I have gone to summer school for the past nine years. I have passed each level, graduated, and now I am a teacher. My summer school does not have typical classrooms, our “bell” is a giant gong in the middle of campus, and recess is an all-day activity. For as long as I can remember, I have gone to a magical summer school called Camp Oneka for Girls, and I have learned more there about myself, life, and leadership than...

If I gathered the best experiences and impressions I had while visiting my prospective colleges and combined them into one, I would create a school like Duke. I am excited about the marine lab because I am an aspiring marine biologist. Through my veterinary internship, I was able to work with directly with animals in a lab environment, but I would like to expand upon this. Even though I currently have a strong marine science direction, I want to gain...

I wrote essays about topics that were central to my identity. I also had teachers and my parents look over them multiple times to make sure they were engaging and flowed well.

I really played to the fact that Duke has a marine lab and that's my area of study. Duke is also very into how different...

Have a distinct interest in what you want to study and why you want to go to this school. What is so special abut...

I started off by looking at what school had programs I was interested in and wen...

Get people who know you. How do you do this..? Start early, develop real authentic relationships with your teachers. Ask them how their life is, how's their dog, their kids? I still...

People are very dedicated to whatever they do here....

I am on a committee that brings famous people to Duke to speak and perform. I do it because it's fun. I...