Getting into Duke

[mickeysgotagun]

Hi, I'm a currently a junior in high school, and as the title suggests, my dream school is Duke. Currently I've got some good extracuricculars, ok grades (ranked 30/598 at my school, but not too high of a unweighted GPA around 3.65), and an ok SAT score (2150, 1500 Math and CR). I'm trying to do everything I can to get into Duke, so for those of you who went to Duke or applied there (I figure there should be a lot on this board , do you have any tips or hints for me to better my resume for Duke?

Thanks!

[DukeUsul]

Leadership positions in a variety of in-school and out-of-school activities. Volunteering. Tutoring. Service trips with your house of worship or another organization you belong to to help the underprivileged. Start a campaign to do something worthwhile for your community or one around you.

Show Duke that you'll bring an interesting perspective on life and that you'll have a lot to contribute to the overall college community.

[Cell-R]

Hey! I was accepted to Duke this past December so maybe you can use some of my insight. Your grades should be within the range of students admitted. I had a 34 ACT which translates to around your SAT score. As for GPA and class rank - it's important. Make no mistake, it does not mean everything though. My friend (5th in the class) has slightly better grades and scores across the board, with the exception of the ACT/SAT. He is well-rounded - president of our class, basketball player, been on mission trips, etc. yet he was differed.

Due to the fact that applicants to Duke are generally considered "elite" in the academic sense, it really helps to separate yourself in other aspects of your life. For example, I did my senior project on child slavery in Haiti. In order to complete my project I traveled to Haiti and interviewed a child slave, planning to use the information in a fund-raiser. I'm not saying that you have to go to such great lengths to get accepted to Duke. You don't have to save the world or single-handedly save an ailing third-world country. What you do need to have is a passion. If the admissions committee can easily see that you love something, and that you will go to great lengths and devote large amounts of time and effort to whatever it is, I think that will go a long way towards your admission decision.

In addition to that, a good essay is a must. If possible have an English teacher check and recheck it often. The way you write expresses who you are.

Recommendations are another great way to show the admissions committee who you are and what you can be. Besides the regular teacher recommendations I would highly suggest you get a recommendation from at least one outside source - preferably, but not necessarily, someone who has some kind of connection with the University. You can also have a family member send them a recommendation, at least I did. Honestly I believe that my grandfather's letter to them opened their eyes to the little things about me that they wouldn't see by reading my application. Every little thing matters.

This video might help you out: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/2579871

[Kewlswim]

Hi,

I was told by a person on the Admissions Committee that they were impressed that I had overcome obstacles. I didn't have the resources to go to Haiti and meet with people. Quite frankly, such an idea wouldn't have even crossed my mind. The Admissions Committee, I think, wants you to be yourself and do what you can given your resources and environment. While in High School I was too busy surviving to think about saving the world. I feel the Admissions Committee recognized that we all have to be evaluated as individuals taking into consideration our backgrounds and circumstances.

However, I can't speak for them and it has been years and years since I was a wide-eyed freshman. Have you looked at the Duke website for ideas as to what they are looking for? They used to give tours and I think some sort of information session. Duke used to want a class with as much breadth of experience as possible. Given what I am reading here I doubt my SAT's would have been good enough. Sorry I can't teleport you to an earlier time when I think it was a bit easier to gain admission. Good luck, you sound like a very nice and thoughtful person.

GO DUKE!

[hurleyfor3]

do you have any tips or hints for me to better my resume for Duke?

Thanks!

Move to North Dakota.

[Rogue]

My daughters grades we're about like yours,, and her SAT lower.. but the Admin office had her ( us ) on the mailing list since the 7th grade SAT some kids take. So when we were there.. I asked, why so much attention to a good average student with a lower SAT,, they replied,, " we need more students from NC,, PERIOD,, and will do what it takes to recruit good students that are not semi genius " ,, so being from NC a few years ago,, helped.

[johnb]

Most very good students, including many alumni and current students wouldn't get in very often if they applied recurrently. In other words, there are far more solid, nice, reasonable, humane, and smart students who apply than there are spots. Historically, Duke was filled with lots of well-rounded students (and a greater percentage than at Ivy schools--hence our deserved reputation as a place for smart people who like to go to parties and professional schools), but the last 20 years has seen increasing numbers of "angular" students who are fine in all areas but great in at least one. This is most obvious in athletics, where virtualy every team but football has been in the top 10 in recent years, but also true in such subjects as math (see the Putnam exam, in which our team has finished in the top 5 in 11 of the past 13 years; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William..._Competition); such a result is the result of assembling good math students from around campus about as much as the basketball team is composed of players who seemed like they were pretty good while shooting in an IM tournament). The math department recruits, as do sports and music and drama and the rest of the departments.

Anyway, the really hot shot people (as in the best at something for their entire state) are common around campus (though perhaps less common than at Harvard and Caltech), but it's certainly worth your while to hone in on your favorite topic so that you appear "angular." My second suggestion is to cast your net widely. I love Duke and had fun there, but there are a lot of places that are as good as Duke but don't get the sheer volume of applications.

[BD80]

A cynic would say develop a killer cross-over and a deadly jump shot. I won't, but a cynic would.

[mickeysgotagun]

Anyway, the really hot shot people (as in the best at something for their entire state) are common around campus (though perhaps less common than at Harvard and Caltech), but it's certainly worth your while to hone in on your favorite topic so that you appear "angular."

I'm one of the best juniors in NC for table tennis and a coach too. I guess that makes me angular. Let's just hope they find that interesting/needed . Also, my brother went to Duke, I assume it can't hurt, but does anyone know if it will help my application at all?

Thanks!

[johnb]

Geography, ethnicity, alumni affiliation, and money (as in LOTS! or NONE!), play some role, but they probably don't play the kind of role that people think. Most of the time, other things are the deciding factors, especially grades, SAT's, and a persuasive narrative, but your brother definitely gives your application a small bump. The table tennis is another bump, especially if you can document how good you are and how it somehow translates into something good about your development and sticktoitiveness

Oh, and as for the crossover dribble, you'd better be good. The bball recruits may be the most elite students on campus, since the average one was the best in his city, best in his state, and then comes to Duke and is on national tv twice per week, is often relatively underprepared from hs, is under a constant spotlight, and graduates on time.

[CA Cameron Crazie]

How challenging is it to get into Duke for graduate school, particularly from out of state? I have solid undergraduate grades, 6+ years of work experience with increasing leadership and responsibility, and I am currently in graduate school with good grades while working full-time. My school isn't very challenging and I've been thinking about applying to Duke for a more challenging and value degree. Of course, I'll have to move to the east coast and go to school full-time, but a Duke degree is worth it.

[johnb]

selectivity depends on the grad school, but even some grad schools that are very well regarded may not be extraordinarily difficult to get in if you can demonstrate strong interest, potential, and basic conmpetence; their web sites will give you some indication.

[Bluedog]

I'm one of the best juniors in NC for table tennis and a coach too. I guess that makes me angular. Let's just hope they find that interesting/needed . Also, my brother went to Duke, I assume it can't hurt, but does anyone know if it will help my application at all?

Thanks!

There were two (identical twin) brothers who were competitive table tennis players from the state of CA in my dorm freshman year. They both had a coach and traveled around to tournaments, etc. Both got rejected from Stanford and into Duke. Not that this signals anything about you, though...There's a table tennis club though if you end up at Duke that does play against other schools a bit.

Having a brother that went to Duke definitely helps. It's probably not as significant as a parent, but still qualifies you for legacy status, which means your application automatically gets read by an additional person. According to Guttentag, the legacy acceptance rate for the Class of 2013 was 36%, much higher than the overall 19%. ED Legacy is even higher than that. Guttentag didn't say what it was last year in the discussion I was a part of, but Duke magazine reported is was 66% four years ago. So, legacy + ED = big boost.

Your GPA seems quite low for Duke honestly, but your school must be very harshly graded if that puts you in the top 5%, so it wouldn't be that grave of a concern. Duke wants to make sure you've taken the most challenging courseload that your school offers and that you've succeeded.

And a 1500 SAT M+V isn't "ok;" it is great! The writing portion isn't as important so while the 650 there is low, Duke doesn't consider it as much as the M+V, and it's essentially like another SAT II. And yes, if you're from North Carolina, that definitely helps as well.

As Guttentag says, Duke seeks applicants who have made an "impact." I agree that doing one thing incredibly well (whether that be athletics, math, volunteering, etc.) sets your application apart from the thousands of others who are simply "well-rounded." If you know Duke is your first choice and don't need to compare fin aid packages, I'd definitely recommend applying ED to boost your chances. As I said, ED + Legacy definitely helps.

Good luck!

[weezie]

they replied,, " we need more students from NC,, PERIOD,, and will do what it takes to recruit good students that are not semi genius " ,, so being from NC a few years ago,, helped.

Still does. I recall hearing that 10% of incoming slots are reserved, by some original endowment rules, for NC students.
Also, there's a special full scholarship for NC students, the Benjamin N. Duke.

[bluebutton]

The BN Duke is a leadership oriented scholarship for residents of NC. All NC applicants are potentially part of that pool. http://www.bnduke.org/SelectionProcess.aspx

With the coaching thing, if it interests you, I'd consider pursuing it and other opportunities to demonstrate leadership and service. And then in your personal statement write about leadership and service.

But really, I'd recommend enjoying high school and doing what interests you. While having Duke as a dream school is great, it's hard when getting in is such a luck of the draw situation. I got a scholarship to Duke and wasn't accepted to Stanford if that gives you a sense of how much of a crap shoot getting into "elite" colleges is. (Although this might be a Stanford thing since bluedog mentioned a similar thing.)

And I might get a lot of flack for saying this, but if you're family isn't wealthy or you don't get a scholarship to Duke, I think you'd be better off going to a state school that is good at what you're interested in. I'm so grateful for my time at Duke, but I can't say that experience would have been worth going into debt for it.

Anyways, read the BN Duke website backwards and forwards and see if you can aim to catch their eye with your personal statement and make sure your recommendations also highlight the values that the BN Duke is looking for. Good luck on everything!

[johnb]

more than just the 10% "rule," there's an unwritten effort to keep the Carolinians (North and South) from being outnumbered by New Yorkers. When I was there, many moons ago, the admissions director said they could fill the entire class with qualified pre meds from Long Island. That may have been an exaggeration, and may not still be as true, but the admissions game is complicated by lots and lots of competing interests.

[huied]

There were two (identical twin) brothers who were competitive table tennis players from the state of CA in my dorm freshman year. They both had a coach and traveled around to tournaments, etc. Both got rejected from Stanford and into Duke. Not that this signals anything about you, though...There's a table tennis club though if you end up at Duke that does play against other schools a bit.

I know those guys! They were in the same hall as my fiance, and I took a tennis class with one of them (could never remember which one). Nice guys.

To the OP, I found that having a killer essay really helps. Make sure that it answers the prompt while also telling an interesting factoid about you. Everybody works differently, but I had a bunch of people ready my essays and give me feedback while I refined it. Since your brother went to Duke, he can probably give you some nice pointers to get through the application process.

Speaking of your brother, I think I know him too...

[dukestheheat]

I agree that today, I'd have a tougher time gaining admission to Duke than I did back in the day.

I get the impression that Duke, presently, has decided to put greater weight onto the ACT/SAT score. I don't know if this is true or not, but I just get the sense that for some reason, we've decided to push that one factor way ahead of other factors.

I am not a fan, at all, of using those scores for admissions purposes.

To answer the original question of this thread, I think the successful applicant to Duke will need to do two things: one, take the very hardest classes (Honors or AP sections only, outside of the required elective classes) offered at your high school and make A's; then, work for true excellence in one area.

For example, take four years of Latin and make an A; then, take an AP Vergil class to cap it off and make the A. In doing this, you've gone as far as you can go in that one language and it's just going to be very hard to deny a student applying with that type of depth.

A student who has taken the very hardest classes and who has shown dedication to one discipline through the high school years (with A's, of course) is going to be hard to deny, in my opinion.

dukestheheat.

[91devil]

I agree that today, I'd have a tougher time gaining admission to Duke than I did back in the day.

Well, I hope this is the case for every alum out there. We WANT it to be more difficult for future classes, we WANT the standards to be more difficult because that represents progress and a higher benchmark. It makes our degress look that much better, no?

To answer the original question, maybe you could learn how to play the tuba? The Duke band (DUMB) is fairly short-handed these days, and actually had to recruit from the student body (offering small stipends) in an effort to attract anyone that could play the tuba.

I kid about the tuba part, sort of. But being diverse is important. And write great essays.

[sagegrouse]

To answer the original question of this thread, I think the successful applicant to Duke will need to do two things: one, take the very hardest classes (Honors or AP sections only, outside of the required elective classes) offered at your high school and make A's; then, work for true excellence in one area.

dukestheheat.

what "dukestheheat" said. Universities now are reportedly looking for students with a "passion" for learning or participating in one area of scholarship or extracurricular activity. It is more of a test of "depth of commitment."

In the old days -- and not so long ago -- the advice was to present as a well-rounded student with interests in all sorts of different areas -- ahtletics, student government, clubs, etc.

Also, you will need a marketing campaign. No, not advertising, marketing. What is Duke buying in the class of applicants. When my daughter applied to Duke in the early 90s, the huge Levine Science Research Center was nearing completion. It was focused on education as much as research. She presented herself as a science major, both because of her interests and the obvious need for Duke get the LSRC off to a roaring start. BTW, she majored in biology and went to med school.

Then there are the sneaky side doors:

1. Are you competitive in any sport as a Division I athlete? Have your coach write the Duke coach.

2. Have you ever considered serving in the military. If so, why don't you talk to the head of one of the ROTC units and ask for advice? A friend swears that is how his son got into Wake Forest, once he was on the waiting list.

3. Are you the child or grandchild of a Duke alumnus or alumna (or several). The Alumni Office has a committee to help out. This has been deemphasized but has not disappeared, to my knowledge.

4. Lose your post name, "mickeysgotagun" immediately, if not sooner. [Of course, I have no idea what it means.] Also, clean up your Facebook page. Don't have one -- great! Don't start one -- you have no control over what your friends write.

5. Apropos of my above remarks, I note that the Sanford Center has now become the Sanford School,a t the same level as Fuqua, Law, Medicine, Divinity, Nicholas. Are you interested in Public Policy? I know I was. You might contact the school and go visit the head of undergraduate instruction. Sanford may have some clout in undergrad admissions, and it sure wants to have some u-grads in its school.

sagegrouse