stephanie.t
stephanie.t,
Duke
B.A., Political Science and Government
Chronic procrastinator and overambitious idealist
Features Included
5
Essays
12
Schools
6
Scores
10
Advice
9
ECs
1
Sports

Background

Hometown Edison, New Jersey
GenderFemale
EthnicityAsian
AdmissionRegular Decision
Class of2016
English First Language Yes
Other Language(s) Spoken Mandarin, Min Nan

Results, Essays, and Advice

Accepted
Waitlisted or Withdrew
Denied
  • Duke University (Durham, NC)
  • Rutgers, State University of New Jersey - New Brunswick (Piscataway, NJ)
  • Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN)
  • Washington University in St. Louis (St. Louis, MO)
  • Cornell University (Ithaca, NY)
  • University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA)
  • Stanford University (Stanford, CA)
  • Columbia University (New York, NY)
  • Harvard University (Cambridge, MA)
  • Princeton University (Princeton, NJ)
  • Yale University (New Haven, CT)
  • New York University (New York, NY)
Tap/click a school logo above to view essays and advice specific to that school.

Duke University (Durham, NC)

Applied for a B.A. in Political Science and Government

Accepted and Enrolled Legacy: Other Relative

School Specific Essays

School Specific Advice

More Essays

These essays haven't been tagged by school. Click school logos above to see tagged essays.

By day, my mom is the boss of a jewelry company in New York, and by night, she transforms into a housewife, doing laundry and tidying the house. When duty calls, she ventures into foreign lands for business, single-handedly defeating the evilest exhibitors with her excited hand-gestures and persuasive words. But because of her schedule and my dad’s, too, my childhood was spent shooting lay-ups, reading books, and grumbling about how I never had the transportation and the heart-shaped...
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Supplemental Essay “Why us” school essay
87 Words
For Duke, I focused on the academics. Since I didn't have a chance to visit the campus, I had to rely on my idea of their academic programs, rather than their school or student body culture. I did extensive research on their public policy program and went into detail about the merits of their "Pathways" setup of electives. I also discussed the Focus program and the benefits of living on East Campus, the freshman campus whose setup allows the entire...
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Supplemental Essay Using a metaphor
149 Words
(Excerpt) "At age six, I decided to become Grandma’s caretaker. With my parents working long hours, I was the only one available to concoct culinary experiments and prepare tea for Grandma, who read newspapers with a magnifying glass and felt her way along the house. Because of her eyesight, serving became second nature to me, and for the past twelve years, I saw everything through adult eyes. Two summers ago, I discovered the Lions Clubs International, a service organization...
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Supplemental Essay Strong beliefs/principles
50 Words
I wrote about the lack of patriotism and awareness of American culture in today's generation. Although I considered it a valid issue, my writing did not do it justice. Instead, the essay sounded TOO politically motivated and extreme. I sent it to Stanford and (needless to say) was not admitted.
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Additional Essay Details
152 Words
My supplement was about my changing opinion of my parents. As a young child, I resented having to provide for myself when my classmates always had their parents by their side. Thanks to a caring teacher, however, I learned that by taking a "hands-off" approach, my parents were essentially giving me the opportunity to develop my own interests and identity. Through this essay, I demonstrated a unique way of approaching a "bad situation," a strong sense of self, and an...
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General Admissions Advice

Additional material sent in after waitlisted or deferred
74 Words
It's a long shot at most top schools, but I'd still recommend sending in an additional letter. Use this opportunity to touch...
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List of schools I interviewed with and my interview experience
283 Words
The interview is never the make-or-break factor. By the time the admissions board even sees your interviewer's comments, they already have a pretty good idea of whether or not you are getting wait listed, rejected, or accepted. With that said, however, having a good interview is still important. While your interview will depend on the person--not on the school they're from--it is very important to do your research about the school beforehand. Keep a few topics and facts in mind, and always remember...
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How I chose schools to apply to
285 Words
I personally did not go about it this way, but would have if I were given another chance. If you can afford to, definitely give the school a visit during the school year to get a feel for the campus. If that's not possible, visit during the summer, and reach out to friends or acquaintances who attend/have attended the school. Tell them to be honest about their experiences (the good and the bad), and keep in mind that any tour guides you meet...
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My extracurricular activities in college, and why I chose them
68 Words
At Duke, I have held executive positions at three organizations: Net Impact, Delta Sigma Pi (professional fraternity), and Duke University...
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Recommended summer activities during high school and college
193 Words
I believe that there is no set of activities that colleges like to see. Nowadays, so many students are volunteering (both for altruistic and self-motivated reasons) and flying abroad for community service that what was once considered an impressive and admirable achievement has now become almost expected. Instead, you should do activities that you are genuinely interested...
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What I like about my school’s location and culture
70 Words
Durham has great restaurants, and the south just has generally good weather (at least compared to the northeast). Southerners are also...
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What I’d change about my application process
103 Words
This is probably repetitive, but I would have gotten an early start. I absolutely hate writing and always procrastinate right before an essay is due. I wrote the bulk of...
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What set me apart from other applicants
72 Words
I think that I showed a lot of independence and determination throughout high school. I was active in many clubs and had...
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Why I ultimately chose my school
75 Words
In terms of prestige and academics, Duke was the clear choice. This is not a strong reason, but for me, it was...
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My advice about getting recommenders
106 Words
As far as large public schools go, your recommendation letter will most likely be generic--not because the teacher does not care, but because s/he is responsible for so many letters....
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High School Performance

GPA
3.80
(no specification of weighting)
Rank
Top 5%
 
High School TypePublic
Academic Performance in High School Steady

Test Scores

Highest SAT
1580
on 1600 scale
Highest SAT
2340
 
SAT Score Details
 
Original SAT Score2340
Other SAT Scores
SAT Prep
PSAT Scores

AP / IB Classes and Scores

Details3 classes and scores

Sports

SportsGolf

Extracurriculars

ActivitiesLions Club, Rotary Club, Multicultural / International Club, Academic Decathlon, School Newspaper/Magazine/Journalism, National Honor Society, Tutoring/Mentoring, Political Campaign, Local Orchestra / Symphony / Band
Elaborate on Extracurriculars or Work

Experience & Awards

How Spent Summers
Volunteer Experiences
Awards Received

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