<p>you all seem to post threads about "why duke " question in duke supplement.</p>
<p>i can find a question only about why engineering &why duke separately</p>
<p>is this the one you are referring to</p>
<p>also how many of you are answering the optional questions like
recommendation from relative, research abstract etc.</p>
<p>thanks in advance</p>
<p>it is a optional essay in the common ap supp. there is one for Trinity school of sciences</p>
<p>They say 1-3 paragraphs for your response. About how many words should this be? I write longggggggggggg paragraphs. =]</p>
<p>Don't worry about it. Just try and be less than 500 words I think.</p>
<p>for us to get an alumni interview, did we have to submit BOTH the supplement and the common app? for some reason, I was under the impression that we only had to submit the supplement (form A).</p>
<p>I was hurrying to get the supplement in and didn't have time to answer the question....(they did say it wouldn't affect my chances) do those questions really matter???</p>
<p>Will a badly written response for "why go to Trinity" affect my admission decision? If that's the case, would it be better for me to just not write it?</p>
<p>I've said this before, but if you really want to come to Duke, you should be able to write a decent Why Duke essay. If you can't, please save a spot for someone who really wants to come and don't apply.</p>
<p>It might be hard to write a distinguishingly good essay about Cameron stadium and bball.</p>
<p>jenkster is that the only reason you want to go to duke?</p>
<p>No, but it sure is a powerful incentive! (The other school that has what I like about Duke is Stanford, but they didn't give much aid.</p>
<p>And I go to a high school with a great/dominating sports program and lots of school spirit (Doesn't that sound like Duke?), but I couldn't experience much of it (especially the big football rivalry games!) because parents were kind of strict. So I'm looking for another chance in college. (My parents, however, don't care... and only care about money and prestige, which is why Duke is waayyyyyy lower on their list)</p>
<p>I'll definitely agree that going to basketball games in Cameron is usually one of the highlights of my week. I wouldn't get hung up on which school is higher ranked. Stanford and Duke are both great schools so go to the school where you think you will be happiest.</p>
<p>Ya, they are both really great schools. I think I'm visiting Duke over spring break. Excited!</p>
<p>I really really like Duke and would visit it if accepted to make a final decision.</p>
<p>I didn't write a Why Duke essay simply because I could not concentrate my interest into the school into prose. That does not mean I should "save a spot for someone who really wants to come and don't apply."</p>
<p>^You could have written that down. Not a wise decision to skip the essay, padfoot, if you truly love the school. But who am I to judge.</p>
<p>Aside from the optional essay, which I plan on doing, does anyone have any advice about the optional recommendation thing? I mean, I could use a third teacher rec I have, but it seems like that isn't what they want, and if all it does is repeat what is in my other recs, I don't think it would be helpful to send it (both of my teachers that wrote my recs know me really really well, so I think they cover the personal angle that the optional rec is meant to capture). Advice por favor?</p>
<p>avoid family recs</p>
<p>I disagree. I was told by 2 separate admin counselors that they do want family recs. One even quoted a previous applicants brother's letter.</p>