***Official Duke 2020 ED Results ONLY Thread***

Colleges and Universities A-Z Duke University
1

Hey guys!
Since the discussion release date( December 10, 2015 7pm EST) is approaching, I’d go ahead and make the results thread.
Good luck everyone and hope everyone will be happy at the end of the college application process.

Here’s the template.

[noparse]
Pick one:
Decision: Accepted
Decision: Deferred
Decision: Rejected

Pick one:
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences
Pratt School of Engineering

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown):
ACT:
SAT II:
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0):
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):
AP (place score in parenthesis):
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load:
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Job/Work Experience:
Volunteer/Community service:
Summer Activities:
Essays:
Teacher Recommendation:
Counselor Rec:
Additional Rec:
Interview:

Other

State (if domestic applicant):
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s):
School Type:
Ethnicity:
Gender:
Income Bracket:
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):

Reflection

Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected:

General Comments:
[/noparse]

2

DENIED

Pick one:
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 2060
ACT: 31
SAT II: 640 Lit, 680 Math I
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.88
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 30/581
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Language and Composition (5), AP US History (4), AP Statistics (3), AP Environmental Science (5), AP World History (3), AP Psychology (5)
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: Chemistry II (Honors), AP Chemistry, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Physics I, AP Human Geography, AP European History, AP Literature
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar with Distinction

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Volunteer at hospital, volunteer at library, writing as hobby since middle, portfolio of poems, short stories, and novels since 9th grade
Job/Work Experience:
Volunteer/Community service:
Summer Activities:
Essays: 8/10?
Teacher Recommendation: English teacher’s were probably all right, calc teacher’s was probably good
Counselor Rec: Generic I bet
Additional Rec:
Interview: Did not do

Other

State (if domestic applicant): NC
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Environmental Science but was really undecided
School Type: 2500+ students public school
Ethnicity: Biracial… white/black
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: ~150,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM

Reflection

Strengths: GPA and academic rigor
Weaknesses: Everything else basically
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I knew this was a stretch school for me. I am a little upset but I knew it was unrealistic to expect to get in. I wish I had worked harder but oh well.

3

Decision: Rejected

Pick one:
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 2120 (Did not send)
ACT: 35
SAT II: 770 Math II, 750 Bio
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.7 (4.1 Weighted)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Not available
AP (place score in parenthesis): World History (3), Bio (5), US History (5), English Language (5), Calc BC, Chem, English Lit, Gov, Spanish Lit
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: AP Chem, AP Spanish Lit, AP Calc BC, AP English Lit, AP Gov, Honors Anatomy & Physiology
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): $10,000 Community Service Award, Honor Roll/Headmaster’s list

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):4x Varisty Cross Country, Ambassador (Head Ambassador in 12th grade), Habitat for Humanity 4 years, JV Baseball 3 years, Philosophical Films club member,
Job/Work Experience: 8 week internship at UMASS Med School, 4 week internship at Tufts Medical Center
Volunteer/Community service: 180 total hours of community service, (20 in an orphanage in India)
Summer Activities:Boston Leadership Institute Biomedical and Surgical Research Camp
Essays: Not sure what this means
Teacher Recommendation: AP Bio Teacher/ AP Spanish teacher
Counselor Rec:Good
Additional Rec:
Interview:Did not do

Other

State (if domestic applicant): Massachusetts
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s):Biology
School Type:Prep School
Ethnicity: Asian (Indian)
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: 200k+
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):

Reflection

Strengths: Internships, Summer activities, ACT Score
Weaknesses: GPA/ grades
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Pretty crappy grades in high school. Also, my essay wasn’t too great; I didn’t have an interesting topic to write about.

4

Decision: Accepted

Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT: 31
SAT II: N/A
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.89
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 3/400
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Gov (3), AP Lang (3), APUSH (4)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: Honors Anatomy, AP English Lit, AP Calculus AB, AP Chemistry
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Debate Club(President & Founder), Chess, Beta Club, Key Club, Robotics
Job/Work Experience: Summer overseas work experience
Volunteer/Community service: N/A
Summer Activities: Work, Traveling
Essays: Great
Teacher Recommendation: Great
Counselor Rec: Subpar
Additional Rec: Great
Interview: Great

Other

State (if domestic applicant): NC
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Economics
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Black
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: Low
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM

Reflection

Strengths: Essays and URM status
Weaknesses: Test Scores
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Who knows!

General Comments: !!!

5

Pick one:
Decision: Accepted

Pick one:
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown):2190 710R 730W 740M
ACT:34
SAT II: 730 Biology M
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/404
AP (place score in parenthesis): 3 APWH, 3 Gov, 3 chem, 4 apush, 4 biology, 5 english language, 5 calculus AB
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: AP Stats, AP English Lit, AP Environmental Science, TPSP (independent research), Dual Credit Anatomy and Physiology
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar w/ Distinction, National Hispanic Scholar, National Commended Scholar, Girl’s State Delegate, Dance Solo Finalist/Winner at regional/state/nationals, UIL Academics Literary Criticism and Ready Writing (State alternate, district champ, regional qualifier)

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): NHS (president), Leo Club (secretary), Student Council/Senior Class VP, Interact Club Officer, Dance Team Freshman/Soph/Jr/ Lieutenant, Lt. Colonel, Teacher of the Month Election Committee
Job/Work Experience: part time sales associate at sears in the summer
Volunteer/Community service: probably about 150 hrs from club involvement
Summer Activities: Duke TIP in modern medicine and algebra 2
Essays: well written but I didn’t think it was super unique or anything, 7/10
Teacher Recommendation: I think my recommendations were a solid 7/10
Counselor Rec: 8/10
Additional Rec:
Interview: didn’t have one

Other

State (if domestic applicant):TX
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Biology
School Type:Public
Ethnicity:Hispanic
Gender:Female
Income Bracket: around 100,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM

Reflection

Strengths:I come from a school where most kids are middle class, yet it’s uncompetitive. I guess I was able to stand out and really show passion for what I do, especially service.
Weaknesses: I didn’t have any crazy awards, nor did I have a great subject test.
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I really have no idea, I’ve always felt so inferior to the other applicants, but I guess I was seen as a leader for my community.

General Comments:
I can’t believe I got in, it’s been my dream since forever and I instantly cried when I saw the screen. Congrats to all and good luck to deferred!

6

Rejected at Trinity

Objective:

ACT: 34
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.96
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 2/430
AP (place score in parenthesis): USH-4, ENV- 3 Psych- 5 Lang-5 USGOV-3 STAT-4
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc, AP LIT, AP Human, AP Phys, IB SEHS, IB BIO, AP EURO

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Not really much here; 15 hrs work week, various hobbies, academic club at school
Job/Work Experience: work 15 hr week
Volunteer/Community service: Nothing
Essays: eh common app was probably 8/10, duke ones not very great
Teacher Recommendation: English teacher very good, bio teacher very generic
Counselor Rec: very good
Additional Rec:
Interview: Thought it went very well lasted about an 1 hr 15

Other

State (if domestic applicant): NC
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Bio
School Type: Large Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: M
Income Bracket: Not low income
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None

Reflection

Strengths: ACT (kinda), GPA and course rigor, Interview
Weaknesses: Pretty much everything else
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Didn’t show how I could impact Duke and very weak EC/volunteer. I didn’t even start thinking about college until the summer so I probably could have made it if I had been more focused on it from the start. I’m not disappointed at all; didn’t expect to get in. I’m finding the silver linings in it. Probably wouldn’t have gotten much financial aid so now I won’t be on the hook for 60k a year. Looks like I’ll most likely be headed to UNC next year.

General Comments:
Word of advice to prospective applicants looking at this thread in the future: Make sure you are involved!!! GPA and test scores aren’t enough to get you into Duke in almost every case… That was my biggest mistake! Congrats to everybody that got in- I’m sure you guys will have a great time at Duke. And to the people like me who got rejected, keep your heads up! If we were applying to Duke it means that we are going to end up in a good college no matter what! Duke just wasn’t the right place for us.

7

ACCEPTED

Pratt School of Engineering

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT: 34
SAT II: Bio E: 640, Math 2: 800
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/322
AP (place score in parenthesis): Euro: 3, Calc BC: 5, Calc AB (subscore from BC test): 5, Bio: 3, US History: 3, Lang: 3
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Gov, AP Lit, AP Psych, AP Physics C, AP Spanish, AP Stats
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar w/ Honors,

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Freshman Basketball, Varsity Field Hockey, Scholastic Bowl, Math Team (our team placed 7th in state last year!), Model UN (president), National Honor Society (president)
Job/Work Experience: Cashier at local craft store for 2 years
Volunteer/Community service: Volunteered through police department on a teen peer jury for teenagers who have committed misdemeanors to provide them with a second chance and a clear record
Summer Activities: 2014 I went to the Illinois Leadership Seminar for a weekend, 2015 I went to an engineering camp at UW Madison for a week
Essays: Pretty good!
Teacher Recommendation: I had my principal write me a letter, as well as the advisers for my clubs I’m part of, so I believe they were good
Counselor Rec: Okay I assume
Additional Rec: N/A
Interview: I thought it went ok!

Other

State (if domestic applicant): Illinois
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Civil Engineering
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: ~$150,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):

Reflection

Strengths: leadership experience, grades, ACT score, course load, essay
Weaknesses: I was afraid the interview was iffy, my SAT II Bio could have been much better, and my AP Scores could have been better as well
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Basically all of my strengths I guess, I’d say I was pretty well-rounded as an applicant.

General Comments:
Congrats to all of my fellow Blue Devils! Good luck to those deferred, and I wish the best to everyone else in their college search! :slight_smile:

8

Denied

Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown):1710 (550)R (570)M (590)W
ACT:24
SAT II: 530 Math / 690 Spanish Reading
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.49
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): N/A
AP (place score in parenthesis): English Lang (2), Spanish Lang and Culture (5)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Physics 1, AP Calculus AB, AP American Gov, Honors Economics, AP Chemistry, AP English Lit, Honors French 3, World Religions, Peace & Justice
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): California Scholarship Federation, National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, French National Honor Society

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Robotics (treasurer), Varsity Lacrosse (Captain), Club Soccer (captain), Mock Trial
Job/Work Experience: Summer internship at Children’s Hospital Orange County
Volunteer/Community service: Her Servant’s Kitchen, St. Joseph’s Kitchen
Summer Activities: Summer volunteer trip to Thailand
Essays: Hearing back from other college admissions officers - GREAT!
Teacher Recommendation: Also, according to other admission reps - GREAT!
Counselor Rec: I’d assume average 7/10
Additional Rec: It was OK 5/10
Interview: I thought it went well - we definitely connected

Other

State (if domestic applicant): CA
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Neuroscience
School Type: Private Catholic All-girls
Ethnicity: Hispanic (Mexican)
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: <100k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM

Reflection

Strengths: essays, teacher recommendations, course load, and extra curricular activities
Weaknesses: scores and GPA for sure
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: My scores were way too low. I did not plan ahead for testing. My sophomore completely destroyed my GPA, so there’s that.

General Comments:
Congrats to all who were accepted I am definitely envious. Good luck to those deferred!

9

Decision: Accepted

Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 800 Math, 680 Reading, 690 Writing [2170] - not a superscore, first try
ACT: 32 - not a superscore, first try
SAT II: 710 Math 1, 700 English
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): Honestly have no clue. Weighted is 5.2
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):
AP (place score in parenthesis):
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: Full IB Diploma Candidate, so HL IB Chemistry, SL IB Physics, SL IB Mathematics, Theory of Knowledge, HL IB Lang & Lit, HL IB Spanish, HL IB Twentieth Century Topics
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Beta Club (VP), Outdoor Club (Pres), Guitar Club, Rec Soccer, National Honors Society, Interact
Job/Work Experience:
Volunteer/Community service: Assistant ESL Teacher, 5th Street Ministries volunteer, literally 40+ hours each year
Summer Activities: DigiGirlz Microsoft Camp
Essays: CommonApp was solid, Duke’s was solid, did not do optional essay
Teacher Recommendation: both solid, from two great teachers that love me
Counselor Rec: generic
Additional Rec:
Interview: not asked to do one

Other

State (if domestic applicant): NC
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): economics
School Type: public
Ethnicity: white
Gender: female
Income Bracket: lower middle
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): My grandfather was at Duke Medical Center in his final days and underwent an “experimental” heart surgery there. Really milked this in both my essays

Reflection

Strengths: My GPA and full IB curriculum
Weaknesses: I thought my test scores but I guess not
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I have no clue, I’m not questioning though

General Comments: Congrats to everyone else accepted, hold on tight to everyone deferred, and keep your chin up to anyone declined!
[/noparse]

10

[Decision: Rejected

Objective:

[ul]
[] SAT I: 2220 (M 740 R 750 W 730)
[] ACT:
[] SAT II: physics 710, literature 720, math 2 800
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.93
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): top 10%
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): World History (4), US history (5), Calculus AB (5), Calculus BC (5), Literature (4),
[] IB (place score in parenthesis):
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP Chem, Band, AP Economics, AP Government, ERWC

[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):[/ul] AP Scholar with Distinction
Subjective:

[ul]
[] Extracurriculars: Tennis, Badminton, UNICEF Treasurer, Piecemakers Treasurer, Local Youth Symphony
[] Job/Work Experience: Kumon tutor
[] Volunteer/Community service: Journalist at local non violence organization, blood clinic, animal shelter field worker
[] Essays: Common App: Quite peculiar; extended metaphor describing my identity, could have improved much before turning it in (7/10), Other essays: mediocre essays (6/10)
[] Teacher Recommendations: ERWC teacher: (9/10) AP Chem teacher: unsure; like to say (8/10)
[] Counselor Rec: N/A, my highschool is pretty big
[] Additional Rec:
[] Interview:[/ul]
Other

[ul]
[] State (if domestic applicant): California
[] Country (if international applicant):
[] School Type: Large public; 2750+
[] Ethnicity: Asian
[] Gender: Female
[] Income Bracket: Financial Aid not necessary
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):
Reflection

[list]
[] Strengths: Loaded up with extracurriculars in multiple areas ie. sports, music, leadership
[] Weaknesses: SAT scores, course load maybe? not many really outstanding awards/ extracurriculars
[] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Really high competition, lowest acceptance rate ever this year oh man
[] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:[/ul]
General Comments: It was meant to be, no matter how much it hurts. The future is always an open book!

11

Decision: Accepted

Pick one:
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): n/a
ACT: 33
SAT II: n/a
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.97 (weighted about 4.4)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 5/380
AP (place score in parenthesis): Human Geography (5), Chemistry (2), US History (3), Lang (4), Seminar (3)
IB (place score in parenthesis): n/a
Senior Year Course Load: AP Lit, AP Research, AP Bio, Bio 2 Honors, AP Calculus AB, Applied Engineering III, World History Honors, Abnormal Psychology (1st Semester; Dual Enrolled), American Sign Language 2 (2nd Semester; Dual Enrolled)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): none

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Girl Up Club (founder and president), National Beta Club (officer and March of Dimes Captain), National Honor Society, Future Educators of America, small roles in school plays, Carings Caps (Board of Directors member), Math Team, Bayside Engineering and Technology Academy (Social Committee Member)
Job/Work Experience: summer job at the bookstore of the local community college
Volunteer/Community service: hospital volunteer, Caring Caps volunteer, Relay for Life, National Beta Club, National Honor Society
Summer Activities: none
Essays: I wrote about what drove me to become a feminist and how I started the Girl Up Club at my school. My passion for the topic shined.
Teacher Recommendation: My AP Bio teacher, who I have known since 9th grade, and my Engineering teacher, who I have known since 10th grade.
Counselor Rec: My counselor knows me really well, so I feel as if she wrote a strong letter of recommendation.
Additional Rec: n/a
Interview: never contacted for one

Other

State (if domestic applicant): FL
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Biology / Neuroscience
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Hispanic (Cuban)
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: low income
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): first generation college

Reflection

Strengths: Definitely my essay and the range of my extracurriculars
Weaknesses: not musically or athletically talented, there were some iffy grades back in 10th grade
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I honestly think the passion I showed towards feminism and the recommendations from my teachers and counselors helped me get in.

General Comments: I thought that I was not going to get in, so when I read the letter, I stopped breathing for a second. Congrats to all who got in, good luck to those who were deferred, and an ever larger wish of good luck for those who were rejected. You can always try to apply as a transfer student later. The acceptance rate was lower than normal this year and more people applied, so the Admissions team had to make some very hard decisions.

12

Decision: Accepted!!!

Pick one:
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT: 33
SAT II: N/A
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 13/605
AP (place score in parenthesis): Human Geo (5), Euro (3), Macroeconomics (4), Psychology (4), Literature (4)
IB (place score in parenthesis): SL Calculus (5), SL Spanish 5 (6)
Senior Year Course Load: IB HL English, IB HL Economics, AP Stat, IB HL History, IB SL Biology, IB HL Chemistry, IB Theory of Knowledge
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Regional weightlifting awards

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Florida Junior Academy of Science officer, Physician shadowing, Weightlifting team, Hydroponics club founder and treasurer, National honor society, Mu Alpha Theta
Job/Work Experience: summer job at a convenience store
Volunteer/Community service: Hospital radiology volunteer, Nursing home volunteer
Summer Activities: Travel to Bangladesh to help the poor
Essays: 8-9/10
Teacher Recommendation: I would guess 9/10
Counselor Rec: 8/10
Additional Rec:
Interview: Went very well

Other

State (if domestic applicant): FL
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Chemistry, Neuroscience,
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: ~ 60,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):

Reflection

Strengths: GPA, course rigor and class rank, plus weightlifting team and hydroponics were unique
Weaknesses: Test Scores, Asian
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: No idea! But I’m so happy for everyone else that got in too!

General Comments: Can’t wait to meet my fellow Blue Devils!!!

13

Pick one:
Decision: Rejected

Pick one:
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): Didn’t Take
ACT: 33
SAT II: -
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.95
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): No Rank
AP (place score in parenthesis):AP US History (5), AP U.S. Government (5), AP Physics 1(4)
IB (place score in parenthesis): -
Senior Year Course Load: AP Macro/Micro, AP Calc, AP Physics- Calc based, Honors Anatomy/Physiology
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): NHS, OAA scholar

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):Big Brother Mentor, Interact Community Service Club (Treasurer), Middle School Tutor, Cross Country team, Marching Band (Section Leader).
Job/Work Experience: -
Volunteer/Community service: Tutoring as volunteer hours, Weekly volunteering at Religious School, Variety of projects as an officer of Interact club. (about 25-30 Hours a month)
Summer Activities: High School medicine conferences, Traveling/Service Trips
Essays: Common App pretty interesting (8/10), Why duke essay Very good I believe (9/10)
Teacher Recommendation: Very Good. Teachers who I asked really like me
Counselor Rec: Probably pretty generic
Additional Rec: none
Interview:I thought it went pretty well

Other

State (if domestic applicant): MI
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s):Undecided (thinking about neuroscience)
School Type: Medium Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: High
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): -

Reflection

Strengths: High GPA in difficult courses, Solid essays and recommendations
Weaknesses: Alright test scores, and relatively generic EC’s with not a ton of Leadership positions
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected:
Probably because of my EC’s. They were good but not strong enough to real stand out

General Comments:
Make sure to find something to be really passionate about, and get very involved in that passion. It will go a long way. Congrats to everyone who got in.

14

** Decision: Accepted **

Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

  • [] SAT I (breakdown): 2290 (790 CR, 770 M, 730 W)
    [    ] ACT: N/A
    [] SAT II: 750 USH 750 M2
    [    ] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.87
    [] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 35/460 (top 10%)
    [    ] AP (place score in parenthesis): 5s on APUSH, Statistics, Language & Composition, Psychology, 4 on World History
    [] IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
    [    ] Senior Year Course Load: APES, AP US Gov, AP Macro, AP Micro, AP Lit, AP CS
    [] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Semifinalist, AP Scholar with Distinction

Subjective:

  • [li] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): E-Sports Club (founder + president), School Literary Magazine (Editor), National Honor Society (treasurer), High School Jazz Band (leader/lead saxophone), Math & Science Tutoring Club (president), continued participation in two different community college jazz bands. I have also won a number of awards for writing and music.[/li][] Job/Work Experience: Freelance private math tutoring, summer internship at a software company
    [] Volunteer/Community service: 250+ hours
    [    ] Summer Activities: 60+ credits at local community colleges throughout high school. Summer college programs at SMU (after my sophomore year) and Duke (after my junior year).
    [] Essays: Strong common app essay about how playing jazz saxophone has shaped me. Supplement essay about my experience at Duke Summer College for High School Students and how I want to take part in Duke in NY. Left optional essay blank.
    [    ] Teacher Recommendation: Very strong recommendation from English teacher (teaching for over 50 years). I’m assuming that my recommendation from my junior year physics teacher was good as well
    [] Counselor Rec: Very good recommendation. I know my counselor very well, he personally knows the admissions officer from my region
    [    ] Additional Rec: N/A
    [] Interview: Very easygoing and conversational, lasted 1 hr

Other

  • [li] State (if domestic applicant): AZ[/li][] Country (if international applicant): USA
    [] Intended major(s): Econ w/ concentration in finance & Computer Science
    [    ] School Type: Public
    [] Ethnicity: White
    [    ] Gender: M
    [] Income Bracket: 100k
    [    ] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Legacy (grandfather is a distinguished engineering alumni, uncle and four cousins also attended)

Reflection

  • [] Strengths: Standardized testing, well-roundedness, dedicated participation in a number of activities
    [    ] Weaknesses: Grades
    [] Why you think you were accepted: Scores, essays, connections/legacy status, Duke Summer Program
    [    ] General Comments: Glad that I’m done with college applications
15

[noparse]
Decision: Accepted

Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): Single Sitting, 2250: (CR: 730, M: 800, W: 720)
ACT:
SAT II: 700 Chem, 800 Math 2c, 800 Korean
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): none
AP (place score in parenthesis):
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: IB HL Korean, Math, Econ. IB SL Chem, English, Music
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Carsity XC for 4 years (co-captain), Varsity soccer for 4 years, Honors Choir/ State Choir for 4 years, Big service club (co-pres), NHS, coached middle school soccer.

Job/Work Experience:
Volunteer/Community service: Internship at a NGO (translated research papers).
Summer Activities: Internship at a NGO (translated research papers), Soccer Club
Essays: Common App: 8/10. I loved the topic and was very passionate about it, but made few grammatical mistakes on the essay. I honestly thought that I would get rejected because of those, but I guess not… Supplement Why Duke: 9/10, talked about how my dad was a professor and Duke is “where I belong”. Optional Essay (7/10) Creative, but was somewhat really risky…
Teacher Recommendation: Never saw them
Counselor Rec:
Additional Rec:
Interview: Went really well!

Other

State (if domestic applicant):
Country (if international applicant): Korea
Intended major(s): Environmental Science and Policy
School Type: Private International School
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: F
Income Bracket: >200000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): none

Reflection

Strengths: Well rounded?
Weaknesses: GRAMMATICAL ERRORS IN ALL MY ESSAYS…
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I honestly don’t know but I’m not questioning it.

General Comments:
I dreamed about this college for over 10 years, really. It was in my dreams, and the past 6 months were pure torture as I, like everyone, had to endure the painful waiting. But it all paid off. I’m so blessed for all the people who supported me. And really think that God pulled off the best outcome for my future, and glad that it turned out to be Duke.

16

Decision: Denied

Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

ACT: 32

Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.95
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):
AP (place score in parenthesis):
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load:
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): NHS, OAA scholar

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Job/Work Experience:
Volunteer/Community service:
Summer Activities:
Essays: 9/10
Teacher Recommendation:
Counselor Rec:
Additional Rec:
Interview:

Other

State (if domestic applicant): MI
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): neuroscience
School Type: public
Ethnicity: white
Gender: female
Income Bracket: high
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):

Reflection

Strengths:
Weaknesses: ACT
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected:

17

Decision: Deferred

Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): Math (800) Writing (690) Reading (590)
ACT: 34
SAT II: Math II (720) Bio M (700) Math 1 (750)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.8
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Not available
AP: Calc AB (5) Euro (3) Bio (3)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc BC, AP Chem, AP French, AP Macro, AP Physics, Honors English
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): 4 Years XC, 4 Years Winter&Spring Track (Captain), Student Council (Public Relations Officer), Children of the American Revolution (State Chairman), High School Representative for County, National Honors Society, Athlete Volunteer Club (Co-founder/president)
Job/Work Experience: Boat Ride Ticket Seller
Volunteer/Community service: Chidldren of the American Revolution
Summer Activities: Leadership Conference
Essays: 3
Teacher Recommendation: 5
Counselor Rec: 5
Additional Rec:
Interview: 5

Other

State (if domestic applicant): PA
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Mathematics
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: >250,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):

Reflection: Not surprised I got deferred, strong in some, weak in others, passion above the scales. Hopefully I get accepted second time around.

Strengths: Scores
Weaknesses: Essays
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected:Other really good candidates and maybe in the end, cause I’m a well-off white girl from Pennsylvania ¯_(ツ)_/¯

General Comments:

18

Decision: Accepted

Pick one:
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): Single Sitting 2250, 780 R 750 W 720 M
ACT: Single Sitting 35, 36R 35S 35 M 33W
SAT II: did not submit, but 790 Literature and 730 Math II
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.91
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 8/400
AP (place score in parenthesis): World History 4, Biology 4, English Lit 5, English Lang 5, Calc AB 5
IB (place score in parenthesis): to be determined
Senior Year Course Load: IB HL Biology, History, English, SL Chemistry, Spanish, Math (will probably be taking Calc BC test probably)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): nope

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): various school clubs, varsity volleyball, nothing major
Job/Work Experience: waitressing summer between sophomore and junior year
Volunteer/Community service: ~350 hours of volunteering at local children’s hospital, some smaller things here and there
Summer Activities: a couple of courses at a local community college, volunteering, vacations

Essays: Common App: very personal but perhaps a bit trite
Why Duke: I love Duke, but then again so does everyone that applies early

Optional Essay: unconventional
They’re probably all 8/10
Teacher Recommendation: never saw, but both teachers have written many LORs
Counselor Rec: never saw but we talked for about an hour about what she should write in the recommendation so hopefully it was good
Additional Rec: none
Interview: pretty good, 1.5 hr

Other

State (if domestic applicant): TX
Intended major(s): Neuroscience

School Type: Large Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: ~$150,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): nope

Reflection

Strengths: ACT score, challenging curriculum? not really sure
Weaknesses: math scores, unexceptional extracurriculars, rank

Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I’m honestly so surprised and grateful.

19

ACCEPTED (International Student)

Pick one:
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 720 CR 780 M 770 W
ACT: N/A
SAT II: 790 Maths II 800 Chemistry
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 28/approx 480
AP (place score in parenthesis): N/A
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: Cambridge A-level: Chemistry, Biology, Economics, English Literature
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): 1st in New Zealand Environmental Entrepreneurship Competition (2nd international), Victoria Excellence, Biology Olympiad Bronze Award, Distinction in National Economics Competition, UN Youth Case Competition Finalist

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): (World Vision Committee), Varsity Tennis 2 years, (CFO of Asia Pacific Connection), Habitat for Humanity, (NZ SS Case Competition), (Youth Leadership Summit Organiser), Treasurer of Maths Olympiad Student Association, (Headmaster’s Social Awareness Committee), Amnesty, Junior Tutoring
Job/Work Experience: Tennis Coach
Volunteer/Community service: See activities above ^
Summer Activities: See activities above ^
Essays: 8/10
Teacher Recommendation: 7/10
Counselor Rec: 9/10
Additional Rec: N/A
Interview: N/A

Other

State (if domestic applicant): N/A
Country (if international applicant): New Zealand
Intended major(s): Global Health/Economics
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Chinese
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: $150,000+
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): N/A

Reflection

Strengths:
Weaknesses: Well-rounded, ambitious, determined
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Dunno lol

General Comments:

20

Decision: Accepted

Pratt School of Engineering

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown):
ACT: 32 composite (E:32, R:32, S:33, M:34) two sittings
SAT II: none
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.98
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):2/130
AP (place score in parenthesis): did not submit
IB (place score in parenthesis): none
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus AB, AP Earth Enviro, English Writing & Research Honors, Anatomy & Phys Honors, AP US Gov, British Literature Honors, American Literature Honors, Civics & Economics Honors
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): MVP varsity soccer 3 years, captain varsity soccer, competitive club soccer, all-conference and all-region soccer awards, 2nd degree black belt tkd, junior leader tkd, salutatorian, 1st place high school science fair, NC academic scholar

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Job/Work Experience:
Volunteer/Community service: volunteered at a community thrift shop that funds a food pantry (150 hours summers), BAM, wrangled goats for local farmers for sheering/vaccinations (twice a year for four years), church flutist also performed at special events at another church, taekwondo junior leader assisting instructors and helping students, taekwondo judge for color belt testings, competitive club soccer since 8 years old, high school varsity soccer (mvp, captain), youth representative administrative council of my church.
Summer Activities:
Essays: Worked hard on them and felt like they represented who I am. Did not do the optional essay.
Teacher Recommendation: Two of them but I have no idea what they wrote. I had both teachers for multiple classes so they had a lot of experience with me.
Counselor Rec: Yes but I don’t know what he wrote.
Additional Rec: No
Interview: Yes and I thought it went well. Lasted about 45 minutes.

Other

State (if domestic applicant): NC
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): mechanical engineering, aerospace, art, biomedical engineering
School Type: small rural high school
Ethnicity: white
Gender: male
Income Bracket: low income
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): none

Reflection: I also submitted an art portfolio through the common application. I discussed my intention to minor in art.

Strengths: extracurriculars, essays
Weaknesses: ACT composite score
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: my essays and extracurriculars

General Comments: I’m beyond excited and a little shocked. It’s true that it’s not just about standardized test scores. My ACT math and science scores are right on for Pratt, but I was concerned about my low composite score. My advice to future applicants is don’t let test scores that are a little low discourage you. And also, work hard on your essays until they represent you well.
Congratulations to my fellow blue devils. To those who were deferred or rejected, all I can think is that it could’ve easily been me. Good luck I know you’ll end up at a great school.