Anonymous
Post 02/25/2024 22:56     Subject: Duke no longer scoring essays
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So they are basing their admissions decisions on GPA/transcript, LORs and ECs?


Grades are meaningless. Standardized test scores are meaningless. Essays are meaningless. What matters anymore?


URM, being an alphabet person, first gen and recruited athlete.



Lgbtqrstuvwxyz
What’s an alphabet person?
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2024 22:40     Subject: Duke no longer scoring essays
Anonymous wrote:Essay should be done in SAT style.


Agree
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2024 22:24     Subject: Duke no longer scoring essays
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So they are basing their admissions decisions on GPA/transcript, LORs and ECs?


Grades are meaningless. Standardized test scores are meaningless. Essays are meaningless. What matters anymore?


URM, being an alphabet person, first gen and recruited athlete.


What’s an alphabet person?
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2024 16:46     Subject: Duke no longer scoring essays
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So they are basing their admissions decisions on GPA/transcript, LORs and ECs?

They highly value test scores, too. In fact, I think this shift away from essays will only serve to strengthen the weight given to SAT/SAT/IB/AP scores.


As it should. Essays and ECs are BS.

These can and are gamed. I posted on another thread that the essay was BS because so many people hire essay and college consultants.

I let DC do everything on their own, no tutors, prepping.. DC was a magnet student with super high stats, and wrote a great essay. But still rejected from T10. Kids with very similar stats as my DC hired consultants, and they got into T10. I was against hiring any consultant because I felt that kids should be doing these things on their own. I guess my DC paid the price for that.

College admissions has become ridiculous. It's a game, and money means you can play the game better. We come from a UMC neighborhood, and I'm pretty sure college admissions officers assumed that my kid had a college consultant and tutor, too, like so many seem to. It's such BS.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2024 14:21     Subject: Duke no longer scoring essays
Anonymous wrote:Yes - I think that it should just be based on SATs. But everyone should be given the exact same SAT prep course and the SATs should be made a little more difficult. Test scores would be the most objective way to do admissions. All the other things can easily be manipulated.

Let’s resolve the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, too, while we’re at it. Pie in the sky pronouncements are not helpful, particularly while we still live in a democracy.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2024 14:20     Subject: Duke no longer scoring essays
Anonymous wrote:They say they are TO and won’t score essays but they consider the former and read the latter. How are applicants supposed to judge them a reach/target/safety if they have no discernible standards for admission?


Equitable, random admissions. Buy as many lottery tickets as you choose.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2024 14:20     Subject: Duke no longer scoring essays
student essay by a junior in a school newspaper = not worth my time
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2024 14:18     Subject: Duke no longer scoring essays
Yes - I think that it should just be based on SATs. But everyone should be given the exact same SAT prep course and the SATs should be made a little more difficult. Test scores would be the most objective way to do admissions. All the other things can easily be manipulated.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2024 14:14     Subject: Duke no longer scoring essays
Anonymous wrote:Scoring essays doesn't mean they don't read essays. I'm frankly surprised that they ever 'scored' essays, which they seem to define as grading them for writing strength, etc. It never crossed my mind that any school was doing something like that.


Yes, most places like Duke score essays. A reader summarizes the essay and scores it. As a PP said, they have too many not to.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2024 14:13     Subject: Duke no longer scoring essays
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So they are basing their admissions decisions on GPA/transcript, LORs and ECs?


Grades are meaningless. Standardized test scores are meaningless. Essays are meaningless. What matters anymore?


URM, being an alphabet person, first gen and recruited athlete.


I don’t think URM even matters anymore. Just first gen and athletes.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2024 14:10     Subject: Duke no longer scoring essays
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So they are basing their admissions decisions on GPA/transcript, LORs and ECs?


Grades are meaningless. Standardized test scores are meaningless. Essays are meaningless. What matters anymore?


URM, being an alphabet person, first gen and recruited athlete.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2024 13:01     Subject: Duke no longer scoring essays
Anonymous wrote:Scoring essays doesn't mean they don't read essays. I'm frankly surprised that they ever 'scored' essays, which they seem to define as grading them for writing strength, etc. It never crossed my mind that any school was doing something like that.


When they receive 50k - 100K applications, verything needs to be scored. They need a numbered scoring system. Common sense.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2024 12:57     Subject: Duke no longer scoring essays
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So they are basing their admissions decisions on GPA/transcript, LORs and ECs?


Grades are meaningless. Standardized test scores are meaningless. Essays are meaningless. What matters anymore?


Time to submit parents SAT scores.


This is funny! And relevant for those vicariously seeking validation of their parenting through admissions results.


I still have my old ACT printed scores (proudly at 31, back in the days it was amazing score) and showed my kid to beat me (which he did after taking twice). Now I need to dig my GRE scores!
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2024 12:52     Subject: Duke no longer scoring essays
I love this thread. All so true, so funny, so sad and so ridiculous. Let’s go to Vegas.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2024 12:50     Subject: Duke no longer scoring essays
Scoring essays doesn't mean they don't read essays. I'm frankly surprised that they ever 'scored' essays, which they seem to define as grading them for writing strength, etc. It never crossed my mind that any school was doing something like that.