Duke University - GPA and Test Scores for Admission

By Allen Grove, About.com Guide

Duke University is one of the most selective colleges in the country. In the graph above, the blue and green dots representing accepted students are concentrated in the upper right corner. Most students who got into Duke had "A" averages, SAT scores (CR+M+W) above 2000, and ACT composite scores above 29. Also realize that a lot of red dots are hidden beneath the blue and green -- many students with a 4.0 GPA and extremely high standardized test scores get rejected from Duke. For this reason, I always recommend that you consider a highly selective school like Duke to be a reach school even if your grades and test scores are on target for admission.

At the same time, keep in mind that Duke has holistic admissions -- Duke's admissions folks are looking for students who will bring more than good grades and standardized test scores to their campus. Students who show some kind of remarkable talent or have a compelling story to tell will often get a close look even if grades and test scores aren't quite up to the ideal.

To learn more about Duke University, high school GPAs, SAT scores and ACT scores, these articles can help:

• Duke University Admissions Profile
• What's a Good SAT Score?
• What's a Good ACT Score?
• What's Considered a Good Academic Record?
• What is a Weighted GPA?
• Lists Featuring Duke University:
  • Top National Universities
  • Top Southeastern Colleges
  • Top North Carolina Colleges
  • Association of American Universities
  • Phi Beta Kappa
  • The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)