Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 23:55     Subject: Unofficial "blacklist"
A feeder can’t be a feeder to all top schools. Simple as that.
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 23:50     Subject: Unofficial "blacklist"
Anonymous wrote:DD is a sophomore at a feeder (non-DMV), and looking at SCOIR/Naviance data, it seems like we're on an unofficial Duke blacklist. The graph is barren: a sea of red. Other elite schools are nothing like this. Does anyone else know if these universities have unofficial blacklists against certain high schools?


ED/REA violations? Ethical concerns?
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 23:05     Subject: Unofficial "blacklist"
Anonymous wrote:What do you mean by feeder?


50% of kids who apply to Ivies earn admission to one. That stat is partially true because the counselors steer, but not to an extreme level.
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 23:00     Subject: Unofficial "blacklist"
What do you mean by feeder?
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 22:52     Subject: Unofficial "blacklist"
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DD is a sophomore at a feeder (non-DMV), and looking at SCOIR/Naviance data, it seems like we're on an unofficial Duke blacklist. The graph is barren: a sea of red. Other elite schools are nothing like this. Does anyone else know if these universities have unofficial blacklists against certain high schools?


Are you a UNC feeder? Because Duke hates UNC.

I find most of that data to not be statistically significant and not to tell the whole story. I think some schools definitely are more harsh towards some high schools for reasons that are often difficult to explain. But there is often a story behind it.


Nope, we barely send any to UNC. And I'm curious about that story, which will likely never surface.


I was largely kidding. It is a big rivalry but I don't think it impacts admissions.


+1 Translation since it seems to have gone over the OP's head: the PP is gently mocking you with the UNC comment, and also telling you that making conclusions about a "blacklist" because your tiny private school hasn't had success at Duke is not supported by data. Most HS don't have success at Duke--they're not "blacklisted," they're just not competitive in a tough admissions environment.


The data supports my theory -- ~100 kids applied in 4 years and 3 were accepted. And those 3 were all HYP admits. And our school isn't some irrelevant private either.
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 22:43     Subject: Unofficial "blacklist"
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DD is a sophomore at a feeder (non-DMV), and looking at SCOIR/Naviance data, it seems like we're on an unofficial Duke blacklist. The graph is barren: a sea of red. Other elite schools are nothing like this. Does anyone else know if these universities have unofficial blacklists against certain high schools?


Are you a UNC feeder? Because Duke hates UNC.

I find most of that data to not be statistically significant and not to tell the whole story. I think some schools definitely are more harsh towards some high schools for reasons that are often difficult to explain. But there is often a story behind it.


Nope, we barely send any to UNC. And I'm curious about that story, which will likely never surface.


I was largely kidding. It is a big rivalry but I don't think it impacts admissions.


+1 Translation since it seems to have gone over the OP's head: the PP is gently mocking you with the UNC comment, and also telling you that making conclusions about a "blacklist" because your tiny private school hasn't had success at Duke is not supported by data. Most HS don't have success at Duke--they're not "blacklisted," they're just not competitive in a tough admissions environment.
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 22:32     Subject: Unofficial "blacklist"
Happens in lots of places for reasons that are sometimes clear (like a school allowing a kid to weasel out of an ED) and sometimes not obvious.

I went to a public high school that sent significant numbers of kids to ivy leagues schools every year and could get a single kid into Georgetown for more than a decade.

The good news is that there are lots of great schools.
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 22:20     Subject: Re:Unofficial "blacklist"
Anonymous wrote:Princeton at our HS. For decades. Every other Ivy/T10 well-represented. Never Princeton. Our HS counselor told my son do he didn’t SCEA. He was WL RD. I have other kids - younger and still
See no Princeton.


OP here, and same with us, honestly. Non-legacy top 5% gets waitlisted RD. Legacies with subpar GPAs get in SCEA, but nobody else. They confuse me.
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 22:10     Subject: Re:Unofficial "blacklist"
My kid is at a DC magnet that regularly sends kids to Ivy league schools but I can't remember anyone getting into Duke in the last 5+ years at least.
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 22:10     Subject: Re:Unofficial "blacklist"
Princeton at our HS. For decades. Every other Ivy/T10 well-represented. Never Princeton. Our HS counselor told my son do he didn’t SCEA. He was WL RD. I have other kids - younger and still
See no Princeton.
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 22:07     Subject: Unofficial "blacklist"
I do think that Duke has favorites and unfavorites among high schools. Not much to be done about that. Apply and see.
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 22:05     Subject: Unofficial "blacklist"
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DD is a sophomore at a feeder (non-DMV), and looking at SCOIR/Naviance data, it seems like we're on an unofficial Duke blacklist. The graph is barren: a sea of red. Other elite schools are nothing like this. Does anyone else know if these universities have unofficial blacklists against certain high schools?


Are you a UNC feeder? Because Duke hates UNC.

I find most of that data to not be statistically significant and not to tell the whole story. I think some schools definitely are more harsh towards some high schools for reasons that are often difficult to explain. But there is often a story behind it.


Nope, we barely send any to UNC. And I'm curious about that story, which will likely never surface.


I was largely kidding. It is a big rivalry but I don't think it impacts admissions.
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 22:00     Subject: Unofficial "blacklist"
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:DD is a sophomore at a feeder (non-DMV), and looking at SCOIR/Naviance data, it seems like we're on an unofficial Duke blacklist. The graph is barren: a sea of red. Other elite schools are nothing like this. Does anyone else know if these universities have unofficial blacklists against certain high schools?


Are you a UNC feeder? Because Duke hates UNC.

I find most of that data to not be statistically significant and not to tell the whole story. I think some schools definitely are more harsh towards some high schools for reasons that are often difficult to explain. But there is often a story behind it.


Nope, we barely send any to UNC. And I'm curious about that story, which will likely never surface.
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 21:56     Subject: Unofficial "blacklist"
Anonymous wrote:DD is a sophomore at a feeder (non-DMV), and looking at SCOIR/Naviance data, it seems like we're on an unofficial Duke blacklist. The graph is barren: a sea of red. Other elite schools are nothing like this. Does anyone else know if these universities have unofficial blacklists against certain high schools?


Are you a UNC feeder? Because Duke hates UNC.

I find most of that data to not be statistically significant and not to tell the whole story. I think some schools definitely are more harsh towards some high schools for reasons that are often difficult to explain. But there is often a story behind it.
Anonymous
Post 01/31/2026 21:46     Subject: Unofficial "blacklist"
DD is a sophomore at a feeder (non-DMV), and looking at SCOIR/Naviance data, it seems like we're on an unofficial Duke blacklist. The graph is barren: a sea of red. Other elite schools are nothing like this. Does anyone else know if these universities have unofficial blacklists against certain high schools?