that I am committed to Duke and will have my tuition paid in full without any financial aid)
thank you again for all of your input
I think you can switch your application to Trinity. Call the admissions office and ask.
Not sure what to do about the info regarding your uncle. I don’t think telling the interviewer at this point would be helpful. Good luck
You should talk to Duke NROTC about switching to Trinity. Your scholarship is linked to your major, in addition to the university. What major would you have in Trinity? Be prepared to defend this to the NROTC at Duke.
- Regarding your uncle, I suggest you not call the interviewer. It probably will not make a scintilla of difference, but the alumni might view this as your attempting to "name drop" (and that could be bad). Besides, in a prior thread I believe you mentioned that your uncle planned to contact admissions, so the individuals who actually count already know.
- Regarding Trinity, I don't believe that will be a problem for Duke, but as @NROTCgrad indicates, it may well be for the Navy. My experience -- not too current on this issue -- was each NROTC unit had a limitation on the number of non-engineering/physical science/math majors. Fundamentally, the Navy really is not eager for many Regular officers to be liberal arts majors. Further, your NROTC connection is likely an "admissions plus" with Duke. Therefore, you do not want to jeopardize it. With all this said, be VERY judicious in the way(s) you approach this question with Duke's NROTC leadership.
- Again, I wish you good luck.
In your original post, you say that you plan to major in biomedical engineering. Trinity offers a biophysics major, and you might also explore the possibility of biochemistry or molecular biology, depending on your interests. All three are acceptable majors for NROTC and are tier 2 majors, as is biomedical engineering.
Try not to post that much information about yourself (School, city, zip code). I think it is feasible that people could figure out who you are.
^ ^ ^ ^
Yeah, and I’m sure both Duke and the NROTC unit maintain intensive 24/7/365 scrutiny of all CC postings. 
However, humor aside, your point is a good one.
i completely agree, and I wish there was a way for me to take down or edit my original post, but unfortunately I have not found a way to be able to.
Also does everyone on here honestly believe that my chances to be admitted to Duke are that much higher in trinity compared to Pratt?
thanks
@Alexander12123: That’s a really good question and I hope other Dukies provide their opinions. Although generally Pratt’s numbers are most-marginally higher than Trinity’s, having again reviewed your background, I truly believe your chances are essentially equal at either college. As we’ve discussed before, your ACT composite is the real weak point (believe me, this is not “rubbing it in,” I know you are painfully aware of this, and I sincerely hope you’re accepted).
With college level calc and physics on the plate, my guess is that Pratt would be a better choice. Also the admissions there is more holistic from what I have heard, where engineering faculty have some say. Trinity is very, very competitive and those test scores are not good. What is math score on ACT? What kind of college math-dual enrollment with what college? AP tests? SAT2 math scores?
You do need a “Plan B” in case you do not get accepted to Duke at all. The NROTC does allow you to transfer your scholarship to another university. The problem is that every NROTC college has a cap on the number of scholarships allowed, and thus the most popular schools fill the quickest. So, by the time you find out whether Duke has admitted you, most of the best schools have filled their slots.
The colleges that you have applied to are quite popular and well known. All of them might have all of their slots taken. I hope that you applied to some others. U.Rochester is right down the road from you. Luckily UR is not as well known as the schools you have mentioned (plus it provides free room and board to ROTC scholarship students). Purdue has rolling admissions. So you might consider it. You definitely should get accepted, but it is a well known school which could be full too. As a safety measure, take a look at NROTC colleges with rolling admissions, or one with deadlines which have not yet closed. You might need to submit a couple more applications.
http://www.nrotc.navy.mil/colleges_nrotc_unitsXP3.aspx
In short, you need to be prepared for a shock – NROTC might tell you that some place like the University of New Mexico is all that is available. Actually, if you do not get into Duke, NROTC probably will tell you what is available and where they are willing to send you. Last year, one scholarship recipient was unable to get into Berkeley, and the Navy offered him Rutgers – which he turned down and his parents paid nearly full tuition to a private college.
I don’t know much about Duke, but the following webpage indicates that the middle 50% ACT scores are 33 to 35 for engineering, but 31 to 34 for Arts and Sciences. You probably would get into Trinity. Pratt seems like a more of a reach.
http://admissions.duke.edu/images/uploads/process/DukeClass2017Profile.pdf
The problem is that Trinity tends to get the athletes, the special admits that do not have to have as high ACTs, SATs. The engineering school gets the serious students, even in the lower 25%. There’s a lot of self selection.
Trinity is tough. That test score is going to be a problem there. I know a double legacy who got turned down with 36 ACTs last year, tough prep school and grades that were good. Parents very upset. I don’t know anyone who applied to Pratt so I can’t comment on it, though I know the process there is a bit more holistic in terms of grades and test scores. They do not get as many hooked students- and that’s typical of selective engineering schools that are part of a top college. I have Naviance data for my son’s school and DUke, and though the ACT range might be 31-34, there aren’t many with even 34 getting in there. Duke was on my son’s list and would have been a very high reach even with test scores in the top 25% and a 4.0.
Look right down the road from Duke and apply to NC State University…well respected Engineering school and largest NROTC program in the state.
I have also applied to
Vanderbilt
Rice
Tulane
Georgia Tech
which three do you think that I should put on my waitlist application, in order to have a solid plan b?
thanks
I do also have a confirmed plan c at my local SUNY Schools, in which the state of NY will cover tuition, while also compiling other scholarships that I have received
I think you’ll get into Duke.