Here's my answer to the prompt Why Duke?. I tried to make it as personal and as me as possible so please tell me if it comes through. Also, mine is alot longer than most probably (they wanted 1-2 paragraphs) so if you could shorten it thanks so much.
If all the colleges and universities suddenly became stars splattered across the galaxy, I'm pretty sure that I'd still find Duke pretty easily, shining just a little brighter than all of its counterparts. It was the flexibility and incredible room for growth within the Duke academic curriculum that first caught me. While I know what a lot of my passions are, I'm still uncertain about which one to ultimately pursue. As I result, I don't want a college that will just set me on a path, raise the walls so that I can't escape, and then watch from afar. Luckily, Duke isn't that. Duke will give me time to explore thanks to the requirement of the Six Modes of Inquiry and Five Areas of Knowledge, none of which are specific courses but instead a broad array. I can satisfy all of my interests by enrolling in a FOCUS course like "Modeling Economic and Social Systems," gaining the experience of a small class at the same time. Lastly, there's the fabled Program II. I can explore outside and between the usual majors to create my individualized curriculum. That's the beauty Duke; the freedom I have with my education will make my four years at Duke unbelievably unique and personal. In return for all of this, I'll give Duke everything I have. I'll spew my knowledge of Roman columns in Civilizations class while quoting Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in Ethical. I'll raise debate about government censorship in my Cross-Cultural class and then crack DNA jokes in Natural Sciences.
Besides the academics, I love the future that Duke envisions for itself and its students. The school has flawlessly struck that immaculate balance between staying steeped in its Southern tradition while at the same time being grounded in the present. The new Cisco Quad software and recent state of the art Energy Hub are testimony to how Duke has kept up with the pace of technology. The school is built off of a "never settle" mindset that I also carry. While I circle around my pottery wheel searching for flaws in my clay vases, Duke circles around its campus searching for possible rooms of improvement. The Central Campus Renovation plan makes this fact strikingly clear. The students at Duke live with this same dedication and drive too. I can see it when they complain in the newspaper about lack of student-administrator cooperation and when they create blogs like Blue Devils United to raise LGBQT awareness. I know that I'll thrive in this community, being told to attain the bigger and the bolder everyday.
In my eyes, few places offer the combination of academic independence and progressive thinking at the same level that Duke does, and absolutely none pull it off with charm that Duke does. Duke has to be the one. Ask me to find Duke on a map, and I'll point you out Durham. Ask me what star Duke would be in the sky and I'll point you to the sun.
Wow I love this answer. It may be a little longer than they wanted, but I wouldn't change a thing. I think it shows that you've really done your research and understand why Duke is the perfect school for you.
Just out of curiosity - is it your first choice?
I agree, this is actually amazing. Just one correction though: I think "point you out" is awkward. Maybe "point out" instead. Would you be able to read my Duke essay, as well? Thanks!
