Duke University is an elite institution with a tradition of accepting only the most qualified students. On average, only about 13% of applicants are accepted. This admissions process includes a formal application, recommendation, an essay and submission of standardized test scores. If you want to have the best chance of success, learn the basics of admission and some tips to stand out.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Meeting the Basic Requirements
Step 1. Complete your high school education
Duke is an elite, highly competitive university, and you must complete high school with an outstanding academic record to apply for admission to Duke. While you're in school, you'll need to specialize in a broad curriculum, elite classes, and complement your application with a variety of extra-curricular activities and above average grades.
- Make sure you study natural sciences, 3 years worth of math, a foreign language, at least 4 years of English, and social sciences during your high school years. Include a few things that demonstrate your desire to take on challenges and expand your knowledge and make yourself stand out.
- If you plan to apply to Duke's Pratt School of Engineering, it is recommended that you study calculus and physics in high school.
- While you can apply to Duke through a High School equivalency, such as the GED system, it is actually very difficult to get admitted to Duke without a record of good high school grades. Completing High School level and graduating with high marks is important if you want to be accepted at Duke.
Step 2. Take Advanced Placement courses or featured classes if possible
Duke University looks for students who have been in accelerated classes, and lessons during these classes may count towards the Duke unit credit system. If these courses are available at your high school, find out what you need to participate in and take them.
- Typically, AP courses are offered between grades 11 and 12, with more in-depth learning levels, and will conclude with a standardized AP test, in addition to the final test. Usually, the AP test itself is optional, but it's best if you take it and get good results if you want to be admitted to elite universities like Duke.
- If you take AP courses and tests, you also usually need to prepare all the results to send to the universities you are looking for. The earlier you know you want to get into Duke, the sooner you can submit your AP scores.
Step 3. Engage in extra-curricular activities
To be accepted at Duke, you must demonstrate that you have received a good thorough education and are actively involved in various activities at your school. Get involved in a school sports team, band, club, or other organization to make sure your application stands out.
The Duke Office of Admissions Duke is on guard against the possibility of students getting involved in too many activities. Duke staff emphasize that the quality of participation is what matters, not the amount of activity. Choose one or two of your favorite activities instead of joining an X-Box club just to write an activity history on your app
Step 4. Keep your grades as high as possible (in America, this scoring system with GPA/GPA)
Your grade point average is a demonstration of your consistency and ability to perform at all levels in high school. Trying to maintain the highest possible GPA is a great way to stand out among your peers and demonstrate that you are a consistent and serious student, as well as a Duke graduate candidate.
- Pay attention to the rank of your batch. If you are close to the top 25 or even the top 10 in your batch, then this is important to consider when you apply to Duke. While your GPA is paramount, telling Duke you're one of the top students at your school will also make you look more attractive.
- Your GPA is another good reason to take AP courses, which are usually rated on a 5-point scale instead of 4 points. This means an A score on an AP course gives you more GPA than an A score on a regular course, so you can get a higher GPA as a bonus.
Step 5. Take the required standardization exams
Duke University requires students to submit test scores from either the American College Test (ACT) or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), so register for one of these tests as early as possible, so you have a good chance of getting a high score. While Duke does not have a minimum score requirement for admission, admitted students are usually among those in the top 50 percentile.
- In general, for admissions purposes, students with scores above 29 on the ACT test have the potential to be accepted into Arts & Sciences students, and those with scores above 32 may be admitted as engineering students.
- On the SAT test, Duke students scored at least 680 on the language section, 690 on the Maths section, and 660 on the writing section.
- On average, students admitted to Duke score slightly higher than the minimum, between 700 and 800 on both sections of the SAT and about 31-35 on the ACT test. All students admitted to Duke are in the top 50% percentage.
Step 6. Submit a transcript of your high school grades to Duke
Coordinate with your school's education counselor to send official grade reports and transcripts to Duke University as early as possible after your graduation, and talk about the possibility of obtaining unofficial transcripts to complete your application.
Step 7. Ask for two recommendations from teachers who know you well
While you are still in high school, you should develop a good relationship with at least two teachers who will be willing to write you good recommendations. Duke University requires recommendations from teachers who have taught you in the last two years.
- If possible, find out if any of your teachers have studied at Duke. Letters from alumni are usually more effective than recommendations from other teachers.
- Make sure you request letters as early as possible in the application season, usually early in the fall semester, to ensure you get a good letter. Teachers will be inundated with mail requests, and make sure you're at the top of the queue.
Part 2 of 3: Filling out the Application
Step 1. Complete the Common Application report
This Common Application is a standard application for colleges and universities used by various institutions in the United States, including Duke University. The app is quite concise, requiring you to fill in contact information, schools you've attended, and other questions. All materials must be submitted no later than November 1 for the Early Admission period and January 15 for the standard acceptance period.
Early Admission requires a first-quarter grade report and requires students to study at Duke if accepted, in return for early notification of their acceptance
Step 2. Fill out the Duke Student Supplement Form
This form is part of Duke's basic application package, and includes specific Duke University-related questions, for example if you have relatives who have graduated from Duke University or were employed at Duke University. This form also includes optional questions about why Duke University is a good fit for you.
Good answers to this section require in-depth knowledge of the program you are applying to, your ability to name specific instructors, or cite the reputation of the program, and how Duke can help you achieve your goals during college
Step 3. Submit all your standardized test scores to Duke University
When you take the ACT or SAT test, you must have the results sent to Duke's admissions office by the application deadline. The Duke University SAT code is 5156, and the ACT code is 3088.
Duke requires that your entire test history be sent to the admissions office when you apply. So if you are not happy with the first score you received on one of these tests, you should know that even if you take the test again to get a higher score, you will still have to submit your original score
Step 4. Write, revise, and submit essays for your application
Each application requires you to respond to one of five essay questions, at least 750 words long, as well as a shorter essay (about 150 words), in which you can write down why Duke is the right choice for you. One of the most important and most useful ways to make sure your app grabs attention is to complete the essays and make them well-organized, unique, and well-articulated. The questions asked will always change, but are usually variations of these things:
- Some students have a background or story that influences their identity so much that they believe their application would be incomplete without telling it. If you like this then please share your story.
- Recall an incident or time when you failed. How did this experience affect you, and what lessons did you learn from me?
- Recall a time when you questioned a notion or idea. What spurred you to react? Will you make the same decision again?
- Describe a place or environment in which you are truly satisfied. What did you do or experience there, and why did the environment matter to you?
- Describe an achievement or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood in your culture, community, or family.
Step 5. Consider submitting artistic materials to complement your application
If you are applying as a liberal arts student, you are advised to include examples of your work. Students who are gifted in the arts should submit a sample portfolio of their work in one of the following categories:
- dance art
- Media/video art
- Photography
- Music
- Theater Arts
- Visual Arts
Part 3 of 3: Stand Out and Be Accepted
Step 1. Consider enrolling in the Duke Youth Program in the arts before you apply
This program is part of Duke Continuing Studies which provides additional academic material for students who are academically gifted. If you hope to continue your education at Duke, participating in the program in the summer while you are off school will make your application stand out. Apart from that, you will have a pleasant experience. You can participate in the Duke Youth Program any time between grades 4 and 12, in one of the following programs:
- Duke Young Writers' Camp
- Duke Action Science Camp for Young Women
- Duke Expressions! Fine Arts Camp (Expressions Pure Arts Camp! Duke)
- Duke Creative Writers' Workshop
- Constructing Your College Experience
- Duke Drama Workshop Duke Drama Workshop)
Step 2. Participate in the Duke Talent Identification Program (TIP)
The TIP is a summer program available to students grades 5-12 who are interested in pure science, local history, and architecture. This program is designed to challenge gifted students by giving them access to interesting and enriching studies that match their intelligence and expertise. These specific programs may vary depending on your age group, but you can follow them on the Duke TIP website, here. These programs are usually available in the areas of:
- Mathematics
- Neuroscience
- Criminal Justice Advocacy
- Appalachian Voice
- Robotics
- Astronomy, Physics and Astrobiology
Step 3. Do some research for the program you want to take
The more you know about the department you want to enter, the more prominent your application will be. Try to familiarize yourself with the faculty, their specialization, and the reputation of the program you are applying for. This is a good way to show that you are serious about being a candidate, and that you are serious about Duke as a great place for your education.
Step 4. Make your application essays unique
These essays may be the most important part of your application, more important than your GPA or transcript. Show your personality, your unique character, and what makes you memorable as one of the Duke students. Most essays are cliché and easy to forget, so write one that stands out, and you're more likely to be accepted.
- Avoid clichéd essay topics. There are thousands of admissions essays that have been written about times when your favorite sports team lost, then trained hard, then won again, and mission trips that made you realize how poor some areas of the world are. Avoid these topics.
- Find something specific, interesting, or unique about yourself and relate it to your strengths. Are you obsessed with butterflies? Do you have a large collection of geodes? Choose something memorable to tell people about yourself.
- This essay will not be used to highlight things in your transcript. You do not need to include GPA or success while you are in school in your essay text.
Step 5. If possible, make a campus visit
While campus visits are not tracked or considered in your application, meeting admissions staff and seeing the campus for yourself is a good way to learn more about the school before you apply, as well as to get inside tips to make the admissions process easier. And you never know if the people you meet will remember your name and friendly face while checking the app list.
Step 6. Talk to alumni
If you know people who have studied at Duke, they can be a valuable source of inside information and tips on the application process. Alumni may still maintain contact with their former professors, who can also provide you with guidance and recommendations at the admissions office. You will never know.
