duke supplemental essay

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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.

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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 1 . 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 2023-24 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 2023-2024

Duke University will be test-optional for both first-year and transfer applicants in the 2023-24 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. You can submit the supplemental essays with or after the other student portions of the application, no later than the application deadline.

LONG-ESSAY PROMPTS

• All applicants who complete the Common Application will respond to one of seven essay prompts for the 2023-24 admissions cycle.
• All applicants who complete the Coalition Application will respond to one of six essay prompts for the 2023-24 admissions cycle.
• For transfer students, we would like to understand more about you and your academic path. Why and how did you choose your current or most recent college or university? What has changed since then, and what has led you to consider transferring? Please respond with an essay of between 250 and 600 words.

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 personal perspectives, beliefs, and lived experiences are essential to making Duke 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 intellectual experience in the past two years that you found absolutely fascinating .
• 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?
• We recognize that “fitting in” in all the contexts we live in can sometimes be difficult. Duke values all kinds of differences and believes they make our community better. Feel free to tell us any ways in which you’re different, and how that has affected you or what it means to you.
• 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.
• 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 2023-2024 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.

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 2023-2024 cycle.

2022-2023 Transfer Student Application Cycle

• Applications: 2,126
• Admitted Students: 89
• Matriculated Students: 56
• Admit Rate: 4%

2022-2023 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 2023-2024 admissions cycle for enrollment in the fall of 2024 . 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 2023-2024 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 .

Are you seeking one-on-one college counseling and/or essay support? Limited spots are now available. Click here to learn more.

Duke Supplemental Essays 2023-24 – Prompts and Advice

August 14, 2023

With a 5.9% acceptance rate, getting into Duke in 2023-24 is now as daunting a challenge as gaining acceptance into just about any Ivy League school. While Duke University may immediately conjure up images of the “Cameron Crazies” decked out in devil masks and blue face paint, make no mistake—those rowdy-looking students are really as studious as they come. In fact, just about every single one of the individuals you see in those stands on television scored a 1500+ on the SAT or a 35+ on the ACT and earned a parade of A’s throughout a high school schedule overflowing with AP/IB/dual enrollment courses. This brings us to the topic of this blog – how to write the Duke supplemental essays.

(Want to learn more about How to Get Into Duke University? Visit our blog entitled:  How to Get Into Duke   for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

Given that almost 19 of every 20 applicants to Duke University are ultimately unsuccessful, you need to do everything you can to stand out amidst a sea of uber-qualified teens from around the globe. Through its one mandatory essay prompt and two optional offerings, the Duke University supplemental section still affords applicants an opportunity to highlight what makes them uniquely qualified for admission. Below are Duke’s supplemental prompts for the 2023-24 admissions cycle along with tips about how to address each one.

Required Duke Supplemental Essays – #1

1) 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).

This is your quintessential “Why Us?” essay which comes with the typical pitfalls you’ll want to avoid. We don’t want to label these as “mistakes” (there is nothing inherently wrong with them). They just don’t add any needle-moving value, which is, of course, the only goal when you are applying to a school as selective as Duke.

Common components of a generic “Why Duke?” essay

• Fawning over the beautiful campus (it is quite beautiful, but they already know that).
• Duke’s rank, prestige, and reputation. Again, they know!
• Too many generic expressions of feeling (e.g., Since I was five, I’ve dreamed of attending Duke… ).
• Recycled statements from your other “Why Us?” essays that come across as stale, impersonal, or worst of all–irrelevant/inaccurate.
• Talking about the Blue Devils basketball team.

How to write a winning “Why Duke?” essay

• Make sure to address why Duke is the perfect fit for you  and  why you are the perfect fit for Duke. To do so, cite specific  academic programs , professors ,  research opportunities , experiential education programs ,  study abroad programs ,  student-run organizations , Duke’s mission , etc. Be sure to discuss how you plan to take advantage of your chosen resources.
• Show evidence of how your past/current endeavors will carry over onto Duke’s campus.
• Discuss any special talents and passions that you will bring to Duke.

Big-picture thoughts on the “Why Duke?” essay

In any “Why Us?” composition, you need to show that you’ve done your homework on a given school, but you don’t want it to read like a rote list of items that you Googled five minutes before writing the essay (even if the timing of the Google search is roughly accurate).

In addition to the pure research element, a lot of the time and skill required to create a stellar Duke essay will involve connecting your selected opportunities of to your distinct values, talents, aims, proficiencies, and future goals.

Optional Essays – Select 0-2 from the following list (250 word limit for each)

While these essays are technically “optional,” we advise every single applicant to Duke to opt in on at least one essay. (Note that Prompt #1 is often an ideal and natural choice). Remember, Duke is one of those rare schools that rejects students with near-perfect (or even perfect) academic credentials. It is essential that you showcase the characteristics and skills that make you one-of-a-kind.

1) We believe a wide range of personal perspectives, beliefs, and lived experiences are essential to making Duke 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.

Take note of the wide-open nature of this prompt. You are essentially invited to talk about any of the following topics:

• A perspective you hold
• An experience you had
• A community you belong to
• Your cultural background
• Your family background

Although this prompt’s open floor plan may feel daunting, a good tactic is to first consider what has already been communicated within your Common App personal statement, activities list, and “Why Duke” essay. What important aspects of yourself have not been shared (or sufficiently discussed)? The admissions officer reading your essay is hoping to connect with you through your written words, so—within your essay’s reflection—be open, humble, thoughtful, inquisitive, emotionally honest, mature, and/or insightful about what you learned and how you grew. No matter what type of story you tell, the goal is to have the reader come away saying, “I can definitely see this applicant as a contributing member of our talented and engaged student community.”

Duke Supplemental Essays (Continued)

2) Tell us about an intellectual experience in the past two years that you found absolutely fascinating .

Firstly, note that Duke provides a time range. Accordingly, you’ll need to choose an intellectual experience from either your sophomore or junior year (formal or informal). Whether it’s a general love for math/science or literature or your aerospace engineering internship or your discovery of 19th-century French novels, use this opportunity to dig into why your chosen experience resonates with, fascinates, and/or inspires you. Moreover, share the manner in which you pursued knowledge. Whether you fell down a Wikipedia rabbit hole about the nature of time or consumed thousands of hours of podcasts on game theory, this is a chance to illustrate the ways in which you are an obsessive learner with a thirst for information. The admissions reader should emerge from reading this essay with the sense that you are a sincerely curious young person with a strong intellectual drive.

3) 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?

The U.S. presently finds itself in an extreme state of polarization. There seems to be little agreement even as to what constitutes “truth” or “facts” Within this divided world, it can be hard for individuals with competing viewpoints to engage in civil and productive dialogue. Here, Duke is giving you the chance to show that you are an open-minded, intellectually curious, truth-seeking young person. Illustrate how you are willing to engage in conversations/debates with people who hold opposing positions on topics of great importance to you. One key thing to remember when addressing this prompt is that you don’t have to be the hero of the anecdote. In fact, you may be one who learned to expand their thinking.

Of course, you are also invited to share about a person you agree with. However, without any friction, this may be the less interesting of the two choices.

4)  We recognize that “fitting in” in all the contexts we live in can sometimes be difficult. Duke values all kinds of differences and believes they make our community better. Feel free to tell us any ways in which you’re different, and how that has affected you or what it means to you.

Do you feel that your lived experience is different from others in your peer group, family, or community, perhaps in regard to relationships, household income level, mental or physical challenges, neurodiversity, gender identity, sexual orientation, or cultural background, to name a few? If so, answering this prompt could be a good option. While crafting your response, the important thing to keep in mind is that the difference/challenge itself is  less important  than what it reveals about your character and perspective. What steps have you taken to cope with your chosen difference? How has it positively impacted you? How has it influenced your perspective and the way you engage with the world? Is there anything about your difference that you feel especially appreciative of?  Make sure you share what you were feeling and experiencing; this piece should demonstrate openness and vulnerability.

5) 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.

If you feel that an element of your sexual orientation or gender identity/expression is an important component of who you are, this is an ideal place to discuss that part of yourself. Moreover, Duke’s instructions are broad, allowing to you discuss personal and/or social impact. No matter the direction you choose, be sure to fully address why this part of your identity holds such significant meaning for you.

How important are the Duke supplemental essays?

There are eight factors that Duke University considers “very important” in evaluating a candidate and the essays are among them. In addition to the essays, Duke gives the greatest consideration to the rigor of an applicant’s secondary school record, GPA, standardized test scores, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent/ability, and character/personal qualities.

Duke Supplemental Essays – Want Personalized Essay Assistance?

If you are interested in working with one of College Transitions’ experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your Duke supplemental essays, we encourage you to  get a quote  today.

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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.

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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How To Write The Duke Supplemental Essays

Reviewed by:

Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University

Reviewed: 11/16/23

Follow along to learn everything you need about the Duke University essays, including prompts, tips, and examples. 

If you are on this page, you are probably doing some college research and may have Duke University on your list. With an acceptance rate of 5.1%, Duke University is one of the most competitive schools in the U.S.

Writing compelling essays is one of the most crucial parts of your Duke application. You may feel pressured to be as perfect as possible, but the good news is we’re here to help. If you’re struggling with your Duke application, look at our definitive guide on how to get into Duke and read on for info on the all-important secondary essays.

Here, we break down each supplemental essay question, give you tips on how to write them, and share examples of excellent essays. By the end of this article, you'll know how to write the Duke supplemental essays.

Let's get started!

Duke University Supplemental Essay Prompts 2023-2024

In addition to the long personal essay on the Common Application or the Coalition Application, Duke has six supplemental essay prompts, and five are optional questions in which a maximum of two can be selected. The following prompts can be found on the Duke admissions page .

“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.” 

“We believe a wide range of personal perspectives, beliefs, and lived experiences are essential to making Duke 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. (Optional)”

“Tell us about an intellectual experience in the past two years that you found absolutely fascinating. (Optional)”

“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? (Optional)”

“We recognize that “fitting in” in all the contexts we live in can sometimes be difficult. Duke values all kinds of differences and believes they make our community better. Feel free to tell us any ways in which you’re different, and how that has affected you or what it means to you. (Optional)”

“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. (Optional)”

All of these supplemental essay prompts have a 250-word limit. Make sure you choose the essay prompts you know you can answer well! 

How to Write Each Essay Prompt For Duke University

Here, we’ll cover how to write each essay prompt for Duke University. 

How to Write Duke University Supplemental Essay #1 + Analysis and Tips

Duke University prompt #1 :

“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.)” 

Analysis of prompt #1 : This essay prompt is your classic “Why do you want to go here?” question. Admissions want to see if you’re truly interested in what Duke offers. This includes specific programs, research opportunities, or extracurriculars. 

Duke is a very popular university with thousands of applicants each year. What can this school offer you, and how can it help you reach your goals? 

Here are some tips to get you started:

• Tip #1: Make it Personal :  You should make your essay as personal as possible. Share your interests and academic and career goals. Make sure to tie those into Duke’s mission and how you’d be a great addition to the school’s community. Be sure to add anecdotes as well. 
• Tip #2: Avoid Mentioning Elements Beyond the School's Control : such as the school's location, climate, or city. This information does not provide specific insights into what makes Duke unique. Remember, the prompt asks you about Duke specifically and why you’d like to attend the school. 
• Tip #3: Be Specific : Mention some specific things that Duke offers, such as a particular program or research opportunity. It’s always best to focus on a couple of things the school offers rather than adding a long list. 

How to Write Duke University Supplemental Essay #2 + Analysis and Tips

Analysis of prompts #2, 5, and 6 : Essay prompts two, five, and six are all considered diversity essays and are open-ended questions. These essay prompts help Duke learn more about you and your lived experiences. Duke University values diversity and believes it makes its community better. 

These prompts are an opportunity to share anything that makes you different, such as:

• Socioeconomic class
• Disabilities
• Gender Identity
• Sexual orientation
• Gender identity
• Gender expression
• Interests/hobbies
• And anything else that makes you different!

Share what being a part of these communities means to you, how it has affected you, or what it can bring to the Duke University community. 

Here are some tips to help you out:

• Tip #1: Reflect on Your Background : Discuss aspects of your background, such as cultural heritage, family dynamics, or personal challenges, that have shaped your identity. Don’t list a bunch of things that make you different. Stick to one and focus on it. 
• Tip #2: Share Personal Stories : Provide specific examples or anecdotes illustrating your differences. Personal stories can make your response more engaging and help the admissions committee understand your experiences more deeply.
• Tip #3: Show Resilience : If you've faced challenges related to your unique life experiences, discuss how you've navigated them with resilience. This could include overcoming adversity, advocating for change, or finding support networks.

How to Write Duke University Supplemental Essay #3 + Analysis and Tips

Duke University prompt #3 : ‍

“Tell us about an intellectual experience in the past two years that you found absolutely fascinating. (250 word limit.)” 

Analysis of prompt #3 : Duke is interested in learning about your intellectual pursuits and your approach to the learning process. You have the flexibility to explore various aspects, such as a specific class that ignited your curiosity, an independent research project you started, or an experiment you conducted in a science course, among other possibilities.

• Tip #1: Choose One Genuine Experience : Select an intellectual experience that fascinates you. This could be an academic project, a research opportunity, a challenging course, or any other intellectual endeavor that left a lasting impression. 
• Tip #2: Express Your Passion : Convey your passion for the subject matter. Describe why this particular experience captured your interest and why it was so compelling. Use descriptive language to express the depth of your fascination.
• Tip #3: Share Any Challenges and Growth : Share any challenges or obstacles you may have faced during this intellectual journey. Emphasize how you overcame difficulties and highlight the personal and intellectual growth that resulted from the experience.

How to Write Duke University Supplemental Essay #4 + Analysis and Tips

Duke University prompt #4 :

“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? (250 word limit.)” 

Analysis of prompt #4 : This prompt focuses on your internal beliefs and values. The core of your essay should involve revealing one of your significant values to the admissions committee. Be careful not to get too political. Instead, talk about a role model or someone who inspires you and why.

• Tip #1: Choose a Role Model :  Choose a role model or someone who inspires you. You can talk about a time your role model let you down, or you had a differing opinion, but be sure to focus on what you learned from that experience.
• Tip #2: Pick Thoughtful Examples : Choose examples that reflect substantial beliefs or values in your life. These could be related to ethics, morality, societal issues, or personal principles. Select instances that are meaningful and can provide insight into your character.
• Tip #3: Highlight Learning Moments : Emphasize what you have learned from agreements and disagreements. Discuss how they have contributed to your personal growth, expanded your understanding, or solidified your convictions.

Examples of Duke University Supplemental Essays That Worked

Below, you’ll find some Duke University supplemental essays written by successful applicants who were admitted to the school! Let’s look at each one and discuss what worked about it.

Sample Essay #1

Prompt : “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.” 

“At Duke I was equally entranced by the articulate movements of 3D printers in the Co-Lab and the stunning Gothic architecture. Instead of forming a dichotomy, these aspects of Duke blended to symbolize its emphasis on interdisciplinary education, which will offer me a nuanced perspective of the world integral to becoming a leader in engineering…”

Why Essay #1 Worked

In this excerpt from a “why Duke” essay example, the student answers the prompt with specific aspects of Duke University. They relate the Co-Lab and Duke’s Gothic architecture with their interests in engineering, and they explain why these things are a good match for them. 

Sample Essay #2

Prompt : “We believe a wide range of personal perspectives, beliefs, and lived experiences are essential to making Duke 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.”

“The pitter patter of droplets, the sweet smell that permeates throughout the air, the dark gray clouds that fill the sky, shielding me from the otherwise intense gaze of the sun, create a landscape unparalleled by any natural beauty. I have gazed upon the towering cliffs of Yosemite, stood next to Niagara falls as the water roars, succumbing to the power of gravity, and seen the beaches of Mexico basked in moonlight, yet none of these wonders compares to the simple beauty of an Arizona rainstorm. To me, our rain represents more than humidity and darkness; its rarity gives it beauty. The uncertainty of when the next day of rain will come compels me to slow down, and enjoy the moment.

Out of the three realms of time; past, present, and future, the present is the only one we can experience, and I take advantage of every moment I have. When I pause my running to enjoy a sunset that dazzles the sky with brilliant colors of purple and orange, when I touch my brush to a canvas and focus on my movements in the present, when I drive home after a long day of improving our robot, and decide to drive around my neighborhood to finish “Garota de Ipanema”, which just popped up from my playlist of 700 songs, I am taking advantage of the moment.

So next time it rains, step outside. Close your eyes. Hear the symphony of millions of water droplets. And enjoy the moment.”

Why Essay #2 Worked

This essay tells a great story about the student’s unique perspective observing a seemingly mundane event in their community. They use specific and compelling language to capture the reader’s attention. They show us a few of their interests rather than simply telling us they like to paint, build robots, and listen to music. 

Sample Essay #3

Prompt : “Tell us about an intellectual experience in the past two years that you found absolutely fascinating.”

“Embarrassment’s red glow covering my face matched the red ink circling the “44” grade atop my AP Biology exam on Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration. I was devastated that day in Room 46.

Until then, Room 46 had been my magic school bus where we spent our time wandering wide-eyed through the world of science: dissecting pigs, testing our own DNA for the Alu insertion, and sharing community-creating laughs along the way. But receiving that “44” jarred me into feeling I didn’t belong there anymore. 

However, after meeting with my guidance counselor, contemplating dropping the class, and countless extra help sessions with my biology teacher, I realized my magic school bus journey wasn’t over yet, as I gradually concluded that my commitment to Room 46 was stronger than one bad test grade, that I was stronger than one bad test grade.

The journey was tricky and undoubtedly riddled with discouraging moments, but by applying myself and being resourceful, I made my “44” an isolated outlier before it was dropped from the gradebook entirely by semester’s end as my lowest grade. While my success can be quantified, it’s nonetheless my memory of Room 46 that’s continuously inspired me to transcend my limits and take on challenges even in areas of weakness (i.e. AP Bio). I consider this my best academic experience because it showed me what happens when you push past failure - success! - as I ended up getting an A in the class and a 5 on the AP test!”

Why Essay #3 Worked

This essay perfectly illustrates an intellectual journey the applicant had gone through that they persevered through. Initially, the applicant felt discouraged by their academic performance; however, they overcame it and learned through the experience and improved their grade tremendously. 

Get More Sample Essays Here!

Looking at examples of successful supplemental essays is a great way to discover strategies that work well. Use our extensive college essay database below to find many more samples!

Here are our answers to some of the most frequently asked questions concerning Duke essays.

1. How to Write Duke Supplemental Essays?

When writing the Duke secondaries, choose prompts that lend themselves to your story as an applicant. Your chosen prompts should allow you to talk about important lessons you’ve learned and how you’ve grown. 

The only required essay is the “why Duke” essay, which you should do plenty of research for before you start writing. Understanding and conveying why Duke would be an excellent fit for you is crucial based on your unique interests, passions, and values. 

2. What Makes a Good “Why Duke” Essay?

The trick to writing an excellent “why Duke” essay is doing plenty of research. You should learn everything the school offers, including clubs, programs, extracurriculars, awards, and history. Your essay should demonstrate how Duke is a uniquely perfect school for you and highlight what parts of Duke excite you. 

3. How Should I Start Writing My Supplemental Essays?

One of the best ways to start writing is to brainstorm and reflect. Have all your ideas written down on a page so you can pick the ones you think are the best. Do your research on Duke. By the time you start drafting, you should know what direction you want to take your essay and how to end it .

4. What If I Cannot Think of Anything to Write About In My Essays?

If you cannot think of anything to write about in an optional essay, it might be a good sign that you should leave it blank. If you have ideas but are stuck, try taking a break from brainstorming. 

Ask thoughtful questions and answer truthfully to get inspired. Try not to worry too much. Writing a 250-word essay is probably not the most challenging task you have ever done. 

5. How Long Is the Why Duke Essay?

Duke University’s supplemental essays are 250 words or less long, including the “why Duke” essay. 

6. Are Duke Optional Essays Optional?

Yes, the Duke optional essays are optional. Duke University has one required essay prompt that asks you to explain why you want to attend Duke. The other five essays are all optional. You can write a maximum of two essays in response to two or none of the four prompts. 

Final Thoughts

The Duke essays ask you to hone in on your academic interests, tell a story about your diverse experiences, and reflect on your sexual and gender identities. You should start researching and planning your essay as soon as possible, giving yourself enough time to develop your ideas. 

Use your authentic voice when you write these essays. The admissions committee has read enough about what other people have to say about you, and they want to know the person behind the printed name, transcripts, and score reports. 

Do not be afraid to be vulnerable in your essays. Be mindful of your spelling and grammar, and write about things that are important to you. Make your passion clear to your readers, and you will leave a lasting impression on them. 

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How to Respond to the 2023/2024 Duke Supplemental Essay Prompts

Cait Williams is a Content Writer at Scholarships360. Cait recently graduated from Ohio University with a degree in Journalism and Strategic Communications. During her time at OU, was active in the outdoor recreation community.

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Bill Jack has over a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College.

Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

When applying to a school as selective as Duke University with a 6% acceptance rate, the supplemental essay portion is key to making your mark. There is sure to be a sea of stellar applicants with impressive transcripts and extensive extracurricular involvement. Standing out on the Duke supplemental essays relies on telling your story in a compelling way. 

It is helpful to break each prompt into pieces and identify the points you hope to address. Proper planning helps keep your responses clear, concise, and example-driven. Below, we give you more tips on how to tackle each prompt. We also provide thought starters for incorporating anecdotes from your own experiences.  

Also see: How to choose a college

Required Essay

“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 this essay, it will be important for you to do a little bit of research about Duke as a school and a community, and to make a list of the things that you like the most. Then, make a list of the things that you are looking for in a school unrelated to Duke. Look at both lists together, and make the connection between the two. 

A 250 word limit is the perfect number of words for this type of question. This would be a good question to dive into specific things that draw you into Duke University– mentioning things that you are looking for in a school that maybe only Duke has.  

Don’t miss: Scholarships360’s free scholarship search tool

Questions to consider: 

• What professors are you looking forward to working with?
• What research opportunities does Duke offer that you are interested in?
• What draws you in about the community at Duke?

Optional Essays

Although these essays are optional, we always encourage students to write them anyway so that the university is able to see who you are at a deeper level. If you have the same academic statistics as another student and the admissions professionals are trying to decide between the two of you, it could come down to the essays and which student they know more about. Help them get to know you better!

Each of these essays should be a maximum of 250 words, and there is no minimum. However, it would be a good idea to write at least 150 words so that the admissions committee has enough writing to get to know you. You may choose to write a maximum of two prompts to write essays for.

“ We believe a wide range of personal perspectives, beliefs, and lived experiences are essential to making Duke 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 ”

This is a question that you may be asked quite a bit on college supplemental essay prompts, just worded in different ways. Think about an experience that you did not write about on your application that makes you unique compared to other applicants. They are looking for something personal, honest, and open, so take a deep look into your life to see if there is anything that you feel comfortable sharing with them. 

Once you have figured out what experience you want to share, it may help to free write in a stream-of-consciousness type of way to help you get your thoughts flowing. After that, you can always go back and edit for length and clarity. If you don’t feel comfortable writing about a personal experience, that is okay! That is one of the reasons why this prompt is optional. 

Questions to consider:

• What type of person do you consider yourself to be?
• What experiences have shaped you?
• How have you been influenced by the experiences in your life?

Also see: How to respond to the Common App essay prompts

“Tell us about an intellectual experience in the past two years that you found absolutely fascinating.”

This is another one of those questions where you want to look deeper than the surface. It is important to not just re-word what you already wrote on your application or what your transcript already revealed. It also may be helpful to think about something more than just the classes that you took. Did you go on a field trip that made you passionate about what you wanted to study after high school? Maybe you had a career fair at school that shifted your mind academically. These are all great things to think about before you start writing this essay.

This type of essay tells the admissions professionals a great deal about who you are as a student, so this would be an important essay to write if you had to pick one of the optional ones. 

• What was your favorite class in high school?
• What about that class made it special?
• Did you have a specific teacher that made you decide what major you wanted to go into?

“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?”

In college, often the beliefs that you held as a child or in high school tend to develop or change completely. They are asking you this to get a feel for what kind of person you are, and more specifically, what kind of student or team-player you are. Generally, colleges and universities want to find students who are willing to test the beliefs of themselves and others so that they can see more than just one side of a situation, whether that be academically, socially, or personally. 

This is a difficult question to answer because it is sometimes hard to admit that our beliefs are sometimes wrong, or to admit that we disagree with people often. This is an important question because they want to see your response to the challenge.  

• What is something that you and your friends often debate about?
• Is there a topic that comes up at the dinner table a great deal that you end up having banter over?
• What are you passionate about?

“ Orientation, identity, expression 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. ”

This prompt is great because it is generally something a regular college application cannot answer. This is the place where you can talk more about who you are as a person, what your personal identity is, and why that makes you you if you choose to do so. You can write as little as you’d like or go right up to the 250 word maximum– whatever makes you most comfortable.

• What type of person do you identify as?
• How has your culture shaped who you are?
• How will you use who you are to shape your college experience?

“We recognize that “fitting in” in all the contexts we live in can sometimes be difficult. Duke values all kinds of differences and believes they make our community better. Feel free to tell us any ways in which you’re different, and how that has affected you or what it means to you.”

This is another great opportunity to talk about things that you wouldn’t otherwise get to talk about. Take some time to think about any aspects of your life that you may have ever felt “different” in. Remember too that “different” does not mean bad. What are some ways that you have felt your differences have been to your advantage? 

Related: How to write a 500 word essay

Key Takeaways

• “Show don’t tell” as much as you can through short story examples 
• Do not shy away from injecting your personality and voice into your responses
• Think of what makes you truly distinctive and has formed the person you are today for prompt #1
• Take some time to read through the optional essay prompts and try to respond to at least one
• Remember, the more you can share about yourself, the more you can set yourself apart as an applicant

Additional supplemental essay guides

• Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, NC)
• Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN)
• University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA)
• Emory University (Atlanta, GA)

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• August 11, 2021
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2021-2022 Duke Supplemental Essays Guide: Tips & Prompts

When applying to selective institutions, supplemental essays are a huge part of the process. Supplemental essays are an essential tool admissions officers use to assess student fit, and so Duke supplemental essays help assess whether or not you belong at the university.

Think about it: every other part of the application is relatively generic. Every college will receive the same information from the student including their name, demographic information, transcripts, SAT/ACT scores, and personal statement.

Supplemental essays dig a bit deeper into the student’s personality, passions, etc. As such, these additional questions should be taken seriously. It is important to use these essays to your advantage and prove to the school once more why you belong at that institution.

Review the guidelines and requirements for Duke supplemental essays.

Along with the Common App which contains your personal statement, Duke asks that students complete 1-3 short supplemental essays. The Duke supplement essays consist of a 200-word essay and two optional 250-word essays. For the 2021-2022 application cycle, your Duke application essays should be submitted with the Common Application on January 4th for Regular Decision and on November 1st for Early Decision.

You can read about the requirements on the official website .

Why Duke essay: 4 tips that can help you get admission in Duke University

The first prompt asks for a “Why this college” essay.

Please share with us why you consider Duke a good match for you.  Is there something in particular about Duke’s academic or other offerings that attract you?  (200 words maximum)

Admissions officers want students who will both excel and enjoy their time, so the case has to be made why you prefer Duke rather than any other top university.

1. Make sure your reasons are clear.

First and foremost, before you start any writing and planning, make sure the answer is clear to yourself. Sometimes our preferences for colleges at first can be instinctive or general, which is fine at first. But for these essays, your reasons will have to be articulated. If your reasons do not single out Duke from other universities, you are not really answering “Why Duke.” Before you make the case for Duke, make the case for yourself!

You may want to try rehearsing and answering yourself or writing it in 1-3 sentences. You will have space to elaborate and give examples but having a general point from the outset will make your case clearer and have a greater impact. This will also help you avoid your essay reading like a list, which can be both uninteresting and inadequate. Giving a list of good qualities of the university does not say why those qualities appeal to you.

2. Research the university .

Doing prior research can help you articulate the “Why Duke” question for yourself.

Read about Duke, from the official website and ranking websites to know the reputation of programs that interest you. Reading about things that are relevant to your college experience, like departments you are interested in, professors, student services. Read how the university talks about itself and what it says it excels at. Once you have found the things that you like about the university, you will have to consider why those things appeal to you.

3. Outline and plan your essays.

You may find that some things you are considering mentioning could fit under different prompts or are already mentioned in your personal statement. Whatever you do, plan the essays in advance to allocate the points you make so you do not repeat yourself. If something is important enough that you feel the need to mention it in another prompt, be brief.

Planning can involve outlining the essay before you write it. Because of the short length of the essay, you will probably only have room to make a few key points. Whatever points you make, know that in asking “Why Duke,” you are also being asked about yourself. Your point should not be just that Duke has this or that program. You should give reasons related to your interests, experiences, future plans, or values for why those programs fit you.

It may be a helpful practice to take a half-hour to write a quick draft early on. This way you can see what works or does not work when structuring your essay and figure out what points you have trouble articulating. You can then redraft it or outline it with these issues in mind.

4. Be particular. 

Finally, be particular. Pay attention to the phrase, “is there something in particular.” This question is asking you to provide specific reasons why you want to attend Duke University. Generic answers will not cut it here. Cite professors, professional resources, programs, internships, or other opportunities that genuinely excite you. Doing good research will make this task far easier. However, it isn’t good enough to simply name a professor or class without connecting it to why it is important to you. You can show that something is important to you by referring to your experiences or mentioning how that thing will help you.

Don’t write: 

I imagine myself taking Professor Smith’s Data Visualization for Gender Inequities. The class seems interesting and I would be excited to learn how to visualize data.

Instead, say:

Since my involvement in the debate club, I have been curious about how we can use empirical data to rectify societal issues. I imagine myself taking Professor Smith’s Data Visualization for Gender Inequities. This class will provide an important framework about the ways in which we can not only obtain data but how to use it to inform policy. 

Do not use this essay to brag to the university about how prestigious they are. In other words, don’t tell Duke you want to go there because Duke is a highly ranked institution; they already know that. And for everyone applying, the prestigiousness and quality of education is already a reason for applying. So, being specific and giving good reasons will also help you stand out among other students. What else matters to you about the institution? Do you like the culture, the classes, programs, majors? If you can’t think of a reason to attend Duke other than because it is Duke, you may want to reconsider why you’re applying.

Another way of being particular is talking about your personal connection to the university. This connection may be about the culture, a personal experience with the school, a visit, or a talk with an admissions officer. If you have not had the opportunity to visit, perhaps there are student support systems that appeal to you or alumni you look up to.

Duke’s Optional Supplemental Essays

Duke offers two optional supplemental essay prompts. Here is the first:

Duke University seeks a talented, engaged student body that embodies the wide range of human experience; we believe that the diversity of our students makes our community stronger. If you’d like to share a perspective you bring or experiences you’ve had that would help us understand you better, perhaps a community you belong to or your family or cultural background, we encourage you to do so here. Real people are reading your application, and we want to do our best to understand and appreciate the real people applying to Duke. (250 words maximum)

Some keywords to pay attention to in this prompt are diversity, perspective, experiences, community, cultural background. This supplement essay is intentionally broad so that everyone should be able to answer it. Duke wants to see that you have your own perspective that you will bring to the university community.

You can use this essay to discuss an ethnic, cultural, or religious identity you belong to. Some students may feel their identities do not say anything special about who they are – but that’s okay. If you find that these kinds of identities have not impacted you in a significant way, you can think of other communities you belong to that matter to you. Perhaps the city where you live shaped your identity, or maybe the school club you belong to shaped your way of thinking. No matter what your background is, you should answer this optional essay. If you don’t, you are wasting an opportunity to make a case for yourself.

This essay is not a list of facts about yourself. You need to show how this background impacts your perspective. For this reason, it is a good idea to discuss both your past and your future, because the major takeaway from this essay is how you will use these experiences to diversify the incoming class. An easy structure to use for this kind of essay is (1) what it was like having this background, (2) how it affected you, and (3) how this will affect your experience at Duke. For example, you may say growing up in a Hispanic household taught you the importance of family and community. Then, you can discuss how to plan to promote that culture with students at the university.

Of course, it should offer a perspective not offered anywhere else on your application. Therefore, if you wrote about a certain part of your identity as the topic for your personal essay, choose a different aspect of your life for this essay.

Duke’s commitment to diversity and inclusion includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. If you would like to share with us more about your identity, you can do so here, or use any previous essay prompt you feel is appropriate. (250 words maximum)

This essay has a similar purpose to the last essay. If you choose to answer it, make sure that you do not make the same point in both essays. Again, what is important for this essay is not that you have a certain identity, but that you show how it has informed your perspective. This perspective that you talk about – whether it is your passions, values, future plans – does not need to be something you are fully certain of. Your response here can be more reflective. You can talk about different possibilities or how you hope to change in the future. For both these optional essays, what is important is that you demonstrate genuine reflection on your background or identity.

You may feel that this essay is not applicable to you, or that you are uncomfortable answering it. It is fine that you skip this optional question. The first optional essay serves a similar purpose, so do not worry as long as you fill that one out.

Key takeaways on Duke University supplemental essays

For all of these Duke supplements, what matters more than the identity you chose is how you explain the effect your identity had on you. In other words, do not simply write about your cultural heritage or involvement in a community without explaining how it shaped you. Similarly, the “Why Duke” essays cannot be answered by only saying things about Duke. Ultimately, the question is why you think you belong at the university. Always relate whatever it is you are talking about back to yourself. By showing passions and purpose – that is how you stand out from other students on these essays.

Finally, clarity and conciseness are essential. Take advantage of the space you have and do more with less. Preparation and trying to understand the reasons Duke appeals to you will make the writing process easier and the essay better. If you genuinely are interested in going to Duke, you should have good reasons, and take the time to find the right words for them. The more convinced you are, the more passionate and authentic your writing will come across.

FAQs related to Duke essays

How many supplemental essays does duke have.

Duke requires one supplement essay and offers two optional ones. The required essay is 200-words and the optional ones are 250-words each.

Should I answer the Duke optional essays?

Yes, you should take advantage of more opportunities to make your case. Many approaches can be taken for the first optional essay. However, you may find that the second optional essay is inapplicable to you or you may be uncomfortable answering it. If you find it difficult to answer, you probably should not.

When do the Duke supplemental essays come out?

The latest versions of Duke’s supplemental essays come out sometime around mid-August. The essay prompts for the 2021-2022 admissions cycle have been released on Duke’s website .

How do you stand out to Duke?

Be genuine. These Duke writing supplements are not only about qualifications but about finding people who really care about the university. If you like the university, find out how to express and explain it. Connect everything you talk about (what you like about Duke, your background) back to yourself.

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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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Analyzing the Duke Supplemental Essays 2023-2024

August 25, 2023

With an admit rate of just 6%, Duke has firmly established itself as one of the most competitive schools in the country. If you dream of attending this prestigious top 10 university, exceptional grades and test scores alone won't cut it. You must go above and beyond to convince the admissions officers that you have thoroughly researched Duke and are undoubtedly a perfect fit for the institution. To help you stand out in the highly competitive application pool, I'll walk you through some helpful tips on how to best approach the Duke supplemental essays for the 2023-2024 application cycle.

Duke Supplemental Essays 2023-2024

Question 1 (required), 1. 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).

Duke places significant importance on this classic “Why College” prompt. InGenius Prep counselor Melissa Rains, who worked as the Director of Merit Scholarships at Duke University, recommends that you avoid mentioning generic aspects such as the university's prestigious reputation. She adds, "They know that they have a beautiful campus, they know they have amazing rankings and are a prestigious university, and they know most people know about the Blue Devils and basketball." 

In fact, avoid mentioning sports, especially basketball, unless you have a truly unique and personal connection. While Duke is well-known for basketball, the admissions officers are looking for applicants who can bring more than just a love for the game. Instead, focus on specific courses, professors, and department offerings that resonate with your interests and goals. 

For example, you could mention DukeEngage , an exceptional service opportunity and one of Duke's most esteemed programs in its commitment to civic engagement. When discussing this program, reference a specific opportunity that aligns with your major and explain why it is a perfect fit for you. You could also discuss FLUNCH , a program that offers students the opportunity to have a one-on-one lunch with a professor. Name the professor you would like to have lunch with, briefly explain why you would like to have this experience, and what topics you would like to discuss with this professor.

Another great option to mention is FOCUS , an academic program specifically designed for freshman students. Talk about how FOCUS would benefit your college experience and create a stronger sense of belonging – as students with the same “focus” all live in the same dorms. By showcasing your knowledge of these programs and how they align with your goals and interests, you can demonstrate to the admissions officers that you have thoroughly researched Duke and have a genuine passion for the university. 

Melissa adds, “Connect each example you provide to your own aspirations, both short and long-term .” Be specific about what you aim to achieve at Duke and how you plan to leverage your Duke education beyond graduation. Whether it is pursuing advanced research in your field, making a positive impact in the community, or entering a specific career path, the admissions officers want to see that you have thought carefully about your future and have a clear plan in mind. Remember to showcase your genuine passion for Duke, highlight your unique attributes and experiences, and demonstrate how you will contribute to the university's vibrant and meaningful living and learning community.

Question 2: Optional Questions (choose 2)

We want to emphasize that the following questions are optional. Feel free to answer them if you believe that doing so will add something meaningful that is not already shared elsewhere in your application. Five optional questions are available – a maximum of 2 can be selected. (250 word limit)

While these are optional questions, Melissa strongly advises that you select two of these prompts to answer. Below, I’ve listed some of our recommended strategies for each prompt.

a. Perspective response: We believe a wide range of personal perspectives, beliefs, and lived experiences are essential to making Duke 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.

This is a classic “community question” where you can talk about a community you belong to, or a family member or friend that has changed your life in a meaningful way. Most applicants will answer this essay – so be sure to include your unique perspective and mention specific examples from your cultural/family background or any other aspect of your life that has shaped your identity and values.

Additionally, consider how your unique background, perspective, or experience will enhance the diversity and richness of the Duke community. For example, you could discuss growing up in a multicultural household and the lessons you have learned from navigating different cultural traditions and values. You could explain how this has given you a deep appreciation for diversity and a strong ability to foster inclusivity within the Duke community. Alternatively, you could share how being a part of a close-knit community, such as a sports team or a volunteer organization, has taught you the value of collaboration and teamwork. You can then discuss how you plan to bring these skills and values to Duke and contribute to the vibrant and supportive community on campus.

Most importantly, provide specific examples and anecdotes that illustrate the impact of the community or individual on your life. Show the admissions officers how this experience has shaped your character, values, and aspirations. Highlight the tangible ways you plan to contribute to Duke, such as through involvement in student organizations, leadership roles, or community service initiatives. By emphasizing both the transformative power of the community or individual in your life and your commitment to making a positive impact at Duke, you can demonstrate to the admissions officers that you possess the qualities and mindset that align with the university's values and mission.

b. Intellectual experience: Tell us about an intellectual experience in the past two years that you found absolutely fascinating.

Duke values students who are intellectually engaged – and this prompt is the perfect opportunity for you to showcase your genuine passion for learning through one of your extracurricular experiences. Beyond simply explaining what you participated in, provide a thoughtful analysis of how this experience has shaped your intellectual curiosity and drive. Melissa also adds, “Adhere to the two-year timeframe and select an intellectual experience from either your sophomore or junior year. This experience can be formal or informal, as long as it has significantly impacted your intellectual growth.”

Start by providing specific details about the extracurricular experience. Describe the context, the challenges or obstacles you faced, and the lessons you learned. This could be anything from a research project, a leadership role in a club, or a personal pursuit of knowledge. Then, highlight this experience's impact on your future major or career interests. Explain how it has influenced your academic goals and shaped your passion for a particular field of study. Discuss the knowledge or skills you have gained and how they have strengthened your commitment to pursuing this path.

To help your essay stand out, weave in personal anecdotes or reflections that demonstrate your intellectual growth and curiosity. Share specific moments or instances where you were inspired, challenged, or had a breakthrough in your understanding. These personal insights will help the admissions officers understand your unique intellectual journey.

Ultimately, the goal of this essay is to show the admissions officers that you are not just a passive participant in your extracurricular activities but an active and intellectually curious individual. By highlighting the impact of an extracurricular experience on your academic and career aspirations, you can demonstrate to Duke that you are a sincerely curious individual with a strong intellectual drive.

c. Beliefs & values: 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?

The goal is for Duke to understand if you are able to engage in conversations with those who hold opposing views on a topic important to you – without sparking unnecessary controversy. Can you handle difficult situations and differences of perspectives/opinions? Are you open-minded? However, Melissa also cautions, "This essay can be a bit tricky to pull off without sounding too negative, close-minded, or privileged, so if you choose to answer this one, be mindful of this."

Additionally, while the prompt offers the opportunity to write about agreeing with someone, Melissa adds that “writing about disagreeing would make for a more compelling essay. It shows that you are willing to challenge and question your own beliefs and engage in respectful debates. By discussing a disagreement, you can demonstrate your critical thinking skills and your ability to consider multiple perspectives.”

Avoid discussing direct and confrontational political or religious topics. Instead, focus on exploring differing values within these topics. Provide specific examples and anecdotes that illustrate the disagreement or differing values. Explain the context and the specific beliefs or values that you and the other person hold, and discuss why this topic is important to you. Then, delve into the areas of disagreement and explore the reasons behind these differences. It’s important to note that you don't have to write about an actual conversation or personal story. You can also discuss something you have observed happening in your school or community. 

Remember to maintain a respectful tone throughout your essay and demonstrate your ability to listen, empathize, and understand different perspectives –  even if you ultimately disagree. Highlight the lessons you learned from these disagreements and how they have shaped your beliefs and values. By showcasing your ability to engage in meaningful conversations with individuals with opposing views, you can demonstrate to the admissions officers that you are open-minded, intellectually curious, and capable of navigating difficult discussions.

d. Being different: We recognize that “fitting in” in all the contexts we live in can sometimes be difficult. Duke values all kinds of differences and believes they make our community better. Feel free to tell us any ways in which you’re different, and how that has affected you or what it means to you.

This is an opportunity where you can write about any experience that you think is different from others in your peer group – outside of sexual orientation/gender identity (answer prompt “e” if you want to talk about that). This could be something about your family, community, household income level, mental or physical challenges, neurodiversity, cultural background, etc. To help you brainstorm, here are some questions to think about:

How do you cope with your chosen difference? Share the strategies and approaches you have developed to navigate and embrace your differences. Whether it is seeking support from loved ones, engaging in self-reflection, or finding solace in creative outlets, explain how these coping mechanisms have helped you grow and thrive. 

How has it positively impacted your life, or what do you appreciate about it? Reflect on the unique perspectives, strengths, and insights that have emerged from your experience. Maybe being part of a multicultural family has exposed you to diverse traditions and values, fostering a deep appreciation for different cultures. Or perhaps growing up with a physical challenge has taught you resilience and determination, enabling you to overcome obstacles and achieve personal growth. Emphasize how these positive aspects have shaped your character and influenced how you engage with the world.

How has it influenced your perspective and the way you engage with the world? Discuss how your chosen difference has influenced your perspective and worldview. Whether it has heightened your empathy, challenged societal norms, or sparked a passion for advocacy, delve into how this difference has shaped your understanding of various issues and your desire to make a positive impact.

How will it make you a positive influence on Duke’s community/campus? Highlight the specific contributions you can bring to the university, such as fostering inclusivity, promoting diversity, or advocating for the needs of underrepresented communities. Show how your unique perspective and experiences can enrich the campus environment and contribute to a vibrant and inclusive community.

By expanding on your chosen difference and its impact, you can demonstrate to the admissions officers that you possess the resilience, empathy, and unique perspectives necessary to thrive at Duke.

e. Orientation, identity, expression: 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.

This prompt is similar to prompt d,  but specifically focuses on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. It allows individuals who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community to delve into how their unique experiences have shaped their identity and perspective. It is important to note that only those who are members of or identify within this community should choose to answer this prompt. It is not intended for allies of the LGBTQIA+ community.

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.

Melissa notes, "At this point, any COVID-19 disruptions written about should be significant. All students had some level of lost opportunity due to COVID-19, so if you do write something here, it needs to be more to explain lower than expected grades, or significant course selection or extracurricular impacts." If you do not have a significant experience to write about, it is totally acceptable to leave this section blank.

Additional Tips for the Duke Supplemental Essays 2023-2024

Now that we've explored the prompts , here are a few more tips to keep in mind for the Duke supplemental essays:

• Emphasize What You Can Bring to the Duke Community. Since Duke admissions officers already know what makes the school great, the supplemental prompts are geared to understand how you would uniquely contribute to the Duke community. When you sit down to brainstorm your Duke supplemental essays 2023-2024 , consider how you can add to the multicultural flair that Duke prides itself on.
• Include Duke Specifics - It can be easy to get carried away when talking about yourself. Yes, it’s your supplemental essay, but you don’t want to write a response that could be used for any school. So, weave in the research you’ve done on Duke. Discuss how you and your perspective would thrive at Duke’s welcoming campus. If there is a pre-existing student organization at Duke that includes people with similar backgrounds—or you would like to start one—include that in your essay as well.
• Use the Word Limit Wisely - While 200-250 isn’t the most restrictive word limit range in the world, it’s not extremely generous either. When writing your Duke supplemental essays 2023-2024, prioritize the content necessary to get your narrative across and cut any unnecessary statements. Each sentence should provide new information that makes you memorable in the reader’s mind. If you exceed the limit—or start repeating your personal statement —it’s time to make cuts and keep what’s new and relevant.

While gaining admission to Duke University is no easy feat, the Duke supplemental essays for the 2023-2024 application cycle provide an incredible opportunity to showcase your research and demonstrate why you are the perfect fit for the university. Seize this chance to brainstorm essays that highlight your unique experiences and convey your unwavering dedication to Duke's academic programs and vibrant community. Believe in yourself – you have what it takes!

If you are looking for a college admissions counselor to help maximize your chances of getting into your dream school, we can help! InGenius Prep has helped more than 6,000 students around the world gain admission into the most competitive schools including Harvard, Yale, MIT, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, NYU, and more. Sign up for a free strategy call today and join the 6,000+ students we've helped get accepted into their dream schools. 

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How to write the duke supplemental essays 2020-2021 (examples included).

Duke University has an acceptance rate of 9% and is a prestigious school that is appealing to thousands of applicants, thanks to its excellent programs and warm southern climate.

Duke also ranks in 9 th place on the list of Top National Universities by US News.

So, can you stand out from such a competitive applicant pool ?

One way to do so is through your supplemental essays! This guide will help you write the best Duke supplemental essays.

Click above for a video on how to write the Duke supplemental essays.

What are the Duke Supplemental Essay Requirements?

Duke requires you to submit a supplemental essay for the program that you are applying to, and gives you the option to respond to up to two other essay prompts if you feel that there are aspects of your background that were not covered in other parts of the application.

The supplemental essay prompts can be found on Duke’s admissions website and are also reproduced later in this guide.

Tips from Duke University

Before we get into the specific questions associated with each program, Duke has some general tips for their applicants when writing the supplemental essays.

• It is not easier or harder to be admitted to one program or another.
• Pick the school and academic fields that best match your interests.
• One of the short essay questions is required, and the other is optional.

Concerning the third bullet, Transizion recommends that you respond to optional essays that pertain to you.

That is, if the essay has something to do with your life, you should answer it. Writing essays can be tiring and stressful, but this advice is for your own good.

The main point of the first two tips is to remind you that it will be easier to write your essays on the field you’re interested in than on the field you think has the higher acceptance rate.

When answering a question about why you want to attend Duke and study at a program, never write about the following:

• Location (perhaps your fascination with the Research Triangle)
• Social life

One thing that you may notice about Duke’s supplemental essay questions is that they are generally more straightforward than some of the other more creative questions you may have received from other schools.

Thanks to this straightforward nature, just write:

• Don’t craft a gimmicky introduction.
• Stick to a simple structure.
• Make sure to brainstorm different ideas, themes, values, hobbies, and interests . You don’t want to write your essay, only to realize that you now have a better idea and should have started writing with it.

If you have a firm idea of what you would want to study at Duke, use this supplemental essay to show the admissions committee!

• Talk about the classes and resources that you would take advantage of as a student at Duke.
• For example, discuss an upper-level mechanical engineering course on mechatronics that you want to take.

Admissions committees don’t necessarily expect students to know exactly what they want to study before they step on campus, but they do want to make sure that their school, or in this case, engineering, is really what you want to do.

Think about why you want to study engineering and what about studying the subject at Duke interests you.

For example, you might be interested in tissue engineering and drug development but aren’t sure whether you’d like to major in biomedical engineering or chemical engineering.

• Is there a professor whose research fascinates you? Why?
• What classes would you take as a student at Duke?
• Is there an extracurricular that you’re excited to join?
• Is there an aspect of your current education that sparks inspiration within you?
• What about engineering do you love? Design? Solving problems? Inventing? Math?
• Do you have inventions that you’d like to share with the world?

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Thus, ask yourself:

• How will Duke’s engineering program help me accomplish my goals?

“Why Duke?” Supplemental Essay

Please share with us why you consider Duke a good match for you.  Is there something in particular about Duke’s academic or other offerings that attract you?  (200 words maximum)

This supplemental question is straightforward and can be broken down into two parts:

• Why do you consider Duke a good match for you, and
• Is there something in particular about Duke that attracts you?

When approaching the first question, you should focus on your own experiences and why you think that you would be a good fit for Duke.

You might focus on the following:

• Your academic interests
• Your community interests, and how your experience would add to the existing communities at Duke.
• Alternatively, there may be a community that you see Duke does not have, so you could argue that bringing your community to campus is what makes Duke a good match for you.
• For example, you might be interested in the political issues of an obscure social group that Duke is not aware of. Write about that.

This is the time to talk about the resources that Duke would offer you as a student.

• This might be a certain major, a particular professor, or a student organization.
• You should talk about how you might use those resources as well.
• For example, there might be a music group on campus that you’d be interested in joining because you’ve been in choir for the past few years.

Still having trouble? Here are more straightforward questions:

• What student organizations do you want to join?
• What do you plan to study? Why?
• What professors do you want the opportunity to talk to?

Tie the answers to these two questions into your essay, and you’re done!

“Why Duke” Supplemental Essay Examples!

Here’s an essay from a student who applied and was accepted to Duke:

The forty-two volunteer opportunities at the Duke University Medical Center was one of the first facets of Duke that drew me in. The DUMC student volunteer program offers diverse and enriching experiences for undergraduate students, especially those interested in pursuing medicine like myself. Digging deeper into what Duke has to offer its pre-medicine students, I am drawn to the rigorous courses as I thrive in academically challenging environments. Furthermore, the university’s connections enable pre-medicine students to have meaningful experiences in professional workplaces, such as opportunities for shadowing. Shadowing is a key element that attracts me to Duke since it is an essential component in preparing for a health career. This opportunity is something that I value because it provides a realistic insight into the skills and proficiency needed in the professions, as well as an understanding of the numerous paths in health care. Outside of experiences directed at pre-medicine students, Duke also offers a wide variety of activities and clubs to create a well-rounded atmosphere for their students. It is important to me to follow the hobbies and passions that lay outside of my educational focus, so I am excited to explore the variety of clubs and organizations. I have actively participated in traditional Indian dance and volunteered within my community for as long as I can remember, so it was exciting to find student groups within Duke committed to the passions I already have, such as Duke Dhamaka, Blue Devils United, and Environmental Alliance. I’m looking forward to finding communities at Duke, both inside the classroom and out, to which I belong.

Here’s another “Why Duke” Essay Example:

I am particularly interested in Duke’s strong emphasis on interdisciplinary education. This unique learning environment will allow me to explore my varied interests, which include studying neuroscience and economics. I am interested in understanding the intersection between these fields, where I can gain insight into our human decision-making system. Engaging in Duke’s renowned Center for Interdisciplinary Decision Science will allow me to collaborate and take part in neuroeconomics research under the guidance of the field’s leaders and pioneers. I am specifically interested in the research of Dr. Huettel, who correlates quantitative behavioral data with neurobiology to reveal interesting analyses about human behavior. In the future, I hope to use my background in the social sciences and the interdisciplinary education from Duke to arm myself with a diverse set of skills to provide the highest quality of care in my career as a physician.

A third “Why Duke” Supplemental Example:

Duke students and professors exhibit curiosity, a love of learning and a contagious school spirit. I want to be a part of it. I was first drawn to this passion for learning and infectious school spirit when I attended the Duke Ac tion Science Camp in fourth grade. During the camp, I was awed as I watched a professor’s excitement as he made a reaction with calcium carbonate hot enough to cook on. I waded into a creek to observe all sorts of critters, got to extract DNA from a strawberry and even went to visit the lemurs. I was hooked! The action-packed camp ignited my love of learning for science and the arts. My decision to make Duke my home was made final by my visit last summer. My family spent the whole day exploring and talking to students on Duke’s campus. While each student had a different story, they all shared the same passion. Every student emphasized the diversity of the student body, the collaborative nature of the community, and each student we spoke to shared the same excitement that I remembered that science professor having all those years ago. Duke provides the academic challenges, collaborative environment, and impassioned, curious community that I am looking for.  Having been a Stanton Blue Devil for the last four years, I am ecstatic about the possibility of becoming a blue devil for another four years!

Duke Diversity Essays

If you read through these essay questions and find that there is something you want to say that hasn’t already been mentioned elsewhere in your application, go for it. Your perspective and experience are important.

Duke University seeks a talented, engaged student body that embodies the wide range of human experience; we believe that the diversity of our students makes our community stronger. If you’d like to share a perspective you bring or experiences you’ve had to help us understand you better—perhaps related to a community you belong to or your family or cultural background—we encourage you to do so. Real people are reading your application, and we want to do our best to understand and appreciate the real people applying to Duke. (250 words maximum)

These are fairly personal questions, so if there are any experiences that you feel have shaped your upbringing and/or led to your decision to apply to Duke, let them know here.

For example:

• Did a grandparent raise you?
• Did you have to work to support your family?
• Have you been diagnosed with a chronic condition?
• Did you immigrate to the United States from another country?
• Are you an active member of an organization that promotes the welfare of a particular social group?

Whatever it is, Duke’s admissions committee wants to hear it and is giving you the space to tell them here.

You don’t need to feel constrained when writing this essay. Think about your strengths, weaknesses, struggles, challenges, accomplishments, family life, genetic conditions, and other elements that have influenced your life.

“Diversity” doesn’t mean ethnic or racial diversity; think about what you bring to the table. These questions will help you brainstorm:

• If you entered a room full of people, what would you tell a stranger about your life story?
• What have been your greatest struggles and challenges?
• Name an accomplishment, no matter how small or large, that you worked hard to attain.
• What are three traits that are essential to understanding you?
• What do your family and friends love about you?
• Is there a story from your life that is a crucible? Name the dramatic changes you went through after this crucible.

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.  

This is also a personal question, but if you do have experiences relating to your gender identity or sexual orientation that you would like to share with the admissions committee, do so here.

• For example, you may have realized you were bisexual in high school, or maybe you don’t identify as male or female.
• Has your gender identity changed over time?
• Did you discover that your sexual orientation was not what you originally thought it was?

Again, you do not have to write a response to this essay if you would prefer not to.

Duke Diversity Supplemental Essay Examples

I was just trying to buy a Sprite and pay my hundred rupees. The cashier was starting to look as hassled as I felt, speaking urgently in a language I couldn’t understand. We were both frustrated and the cashier stormed off to another counter and grabbed a plate from under it. At this point, I’m thinking “Why would I need a plate for my Sprite?” Normally at shops, the employees know enough English, and I can understand the gist of the Tamil words with my own Telugu background. This time, we were both extremely confused. Eventually, after non-verbal communication and pointing, I realized she was supposed to offer me a free plate with my Sprite because of a deal.  Most people are surprised to learn that moving to India was a huge adjustment for me even though I’m Indian. Yet, considering I was moving to a country I never lived in, a state whose language I don’t speak, and a culture I’m not fully part of, it has been a definite challenge. From the language barrier to the culture change, and even the conservative manners and customs, I have had to adapt to a new way of living. All of that and living in a country that is different culturally and socially from the United States gave me a new perspective of viewing my place in the world. I am confident that these experiences will help me make the community at Duke even more inclusive and understanding of differences.

Growing up in a Sindhi Indian family, I was brought up following unique cultural traditions of music, art, and dance. However, one of my favorite parts of my upbringing revolves around baking Sindhi desserts like khorak, majoon, and khus-khus seero. I have vivid memories of beautiful Saturday afternoons that my mom and I spent baking these sweets, filling the room with a brilliant aroma. I remember slowly gaining an appreciation for the patience, care, and subtle attention needed to cook these deserts. These dry fruit desserts, traditionally baked in India, are used to celebrate important and beautiful occasions, such as weddings and holidays. My family and Sindhi community, however, also use them to remember and enjoy the often overlooked moments in life, aiming to spread joy and happiness to those who eat them. Through eating these desserts alone, I often see smiles from my family members, as they reminisce about their earlier joyful memories of relishing these sweets with their loved ones, celebrating life’s beautiful moments. At Duke, not only do I hope to bake these deserts for others, but I also look forward to embracing new traditions from other students excited to share aspects of their cultural identity. Overall, I hope to use these sweets to share at least a snippet of my culture with the Duke community. With every small progress that I may make with my peers at Duke, I hope to share this beautiful emphasis on celebration that I have gained from my Sindhi cultural upbringing.

Conclusion: Writing the Duke Supplemental Essays

Now that you’ve finished this article, you should feel prepared to start writing your supplemental essays for Duke University.

Additionally, don’t forget to proofread . These essays are short, but you don’t want to apply with a false sense of confidence. Go through every line looking for the passive voice, typos, and punctuation errors.

If you get stuck, feel free to revisit this article for some brainstorming tips. Good luck!

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Duke Supplemental Essay Examples

Writing essays can be a tricky business, especially if you can’t see samples, which is why reading over some Duke supplemental essay examples will be just the ticket for your own essay writing process. This should give you a good idea of how to proceed, whether you need help with how to start a college essay , or are trying to edit and refine your first draft. Following the examples laid out below is a great way to make your college application stand out.

In this article, we cover all six possible short essays required by Duke for their supplemental section. Some of the essays are optional, but we provide examples for all of them; carefully read the prompts to find the examples relevant to your application. These are the essays that are truly unique to Duke. Then, we provide some notes on essay writing in general, and some expert college essay tips for Duke, in particular.

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free strategy call here . <<

Article Contents 11 min read

Short essay.

For all Duke applicants: “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.”

Word limit: 250 words, max.

Numbers never lie, and with Duke’s commitment to intellectual honesty, I know that I will feel at home in your institution. My interest in mathematics has been life-long, and from the time I was little and played with number-based toys, through my developing years applying math to music and music to math, I have allowed numbers to permeate my very way of life. Math is beautiful. It describes our universe and fills me with awe and wonder. It is because of this that I seek out unique experiences and understandings of mathematics, and novel approaches to the subject. Consequently, I have several reasons for wanting to study math at Duke.

The Lyceum is a concept that fascinates me. The idea of approaching the exploration of advanced mathematics through social interaction is strangely unique. I would think that more people would want this, but Duke has it. This forum would allow me to engage with my peers, my mentors, and those who have gone before and, when I am an older student, with first-year students as well – all of us learning together, from each other. What could be better than that?

Numbers don’t lie, as I said, and Duke’s high academic standard also means that my admission would truly mean something; acceptance from a discerning institution is valuable, indeed, and would provide a wonderful sense of accomplishment, while imbuing a sense of responsibility.

The Lyceum is one of my favorite concepts as a learning tool, and I itch to participate; I hope you will allow me that opportunity.

Duke emphasizes that these questions are optional for all applicants and notes the following:

“Feel free to answer them if you believe that doing so will add something meaningful that is not already shared elsewhere in your application. Four optional questions are available – a maximum of two can be selected. Please select 0–2 optional essay topics.”

Word limit: 250 words, max. per essay

Optional Essay No. 1: “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.”

My parents got divorced, and I know that that’s the oldest story in the book at this point, but this family schism – at first traumatizing and upsetting for me and my siblings – became a very important aspect of my life and shaped my worldview into what I think is a unique perspective.

My family is biracial, with my Black mom and white dad starting a family together. Although they parted ways, both sides of my heritage have remained intact, and I feel like I get two perspectives. We live in a racially charged world, and my experiences and sympathies allow me to understand the many facets that go along with current conversations about race.

You will be writing in a standard essay format: opening paragraph, body, conclusion. You will present a central idea, theme, or college essay topic , and work from there to deliver that idea quickly, and concisely.

Your opening paragraph should start off with a “hook” sentence that draws in the reader and makes it impossible for them to stop reading. The better the hook, the better the start, which will greatly help your readers enjoy your work. You also need to present your main focal point in the opening paragraph.

This is particularly important in Duke’s essays, as they have a 250-word limit; these essays are very short, and you don’t have a lot of space to include extra material. Check out some college essay introduction examples to boost your writing in this area, specifically.

In the body of your essay, you will have a few, short paragraphs to deal with your topic and answer the prompt. Get into as much detail as you can but stick to two or three main points. Again, you are constrained by the word limit, and you don’t have room to add a lot of detail.

Try to pack in some reflection on how you have grown as a person or student due to each event you discuss. The prompt can be answered, plus you can allude to academic achievements or some other accomplishments that the admissions committee will take a closer look at on your resume.

Your conclusion should focus on wrapping up the essay and summarizing anything set up in the opening paragraph. However, as noted, your conclusion should also make the committee want to hear more from you; give them someone they would want to meet in an interview. How to write a college essay can be tricky but following these steps will already get you headed in the right direction.

Remember to edit and refine! No essay is perfect from the start, so give yourself time to get feedback, do re-writes, and triple-check for spelling and grammar.

Please note that Duke also requires applicants to write other essays: one from a selection of Common App essays or Coalition Application essays, depending on which application you are using. Transfer students are required to write an additional essay as well. We have not written samples for these essays in this article.

Essay writing is a lot less intimidating once you have seen it done by someone else. These essay examples should prove invaluable to you while you create your own essays for your application.

Read as much as you can, both in terms of example essays and general technique, and focus on answering the prompts directly and skillfully.

Yes. Every option you have available to you should be exercised because each one is an additional opportunity to showcase your talents and abilities to the admissions committee.

Not formally, but they are reviewed by the committee, so a quality essay makes a big difference. Make sure every part of your application is the best you can make it.

About three weeks to write and refine your essays should be sufficient. This doesn’t mean 40 hours a week, but just that you’re setting aside time to ponder the prompts, brainstorm, write, and edit, which does take a lot of time if done well.

Yes. Never exceed any word counts, page counts, or character limits. Note that if you apply somewhere with a character limit, that limit probably includes spaces, so calculate carefully and err on the side of safety. Don’t let your essay or application fail because of an exceeded word count.

This goes double for deadlines: cutoff points are cutoff points, and you can’t exceed them.

You could ask teachers if they would look at your essays, but you can also check out college essay review services for assistance.

You can confidently submit your essay when you know you have corrected all errors, fully explored the prompt, answered any questions, put yourself into your essay – so that your character and individuality shine through – and shown your potential.

These are both application systems that streamline the application process to universities and colleges. The Common Application is more widely used, so you have access to more schools through it; the Coalition Application is intended for disadvantaged students, who might come from lower-income districts, or who have some other roadblock to higher education in their lives.

If your schools-of-choice are only available through the Common Application, you will probably use the Common App as your system. On the other hand, if you are from an underrepresented group, or need additional assistance, you might have a better overall experience with the Coalition App.

Yes. In fact, they accept students from many backgrounds. From their website: “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.”

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6 Duke Supplemental Essays That Worked for 2023

Getting into Duke University is difficult in 2023. But you make sure you have your best chances by writing great supplemental essays.

In this article, I've gathered 6 essays from admitted Duke students so you can get inspired.

What is Duke University's Acceptance Rate?

Duke University has highly competitive admissions, and this past year over 45,000 students applied to Duke. Duke had an overall acceptance rate of 4.8%.

Duke University Acceptance Scattergram

If Duke is your top choice school, then consider applying Early Decision. For the Class of 2026, the acceptance rate for ED admissions was 21.3%!

Regardless of if you apply regular or early, admissions to Duke is competitive. But that only means writing stellar essays matters even more.

What are the Duke University Supplemental Prompts for 2022-23?

This year Duke asks applicants to write one required essay of 200 words and two optional essays of 250 words each.

Here are the 2022-23 Duke writing supplement prompts:

• Please share with us why you consider Duke a good match for you. Is there something in particular about Duke’s academic or other offerings that attracts you? (200 word limit)

We want to emphasize that the following questions are optional. Feel free to answer them if you feel that doing so will add something meaningful that is not already expressed elsewhere in your application. If you have already addressed either or both of these questions in your application, please don’t worry about leaving them blank. We appreciate how much time it takes to fill out this and your other college applications.

• Duke University seeks a talented, engaged student body that embodies the wide range of human experience; we believe that the diversity of our students makes our community stronger. If you'd like to share a perspective you bring or experiences you've had that would help us understand you better, perhaps a community you belong to or your family or cultural background, we encourage you to do so here. Real people are reading your application, and we want to do our best to understand and appreciate the real people applying to Duke. (250 word limit)

Duke University Nondiscrimination Statement

• Duke’s commitment to diversity and inclusion includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. If you would like to share with us more about your identity in these areas, you can do so here or, if you feel you have adequately represented your gender and sexual orientation in other parts of your application, feel free to not respond to this prompt. (250 words maximum)

If you're serious about getting into Duke, you should definitely answer the second optional prompt.

Because everybody has a unique background, and this prompt is another opportunity to show admissions officers why you deserve admission.

6 Duke University EssaysThatWorked

Here are 6 of the best Duke essays that worked that respond to the writing supplement.

I've also included an example of a Common App personal statement essay from an admitted Duke student.

Let's get started and inspired writing great admissions essays like these.

• Duke University Essay Example #1
• Duke University Essay Example #2
• Duke University Essay Example #3
• Duke University Essay Example #4
• Duke University Essay Example #5
• Duke University Essay Example #6

#1. Duke "Diversity" Essay Example

Prompt: Duke University seeks a talented, engaged student body that embodies the wide range of human experience; we believe that the diversity of our students makes our community stronger. If you'd like to share a perspective you bring or experiences you've had that would help us understand you better, perhaps a community you belong to or your family or cultural background, we encourage you to do so here. Real people are reading your application, and we want to do our best to understand and appreciate the real people applying to Duke. (250 words max)

The pitter patter of droplets, the sweet smell that permeates throughout the air, the dark grey clouds that fill the sky, shielding me from the otherwise intense gaze of the sun, create a landscape unparalleled by any natural beauty. I have gazed upon the towering cliffs of Yosemite, stood next to Niagara falls as the water roars, succumbing to the power of gravity, and seen the beaches of Mexico basked in moonlight, yet none of these wonders compares to the simple beauty of an Arizona rainstorm. To me, our rain represents more than humidity and darkness; its rarity gives it beauty. The uncertainty of when the next day of rain will come compels me to slow down, and enjoy the moment.

Out of the three realms of time; past, present, and future, the present is the only one we can experience, and I take advantage of every moment I have. When I pause my running to enjoy a sunset that dazzles the sky with brilliant colors of purple and orange, when I touch my brush to a canvas and focus on my movements in the present, when I drive home after a long day of improving our robot, and decide to drive around my neighborhood to finish “Garota de Ipanema”, which just popped up from my playlist of 700 songs, I am taking advantage of the moment.

So next time it rains, step outside. Close your eyes. Hear the symphony of millions of water droplets. And enjoy the moment.

#2. Duke "Diversity" Essay Example

Prompt: 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. (250 words max)

Ever since I can remember, the comforting lullabies my mother sang to me planted a deep seed in my mind. In my dreams, I began a journey for my identity to discover the hidden stories within those songs. Perhaps that's what led me to explore Hindustani music. "Sa-re-ga" encodes my ancestors' songs just like "do-re-mi." With this solfege, I began exploring a vocal part of my culture, collecting the keys to my identity.

Each song I learned further educated me about myths and legends that helped form who I am today.

When I face adversity in male-dominated activities, I remember Sita, who fought heroically in revolutionary conflicts hundreds of years ago. This has empowered me to believe in my talents and goals, whether I am doing research or organizing a STEM fair in my community. The character Arjuna, who became one of the best archers, taught me perseverance and a desire to learn from others. When chosen to fly to Denmark to play badminton with local clubs, I embraced this experience to play among outstanding competitors and to enhance my competitive abilities. As an Asian American, I am reminded by the Indian National Anthem that I am an American and an Indian.

I plan to bring my music and stories with me to college. The keyboard in my Duke dorm will ring with strong Hindustani notes. I hope to share with my dorm mates and friends the history of those heroes and the strength I gleam from them every day.

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#3. Duke "Why Engineering" Essay Example

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. (150 words max)

At Duke I was equally entranced by the articulate movements of 3D printers in the Co-Lab and the stunning Gothic architecture. Instead of forming a dichotomy, these aspects of Duke blended to symbolize its emphasis on interdisciplinary education, which will offer me a nuanced perspective of the world integral to becoming a leader in engineering.

I will join the Academy for Model Aeronautics and share my passion for designing drones, while taking fascinating courses such as “Taboo Markets” and “Banality of Evil”, while simultaneously working on an engineering project that improves real people’s lives in “Engineering Design”. By joining the Duke Robotics Club, I can expand upon my love for robotics, and I hope to write for the Duke Engineering magazine, as well as join the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. By drawing from this diverse range of educational experiences, I can become a leader in creating a better future.

#4. Duke Personal Statement Example: "Forest of Lights"

Common App Prompt #7: Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. (250-650 words)

The diamond leaves of gnarled oak trees throw spectrums of color onto mounds of frosty snow that gleam melancholily under the moonlight. The leaves chime as wind violently rustles them in a haunting melody. I splinter a leaf off its branch and inspect the shard of my illusion, eyes dancing with amusement.

As I dwell in my worries, a cold hand reaches from behind me and taps my shoulder.

I jerk away, fear bubbling in my amygdala as I look into the nonexistent eyes of my intruding visitor.

The moon illuminates a blob of pink squish as it draws back slowly, points its spindly hands towards my drink and asks: “Could I have some of that?”

The blob wipes its invisible mouth with its nonexistent sleeve. I ask: “What are you?”

The blob tells me to stop looking at it so suspiciously. “I can prove it,” It says. I tell it, please, go ahead.

Suddenly we are back in the glowing forest. “Diamonds? Pah!” The blob dismisses them. Instantly, the leaves turn solid gold, the snow melts, and the wintry world is thrown into a blistering summer.

The blob laughs heartlessly. “Your cortex is under my control,” it says smugly.

“I heard you had a question for me?” It taps its invisible ears knowingly.

The blob wriggles its invisible brows as it waits.

It smiles that wicked smile. It laughs that sinful laugh. Then that insufferable blob wakes me up.

As I sit up in the dark and rub my bleary eyes, I am vaguely aware of the deep­set unfulfillment settling itself inside me. I yawn and plop back into bed, the soft red glow of my alarm clock indicating that it is still before midnight.

Why This Essay Works:

One thing is for sure about this essay: it has a unique idea that has surely not been written before. Regardless of your topic, you want your essay to be unique in some way, even if it isn't as fantastical as this essay. You can use a unique structure, such as having central symbolism, metaphor, or being structured as a recipe, for example. But this can easily become "gimmicky" if it doesn't have a clear purpose. In general, the most effective way to have a unique essay is to focus on having deep and unique ideas and reflections. By focusing on interesting takeaways and connections that are ultra-specific to you and your experiences, your essay will standout regardless of the structure.

What They Might Improve:

This essay uses a lot of fiction-like writing that is fantastical and "flowery." Although moments of this kind of writing can make your essay more vivid, it is quite easy to end up with dense storytelling and descriptions that ultimately don't share anything interesting about you. The purpose of your essay is ultimately to learn about you: your values, your ideas, your identity, etc. By using dense story-like writing, it can be easy to lose focus of what admissions officers are looking for. In general, avoid writing "fancy" stories like this essay, unless you have a clear and distinct purpose for doing so. Everything in your essay should have a purpose in "going somewhere" (i.e. reaching interesting ideas and takeaways).

This essay is definitely creative, but lacks meaningful takeaways and ideas. By the end of the essay, we don't know much about the author besides the fact that they have an affinity for creative writing and are "on a search." Although the content is unique, the end result comes off as quite generic and surface-level because no interesting thoughts are explored deeply. The most interesting part of this essay is "I open my mouth and ask it my most crucial question," but this is super unsatisfying because the question is never divulged. Instead, the reader is teased by this fantasy story and the essay goes nowhere meaningful, which comes off as gimmicky and "creative for creative's sake," rather than deeply personal and interesting.

This essay ends on the idea of "continuing my search," but for what exactly? It is never explained, elaborated, or even implied (besides one reference to painting earlier). That makes this conclusion comes off as somewhat surface-level and uninteresting. Admissions officers won't care about "your search" unless they have a reason to care. That is, unless it tells something specific about you. On it's own, this idea of "exploring" and "searching" is meaningless because it is too broad and unelaborated.

#5. Duke Personal Statement Example: "Shadow-Box Stick Art"

Common App Prompt #5: Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. (250-650 words)

This essay shows a strong thinking ability because the author shows how they view the world differently than others. Specifically, the author is able to see something as mundane as fallen branches as an opportunity to create artwork. Showing how you view things differently is a great way to demonstrate your unique perspective. Another strategy is to think deeply about things that are often easily overlooked or things that are mundane on the surface. Everything can be reflected upon deeply, and doing so shows a strong thinking ability and level of thoughtfulness. Ask yourself: what do you see differently than others around you? What do you find fun that others find "hard"? What do you find fascinating that others find "boring"? What is something mundane in your life that you do, and what's the greater meaning behind it?

This essay uses a lot of narrative writing—that is, recounting of a specific story and moment. While most essays use storytelling, what most applicants get wrong is they describe unimportant details to the story. Don't write like a fiction book and describe everything in the scene, like what others were wearing, what people looked like, what the environment was, each small action that took place. This is a common mistake that students make in trying to write compelling stories, but it ends up with a lot of unnecessary details. This author shows how a story can still take up a lot of the essay, while also including interesting reflections throughout the story and making it purposeful by only including details that move the story forward.

This essay has a somewhat unexpected conclusion where the author connects to their significant accomplishment of starting and running a charity. Even though this is such a large and meaningful activity, the author chose to only write about it when it came in naturally and not make it the whole focus of the essay. Counterintuitively, by de-emphasizing your biggest accomplishments, they will seem more impactful and you will seem more ambitious. This is because students often try to showcase their achievements and make them the focal point, but instead if you have the attitude of, "Yeah, this is what I did, but really it is nothing in comparison to what I'm going to do" it makes your accomplishments even more impactful. You don't want to be nonchalant, but you do want to make your accomplishments small in comparison to your future goals and achievements, which will show both humility and ambition.

This essay is almost 100 words less than what is given. In general, you should try and make your essays as close to the word limit as possible. Why? Because you should have a lot to say and it should be a challenge to fit it all into your essay, not the other way around. Especially for personal statement essays, its almost always better to use most of the words. Being within 10-20 words of the limit is usually the target. In this essay, they could include further meaningful details that make their essay more vivid. They could describe what their "stick art" actually looks like, because it is hard for the reader to imagine since it is an obscure type of artwork. They could reflect on the impact of their charity: how many people did it help so far? What are their goals for the future of it? What have been challenges with it? Don't add words just to add words, however. As with everything, each sentence should be meaningful and have a clear purpose, but this essay could definitely use more words.

#6. Duke Personal Statement Example: "Kiki's Delivery Service"

Common App Prompt #6: Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more? (250-650 words)

I spent much of my childhood watching movies. I became absolutely engrossed in many different films, TV shows, and animations. From the movie theatres to the TV, I spent my hours enjoying the beauty of visual media. One place that was special to me was the car. My parents purchased a special screen that could be mounted on the back of the headrest, so that I could watch movies on trips. This benefited both parties, as I was occupied, and they had peace. Looking back, I realize this screen played a crucial role in my childhood. It was an integral part of many journeys. I remember taking a drive to Washington D.C, with my visiting relatives from Poland, and spending my time with my eyes on the screen. I remember packing up my possessions and moving to my current home from Queens, watching my cartoons the whole time. I can comfortably say that watching movies in the car has been an familiar anchor during times of change in my life.

I used to watch many different cartoons, nature documentaries, and other products in the car, yet there has been one movie that I have rewatched constantly. It is called “Kiki’s Delivery Service” by Hayao Miyazaki. My parents picked it up at a garage sale one day, and I fell in love. The style of the animations were beautiful, and the captivating story of a thirteen year old witch leaving home really appealed to me. To be honest, the initial times I watched it, I didn’t fully understand the story but the magic and beauty just made me happy. Then, the more I watched it, I began to see that it was more about independence, including the need to get away from home and establish yourself as your own person. This mirrors how I felt during that period of my life,with mehaving a little rebellious streak; I didn’t agree with my parents on certain topics. That is not the end of the story though. As the years passed, and I watched it a couple more times, although with less frequency than before, my view of this movie evolved yet again.

Instead of solely thinking about the need for independence, I began to think the movie was more about the balance of independence and reliance. In the movie, the girl finds herself struggling until she begins to accept help from others. Looking back, this also follows my own philosophy during this time. As I began to mature, I began to realize the value of family, and accept all the help I can get from them. I appreciate all the hard work they had done for me, and I recognize their experience in life and take advantage of it. I passed through my rebellious phase, and this reflected in my analysis of the movie. I believe that this is common, and if I look through the rest of my life I am sure I would find other similar examples of my thoughts evolving based on the stage in my life. This movie is one of the most important to me throughout my life.

What Can You Learn From These Duke Essays?

If you're trying to get into Duke, writing great essays is one of your best ways at standing out. These 6 Duke essays that worked are successful examples of essays admitted into Duke so that you can get inspired and improve your own essays.

What did you think of these Duke essays?

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I'm Ryan Chiang and I created EssaysThatWorked - a website dedicated to helping students write college essays they're proud of. We publish the best college admissions essays from successful applicants every year to inspire and teach future students.

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Princeton Admitted Essay

People love to ask why. Why do you wear a turban? Why do you have long hair? Why are you playing a guitar with only 3 strings and watching TV at 3 A.M.—where did you get that cat? Why won’t you go back to your country, you terrorist? My answer is... uncomfortable. Many truths of the world are uncomfortable...

MIT Admitted Essay

Her baking is not confined to an amalgamation of sugar, butter, and flour. It's an outstretched hand, an open invitation, a makeshift bridge thrown across the divides of age and culture. Thanks to Buni, the reason I bake has evolved. What started as stress relief is now a lifeline to my heritage, a language that allows me to communicate with my family in ways my tongue cannot. By rolling dough for saratele and crushing walnuts for cornulete, my baking speaks more fluently to my Romanian heritage than my broken Romanian ever could....

UPenn Admitted Essay

A cow gave birth and I watched. Staring from the window of our stopped car, I experienced two beginnings that day: the small bovine life and my future. Both emerged when I was only 10 years old and cruising along the twisting roads of rural Maryland...

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Duke University Essay Examples

Duke essay examples.

Often confused for an Ivy League university because of its prestigious reputation, Duke University is one of America’s top schools. While not a member of the Ivies, Duke admissions is just as selective—and reading some Duke essay examples can help you prepare. The Duke supplemental essays are a vital part of the admissions process. By reading Duke essay examples, students can learn more about what this top school looks for.

Studying accepted Duke essays can inspire you when writing your own Duke essays. Although you’ve likely seen other “why school” essays, reading specific “why Duke” essay examples will help you hone your essays. Indeed, with the Duke acceptance rate at 6% , hopeful applicants should do everything possible to make their application stand out . 

Now, let’s learn more about the Duke essays and read some Duke essay examples.

Duke Supplemental Essay Requirements

Our Duke essay examples are based on the Duke requirements, which include “why Duke” essay examples. So, before you get the creative juices flowing, you’ll want to make sure that you know the essay requirements. 

Students can complete their Duke application via the Common App or Coalition App. Qualifying students may also apply via QuestBridge . For both the Common and Coalition Applications, students will need to complete the personal essay. In the Common App, applicants will choose from seven prompts; the Coalition App has five prompts. The word count for both is similar, with a maximum of 650 words. 

Additionally, Duke University applicants will need to complete one required short essay of 250 words. Finally, there are two optional 250-word essays; Duke provides four additional essay prompts to choose from. Although these are “optional,” applicants who are serious about getting into Duke should submit them.

In addition, applicants to the Pratt School of Engineering will need to complete a separate essay of 150 words. This is basically a “why major” essay in which students must demonstrate why they want to study engineering at Duke. 

You can check out the Common App writing requirements for schools that you’re interested in. Remember to start early so you have time to polish your Duke essays and other materials. 

How many essays does Duke require?

Reading Duke essay examples, or any other sample college essay, is a great way to get started on your application. But, you may still be asking just how many Duke supplemental essays are required. Technically, applicants only need to complete two essays on the Duke application. 

However, as we mentioned, Duke is an extremely selective university. That means that when considering how to get into Duke, applicants should do everything possible to make their application shine. 

Duke provides students with four optional essay prompts, from which students can choose two. Though they’re technically optional, you should think of these two additional essays as required. Give them as much attention as you do the other two essays. 

So, when looking at the Duke essay examples, especially the “why this college” essay sample, view everything as required. T o be as competitive as possible, you should write a total of four essays for your Duke application.

Why Duke Essay Examples

If you’ve started your college applications, the prompt for our “why Duke” essay examples should look familiar: the “why school” essay. This essay challenges students to consider what specifically about this university makes it their top choice. Likewise, students need to show why they would be a great fit at the institution. Understandably, this essay prompt is very common, and sample college essay resources usually include it.

In the first of our Duke essay examples, we’re going to look at the Pratt School of Engineering prompt. Then we’ll discuss a well-written “why this college” essay sample.  

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. (Please limit your response to no more than 150 words.)

The first of our Duke essay examples is not only a why school essay, but also a why major essay. Students will need to show not only why they want to study at Duke, but specifically at Pratt. Let’s consider this prompt as one of our “why Duke” essay examples. 

So, how can you effectively respond in so few words?

Here is one response to use as a reference when considering how to start a “why this college” essay. It was among the elite accepted Duke essays:

Why Duke Essay Example

“Some of you may wonder ‘When will I ever use derivatives in real life?’ Welcome to when.” My physics teacher described engineering as the “when” math and physics were applied to real problems. That is what is so attractive about engineering; it gives me the ability to apply intriguing concepts to fascinating projects

Something I consider unique about Duke is the opportunities for freshmen to become close with other freshmen. For example, Duke freshmen live on their own campus, allowing them to foster friendships with students of the same year. Additionally, through Duke Focus, I could pursue my humanities interests with other freshmen who have similar interests. In high school, some of my favorite classes were humanities and Duke would allow me to continue this enrichment in a community of like-minded individuals.”

We’re going to break down what specifically worked in this Duke essay example next. However, you can look outside of solely why Duke essay examples for inspiration in your why school essay. Check out another “why this college” essay sample to see what works. 

Why this Duke essay worked

Successful “why Duke” essay examples will comprehensively answer the prompt in a way that makes the applicant stand out. Can you tell why this essay was among the accepted Duke essays and one of our featured Duke essay examples?

Of course, the writer does an excellent job of fully answering the prompt. Even more importantly than that, they draw in the reader with the first line and a personal anecdote. That “hook” is quite important to successful Duke essay examples. Instead of simply stating that they enjoy applying engineering concepts, the writer illustrates a defining moment in their engineering journey. 

Then, they go on to show that they’ve done their research on Duke. Successful ”why Duke” essay examples will reference specific programs only available at Duke. That shows admissions that you are interested in more than just the impressive stats that the university holds. You show that you truly want to study and be a part of the culture. 

In this case, the writer speaks about the unique living situation for Duke first year students that builds a strong sense of community. This shows admissions that they will be an active participant on campus. In addition to the academic experience that Duke offers, the writer also highlights their eagerness to build personal relationships. In doing so, they show that they’re a team player.

The writer also cements the piece as one of the great Duke essay examples by mentioning Pratt’s multifaceted engineering program. They directly reference the possibility of studying humanities in addition to engineering. This interdisciplinary structure of Duke’s engineering program is unique—and a factor that appeals to many Duke applicants. 

Optional Duke Essays

Many successful Duke essay examples come from the “optional” Duke supplemental essays. When planning your application and essays, you should consider the optional essays a requirement. Of course, they aren’t technically required. However, when applying to a competitive school like Duke, you’ll want to give yourself every opportunity to make a lasting impression on Duke admissions. That’s why we strongly recommend answering the optional essay prompts. 

Duke supplies applicants with four “optional” essay prompts. Students may choose a maximum of two prompts to respond to. Students have a maximum of 250 words for each essay. 

Let’s take a look at each essay prompt and how to approach them. 

Prompt 1: 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.

This prompt may look like other college essay prompts you’ve seen. Just as reading “why Duke” essay examples can be helpful since the prompt is common, so can cultural diversity essay examples. So, you’re in luck: our Duke essay examples consist of both. 

Prompt 2: 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?

This prompt asks you to consider your beliefs and values. Where do they come from? Now, how do you navigate differences with people who don’t share your beliefs? Or, alternatively, who do you most see eye-to-eye with on those values?

The key to answering this prompt is showing what you care about. If you speak about agreements, then you might show where your beliefs come from and why they’re so important to you. For example, maybe they’ve been instilled in you by your family, and you enjoy deep conversations with close family members. That shows a lot about who you are and where you come from. 

Don’t shy away from talking about disagreements with this prompt if that’s the first thing that comes to mind. This can demonstrate that you effectively communicate with those whose opinions differ from your own—an essential life skill. 

Prompt 3: What has been your best academic experience in the last two years, and what made it so good?

Note that effective Duke essay examples for this prompt can cover any academic experience; however, it has to be recent. High school is a period of rapid growth. This prompt invites applicants to think about impactful academic experiences that have shaped their intellectual curiosity. Many effective Duke essay examples for this prompt also address future academic or career goals. 

Prompt 4: 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.

Students who feel as though they’d like to speak on this topic should do so in this prompt. However, you should only respond to this prompt if you personally identify with it. This isn’t a prompt in which to speak as an advocate or ally outside these identities. However, if sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression are a large part of your identity, then this prompt may be for you. 

Cultural Diversity Essay Example

One of our Duke essay examples focuses on cultural diversity. This is a favorite prompt among universities. So, when choosing an optional essay prompt, this could be an easy option if you’ve already drafted similar essays. However, as always, your final draft should be specific to Duke. 

Let’s check out the prompt again and one of the accepted Duke essays: 

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.

Now let’s look at one of our Duke essay examples responding to this prompt: 

Duke Essay Example

I vividly remember the first day of first grade, stuttering over my words as I tried to recite the Pledge of Allegiance as effortlessly as the rest of my classmates. Growing up in a Venezuelan household, I had never even heard the pledge. As a result of my Hispanic upbringing, I had always felt out of place among my classmates because I didn’t have the same ideals and experiences.

Among Hispanic family members, my American upbringing labeled me as an outsider. Discussing Venezuelan politics or preparing traditional food were activities my immediate family rarely participated in, leaving me unprepared for Hispanic social gatherings.

Despite the distinct contrast between the two, a part of myself belongs to both cultures. On the Fourth of July, I join my friends in the local park to watch fireworks and indulge in burgers. For Christmas Eve dinner, I eat hallacas (essentially stuffed corn dough) with my family before “Baby Jesus brings the gifts.”

However, as a partial member of both groups, one community defines me perfectly: second generation Americans. Like many other children in my position, I do not fit into my parents’ world due to my diverse upbringings. Additionally, the lack of American familial roots prevents total assimilation into the world of my peers. 

As a second generation American, my traditions and experiences are not unique to one culture, but a combination of two. Caught in the middle, I form my own unique identity that is neither American or Venezuelan, but an imperfect mixture.

This is one of our successful Duke essay examples for many reasons. The writer excellently shows how their background and experiences as a second-generation American have shaped them. 

One thing you will usually notice among successful Duke essay examples is the hook at the beginning. Remember that you can be creative when writing your college essays. In this essay, the writer opens with their first memory when they realized their upbringing set them apart from their classmates. 

The writer then goes on to reflect on how they’ve felt like an outsider within their family as well. However, they then come to the conclusion of where they belong. Namely, the essay closes with the writer’s acceptance of their identity, and of how their family and society have affected them. In the end, the writer seems quite self-aware and confident in who they are. 

It’s evident that the writer will bring this unique view and perspective to Duke’s campus. That’s what a successful cultural diversity essay will do: share your own experiences and how they have shaped you. You will also want to demonstrate growth and connect it to what you’d bring to a college campus. 

Although our Duke essay examples answer different prompts, you may notice some similarities. Both writers tell their unique stories in distinct ways. However, both writers comprehensively answer the prompt and show admissions just who they are. As a result, it’s obvious that both these writers will bring a positive presence to Duke’s campus. 

When writing essays, especially when thinking about how to start a “why this college” essay, your essay planning should focus on specifics. What story will you tell? How will you convey your message in an engaging manner while also meeting the requirements? A successful sample college essay won’t be limited to one format. You’ll notice many different ways to write successful essays when you start looking at college essay examples. 

The goal of these Duke essay examples is to show that there are many ways to write successful college essays. However, there are two important things to keep in mind, especially when thinking about how to start a “why this college” essay. Why Duke? And why you? 

If you’re scouring “why Duke” essay examples and accepted Duke essays for inspiration, you should read widely. That is to say, you should read college essay examples for other prompts, too. Reading a sample college essay will show you what works; you’ll likely note many of the same patterns we’ve mentioned. After reading enough “why Duke” essay examples or any other sample college essay, writing your own will be much less daunting. 

What does Duke look for in essays?

Duke wants you to “get personal” in your essays, just as the above “why Duke” essay examples did. As we know, Duke is an extremely selective school. Consequently, you should make the most of every aspect of your application. 

Why are these Duke essay examples so important? Well, essays are an opportunity for applicants to show part of themselves that aren’t in other parts of the application. This is your opportunity to stand out in a sea of academically high-achieving applicants. 

But, what exactly does admissions want to see from your Duke supplemental essays?

Duke wants to see:

Don’t be afraid to get creative with your essays. Use the famous phrase that you’ve probably heard in your English class: show, don’t tell. 

What motivates you? Duke admits applicants who are passionate, motivated, and driven to achieve great things both at Duke and beyond. 

In your college essays, highlight your intellectual curiosity. Universities want to see that you are asking the big (or small) questions and seeking answers for yourself.

Persistence

Show that you don’t give up. Don’t be afraid to feature a “failure” in one of your essays. Writing about how you grew and learned from the experience can often be more impactful than a generic success story. 

Are you empathetic to those around you? Do you care about making the world a better place? Showing that you are able to connect to your community and the world around you are important factors for Duke. 

How do you write a Duke essay?

Using the “why Duke” essay examples as inspiration for your own essays is a great place to start. But how can you go from reading essays to writing your own accepted Duke essays this admissions cycle? While each essay will be unique to your personality, some basic tips can help you write the most impactful essay possible. Meeting the Duke requirements is a start, but you’ll need to do much more than just that.

Start early

Don’t leave writing your essays until the last moment. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time. When should you start writing these essays? Well, you can start as early as the summer before your senior year of high school. At this point, you can go from reading “why Duke” essay examples to drafting your own.

Brainstorm, draft, edit, revise, repeat

Why should you start your essays so early? You’ll want to have plenty of time to get your ideas in order. Whether you have zero ideas or way too many, do yourself a favor and give yourself time to brainstorm. 

There are many ways to brainstorm. You could do a mind map for different ideas, then try writing on your top choices. Choose the topic where you can write most passionately and freely. You could also skip the mind map and instead try a timed free-write. Then, you could refine any useful information into a draft.

You’ll want to give yourself plenty of time to rewrite, as well. Have someone you trust read your draft and give you feedback. But, remember that when applying feedback, be sure to keep your essay true to you. 

Answer the question: why Duke?

Of course, above all else, you must answer the prompt. Accepted Duke essays can give you an idea of how to do this. For example, one of our “why Duke” essay examples talked about specific programs offered only at Duke. Successful Duke essay examples will show that you are interested in more than just Duke’s impressive stats and prestigious reputation. 

Be sure to do your research—not just for Duke, but also for any school you apply to. Look into programs that catch your interest and write about how you would take advantage of them. 

But, don’t forget that successful “why Duke” essay examples will also demonstrate why you’re a perfect fit for Duke. You’ll notice that “why Duke” essay examples show what potential students would bring to campus. So, answer “why Duke?” and “why you?”

Duke Supplemental Essay Guides & Duke Resources

While we’ve seen two accepted Duke essays, there are plenty more resources available to you when writing your college essays. Studying why Duke essay examples or any other sample college essay can help you get started in your writing process. You’ll be able to see what works, note common tactics, and apply them to your personal application narrative. CollegeAdvisor provides a wealth of resources when it comes to the entire college application journey. 

When looking at “why Duke” essay examples or accepted Duke essays, you’ll want to study our Duke essay guide before getting started. You’ll better understand the best way to approach each essay. 

Duke University Supplemental Essays 2022-2023

Additionally, if you’re wondering how to get into Duke then you’ll also want to check out this webinar . In it, Duke admissions experts share insights on everything from the application process to being a student on campus. 

Duke University Panel

After seeing some “why Duke” essay examples, you may be wondering about other Duke requirements. As a matter of fact, Duke is actually one of the top test-optional colleges in the nation. That is to say, SAT or ACT scores are optional, although your essays will be more heavily weighed without them. That means that when determining how to get into Duke, your Duke supplemental essays maybe even more important. Likewise, you may want to send in your test scores if they’re good enough to improve your application.

And, remember that CollegeAdvisor is a great source of information for every step of your college process. Learn how to build your college list and then what to do when you finally get your college acceptance letters !

Duke Essay Examples – Final thoughts

There’s no doubt that Duke is one of the top ranking universities in the nation. In fact, U.S. News ranks the university at #10 in the nation. While college rankings aren’t the most important factor when it comes to choosing colleges, it does indicate the competitiveness of admissions. For example, Duke is both highly ranked and one of the most selective universities in the nation.

But don’t stress! That just means that you’ll need to make your application stand out. And, after reading our “why Duke” essay examples and other accepted Duke essays, you now have a foundation. Just remember to give yourself plenty of time when applying to Duke. Your four essays will require special attention in order to impress admissions. 

With strong grades and great essays, you may just join those featured with your accepted Duke essays. And, remember that CollegeAdvisor is here with expert advice to guide you along your college journey, including the essay process. Good luck!

This article was written by Sarah Kaminski. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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Duke University 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Early Decision: Nov 1

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 2

You Have: 

Duke University 2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: One required 250-word essay and two optional 250-word essays Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why , Communit y , Diversity

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)

Admissions is truly asking you to do your homework here. What do you make of Duke and why do you want to go there? This space is a wonderful opportunity for you to summarize the aspects of a Duke college experience that call to you and to address your personal connection to this elite school. Were you able to tour campus last year? What drew you in? What part of campus could you see yourself hanging out in? Where do you see yourself studying for exams? Admissions knows that Duke is a prestigious university, with impressive alumni to boot, so make sure to personalize your answer. Instead of showering Duke with compliments, focus on how Duke has attracted your interest and how you hope an education at Duke will prepare you to accomplish your goals—academic and otherwise.

We want to emphasize that the following questions are optional. Feel free to answer them if you believe that doing so will add something meaningful that is not already shared elsewhere in your application.  Four optional questions are available – a maximum of 2 can be selected.

Please select 0 – 2 optional essay topics. (respond in 250 words or fewer.), 1) perspective response, we believe a wide range of personal perspectives, beliefs, and lived experiences are essential to making duke 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..

Admissions wants to know what you will contribute to the Duke community. What has shaped you as a person and how has that made your perspective unique? What lessons have you learned and applied? What can you share with others? Is there anything you can teach your classmates or peers about your hometown, culture, religion, identity, race, or ethnicity that they might not already know? Duke wants to know how your personal perspectives, beliefs, and/or lived experiences will affect the conversations you have and the ways in which you engage with the Blue Devil community, so tell them a story that helps them to imagine the kind of student you’ll be on campus next fall.

2) Intellectual experience

Tell us about an intellectual experience in the past two years that you found absolutely fascinating..

It’s no surprise that Duke is hoping to invite students to campus who are excited about learning, so take this opportunity to geek out about an awesome learning experience you had recently. Maybe you were given permission to write your research paper on a historic event that has always amazed you and, through that project, you were able to deepen your understanding of the complex social hierarchies during the Qin dynasty. Perhaps you had the opportunity to take a class or seminar with a thought leader you really admire or you went on a reading retreat that expanded your horizons. Whatever it may be, this is the perfect place to show admissions your passion for intellectual endeavors.

3) Beliefs & values

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.

This prompt is an inquiry: how do you communicate with others about difficult topics and issues? Duke wants to foster the kind of learning environment that encourages respectful discussions about beliefs and values, so tell them about someone you speak with about issues you hold dear to your heart. Maybe it’s a mentor in your life, who you consult when you feel overwhelmed by current events. Do they provide reassurance that you’re on the right path? Perhaps it’s a family member who tends to disagree with your worldview and vision for a better future. How do you approach these complex conversations? Have you ever questioned what you believe in, or perhaps, discovered a new perspective you hadn’t considered before? How have you become a better listener or speaker because of these chats? Don’t forget to mention the topic or issue of importance here, so you can also give admissions insight into what you care about.

4) Being different

We recognize that “fitting in” in all the contexts we live in can sometimes be difficult. duke values all kinds of differences and believes they make our community better. feel free to tell us any ways in which you’re different, and how that has affected you or what it means to you..

We have all felt different from those around us at some point in our lives, and with this prompt, admissions is inviting you to talk about your lived experiences. Perhaps you are one of few South Asian students at your Midwestern high school, and that difference has led you to explore your heritage and connect with family members overseas to better understand what it means to be you. Maybe you have lived with a physical disability for as long as you can remember; how have the ways you move through the world and take up space impacted the way you interact with your surroundings and vice versa? Whatever has kept you from “fitting in,” admissions knows that difference makes communities stronger, so invite them to learn a little bit about what it’s like to be you and what the world looks like through your eyes.

5) Orientation, identity, expression

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..

Duke was one of the first schools to embrace the subject of sexual orientation and gender identity in their essay questions, and this is yet another step in their overt attempt to recruit a truly diverse pool of applicants. They want you to know that they embrace all sexual orientations and gender expressions, so if you are open to discussing your identity, feel free to share your story. Note that this question will not be applicable to all students, so if you don’t have a relevant story to tell, we recommend responding to two of the other three prompts!

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