Supplemental college essay for Duke (online source)
The strong essay below was written in response to the application to Duke University's Trinity
College. The guidelines for the optional supplemental essay ask, "If you are applying to Trinity
College of Arts and Sciences, please discuss why you consider Duke a good match for you. Is
there something in particular at Duke that attracts you? Please limit your response to one
or two paragraphs."
The question asked here is typical of many supplemental essays. Essentially, the admissions folks
want to know why their school is of particular interest to you.
The sample below shows a solid response to the question. After reading the single paragraph
essay, be sure to read the discussion of the essay.
When I visited the Duke campus last fall, I immediately felt at home. The Gothic architecture and
tree-shaded walks created an atmosphere of peaceful but serious reflection. The place is at once
Southern—which, as an Alabamian, is important to me—and universal as it reflects the traditions
of Europe and the classical world. The Trinity College liberal arts curriculum also reflects this
unique pairing of the modern South and the global past. For example, I am considering a major
in history, and am very interested in the combination of geographic and thematic areas of study
offered by Duke’s history program. The combinations of areas offer seeming endless areas of
specialization. One interesting possibility is a focus in the geographic area of the U.S. and
Canada, combined with a thematic study of Women and Gender or African Diaspora. By
juxtaposing and intertwining these two foci, my understanding of the American South—and much
more—would be greatly enriched. This innovative and flexible approach to both traditional and
non-traditional subject matter is greatly appealing to me. I know by reputation and from a friend
currently enrolled in Trinity College that the liberal arts curriculum is very challenging, but also
rewarding. I believe I am more than prepared for these challenges, and that I will thrive in this
climate. Duke University’s campus already feels like home; I believe that its academic
opportunities will also provide a stimulating environment in which I feel I belong.
Read the critique of this short essay.
Before we look at the actual essay, think about the prompt. The admissions officers want to know
if there is something "in particular at Duke" that makes the applicant want to go there. A bad
essay (such as this example) never discusses features that are unique to Duke. A good essay gets
specific and shows particular knowledge of the school.
The sample essay succeeds on this front. Although the essay is just a paragraph long, the author
presents three specific features of Duke that make her want to attend:
• The attractive campus with its Gothic and Southern appeal
• The flexible nature of the history curriculum
• The fact that she has a friend at Duke
This last point doesn't matter much in the admissions process and the writer was correct to
mention it only indirectly.
The first point has moderate importance. Many colleges have impressive Gothic architecture, so
the feature isn't unique to Duke. However, the writer connects the campus to her own