<p>i was just wondering if anyone knows how much importance duke places on sat IIs...because mine aren't so great...bio e 660 lit 720 and math 2 700. im taking math and lit again, but i don't know how much they'd really improve. my sat scores are a little bit higher v-750 m-740 w-800 ...but does anyone know how much sat IIs are looked at?</p>
<p>also, if my dad went to graduate school at duke how much will that help me, if at all?</p>
<p>does duke place importance on geography...ive heard that its harder to get in from where the northeast...is that true? would applying from rhode island make me less likely to be accpeted?</p>
<p>and finally...does duke look for well rounded students? i've got the music and sports thing as well...will this help me?</p>
<p>thanks if you can answer any of my questions!</p>
<p>wanted to clarify that last question...obviously well rounded applicants would be better...i meant something more along the lines of...would having lower sat scores and music and sports be better than just academics? or something like that. i dont knoww</p>
<p>The thumb rule for SAT II's at most schools is 700+, so they probably won't hurt you. However, (no offense!) I don't think they'll help you. I would advise you to take a foreign language SAT II, though, because many schools use it for placement. </p>
<p>Since RI is such a tiny state, I don't think it will hurt you, and it may help. </p>
<p>Yes, Duke looks for well-rounded students, but unfortunately there's a lot of students with the grades and the talent. It makes it hard to predict. :/</p>
<p>Not sure about the grad school-legacy thing. I've wondered about that, though.</p>
<p>don't sweat the SAT II's much, honestly no one looks at them all that much. Duke uses them mainly for placement, and if they're incredible they could help a microamount. I go there, my SAT II scores were nothing amazing, it's about SAT I scores, highschool grades and ECs. Many top schools use SAT IIs as placements and downplay their admission importance.</p>
<p>As a current duke student who works with the admissions office, I can tell you the truth about your legacy question. Yea, it helps a tiny tiny tiny little bit if you have a parent who went here. Unfortunately, as is the case with all private schools, it only significantly helps your application if your dad has given money to the school. They actually keep very very detailed records on this. It may sound stupid and superficial, but when you are completely self-funded, you need someway to keep the money coming in.</p>
<p>I've seen statistics on this very board which showed over half of the legacy students who applied Early Decision to Duke were accepted, so I'm sure it helps VERY much so even if your parent didn't donate money. I'm sure Duke realizes once their child is accepted, they're more likely to donate money too.</p>
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Duke University Provost Peter Lange, in turn, stresses that establishing alumni loyalty through policies like the legacy admissions policy helps universities fund other programs, including those that increase diversity. "You can't pull out one thread and ignore other ways of promoting diversity," he says. "And the loyalty of alums is very important to a whole range of things we can offer, including the kind of funding that allows us to offer substantial amounts of money for financial aid."
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<p>I think smokeylarue has the right of it, at most schools even if not at Duke. Amherst's admit rate is about 17%, but the legacy rate is a little under 50%. Similarly, Harvard's is about 40%. Many schools post these numbers if you look for them. We'd been in school for only two weeks when Duke staff started calling trying to get donations. Anyway, the basic gist is yes, being a legacy will help.</p>
<p>I believe the Duke legacy acceptance rate is ~45%, and it includes undergraduate and graduate alumni. If you can visit campus before April, have your dad contact the alumni office on campus. You might be able to get an on-campus interview, which could be helpful.</p>
<p>I asked a question about legacy admissions on this board a few months ago and this was the link i got. The statistics are about 5 years old, but they give you an idea on the advantage legacy gives you.</p>