Duke ED Acceptance

I've been really interested in Duke and I'm thinking about applying ED. Does anyone know how competitive the ED acceptance rate is compared to RD? Do I have better chances if I apply early?

Applying Early Decision (ED) to Duke can indeed increase your chances of admission. While Duke's overall acceptance rate is quite low, the acceptance rate for ED is generally higher than during Regular Decision (RD). This can partially be attributed to the fact that schools like to maximize their yield rates (number of admitted students who enroll), and ED is binding, meaning that if you're accepted, you commit to attending the college.

On average, applying ED results in a 1.6x or a 60% increase in your chances of admission to super selective schools. This benefit tends to become less pronounced as a school becomes less selective, though Duke is still quite competitive. So, for example, if your chances were 4% during RD, applying ED would bump your chances up to approximately 6.4%, which is a meaningful increase of about 2.4 additional percentage points.

Keep in mind that this boost in admission chances can vary by school and year, so the numbers provided above are merely averages. It's also crucial to remember that applying ED is a binding agreement, meaning that if you get accepted, you must attend the school. Only apply ED if you are absolutely sure that Duke is your top choice and if the financial aspect of attending Duke won't be an issue (you can use their net price calculator to estimate your expected financial aid).

Ultimately, if you're confident that Duke is your dream school and you're prepared to commit, then applying ED can provide you with a competitive edge in the admissions process.