<p>Is the why duke essay for arts and sciences really optional like they say? Will it lower your chances if you don't write one?</p>
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<p>As a prospective Dukie, you should be giving some serious though to this matter on your own. The answer is actually quite plain. Take the hypothetical scenario of two applicants who are the same in every other way. One does not submit this essay while the other does. Do you think Duke will pick the applicant who can justify his rationale for wanting to attend or the one who (for all Duke knows) might have forked out an additional [insert-howevermuch-Duke’s-app-costs] to send his Common App to Duke?</p>
<p>Having said that, don’t follow my advice blindly and write this essay if you’re only going to go on and on about how ‘Duke’ rocks when in reality you’re only describing any other top school in America. By this point, you should be able to rationalize what you see in Duke, so do write sincerely (in reasonably good language) about those reasons and you’re set. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>I agree with what was said above but in a less condescending tone…</p>
<p>Anyway, my speculation is that when they say optional, it’s optional in the sense that by official evaluation criteria, whether you do it won’t impact how your file is evaluated. </p>
<p>However, no one is perfect. Adcoms are still human and they will know who did one and who didn’t. When it comes down to it, Duke wants to increase yield so that the admit rate is low. Therefore, one who did the essay will definitely make a much better impression. </p>
<p>A good analogy would probably be going to a prof’s office hours. It doesn’t hurt if you don’t do it. But at the end of the semester, if two people had the same grade and were both a couple points from an A, then the one who showed the effort to go to office hours will earn more sympathy from the prof and probably get a small bump…</p>
<p>They REALLY should have a FAQ section regarding apps for each college and put this question on duke’s - at least 5 people ask this every year lol.</p>
<p>anyway i agree with the above - showing more interest can only help and give you an advantage over those who don’t write it.</p>
<p>yes it’s optional</p>
<p>if you don’t do it, it can’t help or hurt you</p>
<p>if you do it, it could help or hurt you</p>
<p>Why Duke???</p>
<p>Here is hawkette (one of CC’s biggest Duke cheerleaders) waxing poetic: </p>
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<p>You really couldn’t make this stuff up. This is exactly the kind of “privileged mindset” that makes you Dukies “really unique and really special.”</p>
<p>Here is Senator Noodles’ take:</p>
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<p>No one at HYPSM parties. We have absolutely no school spirt. Trust me, I know. </p>
<p>HYP attracts some of the best (national and international) athletes without offering official scholarships. Stanford has the most dominant athletic program in the world (e.g. it’s won all but one Director’s Cup and had the most students and alums represented at the Beijing Olympics); the most famous global athlete (Tiger Woods) also played there. MIT offers more intramural and club sports than any other college. </p>
<p>But what do we nerds know about sports? We used to get stuffed into lockers by jocks like you.</p>
<p><em>sigh</em> here we go again…</p>
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<li><p>regarding your post about what hawkette said - yup, i am lucky to go to duke. i’m really, really lucky and fortunate to be able to attend such a good school and i’m thankful for the opportunity. no, i wasn’t entitled to it. no, i had no right to expect to get in. but i did get in, and i got enough financial aid to make it affordable. since being here, i’ve met some amazing people and had some amazing experiences. so i love my school, and i do think of how happy and lucky i am to be at duke. what’s the problem with that?</p></li>
<li><p>regarding your post on what i said - not once did i say HYPSM kids don’t have fun and don’t party. not once did i say HYPSM has no school spirit and no sports opportunities. my best friend goes to harvard and i know how crazy harvard gets about the harvard-yale game. a few of my friends go to HPM and i know perfectly well just how much they party on the weekends. and are HYPSM better known and academically better than duke? yes, without question. BUT talk to them about the school spirit or sports or partying culture at their schools and it’s pretty evident it’s not what it is at duke. i mean, cameron’s supposed to be the loudest ncaa bball stadium in the COUNTRY and carolina-duke one of the biggest rivalries in NATIONAL college sports, much less the top 10…</p></li>
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<p>anyway, back to the original topic…</p>
<p>Oh how I wish this forum has an ignore/block post button. Alas, all I see is a Report Problem Post link…</p>
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<p>This is because both Duke and Carolina have basketball factory standards for athlete admissions.</p>
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<p>But there is!!</p>
<p>Look at the screen, click “My Control Panel” top left.
Click “Settings and Options”
Click “Edit Ignore List”
Add a user name.</p>