Duke Announces New Record Low Acceptance Rate

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They accepted 4% this year they said… good luck everyone

What do you think is driving the increasing popularity of Duke?

It's the only top 10 school in the country that's supposedly fun. So you get great academics and some balance with enjoyment. Stanford used to be this way but they've become significantly less fun, and Duke is now what Stanford used to be.

+1

That really is what sets Duke apart. It's a ridiculously fun place. Plus the weather is far sunnier and moe mild than in the NE. Not every "super high stats" kid wants these things, but if they do, Duke is it.

That said, it's true that kids who go deep into STEM will be less likely to have a super "fun" college experience wherever they go, including Duke. Either because that's their personality no matter their environment (true also of many non-STEM majors, of course), or because the STEM path tends to be extra competitive and rigorous, which requires a kid to have superb time management skills in order to add a busy social life on top.

But for STEM (and non-STEM) kids who really do want both (work hard/play hard) AND have the time management/executive function skills to pull it off, Duke offers something unique. I really can't think of another top academic school that offers a truly social atmosphere + high level athletics (if that's your thing). Stanford and Northwestern, maybe? I'd be curious to hear if there are others.

I can think of one, and that’s Michigan. Academically it is a peer of Duke and NU. Athletically, it is as well. Socially too. Stanford is a cut all of these schools, but not decisively so. And before anyone can argue that Michigan’s academics are not at Duke or NU’s level, I suggest you look at the PA scores at USNWR and internet rankings at all of the major sites.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They accepted 4% this year they said… good luck everyone

What do you think is driving the increasing popularity of Duke?

It's the only top 10 school in the country that's supposedly fun. So you get great academics and some balance with enjoyment. Stanford used to be this way but they've become significantly less fun, and Duke is now what Stanford used to be.

+1

That really is what sets Duke apart. It's a ridiculously fun place. Plus the weather is far sunnier and moe mild than in the NE. Not every "super high stats" kid wants these things, but if they do, Duke is it.

That said, it's true that kids who go deep into STEM will be less likely to have a super "fun" college experience wherever they go, including Duke. Either because that's their personality no matter their environment (true also of many non-STEM majors, of course), or because the STEM path tends to be extra competitive and rigorous, which requires a kid to have superb time management skills in order to add a busy social life on top.

But for STEM (and non-STEM) kids who really do want both (work hard/play hard) AND have the time management/executive function skills to pull it off, Duke offers something unique. I really can't think of another top academic school that offers a truly social atmosphere + high level athletics (if that's your thing). Stanford and Northwestern, maybe? I'd be curious to hear if there are others.

I can think of one, and that’s Michigan. Academically it is a peer of Duke and NU. Athletically, it is as well. Socially too. Stanford is a cut all of these schools, but not decisively so. And before anyone can argue that Michigan’s academics are not at Duke or NU’s level, I suggest you look at the PA scores at USNWR and internet rankings at all of the major sites.

Michigan is a phenomenal overall institution, but for undergrad specifically Duke is in rare air. Med, Law, Business, etc. are all phenomenal at Michigan too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They accepted 4% this year they said… good luck everyone

What do you think is driving the increasing popularity of Duke?

It's the only top 10 school in the country that's supposedly fun. So you get great academics and some balance with enjoyment. Stanford used to be this way but they've become significantly less fun, and Duke is now what Stanford used to be.

+1

That really is what sets Duke apart. It's a ridiculously fun place. Plus the weather is far sunnier and moe mild than in the NE. Not every "super high stats" kid wants these things, but if they do, Duke is it.

That said, it's true that kids who go deep into STEM will be less likely to have a super "fun" college experience wherever they go, including Duke. Either because that's their personality no matter their environment (true also of many non-STEM majors, of course), or because the STEM path tends to be extra competitive and rigorous, which requires a kid to have superb time management skills in order to add a busy social life on top.

But for STEM (and non-STEM) kids who really do want both (work hard/play hard) AND have the time management/executive function skills to pull it off, Duke offers something unique. I really can't think of another top academic school that offers a truly social atmosphere + high level athletics (if that's your thing). Stanford and Northwestern, maybe? I'd be curious to hear if there are others.

I can think of one, and that’s Michigan. Academically it is a peer of Duke and NU. Athletically, it is as well. Socially too. Stanford is a cut all of these schools, but not decisively so. And before anyone can argue that Michigan’s academics are not at Duke or NU’s level, I suggest you look at the PA scores at USNWR and internet rankings at all of the major sites.

Michigan is a phenomenal overall institution, but for undergrad specifically Duke is in rare air. Med, Law, Business, etc. are all phenomenal at Michigan too.

My first thought was Michigan as well. Seems to have a much better balance - work somewhat hard/play hard. Fabulous institution.

Wake Forest would also be in the running.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They accepted 4% this year they said… good luck everyone

What do you think is driving the increasing popularity of Duke?

It's the only top 10 school in the country that's supposedly fun. So you get great academics and some balance with enjoyment. Stanford used to be this way but they've become significantly less fun, and Duke is now what Stanford used to be.

+1

That really is what sets Duke apart. It's a ridiculously fun place. Plus the weather is far sunnier and moe mild than in the NE. Not every "super high stats" kid wants these things, but if they do, Duke is it.

That said, it's true that kids who go deep into STEM will be less likely to have a super "fun" college experience wherever they go, including Duke. Either because that's their personality no matter their environment (true also of many non-STEM majors, of course), or because the STEM path tends to be extra competitive and rigorous, which requires a kid to have superb time management skills in order to add a busy social life on top.

But for STEM (and non-STEM) kids who really do want both (work hard/play hard) AND have the time management/executive function skills to pull it off, Duke offers something unique. I really can't think of another top academic school that offers a truly social atmosphere + high level athletics (if that's your thing). Stanford and Northwestern, maybe? I'd be curious to hear if there are others.

I can think of one, and that’s Michigan. Academically it is a peer of Duke and NU. Athletically, it is as well. Socially too. Stanford is a cut all of these schools, but not decisively so. And before anyone can argue that Michigan’s academics are not at Duke or NU’s level, I suggest you look at the PA scores at USNWR and internet rankings at all of the major sites.

Michigan is a phenomenal overall institution, but for undergrad specifically Duke is in rare air. Med, Law, Business, etc. are all phenomenal at Michigan too.

So is Michigan. It’s also offers a much wider variety of undergraduate excellence. Many students are enrolled in programs where test scores are not the most important criterion such as, Music, Theater, Dance, Fine Arts, Architecture, and Kinesiology. Duke doesn’t provide that type of education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They accepted 4% this year they said… good luck everyone

What do you think is driving the increasing popularity of Duke?

It's the only top 10 school in the country that's supposedly fun. So you get great academics and some balance with enjoyment. Stanford used to be this way but they've become significantly less fun, and Duke is now what Stanford used to be.

+1

That really is what sets Duke apart. It's a ridiculously fun place. Plus the weather is far sunnier and moe mild than in the NE. Not every "super high stats" kid wants these things, but if they do, Duke is it.

That said, it's true that kids who go deep into STEM will be less likely to have a super "fun" college experience wherever they go, including Duke. Either because that's their personality no matter their environment (true also of many non-STEM majors, of course), or because the STEM path tends to be extra competitive and rigorous, which requires a kid to have superb time management skills in order to add a busy social life on top.

But for STEM (and non-STEM) kids who really do want both (work hard/play hard) AND have the time management/executive function skills to pull it off, Duke offers something unique. I really can't think of another top academic school that offers a truly social atmosphere + high level athletics (if that's your thing). Stanford and Northwestern, maybe? I'd be curious to hear if there are others.

I can think of one, and that’s Michigan. Academically it is a peer of Duke and NU. Athletically, it is as well. Socially too. Stanford is a cut all of these schools, but not decisively so. And before anyone can argue that Michigan’s academics are not at Duke or NU’s level, I suggest you look at the PA scores at USNWR and internet rankings at all of the major sites.

Michigan is a phenomenal overall institution, but for undergrad specifically Duke is in rare air. Med, Law, Business, etc. are all phenomenal at Michigan too.

Rare air for national universities undergrad is HYPSM. That’s it. Admit rate=eliteness is over emphasized here. If that were the case, NEU would be elite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They accepted 4% this year they said… good luck everyone

What do you think is driving the increasing popularity of Duke?

It's the only top 10 school in the country that's supposedly fun. So you get great academics and some balance with enjoyment. Stanford used to be this way but they've become significantly less fun, and Duke is now what Stanford used to be.

+1

That really is what sets Duke apart. It's a ridiculously fun place. Plus the weather is far sunnier and moe mild than in the NE. Not every "super high stats" kid wants these things, but if they do, Duke is it.

That said, it's true that kids who go deep into STEM will be less likely to have a super "fun" college experience wherever they go, including Duke. Either because that's their personality no matter their environment (true also of many non-STEM majors, of course), or because the STEM path tends to be extra competitive and rigorous, which requires a kid to have superb time management skills in order to add a busy social life on top.

But for STEM (and non-STEM) kids who really do want both (work hard/play hard) AND have the time management/executive function skills to pull it off, Duke offers something unique. I really can't think of another top academic school that offers a truly social atmosphere + high level athletics (if that's your thing). Stanford and Northwestern, maybe? I'd be curious to hear if there are others.

I can think of one, and that’s Michigan. Academically it is a peer of Duke and NU. Athletically, it is as well. Socially too. Stanford is a cut all of these schools, but not decisively so. And before anyone can argue that Michigan’s academics are not at Duke or NU’s level, I suggest you look at the PA scores at USNWR and internet rankings at all of the major sites.

Michigan is a phenomenal overall institution, but for undergrad specifically Duke is in rare air. Med, Law, Business, etc. are all phenomenal at Michigan too.

So is Michigan. It’s also offers a much wider variety of undergraduate excellence. Many students are enrolled in programs where test scores are not the most important criterion such as, Music, Theater, Dance, Fine Arts, Architecture, and Kinesiology. Duke doesn’t provide that type of education.

That's all good and fine, but just the nature of being a hyper selective private school means the average undergrad at Duke will be stronger. Both schools will have plenty of smart kids who are near the top of their class, but the undergrad environment at Duke will be somewhat higher caliber than Michigan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They accepted 4% this year they said… good luck everyone

What do you think is driving the increasing popularity of Duke?

It's the only top 10 school in the country that's supposedly fun. So you get great academics and some balance with enjoyment. Stanford used to be this way but they've become significantly less fun, and Duke is now what Stanford used to be.

+1

That really is what sets Duke apart. It's a ridiculously fun place. Plus the weather is far sunnier and moe mild than in the NE. Not every "super high stats" kid wants these things, but if they do, Duke is it.

That said, it's true that kids who go deep into STEM will be less likely to have a super "fun" college experience wherever they go, including Duke. Either because that's their personality no matter their environment (true also of many non-STEM majors, of course), or because the STEM path tends to be extra competitive and rigorous, which requires a kid to have superb time management skills in order to add a busy social life on top.

But for STEM (and non-STEM) kids who really do want both (work hard/play hard) AND have the time management/executive function skills to pull it off, Duke offers something unique. I really can't think of another top academic school that offers a truly social atmosphere + high level athletics (if that's your thing). Stanford and Northwestern, maybe? I'd be curious to hear if there are others.

I can think of one, and that’s Michigan. Academically it is a peer of Duke and NU. Athletically, it is as well. Socially too. Stanford is a cut all of these schools, but not decisively so. And before anyone can argue that Michigan’s academics are not at Duke or NU’s level, I suggest you look at the PA scores at USNWR and internet rankings at all of the major sites.

Michigan is a phenomenal overall institution, but for undergrad specifically Duke is in rare air. Med, Law, Business, etc. are all phenomenal at Michigan too.

Rare air for national universities undergrad is HYPSM. That’s it. Admit rate=eliteness is over emphasized here. If that were the case, NEU would be elite.

Eh. I think if we're being that picky, it's just HPSM. Penn, Duke, Yale, Caltech, Columbia are basically right there and almost indistinguishable, the difference is the top 200 kids at each of HPSM being pretty much unmatched by the kids at Penn Duke Yale Caltech Columbia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They accepted 4% this year they said… good luck everyone

What do you think is driving the increasing popularity of Duke?

It's the only top 10 school in the country that's supposedly fun. So you get great academics and some balance with enjoyment. Stanford used to be this way but they've become significantly less fun, and Duke is now what Stanford used to be.

+1

That really is what sets Duke apart. It's a ridiculously fun place. Plus the weather is far sunnier and moe mild than in the NE. Not every "super high stats" kid wants these things, but if they do, Duke is it.

That said, it's true that kids who go deep into STEM will be less likely to have a super "fun" college experience wherever they go, including Duke. Either because that's their personality no matter their environment (true also of many non-STEM majors, of course), or because the STEM path tends to be extra competitive and rigorous, which requires a kid to have superb time management skills in order to add a busy social life on top.

But for STEM (and non-STEM) kids who really do want both (work hard/play hard) AND have the time management/executive function skills to pull it off, Duke offers something unique. I really can't think of another top academic school that offers a truly social atmosphere + high level athletics (if that's your thing). Stanford and Northwestern, maybe? I'd be curious to hear if there are others.

I can think of one, and that’s Michigan. Academically it is a peer of Duke and NU. Athletically, it is as well. Socially too. Stanford is a cut all of these schools, but not decisively so. And before anyone can argue that Michigan’s academics are not at Duke or NU’s level, I suggest you look at the PA scores at USNWR and internet rankings at all of the major sites.

Michigan is a phenomenal overall institution, but for undergrad specifically Duke is in rare air. Med, Law, Business, etc. are all phenomenal at Michigan too.

So is Michigan. It’s also offers a much wider variety of undergraduate excellence. Many students are enrolled in programs where test scores are not the most important criterion such as, Music, Theater, Dance, Fine Arts, Architecture, and Kinesiology. Duke doesn’t provide that type of education.

That's all good and fine, but just the nature of being a hyper selective private school means the average undergrad at Duke will be stronger. Both schools will have plenty of smart kids who are near the top of their class, but the undergrad environment at Duke will be somewhat higher caliber than Michigan.

I’d like to see the large numbers of those top undergrads at Duke try to play a sport, act, sing, dance, paint, draw, etc, at the highest levels. They are as brilliant in those areas as 4.0/36 ACT students are in theirs. I’m not saying that Michigan is better than Duke, I’m just saying that they are peers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They accepted 4% this year they said… good luck everyone

What do you think is driving the increasing popularity of Duke?

It's the only top 10 school in the country that's supposedly fun. So you get great academics and some balance with enjoyment. Stanford used to be this way but they've become significantly less fun, and Duke is now what Stanford used to be.

+1

That really is what sets Duke apart. It's a ridiculously fun place. Plus the weather is far sunnier and moe mild than in the NE. Not every "super high stats" kid wants these things, but if they do, Duke is it.

That said, it's true that kids who go deep into STEM will be less likely to have a super "fun" college experience wherever they go, including Duke. Either because that's their personality no matter their environment (true also of many non-STEM majors, of course), or because the STEM path tends to be extra competitive and rigorous, which requires a kid to have superb time management skills in order to add a busy social life on top.

But for STEM (and non-STEM) kids who really do want both (work hard/play hard) AND have the time management/executive function skills to pull it off, Duke offers something unique. I really can't think of another top academic school that offers a truly social atmosphere + high level athletics (if that's your thing). Stanford and Northwestern, maybe? I'd be curious to hear if there are others.

I can think of one, and that’s Michigan. Academically it is a peer of Duke and NU. Athletically, it is as well. Socially too. Stanford is a cut all of these schools, but not decisively so. And before anyone can argue that Michigan’s academics are not at Duke or NU’s level, I suggest you look at the PA scores at USNWR and internet rankings at all of the major sites.

Michigan is a phenomenal overall institution, but for undergrad specifically Duke is in rare air. Med, Law, Business, etc. are all phenomenal at Michigan too.

Rare air for national universities undergrad is HYPSM. That’s it. Admit rate=eliteness is over emphasized here. If that were the case, NEU would be elite.

Eh. I think if we're being that picky, it's just HPSM. Penn, Duke, Yale, Caltech, Columbia are basically right there and almost indistinguishable, the difference is the top 200 kids at each of HPSM being pretty much unmatched by the kids at Penn Duke Yale Caltech Columbia.

200 kids is a lot at all of these schools with medium sized student bodies. CalTech doesn’t even have 1000 students in its entire undergraduate school. I wouldn’t include it in this listing. If you add Penn, Duke, Columbia, and not Northwestern, Brown, etc., you are also shortchanging those students. That’s why it’s HYPSM. If you want to exclude Yale, then that doesn’t change the fact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They accepted 4% this year they said… good luck everyone

What do you think is driving the increasing popularity of Duke?

It's the only top 10 school in the country that's supposedly fun. So you get great academics and some balance with enjoyment. Stanford used to be this way but they've become significantly less fun, and Duke is now what Stanford used to be.

+1

That really is what sets Duke apart. It's a ridiculously fun place. Plus the weather is far sunnier and moe mild than in the NE. Not every "super high stats" kid wants these things, but if they do, Duke is it.

That said, it's true that kids who go deep into STEM will be less likely to have a super "fun" college experience wherever they go, including Duke. Either because that's their personality no matter their environment (true also of many non-STEM majors, of course), or because the STEM path tends to be extra competitive and rigorous, which requires a kid to have superb time management skills in order to add a busy social life on top.

But for STEM (and non-STEM) kids who really do want both (work hard/play hard) AND have the time management/executive function skills to pull it off, Duke offers something unique. I really can't think of another top academic school that offers a truly social atmosphere + high level athletics (if that's your thing). Stanford and Northwestern, maybe? I'd be curious to hear if there are others.

Vandy. Maybe Rice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And Duke is still in March Madness for both men and women, they need to lose at something!

Literally 1 in 25 kids are getting into Duke this year, that’s the real March Madness.

4%!! Wow, getting accepted at Duke is almost as unlikely as a heterosexual white male Republican getting laid at Oberlin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They accepted 4% this year they said… good luck everyone

What do you think is driving the increasing popularity of Duke?

It's the only top 10 school in the country that's supposedly fun. So you get great academics and some balance with enjoyment. Stanford used to be this way but they've become significantly less fun, and Duke is now what Stanford used to be.

I think there's some truth to that. Plus the general popularity of the South over the dour Northeast. But perception might not match reality. From what I gather, Duke isn't as fun as it used to be. They're not even douchebags anymore. Sad.

Stamford used to have a similar rep - work hard , play hard, but that is no longer the case. Have heard that about Duke as well - especially for STEM.

Yes nowadays Duke STEM is very serious. Just look at the TJ kids heading to Duke - generally STEM-heavy who win lots of math and science competitions.

DC (TJ grad) studies CS at Duke and says that it’s super easy compared to what their friends study at CMU and MIT.

Maybe compared to MIT/CMU - those schools are are in a league of their own for CS. But many consider DUKE STEM harder than Yale/Harvard. Seems to be the case with DC’s friends who are a few years older.

I very much doubt Duke STEM is harder than Yale/Harvard. Harvard has some top notch STEM professors. Harvard STEM is strong.

[Anonymous]

Keep in mind a lot of seats at Duke are taken by wealthy donors’ kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Keep in mind a lot of seats at Duke are taken by wealthy donors’ kids

And legacy kids. Or kids of famous people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They accepted 4% this year they said… good luck everyone

Wow, that means Duke is now projected to be more selective than Princeton this year.

That is Duke RD. I believe the overall acceptance when including ED is 5.3%. Not sure how Princeton compares.

According to Duke's website overall is 5.1% (including the 12.9% ED acceptance rate). So it might be more selective than Princeton by 0.1 or 0.2%, since Princeton last year was 6% acceptance rate.

The selective schools that utilize ED can’t really be compared on a selectivity metric to HYPS (restricted/single choice EA). It’s not apples to apples.