<p>SAT I: 2380 (780 in writing)
ACT: 36 (35 in Math)
SAT II: 800 Math II, 800 Literature
AP: 8 5s, 1 4
Senior Year Course Load: All AP-level or beyond
Major Awards: National Merit Semifinalist, National AP Scholar</p>
<p>Extracurriculars: Writer and editor for school publications, Founded an active club, President for 3 years of another club, Student council member, 2 sport varsity athlete
Job/Work Experience: Relatively impressive summer job, 40 hours/week
Volunteer/Community service: 200 hours or so
Summer Activities: International travel (and community service) and/or work
Essays: Personal Statement is probably a 8/10, EC is a 7/10, haven’t finished Duke essay(s)
Teacher Recommendation: Do people really get to see their recommendations?
Interview: Probably won’t get one.</p>
<p>I’m a white male. So what do you think my chances are for Duke RD? I’m feeling particularly discouraged after getting flat out rejected from Wharton and my college counselor has told me that it’s extremely difficult to get accepted to Duke if you don’t apply ED. So what do you guys think?</p>
<p>None of us are admissions officers here; we can’t tell you what your chances are. What I can give you are numbers: Penn ED accepts 25% of applicants. Duke RD accepts 11% of applicants. I don’t say this to discourage you, but yes, it is hard to get accepted at Duke. </p>
<p>Looking at your qualifications, I find it hard to believe that you were denied at Penn. However, it just goes to show that college admissions involves more than a little bit of luck, especially at top institutions. Don’t let your rejection from Penn defer you from applying to Duke if you think you would actually like to go to Duke. Each college is looking for different things when you apply; some place more weight on numbers, while others look more holistically, and some might even emphasize extra-curriculars. Each school has its own “character.” I know three people at Wharton currently, and I cannot see them at Duke. At all. </p>
<p>By this point, you’ve done all that you can. Like I said, you are obviously a very impressive applicant. The only advice I can give is to make yourself stand out. People with 2400 SATs get rejected at Duke. It just happens. Write engaging essays. Be unique. Make your admissions officers remember you. Be passionate about Duke. Ever seen the Cameron Crazies? Yeah, we love our school. </p>
<p>If you put time and effort into your application, I would say you will be fairly competitive in the RD pool. Does that mean I think you’ll get in? I honestly can’t say. Admissions is just guess work. That doesn’t mean I necessarily think you’ll get rejected, though. </p>
<p>So go for it. Don’t let one rejection deter you from applying to a fabulous school ;)</p>
<p>Many of my friends 2300 SAT were straightout-rejected Wharton, so it’s definitely more than the scores. The rejection from Wharton DOES NOT mean you don’t have a shot at Duke, as Upenn rejects more than 50% ED, and that number is even higher in Wharton - just cast a wide-net, and you’ll do fine.</p>
<p>your credentials are excellent. Wharton’s loss is someone else’s gain.</p>
<p>If your goal is to go a top school, don’t limit yourself to just one. Send several apps. You had a good shot at Duke ED but since they admitted more people in ED this year, their regular pool will be smaller by a 100 seats and as a result 300 fewer RD admits, driving down the admit rate quite a bit. It will be under 10% for RD.</p>
<p>WashU has a business school and no supplemental essays and a later deadline of 1/15.</p>
<p>texaspg, the admit rate this year will also largely be determined by the number of apps they get. It hasn’t been published yet whether the University has received even 30k apps. I wouldn’t be so quick to say the RD pool will be harder. There may be a dip in application making the admit rate the same as last years.</p>
<p>hautestandard - I think the overall rate last year was 12% (3753 out of 31500) and so I would think it would still be closer to ±11%.</p>
<p>Duke admitted 753 compared to 648 last year for ED. The yield on ED is close to 95% while the yield on RD seems closer to 35%. So they need about 950+ students in RD and will admit 2700 + students in RD lowering the total overall to 3450. So as the numbers go over 27000 for RD round, the rate keeps dropping under 10% the larger the pool gets.</p>
<p>"Guttentag said the majority of places in the Class of 2017 would continue to be filled by Regular Decision applicants. Last year, Duke received almost 29,000 Regular Decision applications, a record, and this year will likely be as selective to fill the remaining 962 places in the class, he added.</p>
<p>Of those who applied via Early Decision this year, 607 were deferred to the spring Regular Decision process."</p>
<p>It is difficult to believe that you were rejected outright by Wharton. You seem like an incredible applicant and I am sure that you will receive offers from several brand name universities. As far as Duke is concerned, it is impossible to accurately predict your chances, but I will say that I believe you have a decent shot at being admitted (provided you make the admissions office aware of your passion for Duke).</p>