After you submit your online application to The Graduate School, it will be made available to our department within one to two business days. The actual in-depth review of your file is conducted by an admissions committee headed by the our M.A. admissions director. All applications are reviewed with respect to openings in the department and the strength of other applicants. Attention is given to every aspect of an application, with an attempt made to evaluate past achievement as well as scholarly potential. Academic records, letters of recommendation, GRE scores, and your statement of purpose are all taken into consideration.
Admission to the Duke University Graduate School is a competitive process, and your chances of being admitted will differ from year to year depending on the strength of the applicant pool.
DECISION NOTIFICATION
Most decisions about fall admission are generally made in February and March. All applicants are notified of admission decisions via e-mail (we do not mail paper copies of notifications). The notification e-mail will provide instructions for accessing the online decision letter.
While we understand that waiting for a decision can be nerve-wracking, please do not e-mail to ask about the status of your application.
IF YOU ARE ACCEPTED
If you are offered admission, unless otherwise indicated, you must notify The Graduate School of your enrollment decision through the Applicant Self-Service system by April 15 or within 15 days of your receipt of the admission letter, whichever is later. If we do not hear back from you by then, we will assume that you have declined the offer of admission, and you will be withdrawn.
Instructions on how to submit your decision are below. You are not officially enrolled until you accept our offer of admission.
- Log into your Applicant Self-Service account.
- In the My Applications section, you will see the links “View Decision” and “Respond to Offer.” Click “Respond to Offer.”
- Click either “To Accept” or “To Decline” and fill in the requested information to submit your decision.
- If you are offered admission and choose to decline the offer, please complete the decline survey in the “To Decline” section.
If you accept the offer of admission, the admissions office will send you an e-mail requesting that you have your official transcripts sent to The Graduate School. International students needing visas will also receive an e-mail on how to begin the visa process. You will not receive an information packet in the mail from The Graduate School.
DEFERRAL OF ADMISSION
Your admission offer is valid only for the term and program indicated in the admission letter. Requests for deferral are rarely approved by The Graduate School. Valid reasons for a deferral include health issues, visa issues beyond the student’s control, or military service.
