Transfer To/From Trinity College

TRANSFER TO/FROM ENGINEERING

Currently enrolled Duke students can apply to transfer between the Pratt School of Engineering and Trinity College. If you are a Duke student who is taking time away from Duke, you may apply for readmission and transfer to Trinity College via theย Office of Student Returns.

Applications to transfer are considered at the end of each semester, once final grades are reported.  Deadlines and processes for applying to transfer are described below.

Deadlines

For spring transfer: Dec. 15

For fall transfer: May 15

Process

There are three required components of the transfer process and they are intended to be completed sequentially, and each school transfer process is described in detail below. Please note, the completion of these steps may take at least a week–and possibly longer depending on how soon you will be able to secure appointments.  It is advised that you begin your transfer process outside of the pre-registration times due to the high volume of advising appointments that occur during that time.   Late applications will not be considered until the subsequent semester deadline, and applications without documented completion of Steps 1 and 2 will not be considered.

Important–Trinity students applying to Pratt must complete all Trinity academic requirements until they are accepted by Pratt.  Trinity students who do not fulfill the 1st year seminar requirement because they plan to transfer to Pratt after their first year will be required to complete a seminar at Duke during the summer if they are not admitted to Pratt. Students who do not complete a seminar during the summer will not be eligible to return for the fall semester.  Questions about this should be directed to your academic dean.

Pratt-to-Trinity transfer

  1. Meet with your Pratt Academic Dean
  2. Meet with Ms.ย Jen Hoff,ย Senior Advising Associate, Academic Advising Center (if transferring as a current 2nd semester student, or later)
  3. Apply online

STEP ONE:  MEET WITH YOUR ACADEMIC DEAN

ALL students must meet with their assigned academic dean first. Schedule an appointment by calling 919-660-5996, or use your dean’s online schedule link.  Your dean will review the general education requirements for Trinity, highlight the differences between the two schools and review the transfer process and timeline during your meeting. Based on the information provided in your meeting, your dean will advise you on the next step to take for transfer to Trinity.

STEP TWO:  MEET WITH THE ACADEMIC ADVISING CENTER

Transferring In First Semester

Students are only allowed to transfer at the end of their first semester as an Undeclared major.  If you are in your first semester, and not a Transfer student from another institution*, you may proceed to Step Three after your meeting with your Academic Dean.  Once your transfer is processed at the end of the current semester, you will be assigned a college advsior who will work with you until you are ready to declare your major.  Pratt students who transfer to Trinity after their first semester, are required to satisfy the Trinity 1st YR Seminar requirement in their second semester.  Students who do not will be held to Trinity policy regarding the 1st YR Seminar requirement. 

Transferring In 2nd or 3rd Semester

Schedule a meeting with the Senior Advising Associate, Ms. Jen Hoff, in the Academic Advising Center by using thisย link.ย  If you can’t find a time that will work for you, you can email her directly atย jen.hoff@duke.edu. When you meet with Ms. Hoff, you should discuss your interests and goals to help identify courses that would be appropriate for you to explore.ย  Having a major in mind is certainly not necessary, but it is helpful to come as prepared as possible to this meeting in order to have a productive discussion.

Transferring In 4th Semester, Or Later

Because you are transferring as a 4th semester (or more) student, you are required to complete a preliminary four-year plan (What If Report) at the time of transfer.  This is necessary in order to declare your major. Completing the What If Report requires you to do some preparatory workโ€”checking out major requirements on the department/program website, and if necessary, meeting with your prospective majorโ€™s Director of Undergraduate Studies to confirm whether you can complete your prospective major. 

Once youโ€™ve completed the What If Report, schedule a meeting with the Senior Advising Associate, Ms. Jen Hoff, in the Academic Advising Center by using thisย link, or emailingย jen.hoff@duke.edu.ย  This meeting is to discuss any specific questions you have about Trinity requirements, and to review your What If to confirm that you will meet your Trinity general education requirements. If you have any questions about completing the What If Report please do not hesitate to contact Ms. Hoff prior to your meeting for assistance.ย 

STEP THREE:  APPLY ONLINE

Once you’ve completed Step 1 and, if required, Step 2, then you will receive an email with a link to the application.  All applications to transfer must be submitted online by the following deadlines (these are also listed above):

For spring transfer: Dec. 15

For fall transfer: May 15

Transfer applications are not processed until after the application deadline.  You will remain in the Pratt School of Engineering until applications are proccessed after the stated deadline.  Finally, if you do not complete step three, you have not completed the transfer process and therefore will not be processed. 

* If you are a 1st semester transfer student from another institution, you should follow the instructions for transferring as a 2nd or 3rd semester student.

Trinity-to-Pratt transfer

  1. Meet with a Pratt Academic Dean
  2. Apply online

STEP ONE:  MEET WITH A PRATT ACADEMIC DEAN

All students will transfer as Undeclared and able to declare their major after the 1st year.  Schedule an appointment with your future academic dean by emailing him/her.  You can identify your future dean below by the first letter of your last name.

MARTICULATION YRDEAN COOKEBENJAMIN.COOKE@DUKE.EDUDEAN RAWLSCARMEN.RAWLS@DUKE.EDUDEAN TEMIQUEL-MCMILLIANLUPITA.MCMILLIAN@DUKE.EDU
ENTERING FALL 2020      A-JAG    JAH-QZ          R-Z
ENTERING FALL 2021      A-HI    HJ-O          P-Z

During your meeting, your dean will review the requirements for Pratt, highlight the differences between the two schools, inform you about timeline and process, and discuss specific information about departmental curriculum.  NOTE:  A Trinity student who transfers to Pratt at the end of their 1st Fall semester, and then transfers back to Trinity at the end of the 1st spring semester will be required to complete the 1st YR seminar requirement.

STEP TWO:  APPLY ONLINE

Once you’ve completed Step 1, you will receive an email with a link to the application.  All applications to transfer must be submitted online by the following deadlines (these are also listed above):

For spring transfer: Dec. 15

For fall transfer: May 15

Transfer applications are not processed until after the application deadline.ย  You will remain in Trinity College until applications are proccessed after the stated deadline.ย ย Finally, if you do not complete step three, you have not completed the transfer process and will therefore not be processed.ย 

How to Get Into Duke: Admissions Data and Strategies

Just 5.8% of applicants to the Blue Devil Class of 2025 were accepted, and only 4.3% of Regular Decision applicants enjoyed positive outcomes. This means that Duke now has a lower acceptance rate than Dartmouth (6.2%), Vanderbilt (6.7%), or Rice (9.3%). Their exclusivity is matched by their sheer popularityโ€”Duke receives more applications than Brown, Princeton, and Yale. While Duke has always been an academically competitive institution, gaining admission didnโ€™t used to be THIS difficult. A quick march through recent admissions history reveals that in 2004, the acceptance rate was 22%, nearly four times higher than todayโ€™s figure. Given that the process of becoming a Blue Devil becomes increasingly challenging with each passing year, this blog is designed to provide you with:

1) An understanding of how highly-selective the Duke admissions process truly is.

2) Data that will help you better assess how you measure up to the competition.

3) How the Duke admissions committee operates and what they look for in a successful candidate.

To accomplish these goals, we will touch on the following topics:

  • Dukeโ€™s Class of 2025 acceptance rate
  • Dukeโ€™s Class of 2025 ED acceptance rate
  • SAT, ACT, and class rank of accepted Duke applicants
  • Admissions trends from the Class of 2025
  • The demographics of current Duke undergraduates
  • Dukeโ€™s yield rate
  • How Dukeโ€™s admissions officers evaluate candidates
  • Tips for applying to Duke
  • How to assess whether applying to Duke is even worth the $85 application fee (for you)

Letโ€™s begin with an examination of the most recent admissions data.

Duke Universityโ€™s Acceptance Rate โ€“ Class of 2025

Dukeโ€™s acceptance rate in the 2019-20 admissions cycle was 8.2%. In the 2020-21 cycle, the received a whopping 49,555 applications and accepted only 5.8%, the lowest clip in school history.

Duke Universityโ€™s Early Decision Acceptance Rate โ€“ Class of 2025

Just 840 of the 5,036 Early Decision applicants in the 2020-21 admission cycle were successful. This equates to a 16.7% acceptance rate which is roughly four times that of the regular round. The previous year (Class of 2024), the ED acceptance rate was 20.7%.

Duke Admissions โ€“ SAT, ACT, and Class Rank

Of those who ultimately joined Dukeโ€™s Class of 2024, the middle 50% range on the SAT was 1500-1570; the ACT range was 34-35.  Classroom performance of Duke students was equally strong as an incredible 95% of enrolled freshmen had earned a place in the top 10% of their graduating class; 98% were in the top quartile.

Admissions Trends & Notes โ€“ (Class of 2024)

  • There were 49,555 applications for the Class of 2025, up from 39,783 last year.
  • The Regular Decision acceptance rate fell from 6% last year to 4.3% in 2020-21.
  • There were 840 students admitted ED in 2020 compared with 887 last year. Both figures represent roughly 50% of the expected freshman class.
  • Duke received 5,036 Early Decision applications โ€” a 16% increase over last year and the most early decision applicants in the universityโ€™s history.
  • The Class of 2025 saw a 43% increase among international applicants.

Who Actually Gets Into Duke?

Letโ€™s look at the demographics of Duke undergraduates:

Geographically, the greatest number of Class of undergraduates hail from the following states (in order):

  • North Carolina
  • California
  • New York
  • Florida
  • Virginia

13% of current students are N.C. residents and, as with all selective colleges, those from lower-populated, more remote areas of the country (e.g. Montana, South Dakota, Idaho) enjoy a boost to their admissions prospects.

Looking at ethnic identity, the breakdown of the students admitted into the Class of 2024 was as follows:

  • Asian American: 30%
  • Hispanic: 10%
  • African American: 11%
  • Caucasian: 41%
  • Native American: 2%

The breakdown by gender of all students offered a place in the Class of 2024 reveals more men than women, a rarity in todayโ€™s postsecondary landscape (outside of engineering-heavy schools).

  • Male: 51%
  • Female: 49%

The breakdown by type of high school is as follows:

  • Public: 64%
  • Private: 24%
  • Outside of U.S.: 8%
  • Other: 4%

Most People Who Get Accepted Choose to Attend

Dukeโ€™s yield rate โ€” the percentage of accepted students who elect to enroll, divided by the total number of students who are admitted โ€” was 49% last year, down from 54% the previous year. For comparison, schools like Stanford, Harvard were over 80%, and the University of Chicago, MIT, and Yale all sported 70%+ yield rates. Duke finished just behind schools like Northwestern, Notre Dame, and Dartmouth in this category.

How Duke Rates Applicants

There are eight factors that Duke ranks as being โ€œvery importantโ€ to their admissions process: rigor of secondary school record, class rank, GPA, standardized test scores, application essays, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent/ability, and character/personal qualities. While no factors are rated as โ€œimportant,โ€ Duke does โ€œconsiderโ€: interviews, first-generation status, legacy status, geographical residence, state residency, religious affiliation, racial/ethnic status, volunteer experience, work experience, and the level an applicantโ€™s interest.

In seeking to put together a โ€œcollaborative community of intellectual explorers,โ€ the university is looking for individuals with a broad array of talents inside and outside of the classroom. Christopher Guttentag, the dean of admissions, stated that applicants who stand out from the pack have both โ€œtalent and the inclination to use it.โ€ Duke believes in reading an applicantsโ€™ extracurricular activities and essays prior to sizing up their grades, recommendations, and test scores. The most valuable component of a studentsโ€™ extracurriculars is evidence that they made a genuine differenceโ€”where they do so can be in any arena, from volunteering to athletics to academic competitions. It definitely helps if you are recruited as an athlete to join one of Dukeโ€™s 27 Division I sports teams. Approximately 5% of incoming students are designated as โ€œrecruited athletes.โ€

Tips for Applying to Duke

  • If you plan on joining the almost 49,000+ Blue Devil hopefuls for the next admissions cycle, you should know the following:
  • It is important to note that Dukeโ€™s temporary test-optional policy will remain intact for the 2021-22 admissions round (Class of 2026).
  • Duke offers optional alumni interviews as part of the admissions process. After submitting your application, you will matched with an alumni interviewer in your area on a first-come, first-served basis. Interviews are generally between 30-60 minutes in duration and no applicant is granted an on-campus, evaluative interview with a Duke admissions officer. Not every student is, in the end, granted an interview, and those that do not get this opportunity are invited to submit an additional recommendation with their application. For advice on what types of questions you should be prepared to answer/ask, visit our blogโ€”College Interview Tips.
  • Duke does consider โ€œdemonstrated interestโ€ so it is important to make contact with the admissions office, connect through social media, and (when COVID-19 is no longer an issue) visit campus or meet Duke reps at college fairs near you.
  • Make sure to dedicate sufficient time and effort to the supplemental essays required by Duke. In the 2020-21 cycle, there were three promptsโ€”one mandatory, one technically optional (but, in reality, mandatory), and one that only applies to members of the LGBTQ community.

We begin with a look at the mandatory question:

Please share with us why you consider Duke a good match for you. Is there something in particular about Dukeโ€™s academic or other offerings that attracts you? (200 word limit) *

The key to tackling this 200-word essay is to do your homework on the college within Duke University to which you are applying. It is essentially asking you: โ€œWhy Duke?โ€ Learn how to write a killer โ€œWhy This College?โ€ essay in ourย previous blog postย on the subject.

The next two prompts are optional for all applicants to Duke University. Yet, as we mentioned a moment ago, the first essay should, without question be answered by every single applicant, as it presents you with a way to further humanize/personalize your application.

Optional #1) Duke University seeks a talented, engaged student body that embodies the wide range of human experience; we believe that the diversity of our students makes our community stronger. If youโ€™d like to share a perspective you bring or experiences youโ€™ve had that would help us understand you better, perhaps a community you belong to or your family or cultural background, we encourage you to do so here. Real people are reading your application, and we want to do our best to understand and appreciate the real people applying to Duke. (250 word limit)

Optional #2) Dukeโ€™s commitment to diversity and inclusion includes sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. If you would like to share with us more about your identity, you can do so here, or use any previous essay prompt you feel is appropriate. (250 word limit)

Should I Apply to Duke?

If you possess anything shy of a 1500+ SAT score, youโ€™ll need to bring some other compelling aspects to the table whether itโ€™s athletic prowess or being a member of an underrepresented group. Even applicants with such credentials are not assured admission as Duke rejects many students with near-perfect credentials each year. All college-bound teens need to make sure that they formulate anย appropriate college list, containing a complement of โ€œtargetโ€ and โ€œsafetyโ€ schools. Youโ€™ll definitely want to do this in conjunction with an admissions professional (including your own high school counselor).


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