<p>Is it possible that there could be less applicants this year than last year? That the acceptance rate could increase? That this years class is weaker?</p>
<p>It’s possible but improbable, and past increases to the volume of applicants have had negligible effects on the average SAT score of accepted students on a year-to-year basis.</p>
<p>So 1. Yes, but not significantly 2. Yes, but not significantly 3. Yes, but not significantly</p>
<p>Obviously, no one can answer these questions with certainty now. The first meaningful data re Class of '17 admissions will be accrued through the ED cycle. However, Duke’s undergraduate application and acceptance trends throughout the last 5+ years have been very consistent. Every year there are more applicants, every year their average qualifications improve, and each year the aggregate acceptance rate declines.</p>
<p>Duke now receives over thirty thousand applications for approximately 1725 freshman openings. The 1700+ number will not change significantly, since the University is committed to undergraduate education on that scale (i.e., Duke will not expand much beyond its current – 6500+ – undergraduates). Simultaneously, it is evident that Duke’s global popularity among the so-called “elite (I hate that term) college” applicants is continuously increasing. Therefore, it seems quite unlikely that any of the metrics you cited will decrease during the foreseeable future.</p>
<p>It’s not likely at all. Why do you want your class to be weaker anyway? If you get in, you’ll feel so much more accomplished knowing that you were admitted to the most competitive class in Duke history.</p>
<p>Trust me, regardless of whether your class is smarter than the class before it, Brodhead will make sure that you know how great your fellow classmates are during O-week. You will feel insignificant to some students with brilliant accolades. Just expect it.</p>