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<p>Oh boy…these kinds of responses are what makes April 1 such a rough day for so many CCers. </p>
<p>Duke is fickle in admissions, but other posters are right–ED is the way to go if you’re 100% sure you want to attend if accepted. RD is a different beast. </p>
<p>These are my recommendations (not necessary, of course, but will certainly help your case):
-SAT 2300+ if you plan to take, SAT IIs 750+
-ACT 35+
-4s and 5s on AP tests
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<p>This is cool. Milk this for all it’s worth.</p>
<p>-EC-wise: the writing competition and that summer grant are your most compelling activities. Feel free to drop any club you’re only a member in unless you’ve made significant accomplishments.
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<p>So many CCers just assume this. It’s not automatically true. Do you have teachers who absolutely adore and respect you? You need to find teachers who will both advocate for you and paint a vivid picture of your accomplishments and personality for the college to sink their teeth into. You need to give adcoms a reason to vouch for you around that oak table, and teacher recs give great insight into the parts of your personality that your list of ECs and GPA might not.</p>