(Sh)ot or (N)ot?

Colleges & Universities Duke University
1

<p>Do I have a shot?
Here are my stats :</p>

<p>*International student from India</p>

<p>*ACT:30 (97 percentile)
*SAT II: 760P, 710M2C
*TOEFL: 287/300
*GPA : ~90%
*Rank : 2/26
*Courseload : most demanding</p>

<p><em>ECs :
*</em>School prefect and ex-Head Boy
*<em>Newspaper Editor and initiator (5yrs)
*</em>President, School Rotary Interact Club (well known school community service org in india) (2yrs)
*<em>President, “1010” School Computer CLub (4 yrs)
*</em>President, Planetary Soceity of the school (4 yrs) </p>

<p>*<em>Shakti : Project on empowering rural women - Initiator and group leader (2006)
*</em>OneCommunity : Community service portal (link up with rotary club) : Initiator and group leader (2006-in progress)</p>

<p>**Group Leader, Vamana : Project on Venus Transit</p>

<p>**Research project on nerve impulses of cricket, Montana State Univ, Bozeman</p>

<p>**Member of 2 school bands : vocalist, keboard, digital mixer</p>

<p>+more</p>

<p><em>Awards
*</em>Science Innovation and Creativity Cup (given to one student of 12th grade out of all four branches of school ~ 500 students) (2006)
*<em>School WizKid 2005, 2006
*</em>National Cyber Olympiad : School #1, City #1, State #1, National Merit certificate holder (2005-06)
*<em>National Science Olympiad : School #1, City #3, State #10 (2005-06)
*</em>Best student award in computer science (5 consec. years)
**District Science Symposium/Seminar : Best speaker - 2004</p>

<ul>
<li>more</li>
</ul>

<p><em>Job/W.Exp
*</em>In a computer firm designing enterprise content management systems and management of firm’s network apparatus - Summer 2006
**Research Trainee - Network & Communications technology - Govt. of India recognised IT training center - Summer 2005</p>

<p>**Weaknesses: Applying for fin aid, low test scores</p>

<p>Duke is my DREAM and I really need some valuable advice on which parts should I strenthen to increase my chances of getting in. Also, I study in a v.v. competitive and highly selective school. How do I state that in my app?</p>

<p>thanks</p>

<p>i^2</p>

2

<p>I would highly suggest bringing up your ACT. Duke’s range for last year is 29-34 so it could help you a lot to bring up the ACT to a 32 or 33 (or more if possible).</p>

3

<p>I wonder if that is a good TOEFL score?</p>

4

<p>hey jeff and bluedevil thanks for your posts.
may be getting a 287 out of 300 in toefl cbt is not good but i hope it is not bad : )</p>

<p>so other than ACT which parts should I need to strengthen and lay emphasis on my application to increase my chances? thanks </p>

<p>i^2</p>

5

<p>As for your question about how to state that you study in a “competitve and highly selective school”, I think that is where the counselor recs and school forms come in.</p>

6

<p>thanks bluedevil. i recently found out a guy who had appeared for one of the previous ACT paper and got 31. his percentile was 90. but in my case i have got a 97 percentile with 30. from the discussion forums it is confirmed that the october act was much tough that the previous takings. will the admissions staff take this into consideration? </p>

<p>i^2</p>

7

<p>No, they will not take into consideration that a certain testing date happened to be harder than others, sorry.</p>