How to Get Into Duke

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Qp7bCYJKTU

So you want to be a blue devil? Well… you’ve come to the right place! I’m Kevin Zhen and this is How to get into Duke University.

First, let’s take a look at what Duke itself has to say!

Under their “What we look for page” the admissions team wrote: 

We’re looking for students ready to respond to opportunities intelligently, creatively, and enthusiastically. We like ambition and curiosity, talent and persistence, energy and humanity.

I also decided to investigate Duke’s mission statement too, but I won’t read it out loud because well… you’ll see in a second. 

Now I’ve personally read and analyzed dozens of college websites. Most are similar, but here’s what’s special about Duke. 

Let’s start with the mission statement. They actually mention some pretty interesting phrases like “promote health through medical research and thoughtful patient care” (I’d definitely include that little tidbit if you’re applying as pre-med), as well as “provide wide-ranging educational opportunities using the power of information technologies” (if you’re someone who is interested in edtech, I’d briefly mention how your dream aligns with Duke’s founding mission). 

Most importantly, though, are the following two key words from the What We Look for Page: energy and humanity. 

Energy

You see, my friends, what makes Duke truly stand out amongst all the other top 20 colleges is its absolutely contagious school spirit. Harvard, Yale, MIT – yeah they’re dope schools, but not really known for their packed stadiums. 

But Duke is. In fact, attendance to sports games is so coveted that students camp out in tents for basketball tickets in a tradition called K-ville. It’s not just basketball either. Duke has incredible athletics programs which have been nationally ranked for decades now. Lacrosse, even soccer, baseball, tennis and golf – you name it.

So, If I were applying to Duke, the #1 thing I’d mention is tangible proof or evidence of how you’ve already promoted school spirit in the past. 

Have you organized pep rallies, designed school gear or hosted campaigns to improve attendance at sports games? To convince Duke that you belong there, don’t write: “I look forward to being part of a community with lots of school spirit”. 

Instead, write: “As someone who has organized every pep rally for the past three years and spent dozens of hours obsessing over marching band formations, I can’t wait to do the same at Duke. I’ll bring my special skills in baking, fundraising and social media marketing to promote events like yadda yadda ya…” 

See the difference? 

Moving onto humanity

Something you guys should absolutely write about in this Why Duke essay is DukeEngage. Basically, Duke Engage is a community service program that allows Duke undergraduates to study and address social issues through a summer abroad with a host community. 

If you want to get into Duke, I absolutely recommend - no I’m going to require – that you guys go through and watch this playlist called My Duke Engage Story.

There are some really fascinating stories that honestly struck a deep chord with me about privilege, assumption, discomfort and growth. I’d specifically reference one or two that left an impression on you in your Duke supplements. The videos themselves are quite short, no more than 6 minutes long so they shouldn’t take long to watch.

Like check out this video from student Mike Wang, whose perspective on religion totally changed after fasting with his host community from Jordan during Ramadan.

My recommendation is to connect an experience you’ve had in high school to an opportunity that DukeEngage offers. For example, if you volunteer at the local mosque or work with refugees from the middle east, you could write about how you look forward to doing something similar to what Mike Wang did. 

This is one of the most important lessons you’re going to learn not just in this video, but on this channel: to get into your dream school, weave a cohesive narrative between what you’ve already done, what you want to do at Duke, and what you hope to do upon graduation once you’re equipped with a Duke education. 

Energy and Humanity

But wait! There's more! Another crucial tip you have to know whenever applying to anything anywhere: always keep an eye out for brand-spanking new programs. 

On Duke’s website, they’re promoting this new group/initiative called Quad Councils. A quad is basically a dorm, and now Duke is actively searching for student leaders to establish new traditions and host events. 

If you’re someone who has done a lot of student organization, like Student Council, or has worked as a camp counselor, talk about how you’ll take what you’ve learned from those prior experiences and apply them to Duke to make your new community a better place.

Here’s a personal example: I went to boarding school in New Hampshire for four years, and as a dorm proctor, we established a lot of traditions. Whenever someone was featured in the newspaper, I’d cut out the article and hang it in the dorm for all to see. On Friday and Saturday nights, we’d host these insane board game and video game nights that went on until at least 1 in the morning. Those are the sorts of things I’d say I’d be proud and honored to bring to Duke, if I were applying today. 

Before you go, don’t forget to like and subscribe since we’ll be offering discount codes for essay edits later this year. Finally, let me know in the comment section below which school I should do next and what other content you’d like to see. 

Enough bragging Kevin. 

Let them go. 

All right, catch you later my dear virtual little siblings! 

Peace!

Kevin Zhen