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

Colleges and Universities A-Z Duke University
21

[noparse]
Pick one:
Decision: Accepted

Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

ACT: 34
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 3/111
AP (place score in parenthesis): World 3, Bio 4, Chem 4, Physics 4, Lang 4, US 5
Senior Year Course Load: 6 AP Classes, 1 College level
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):Varsity Field Hockey (Scholar Athlete Award 11, 12), Varsity Fencing, JV/Varsity Badminton, Quill and Scroll (Treasurer), Foreign Language Honor Society (Treasurer), Interact (Treasurer), Yearbook (Asst. editor in cheif), Literary magazine (Editor in chief), National Honor Society, Science honor society
Job/Work Experience: Summer internship at business firm (12), Carvel Ice Cream employee (9, 10)
Volunteer/Community service: Tutoring/HW Helpers, Interact Community service club
Summer Activities: Summer internship, Volunteer @ Hospital
Essays: Ok written…but unique
Teacher Recommendation: Very strong
Counselor Rec: Strong (maybe?)
Additional Rec: Art Teacher
Interview: Very well!!!

Other

State (if domestic applicant):New York
Intended major(s): Biology
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: F
Income Bracket: Upper class
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Art Portfolio

Reflection

Strengths: Letters of rec, extracurriulars, GPA
Weaknesses: Essay, supplements were very generic
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: My interview went so well and I think my art portfolio helped me stand out!

General Comments: I’m in such a state of shock and am so happy I got in! See you all next fall!
[/noparse]

22

Decision: Accepted!!

Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 2270 (Not sent)
ACT: 35
SAT II: 790 on Math II (Not sent)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4 unweighted
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 14
AP (place score in parenthesis): 5 on AP Calc AB, 5 on AP Calc BC
IB (place score in parenthesis): 5 on IB Econ SL, 6 on IB Bus Mgt SL (Not sent)
Senior Year Course Load: IB; English SL, Spanish SL, Math HL, Biology HL, Chemistry SL, History HL, Philosophy SL, TOK
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Vanderbilt Book Award, National Merit Semifinalist, NHS, a couple school awards

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Speech and Debate Team (11th Grade Congress Co-Captain, 12th Grade Tournament Co-Chair), Boy Scouts (11th Grade Eagle Scout, 10th Grade Senior Patrol Leader), Academic Team (11th and 12th Grade Co-Captain), WorldQuest Team (12th Grade Co-Captain)
Job/Work Experience: Camp and Afterschool Counselor at YMCA (Summer before 12th Grade and into 12th Grade)
Volunteer/Community service: Listed Boy Scouts as a volunteer activity
Summer Activities: YMCA Counselor
Essays: My common app essay wasn’t very good, but I think my optional essay about being gay and dealing with my Scout troop may have made the difference. My “Why Duke?” essay was decent, but it probably isn’t as important for ED applicants since applying early already indicates your commitment.
Teacher Recommendation: Apparently not bad enough to get me denied haha. I asked my economics teacher for one and asked that he focus more on my experience in Debate. I also got a recommendation from my biology teacher for a better perspective on what I did in class. It might be a good idea to have recommendations from a teacher who can talk about you in the classroom as well as one from a teacher who can speak to your extracurricular involvement.
Counselor Rec: Our counselors don’t really have too much interaction with us, but I doubt the Admissions Office really weighs these too much.
Additional Rec: N/A
Interview: It went pretty well! My interviewer majored in the same area I’m interested in, so she was really helpful in talking about what careers might be available to Duke Public Policy students. Even if the interview isn’t weighed a lot in the admissions office, it will make you even more excited about college.

Other

State (if domestic applicant): North Carolina
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Public Policy
School Type: Public HS, senior class of 590
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: Lower middle class
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Gay

Reflection

Strengths: Scores, grades, optional essay, leadership positions
Weaknesses: My extracurriculars are a little bit all over the place, but that might have been ok since I showed commitment in all of them. My Common App essay wasn’t great.
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I think my optional essay and extracurricular involvement helped me stand out.

General Comments: Do what you enjoy in high school! If you try to pick extracurriculars that fit into some narrative for your college app, you will have wasted four years that are just as important as the next four years you’re about to embark on. If you show genuine involvement in your activities, put in a good effort at school, and try to cultivate good relationships with your teachers, colleges will reward you.

23

[noparse]
Pick one: Accepted
Decision: Accepted

Pick one: Pratt
Pratt School of Engineering

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown):770 math, 730 reading, 730 writing, 2230 total
ACT: 35 C (35 english, 36 math, 35 reading, 33 science)
SAT II: 790 math 2, 790 molecular bio
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 5/300
AP (place score in parenthesis): World History (4), Psychology (4), Human Geography (5), Govt, (5), Biology (5), US History (5), AB Calc (5)
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: IB Tok 2, IB Math HL, IB Biology HL, IB Philosophy SL, IB 20th Century HL, IB English HL, IB Spanish SL, Honors Physics (k12)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): none really, AP Scholar with Distinction, Service Learning Diploma

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Tennis: varsity, captain, all-conference, all-regional, conference player of the year, USTA tournaments, tennis academy
Quiz Bowl: captain, NAQT Nationals, 12 state finals
Mock Trial: captain
Model UN
Pokemon: competitive battling, number one world OU ranking multiple times
Mountain biking
Guitar
Sierra Club: building solar powered phone chargers
Job/Work Experience: lifeguarding, work at tennis facility, teaching tennis lessons
Volunteer/Community service: Breakfast Buddies, started a food bank at my school, tennis recycling program, volunteer counselor at a sports camp
Summer Activities: already listed
Essays: My common app essay was very unique in my opinion. It was written in a journal format and basically told my efforts to teach my dog how to use stairs. However, he never could learn for some reason. My Pratt essay spoke of my interest for renewable energy, and my diversity essay spoke about my how my last name influenced my life.
Teacher Recommendation: Should have been stellar, especially the one from my tennis coach.
Counselor Rec: He’s very fond of me, but he is also overwhelmed.
Additional Rec: from a fellow counselor at sports camp, probably the best if I had to guess
Interview: went very well, we didn’t really talk much about me and spent most of the time talking about music and basketball

Other

State (if domestic applicant): NC
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): electrical engineering
School Type: public 4A
Ethnicity: white
Gender: male
Income Bracket: idk exactly, but I didn’t apply for financial aid
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): my entire immediate family attended or currently attends UNC- Chapel Hill

Reflection: My dream for the past two years finally came true! Find things that you love and pursue them with everything you have.

Strengths: I’ve been told that my writing really shows my personality, test scores, grades, rigor of classes, athletics, well-rounded
Weaknesses: one dimensional extracurriculars for freshman and sophomore years because I thought that I wanted to play tennis in college
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I’m not really sure, but I was attracted to Duke because I felt as though it was a perfect fit for me and that I was a perfect fit for Duke.

General Comments: Grayson Allen is now my hero
[/noparse]

24

Pick one:
Decision: Accepted

Pick one:
Pratt School of Engineering

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): didn’t take
ACT: 34C (34-E, 33-M, 34-R, 36-S) (one sitting)
SAT II: didn’t take
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0 uw, we don’t do weighted 4.0 but it’s a 99.8
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): top 10%
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP World History (4), AP Physics 1 (5), AP Statistics (5), AP US History (5), AP Language (5)
Senior Year Course Load: AP BC Calc, AP Chemistry, AP Gov, AP Physics 12, AP Literature, economics
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): just the AP scholar thing

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
-Varsity Soccer 9-12 (captain jr & sr year)
-Varsity Track & Field Spring + Winter 9-12 (won leagues in dash/relay/long jump)
-Science olympiad 10-12 (captain sr year)
-Women’s Empowerment Club 10-12
-Statistics Club 11-12 (President and founder)
-Habitat for Humanity 9-12
-Environmental Science Club 9-12
-Freshman Transition Program, Senior Mentor 12
-National HS 11-12
-NY State Math HS 10-12 (secretary 11th grade, president 12th grade)
-NY State Science HS 10-12
-National English HS 11-12
-National Italian HS 10-12
-Rho Kappa (social studies) HS 11-12
Job/Work Experience:
-Work as cashier/ticket collector/snack bar cook at local ice rink (abt. 15 hours/week)
-Local summer camp 10-12
-Soccer referee for town recreation league (every Saturday in spring/fall)
Volunteer/Community service:
-Volunteer at local mansion-museum (abt. 2 times a month, ex: hid easter eggs for kids egg hunt, organized arts and crafts on discover history day, etc.)
-Tutor after school (7th grader twice a week in all subjects, 10th grader in math once a week)
-Pelham Children’s Center (read to kindergarteners, organize 5K/October pumpkin festival)
Summer Activities:
-Work at ice rink (see above)
-Summer going into 12th grade: had spinal surgery due to scoliosis
Essays:
-CA essay: 8ish/10 was about my surgery and impacts on my outlook/role as a captain for soccer
-Why Duke? essay: 9/10. thought it was really detailed even though we only had 150 words!!
-Optional essay: socioeconomic diversity in my town/stereotypes, touched a bit on racism etc. in my town
Teacher Recommendations:
-10/10: AP physics 1&2 teacher (junior and senior year), science olympiad coach. He asked if I wanted to read it after he sent it, even though I signed the FERPA and he didn’t have to: “1 of the best students I’ve had in 10 years of teaching.” My all time favorite teacher
-8/10: Honors chemistry and AP chemistry teacher (sophomore and senior year), talked about my growth as a student, aptitude, etc. We have a great bond
Counselor Rec:
-10/10, she knows me really well and calls me her “green eyed m&m” (apparently the green m&ms are rare).
Additional Rec: n/a
Interview:
-went really well, lasted about an hour and a half. a few times she said that I had stolen her thunder and brought up something that she was going to mention.

Other

State (if domestic applicant): NY
Intended major(s): Biomedical engineering
School Type: Public (800 students, give or take)
Ethnicity: White (European) and 1/4 Korean, but didn’t state this on CA
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: abt. $100,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): female in engineering? spinal surgery essay? nothing else really

Reflection

Strengths: Grades/course rigor, recs, ECs
Weaknesses: ACT is a little low for Pratt
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Not really sure, I think my essays were very representative of my personality. Good recs and hard classes.

General Comments:
Really excited!! Can’t believe it. Anyone who was rejected, it’s okay, you’ll end up where you’re supposed to be- This is by no means an indication of you as a person, you guys are going places! Those deferred, you guys are also going to do great things! Maybe Duke will be lucky enough to have you, but if not you’re sure to be successful anywhere you go!

25

Decision: Accepted

Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): DNS
ACT: 35 C 36 R 36 E 35 M 34 S
SAT II: DNS
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 5%
AP (place score in parenthesis): 5 - AB, World, Micro, Macro, Lang
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: 5 AP’s, Honors stuff
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): NMSF, AP Distinction, Local Debate Awards, National Spanish Exam Medalist

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Good leadership, a few interesting things.
Job/Work Experience: worked during summers
Volunteer/Community service: Very little
Summer Activities: Nothing too special
Essays: 8/10 or so
Teacher Recommendation: 9/10
Counselor Rec: 8-9/10
Additional Rec: 9/10
Interview: Went great

Other

State (if domestic applicant): MO
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Econ (B.S)
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: Eh
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Nope

Reflection

Strengths: Academics
Weaknesses: Lack of major awards, community service
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Lucky!

General Comments: Super excited for the next four years! P.M. me if you’re going too! Can’t wait to meet everybody!

26

Decision: Accepted

Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): did not take
ACT: 33 second time (first score was 30)
SAT II: did not take
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.97
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 4/301 (Listed as top 10%)
AP (place score in parenthesis): Biology (3), APUSH (3), Calc AB (5), Chemistry (4) (My school didn’t really have many APs available soph and junior year). I also did not announce the scores in Common App.
IB (place score in parenthesis): none
Senior Year Course Load: Band, AP Physics C, AP Lang, AP CS, Honors Spanish V, AP Econ micro, AP Calc BC
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar with Distinction

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Soccer 4 years (Varsity Captain Senior year), Band 4 years (Section Leader last two years), Travel Soccer 4 years, Math Team, Jazz Band (Last year and this year)
Job/Work Experience: Worked at an ice arena.
Volunteer/Community service: Library shelver (1 hr per week), Hospital Volunteer 100+ hours.
Summer Activities: Volunteered at Hospital, Led summer soccer practices, worked at arena
Essays: Long essay was solid. It was about how my exposure to jazz saxophone has helped me embrace imagination. In my short essay, I talked about my love for the freedom Duke gives its students, using research and foreign study as examples. I also mentioned how I liked Duke Engage because it relates to me as a volunteer myself.
Teacher Recommendation: Never saw, but probably good but not great, maybe a bit generic. (6-7/10)
Counselor Rec: Never saw but probably a great recommendation. I always challenged myself with a rigorous course load (9/10)
Additional Rec: Never saw but definitely a fantastic recommendation from my band director. She loves me to death! (9.5/10)
Interview: Exceptional interview.

Other

State (if domestic applicant): MN
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Maybe CS, Chemistry.
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: Middle Class
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): none

Reflection

Strengths: good grades, good essays, great interview
Weaknesses: recommendations and lack of big awards
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Unsure, but extremely happy to be attending Duke next year

General Comments: So glad to not have to do more college applications / stressing out about college

27

Rejected

Pick one:
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown):
ACT:30 (36 R, 27 E, 26 M, 31 S 29 W)
SAT II:
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.5 W
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Psych (4) APUSH (4) AP Lang (4)
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: AP US GOV, AP Music Theory, Honors Pre Calculus, AP Lit and Comp, Dance, Honors Modern World History

Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Nine year veteran of Children’s Choir, member of choir touring group (India, South Africa and Cuba), Comedy Club member,
Job/Work Experience: Intern at the Mayor of Chicago’s office
Volunteer/Community service: member of University of Chicago Children’s hospital Teen board
Summer Activities:
Essays: 10/10 for common app super unique answer about a badly behaved hat
Duke Supplementals about my pink duke blanket I got when I was little 9/10
Teacher Recommendation: 8/10? Both teachers I loved, didn’t see letters so IDK.
Counselor Rec: Meh, 6/10
Additional Rec: 9/10 Choir conductor who has known me since I was ten years old
Interview: 10/10 She told me that Duke would be a perfect fit for me.

Other

State (if domestic applicant): Illinois
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Poli Sci
School Type: Public magnet
Ethnicity:White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket:
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): 3rd generation legacy, talked about my struggles dealing with a chronic illness

Reflection

Strengths: Legacy, unique EC, super challenging high school, good essays, amazing interview
Weaknesses: ACT, GPA
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected:

General Comments:
Devastated, but I’ll be okay I guess.

28

Decision: REJECTED

Pick one:
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): Didn’t send (one sitting 2100 c, 690r 680m 730w)
ACT: 34 Composite (35E, 35M, 32R, 33S, 31W/E) One sitting
SAT II: Did not take
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 95/100 unweighted
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 10%
AP (place score in parenthesis): English Language (5) US History (3) Physics 1 (3)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus BC, AP Physics C, Original Science Research, College-level english class, AP Spanish, AP Economics
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): 4-year varsity cross country (captain), 4-year varsity winter track (captain), 4-year varsity spring track (captain), 6-year piano lessons, 2-year member of school’s Model Congress club, Member of school’s chapter of National Honors Society
Job/Work Experience: 4-year referee for local rec soccer league, 1-year counselor at local day camp
Volunteer/Community service: 3-year volunteer at local food pantry, various other random service events
Summer Activities: Did a summer program at Princeton where students can learn about topics that interest them that aren’t standard to most schools’ curriculum (examples include the Psychology of Dreaming, the Mechanics of Time travel, etc.)
Essays: I thought they were all good but… Common app was the failure prompt, discussed the time I had my phone stolen and how my real failure was yielding to my cynicism towards the world; Why Duke? was about how my volunteer work has sparked my interest in developing economies and how i wanted like to use the school’s DukeEngage program; Diversity essay was about having divorced parents and a brother with aspergers, and how I tried to never let either define me
Teacher Recommendation: Never saw any of them, but they all liked me and witnessed what I would consider to be some of my best academic work, so I hope they were good
Counselor Rec: Ditto
Additional Rec: Director of distribution for all food pantries in the county; he knows me very well so I hope it was good
Interview: I thought it went well; the only little slip may have been that I probably came off as a little too focused on getting the degree and getting a job, rather than schmoozing on how i want to “learn new things in an environment rich with diversity”

Other

State (if domestic applicant): New York
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Economics w/ potential focus in Finance
School Type: Public (roughly 1400 students)
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: High ($200,000+)
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): nada

Reflection

Strengths: Strong ACT score, good GPA, deep involvement in extracurriculars, creative and thoughtful Essays
Weaknesses: other than AP Scores, someone wanna tell me? i feel like anything I say would be nitpicking
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I could have taken AP Literature but the curriculum did not interest me; my actual leadership in terms of titles is a little shallow; maybe they just didn’t like the idea behind my essay(s)?

General Comments:
I’m not even going to lie: I wanted this more than anything in the world. It hurts, not even being deferred, but the best thing I can do is pick myself up, dust myself off, and focus on getting the rest of my applications out. Next on my list (in no rigid order) is Cornell, Amherst, Middlebury, Tufts, and some others.

Regardless, congratulations to all that were accepted! I hope you have the best four years of your life. For those who were as unfortunate as me: we’re all in this together now :wink:

29

Decision: Accepted

Pick one:
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT: 35
SAT II: N/A
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.7
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): N/A
AP (place score in parenthesis): APUSH (4), EHAP, AP Bio(4), Ap Psychology, AP English, AP Environmental Science
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP English, AP Euro, AP Psychology, AP Environmental Science, Math 12, Spanish 5
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Scholastic Silvery Key award for Creative Writing

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Varsity Football Captain and Quarterback, Volunteered and ran a youth leadership board at a local charitable organization for underprivileged kids, ran a sports trainers business that I founded, etc.
Job/Work Experience: Pizza delivery, cook, ran my own business,interned at an ad agency
Volunteer/Community service: Volunteered and ran a youth leadership board at a local charitable organization for underprivileged kids, also made a club at school
Summer Activities: Traveled and worked mainly. Interned at an advertisement agency
Essays:
Common App Essay: (10/10) Extraordinary essay about how I fought an illness to becoming a starting quarterback
Duke Supplemental: (9/10) Both my parents went to Duke, so it was very easy to talk about how I fit in.

Teacher Recommendation: Very strong recommendation from my english teacher of 3 years (10/10), and another strong essay from my AP Biology teacher (7/10)
Counselor Rec: Solid. Had a good relationship with him. (8/10
Additional Rec:
Interview: Yes, went very well. We spoke for over an hour and a half.

Other

State (if domestic applicant): NY
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Political Science
School Type: Public (top in the nation)
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket:
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Both parents attended Duke

Reflection

Strengths: Strong ACT, Double Legacy, Strong curriculars, strong essays, strong upward trend in grades (3.3 freshman year, 3.8 sophomore yr., 4.1 junior yr.)
Weaknesses: Started high school of slow so my GPA suffered.
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected:
I think I was accepted mainly because I feel I am a well rounded student- the type Duke generally looks for. Being a double legacy obviously helped, but having a upward trajectory of grades, coupled with a great ACT score and good extracurriculars seems to fit what Duke’s looking for. Congrats to all who got in, and to those who didn’t good luck throughout the rest of the process!

30

Decision: Accepted

Pratt School of Engineering

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 800 CR, 780 M, 760 W (2340)- first/only sitting
ACT: 36 C (36 on M/E/S and 35 R but 8 on essay…)- first/only sitting
SAT II: 800 Math 2, 780 Physics
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0, 5.2 Weighted
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 2/835
AP (place score in parenthesis): APWH (5), APUSH (5), AP Lang (5), AP Physics 1 (5), AP Physics 2 (5), AP Stats (5)
IB (place score in parenthesis): not offered
Senior Year Course Load: Varsity Swim Team, AP Government, AP Macro, AP Lit, AP Calc AB, AP Calc BC, AP Chem
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Semi-Finalist, AP Scholar with Distinction, Girls State Citizen, some school awards for best in each subject

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Varsity Swim Team- 4 Years, lettered all 4 (best team player as junior, Varsity Captain)
NHS, Spanish Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta (President)
Church Youth Ministry (also volunteer stuff)
Swam with a club year round until sophomore year
Government Club- founded after Girls State experience to recruit and teach girls about politics (co-founder/VP)
MEDS Club
Job/Work Experience:
Taught Piano Lessons for 2 years to 6 students a week (9, 10)
Lifeguard in the summers- not hired by a company, had to advertise myself to neighbors (Summers before 11,12)
Volunteer/Community service:
Library Volunteer, 70+ hours
Church Volunteer, 80ish hours (this was reflected weirdly in the app)
Volunteer coach for middle school swim team 6 weeks a year, 120 hours
Hours for honor societies add up to around 140 in addition to that
Summer Activities:
Work- piano before 9/10, lifeguard before 11/12
Swam- on club all 4 years, 9/10 for competitive national team (12 hrs/week), 11/12 for summer league (6 hrs/week)
Girls State before senior year
Essays: common app was about Girls State and learning what it means to be a leader/ my aunt dying only a week before it (8/10? I wanted to do something swimming but felt that would be cliche), Why Duke? was okay but I felt I didn’t have enough space to really go into detail (6/10), wrote the optional essay about being an LGBT Christian in a conservative state and how Duke’s accepting campus for both groups would be perfect for me (10/10, very personal)
Teacher Recommendation: my AP Stats teacher wrote me one, she goes to my church so I thought it would be good but it was rather generic. 5/10? It probably didn’t hurt my app but it didn’t help. My AP Humanities teacher that nominated me for Girls State wrote my other and it was for sure 10/10, she says I’m one of her favorite students ever
Counselor Rec: probably super generic. She has way too many kids to know who I am
Additional Rec: asked my coach for one, she’s known me since I was 10. It was really sweet, and she’s a nationally recognized coach (although I’m by no means swimming for Duke I felt this would help)
Interview: I think it went well! My interviewer told me prepare for 45 minutes and it was 1.25 hours. She seemed impressed, despite my flubs, and I enjoyed our conversation

State (if domestic applicant): TX
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Biomedical Engineering
School Type: Large Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: divorced parents, one is <30k, other is >200k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): does LGBT count? Or female engineer?

Reflection

Strengths: strong test scores (without multiple attempts) and grades, interest in politics/ leadership in that and in swimming, Girls State
Weaknesses: no really big uncommon awards, no research, at first glance my app doesn’t appear like an engineer’s, could use some stronger leadership besides captain, not really a “hook”
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: honestly I think it was Girls State and my rec from my humanities teacher that pushed me over. That and being very involved in swimming and volunteer work.

General Comments:

Very excited, Duke is definitely my dream school and biomedical engineering is my dream career. I think conveying that is an important part of the process. One thing I think that set me apart is my involvement in government and politics as an engineering major, I think that’s atypical and Duke probably appreciated it. Also, I am super dedicated to swimming and have had 2 major EC’s, volunteering, and work related to the sport. The fact that I was accepted is something I take as evidence that Duke doesn’t really want someone who “does it all”, but finds a few things to really focus on. I thought the fact that I wasn’t focusing on robotics and medical research to prepare me for my major would hold me back but I guess not.

31

[noparse]
Decision: Accepted

Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT: 35
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.91
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 5%
AP (place score in parenthesis): Physics B (5), Human Geo (4), English Language (5), Bio (5), Spanish Language (5), US History (5), Calc BC (5)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Micro, AP Physics C, AP Stats, AP Psych, AP Environmental Science, AP Lit, AP Gov
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Commended, Chicago Fire All State Academic 2nd team, IHTD National Video competition finalist, FBLA 6th at state, (a couple dumb small ones)

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Varsity Soccer (Co-captain, lots of academic and athletic awards), Buddy Soccer (group leader, soccer program for kids with disabilities), Substance Abuse Prevention Team (exec board), NHS (inductee mentor), Church Food Bank (Co-coordinator), Club Soccer, Intramurals, FBLA, Sustainability Council

Summer Activities/Work experience: Bucknell engineering summer program, Stevens Institute of Tech Business summer program, summer league, Northwestern soccer camps, Jobs: Certified Head Referee, Intern/social media coordinator for a sports media website, Intern at local grad school doing T1 diabetes and psych research, worked at local pool, dog sitter (lol), soccer

Volunteer/Community service: Book bank, community events, Kiva, renewed middle school recycling program (probably 300+ hours total over 4 years).

Essays: Common app - 9/10 really unique. Why Duke 9/10, Diversity one 10/10
Teacher Recommendation: No idea on these, but I’m assuming they were solid 9/10.
Counselor Rec: knew him pretty well, but he has 100+ students so IDK 8/10
Additional Rec: my soccer coach adores me, 10/10
Interview: 10/10, was during a snow storm, lady said I’d be a perfect fit, I cleaned snow off her car with her after the interview

Other

State (if domestic applicant): IL
Intended major(s): econ, psych, environmental science
School Type: Public, 4000 kids
Ethnicity: white/asian
Gender: male
Income Bracket: a lot
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): nothing

Reflection

Strengths: grades, ACT, diverse spread of activities with a lot of depth is something I feel like Duke appreciates a lot
Weaknesses: awards, no hooks at all, big school so hard to stick out, extracurriculars (?)
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected:
I think that I had a really strong common app essay that talked about some important things I do that doesn’t show thru on the rest of the application, my interview went amazing, and I have done everything right academic wise in my 4 years. I am so excited to be a part of the class of 2020 holy crap.

General Comments: Still super pumped. Good luck to everyone applying RD, and for those who didn’t get in, just know that this was the most competitive ED pool ever (according to Duke) and the college you go to doesn’t define who you are (duh).
[/noparse]

32

ACCEPTED!!!

Cummulative GPA: 3.6 UW 4.7 W

Objective:

PSAT: 208, SAT I: 2170 (Did not send)
ACT: 35 one sitting (35E 35M 32R 36S)
SAT II: 800 Bio E, 740 Chem, 790 math 2
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): top 15% (small school with lots of good kids, around 50 kids in my class)
AP (place score in parenthesis): World History 4, Euro 4, Chemistry 5, Calc AB 5, Calc BC 4, English Lang 5, Bio 5, U.S. History 4.
IB (place score in parenthesis): not offered at my school
Senior Year Course Load: AP Macroecon, AP Gov, AP Lit, AP Art History, AP Stats, Dual Enrollment Multivariable Calculus, AP Physics C, Women’s Studies Honors, Greek 4 Honors, AP Environmental, Online P.E.
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Both individual and team Medals in Regional and State Florida Science Olympiad, National AP Scholar, National Hispanic Recognized, Multiple High Honor Rolls

Subjective:

Extracurriculars:
Job/Work Experience: Internship Junior Summer with a wastewater recycling project at the University of Miami working in a lab, internship Senior summer working in genetics lab studying DNA Methylation in Parkinson’s disease
Volunteer/Community service: 300+ hours of volunteer work at labs, hospitals, helping kids with special needs
Essays: stellar
Teacher Recommendations: I’ve been told by internships and programs that they are exceptional
Counselor Rec: good i expect, she’s my AP bio teacher as well as my counselor and loves me
Additional Rec: research mentor who is a duke grad wrote for me
Interview: great, detailed convo about my unique school, my interests outside of school, and my passions

Other

State (if domestic applicant): Florida
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Small Public Charter, very competitive, #5 in the state
Ethnicity: Hispanic
Gender: Male
Income Bracket:<$50,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):first generation college, hispanic, idk what else…

Reflection

Strengths: letters, essays, EC’s, test scores, quality of volunteer work
Weaknesses: GPA compared to most of my peers, who have 3.7,3.8,3.9

33

Decision: Deferred

Pick one:
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown):
ACT: 33
SAT II: 780 Math 2
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.88
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):
AP (place score in parenthesis): Physics 1, Statistics, Lang
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: AP Physics C, AP Calc BC, AP Spanish Lang, AP Econ, AP Psychology, Honors English
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Distinguished Honor Roll every year

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Temple Youth Group (President), FBLA (VP), NHS, Math Science and Spanish Honors Socieities, Varsity Tennis (captain and nationally ranked),
Job/Work Experience: Work at my tennis club in the summer helping run the camps. Private tennis instructor for five clients.
Volunteer/Community service: Interact Club Volunteer opportunities, community service through youth group, lead annual food drive for temple, Co-leader/volunteer for local program working with mentally and physically disabled children

Essays: Common App was a really good life experience, Why Duke was generic, Optinal was strong about how I fit into diverse community
Teacher Recommendation: One is amazing (English teacher who loved me), other was average
Counselor Rec: Huge high school so probably not great
Interview: I thought it went really well. We talked for almost an hour and she seemed to really like me.

Other

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

Reflection

Strengths: Extracurriculars, one of my teacher recs, Very strong first quarter grades with a tough schedule
Weaknesses: GPA and ACT are nothing special for Duke
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Very competitive school with more applicants than ever before. Being a upper-class white male from NJ, I don’t have anything crazy that makes me stand out, but I think I’m generally well-rounded.

General Comments: Really hoping I get in the second time around, but whatever happens happens. Congrats to everyone who got in

34

ACCEPTED TO TRINITY

GPA: UW-3.95 W-5.75 (top 6.7%)
SAT: 1 time-2370 (770 reading)
Math II-800 Biology M-780 E-770 World History-710 (didn’t submit world history)
AP’s: WHAP (5) APUSH (5) Biology (4) Chem (4) Environmental Science (4) English Language/Composition (4)
I got 3’s on calc ab, psych, physics 1 (gg not submitting)

ECs

  1. Student Council (District Officer, Student Body Exec Board Advisor, 2 time delegate to state convention): lead a food drive that raised 5500 cans, raised $1500 through selling shirts, planned/led leadership summit with 400+ attendees, clothing drives, teacher appreciation projects, started tutoring program for school, organize mass volunteer events
  2. Debate (Co-captain/Workshop Instructor): 2 time state qualifier in Public Forum Debate-ranked top 35 last year, PF Regional Champion, attended Stanford National Institute for Forensics during summer, many local tournament awards
  3. Mayor’s Student Advisory Board (Chairsman): recognized before city council, led student-mayor discussions, mock decorums
  4. Tennis:Varsity for 3 years,UIL district champion in doubles, PCA Scholarship Finalist, USTA Championship ranking, many local tournament awards
  5. Job Related Club: (President/Founder), donated over 200 books/500 cards to local hospital/send weekly volunteers, held arts and crafts seminar for young patients

Service

  1. Head Intern for State Representative’s Mayoral Campaign-160 hours; train volunteers, blockwalk/canvass, participated in LGBTQ caucus, data entry, phoning/email station
  2. City’s Finance Department-70 hours; file receipts, data entry on excel, draft typing
  3. City Library-50 hours; arts and crafts for children, shelve books, assist patrons
  4. Summer Math Camp TA-50 hours, assisted teacher in helping kids with work
  5. Biology Tutor-50 hours: through student council tutoring program
    -Paid work: local restaurant

Awards
PSAT Semifinalist, AP Scholar With Distinction, District Academic Excellence, George Eastman Young Leaders Award, UVa Jefferson’s Scholar Nominee, WashU Danforth Scholars Nomination, PCA Scholarship Finalist, USTA Championship Level Certification, NSDA Special Distinction Award, Recognition of Outstanding Service Award from Student Council State Board, SNHS, NHS, local awards for debate/tennis

Essays+Recs
I consider myself a pretty strong writer. My common app essay was really unique and unexpected according to my counselor. Supplements are solid as well.
Rec Letters-One from english teacher, one from world history

35

=+2]Decision: Accepted

Pick one
Pratt School of Engineering

Objective:

SAT I 2030 (640 math 680 reading, 710 writing)
ACT:32 (math 30, English 35, reading 34, science 28)
SAT II:
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.96
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):11/328
AP (place score in parenthesis):US(5),Lang(4),GOVT(5),ABCALC(4)
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load:AP CALC BC
World history AP, HUMAN GEOGRAPHY AP, AP PHYSICS, wind ensemble, AP LIT
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):Boys state attorney general, ap scholar, honor roll, quiz bowl championships, mock trial championships

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (mock trial captain, quiz bowl captain, nhs vp, fca leader, senior altar server, catechism teacher, freshman mentor, teaching aid, snare drummer, cross country runner,
Job/Work Experience:cashier over the summer
Volunteer/Community service: food pantry volunteer
Summer Activities:
Essays:strong
Teacher Recommendation: one from college professor that taught me so 8/10
Counselor Rec: idk
Additional none
Interview:none

Other

State (if domestic applicant):LA
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s):mechanical engineering
School Type:public
Ethnicity:African American
Gender:male
Income Bracket:100,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):urm

Reflection

Strengths:state and ethnicity. extracurriculars, transcript was pretty solid
Weaknesses:Test scores
Why you think you were accepted
I had a lot of extra activities my parents and I are always busy and I think it paid off

General Comments:
Dont let an act or sat that’s a little lower hold you back. I think it’s more important to a college that they are getting a quality person and I’m so excited to be a blue devil!

36

Decision: Accepted

Pick one:
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT: 33
SAT II: Math II(740), Chem(700)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.132 (Our school only has unweighted but we get +0.01 for semesters of IB / AP classes)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 5 / 456
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Calculus BC (3), AP Calculus AB subscore (4), AP Chem (4)
IB (place score in parenthesis): SL Physics (6), SL French B (6)
Senior Year Course Load: Full IB Diploma - IB HL Chemistry, IB HL Mathematics, IB HL Contemporary World Politics, IB HL Literature, AP French 5, PE
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): N/A

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
NHS (president), Science Olympiad (Team 1 of 3), Rio Grand Cycling Team, Old School Industries Cycling Team, Environmental Club (Communications Director - 4 years),
Job/Work Experience: Contracted artist for local government to paint 2 pianos downtown (2 years)
Volunteer/Community service: TobacNO Youth Coalition board member (1 year), elementary school science club volunteer (3 years), IB Engage student mentor (2 years), organized 1st annual bike-to-school day with city gov. and local bike shops, NHS Volunteering (Unity Fair for international families at local university, Project Linus, supporting a 5k to benefit local cancer patients, supporting Respite Care for children and teens with developmental disabilities, etc)
Summer Activities: 8 week internship at a local university working on a genetic library project (anaerobic archaea).

Essays:
Common App (8.5/10): Talked about cycling, how I connect scientific pursuits with cycling, mentioned the Duke cycling team specifically in the essay.
Why Duke (7/10): Talked about meeting with professors and coaches at the school when I visited.
Optional: (6-8/10 not sure…): Could have been too generic, but ended up being very personal.
Teacher Recommendation:
(9/10) and (10/10) amazing, couldn’t have been better
Counselor Rec: (8/10) assume good
Additional Rec: (10/10) - The professor who oversaw my internship, excellent
Interview: (8/10): 50 mins or so, very standard, but my interviewer was very enthusiastic about supporting students from my town.

Other

State (if domestic applicant): Colorado
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Biophysics
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: Middle Class
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):

Reflection

Strengths: Visited and therefore had very clear/specific examples of my visit and conversations to include in essays, IB Diploma Programme, the research internship,
Weaknesses: ACT, SAT II and AP scores, not many leadership positions
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected:
Essays demonstrated passions and gave a consistent picture with the rest of my application. Also the cycling coach was very excited about potentially having me on the race team, may have had something to do with it.

General Comments:
I’m still in shock, but also so pumped!!! GO BLUE DEVILS!!

37

Decision: Deferred

Pick one:
Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): didn’t send
ACT: 32
SAT II:
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.95
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): n/a, but in top 5% of class
AP (place score in parenthesis): not offered
IB (place score in parenthesis): not offered
Senior Year Course Load: All honors classes (most rigorous offered)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Travel volleyball (since 7th grade), school volleyball, Green Club (president), volleyball referee, tutor, NHS
Job/Work Experience: working 15-20 hours a week for two years, two jobs at one point
Volunteer/Community service: NHS, Green Club, two local animal shelters (over 250 hours)
Summer Activities: Working, mostly
Essays: Common app - 8/10. Why Duke 10/10. Optional 9/10. My Duke essays were some of my favorites
Teacher Recommendation: I’ve read both. They’re both amazing
Counselor Rec: Amazing. We’re close
Additional Rec:
Interview: Wonderful - she said she felt like I belonged in her family and told someone I know that i “blew her away”

Other

State (if domestic applicant): FL
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Environmental Science / Marine
School Type: Private
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: about 70k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): none

Reflection

Strengths: recs, essays, rigor of classes, job
Weaknesses: test scores, no hooks, no major awards
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Honestly, probably because of my test scores. I’m going to re-test and pray for a miracle in April!

General Comments: Duke is my dream school and while I hate that I have to wait 4 more months, I’m glad I wasn’t rejected. Hopefully, I’m part of the 5-10% of deferred that get accepted. Congrats to everyone that got in last night!

38

Pick one:
Decision: Accepted

Pick one:
Pratt School of Engineering

Objective:

SAT I : 750 math 740 reading 670 writing
ACT: 35 (first time)
SAT II: Math 2 770, Biology M 770
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.96
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1
AP (place score in parenthesis): APUSH (4), AP BIO (4), AP Gov (5), APES (5), AP Chem (2)
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: APCS, AP Calc, Spanish I/II, Honors English IV, one class open
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): NC Governors School East 2015, SVSM Charlotte 2014
Job/Work Experience:
Volunteer/Community service:
Summer Activities: NC Governors School East 2015, SVSM Charlotte 2014
Essays: Really solid, had a lot of help from people to polish them up.
Teacher Recommendation: Calc teacher writes great recommendations, Biology teacher seems like she writes average ones, Gov teacher loves me so I am assuming that they were bomb af.
Counselor Rec: My counselor came to my school just this year, so I am unsure
Additional Rec: Got a recommendation from a PhD.
Interview: No interview

Other

State (if domestic applicant): NC
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Biomed or Mech
School Type: Small, impoverished, urban
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: ~60,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): First gen college (aside from my brothers). Brother also went to Duke.

Reflection

Strengths: Essays, ACT, Summer Activities
Weaknesses: Not really many awards to show, but then again I live in an incredibly rural area.
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I feel like I was accepted because I made my application have a narrrative, as opposed to just being a list of statistics.

39

Decision: Accepted

Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 2190 (720 CR, 690 M, 780 W)
ACT: Highest Composite: 34 (Highest Subsection Scores: 34 E, 35 M, 34 R, 34 S)
SAT II: 770 Bio-M, 770 Chemistry, 800 US History
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): N/A
AP (place score in parenthesis): Biology (5), Stats (5), US History (5), Chem (4), Language (4)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Lit, AP Gov, AP Calc, PLTW Classes, AP Macroeconomics, (Taking 2 AP classes online on top of this), Spanish 4
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): NM Commended, AP Scholar with Distinction, 4.0 GPA Scholar-Athlete, Departmental Awards, MUN awards.

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Research Assistant, Key Club (VP, Tresurer), NHS (Co-President), International Club, LGBTQ Activism, Tennis (several conference awards), MUN, Peer Tutoring
Job/Work Experience: N/A
Volunteer/Community service: Over 200-300+ hours of volunteering. I have coordinated many programs/fundraisers in my community.
Summer Activities: Internship at a Health Center in my city that treats minority patients, Taught Science at Orphanage abroad (not in English).
Essays:
Common App 10/10 Talked about personal story with a unique twist to it
Why Duke? 10/10 Really conveyed my passion to use ICS and Global Health majors, as well as Duke’s resources, to become a social worker fighting for global reform.
Diversity Supplement: Conveyed the perspective I would bring to Duke University.

Teacher Recommendation:
Teacher 1- 10/10 I’m sure it was beautiful. She know me very, very well
Teacher 2- 9/10 Great Teacher who really connects with students, but I don’t know her as well as I know teacher 1.
Counselor Rec: Amazing! I did not see it, but I talk to her frequently, and have known her well for the past 4 years.
Additional Rec: Tennis Coach! Excellent! I didn’t see it, but she knows me very well on a personal level. We talked for about 5 hours straight when we met so that I could ask her for a recommendation.
Interview: Had an interview very late, but my interviewer was the nicest person in the world. I think he could really see my passion for Duke!

Other

State (if domestic applicant):
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): ICS and Global Health
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: M
Income Bracket: N/A
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): N/A

Reflection

Strengths:
Extracurriculars, Leadership, Initiative, Recommendations, Essay

Weaknesses: Test Scores, Not as many AP classes (but my school doesn’t offer many)

Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected:

I think Duke really saw my interest in the University. They also probably saw how I was very passionate about my career interests.

General Comments:

So excited to be a Blue Devil! Looking forward to Blue Devil Days! Please remember, even if you are deferred or rejected from Duke, you ARE an amazing person and you will find a college that you will love.

Tips: Please make sure that you do something you love and try to convey why Duke is the best university in the world!

40

Decision: Accepted

Trinity College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT: 33C (34E, 36M, 32R, 30S)
SAT II: Math II 770, Bio E 730
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.72 (My 9th grade GPA was considerably low compared to my GPA in 10th and 11th grade. I raised it from a 3.3 to a 3.9)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): N/A (My class size is 16 students.)
AP (place score in parenthesis): My school does not offer AP courses. BC Calculus 4 with AB Subscore 5 (I self-studied for the exam in 11th grade. I took my first calculus course during that same year.)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A

Senior Year Course Load: Two college level courses completed during the summer (Linear Algebra and Differential Calculus of Several Variables and Introduction to Probability and Statistics for Engineers), Discrete Math, Advanced Physics, English, US History (I attend a Waldorf school, so I take seminars called “main lessons” that typically last 3-4 weeks (e.g. Russian literature). My transcript is very long…

Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Published in school magazine (poems, short stories, and essays) since 10th grade, awarded student athlete award since 10th grade. These are all internal awards (i.e. rewarded within my school).

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Computer science club (co-founder), debate club (co-founder), literary club (editor of school magazine), social inclusion (mentored younger students), drama club, varsity soccer team, varsity basketball team, self-studying (edX, OCW, and Coursera), fine arts, admissions ambassador (spoke in panels and open houses)

Job/Work Experience: Software Developer & Engineering Intern at Talkpoint, a PGi Company, and Public Relations Intern at Porter Novelli

Volunteer/Community service: Assisted high school learning specialist (20 hrs), Lenox Hill Neighborhood House (22 hrs), Camphill Movement (70 hrs)

Summer Activities: 2015 Stanford Summer College for High School Students (summer before senior year)

Essays: Common App. (9/10) discussed my interests in art and technology, and how I really want to make a difference in the world. Why Duke (8/10) wrote about how I am looking for a “home” that is both a research institution and a liberal arts school, where students care about the theory as much as the applications and integrate their studies together. Optional Essay (10/10) discussed how my school (a Waldorf school) has shaped me and made me really care for my school community. I also connected my school’s philosophy with my own academic experiences.

Teacher Recommendation: Math teacher and advisor (10/10) – he wrote a very long recommendation (1.5 pages, single-spaced, and a small font size) that was incredibly thoughtful. I did not get to read it, but my biology teacher told me that seemed as if he was applying, himself. Biology teacher (9/10) – she talked about how I have integrated artwork into my coursework, and she praised my work ethic. She also told me that she wrote six drafts, trying to make it perfect!

Counselor Rec: 9/10 – She talked about my self-study for BC Calculus. I met with her frequently.

Additional Rec: Soccer coach (9/10) – he talked about how I work harder than anyone on the field. This has been my approach to anything I attempt.

Interview: (8/10) Very informal, and I discussed my interests and why I really wanted to go to Duke. I told her that Duke students actually looked happy to be there, and I would prefer collaboration over competition any day.

Other

State (if domestic applicant): New York
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Computer Science & Economics (or Mathematics)
School Type: Waldorf School (Private school)
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: > 250,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Waldorf education. I submitted an arts portfolio and made a website in WordPress to showcase my artwork, writing, designs (e.g. bridge), and resumes, to the admissions staff. I really tried to represent my school in this website. I also completed my resumes in LaTeX, so they were really well designed.

Reflection: I think that you really just need to be yourself and discuss why YOU could make a difference on campus, but more importantly in the world. If you think about it, the school is investing in you. Your job is to give them a return on investment.

Strengths: Mathematics, computer science (all self-study and my school does not offer any program for this discipline), artwork, discipline and work ethic, good test scores

Weaknesses: Coming from an unknown school in terms of students applying to Duke. School does not offer AP courses. Low GPA.

Why you think you were accepted: I discussed both my academic and non-academic interests, and how together they can allow me to really do something extraordinary.

General Comments:
Just be yourself and do what you love to do.