My daughter is thinking of applying to Duke ED. Her SAT is borderline for Duke. 800M, 650CR,760W. She has 33 ACT. She does not want to take any more subject tests. She took Math II and got 760. Does she have a chance? She will have a sibling at Duke.
CR is way too low. Let her retake the SAT and focus on CR this time around to be safer.
I would just send the ACT and be done with it – and focus on other parts of the application. A 33 puts you in contention for sure, it’s a good score. Hard to say if she “has a chance” with such little information, but looking at just a 33 ACT and a sibling at Duke certainly is a positive beginning to the application. Applying ED probably helps.
Her math is above the 75th percentile and the writing is at the 75th if maybe 10 points lower. CR is below the 25th percentile. however a 2210 is not “borderline” especially considering 2 of the 3 sections are near the top end of admits. Retake the ACT in my opinion, however she may choose to retake the SAT and simply focus on CR however in my personal opinion the former would be better. Many other factors matter on her application, including class rigor, grades, EC’s, essays, etc. Just scores alone give little indication as to her possible acceptance, but rest assured her SAT is competitive.
Duke applicants are required to submit either the ACT with Writing or the SAT with TWO Subject Tests. So if your daughter wants her SAT even to be an option, she’s gonna have to tough it out and take another Subject Test. Remember, though, that Duke’s application process is holistic and that, in the context of an entire application, standardized test scores hold a relatively negligible weight. Encourage your daughter to focus her energy on extracurriculars throughout the rest of high school and start thinking about possible essay topics now.
Furthermore, none of her test scores are low; I was admitted ED this year with a 780W, 730M, and 640CR. Don’t let statistics like Duke’s average scores fool you; no student is admitted to Duke solely because of stellar scores.
thank you @bullcity for the feedback. She’s working on Essays and so far has been very involved in Varsity sports and in the community. Trying to get her to tough it out and take the Physics and or Chem subject test but she took those AP classes in her sophmore year and apparently doesn’t feel comfortable. Hope for the best…
You’re very welcome, @wabell! Perhaps approach the additional subject test not as simply another test to take, but as a chance to touch up on her skills in a subject in which she will take a class in college. I imagine, as indicated by her SAT Math and SAT II Math test scores, she probably will study in the realm of science and mathematics in college. Why not have a little more review on some chemistry or physics before delving into the world of challenging college classes?
Good luck to your daughter on her essays and extracurricular activities!
I agree with @bluedog. Having a sibling certainly helps. I also agree with others to retake SAT and focus on the CR score. Good luck to her.
thank you all for your helpful suggestions! @bullcity, my daughter was wondering if you had any special hook or talent that would compensate for the CR score? Or are the colleges nowadays not to strict on the SAT’s above 700s… Thanks in advance for your comments.