Learn how to do anything: How to Get Into Duke University

Duke University is an elite institution with a tradition of admitting the most qualified students. On average, only about 13% of applying students are admitted. The admission process includes official applications, recommendations, an essay and submission of standardized test scores. If you want to give yourself the best chance of success, learn the basic requirements for admission and some tips for making yourself stand out.

Steps

Fulfilling the Basic Requirements

Complete your high school education. Duke is an elite university, highly competitive, and it's necessary to complete your high school education with excellent academic standing to apply. While you attend school, it's important to specialize in broad curriculum, high-level classes, as well as supplementing your application with diverse extra-curricular activities and above-average grades.
- Take courses in high school that include natural science, 3 years of mathematics, a foreign language, 4 years of English and social studies. Include electives that demonstrate your willingness to be challenged and expand your knowledge base and makes you an erudite.
- If you plan on applying to the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke, coursework in calculus and physics are strongly recommended during high school.
- While you may technically apply to Duke having attained a High School equivalency, like the GED, it's very difficult to get into Duke without a nice high school record. It's important to finish High School and graduation with outstanding grades if you want to get into Duke.
Take Advanced Placement courses or honors classes, if possible. Duke University looks for students who have taken accelerated classes, and these course may, in some cases, be counted for credit at Duke. If AP courses are available at your high school, find out what it takes to enroll, and do so.
- Typically, AP courses are offered during 11th and 12th grade, are somewhat more advanced, and will end with a standardized AP test, in addition to a final. Typically, the AP test itself is optional, but you'll want to take it and do well if you want to get into elite universities like Duke.
- If you take AP courses and tests, you'll also typically need to arrange to have these sent to the Universities to which you hope to apply. The sooner you know you want to go to Duke, the sooner you can arrange to have your AP scores sent.
Get involved with extra-curricular activities. To get into Duke, you need to display that you've received a well-rounded education and were fully engaged in a diversity of activities at your school. Get involved in a school sport, band, club, or other organization to make your application really stand out.
- The Duke Office of Admissions cautions students from involving themselves with too many activities. Duke officials stress that it is the quality of the participation that counts, not the number of activities. Pick one or two that you really care about, instead of joining up with the Xbox club just to have something to put on your app.
Keep your GPA as high as possible. Your grade point average is a demonstration of your consistency and ability to achieve at all levels in high school. Trying to maintain a consistently high GPA is a good way to stand out among your peers and demonstrate that you're a consistent and serious student and potential Duke grad.
- Pay attention to your class rank, as well. If you're somewhere near the top 25 or even top 10 of your class, this is important to keep in mind when you're applying to Duke. While the GPA is the most important thing, it looks nice and tidy if you can also let them know you were one of the best students at your school.
- Your GPA is another good reason to take AP courses, which are typically offered on a 5 point, as opposed to 4 point, scale. That means an A in an AP course is typically worth more GPA points than an A in a regular course, so you can skew your GPA higher as a bonus.
Take the required standardized tests. Duke University requires that students submit test scores from either the American College Test (ACT) or Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), so it's a good idea to sign up for one or both as soon as possible to give yourself enough chances to get a high score. While Duke does not have a specific minimum score requirement for admission, accepted students typically fall into the upper 50th percentile.
- Typically, for admission, students score above 29 on the ACT as a potential Arts & Sciences student, and above 32 as a potential engineering student.
- On the SAT, students typically score at least 680 on the verbal section, 690 on the math section and 660 on the writing section.
- On average, students accepted into Duke received scores slightly higher than the minimum requirement, between 700 and 800 on both sections of the SAT and roughly 31-35 on the ACT.^[1] All students accepted into Duke are in the top 50th percentile.
Have your high school transcript sent to Duke. Coordinate with your school's guidance counselor to send official grade reports and a high school transcript to Duke University as soon as possible upon your graduation, and talk about acquiring unofficial transcripts to complete your application.^[2]
Acquire two recommendations from teachers who know you well. While you're still in high school, it's important to cultivate good relationships with at least two teachers who will be willing to write you glowing recommendations. Duke University requires recommendations be from teachers who have instructed you within the last two years.
- If possible, find out whether or not any of your teachers have attended Duke in the past. Letters from Alumni typically stand out more than recommendations from other teachers.
- Be sure to ask for a letter as early as possible in the application season, preferably early in the Fall semester, if you want a good letter. Teachers will quickly get swamped with requests, and you want to be early in the line.

Filling Out the Application

Complete the Common Application. The Common Application is a standardized college and university application used by numerous institutions in the United States, including Duke University. The application itself is fairly straightforward, requiring you to fill in information concerning your contact information, schools attended and other questions. All materials are due by November 1st for Early Decision and January 15th for regular decision.
- Early Decision requires a first-quarter grade report and commits students to enrolling if they are accepted for admission, in exchange for an earlier notification of your acceptance.
Fill out the Duke Student Supplement Form. This form is part of the basic Duke application package, and it involves questions specifically related to Duke University, such as whether you have relatives who graduated from Duke University or are employed at Duke University. The form also includes optional questions about why Duke University is a good fit for you.
- Good answers to this section will involve familiarity with the program to which you're applying, your ability to name specific instructors or cite the reputation of the program, and the way Duke will help you achieve what you hope to achieve during college.
Submit all of your official standardized test scores to Duke University. When you take the ACT or SAT, you need to request that the scores be sent to the school's admissions office by the application due date. Duke University's 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're not happy with the first score you receive on one of the tests, it's important to know that, even if you retake it to hope for a higher score, you'll still have to report your initial score.
Write, revise, and submit the essays for your application. Each application will require that you respond to one of five long essay prompts, which will need to be about 750 words long, as well as a shorter essay of about 150 words, in which you address why Duke is right for you. One of the most important and useful ways of standing out on your application is in completing the essays and making them as polished, unique, and articulate as possible. The prompts will change somewhat, but are usually some variation of the following:
- Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
- Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn?
- Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?
- Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you?
- Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.^[3]
Consider submitting supplementary artistic material with your application. If you're applying as a liberal arts student, you're encouraged to include samples of your work. Students gifted in the arts should include a portfolio of samples in any of the following categories:
- Dance
- Video/Media arts
- Photography
- Music
- Theater
- Visual Art^[4]

Standing Out and Getting Accepted

Consider attending a Duke Youth Program in the arts before you apply. Part of Duke Continuing Studies, the Duke Youth Programs provide summertime academic enrichment for academically gifted students. If you hope to go to Duke eventually, participating in this type of program during a summer off from school will make your application stand out, and it can be a fun experience. You may participate in a Duke Youth Program any time between 4th and 12th grade, in any of the following programs:
- Duke Young Writers' Camp
- Duke Action Science Camp for Young Women
- Duke Expressions! Fine Arts Camp
- Duke Creative Writers' Workshop
- Constructing Your College Experience
- Duke Drama Workshop
Participate in the Duke Talent Identification Program (TIP). TIP is a summer-time program available to 5th-12th graders who are interested in hard sciences, local history, and architecture. The program is designed to challenge gifted students by exposing them to rich and engaging hands-on studies that will respect their intelligence and ability. The specific programs vary, depending upon your age group, but you can apply and enroll on the Duke TIP website, found here. Programs are typically available in:
- Mathematics
- Neuroscience
- Criminal Trial Advocacy
- Appalachian Voices
- Robotics
- Astronomy, Physics, and Astrobiology
Research the program to which you hope to apply eventually. The more you know about the department you want to end up in, the more your application will stand out. Try to familiarize yourself with the faculty, their specialties, and the reputation of the program you're applying to. This is a good way to show your seriousness as a candidate, and that you're serious about Duke being the correct place for your education.
Make your application essays unique. The essays are possibly the most important single part of the application, more so than your GPA or your transcript. You want to show your personality, your unique character, and your memorability as a potential Duke student. Most of the essays will be cliché and forgettable, so if you write one that sticks out of the pack, you'll be much more likely to be accepted.
- Avoid cliché essay topics. Literally thousands of admissions essays have been written about the time your sports team lost, then practiced hard, then won again, and the mission trip that made you aware of how poor some parts of the world are. Avoid these topics.
- Find a specific, quirky, or unique thing about yourself and connect it to your strengths. You're obsessed with butterflies? You've got the state's biggest collection of geodes? Pick something memorable to tell people about yourself.
- The essay isn't for highlighting things on your transcript. You don't need to include your GPA or your school successes in the text.
Go on a campus visit, if possible. While campus visits aren't tracked or considered along with your application, getting some face-time admissions officials and seeing the campus for yourself is an excellent way to learn more about the school before you apply, as well as get some insider tips on getting in. And you never know whether or not the person you meet with will remember your name and your friendly face when going through applications.
Talk to alumni. If you know someone who has gone to Duke, they can be an invaluable resource in getting you insider information and tips on the application process. Alumni might be in contact with former professors, likewise, who will be able to offer you guidance and might be able to put in a good word for you at the admissions office. You never know.