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Join Our Community of Doers

The outstanding individuals who apply for admission to Duke each year continually astound us. We are always excited to welcome a new class into our collaborative community of intellectual explorers.

Start Your Application

Choose to apply using either the Common Application , Coalition Application , or QuestBridge Application .

First-Year or Transfer ? Trinity College of Arts & Sciences or Pratt School of Engineering ? Early Decision or Regular Decision?

Dates, Deadlines, and Checklist

Early Decision applications are due November 4 . Regular Decision applications are due January 2 . Scroll down for additional deadlines. Once we receive the student-submitted portions of your application, you’ll receive an email to access your Application Checklist .

FIRST-YEAR APPLICANTS

When evaluating applications to Duke, the admissions committee reviews several documents that make up each file. As a part of our holistic approach, we consider both your academic and personal interests, what you’ve accomplished, and your unique experiences, perspectives, and background.

The information below represents the 2024-25 admission cycle requirements and deadlines.

For a quick reference of deadlines, click here .

Early Decision v Regular Decision

Early Decision is a binding program for students whose top choice is Duke.

Regular Decision is for students who want to keep their options open.

Visit our FAQs for more information.

Early Decision Deadlines

• Common Application  or Coalition Application made available
• Application for Early Decision
• Early Decision Agreement
• High School Transcript
• First Quarter Grades (submit via Optional Report; will accept through November 20 or when your first term ends)
• Secondary School Report with Counselor Recommendation
• Two Teacher Recommendations
• SAT and/or ACT Scores (optional, last day to take standardized tests is November 6)
• Arts Supplement (optional)
• CSS Profile

November 15

• Additional Financial Aid Documents (like your taxes)

Mid-December

• Decisions released
• Financial Aid: FAFSA due

Regular Decision Deadlines

• Common Application  or  Coalition Application made available
• Application for Regular Decision
• SAT and/or ACT Scores (optional, standardized tests must be taken by January 31)

February 15

• Midyear Grade Report (or as soon as first marking period grades are available)

Late March/Early April

More Information

Click here to learn more about what we look for in applications.

Course Selection

Enroll in the best available and most challenging courses. We recommend four years of English and at least three years of mathematics, natural sciences, foreign language, and social studies. We generally expect students to enroll in five academic courses per year, and if a student does not take four years in a particular subject area, it should be replaced with an academic course of equal rigor. For students applying to the Pratt School of Engineering, we require coursework in calculus and strongly recommend physics. We also encourage students to enroll in advanced-level work in as many areas as reasonable, regardless of your intended major. For some students, this will include AP or IB courses, whereas for others it will include honors, accelerated, or college courses.

First Quarter Grades, Midyear Grades, and Final Transcripts

We look at the courses you’ve taken from what’s available to you, individual grades in academic courses, overall GPA, and class rank (when available). Official transcripts for all academic work completed in high school are required and must be submitted by your school counselor or another school official.

We require first-quarter/marking-period grades for all Early Decision applicants to be submitted with the Common or Coalition Application by your counselor with the application or as soon as they become available. If your school is unable to provide us with first-quarter grades, you should request an unofficial progress report.

We require midyear grades for all applicants by February 15 or as soon as they are available, to be submitted with the Common or Coalition Application by your counselor.

All admitted students must request that a final official transcript be submitted along with the Final Report form with the Common or Coalition Application.

College and Summer School Transcripts

If you have taken postsecondary or summer coursework that does not appear on your high school transcript, please request an official transcript and/or a progress report from the institution that provided instruction.

International Students

• For international students whose transcripts need to be translated into English, students may use an official service, an EducationUSA adviser, or a school official. Please keep in mind that we also expect the original documents to be submitted with the translated documents. School Report forms and transcripts must be submitted directly from an applicant’s school.

What We Look For

College Preparation Tips

• Academics FAQ

Test Optional Policy 2024-2025

Duke University will be test-optional for both first-year and transfer applicants in the 2024-25 admissions cycle.

Students who apply without SAT or ACT scores this year will not be at a disadvantage in our consideration of their applications. Our decisions are based on a student’s comprehensive application materials, with or without test scores. We will continue to consider SAT and ACT scores as part of the application of students who choose to submit them and will accept self-reported scores for purposes of assessing an application. Scores sent from testing agencies will be required from those students only if they enroll at Duke.

How should I decide whether or not to have my SAT or ACT considered?

The decision of whether or not to have your SAT or ACT considered is entirely yours. Choosing not to have SAT or ACT scores considered will not impact your admissions decision. You may wish to consult our  ADMISSIONS PROFILE  for students admitted to Duke in previous years as a guide. If you’re still uncertain, you may wish to opt-out of having your scores considered when you apply because you will be able to opt-in later.

We do not require SAT Subject Tests, but we will consider those scores, along with other scores like AP and IB, if you choose to report them. Please note if you choose to not have your scores considered, we will not suppress SAT Subject Test scores or AP scores if they are already on file with Duke.

Visit our FAQs for more information about our Test-Optional Policy.

Duke CEEB Code: 5156

STANDARDIZED TESTS

Duke will consider official scores as well as scores that are self-reported on the application. Submitting essay scores from the ACT and/or SAT is optional.

For students who submit both ACT and SAT scores, Duke will consider your best score.

Students must submit at least one full set of scores from a single test date but may also submit scores from subsections taken individually on different test dates. Duke will consider the highest scores on each section, regardless of the test date, and will create a new composite score by averaging those scores. We do not require the optional essay.

Duke will consider the highest scores on each section of the SAT, regardless of the test date. SAT with essay and SAT Subject Tests have been discontinued. If you have SAT essay or SAT Subject Test scores, you are welcome to submit them, but they are optional.

ENGLISH PROFICIENCY TESTS

If you are a non-native English speaker or if you are not currently studying in an English-medium curriculum, we recommend but do not require that you take an English proficiency test. If you take the test more than once, we will use your highest score, and we do not have any preference among English proficiency tests.

• Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency (Minimum score expected is 180)
• Duolingo (Minimum score expected is 130)
• IELTS (Minimum band score expected is 7)
• PTE Academic (Minimum score expected is 70)
• 100 on the internet-based TOEFL
• 75 on the revised TOEFL paper-delivered test

PLACEMENT POLICIES

Duke University awards a limited amount of course credit and advanced placement on the basis of scores earned on Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and pre-matriculation college course work. However, course credit and advanced placement are not granted until the student has been admitted and until the official reports are received and evaluated by our Registrar’s Office. Since this process is handled outside the Admissions Office, a credit evaluation cannot be made until the student arrives on campus. Click here for more information.

REQUIRED RECOMMENDATIONS

We require three letters of recommendation for each applicant: one from your school counselor and two from teachers who have taught you in major academic courses (English, mathematics, social studies, sciences, foreign languages), preferably within the last two years of secondary school.

If you are applying to the Pratt School of Engineering, at least one recommendation should be from a math or science teacher.

Ask your recommender to submit the letter through the Common Application or Coalition process. We will also accept letters by email, fax, or postal mail .

OPTIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS

You can submit one Personal Recommendation from an employer, mentor, or anyone else who knows you well and can give us a better idea of who you are. Ask your recommender to submit the letter through the Common Application or Coalition process. We will also accept letters by email, fax, or postal mail .

The application includes space for up to ten extracurricular activities. Use as few or as many spaces as you need. Be sure to include school, community, family, and work commitments on your list. Keep in mind that we are more interested in seeing sustained commitment rather than a long list.

Duke does not accept separate resumes. You may include extra honor and accomplishments in the “additional information” section of the application.

• Both the Common Application and the Coalition Application include a one-page personal essay as well as short essay questions specific to Duke.

SHORT-ESSAY PROMPTS

• What is your sense of Duke as a university and a community, and why do you consider it a good match for you? If there’s something in particular about our offerings that attracts you, feel free to share that as well. (250 word limit)
• We believe a wide range of viewpoints, beliefs, and lived experiences are essential to maintaining Duke as a vibrant and meaningful living and learning community. Feel free to share with us anything in this context that might help us better understand you and what you might bring to our community.
• Tell us about an experience in the past year or two that reflects your imagination, creativity, or intellect.
• We believe there is benefit in sharing or questioning our beliefs or values; who do you agree with on the big important things, or who do you have your most interesting disagreements with? What are you agreeing or disagreeing about?
• Duke’s commitment to inclusion and belonging includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Feel free to share with us more about how your identity in this context has meaning for you as an individual or as a member of a community.
• We recognize that not fully “fitting in” a community or place can sometimes be difficult. Duke values the effort, resilience, and independence that may require. Feel free to share with us circumstances where something about you is different and how that’s influenced your experiences or identity.
• The Common and Coalition Applications will also include a section for students to disclose if they were impacted by community disruptions such as natural disasters and COVID-19.

Submitting Payment

You must send your nonrefundable $85 application fee or fee waiver request along with the Common Application or Coalition Application. Both applications accept online payment via credit card or electronic check.  Please note that we do not accept credit card payment by telephone.  If you pay by check, please make the check payable to Duke University. Checks must be for payment in U.S. dollars and must be drawn on a U.S. bank.

Fee Waivers

We offer fee waivers for qualifying students, which means under many circumstances we will waive the $85 application fee for students with high financial need. Through your Common Application or Coalition Application you may request an application fee waiver online, and your school counselor will receive an email invitation to endorse your request.

Alumni interviews are an optional component of the Duke application process. Due to the volume of applications to Duke, we regret we are unable to interview all applicants. The Admissions Office will prioritize interviews for students for whom we need additional information. Not being offered an interview does not affect your chances of admission. After students submit their applications, those offered an interview will be matched with alumni volunteers who will contact them via phone or email to arrange a virtual interview. Students may expect the interview to last 30-60 minutes. We do not offer on-campus interviews with admissions officers, nor can students request an interview.

Applicants are welcome to record a Glimpse video. Glimpse is an opportunity to share a 60-90 second video helping us to get to know you better. For more information about Glimpse please visit the Glimpse website here . Currently, Glimpse is only available for students attending high school in the United States. For consideration in the Duke Admissions Process, Glimpse videos must be submitted by November 6 for Early Decision and January 16 for Regular Decision.

For international applicants, Duke will also consider interviews from InitialView. Students attending schools in China are particularly encouraged to arrange an interview with InitialView. Applicants interested in an InitialView interview are encouraged to make a reservation here as soon as possible in order to secure a timely appointment.

ARTS SUPPLEMENT

If you have exceptional talent in dance, music, photography, film/video/digital, or theater, you may submit optional arts supplement(s) to be evaluated by a Duke University faculty member in that program or department. Typically, such submissions should demonstrate extraordinary talent beyond standard high school level accomplishment. Arts supplement applicants have often received significant awards and honors at a state, national, or international level. Consider carefully whether your supplemental materials demonstrate unusual talent before submission. For more information about what we look for, you may reach out to the departments directly.

For the 2024-2025 admissions cycle, we are unable to accept visual art supplements (including photographs of artwork).

Learn more about art supplements

RESUMES, ABSTRACTS, ETC.

We hope to get to know you through the documents we require as part of our application process. Therefore, Duke does not accept resumes, research abstracts, and media files. We are happy to accept artistic supplements. We will accept one additional letter of recommendation should you choose to submit it.

If you have information that you need to share with us that will not be reflected elsewhere in your application, you may add it to the Additional Information section of the application.

STUDENT CONTEXT PILOT

Duke is participating with the Common Application’s Student Context Pilot, an optional application question that elicits contextual information about applicants and informs our understanding of their home context. Answering this additional, optional question will allow applicants to share information about family responsibilities that they might not otherwise include among their extracurricular activities but that require a significant commitment.

TRANSFER STUDENTS

Every fall, approximately 50 students transfer into Duke from another college or university. Most will enroll as sophomores, although the selection committee will also admit a small number of juniors. While transfer students are new to the Duke community, they bring with them the same characteristics of talent and engagement as the rest of their undergraduate peers.

The application deadline for transfer admission is March 15.

ELIGIBILITY

• If you have attended any college or university in the past four years and will have successfully completed at least one full year of transferable college work by the August in which you hope to enroll, you qualify to apply to Duke as a transfer applicant.
• All transferable college work should be completed at an accredited degree-granting institution. College work completed at a vocational, technical, performance, or professional program will not be considered.
• If you are a high school student in an “early college” or dual-enrollment program earning an associate degree while finishing high school, you should apply as a first-year applicant.
• If you have already completed an undergraduate (bachelor’s) degree at a four-year college, you cannot be considered for transfer admission.
• Students who attend Duke Kunshan University and wish to transfer to Duke University are not at an advantage in our admissions process.
• A high school diploma or GED is required for admission to Duke.
• Unfortunately, you may not apply for transfer to Duke as a part-time student.  Instead, we encourage you to contact  DUKE CONTINUING STUDIES  for information on taking courses on a non-degree basis.
• The admissions committee seeks applicants who can provide evidence of academic preparation within the past four years. If you have not recently attended high school or college, we strongly encourage you to do so prior to applying for transfer, either through  DUKE CONTINUING STUDIES  or an accredited degree-granting institution in your local area.
• Transfer admission to Duke is highly selective, with the admission rate ranging from 3% to 7% over the past five years. Transfer applicants are expected to have demonstrated a high level of academic talent, both at their current higher education institution and in high school.
• The most successful applicants will have a minimum college GPA of 3.7 in a challenging academic program.
• Please note that Duke will be test-optional for transfer students for the 2024-2025 cycle.

2023-2024 Transfer Student Application Cycle

• Applications: 2,620
• Admitted Students: 77
• Matriculated Students: 48
• Admit Rate: 3%

2023-2024 Admitted Transfer Student Profile

• GPA average = 3.90
• Mid-50% range = 3.85 – 4.0

REQUIRED MATERIALS AND DEADLINES

• Your application must be submitted electronically through either the  COMMON APPLICATION  or COALITION APPLICATION by March 15. The Transfer Admissions Committee begins to review applications after the application deadline. We will notify applicants of admissions decisions by mid-May.
• Required materials for transfer admission include an application for transfer admission, College Report, college transcript, final high school transcript, two instructor evaluations (at least one evaluation must be from a college instructor), and required financial aid forms.
• Duke University is test-optional for transfer students who plan to apply during the 2024-2025 admissions cycle for enrollment in the fall of 2025 . If you choose to submit ACT or SAT scores, they must be completed within the past five years.
• If you intend to apply through the Common Application, please visit their website for a TRANSFER APPLICATION GUIDE .
• Both the Transfer Common Application and the Coalition Application include a one-page personal essay as well as short essay questions specific to Duke.  The transfer application has a character rather than a word limit. If your essays exceed the character limit, you may email the essay to [email protected] . Please ensure that you include your full name, date of birth, and current college so that we match it with the correct application.
• If your current college/university does not allow the submission of recommendation forms through the Common Application portal, you can find printable Duke-specific PDF versions on the Common Application portal. These forms should be either mailed or faxed to our office.
• If you have exceptional talent in dance, theater, art, or music, you may submit supplementary material to be evaluated by an appropriate faculty member. LEARN MORE ABOUT ART SUPPLEMENTS
• Alumni interviews are offered on a very limited basis, based on the availability of our volunteer alumni.  Unfortunately, we are unable to interview every applicant, every year. If we are unable to assign you an interview, please don’t worry . It will not hurt your application in any way. There is nothing that you need to, or can do, to request an interview. If we were able to assign you an interview this year, you will be contacted by the interviewer to coordinate.  All interviews will be conducted virtually.
• Transfer Applicants are welcome to record a GLIMPSE video. Glimpse is an opportunity to share a 60-90 second video helping us to get to know you better. For more information about Glimpse please visit the Glimpse website HERE . Currently, Glimpse is only available for U.S. Citizens and permanent residents. For consideration in the Duke Transfer Admissions Process, Glimpse videos must be submitted by March 22. Glimpse videos are not required as part of the transfer admissions process. For international applicants, Duke will also consider interviews from InitialView. Students attending schools in China are particularly encouraged to arrange an interview with InitialView. Transfer Applicants interested in an InitialView interview are encouraged to make a reservation HERE as soon as possible in order to secure a timely appointment.

TRANSFER OF CREDIT

• Duke does not offer a preliminary credit evaluation to prospective transfer students.
• We are unable to connect prospective applicants with an advisor to discuss credit transfer. However, there is a good chance that credits will transfer if coursework taken at the applicant’s current/previous accredited college is comparable to courses offered at Duke in areas such as natural science, math, foreign language, literature, social sciences and the arts.
• Duke will grant credit for no more than two years of coursework completed elsewhere, regardless of the number of credits a student has previously earned. In order to earn a Duke degree, a transfer student must spend at least two years at Duke.
• At least half the courses of all majors, minors, and certificates must be taken at Duke, although individual departments and programs offering majors may require that a greater proportion be taken at Duke.
• Please see the  DUKE UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE BULLETIN  for more information on how transfer credits are evaluated.
• You may find a list of courses offered at Duke by searching our online course catalog .

FINANCIAL AID

• The number of semesters of aid eligibility for students transferring to Duke is based on the policy of up to nine academic semesters less the number of semesters studied elsewhere. This also includes financial assistance for one summer term, if needed.
• Duke admits transfer applicants who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, undocumented or DACA students without regard to financial circumstance or aid eligibility and meets 100 percent of each admitted student’s demonstrated need throughout their undergraduate enrollment.  Unfortunately, need-based financial aid is not available for international transfer student s.  In addition, Duke does not offer merit-based scholarships to transfer students.
• Submit a fee waiver via Common Application, or
• Sign and submit the NACAC Transfer Fee Waiver Form, or
• Provide a brief statement attesting to receiving a Pell Grant from your current college.
• Provide a brief statement describing why you are unable to pay the application fee.
• Fee waiver requests should be directed to  [email protected] .
• For detailed instructions on how to apply for financial aid, please visit the  OFFICE OF UNDERGRADUATE FINANCIAL AID

Other considerations

Every year, we receive a diverse array of extraordinary applicants from around the world with varied backgrounds and situations. Whether you’re an international applicant, one that is undocumented, homeschooled, transferring, or one with a disability—we are here to help you navigate the application process.

Please refer to the FAQs for additional information .

Have more questions?

Resources + Tools

Frequently Asked Questions

INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS

Students from more than 100 countries have found a home at Duke. Innovative, restless, and driven: these are qualities not confined by geography.

There is no separate application for international students.

STANDARDIZED TESTING CONSIDERATIONS

• Testing policies are the same for all applicants; there are no additional requirements for international students.
• While we do not require any English proficiency scores, we are happy to consider them for non-native English speakers who want to demonstrate their English ability beyond the materials in their applications. We accept the Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency Tests ,  Duolingo English Test ,  the IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing System) , the  PTE Academic (Pearson Test of English) , and the  TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) . Since official submissions of the Duolingo English Test are free, we suggest the official submission of those results; applicants can self-report all other English proficiency test scores.

TRANSCRIPTS 

VISA INFORMATION

• To obtain an F-1 visa for study in the United States, a foreign citizen must furnish his or her home country’s U.S. consulate with proof of ability to meet educational expenses, along with a certificate of eligibility for a visa application (the I-20 form). I-20 forms for incoming foreign students are issued only after a student has accepted an offer of admission at Duke and returned a completed Certificate of Financial Responsibility.
• Visa services and advice on federal regulations concerning non-U.S. citizens are available through  Duke Visa Services .
• While not required for admission, interviews provide an opportunity for the applicant to learn about Duke and for a representative of the university to learn about the applicant’s strengths. We have alumni volunteers conducting interviews in forty-two countries worldwide.
• Because of the high volume of applicants we receive from China, Duke will accept admissions interviews from  InitialView for students attending school in China. These interviews will serve in lieu of alumni interviews. We encourage interested students to arrange an interview with InitialView as soon as possible in order to secure an appointment. All interviews must be submitted by December 1 for Early Decision and March 1 for Regular Decision.
• Duke offers need-based financial aid and merit-based scholarships to US citizens and to foreign citizens following the different policies outlined below.
• For U.S. citizens and eligible noncitizens, an applicant’s need for financial aid, or the fact that a student has applied for financial aid, will not disadvantage a student in the admissions process. Students needing financial assistance are strongly encouraged to apply for aid at the same time as for admission. Please go to the Financial Aid website for more information.
• Foreign citizens must apply for need-based financial aid in the original first-year application in order to be eligible for need-based funding from Duke at any point . You can find the comprehensive costs for attending Duke in 2024-2025 here . You can find more information about financial aid for foreign citizens at Duke here .
• The admissions process for foreign citizens is more highly selective: the admit rate for foreign citizens seeking financial aid is usually less than half of the overall admit rate. We consider admissions applications from foreign citizens requesting need-based financial aid in this more competitive pool no matter how great or small the family’s financial need may be.
• Duke offers a small number of merit scholarships for which all applicants to Duke are automatically considered. Applying for need-based aid does not have any negative effect on merit scholarship selection. You can find more information about merit scholarships at Duke  here and  here .
• We do not require applicants to submit any financial forms as a part of the admissions process; the financial aid application is simultaneous with but separate from our admissions consideration. The amount of need-based financial aid for which each student/family qualifies depends solely on financial calculations and not on the strength of the admissions application.
• If you have more specific questions about financial aid, please feel free to contact the Karsh Office of Undergraduate Financial Support at  [email protected] .

UNDOCUMENTED OR DACA APPLICANTS

We welcome applications from undocumented and DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) students. DACA applicants apply in the same way U.S. citizens and permanent residents do, and your application will be considered the same way U.S citizens and permanent residents are, by the regional admissions officer responsible for where you attend high school.

When you apply, you should be honest about your current citizenship status. You do not need a social security number to use the Common Application or Coalition Application; that field can be left blank.

Beginning with students who are applying for admission for Fall of 2021, Duke will review undocumented and DACA students using the same “need-blind” process as applicants who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents .

• Undocumented or DACA students who wish to apply for financial aid should fill out the  CSS Profile by the appropriate Early Decision or Regular Decision deadline.
• Information about the financial aid process for undocumented students can be found  here , and answers to frequently asked questions can be found  here . For general instructions on how to apply for financial aid, please visit the  Office of Undergraduate Financial Aid website .

DUKE’S SUPPORT FOR UNDOCUMENTED AND DACA STUDENTS

• Duke University’s goal is to provide access, inclusion, and support to all of our students and their diverse backgrounds and needs.
• We encourage you to read more about how this support applies to undocumented and DACA students in this  message from the Duke University President .

If you have questions or concerns, please  contact our office .

HOMESCHOOLED APPLICANTS

Duke welcomes applications from students who are educated in alternative ways such as homeschooling and online-schooling. While we do not have any additional application requirements for these students, there is some benefit to providing supplementary information to help us better understand the context, the rigor, and the students’ achievements in their chosen educational path.

Below are some suggestions for homeschooled or online-schooled students to better elucidate their academics and involvement in our application process.

• In general, students should take the best and most challenging courses available. We recommend but do not require four years of English and at least three years of mathematics, natural science, foreign language, and social studies.
• For students applying to the Pratt School of Engineering, we require coursework in calculus and strongly recommend physics.
• We understand that each individual family best decides the choice of curriculum. Whatever path a student chooses, we would like information about the student’s homeschool experience and environment that would be helpful for our committee.

TRANSCRIPTS

• In addition to the courses and grades, we are interested in knowing how and why the student and family chose an alternative means of schooling and the philosophy behind the education provided.
• For courses that are taught at home, we would like an explanation of the grading scale or other methods of evaluation.
• When a student indicates that he/she is homeschooled, the Common Application generates supplemental questions on the School Report that should be completed and submitted to provide this information.
• Students are also welcome to share their insights into their educational choice, especially their thoughts about the benefits they have gained and how the experience will allow them to contribute to the community at Duke.
• If the student has taken courses from a distance learning program, traditional secondary school, or any institution of higher education, we require official transcripts from these institutions. Applicants are not required to present a GED or proof of accreditation.

STANDARDIZED TESTING

• The standardized testing requirements are the same for all Duke applicants.
• We encourage homeschooled students to submit AP test and/or additional SAT subject results in the absence of grades to demonstrate additional evidence.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

• Although a parent may complete your school report to provide context for your academic choices, we encourage students to provide two additional letters of recommendation from non-relatives and preferably from individuals who have worked with the student in an in-person academic setting.
• Employers, religious leaders, sports coaches or other adults can write these recommendations if all academic instruction takes place in the home.
• Letters from online instructors are less helpful if they have not had direct contact with the homeschool student.

Duke offers military veterans a high level of support as they transition to our campus community. For more information about the resources available to veterans, please visit Student Affairs or the Office of the University Registrar .

APPLICANTS WITH DISABILITIES

Duke University is committed to the equality of educational opportunities for all qualified students. Students with disabilities (including learning disabilities, hearing or visual impairments, mobility impairments, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders, psychiatric impairments or chronic health disabilities) who apply to Duke can choose whether or not to disclose their disability to us.

• Our office is prohibited by law from making inquiries about a student’s disability in the admissions process. We will not require you at any point in the admissions process to disclose if you have a disability.
• We evaluate a student’s accomplishments within the context of any opportunities or challenges presented to that student. We do not use information about a disability to deny admission to a student.
• There is no separate admissions process at Duke for students with disabilities. All students who apply to Duke, including those who have a diagnosed impairment/disability, are evaluated using the same criteria.
• If you have questions or require additional information, please contact the Admissions Office at (919) 684-3214 and ask for the admissions officer responsible for students with disabilities.

ACCOMMODATIONS AT DUKE

• All students have the right to request reasonable accommodations at Duke.
• Students requesting consideration for accommodations must have an impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities and should contact the  Student Disability Access Office .

MPP How to Apply

Mpp admissions timeline.

The MPP admission cycle begins in mid-August when the MPP application for the upcoming fall intake becomes available. Between mid-August and the January 5 th deadline, applicants should engage with our admissions team, complete and compile the mandatory application materials, and proactively contact their 3 recommendation writers to give them sufficient time to write their letters of recommendation.

• January 5, 5 p.m. EST: MPP application deadline.
• Mid-March: Admission decisions distributed via the application system.
• April 15, 5 p.m. EST: Enrollment confirmations are due.

A Completed Application Includes:

Your personal statement should have a clear narrative and should be “more” than just a reiteration of your transcripts and resume. In your personal statement, please describe:

• how your professional, academic, personal, and lived experiences have shaped you and inspired your interest in public policy
• why you are interested in obtaining a master’s degree in public policy
• what your professional goals are upon graduation 
• how the Sanford School of Public Policy and Duke fit into those goals

Your personal statement should not exceed 1500 words.

Resumes should not exceed two printed pages. In addition to your professional and academic experiences, applicants should highlight relevant skills, accomplishments, awards, and honors.

Applicants must have the equivalent of a four-year U.S. bachelor's degree (we will review three-year international degrees based on the European Ministers of Education, Bologna Declaration). As part of the application, you will upload your undergraduate transcript(s) with the degree posted, along with all other transcripts from other colleges and universities previously attended.

Note: transcripts uploaded t0 the MPP application are considered "unofficial", as applicants are uploading their own copies; unofficial transcripts are sufficient for application review. If admitted to the MPP program, enrolling students will be required to submit official transcripts as part of the summer onboarding process. For a transcript to be considered official, it must come directly from the issuing institution directly to the Sanford MPP Program.

As part of the online application, applicants will provide the names and email addresses of three recommenders. The application system will email recommenders with instructions for completing and uploading their letters of recommendation online.

Good letters of recommendation show that the writer knows the applicant, their ability, and their character well. Note: first-hand knowledge of the applicant supersedes the letter-writer’s title. For applicants with fewer than two years of work experience, we recommend two academic and one professional recommendation. For applicants with three or more years of work experience, we suggest one academic recommendation and two from work-related professionals. Applicants with four or more years of work experience may include three work-related references.

Applicants should ensure that all three recommendations have been submitted by the January 5 th deadline. We encourage applicants to proactively ask their recommenders at least two months before the January 5 th deadline. This will give recommenders sufficient time to craft and submit their letters of recommendation.

We will not process applications until we have received all three recommendations.

GRE (optional):  As of Fall 2020, the GRE is optional. Applicants may choose to submit GRE scores for consideration, but they are not required.

To submit optional GRE scores, please use the Duke University Institution code – 5156.

English Proficiency Test: For applicants whose native language is not English, proof of English proficiency must be submitted as part of their MPP application. For proof of English proficiency, our applicants have the option of submitting scores from the following tests:

• Duolingo (minimum score of 130; scores of 140 or higher preferred)
• TOEFL (minimum score of 100; scores of 110 or higher preferred)
• IELTS (minimum score of 7; scores of 7.5 and higher preferred)

To submit TOEFL scores, please use the Duke University Institution code – 5156.

English Proficiency Testing Waiver: Applicants qualify for an exemption from the proof of English proficiency requirement if they satisfy any of the following:

• Applicants who hold citizenship/permanent residency in a country where English is the sole, official language of the nation, and who have resided within that nation for at least 10 years.  
• Applicants who have received/will receive a four-year, undergraduate degree from an accredited university in the United States.  
• Applicants who have received/will receive a four-year, undergraduate degree from an accredited university where English is the sole language of instruction. The program retains the right to request additional documentation from the institution to confirm that English is the sole language of instruction.

Our application software will automatically recognize countries where English is the sole, official language of the nation and will not ask for further material. For applicants in the remaining two categories, please contact our admission office ( [email protected] ) after submitting your application, and our office will manually waive the requirement on your application.

Dual Degree Applicants:  For applicants applying to a dual degree program, if the partner program requires standardized test scores (LSAT or GMAT), applicants may also upload these scores to their MPP application as supplemental material, if so desired.

Our application will provide applicants with a question to be answered in real time. Applicants will have the opportunity to test their computer equipment, to make sure they are able to record the video introduction using a webcam. Once applicants have confirmed they are ready, a prompt/question will be shown. Applicants will have 60 seconds of preparation time, and then will have up to 3 minutes to record their answer. Applicants do not have to use the entire 3 minutes. The questions range in topics, but are general in nature. The system allows for up to three re-recordings, but new questions will be provided each time.

Please note, this video introduction is required, and is a separate application component from the optional curated video essay.

Please prepare a short video (one-minute maximum) to inform the admissions committee who you are as person. The video must be of the applicant (if there is more than one person in the video, please clarify which person is the applicant). You might consider sharing a lived experience, or an aspect of your personality that is not captured by standard application questions, or your unique perspective on a policy topic.

Upload the video to a website such as YouTube and provide the URL within the application. If using YouTube, we suggest using the  “Unlisted Video” setting  so only individuals who have the URL can view it. We are unable to watch videos that come in any form other than a URL link and do not accept videos sent by email or DVD.

The application fee is $80 USD. We accept Visa or Mastercard (debit/credit). We do not review applications until we have processed the application fee. We offer application fee waivers to applicants from four specific partnerships: Pickering Fellows, Rangel Fellows, PPIA Fellows, and Truman Scholars. Contact  [email protected]  prior to submission to request your fee waiver. Barring these four partnerships, we do not offer application fee waivers.

Deadline: January 5th

The application deadline is  January 5th  at  5 p.m. EST.  This deadline includes receipt of all application materials, all 3 letters of recommendation, and the $80 application fee. 

Applications open in mid-August.

• Enter the application portal
• Click on "Start New Application"
• Select  Sanford School of Public Policy 2025 .

For additional information, please visit our  FAQ section .

Additional Information

If you are a Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program Applicant, you must:

• Indicate your Peace Corps service dates, country, and description of service on your resume
• Upload a copy of your Description of Service (DOS) within the online application.
• If you have not received the DOS, you should submit it no later than 14 business days after it is available.

To be eligible for the Coverdell Program, you need to have completed your Peace Corps service satisfactorily:

• You have completed the full two-year tour of Peace Corps service or the full tour minus up to 90 days if you returned home on emergency leave, or
• You were granted an “Early Close of Service” or an “Interrupted Service” due to circumstances beyond your control, or
• You were medically separated

We do not offer application fee waivers for Paul D. Coverdell Fellows applicants but do offer guaranteed tuition fellowships for accepted Peace Corps alumni.

Our admission offer is only for the year specified in the letter of admission.  We do not allow applicants to defer an offer of admission to a subsequent academic term or year. You should submit your application during the academic year before your desired year of attendance ( i.e. by January 5, 2024 to start in August 2024 ).

Dual degree applicants (JD, MEM, and MBA) begin the MPP program in the first year of academic study. Prospective candidates should coordinate in advance with their JD, MEM or MBA program to ensure that they may begin the MPP program in that first year.

The Annual Security Report and Annual Fire Safety Report include institutional policies concerning campus safety and security, as well as statistics for the previous three years concerning reported crimes that occurred on Duke University property and on public property adjacent to campus and fires that have occurred in residence halls.

A copy of this Report can be obtained by contacting the Duke Police Department at 684-4602 or writing to 502 Oregon Street, Durham, NC 27708 or by accessing:  https://police.duke.edu/news-stats/clery

Policy & Equality - Antonio's story

Before grad school, Antonio Butler MPP'23 was working for a faith-based organization helping disadvantaged students apply to college. But he soon began to think that, as a country, "we can't educate our way out of all issues." That realization led him to pursue a policy degree. "My goal is to see at least one day in the U.S. where racism—and sexism, homophobia, etc.—doesn’t exist. If I only get one day, that’s worth fighting for," he says.

Policy & Environment - Matthew's story

Matthew Vining MPP'23 chose Sanford because he is passionate about environmental issues, especially issues linked to social and human health outcomes. He completed an internship at the Environmental Protection Agency in Research Triangle Park. He said pairing his classroom studies with an internship at the EPA was invaluable. "At the end of the day you're designing solutions that will be used by the community - by humans. I'm excited to be a part of that," he says.  After graduation Matthew took a position as a policy analyst at Atlas Public Policy.

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Application Checklist

To complete your application, please refer to the checklist below for the required items. Choose a program to view detailed information about its specific application requirements.

Master of Engineering Programs

Submitted through the online application.

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or science from an accredited institution. Transcripts are required including an estimated GPA and a grade scale .

Short Answer Essays

• Three Recommendations
• Nonrefundable application fee of US $75 – paid by credit card

Submitted Separately

• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or equivalent – optional for 2024 applications
• Interview and/or a video introduction
• English Language Testing (international applicants only)

Please see more on minimum application requirements and view a class profile .

Master of Science Programs

Full instructions, including application requirements, deadlines and more can be found at gradschool.duke.edu

Master of Engineering Management Programs

Graduate certificate programs.

• Two Recommendations
• Video introduction

Notes for International Applicants

• Duke University  does not  require financial support documents as part of the application
• Our students submit this information  after  they have been admitted and are enrolled in our program

Minimum Application Requirements By Master of Engineering Program

The program does not require a minimum GPA or a minimum score on the GRE or an English test. The program does not require work experience. View your admission profile below to see the mid-50% range in test scores and undergraduate grade point average for all MEng campus programs. Obtaining scores within these ranges is not a guarantee of admission.

Admissions Profile for Enrolled Students 2023-2024

• Applicants/Admitted/Enrolled: 2,259 / 703 / 213
• Average Age: 23
• Entering with Work Experience: 15% (average 3 years)

Scores (25-75% Range)

• GRE Verbal: 155-162
• GRE Quantitative: 168-170
• GRE Analytical Writing: 3.5-4.0
• TOEFL: 102-109
• IELTS: 7-7.5
• Duolingo: 115-130
• Grade Point Average: 3.6-3.9

Preferred Requirements by Program

Uploading a Transcript

Before submitting an application, applicants are required to upload one (1) copy of a scanned  unofficial  transcript from each institution attended. Admitted applicants send  official  transcripts at the time of admission.

Once you have uploaded your file, click the “View Document” button to ensure that what you’ve uploaded is legible throughout.

If you cannot upload a legible unofficial transcript, you will be asked to have an official transcript mailed to Duke. Contact us for help. This is a variation of our standard process and will delay review of your application.

Applicants from China and India may find these Transcript Guidelines helpful.

Important Notes

• Illegible scans will not be accepted. Take care that scanned documents are legible before uploading
• Official English translations must accompany documents, not in English
• Official English translations must bear an original ink signature and seal
• Translations alone will not be accepted
• For institutions not using a 4.0 system, an estimated GPA and grade scale are required
• Check with your institution’s registrar to see if electronic transcripts are offered
• Paper transcripts must be scanned and uploaded
• Upload your institution’s web-based academic record, if available
• Make sure your file text is oriented vertically
• Make sure that all critical and identifying marks have been scanned and are legible. These include the institution’s name, your name, the name of your courses and the grades you have received.
• Make sure that your file is in MS Word or PDF format
• Make sure that your file does not exceed 1.5 MB
• To minimize file size, you may scan your file at the lowest legible resolution and in black-and-white

Grade Scale

Upload to us the official scale your institutions uses.

Your Grade Scale (also known as: grading system, score system, or percentage system) tells us what your grades mean.

It does not need to convert to a 4.0 scale, but should show differentiation between passing scores, and indicate what is a failing score at your institution. It should also explain other marks on your transcript, such as Withdrawal, Audit, or Incomplete.

Please upload to us the official scale your institution uses. This can be the reverse side of your transcript, a screenshot of the registrar’s guidelines or an excerpt from your transcript.

Please see the examples below.

Grade Scale Examples

Reverse of Transcript Example from a US Institution

Reverse of Transcript Example from an Indian Institution

Excerpt from an Indian Institution

Screenshot Example from a Chinese Institution

Excerpt from Chinese Institution, in Both Chinese and English

Short essay questions are required – post your responses in the application.

Artificial Intelligence

• In what way do you think artificial intelligence is (or will be) changing your field or industry?
• Please tell us about your motivation for applying to the Artificial Intelligence graduate program or certificate – what do you hope to get out of the experience?
• If you could apply AI to build anything to solve a significant problem in the world, what problem would you choose to solve and what might you build?

Biomedical Engineering

• Why are you applying for the MEng program in biomedical engineering at Duke University?
• How will the MEng program help you to achieve the next goal?
• Why are you selecting the Duke MEng program over the Duke MS program?

Civil Engineering

• What is your definition of personal success?
• How do you think the Master’s program at Duke University will help you on the path to success as you define it?

Climate & Sustainability Engineering

Computational mechanics & scientific computing, cybersecurity.

• What activity or experience, not in your resume/CV, sets you apart from other Cyber applicants? (Note that “good grades” typically do not set candidates apart.)
• What was the most complicated thing you’ve ever designed/built, either physical or virtual?  Please describe it here
• In your opinion, what do you feel is the most pressing Cyber need or opportunity?  How do you see yourself addressing this?

Design & Technology Innovation

• Tell us about a project you worked on (professional or personal) and walk us through how you leveraged design and innovation methods during it, for success or failure. Highlight and explain some key decisions you made throughout.
• Describe what you hope to be working on in ten years. How and why do you think the program will help you achieve that?
• Our program’s guiding principles state that design and innovation practice must include:
• Equitable consideration of the impact the design may have on people, communities, and systems
• Creative and critical engagement with technology
• A rigorous and future-facing vision of desirability, feasibility, viability and sustainability

Please select one of these principles and explain how you hope to contribute and grow regarding that principle at Duke.

Electrical & Computer Engineering

• What have you done in the past that makes you well suited to the Duke ECE Master of Engineering (MEng) program?
• What is it about Duke’s ECE MEng Program that attracted your attention and got you to apply?  What do you think you will be able to do with what you learn in the Duke ECE MEng program?
• Also, if applicable, indicate your interest in attending as a part-time student

Engineering Management

• We  can learn about your past experiences from your resume, but we’re interested in your plans. Why are you most interested in pursuing the Master of Engineering Management (MEM) degree from Duke University?
• Professionalism & The Five Principles are the pillars of the Duke MEM program. Choose one (1) principle and explain how you plan to contribute in that way at Duke MEM and beyond.
• Does any elective track within the Duke MEM program fit your needs? If so, which one and why? If not, and understanding you are free to change your mind later, list 3-4 electives within or outside Duke MEM and how they will help you meet your career goals.

Environmental Engineering

• How do you think the master’s program at Duke University will help you on the path to success as you define it?

Financial Technology

• FinTech is all about creating new and innovative solutions, in your opinion what is the most creative fintech solution of the past 20 years and why do you consider it the most creative?
• Often successful FinTech solutions are new, but sometimes they are new applications of existing solutions. What was the most creative solution to a problem that you’ve ever designed/built, either physical or virtual?  Please include details.
• Discuss the potential risks and benefits this DeFi platform brings to the country’s financial ecosystem, considering both macroeconomic and microeconomic perspectives. What should be the approach of the central bank to this newcomer platform?
• What would it look like if you were to design a bridge between this new DeFi platform and traditional financial institutions? The bridge should prioritize seamless integration and mutual growth for both sectors.”

Game Design, Development & Innovation

• Your unique perspectives, experiences and passions will impact the Masters in Game Design, Development, and Innovation program. How will you contribute to the diversity of the cohort, enhance the overall learning experience, and help the program grow?
• What was the most complicated project, either physical or virtual, game or other project, that you’ve ever designed/built?  Describe any challenges you faced and how you overcame them. Please describe it here and, if applicable, include a link to an online portfolio, or feel free to provide a link to other media as part of your response.
• What new technology or games do you hope to develop? How will this program help you reach your career aspirations?

Materials Science & Engineering

• What was the most complicated thing you’ve ever designed/built, either physical or virtual?  Please describe it here and include a link to an online portfolio of your work or a well-labeled graphic as part of the response.
• What do you think the most important problems engineers should solve are and why? How do you find yourself contributing to big ideas?
• How do you feel Duke will assist you on your path to personal success and how will you contribute to the success of our community? Please give specific examples from what you have learned about our school.

Mechanical Engineering

Medical technology design.

• Why are you applying for the Master of Engineering in MedTech Design?
• How will the Master of Engineering program in MedTech Design help you to achieve your goals?
• Please explain any experience you’ve had in design, either through coursework and internships.

Photonics & Optical Sciences

• Why do you want to study photonics at Duke?
• Why is the program right for you, and why are you right for the program?
• How will Duke help you meet your future goals?

Risk Engineering

We require a resume highlighting experience, activities, and leadership, whether in the classroom, in a volunteer setting, a club or organization, or on the job. Work experience is not required for the campus program, but current undergraduates can focus on any internship experience they have.

If you have a preferred format, please use it. If you don’t, you might find it helpful to view a couple of sample resumes below from current Duke students. Notice the kind of information they highlight. Generally, students with little experience should be able to get their resume down to a maximum of two pages.

Recommendations

Recommendations are submitted electronically via the online application.

We require:

• Master of Engineering (MEng) applicants to provide three (3) letters of recommendation
• Graduate Certificate and non-degree applicants to provide two (2) letters of recommendation

The letters can be academic or professional. If you’re still a student, at least one should be academic. If you’re a working professional, it’s fine for all to be professional.

When choosing academic recommendation providers, do not simply choose those professors who gave you the highest grades. Instead, think about selecting those who can give insight into your

preparedness for the Master of Engineering (MEng) program. Give them an overview of the program, along with a copy of your resume and an understanding of your goals.

Recommendations must be submitted electronically via the online application.  You will be required to enter the contact information of your recommenders (including email address), and the recommenders will, in turn, be sent a link from which they access the online recommendation form and be given the opportunity to upload a letter in support of your application.

2025 Applicants

The GRE is optional for the 2025 application cycle.

Duke’s Master of Engineering and Master of Engineering Management programs have waived the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test score requirements for the 2025 application cycle.

Applicants may still submit GRE scores if they feel the scores enhance their application, and we will accept results from ETS’ GRE at home . If you choose to enter self-reported test scores, official test scores will become a required component of your application. The scores must not be more than five years old, and an official copy must be sent to Duke directly from the Educational Testing Service (ETS).

(Note: GRE scores are not required to apply to our Graduate Certificate Programs.)

When sending scores to Duke, please indicate:

• Institution code 5156
• Department code 5199 (“Any department not listed”)

Personal copies are not acceptable, nor are “attested” or notarized copies.

ETS can take several weeks to send electronic scores to schools, so you should plan to take the test or order prior scores at least one month prior to the deadline you seek.

If you choose to send us scores, you must send official score reports. Your scores must arrive prior to the application deadline . We do not require a minimum score.

For further information on the GRE, please visit gre.org

Name Discrepancies

We receive GRE scores electronically from the ETS. Because we match scores by applicant’s name, it is important your name on the application and your name on your test scores be the same.

If not,  you must contact us .

Dual Degree Candidates

Generally, the Duke Master’s of Engineering Program requires GRE scores for all applicants. An exception is made for dual degree candidates in programs at Duke University. If this applies to you,  contact us for more information .

English Language Testing

International applicants must submit official test scores unless eligible for a waiver .

All international students may be required to take English placement exams prior to the start of classes, pending their language score submission provided in their application for admission to the Pratt School of Engineering. 

Submitting Duolingo English Test scores will allow students to waive additional placement exams. Depending on placement results, students are either exempt from or placed into English course(s). Students with English course requirements must make satisfactory progress toward completing these requirements while in the program.

It can take several weeks for scores to arrive at schools, so you should plan to take the test or order prior scores at least one month before the deadline you seek.

Duolingo is Preferred

The Duolingo English Test is the preferred language testing option of the Admissions & Recruiting team at the Pratt School of Engineering. For more information on the Duolingo English Test, visit the Duolingo website at  englishtest.duolingo.com/applicants .

Why Duolingo?

• Costs a fraction of the other leading language assessments
• Offers reduced test time
• It is a convenient, secure at-home exam
• It is accepted by universities around the world
• Provides results within 48 hours of exam completion
• Your results can be shared with unlimited institutions at no extra cost

Plus, Duolingo seamlessly integrates with your application to the Pratt School of Engineering. It provides a further dimension to your candidacy by allowing for video interviews and writing samples to be captured and viewed by the admissions committee. As such, if you do attend Pratt School of Engineering, you will not have to be additionally assessed for language classes when you submit a Duolingo English Test as part of your application.

Important Notice

If you opt to submit scores from other standardized assessments, you may be required to complete additional language testing upon acceptance into our programs.

Reporting Your Score

Report official scores and subscores:

• “Graduate” program type, and
• Important notes: There is no institution code. Also, score reports without subscores will not be accepted. If you are not sure how to include subscores in your score report, please contact Duolingo English Test support on the Duolingo English Test website.

Other Tests

Report official scores to Institution Code 5156 (Duke University). [Note: There is no department code.]

Report official scores to “Duke University Pratt School of Engineering.”

We receive TOEFL scores electronically from the Educational Testing Service and IELTS results via mail from Cambridge ESOL, British Council, and IDP: IELTS Australia. Because we match scores by an applicant’s name, the name on the application and on your test scores must be the same. If it is not,  you must contact us .

We offer waivers to those who:

• Are citizens of any of the following countries –

• Have studied full-time for two years or more at a college or university where the sole language of instruction is English and in a countery where English is the primary spoken language. The two years of study must be completed prior to the start of the program, or
• Have earned an undergraduate degree at Duke Kunshan University (DKU), or
• Have worked full-time for a minimum of two years in Australia, Canada, the United States, or the United Kingdon after receipt of undergraduate degree.

Waivers based on citizenship are automatic.

If you believe you qualify for a waiver based on the  education  or  work  criteria, indicate this and then answer the questions in the waiver section of your online application that require you to  state where you completed the study or work requirement . 

Due to the volume of applications we receive, we will not examine, confirm the status of, or grant any waiver requests prior to extending an offer of admission.  If your request is not granted, we will notify you as soon as possible to give you time to take the test.  Therefore, it is in your best interest to apply in the earliest round for each admission cycle. 

English Placement Exams

All international students may be required to take oral and written English placement exams administered at Duke prior to the start of classes.

These exams are independent of the score submission requirement.

Depending on placement results, students are either exempt from, or placed into, English course(s). Students with English course requirements must make satisfactory progress toward completing these requirements while in the program.

Application Fee

An application fee of US $75 is required – pay by credit card within the online application.

We offer application fee waivers in a limited number of situations, and many are automatic. If a request is required, it must be submitted before an application is submitted. Fees paid before a waiver is requested and confirmed cannot be refunded.

Available Fee Waivers

Video Introduction and Video Interview

Video introduction.

Your Duke Engineering application includes a required video introduction in which you’ll answer one question. The question prompt will be shown to you, and you will have at least 60 seconds of preparation time.

If you have multiple applications in our system, you may see multiple questions. For the MEng application, use the question labeled Pratt. For an MS or PhD application, use the question labeled Engineering.

You do not have to use the entire time if you do not need that much. You may start over once, but the question will change.

Please relax and know this is a nerve-wracking experience for everyone! It is only one part of your overall application and we are simply using it to get to know you better.

Video Interview

We may invite some candidates to interview before an admission decision can be posted. Please note:

• Interviews are offered by invitation only and are based on a thorough evaluation of your complete application.
• You may not request an interview. Instead, selected applicants will be invited to interview and given instructions on moving forward in the interview process.
• Interviews are conducted by staff members and are generally completed in the weeks prior to our decision notification date. See below for Interview Tips.
• An interview does not guarantee admission.

While interviews allow us to learn more about you, they also give you the opportunity to learn more about Duke and see if this program is right for you. There will be time for your questions during the interview – use it!

Interview Tips

• Duke uses Slate Scheduler and Zoom to conduct video interviews.
• We suggest that you log in to the interview via computer. Mobile devices (e.g. phones) may not work as well.
• Video requires reliable internet access . Free and private wireless signals should not be used. An Ethernet cable can provide a clear connection.
• We encourage you to use a headset with a microphone built in during the video interview. A headset will prevent background noise from overpowering your voice. You may find it helpful to mute yourself when you’re not talking.
• Check sound settings so that you’re ready when the interview starts. If you are using headphones with a microphone, make sure those components are selected over your computer’s default audio.
• Don’t let your computer die mid-question. Charge your machine fully or plug it in during the interview.
• The access link for your interview can be found in your email.

Joining the Interview

You’ll receive a link in your interview confirmation email. That link will connect you to the Zoom meeting. You may be placed in a waiting room, but you will be admitted to the session when the interview starts.

When you join the meeting successfully, be sure to Join With Computer Audio so that you can hear the interviewer and the interviewer can hear you.

International Applicants

Unlike many schools, Duke does not require financial support documents as part of the application; instead, students submit this information after they have been admitted and are enrolled in the program.  

Duke does not automatically issue I-20s to students upon admission.  Instead, students work with the department to submit information and supporting documents to  Duke’s Visa Services Office . The process is described below.

• Upon accepting the offer of admission, a student will receive an email from our office with a User Name and password in order to complete the online Request for Temporary Visa Form – Part II.
• The student completes the online form, prints it off, signs it, and returns it to our office, along with the appropriate supporting documents.
• Students must show liquid funds in the total amount listed in the PDF document available on our Tuition page .
• Financial documents must be less than four months old.
• Only after we receive everything from the student will our office complete Part I of the Request for Temporary Visa Form. At that time, the student’s entire packet will be sent to Duke Visa Services for processing.
• Visa documents (I-20 or DS-2019) are usually issued within 2 calendar weeks from the date that Duke Visa Services received the completed packet.
• Register for your visa appointment only after you receive your visa documents.

Those on non-Duke visas complete a modified process during the enrollment period.

Duke University Policy on Documentation of Non-Citizen Students

• All non-citizen students ((undergraduate, graduate and professional) must present evidence of immigration status to the Duke Visa Services Office before the first day of classes and whenever, thereafter, their status changes. Failure to comply will result in the inability to enroll for classes. Students who are outside the U.S. and who are therefore unable to comply (e.g. visa stamp delays) will be handled on a case by case basis.
• Undergraduate students who are not in lawful status, but who accurately report their status, will be allowed to enroll. Such students will be advised of the risks to them of being out of status and the importance of dealing with that situation through their own means and with private immigration counsel. Students who are not in lawful status are not eligible for Federal financial aid, but they may apply for Duke-based assistance.
• Individual cases deemed worthy of a temporary exception to this Policy due to unusual circumstances may be presented to a hearing committee, by Duke Visa Services or the appropriate departmental representative, for consideration and recommendation to the Provost. The committee shall be composed of the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, the Director of Visa Services and the appropriate representative from the student’s school or program.

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4 Tips for Duke Essays That Will Get You Accepted

College Essays

Do you want to be a Blue Devil? If so, you'll need to submit strong Duke essays as part of your application.

Duke requires its applicants to answer two essays, one as part of the Common or Coalition app, and one "Why Duke" essay. Students will also have the option to answer up to two more personal essay prompts, but they aren't required.

We're going to break down all the prompts for you and walk you though how to write amazing Duke supplement essays. So let's get started!

What Is the Duke Supplement Essay?

Duke requires that you submit two to four essays as part of your application. You're required to answer one "Why Duke?" essay prompt, as well as a Common Application essay or a Coalition Application essay (depending on which one you use to apply). Additionally, you have the option of answering up to two more essay questions.

Duke requires the Duke supplement as part of its application process for a couple of reasons. First of all, written essays are a great way to assess your preparedness for college. Duke wants to see that you can write clearly and concisely and can follow all of the necessary grammar conventions.

Duke also wants to get to know you more as a student and possible member of its campus. Essays are a great way to learn more about who you really are beyond your test scores and other credentials.

Finally, your Duke essays are where you can demonstrate your affinity for Duke itself. Why do you want to go there? Your essays can highlight your passion for the university.

It's extremely important to put time and effort into each one of the Duke supplement essay prompts so that you're able to meet all of these needs.

Duke Supplement Essay Prompts

You'll have to answer at least two and as many as four Duke supplement essay prompts for your Duke application. All students are required to write one longer essay. The essay you write will be determined by whether you're submitting the Common Application or the Coalition Application (Duke accepts both).

You're also required to answer the "Why Duke" essay prompt. There are four more personal essay questions that are optional for all applicants. You can answer up to two of them.

2022-2023 Duke Long Essay

The long essay prompt is actually the essay you'll write as part of your Common App or Coalition App. There's not a separate "long essay" prompt for Duke, so don't worry when you don't see the prompt pop up when you click over to the writing supplement tab.

On the other hand, that means that the long essay prompt you submit will depend on whether you're using the Common App, QuestBridge App, or Coalition App. These apps have slightly different essay prompts associated with them!

If you apply to Duke via the Coalition Application, you'll select one essay prompt to answer. For more information on how to ace your Coalition Application essay and an analysis of each prompt, check out our in-depth guide .

If you apply to Duke via the Common Application, you'll also need to select an essay prompt to answer. For more information on how to craft an amazing Common Application essay and in-depth look at each prompt, check out our blog post dedicated to that very topic .

2022-2023 "Why Duke?" Essay

All Duke students are required to answer the "Why Duke?" essay . Here's the essay prompt for 2022-2023:

What is your sense of Duke as a university and a community, and why do you consider it a good match for you? If there's something in particular about our offerings that attracts you, feel free to share that as well. (250 word limit)

For more information about how to answer this question, you can check out our in-depth post to the "Why Duke?" app. 

2022-2023 Optional Duke Essays

You also have the option of responding to optional Duke essays. There are four prompts, and you can answer up to two of them. However, you don't need to answer any if you don't feel the need to. Duke makes it clear that these Duke admissions essay prompts are completely optional. Their exact phrasing is, " Feel free to answer them if you believe that doing so will add something meaningful that is not already shared elsewhere in your application." For each prompt you choose to answer, you can write up to 250 words.

Here are the four prompts:

We seek a diverse student body that embodies the wide range of human experience. In that context, we are interested in what you’d like to share about your lived experiences and how they’ve influenced how you think of yourself. 

We believe there is benefit in sharing and sometimes questioning our beliefs or values; who do you agree with on the big important things, or who do you have your most interesting disagreements with? What are you agreeing or disagreeing about?

 What has been your best academic experience in the last two years, and what made it so good?

Duke's commitment to diversity and inclusion includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. If you’d like to share with us more about your identity in this context, feel free to do so here.

Required Duke Essay, Analyzed

Guess what: 250 words isn't a lot of words to describe your love for Duke! You'll need to be clear, succinct, and honest in order for your Duke admissions essay to stand out.

Because the word limit is so constrained, it's better to focus on one or two specific ideas, rather than trying to cram as many thoughts as possible into your short essay. For instance, while you may be enamored of Duke's entire faculty, choose one specific professor whose work you admire and expand on that. Any depth you can achieve in this small space will go a long way.

The key here is to be specific about why Duke is the best school for you. We just mentioned discussing faculty, but you can also talk about specific classes you want to take, academic organizations you want to be involved in, or even research opportunities you want to pursue. That means you'll need to do your research, but trust us: it will make a huge difference.

If you're still confused about this prompt and want a little extra help, don't miss our entire article about how to write an amazing "Why Duke" essay!

Optional Duke Admission Essay Prompts, Analyzed

Treat this question as an opportunity to share more about yourself. If you have something real and important to write about, do so. But don't try to invent an experience that doesn't actually belong to you—it'll come across as fake and insincere. Unless you really have nothing to say, I'd suggest including something.

If you choose to answer this question, lean into authenticity. Don't be scared to be vulnerable or honest. While the question talks about Duke's commitment to diversity, don't feel like you have to invent diverse experiences just to fit in.

Share about your unique perspective. Be sure to indicate why this point-of-view belongs to you, and you alone. Your perspective is made up by your experiences and interactions, so you can highlight how these have affected you.

For this prompt, Duke is giving you the chance to share your values and how you communicate and respond to opinions different than your own. College is a place where you'll encounter people with many different beliefs, and Duke wants to make sure its students are able to respectfully talk about big topics, even if the people you're speaking with don't have the same beliefs or values as you do.

If you decide to respond to this prompt, think about a person or people you particularly love debating or having discussions with. Be sure to explain who you agree/disagree with, what topics you discuss, if you generally agree or disagree, and specifically how you make sure the conversation is respectful and thoughtful. 

Show Duke that you're able to contribute positively to any discussion, even if you disagree with what's being said .

What has been your best academic experience in the last two years, and what made it so good?

Here Duke wants to know what motivates and excites you academically. Did you love partaking in a class debate? Maybe your best experience was bonding with a study group and helping each other learn the course material, or maybe it was doing a deep research dive to become an expert on a particular topic.

The specific experience you choose matters much less than your explanation of why it was so positive. Be sure to discuss exactly what you found about the experience you found enjoyable and  what you took away from it. If you can, try to tie it in to how you'll be a strong student at Duke and continue to find positive academic experiences.

Duke's commitment to diversity and inclusion includes gender identity and sexual orientation. If you would like to share with us more about either, and have not done so elsewhere in the application, we invite you to do so here.

Don't answer this optional essay unless you have something real to say. Don't feel intimidated or scared that ignoring this question will reflect badly on you. It won't. You should really only address this prompt if you're a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

What will reflect badly on you is making something up that comes across as insincere, or worse, ignorant. Speak truthfully and from the heart.

Similarly, if you do have reflections on gender identity and sexual orientation, don't feel like you have to share them. Remember, this essay is optional. It's completely fine if you're not quite comfortable enough or ready to talk publicly about these topics.

If you choose to answer this question, only speak about real experiences that happened to you. It's better to keep them personal. This essay isn't the place to reflect on the overall political climate surrounding LGBTQ+ rights, especially if those issues don't relate to you. It is, however, the space to talk about your specific identity and journey.

How to Write Great Duke Essays

If you want your Duke essays to stand out and help you get admitted, follow these tips!

#1: Use Your Own Voice

The point of a college essay is for the admissions committee to have the chance to get to know you beyond your test scores, grades, and honors. Your admissions essays are your opportunity to make yourself come alive for the essay readers and to present yourself as a fully fleshed out person.

You should, then, make sure that the person you're presenting in your college essays is yourself. Don't try to emulate what you think the committee wants to hear or try to act like someone you're not.

If you lie or exaggerate, your essay will come across as insincere, which will diminish its effectiveness. Stick to telling real stories about the person you really are, not who you think Duke wants you to be.

#2: Avoid Cliched or Overused Phrases

When writing your Duke essays, try to avoid using clichés or overused quotes or phrases. These include quotations that have been quoted to death and phrases or idioms that are overused in daily life. The college admissions committee has probably seen numerous essays that state, "Be the change you want to see in the world." Strive for originality.

Similarly, avoid using clichés, which take away from the strength and sincerity of your work. Don't speak in platitudes about how the struggle for gay and lesbian rights has affected you… unless it actually has!

#3: Check Your Work

It should almost go without saying, but you want to make sure your Duke essays are the strongest example of your work possible. Before you turn in your Duke application, make sure to edit and proofread your essays.

Your work should be free of spelling and grammar errors. Make sure to run your essays through a spelling and grammar check before you submit.

It's a good idea to have someone else read your Duke essays, too. You can seek a second opinion on your work from a parent, teacher, or friend. Ask them whether your work represents you as a student and person. Have them check and make sure you haven't missed any small writing errors. Having a second opinion will help your work be the best it possibly can be.

That being said, make sure you don't rely on them for ideas or rewrites. Your essays need to be your work.

#4: Only Answer What You're Comfortable With

Remember, Duke's optional essays are just that—optional. It can be tempting to respond to everything on the application and if you have an important story to tell, you definitely should.

However, if you have nothing to say, don't feel like you need to make something up. You're better off answering less, honestly, then you are answering more, dishonestly.

What's Next?

Have you taken the ACT or SAT yet? Not sure which one you'll do best on? Read our guide to choose the test that's right for you .

If you've taken the SAT and want to improve your score, check out our guides to improving your Reading , Writing , and Math scores.

Not sure what you want to major in? Don't worry! With our advice, you'll figure out what you should study as an undergrad.

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Hayley Milliman is a former teacher turned writer who blogs about education, history, and technology. When she was a teacher, Hayley's students regularly scored in the 99th percentile thanks to her passion for making topics digestible and accessible. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females.

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2 Strong Duke Essay Examples

With a very low acceptance rate, Duke is one of the most competitive U.S. colleges to get into. Alongside killer stats, extracurriculars, and letters of recommendation, admissions officers are looking for engaging, concise, and thorough essays to put you over the top.

In this post, we’ll share a Duke essay written by a real student and analyze what it did well and where it could be improved. Hopefully, you can take away some insight that will help you write your Duke essays.

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Read our Duke essay breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts. 

Duke Pratt School of Engineering Essay Example – Why Engineering?

Prompt:   If you are applying to the Pratt School of Engineering as a first year applicant, please discuss why you want to study engineering and why you would like to study at Duke (250 words).

One Christmas morning, when I was nine, I opened a snap circuit set from my grandmother. Although I had always loved math and science, I didn’t realize my passion for engineering until I spent the rest of winter break creating different circuits to power various lights, alarms, and sensors. Even after I outgrew the toy, I kept the set in my bedroom at home and knew I wanted to study engineering. Later, in a high school biology class, I learned that engineering didn’t only apply to circuits, but also to medical devices that could improve people’s quality of life. Biomedical engineering allows me to pursue my academic passions and help people at the same time.

Just as biology and engineering interact in biomedical engineering, I am fascinated by interdisciplinary research in my chosen career path. Duke offers unmatched resources, such as DUhatch and The Foundry, that will enrich my engineering education and help me practice creative problem-solving skills. The emphasis on entrepreneurship within these resources will also help me to make a helpful product. Duke’s Bass Connections program also interests me; I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary problem-solving comes by bringing people together from different backgrounds. Through this program, I can use my engineering education to solve complicated societal problems such as creating sustainable surgical tools for low-income countries. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field. Duke’s openness and collaborative culture span across its academic disciplines, making Duke the best place for me to grow both as an engineer and as a social advocate.

What the Essay Did Well

A strength of this essay is how it grows in specificity as it progresses, and in college-essay-writing, specificity is key. In the first paragraph, there’s a smooth yet concise transition from a general childhood fascination with engineering to a more mature and specialized field of interest. We learn more and more about this student, almost in layers; first we learn they loved math and science, then engineering, and then biomedical engineering. In every sentence, each of this student’s personal qualities and traits builds off of the one before it, adding more dimension and nuance to their character.

In shifting from her past experiences to Duke’s academic offerings, this student uses their similarly interdisciplinary natures to connect the two. This penchant for smooth, concise transitions is an especially important asset when working with a sub-300 word limit. This applicant chose Duke-specific opportunities to discuss, giving no generic desires for “great professors,” a “top” program, or empty appeals to emotion (“The campus just felt like home!”)

The final sentence serves to nicely tie the essay up, re-affirming the student’s personal qualities and how they suit the student for Duke, personally and academically.

What Could Be Improved

This essay could be made stronger with some improvements to the second paragraph. When including Duke opportunities they want to take part in, this student tells us “ I am fascinated by ,” and it “ interests me ,” but this is fairly basic writing. The reader shouldn’t have to be told about your interest and excitement over something; it should jump off the page.

Rather than telling us they are fascinated by interdisciplinary research, they could write something like this: “ I’d take the thrill of finding connections between two seemingly unrelated topics, knee-deep in library archives, over the drop on the Kingda Ka rollercoaster.”  Notice how this sentence doesn’t explicitly say anything about how they find research fascinating, but by describing it as a more thrilling experience than a rollercoaster, the reader gets a strong visual of the student’s passion.

Another thing missing from this essay is the  why behind this student’s interest in helping others. They clearly flush out their motivation for pursuing engineering, but they never explain what draws them into being a social advocate. Throwing in how they want to “ improve people’s quality of life “, “ create sustainable  surgical tools for low-income countries “, and be a “ social advocate ” has little impact if we don’t understand the importance. A sentence or two that provides background on this student’s compassionate side and where it originated from or what it looks like in action would help bring more weight to their claims of becoming a social advocate.

Duke Essay Example – Why Duke?

In the last six years, my community has been disconnected from the national grid. The result? I watched my mother spend so much money on fuel and patronizing nearly every generator technician in town so we could access electricity. I developed the habit of going to my tutorial centers with my phone charger, hoping that by some streak of luck, the generator would be on. However, with Duke’s minor in Energy Engineering, all these could become things of the past. I especially look forward to courses like ENERGYER 310: INTRODUCTION TO ENERGY GENERATION and ENERGYER 490:RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES, which will equip me with the knowledge I need to design cheap and environmentally friendly energy systems.

Outside the classroom, I hope to contribute to Duke’s mission of supporting positive change worldwide by participating in some of Duke’s signature programs, especially the Duke engage gateway program. I am a big fan of math competitions and math in general. As a result, I worked with some of my friends in 2019 to set up a math enrichment organization for high schoolers. I plan to someday have the Duke engage program work with our organization to help provide STEM classes and encourage hand on design projects among Nigerian high school students. I look forward to the academically challenging classes, interactions with strangers, and all the other things that come with being a blue devil.

This essay, which is responding to a textbook example of the “Why This College?” prompt, does a nice job of clearly explaining this student’s motivation for pursuing the specific opportunities at Duke they mention. Because of the story at the beginning about what this student and their mother went through to access energy, the reader understands the personal connection this student has to energy engineering. That personal connection, coupled with the fact the student names specific energy engineering classes at Duke, proves that their interest in the subject is genuine.

The student’s discussion of the Duke engage program is also backed with a personal story that deepens the connection between their past experiences and the things they hope to accomplish at Duke. Rather than just saying they want to join the engage program because they like creating positive change, their description of creating a “math enrichment organization” in high school shows Duke admissions officers that they have already embodied that value of making the world a better place.

One way this essay could be improved would be to more empathetically drive home the theme of making the world a better place. Between this student’s passion for bringing energy solutions to their community and helping Nigerian students access STEM resources, they clearly have a genuine desire to be a force for positive change. Right now, however, the essay feels somewhat like two distinct anecdotes stuck together, rather than a cohesive story focusing on this aspect of their personality, with Duke-specific opportunities woven into that story.

Centering the essay on this quality would shift the focus from the programs at Duke, and how the student fits into them, to the student’s personality, and how Duke aligns with it. It might seem like a subtle difference, but the result would be an essay that both flows naturally and highlights the student’s admirable character.

How would the student go about making this change? The essay could start with a sentence that shows us their passion for helping others in general, rather than in the context of their local power grid of the math organization they cofounded. This line could be quite simple, for example: “ ‘To help others!’ That’s how I answered my mom every year when she asked what I wanted for my birthday. ” 

Then, the student could move into talking about the helplessness they felt not being able to fix the power grid, and how that feeling motivated them to pursue energy engineering. Their story would continue by transitioning into a discussion of how they hope to help people in a variety of ways, not just by improving their access to electricity. They could cite their math organization as an example of another way they’ve worked to make people’s lives better, and demonstrate their commitment to that organization by describing how they hope to grow it with the skills they learn from the Duke engage program.

This version of the essay, by centering on their personality from start to finish, would feel more cohesive, while still incorporating why the student wants to attend Duke specifically.

Where to Get Your Duke  Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your Duke essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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Guest Essay

What Shohei Ohtani and His Magnificent Season Mean for You

By Brad Stulberg

Mr. Stulberg is the author of “The Practice of Groundedness: A Transformative Path to Success That Feeds — Not Crushes — Your Soul.”

On Thursday, Sept. 19, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani became the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season. During his barrier-breaking game against the Miami Marlins, Ohtani also batted six-for-six, hit three home runs and drove home 10. Commentators called it the greatest single game in the greatest single season in Major League Baseball’s 121-year history.

As the end of season approached, Ohtani increased his record to 53 home runs and 56 stolen bases. Adding to the singularity of the moment is Ohtani’s position: He is a pitcher. Not since Babe Ruth has such a great pitcher also been such a great hitter — let alone such a great base runner. Base stealers tend to be lean and fast. Sluggers tend to be big and powerful. And pitchers are usually neither of those things. Ohtani is both.

Ohtani did all this while recovering from Tommy John surgery, a type of elbow ligament repair performed almost exclusively on pitchers. To witnesses, this athletic ability can seem, at first, simply unattainable — a phenomenon out of reach for the rest of us. And yet much as we do with art, nature or other forms of beauty, we can actively engage with this kind of greatness, appreciating it not only for the feelings of awe it elicits but also for how it can inspire even the least athletic among us to accomplish more in our own lives.

Human inspiration has long been a subject of investigation. A study a decade ago co-written by the psychologists Victoria Oleynick and Todd Thrash divided how humans perceive inspiration into two categories: inspired by and inspired to. In layperson’s terms, we can find ourselves inspired by a peak performer like Ohtani, and then we can use that inspiration as motivation to strive for our own goals and get the best out of ourselves.

That means even if we never pick up a baseball, let alone run 90 feet anywhere close to as fast as Ohtani, observing an athlete like him at the height of his ability can take us out of our day-to-day and remind us of what is possible. It’s akin to tasting the creation of a master chef, walking around a celebrated architect’s stunning building or hearing a genre-bending singer’s perfect pitch. In all these instances we feel greatness and we are reminded of an impulse to create, to make progress and to flourish.

Inspiration is a driver essential to humanity. Throughout history, those who were constantly on the lookout for more and better opportunities gained an immense survival advantage. It’s the hard-wiring all of us have inherited. Even for those of us fortunate enough not to be worried about our next meal, that early imprinting on our species hasn’t gone away. It’s why we feel so good when we channel our innate drive for progress into pursuing our own goals, whether it’s starting a business, writing a book or running a marathon.

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