Question 1

So, tell me about yourself.

Accepted Answer

An alum who interviews says they get only your high school, your round and whether you applied to Trinity or Pratt. This answer gives them the picture for the rest of the talk. Keep it to 60 to 90 seconds. Follow one 2025 applicant's advice and lead with personal things (where you grew up, family, a pet, a hobby) before school. Speak slowly: two applicants say they stumbled by rushing this opener.

Question 2

Outside of your activities, what do you actually like to do for fun?

Accepted Answer

Duke says it looks for "a sense of life beyond the classroom." This is the plainest way to see it. Be honest and specific, even if it's small. One applicant was told hobbies like baking sourdough or skateboarding make good material. Add one detail (what you made last week, where you go to do it).

Question 3

What did you do this past summer?

Accepted Answer

A warm-up that shows how you spend time when nobody is scheduling you. Pick one or two things and say what you did day to day and one thing you took from it. A job, family responsibility or plain reading counts if you can talk about it.

Question 4

Tell me about your school. What do you like about it, and what don't you?

Accepted Answer

The interviewer can't see your transcript, and Duke says it prioritizes interviews where extra context helps. Your school is part of that context. Give a quick sketch (size, what's distinctive, what students care about), then one real positive and one fair criticism. Show you see your community clearly.

Question 5

Why Duke?

Accepted Answer

Alumni say they report on your knowledge of and enthusiasm for Duke. They want reasons that only fit Duke, tied to you. Name two or three specific things and link each to something you already do. Duke-only examples: Program II, where you design your own major; DukeEngage, a fully funded summer of service lasting at least eight weeks; Duke Embark, a first semester at the Marine Lab in Beaufort. One 2024 applicant also stressed research, classes and a cooperative, not competitive, feel.

Question 6

What would you bring to Duke? How would you want to make an impact there?

Accepted Answer

Alumni say their report covers your contributions to your community. This asks how that would carry over. Start with what you already do for others and say concretely how it continues at Duke (a student group, since there are more than 400, or a service program). Keep it at the scale of a real first-year student.

Question 7

Why do you want to study that?

Accepted Answer

Duke says the interview helps it learn your strengths and goals. Your reason for a subject shows both. Tell how the interest started, what you've done about it on your own, and the question you want to chase. It's fine to be undecided or split: Duke lets you combine up to three majors, minors or certificates, and 82% pursue more than one major.

Question 8

What's your favorite class or subject, and why?

Accepted Answer

Duke looks for intellectual promise. What excites you in a class shows how you think and learn. Pick one and name a specific moment: a problem, a reading, a discussion that changed your mind. Then say what you did with it afterward, in or out of school.

Question 9

What's been your worst or least favorite class?

Accepted Answer

An honesty check. They want to see if you can talk about something hard without blaming others. Name it, say plainly why it was hard, and what you did about it (changed how you studied, asked for help). End on what you learned.

Question 10

What kind of coursework interests you at Duke?

Accepted Answer

A check that your interest in Duke goes past the name, and a window into what you'd study. Talk about the kind of class you want, then give one Duke example. Duke seminars run 12 to 18 students with discussion as the main goal; first-years take FOCUS or Constellation clusters; Embark's courses ask "How do we know the ocean?"

Question 11

Which of your activities has meant the most to you?

Accepted Answer

They want to see commitment and depth, and what you actually do, not just a title. First explain what the group or project does, then your role, as one 2022 applicant learned the hard way. Tell one story: interviewers can quote stories in their report, an alum noted (2020). Expand fully without needing prompts.

Question 12

What accomplishment are you proudest of?

Accepted Answer

Alumni say the report covers challenges you've faced. This shows what you value and how you handle difficulty. Choose something that took effort over time, not just an award. Explain the obstacle, what you did, and what changed in you.

Question 13

If you were principal of your school, what's one thing you'd change?

Accepted Answer

Tests judgment: can you spot a real problem, think about who it affects, and suggest something workable. Pick a specific, real issue. Say why it matters, your fix, and one downside or tradeoff. Mentioning how students would react shows you thought it through.

Question 14

If you could have dinner with three people, alive or dead, who would they be and why?

Accepted Answer

Shows who you admire and what you're curious about. The reasons matter more than the names. Pick people you genuinely know something about, and say what you'd ask each. A mix (a historical figure, someone in your field, someone personal) makes it more you.

Question 15

If you could go back and change one thing, what would it be?

Accepted Answer

A test of reflection: can you look at a mistake and learn from it. Choose a real, moderate moment (a choice, a missed chance) and spend most of the answer on what you learned and do differently now.

Question 16

What's been the best part of high school, and the worst?

Accepted Answer

Honesty and balance. The worst part shows how you deal with things that go wrong. Give one specific example for each. For the worst, say what you did about it or learned from it.

Question 17

What three words would a friend use to describe you? How would a teacher describe you?

Accepted Answer

Applicants report (2009) this as a self-awareness check: do you see yourself the way others do. Choose honest words, not a résumé list, and back each with a quick example. If the friend and teacher versions differ, say why.

Question 18

What's your favorite book? Or: if we were in a bookstore, which three books would you pick?

Accepted Answer

Shows what you read on your own and whether you can talk about ideas. Pick books you actually read and can discuss. Say one thing each one made you think about, and be ready for a follow-up on any of them.

Question 19

What's one rule you would make for everyone in the world?

Accepted Answer

No right answer: it shows your values and how you reason on the spot. Take a few seconds to think, which alumni say is fine. Name the rule, why it matters to you, and one problem it might cause.

Question 20

If you were speaking at the United Nations, what would you say?

Accepted Answer

Shows what issue you care about and whether you can make a clear case. Choose one issue you know something about, ideally linked to your own experience, and make one concrete point rather than a speech about everything.

Question 21

Is there anything not on your application that you'd like the admissions office to know?

Accepted Answer

Your interviewer's report is a chance to add depth beyond your file. This invites you to fill a gap. Have one thing ready: a side interest, a responsibility at home, a story that didn't fit an essay. Keep it short and tie it to who you'd be at Duke.

Question 22

Do you have any questions for me, or about Duke?

Accepted Answer

Duke describes the interview as being about your questions too, and alumni say good questions show real interest. Ask about their own Duke experience: favorite traditions, a class that surprised them, advice for making the most of college. Ask things the website can't answer.

Questions Duke applicants report

Opening

Why Duke and why your subject

Classes and activities

Character and judgment

Big-picture questions

Closing