For Parents: The Admissions Process

We know that it isn't easy to observe a process where people who don't know your child end up making judgments and decisions that affect his or her future. The hardest part of the admissions process, and the aspect we devote the most time to, is trying to understand each applicant as an individual. We can promise several things as we consider your child for admission to Duke.

First, we can assure you that every applicant is fully evaluated. We read every part of every file carefully from beginning to end, more than once. Second, we can assure you that we use the same process to evaluate all our applicants. At least two different people read every application, and each reader formally rates an application in six areas: the student's academic course selection in high school; the student's grades; the standardized test scores; the letters of recommendation from the counselor, two teachers, and any interview reports; the student's extracurricular activities and accomplishments; and the application essays.

At the same time, there are many additional factors that we take into account in considering an application—things such as summer activities, AP test scores, state or country of residence, whether a student is applying to Arts and Sciences or Engineering, whether any relatives have attended Duke, any particular challenges or disadvantages a student has overcome, and in general the opportunities, or lack thereof, a student may have been offered. Incidentally, one thing we do not consider is the number of other applicants from a student's secondary school. Since we evaluate every applicant as an individual, we never limit ourselves in the number of students we can admit from any school. And, for U.S. citizens and permanent residents, the ability to pay for Duke is also not considered. We don't want you to exclude Duke simply because you think you can't afford it. Our Financial Aid Office wants to make Duke affordable for you. So please don't let what seems to be a high cost keep you from supporting your child if he or she is interested in Duke. We'll help make it possible for your child to come here.

Our goal is to create a student body that is multitalented and multi-faceted. We consider every applicant individually, carefully, and fully, within the context of the specific opportunities available to him or her, the context of the entire applicant pool, and the context of the university's vision of itself and its future. You'll find additional information about applying to Duke on our Web site.