Ask A Duke Crazie

When I attended Duke, I felt that there was a significant presence of Hispanics on campus, even though it didn’t reflect that much in most of my general ed classes. However, you can definitely find a strong supportive group through Mi Gente, the Latino student group on campus. They have been striving to make the campus a more open and welcoming environment for incoming Hispanic students from all backgrounds. They hold many events to make students feel at home, and to bring awareness to a lot of issues that impact the Latino community nationally and internationally. Most of the Hispanics I met did speak Spanish, though some did not, it does happen that you get that kind of mix. 

In case you haven’t been keeping up with what’s been going on at Duke, right now the environment for some Hispanics/Latinxs is rather tense. For the last few years, Mi Gente, the Latinx Student Group, has been funding the annual Latinx Student Recruitment Weekend (LSRW) with little to no additional funding from the university. As a result of years of meetings and demands from the student group to administration only to be met with empty promises, LSRW will not be funded by Mi Gente this year. I am not sure what the updates are as of today regarding LSRW, but that is what I do know. Many people support Mi Gente’s boycott of LSRW, myself included, however there are others that do not think this is the right course of action. I support it because I served on council for two years and know the struggle that we had with having administration listen to us. That, however, can be for a much longer and private conversation if you want it.

As far as meals go, that depends on your financial aid package. You do pay for a meal plan for your first year (or your financial aid covers it, depending on your situation) and that meal plan covers five Monday-Friday breakfast swipes at Marketplace, the Freshman Campus dining hall and seven dinner swipes. If you don’t use the breakfast swipe that day, you can use it that same day to pay for part of lunch. Your dinner swipes work differently, in that if you don’t use your dinner swipe that day, they carry over to the weekend and you can use it as a brunch swipe for Saturday or Sunday. Aside from this, the meal plan also covers food points, which is the currency used to pay for meals. Depending on the meal plan you get determines how many food points you get for the semester. If you do run out of food points before the Fall semester, you can add food points and pay for them through the Duke Bursar. If you have leftover food points from Fall semester, they roll over to Spring semester.

This system is relatively similar once you become a sophomore and the last two years, however the food swipes don’t carry over. Instead, you get more food points as that is how you pay for meals and food. The good thing about food points, from freshman year to senior year, is you can use them at any eatery on campus as well as delivery services from approved vendors available on Duke’s Dining website.

This is about as detailed as I can get when it comes to something generic. If you have more specific questions about your own situation, feel free to come off anon and I can give you more information.

I apologize for not responding sooner!

O-week has now passed at Duke, but it is what it says: orientation. You have a whole week of the campus to yourselves and you get orientation on things like dorm rules, getting around campus, financial aid seminars if needed, things like that. There are also programs that get you somewhat exposed to Durham life, for example there is the yearly Midnight Target run where you all take a bus to SuperTarget and get last minute things you need. You also have time to get to know people in smaller group settings: your dorm rooms may have a note attached to it from your FAC (First year Advisory Counselor) introducing themselves and you eventually get together and do things together, like discuss the summer reading, having lunch together, etc. You also get to know your RA a little more as well as your Faculty in Residence if you have one - if you don’t you are probably sharing one with another dorm.

I enjoyed my O-Week because I got to know my suitemates a little more (I lived in Wilson, suite-style dorms). Plus, we got access to the campus without having to worry about upperclassmen so I was able to get around campus on my own time and measure out how long I needed to get to each class.

I know O-week has already happened, but I hope this is still helpful for future and current Duke freshmen.

Serious answer: yes.

I actually had to look into the history between University of Kentucky vs. Duke. I get why it would be really bad to be at Duke and still root for University of Kentucky.

I get that a lot of students who come here end up being die-hard Blue Devil fans. Well, think of it this way: you are coming to Duke for an education, for life experiences, and because you want to be educated by Duke's resources. Sports are just an added perk to the whole experience. I love Duke for its academics, but I'm not a huge sports fan other than the soccer team. Maybe the basketball team, but I haven't been to one and I don't really mind not going to one. You are not choosing Duke solely for the sports, but for the education. 

So, yes, you can be a University of Kentucky fan while attending Duke.

-Cameron Crazie 2015Go Blue Devils!

If you still follow this blog, I apologize for being MIA. Lots of work going on, and I’m now in my senior year here at Duke. In case some of you didn’t know or don’t fully understand, tomorrow students at Duke are going to stand in solidarity with other people in the US, in Mexico, and around the world about the 43 missing students from a college in Ayotzinapa, Guerrero.

These students were protesting for better and equal wages, when they suddenly disappeared from Iguala, Guerrero. There are stories circulating that these students were left-wing protestors, given the history of their school. Regardless of their political stance, it is still unbelievable that 43 young people were kidnapped and possibly murdered (sources say they have found their bodies after three detained suspects confessed to their kidnapping and murder) and there are no concrete answers yet. The mayor and his wife are highly suspected of being involved, with the mayor being the mastermind behind it and his wife being a sister to a local drug cartel member, a cartel thought to be involved in the kidnappings.

As a way to show our support, my friends and I are wearing all black tomorrow and taking a picture on the Chapel steps to show our support. If you care to join us, wear black and join us on the Chapel steps at 11:25am, November 20, and 11:30 we will take the picture. If you can’t make it, but would still like to join the support, wear black and take a picture with the hashtag #, which means “I’ve Had Enough.” Let’s show our support to the grieving families and those in Mexico for the 43 missing students.

As foreign student, is my son eligible to get financial assistance. Please enlighten me. Thanks

It really depends where you are from and how to look at Duke. I'm from California, and I've gotten that I'm pretty chill and down-to-earth. I hang around people who are really similar. I, personally, have found lots of people who are not so snobby and "elitist". It's all about where you find these people. There are people like that, but you'll be able to find people who are not that way. If you want you're more than welcome to hang out with me, lol :)

Some aspects of the social scene is Greek life, but remember there are also SLGs (Selected Living Groups) who hold events, and the cultural groups as well. Mi Gente, which I am on council now, hosts events that are geared towards the latino community but we always welcome everyone. I don't hang out much with the Greeks, although my dorm is surrounded by them, but you can be sure to find ways to be social and not dominated by Greek life. I'm not in any sorority, so I can tell you that my social life is not dominated by that. I go to the campus-wide events held on campus (Springternational is a fun carnival-like event before finals) as well as going out with friends to Cuban Revolution for Latin dancing on our own. There are ways to avoid Greek life social scenes, so you don't have to worry about that.

It all boils down to where you look for friends and social life. I found people to hang out with during O-week but also through Mi Gente. You'll find groups you'll feel comfortable with. If you ever feel like you're pressured into something, feel free to send me a message and we can hang out, talk or something so you don't feel so pressured. I can be your resource on campus. (Leasly Salazar)

I’m sorry this is so late. I tried finding out about the visual arts program at Duke, but I don’t know many people here.

However, I did find the page for the program on Duke’s website. I also found these reviews about visual arts programs in general and they mention Duke: go here.

If you want to check out Duke’s visual arts page, go to these links:

http://arts.duke.edu/visual_arts

http://aahvs.duke.edu/

http://aahvs.duke.edu/undergraduate 

I hope this helps!

First off, CONGRATS! You are now a Blue Devil, should you choose us (which you should).

Now, as for your question. To start off, I first heard about Duke at the end of my junior year. I loved the image of the campuses and the appeal of the academic programs available, especially the study abroad programs.

I decided to keep researching about Duke and the more I found out about Duke, the more I loved it. If I couldn’t get in to my top choice, I would have to say, at the time, Duke would be right behind that choice. As fate would have it I got rejected from my top school and Duke said yes along with JHU so for me, the choice was obvious.

Now, why Duke? As I mentioned JHU also said yes, in fact a day before Duke said yes. For me that was amazing because I got in to the Whiting School of Engineering, and I had been a part of the Center for Talented since I was in 7th grade. It would be like continuing the legacy of Johns Hopkins CTY by going to JHU.

Now Duke, I had originally applied to the Pratt School of Engineering, and then, just a month before decisions came out, I get this email:

I am writing to see if you are interested in switching your application from the Pratt School of Engineering into our Trinity College of Arts & Sciences.  After reviewing your application, the admissions committee feels that your application would be more competitive for admission to our Trinity College of Arts & Sciences.

If my regional admissions officer was recommending this, I thought I should. I realized it was a good move because I ended up getting in. Now, I did try doing the transfer to Pratt but I realized it wasn’t the right path for me anymore.

Once I got in, I had to visit the school. I just realized I was invited to go to LSRW (Latino Student Recruitment Weekend), and I couldn’t go because it overlapped with Johns Hopkins minority recruitment program. However, I did go to Blue Devil Days and here is the point.

The key to deciding which school to go to lies in how you feel about the school. All I knew about Duke came from online sources or pamphlets or whatever. For me, the selling point came when I visited. As soon as I walked on campus, I knew this was where I wanted to be. I felt at home. I could see myself walking through the halls of the building, on the buses between East, Central, and West Campus. I could see myself graduating from Duke in 2015.

There will be that one moment when you visit when you realize this is where you want to be, this is a place you can see yourself going to, or this is not the place where you want to graduate. With Johns Hopkins, it was a mix of the last two. I could see myself there, but I wouldn’t be happy there.

Overall, everything about Duke made me love it all the more. Actually visiting Duke convinced me to come. I am so happy I chose Duke.

I hope this was helpful. If you want info on my own stats or anything related, go through the Personal Profile tab on top of the blog. Or go through my archive or any of the college-related tabs.

Again, congrats fellow Blue Devil!

So far, you are doing really well in school. Each school is different. I know i didn't take an AP course until junior year of high school (my school only allowed at most 3 as a junior and no more than 4 as a senior), so Duke will take into consideration your own academic history. They won't compare you to any other student at a different school.

In your personal statement, it's important to show who you are. And that's where your love of Duke comes in. Show they why you belong at Duke. Show on your personal statement that, in nicer words, Duke is an ass if you don't get in.

Duke isn't going to take in a student who just thinks Duke is a safety school, a safety net. You have to show you love Duke. On campus, most of us are in love with Duke. I'm not going to lie, there are some students who aren't happy here. Don't let that get to you. You love Duke and that is awesome. Show Duke how awesome that is.

Extra credit work: I mostly did volunteering. I volunteered at my local library on the weekends for a couple of hours. I also volunteered at the soccer program I used to be in growing up, and I also volunteered as a Bible School teaching assistant.

In class, my teachers rarely gave out extra credit. If they did, it was once in a rare while. They wanted us to do our best on all the assignments we had.

To stand out, your best bet is to be committed to activities that show who you are and shows why you’d be a great addition to the school. Show your potential and dedication. That’s my best advice.

Like most schools, Duke will factor in the different systems. It will take into account how many students there are, their programs in the school, and anything else that helps determine if the student is a good match or not. Don’t rely solely on numbers; make sure your personal statement really shows who you are. My school had about 60 students in my graduating class, so these numbers will vary a lot. Don’t worry about numbers. I’m sure Duke will take everything into consideration.

I am terribly sorry I haven't answered your question. However, I am home now, and I happen to have a good free moment to answer it fully.

It's great that you are taking Honors classes. You don't necessarily have to be a straight A student. I definitely wasn't a straight A student, and yet I am now studying there. It's perfectly fine that you are trying your hardest. Duke will see your grades are from your hard work.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to be a varied applicant. Meaning, you are not just holed up in your studies. Duke wants to see a well-rounded student, a student who does well in school but also is involved in outside activities, like community service, volunteering, or something in sports, dance, anything that shows the student is involved in other things.

Getting perfect grades will not guarantee you a spot in any school. Maybe some schools prefer it, but I will tell you now, as long as your grades are good and you show how great of a student you are in our personal statement, Duke will look at your application and definitely consider it.

I hope this helps answer your question. Best of luck in school!

I understand you’re very worried about what schools might think because you have passed with scraping grades. However, now that you are a high school senior, if you show incredible improvement (take advanced classes, get better than average grades, etc.), schools like Duke will notice that. There is a chance that you might not get accepted into schools, but don’t be discouraged. I would recommend that if you can’t make it now, try going to a community college and get your Associate’s Degree. People tend to have a bad image of community colleges, but it’s not all that bad. If you take all the courses you need to complete your two years of community college (usually it’s two years for an Associate’s Degree), you can transfer to a good university and still be on track to go into the career you want.

I would much rather have you work hard this last year of high school, and on your college applications, explain this situation in your personal statement. Like, why is it you believed that it wouldn’t matter if you went to college, and what was it that made you realize you don’t want to scrape by but actually succeed. Basically, explain your personal situation to the admissions officers in your essay. Your essay is what will represent you in your application. Give your essay a voice that shows who you are.

I do hope you do exceptionally well this year. I wish you all the best.

The first time I ever heard about Duke was during the last stretch of my junior year, so I really didn't get much of a chance to visit before applying to Duke. I just read a bunch of information on their website and asked around about Duke. I didn't visit Duke until after I got in, during Blue Devil Days. As a junior, my best suggestion is to go during your Spring Break. Ours is from March 9 (Saturday) to March 17 (Sunday) of 2013. If you can fit before or after that week, you'll get a good sense of what Duke is about. Honestly, just go when you do have time to go, either during the fall or spring. Early spring semester can be a little chilly, so I'd recommend bringing some warm clothing. *Note: if you are planning on visiting during anytime while school is in session, ask me and I can tell you how the weather is like. Sometimes accuweather.com and other sites can be misleading.* When you do come, make some time to go to the Duke Gardens. They're always worth the visit, even for a little while.

Hope to see you soon!

Hi there. I'm sorry it's taken so long to get back to you.

As far as what you've told me, you look pretty good on paper with your classes and activities. However, there is no set plan that will guarantee your acceptance into Duke. It will look very impressive that you took two maths your freshman year and that you'll be taking higher-level classes next year. Continue each year after to take on higher-level classes, just as long as you know you can handle them. It's also good to be part of school clubs; that adds to your extracurricular activities. The same goes for your volunteer work.

Remember, your grades and activities are parts of what Duke admissions look at. Do well on your SATs and ACTs; you never know on which one you'll score highest. I took both the SAT and ACT and I was in the right ballpark with my ACT score. Also, make sure your personal statement is kickass. The point of your personal statement is for them to try and see who you are as a person - get your personality written on paper so they know exactly who you are. This is further into the future once you start applying to schools, but it's important to keep in mind.

So far, you're doing very well. Just make sure you get the best grades you can in your advanced classes and continue with your volunteer work and clubs.

As far as my high school experience, let me sum it up: pain freshman year, new and different sophomore year, AP crunch time junior year, apps and dance and apps and school and apps and APs senior year. To see a full extent of what my high school experience was, just read here and my other earlier posts. Go into the archive and look up any early ones.

Good luck!