Admissions

1. Whip out the Halloween costumes every other Saturday and attend football tailgates. 2. You HAVE to go to at least one basketball game and/or tent out for the UNC game, but don't forget to study the cheers beforehand. 3. Get your faculty in resident to approve you for a chapel climb. Don't forget to bring your camera. 4. If you're sick of the Marketplace or Great Hall, head over to Franklin Street for some great restaurants. 5. Study, study, study. Everyone pulls six hour shifts in Perkins Library, so don't feel like a complete nerd when it's your turn.

make yourself stand out in your application by focusing on a few of your best strengths or accomplishments. Write an essay that you would enjoy reading and get to know your duke counselor for your area. For legacies, if you don't think you meet the benchmark of applicants, get someone closely related to Duke to write you a letter of recommendation.

Be prepared to study. Perkins Library and particularly Von Der Heyden are my favorite places. Cut down on the Facebook/online shopping/YouTubing, etc. Meet all the people in your dorm. Rush if you can, even if you don't decide to join a sorority/frat house. Know the Duke Basketball team or be embarrassed. Find a group that will help you keep in shape--our workouts for cheerleading have been my savior for that; no freshman 15 for me! GET YOUR WORK DONE during the week, and on Saturday during the day. It leaves plenty of time for fun on the weekends! They say you can only choose two of the three of grades, sleep, and social life, but I know firsthand it IS possible to get all three! Grab an apple from the Marketplace every time you go...good midnight snack and better than Skittles from the vending machine every night.

1) you are coming to duke to both inspire others, as well as be inspired.

if you remember this simple fact, you will never struggle to entertain a classmate's creative idea for a project proposal, to find the inspiration to study harder for a test after your best friend aced the previous one, or to find the courage to start your own public initiative on campus. you are here only because the admissions office saw promise in you to change the campus in a positive light, and beyond. that being said, you are now surrounded by thousands of other colleagues who demonstrate similar promise. listen to their stories, hear their unique perspectives, and you might just come away from your conversation with greater perspective than before, which equates to even greater promise.

2) you'll never know if you've mastered the material until you are tested upon it.

whether it's a lecture class of 200+ or a seminar with a mere twelve of your peers, you are now competing against some of the best students in the world for grades. which means the only stratifying barrier to success that now divides the ranks of your classmates is good, old work ethic--how much time you are willing to put in. and if you do not put in the time to adequately study for midterms, quizzes, and tests at duke, then you are going to have a miserable experience at duke. the reverse is also true. if you can average 2.5 hours of studying (excluding homework assignments) per every hour you are in class, you will not only be ready to garner excellent grades by the time the assessment comes around, but you will retain a critical knowledge base with which to apply what you've learned to other disciplines, and make connections. it is these types of skills that employers are really looking for after graduation, so adopting this critical perspective on all of your courses will sharpen your competitive edge significantly when you go to apply for jobs.

During Orientation Week you'll learn the basics about campus (where everything is - classes, food, dorms, etc.) Although it might sound scary, I would recommend approaching an upperclassman (in your class, on the main quad, or in line for food) and ask them about campus life. After your second and third years, you've learned a lot about campus concerning the ins and outs of professors and classes, and upperclassmen are Dying to help freshmen avoid any mistakes they made in the past. Find a good mentor that fits your style, and you'll see doors opportunities open up for you.

Take the time to get to know your professors - go to office hours, engage them after class, take them to a FLUNCH (Faculty lunch - fully paid for by Duke!), ask to do research with them, etc...
It is especially important during the first few weeks to step outside of your comfort zone to meet new people. Freshmen will generally be very receptive of making new friends so do not hesitate to sit by someone new at the marketplace or to introduce yourself to someone on the bus.
Manage your time well! If you get your work out of the way, you will find that you can enjoy yourself so much more on weekends and have time to pursue other extracurricular activities.
It may be hard at first for many students because they will find that, for the first time in their academic careers, they are no longer automatically at the top of their class. Expecting straight A's is no longer realistic in college and you will have to work much harder in order to do well. However, success is not impossible and with the right amount of dedication, you will do well.

Duke lets you be whoever you want to be here, so never feel afraid to do the things you want and say the things you want to say. Go to as many basketball games as you can, Cameron Indoor Stadium is a one-of-a-kind experience. Just live life, and Duke will reward you immensely with memories.

1.Visit the campus and get a tour!
2. Go to Blue Devil Days. You learn a lot and meet a lot of people.
3. Try to test out of math. Duke math is notoriously difficult.
4. Look for specific clubs or organizations you want to work with and get started right away.

Visit, visit, visit. Try to see a Duke game, stay in a dorm, eat the food, sit in on a class. Duke is a spectacular institution but is not the right fit for everyone. Also make sure to check out the parking requirements for visitors before coming.