What are my chances?

<p>I'm considering Duke. I would be on a Pre Med track majoring in maybe Biology or possibly BME. Here are my stats:</p>

<p>SAT:
700 Reading
600 Math
660 Writing</p>

<p>Taking it again in June, hoping to get 2100 or 2200.
Took the ACT yesterday and will be taking it again in June as well.</p>

<p>4.2 GPA</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
Theatre
Newspaper
Drama Club, Teenage Republicans, StudentVenture, Be a Buddy Club</p>

<p>I'm in a Career Dual Enrollment program for EMT. When I graduate I just have to go through clinicals and take the certification exam and I'll be an EMT.</p>

<p>I'm in the top 50 of my class of 600 something... possibly top 25 or 30. I used to be like 19 but I'm not doing so well in Pre Calc so maybe it's dropped.</p>

<p>I've taken all honors classes, one AP this year and will be taking 2 next year (I'm a junior).
Up until this year I've had all A's, but last semester I got one B and one C.</p>

<p>I would need a lot of financial aid. I would qualify for the new thing for families with less than $40,000 a year income.</p>

<p>Do you think I have a good chance of getting accepted to Duke?
Let me know if you need to know anything else.</p>

<p>bump… does anyone have any ideas?</p>

<p>Its all about luck dude, don’t really worry about it.</p>

<p>People with 2400s and straight As were rejected. I was a fool who got a 2240 (three tries) and a 3.82 GPA.
Unhooked Indian.
…and I got in…</p>

<p>Just go with the flow, but remember NOT to have favorites. Apply EVERYWHERE. If you’re lucky, you’ll get ONE elite college. If you’re a legit bamf, then you’ll get TWO elite colleges.</p>

<p>If you’re seriously a genius or just super lucky, you’ll have THREE+.</p>

<p>haha thanks. </p>

<p>Does anyone else have input?</p>

<p>Your SATs are a bit low, so try to bring your math up. I’d work on your reading score as well, as reading and math count for more than the writing section does. </p>

<p>Your extracurricular look good, but make sure you have deep involvement in some of them, not just a cursory involvement. Show them that you can commit to something long-term. </p>

<p>Your GPA looks fine from this standpoint, but if you are doing RD, you want to be careful to keep your grades up next semester. </p>

<p>The amount of financial aid you’ll need as no baring on admissions. I’m in the exact same position as you, and Duke’s financial aid program is amazing. (You’ll still have to pay for textbooks and flights, but Duke will reimburse you up until a certain point.)</p>

<p>Knock your essay out of the park and get good, solid recommendations. :)</p>

<p>^ “The amount of financial aid you’ll need as no baring on admissions. I’m in the exact same position as you, and Duke’s financial aid program is amazing.”</p>

<p>I’m happy for you, you beat the odds. Duke does have good FA for those under 60K, but that’s not a problem for them since “so few in that income range are qualified” (their words, not mine) … as for me, my family makes just a little bit more than that … so <em>I</em> can’t go to Duke, even though I was “one of their top applicants” (their words, not mine) … So I’m happy that for YOU “Duke’s financial aid program is amazing”, because for many more of us, it’s totally USELESS …</p>

<p>plumazul: I don’t understand your complaint. Your family made too much money to qualify for a lot of financial aid, therefore it’s unfair? </p>

<p>As a student with a good Finaid package (I was one of those <60k families), it’s still damned hard to pay for Duke, despite getting a lot of grants, because we were poor to begin with. If your family makes $20,000 more than my family, then yes, I think it’s reasonable for you to pay $10,000-15,000 more in tuition than me.</p>

<p>John117, I don’t know why you’re shocked for getting in, after all, a 2240 is a great score.</p>

<p>@ plumazel</p>

<p>Ouch. I actually know quite a few people in your place though; where you make enough to not qualify for a huge amount of aid but not enough to actually afford it easily. It’s a pretty common problem, however, which isn’t unique to Duke (many other schools that boast good Financial Aid have similar qualifications where those who are generally in between 60k-100k in income get shafted.)</p>

<p>For those who make have incomes less than 40k, you’re expected contribution in tuition will be a few thousand for the entire year (not including textbooks and travel). You will be expected to do work study, but if you have any external scholarship, this may be waived. (The minimum student contribution is about $1000 dollars a semester, so there is no such thing as a ‘full ride’ through FA. You’ll still have to pay at least $2000 in tuition even if you are far, far below the cut-off line.)</p>

<p>You have a decnt shot, are you in state? Believe it or not, though Duke is private that still helps. Also, you need a hook of some sort. Take initiative and do something. Create an organization that helps people… colleges love that stuff.</p>

<p>No, I live in FL.
I am worried about extra curriculars. I’m not an amazing student and I’m not that involved… I’m just a really average person, so that worries me… lol. It’s hard to get really involved in clubs because I leave my high school in the afternoon to go to dual enrollment and it’s hard to go back and forth in time to participate in a club.</p>

<p>True, bummer your not in state or in South Carolina… their admission rate is more than two times that of any other state. Your lack of ECs may hurt you. Especially in leadership. I remember the admissions officer saying that they don’t want a class of “do nothing dweebs.” Not to call you a “dweeb,” but the crux of her speech was to do what you love and love what you do. I would suggest you find some leadership spot in one of those ECs you do. Being an EMT will help you, and it is certainly interesting; however, I would have to say overall your chances may not be too great. Work on your ECs take the SAT again (try the ACT if it still isn’t where you want it. The ACt tests in a different way, I know someone who had about a 1700ish SAT score and got a 35 composite ACT which is equal to a 2350 SAT). Do that, and you’ll have a better shot. Best luck to you in the admissions process.</p>

<p>What if the ECs one has don’t need leadership positions?
For example, I participate extensively in one-on-one competitions (Olympiads, etc.) and they don’t need a leadership position.
On the other hand, I did have two national competitions with a team where I was leader, but that’s about it. How will the ad officers view these things?
KDB2011, you do have some clubs where you could strive to obtain a leadership position (Theatre, Newspaper).</p>

<p>Honestly, grades aren’t the breaking point, but the overall package. How consistent are your essays (in other words, are there contradictions among the information?), are you the type of student that Duke is looking for?
However, I would recommend working hard on your ACT and SAT, since it’s going to get more difficult to get in with FA. Don’t give an excuse to say no to you.
Honestly I don’t think lack of leadership positions will affect you. I saw a person who was the president of the school student government and president of many other major clubs but didn’t get into many schools, and many more who were accepted with FA without major extracurriculars. What I see from the results of my peers is that it doesn’t matter if you’re perfect angel or a backstabbing traitor. Colleges all seem to prefer people who know how to be crazy about what they like and know how to devote oneself.
What extracurricular you do doesn’t matter–it’s what you gain from the process, what that extracurricular means to you. I promise you.
I would recommend preparing for the essays and making sure your teachers know you well as a person (so they’ll be able to give good recommendations that say more than you’re diligent and nice). Essays neither break you or guarantee an entrance, but they’re an important part of apps as well as recommendations.</p>

<p>BTW, isn’t Duke need-blind to all US citizens?</p>

<p>^ "BTW, isn’t Duke need-blind to all US citizens? "</p>

<p>Yes, … so what. After you’re admitted, there’s the issue of $$$ … the FA office makes it virtually impossible to enroll UNLESS your parents are “rich” or “poor”, … there is NO socioeconomic diversity on the Duke campus, … </p>

<p>[Duke</a> draws ?rich kids of all colors? | The Chronicle](<a href=“http://dukechronicle.com/article/duke-draws-rich-kids-all-colors]Duke”>http://dukechronicle.com/article/duke-draws-rich-kids-all-colors)</p>

<p>^^^ some don’t, but his ECs aren’t based on competition. Colleges (especially top ones) like to see leadership and initiative. It would look better to be the leader of an olympiad anyway. If he were tyo be, oh I dunno, senior editor of the paper, that would look better than just a regular worker. A bunch of clubs, how about club leader? All I’m saying is it would help no matter what club/activity we are talking about.</p>