<p>Haha lol we can get thru it!</p>
<p>Hey guys! Sorry for intruding, but I am applying to duke rd and I have a quick question. How many of you that were accepted wrote the sexual orientation supplement? I don’t have anything to say about my sexual orientation so should I leave it blank? Or should I use the space to talk about something else? What did you guys do?</p>
<p>@Starbucksluvr: If you don’t have anything to say, it’s fine to leave it blank. I didn’t write it, but I got in. :)</p>
<p>@Starbucksluvr Being a typical straight Asian male, I wrote the essay about my love for anime and how it has shaped my perspectives xD I think that writing about topics other than sexual identity/culture is fine, so long as you write about how it makes you unique. </p>
<p>Regarding AB Duke Scholarship - I know the website says that ED admits are considered as well, but it is difficult to
believe the University would use a scholarship of the magnitude of the AB Duke Scholarship on on applicant already committed to Duke. The yield the last few years has been pretty low, which also leads me to believe it is unlikely that ED admits are considered. Has anyone heard anything to the contrary?</p>
<p>Thank you @ACT36Wannabe and @consanguineous!! I’m still undecided about what I’ll do. I don’t want to be filling the space with unnecessary info, but I don’t want Duke to think that I was too lazy to compete their application (or that I’m not interested in them). I’ll have to decide soon! Could anyone else post about what they did?</p>
<p>@starbucksluvr I was just admitted to the class of 2019! I had the same concerns as you have when I read the prompt. After reading it a few times, though, I realized it’s a bit more broad than I initially thought it was. The “sexual orientation” example is just that: an example. It is a possible topic, not the only topic. And although I agree that the phrasing certainly seems aimed at attracting transgender/homosexual kids, I think it is ultimately asking how you will diversify the campus. Now, being a straight suburban white girl, I didn’t have much to offer in terms of “diversity” in the conventional sense of the word, and if you’re in a similar boat, I’d suggest thinking less about your race/religion/location and more about the qualities that make you unique and how you would bring a different perspective to Duke.
I think you’re right, though, that it’s a good idea to answer the question so there’s no chance of portraying any “laziness” or disinterest. That being said, if you decide not to write the essay, the rest of your application will speak for itself.
Anyway…good luck with all of it! Hope to see you in August 
</p>
<p>This is not a sexual orientation essay. @iwannafly has it right. I would reframe the question in you rmind–essentially it wants to know how you will bring diversity to your classmates and to the school–not in the form of extracurricular, but in the form of the kind of person you are, the experiences you have had, your background, your identity, etc…</p>
<p>My son didn’t do the optional essay. He got in.</p>
<p>TopTier, I would like to express my sincere gratitute for your remarkable insight for college application to Duke and in general. I have been following your threads for years and learnt a lot of stuff about Duke. My S got in ED at Trinity. Thanks! </p>
<p>Hi, I got in ED and did that essay. I did not read it as a “sexual orientation essay” but a “what makes you unique and interesting that you have not brought up yet?”. I wrote mine on the diversity of my neighbourhood and how it has affected me as a person.</p>
<p>@Marymisscontrary That was exactly my thought process. @Starbucksluvr Keep in mind that Duke is considered “most selective” so I would assume that nothing should be optional. I discussed my extensive contact with disabled children which I believe creates a unique perspective. </p>
<p>Happy to join all of you at Duke next year!</p>
<p>I agree with @Marymisscontrary and @thekingshorseman - it is not a sexual orientation essay. It is another opportunity to write about what makes you special and how you will improve the social make up of the Duke Class of 2019. I think it was a big part of my ED Trinity acceptance.</p>
<p>I read it as a sexual orientation essay and didn’t answer it. I still got in so I do think it was optional. It didn’t hurt me at least.</p>
<p>@Starbucksluvr I think that it is just asking what different experiences, views, and ideas you will bring to the campus. I talked about being part of the one and a half percent of farming families in the United States, and I got in. What makes you different than everyone else applying? What unique perspective will you bring to Duke? I would suggest that you write this essay because it is an opportunity for you to show the admission officers more about how great you are. If you cannot think of ANYTHING that makes you different than other applicants, then just skip it.</p>
<p>Takeaway messages for the optional essay:
*When Duke says the essay is optional, they truly mean optional.
*The essay is not solely targeted towards identifying an applicant’s sexual orientation. Promise.</p>
<p>Hello everyone!
Congratulations on getting admitted to Duke.
Would anyone of you be willing to have a glance at my optional essay? I am really confused whether I have written something relevant or not.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>