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What We Look For

First year students waving their arms in the air with peer advisors
five students playing hacky sack

What We Look For

Duke offers a multitude of opportunities to its undergraduates. We’re looking for students ready to respond to those opportunities intelligently, creatively, and enthusiastically. We like ambition and curiosity, talent and persistence, energy and humanity.

five students playing hacky sack
First year students waving their arms in the air with peer advisors

Application Review Process

When we read your application and then discuss an application with our Admissions Committee, we consider both your academic and personal qualities. We think about what you have accomplished within the context of your opportunities and challenges. And we seek students who will bring a variety of experiences, backgrounds, interests, and opinions to the campus.

We’re guided initially by our assessment of five primary factors:

  • The rigor of a candidate’s academic program
  • Academic performance as measured by grades in academic courses
  • Letters of recommendation from two teachers and a counselor
  • Extracurricular activities
  • The quality of thought and expression in the application essay
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College Preparation Tips

Resources + FAQs

Academics

Searching for Curious Minds

Enroll in the best available and most challenging courses. 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. The following statistics represent the Class of 2027.

SAT SCORES

1520-1570
middle 50% range for admitted students who submitted scores

DEMOGRAPHICS

58%
of students have attended public/charter schools

GEOGRAPHY

14%
of students are international

Testing

Take the SAT or ACT

Investigate the standardized tests some colleges and universities require for admission. Buy a study guide and begin taking practice SAT and ACT tests. We recommend that a student take an official SAT or ACT in the spring of their junior year. Duke will be test-optional for students applying for admission in 2026-2027.

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Letters of recommendation

Find your Support

Recommendations give us another way to learn who you are. We require three letters of recommendation for each applicant: one recommendation from your school counselor and two recommendations from teachers who have taught you in major academic courses.

students in neon-colored tshirts shouting with their hands up
First year advisors welcome students on Move-in Day.

Extracurricular Activities

Seeking Passion-Driven Students

Not only are extracurricular activities a great way for you to balance your academic life, but they are also a means by which you can identify your passions and interests. At Duke, we appreciate well-rounded and well-lopsided students that will make impact on our campus and in our community.

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Application Essays

Get Personal

Applications for admission require a one-page personal essay, along with short-answer questions specific to Duke. These questions allow you to share more about your personal background and academic interests.

Required

LONG ESSAY

Get creative, be concise, and don't forget to proofread.
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Required

SHORT ESSAY

Tell us your "Why Duke".
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Optional

PERSONAL ESSAY

Craft your short writing as carefully as the longer personal essay.
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MISSION STATEMENT

We serve Duke University by working to create a community of students who embrace growth, collaboration, creativity, integrity, and a sense of inclusion. We strive to identify and enroll students who demonstrate intellectual strengths, a love of learning, a sense of imagination and open-mindedness, and a commitment to their communities; we seek students who make things better and treat others well.

In doing our work, we aim to create a community of students who honor and collectively represent a wide range of talents, backgrounds, lived experiences, and perspectives. We believe such a community better prepares students for an enriching undergraduate experience and lives of meaning and impact. We consider each applicant as an individual and consider especially the context of their unique circumstances and the opportunities and resources facing students, families, schools, and communities.

We are committed to upholding and promoting Duke’s commitment to equity. We will communicate internally and externally with honesty and clarity, and will treat our colleagues with respect, understanding, and kindness. Consistent with Duke values, we will also think and act in ways that are ethical, legal, and just, and that demonstrate courage, compassion, service, accountability, and commitment in all we do on behalf of Duke.