<p>Hi, i’m an aspiring junior who would love to go to duke!!</p>
<p>is there any current student who would take the time to answer some more specific questions through email and such?</p>
<p>Well, i’ll post the major questions:</p>
<li><p>how is the premed program at duke? Is there a premed program or prerequisites you need as an undergrad for premed?</p></li>
<li><p>How many requirements do u need to fulfill? (in terms of classes). Do you feel like you have enough flexibility, or not enough, for all the classes you want to take</p></li>
<li><p>give me a schedule of an average day. how about on weekends?</p></li>
<li><p>ON PR it says that “there is little racial interaction”. what do u think of this?</p></li>
<li><p>How much “credit” do they give you for your ap classes. I’ve already gotten three 5’s as a sophomore, and i’ll be taking five more tests this year.</p></li>
<li><p>I’ve heard Duke factors in test scores much more so than grades. I have a 3.92 GPA (unweighted) and a 4.2 GPA weighted. My SAT is 2180 and psat is 212 (commended). Do you think this is too low for Duke?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thank you so much!</p>
<p>I have the same stats as you, 3.9 and 2180, and I was deferred ED, but you can get in with those grades and scores</p>
<p>
[quote]
How is the premed program at duke? Is there a premed program or prerequisites you need as an undergrad for premed?
[/quote]
No, there's not a "pre-med program" at Duke; I can't think of many schools that do. Pre-med requires a series of classes, but you can major in anything.
2 Bio lab courses
2 Physics courses (AP credit can get rid of this)
2 Math courses (AP credit can get rid of this)
2 Chem courses (AP credit can get rid of this)
2 Organic Chem courses
2 English courses (AP credit can get rid of one of these)</p>
<p>Duke is strong in all of the sciences, not just medical-oriented fields. Duke med school placement rate is about 90-95%. </p>
<p>
[quote]
How many requirements do u need to fulfill? (in terms of classes). Do you feel like you have enough flexibility, or not enough, for all the classes you want to take?
[/quote]
It's really confusing and really annoying, but it's not too difficult to fulfill. For details, see
<a href="http://www.aas.duke.edu/trinity/t-reqs/gradreqs.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.aas.duke.edu/trinity/t-reqs/gradreqs.html</a>
<a href="http://www.aas.duke.edu/trinity/t-reqs/curriculum/generalstudies.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.aas.duke.edu/trinity/t-reqs/curriculum/generalstudies.html</a></p>
<p>No classes except Writing 20 are required, so you have a lot of flexibility.</p>
<p>
[quote]
ON PR it says that "there is little racial interaction". what do u think of this?
[/quote]
There does tend to be some self-segregation, but it's not hard or unusual to have friends of many races (or from many other countries!). The Marketplace usually has all sorts of people sitting together, for example. </p>
<p>
[quote]
How much "credit" do they give you for your ap classes. I've already gotten three 5's as a sophomore, and i'll be taking five more tests this year.
[/quote]
Duke will only give you credit for 2 AP exams (since Duke requires 34 classes, this isn't much). Most AP credit you get will go toward placement (which really is great!) rather than credit, but there is a way to graduate early.
<a href="http://www.aas.duke.edu/trinity/t-reqs/credit.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.aas.duke.edu/trinity/t-reqs/credit.html</a>
<a href="http://www.aas.duke.edu/trinity/t-reqs/earlygrad.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.aas.duke.edu/trinity/t-reqs/earlygrad.html</a></p>
<p>Thank you so much warblersrule, and good luck with the regular application ckmets!</p>
<p>1) Duke is a fantastic place to go for pre-med. I haven't taken many of the classes yet, obviously, but from my experience with Gen Chem it was challenging, and I had to work very hard but still managed to get a respectable grade. PLUS what's better than a hospital actually on campus. Spring semester I'm doing HCIP which is basically 3-4 hours a week volunteering in patient care in a specific unit at the hospital. Duke students can also volunteer with Duke EMS after proper training. There are tons of awesome opportunities for a pre-med student here.</p>
<p>2) I feel like it's very difficult for T-Reqs to get in the way of what you want to do at Duke. The biggest problem I have is fitting in all billion math/compusci classes for a math major PLUS premed while still taking bioanthropology classes I'm interested in AND retaining my sanity. But that's really my own problem.</p>
<p>3) Hmm...well let me give you an average day/weekend day for me, and I am someone whose top priority is basically sleep. I try to have my earliest classes around 10, so I'll wake up at 9, go to class for an hour or so, then usually have a break for an hour or two where I'll eat lunch and do stupid little things like clean up or check email. Then I'll go to class again (of course labs/recitations fit in one day a week), and go back to my room to watch Oprah...if anyones into that. Then dinner, then after dinner I'll usually head to Bostock for a few hours and do all my work. It's really a low-stress, enjoyable day provided there aren't any big papers due. </p>
<p>Weekends I have this good system where I generally stay in on friday nights and do homework (sorry, I'm lame). With that I find I can sleep THROUGH brunch (which ends at 2), work all day, have a nice saturday night with zero work, work all sunday, and generally finish my work by Desperate Housewives time on sunday. It's nice.</p>
<p>Now keep in mind...I do homework until like, 3 am AND I've been surprised to discover I have some hardcore time management skills...which I was fortunate to discover very shortly after I go to Duke. Anyway, to sum things up, if you work hard and efficiently life is doable. And even when you're locked away doing homework forever, it is a happy kind of work because it's DUKE!</p>