<p>I am a rising junior </p>
<p>GPA UW: 3.85
GPA W: 5.18</p>
<p>Freshman Year Course-load:
Honors World History
Honors Freshman English
PE 9
Intro to Art
CP Geometry
CP Physical Science
Honors Spanish II</p>
<p>Sophomore Year Course-load:
Honors Biology I
CP Spanish III
Honors American Literature
Honors Algebra II
AP US History
PE 10
CP Health (No honors option)</p>
<p>Junior Year Course-Load:
Honors Chemistry I
Honors Pre-Calculus
Honors Sociology
Honors Economy
Honors Human Geography
AP Government
AP English Language and Composition
CP Psychology (in prep for AP senior yr)
CP Argumentation and Debate (no honors at my school)
Drawing (no honors at my school)
Ocean Science (no honors at my school)</p>
<p>EC’s
Freshman Field Hockey
Freshman Basketball
Debate Team
Math Peer Tutoring
School Newspaper
Peer Outreach
Student Senate
School’s literary magazine
Link Crew
**Maybe Model UN junior year, still debating about this. </p>
<p>Work Experience
Fall of Sophomore Year: Worked as soccer referee for youth soccer.
Applying for more permanent job when I turn 16 at Michael’s this fall.</p>
<p>Passions / Things that I can accentuate on my application:
Passion for reading, which I believe will allow me to write a strong essay.
I also have a passion for astronomy, and I am in the process of taking an Astronomy course via coursera taught by a professor at Duke university. I also participate in citizen science projects, such as the ones hosted galaxyzoo. </p>
<p>Test scores? Any class rank? You’re interested in astronomy, but haven’t taken a physics course through junior year? Type of high school/personal background? You’re taking 11 courses junior year - how is that possible? Or perhaps some of them are only one semester and not full year? Not taking the hardest available curriculum available to you is somewhat of a negative (math & science your freshman year, Spanish your sophomore year - you dropped down from honors?). In any event, you look like a solid applicant, but most “solid” applicants do not get into Duke. The admissions process is incredibly competitive. Nothing you stated above really makes you “stand out” - showing leadership in some activity, success in a major activity, etc. is always a good thing. Continue doing what you’re doing, put forth your best effort, and hope for the best. Good luck!</p>
<p>@bluedog We don’t find out our class rank until junior year, and we are not allowed to take physics until after chemistry and pre-calc, so we can only take it senior year. I am currently studying for the SATs, which I plan on taking in the fall then in spring. Freshman year I didn’t do that well, so I’m trying to compensate this year and senior year. And yes, I am able to take 11 classes because some of them are semester classes. </p>
<p>Also:
Female from New Hampshire
Large Public School (about 1,600 students)
Fairly competitive </p>
<p>It will be helpful if your counselor’s recommendation explains/answers bluedog’s questions, since I suspect Admissions Officers may not understand this, too.</p>