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A 200+ Word “Why Major” Essay Example and Analysis

This article was written based on the information and opinions presented by Hale Jaeger in a CollegeVine livestream. You can watch the full livestream for more info.

What’s Covered:

250 word essay example, start with an anecdote, but avoid cliches, include smooth transitions and be specific, do your research and avoid overusing phrases, be concise and emphasize school fit.

In this article, we will focus on a prompt from Duke University that is specific to the Pratt School of Engineering.

If you are applying to the Pratt School of Engineering as a first year applicant, please discuss why you want to study engineering and why you would like to study at Duke. (250 words).  

As opposed to a 100 word essay, 250 words gives you a little more space to write about your interests. Another thing to note about this prompt is that it is asking two questions: “why do you want to study at this school in particular?” and “why do you want to study engineering?” 

The extra words give you enough room to talk about the type of engineering you’re interested in, Duke specific resources, and how you grew your interest in engineering over time.  Here we will go through an example of a response to this prompt. Then for each paragraph, we’ll analyze what the essay does well and where it could be improved.

“One Christmas morning when I was nine, I opened a snap circuit set for my grandmother. Although I had always loved math and science. I didn’t realize my passion for engineering until I spent the rest of winter break creating different circuits to power various lights, alarms, and sensors. Even after I outgrew the toy, I kept the set in my bedroom at home and knew I wanted to study engineering.

Later in high school biology class, I learned that engineering didn’t only apply to circuits, but also to medical devices that could improve people’s quality of life. Biomedical engineering allows me to pursue my academic passions and help people at the same time. Just as biology and engineering interact in biomedical engineering, I am fascinated by interdisciplinary research in my chosen career path. 

Duke offers unmatched resources, such as DuHatch and The Foundry, that will enrich my engineering education and help me practice creative problem-solving skills. The emphasis on entrepreneurship within these resources will also help me to make a helpful product. Duke’s Bass Connections program also interests me; I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary problem solving comes by bringing people together from different backgrounds.

Through this program, I can use my engineering education to solve complicated societal problems, such as creating sustainable surgical tools for low income countries. Along the way I can learn alongside experts in the field. Duke’s openness and collaborative culture span across its academic disciplines, making Duke the best place for me to grow both as an engineer and as a social advocate.” 

“One Christmas morning when I was nine, I opened a snap circuit set for my grandmother. Although I had always loved math and science. I didn’t realize my passion for engineering until I spent the rest of winter break creating different circuits to power various lights, alarms, and sensors. Even after I outgrew the toy, I kept the set in my bedroom at home and knew I wanted to study engineering.”

This first paragraph does something excellent, which is it starts with an anecdote. In the introductory anecdote, the author mentions specific things like alarms, lights, and sensors, so the reader can really visualize what’s happening. 

Another strength of this excerpt is that the anecdote moves through time very quickly. It starts with Christmas morning, progresses to the rest of winter break, and then finally ends by discussing after the author outgrew the toy. That temporal growth is good because it gets a reader in and out of the anecdote quickly while feeling nostalgic. It makes the reader feel connected to the writer.

One weakness of this paragraph, however, is that the last line is a little too much; it hits you over the head with “I want to study engineering.” Admissions officers know that one experience from when you were nine years old may be too much to ascribe your passion for engineering to, so this doesn’t feel believable. Instead, this instance can be framed as a spark that ignited your passion for engineering or made you interested in learning more about engineering.

“Later in high school biology class, I learned that engineering didn’t only apply to circuits, but also to medical devices that could improve people’s quality of life. Biomedical engineering allows me to pursue my academic passions and help people at the same time. Just as biology and engineering interact in biomedical engineering, I am fascinated by interdisciplinary research in my chosen career path.” 

This paragraph does a really good job of transitioning from the anecdote to the writer’s specific and current interest in biomedical engineering. However, there are a few drawbacks from this excerpt. 

One weakness from this paragraph is that helping people is a trope that is really overused when talking about an interest in health and healthcare. You can help people in a variety of careers, so it is a bit naive to say that the only way you can help others is by pursuing a particular path. Instead, you want to make the essay sound more genuine by displaying the heart of your passion. What particular types of medical devices and interdisciplinary research is the student interested in? Which intersection of fields is the most interesting to them and why? Giving more details or even specific adjectives here would help the essay sound more informed and robust.

Another aspect of this essay that could be improved is that the author mentions their ideal career path but doesn’t elaborate on this beyond biomedical engineering as a field of study. There are many different paths you can take after studying biomedical engineering. You could go into the research and development of products, or medicine, or the research behind patient-facing studies. What about your ideal career makes you excited to pursue that given field or major?

”Duke offers unmatched resources, such as DuHatch and The Foundry, that will enrich my engineering education and help me practice creative problem-solving skills. The emphasis on entrepreneurship within these resources will also help me to make a helpful product. Duke’s Bass Connections program also interests me; I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary problem solving comes by bringing people together from different backgrounds.”

This paragraph takes on the question in the second part of the prompt by explaining explicitly why they want to study biomedical engineering at Duke. One thing this essay does very well is that it brings up Duke specific resources and opportunities – DuHatch, The Foundry, and Bass Connections. They also mention the spirit of entrepreneurship that is ingrained in the teaching at Duke and how this is important to the design process in engineering. By connecting to Duke’s academic philosophy, this shows the admissions officers that this student not only did their research but also shares values with the school itself. 

One of this paragraph’s weaknesses, however, is that the student mentions that “Duke offers unmatched resources, which is quite cliche and generic. Duke already knows that they are well regarded in the engineering field, so this is a waste of words in this essay. 

Another aspect of the essay that could be improved here is the vague and undeveloped idea of creative problem solving skills that would be honed by attending Duke. The author uses the phrase “problem solving” a couple of times and wastes some space on two transition sentences. Overusing this phrase detracts from the power of the language and weakens the general cadence of your essay.

“Through this program, I can use my engineering education to solve complicated societal problems, such as creating sustainable surgical tools for low income countries. Along the way I can learn alongside experts in the field. Duke’s openness and collaborative culture span across its academic disciplines, making Duke the best place for me to grow both as an engineer and as a social advocate.” 

This final paragraph is a strong conclusion because it is succinct and ties together all of the previous paragraphs. It makes the essay feel complete by the time the reader reaches the end. Combining engineering and social advocacy is also a great thought. It is in line with the rest of the essay and shows that this student is person-minded and not machine-minded. It demonstrates a dedication to community, which is something that Duke values as well.

However, if the author had incorporated these ideas of social advocacy earlier in the essay, this would have emphasized their fit with Duke and made the essay even stronger. Additionally, the specific idea of creating sustainable surgical tools for low income countries is very unique and would have been more powerful if it had been mentioned earlier; here it simply feels like an afterthought.

The conclusion also includes awkward wording in some of the phrases like “Duke’s openness and collaborative culture,” which could be reworded as “Duke’s open and collaborative culture.” By reducing some of the awkward phrasing, the author would have had some more space to play around with their specific interests in biomedical engineering and Duke’s programs.

Is Your “Why Major” Essay Strong Enough?

Essays account for around 25% of your admissions decision, as they’re your chance to humanize your application and set yourself apart from other applicants with strong profiles. 

The “Why Major” essay is especially important, as it allows you to reflect on your unique interests and fit with the school. Your supplement needs to demonstrate your interest in the major and paint a picture of how you’ll contribute to their program.

To understand if your essay is strong enough, we recommend using our Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. This tool will make it easier to understand your essay’s strengths and weaknesses, and help you make your writing even more compelling.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

How to Answer the "Why Duke?" Application Essay–With Examples

Crafting a compelling response to the "Why Duke?" application essay can be a game-changer for your college admissions.

Posted March 1, 2024

If you're applying to Duke University, chances are you'll come across the infamous "Why Duke?" application essay. This essay prompt asks you to articulate why you are interested in attending Duke and how you would contribute to the university community. In this article, we will guide you through the process of answering this essay question effectively, with examples that illustrate successful approaches.

Brief Introduction to Duke University and its College Application

Before diving into the specifics of the "Why Duke?" essay, it's important to have a basic understanding of Duke University and its college application process. Duke is a prestigious private institution located in Durham, North Carolina. Known for its strong academic programs, vibrant campus life, and Division I athletics, Duke offers unparalleled opportunities for intellectual and personal growth.

Founded in 1838, Duke University has a rich history and a reputation for excellence in education. The university is home to ten schools and colleges, including the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, the Pratt School of Engineering, and the Fuqua School of Business. Each of these schools offers a wide range of majors and programs, allowing students to pursue their passions and interests.

When applying to Duke, you will complete the Common Application, which includes a section dedicated to supplemental essays. This comprehensive application allows you to provide a holistic view of your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and personal background. It also gives you the opportunity to showcase your unique qualities and experiences that make you a strong candidate for admission.

One of the supplemental essays required by Duke is the "Why Duke?" essay. This essay prompt asks you to explain why you are interested in attending Duke University and how you believe it will help you achieve your academic and career goals. It is an opportunity to showcase your research, reflect on your personal experiences, and elaborate on your future aspirations.

Writing a compelling "Why Duke?" essay requires careful thought and preparation. It is important to thoroughly research the university and understand its core values, academic programs, and campus culture. By demonstrating your knowledge of Duke's offerings and explaining how they align with your interests and goals, you can make a strong case for why you are a perfect fit for the university.

Moreover, the "Why Duke?" essay allows you to showcase your passion for learning and your desire to contribute to the Duke community. You can discuss specific academic opportunities, such as research projects or interdisciplinary programs, that you are excited to pursue. Additionally, you can highlight the unique aspects of Duke's campus life, such as student organizations, community service initiatives, or cultural events, that resonate with your personal values and interests.

Ultimately, the "Why Duke?" essay is your chance to demonstrate your enthusiasm for Duke University and convince the admissions committee that you will thrive academically, personally, and socially on campus. By crafting a well-researched and thoughtful essay, you can present yourself as a strong candidate who is genuinely excited about the prospect of attending Duke and making a positive impact on the university community.

Duke Essay Prompts (2023-2024)

Each year, Duke University releases a set of essay prompts for prospective students. These prompts serve as a guide for applicants to express their unique perspectives and motivations for choosing Duke as their academic home. Understanding and addressing these prompts is crucial in crafting a targeted and compelling response, particularly for the "Why Duke?" essay. Let's explore the essay prompts for the 2023-2024 application cycle in more detail:

When considering this prompt, it's essential to reflect on what specifically draws you to Duke University. Is it the institution's renowned academic programs, its vibrant campus culture, or its commitment to interdisciplinary learning? Duke's rich history and tradition of excellence in education provide a strong foundation for your response. You may also want to consider the university's commitment to research, community engagement, and global perspectives. Exploring Duke's website, attending virtual information sessions, and connecting with current students and alumni can provide valuable insights to help you articulate your reasons for choosing Duke.

If you have a passion for engineering and are considering Duke's Pratt School of Engineering, this prompt offers an opportunity to showcase your enthusiasm and aspirations . Consider delving into your personal journey that led you to pursue engineering as a field of study. Reflect on any experiences, projects, or mentors that have influenced your decision. Additionally, highlight how Duke's engineering program aligns with your academic and career goals. You may want to explore the school's cutting-edge research facilities, distinguished faculty, and collaborative learning environment. Demonstrating your understanding of Duke's unique offerings within the field of engineering will strengthen your response.

For those interested in the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, this prompt invites you to explore the specific aspects of Duke that resonate with your academic and personal interests. Consider the wide range of academic disciplines and interdisciplinary opportunities available within the college. Reflect on how Duke's commitment to intellectual curiosity, diversity, and collaboration aligns with your own values and aspirations. You may want to delve into the unique research opportunities, renowned faculty, and vibrant campus community that make Duke an ideal fit for you. Demonstrating a genuine understanding of Duke's distinctive qualities will help you craft a compelling response.

These prompts provide a framework for your essay and highlight different aspects of Duke that you should consider when crafting your response. Remember to tailor your essay to the prompt that aligns best with your academic interests and personal background. By showcasing your genuine passion for Duke and illustrating how the university aligns with your goals, you can create a compelling essay that stands out to the admissions committee.

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The Role of "Why This School?" Essays in the Application

The "Why Duke?" essay is a critical component of your college application. Admissions officers review this essay to gain insight into your motivations, values, and genuine interest in Duke. This essay allows you to demonstrate your fit with the university and explain why you believe Duke is the right place for you to pursue your education.

Additionally, the "Why Duke?" essay provides admissions officers with a glimpse into how you perceive yourself fitting into the Duke community. Your essay should highlight specific programs, resources, or opportunities offered by Duke that align with your academic, extracurricular, or career goals.

How to Brainstorm Answers to "Why Duke?"

Before writing your "Why Duke?" essay, it is essential to spend time brainstorming and reflecting on your experiences and aspirations. Here are some strategies to help you generate ideas:

• Research Duke: Familiarize yourself with Duke's website, academic departments, student organizations, and unique programs. Take notes on specific aspects that resonate with you.
• Reflect on your interests: Consider your academic and extracurricular interests, and think about how they align with opportunities at Duke. Identify specific areas of study, research, or community engagement that excite you.
• Connect with current students or alumni: Reach out to current Duke students or alumni to gain insights into their experiences. This can provide you with a firsthand perspective on the university.
• Draw from personal experiences: Think about any particular experiences or challenges that have shaped your interests and goals. Reflect on how these experiences make Duke an ideal environment for your growth.

By engaging in these brainstorming exercises, you will gather a wealth of material to draw from when crafting your essay.

Tips for Answering the "Why Duke?" Essay Question

Answering the "Why Duke?" essay question effectively requires careful planning and attention to detail. Consider the following tips when formulating your response:

• Be specific: Avoid generic statements and demonstrate a deep understanding of Duke's unique attributes. Mention specific academic programs, research opportunities, or extracurricular activities that align with your interests.
• Show your enthusiasm: Convey your genuine passion and excitement for Duke. Admissions officers want to see your authentic enthusiasm for the university and your future contributions to the campus community.
• Connect with your experiences: Make connections between your past experiences and future aspirations. Demonstrate how Duke can provide the resources and opportunities necessary for you to achieve your goals.
• Highlight fit: Explain how Duke aligns with your academic and personal values. Discuss how the university's values, community, and culture resonate with your own.
• Proofread and edit: Ensure that your essay is well-written, free of grammatical errors, and coherent. Revise and edit your essay multiple times to refine your ideas and strengthen your arguments.

Following these tips will help you create a compelling "Why Duke?" essay that stands out to admissions officers.

3 Example Answers to "Why Duke?" Essay - With Analysis

To provide you with a better understanding of how to approach the "Why Duke?" essay, we have curated three example answers, each highlighting different aspects of Duke's academic, social, and cultural offerings. Let's analyze these examples and identify the strengths that make them effective responses.

Example 1: Emphasizing Academic Excellence

Example 2: Showcasing Community Engagement

Example 3: Highlighting Global Opportunities

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Answering "Why This School?" Essay Prompts

When crafting your "Why Duke?" essay, it's important to steer clear of common pitfalls that could weaken your response. Avoid the following mistakes to ensure a strong and thoughtful essay:

• Generic statements: Don't use clichéd or generic language. Instead, provide specific examples and details that showcase your unique perspective.
• Superficial research: Conduct in-depth research to understand Duke's programs and culture. Avoid generic statements that could apply to any university.
• Overwhelming the essay: While it's important to demonstrate your knowledge of Duke, avoid overwhelming the essay with an encyclopedic list of facts. Focus on a few key aspects that resonate with you.
• Vague statements: Be specific and concrete in your examples and explanations. Vague statements may come across as insincere or lacking genuine interest.
• Ignoring authenticity: Stay true to yourself and your experiences. Don't try to mold your essay to fit what you think admissions officers want to hear. Authenticity is key.

By avoiding these mistakes, you can ensure that your "Why Duke?" essay remains focused, engaging, and reflective of your true passions.

Answering the "Why Duke?" application essay can be a daunting task. However, with the right approach and careful consideration, you can craft a compelling and authentic response that showcases your fit with Duke University. Remember to research Duke thoroughly, reflect on your own experiences and aspirations, and present a clear and enthusiastic case for why Duke is the perfect place for you. By following the tips provided in this article and studying the example answers, you will be well-equipped to tackle the "Why Duke?" essay and make a memorable impression on the admissions committee.

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College Essays

Do you want to be a Blue Devil? If so, you'll need to submit strong Duke essays as part of your application.

Duke requires its applicants to answer two essays, one as part of the Common or Coalition app, and one "Why Duke" essay. Students will also have the option to answer up to two more personal essay prompts, but they aren't required.

We're going to break down all the prompts for you and walk you though how to write amazing Duke supplement essays. So let's get started!

What Is the Duke Supplement Essay?

Duke requires that you submit two to four essays as part of your application. You're required to answer one "Why Duke?" essay prompt, as well as a Common Application essay or a Coalition Application essay (depending on which one you use to apply). Additionally, you have the option of answering up to two more essay questions.

Duke requires the Duke supplement as part of its application process for a couple of reasons. First of all, written essays are a great way to assess your preparedness for college. Duke wants to see that you can write clearly and concisely and can follow all of the necessary grammar conventions.

Duke also wants to get to know you more as a student and possible member of its campus. Essays are a great way to learn more about who you really are beyond your test scores and other credentials.

Finally, your Duke essays are where you can demonstrate your affinity for Duke itself. Why do you want to go there? Your essays can highlight your passion for the university.

It's extremely important to put time and effort into each one of the Duke supplement essay prompts so that you're able to meet all of these needs.

Duke Supplement Essay Prompts

You'll have to answer at least two and as many as four Duke supplement essay prompts for your Duke application. All students are required to write one longer essay. The essay you write will be determined by whether you're submitting the Common Application or the Coalition Application (Duke accepts both).

You're also required to answer the "Why Duke" essay prompt. There are four more personal essay questions that are optional for all applicants. You can answer up to two of them.

2022-2023 Duke Long Essay

The long essay prompt is actually the essay you'll write as part of your Common App or Coalition App. There's not a separate "long essay" prompt for Duke, so don't worry when you don't see the prompt pop up when you click over to the writing supplement tab.

On the other hand, that means that the long essay prompt you submit will depend on whether you're using the Common App, QuestBridge App, or Coalition App. These apps have slightly different essay prompts associated with them!

If you apply to Duke via the Coalition Application, you'll select one essay prompt to answer. For more information on how to ace your Coalition Application essay and an analysis of each prompt, check out our in-depth guide .

If you apply to Duke via the Common Application, you'll also need to select an essay prompt to answer. For more information on how to craft an amazing Common Application essay and in-depth look at each prompt, check out our blog post dedicated to that very topic .

2022-2023 "Why Duke?" Essay

All Duke students are required to answer the "Why Duke?" essay . Here's the essay prompt for 2022-2023:

What is your sense of Duke as a university and a community, and why do you consider it a good match for you? If there's something in particular about our offerings that attracts you, feel free to share that as well. (250 word limit)

For more information about how to answer this question, you can check out our in-depth post to the "Why Duke?" app. 

2022-2023 Optional Duke Essays

You also have the option of responding to optional Duke essays. There are four prompts, and you can answer up to two of them. However, you don't need to answer any if you don't feel the need to. Duke makes it clear that these Duke admissions essay prompts are completely optional. Their exact phrasing is, " Feel free to answer them if you believe that doing so will add something meaningful that is not already shared elsewhere in your application." For each prompt you choose to answer, you can write up to 250 words.

Here are the four prompts:

We seek a diverse student body that embodies the wide range of human experience. In that context, we are interested in what you’d like to share about your lived experiences and how they’ve influenced how you think of yourself. 

We believe there is benefit in sharing and sometimes questioning our beliefs or values; who do you agree with on the big important things, or who do you have your most interesting disagreements with? What are you agreeing or disagreeing about?

 What has been your best academic experience in the last two years, and what made it so good?

Duke's commitment to diversity and inclusion includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. If you’d like to share with us more about your identity in this context, feel free to do so here.

Required Duke Essay, Analyzed

Guess what: 250 words isn't a lot of words to describe your love for Duke! You'll need to be clear, succinct, and honest in order for your Duke admissions essay to stand out.

Because the word limit is so constrained, it's better to focus on one or two specific ideas, rather than trying to cram as many thoughts as possible into your short essay. For instance, while you may be enamored of Duke's entire faculty, choose one specific professor whose work you admire and expand on that. Any depth you can achieve in this small space will go a long way.

The key here is to be specific about why Duke is the best school for you. We just mentioned discussing faculty, but you can also talk about specific classes you want to take, academic organizations you want to be involved in, or even research opportunities you want to pursue. That means you'll need to do your research, but trust us: it will make a huge difference.

If you're still confused about this prompt and want a little extra help, don't miss our entire article about how to write an amazing "Why Duke" essay!

Optional Duke Admission Essay Prompts, Analyzed

Treat this question as an opportunity to share more about yourself. If you have something real and important to write about, do so. But don't try to invent an experience that doesn't actually belong to you—it'll come across as fake and insincere. Unless you really have nothing to say, I'd suggest including something.

If you choose to answer this question, lean into authenticity. Don't be scared to be vulnerable or honest. While the question talks about Duke's commitment to diversity, don't feel like you have to invent diverse experiences just to fit in.

Share about your unique perspective. Be sure to indicate why this point-of-view belongs to you, and you alone. Your perspective is made up by your experiences and interactions, so you can highlight how these have affected you.

For this prompt, Duke is giving you the chance to share your values and how you communicate and respond to opinions different than your own. College is a place where you'll encounter people with many different beliefs, and Duke wants to make sure its students are able to respectfully talk about big topics, even if the people you're speaking with don't have the same beliefs or values as you do.

If you decide to respond to this prompt, think about a person or people you particularly love debating or having discussions with. Be sure to explain who you agree/disagree with, what topics you discuss, if you generally agree or disagree, and specifically how you make sure the conversation is respectful and thoughtful. 

Show Duke that you're able to contribute positively to any discussion, even if you disagree with what's being said .

What has been your best academic experience in the last two years, and what made it so good?

Here Duke wants to know what motivates and excites you academically. Did you love partaking in a class debate? Maybe your best experience was bonding with a study group and helping each other learn the course material, or maybe it was doing a deep research dive to become an expert on a particular topic.

The specific experience you choose matters much less than your explanation of why it was so positive. Be sure to discuss exactly what you found about the experience you found enjoyable and  what you took away from it. If you can, try to tie it in to how you'll be a strong student at Duke and continue to find positive academic experiences.

Duke's commitment to diversity and inclusion includes gender identity and sexual orientation. If you would like to share with us more about either, and have not done so elsewhere in the application, we invite you to do so here.

Don't answer this optional essay unless you have something real to say. Don't feel intimidated or scared that ignoring this question will reflect badly on you. It won't. You should really only address this prompt if you're a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

What will reflect badly on you is making something up that comes across as insincere, or worse, ignorant. Speak truthfully and from the heart.

Similarly, if you do have reflections on gender identity and sexual orientation, don't feel like you have to share them. Remember, this essay is optional. It's completely fine if you're not quite comfortable enough or ready to talk publicly about these topics.

If you choose to answer this question, only speak about real experiences that happened to you. It's better to keep them personal. This essay isn't the place to reflect on the overall political climate surrounding LGBTQ+ rights, especially if those issues don't relate to you. It is, however, the space to talk about your specific identity and journey.

How to Write Great Duke Essays

If you want your Duke essays to stand out and help you get admitted, follow these tips!

#1: Use Your Own Voice

The point of a college essay is for the admissions committee to have the chance to get to know you beyond your test scores, grades, and honors. Your admissions essays are your opportunity to make yourself come alive for the essay readers and to present yourself as a fully fleshed out person.

You should, then, make sure that the person you're presenting in your college essays is yourself. Don't try to emulate what you think the committee wants to hear or try to act like someone you're not.

If you lie or exaggerate, your essay will come across as insincere, which will diminish its effectiveness. Stick to telling real stories about the person you really are, not who you think Duke wants you to be.

#2: Avoid Cliched or Overused Phrases

When writing your Duke essays, try to avoid using clichés or overused quotes or phrases. These include quotations that have been quoted to death and phrases or idioms that are overused in daily life. The college admissions committee has probably seen numerous essays that state, "Be the change you want to see in the world." Strive for originality.

Similarly, avoid using clichés, which take away from the strength and sincerity of your work. Don't speak in platitudes about how the struggle for gay and lesbian rights has affected you… unless it actually has!

#3: Check Your Work

It should almost go without saying, but you want to make sure your Duke essays are the strongest example of your work possible. Before you turn in your Duke application, make sure to edit and proofread your essays.

Your work should be free of spelling and grammar errors. Make sure to run your essays through a spelling and grammar check before you submit.

It's a good idea to have someone else read your Duke essays, too. You can seek a second opinion on your work from a parent, teacher, or friend. Ask them whether your work represents you as a student and person. Have them check and make sure you haven't missed any small writing errors. Having a second opinion will help your work be the best it possibly can be.

That being said, make sure you don't rely on them for ideas or rewrites. Your essays need to be your work.

#4: Only Answer What You're Comfortable With

Remember, Duke's optional essays are just that—optional. It can be tempting to respond to everything on the application and if you have an important story to tell, you definitely should.

However, if you have nothing to say, don't feel like you need to make something up. You're better off answering less, honestly, then you are answering more, dishonestly.

What's Next?

Have you taken the ACT or SAT yet? Not sure which one you'll do best on? Read our guide to choose the test that's right for you .

If you've taken the SAT and want to improve your score, check out our guides to improving your Reading , Writing , and Math scores.

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Why Major Essay Examples

At many schools, the why major essay forms a crucial part of the college application process. In addition to your Common App essay , many schools require supplemental essays. One of the most popular supplemental essay prompts is the why major essay.

The why major essay allows colleges to learn more about you and your interests. This guide will give you some why major essay examples from popular colleges. It will also offer some tips on how to write a why major essay. 

This guide includes why major essay examples from the following colleges: The University of Texas at Austin , The University of Southern California , Cornell , Georgia Tech , and Pomona College . These college essay examples can act as a great source of inspiration for your why major essay. By looking at these college essays that worked, you can learn more about how to approach various supplemental essay prompts. 

What are examples of why major essay prompts?

The why major essay examples in this guide have varying prompts. Here are the why major essay prompts from our college essay examples: 

“Why major” essay requirements

As you can see, most why major essay examples will have between 250-300 words. However, some college essay examples will have more. Additionally, some why major essay examples will focus on college-specific information. In general, these essays ask why you’ve picked your intended major , so try to be as specific as possible. These why major essay examples are a great place to start if you need help with your why major essay. 

The college essay examples in this guide also reflect the level of research needed for a why major essay. As you research colleges, look for a class you want to take or a research opportunity that interests you. Then, be sure to include that in your why major essay for that school. If a prompt mentions the college’s name or asks why you’re interested in their school, focus on school specifics. The college essay examples we’ve included in this guide can help you jumpstart the writing process. 

Who has a why major essay?

Many schools have a why major essay, as these essays help colleges understand you and your academic passions. The why major essay examples in this guide come from UT Austin, USC, Cornell, Georgia Tech, and Pomona College. 

In addition to these schools, many other colleges also have a why major essay. Some of these include Yale University , University of Pennsylvania , Emory University , University of Michigan , and Rice University.  

Beyond the why major essay, many colleges will also have a why this college essay. This essay asks why you’re interested in that specific college. Some schools may combine the why this college essay and the why major essay. It can be helpful to compare colleges to help you decide which schools you prefer. In these essays, try to mention specific courses and professors. Some of the why major essay examples in this guide also function as why this college essay samples.  You can find more college essay examples here.  

Choosing your major

It’s okay if you don’t have a designated major in mind yet. While many schools will allow you to apply as an undecided student, some schools will require you to pick a major as part of your application. However, this choice often is not binding.

Reading why major essay examples can help as you choose your major and prepare to apply. If you’re not sure about your major, you can read our guide on How to Choose a Major.  

In our why major essay examples, you’ll see how your personal interests and passions can help you choose a major. Our why major essay examples demonstrate how helpful it can be for colleges to know why you’re interested in your intended major. Where do you see yourself working? What’s your favorite subject in school? Thinking through these kinds of questions (and reading college essay examples) can help you navigate the different majors available. 

Why This Major Essay Example

We’ve included five different why major essay examples below. Pay attention to how these why this major essay examples include specifics about each college. These why major college essay examples can help you understand what colleges look for in a Why Major essay. Overall, by reading college essays that worked, you can learn more about how to brainstorm and structure your own essays.

Now, let’s look at some why major college essay examples. 

UT Austin Essay Examples

Please describe your interest in your intended major and how your interest in the field developed. (250 Words)

Ut austin essay example.

Some of you may wonder ‘When will I ever use derivatives in real life?’ Welcome to when.” My physics teacher, Mr. Welsh, described engineering as the “when” math and physics were applied to real problems. That is what is so attractive about engineering; it gives me the ability to apply intriguing concepts to fascinating projects. I love how engineering combines creative freedom with mathematical certainty to create projects that can impact and change the world.

During the Chain Reaction Contraption competition, a local competition, my team and I created a Rube Goldberg machine to complete a certain task. I found a love for the hands-on, creative portion of mechanical engineering and design. Other engineering activities also provided important experiences that contributed to my desire to pursue engineering. In my engineering design class, I enjoyed using computer programs like Solidworks and AutoCAD to create designs and visualizations of ideas. In FTC Robotics, I discovered that in addition to building the robot, I also loved the programming aspect behind mechanical design.

Reflecting on these experiences with engineering, particularly mechanical engineering, I am certain that engineering is the best path for me. I hope to apply my Mechanical Engineering degree to the Aerospace field. My dad is a pilot, so I have grown up hearing about and being around airplanes. As a child, I watched war plane documentaries with my dad and have had a passion for Aeronautics since then.

Why this essay worked

This why this major essay example works because it utilizes a personal story. By using a specific experience, this essay reflects on why this student is interested in mechanical engineering. Starting with a personal anecdote is a great way to introduce your essay. By including any experience you have with a club or extracurricular, you can help the reader understand your experience within the field. 

Reading UT Austin essay examples can help you start writing your why major essay. Read through the UT Austin Degree Programs and pick the major that best aligns with your interests. Try to think about what experiences, both inside and outside of school, have piqued your interest—this can be a great way to start your why major essay. Use the UT Austin essay examples to help guide your writing process. As you draft, these why major essay examples can be a great source of inspiration.  

USC Why Major Essay

Describe how you plan to pursue your academic interests and why you want to explore them at USC specifically. Please feel free to address your first-and second-choice major selections. (300 Words)

The perks of being an English major is that you have a lot of opportunities, which I fully plan on partaking in during my time at USC. First and foremost, I hope to form close connections with my professors and to take advantage of the world-class education I’d be receiving. There is also a study abroad program specifically entwined with English that I hope to be able to participate in during my time at USC. I intend to participate and eventually help with the events that USC’s English department puts on as well.

As a sophomore, I hope to be a research assistant to a professor, hopefully someone who specializes in Romanticism or the niche field of ‘Law and Literature.’ I plan on starting research to write my own thesis during my junior year and hope to publish by my senior year. I plan on being a research assistant first because it would give me insight on the mechanics of research in the humanities and would help me formulate some ideas for my thesis early on. Since I am on the pre-law track, I hope to take advantage of USC’s resources by starting an internship.

While I have yet to declare a minor, I would like to capitalize on my love for languages by minoring in a language, and since Los Angeles and the campus of USC itself is a multicultural hub, I could immerse myself into the cultural aspects that come with learning a “new tongue.”

Why this essay worked 

This why this major essay example works because it focuses primarily on how this student will utilize the resources at USC to pursue their intended major. In this, the essay fully answers the prompt set by the USC Admissions Office. 

This USC Why Major essay mentions the specific study abroad program and the research opportunities available. In doing so, it shows how familiar this student is with the English program at USC. This USC essay also helps demonstrate the student’s excitement for the opportunities available at USC. Detailing a rough plan for each year in college is a great way to show the USC Admissions Office what you know about their school’s programs. 

This USC Why Major essay is a great example of combining a Why This Major essay example and a Why This College essay sample. Compared to the other Why Major essay examples you may read (including the one above), this USC essay is specific. Other Why Major college essay examples may be used for more than one school—often, you’ll include similar information in your supplemental essays for different schools. However, the USC Why Major essay can only be used for USC. The USC Admissions wants you to detail exactly what about USC you find appealing, and this USC essay does this very well. 

Cornell Arts and Sciences supplement essay example

Students in Arts and Sciences embrace the opportunity to delve into multifaceted academic interests, embodying in 21st century terms Ezra Cornell’s “any person … any study” founding vision. Tell us about the areas of study you are excited to explore, and specifically why you wish to pursue them in our College. (650 Words)

Cornell arts and sciences supplement essay example.

When 6:35 AM alarm rings, I find myself considering the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility–if I hit the snooze button, will my eight minutes of fragmented slumber garner more utility than a fresh-brewed cup of coffee? The trend continues throughout the day: with the release of the newest Yeezys, I contemplate bounded rationality. Though the sneakers scarcely justify the price tag of $550, the rapidly-depleting supply almost overwhelms my rational decision-making capabilities: textbook behavioral economics. As soon as I realized that my daily decisions could be explained by economics, I was determined to learn more. 

To many, the subject conjures images of stockbrokers painstakingly laboring over Excel spreadsheets; it’s easy to forget it governs our everyday lives. Half a century ago, the creation of the unassuming mortgage-backed security set the stage for the global 2008 Recession. Simultaneously, the power of economics can be awe-inspiring: Muhammad Yunus’ work with microfinance pioneered new ways to address global poverty. Studying AP Economics, participating in countless rounds of debate both in and outside the United States, self-studying courses like Professor Chetty’s Using Big Data to Solve Economic and Social Problems, and managing the budget of our schools debate team taught me that market principles govern our world; through my education, I hope to learn how to harness them for good.

After a summer working for Congressman DeSaulnier, I realized that economics and politics are intertwined. One of my most memorable projects was preparing a brief on H.R. 4674 (the College Affordability Act)–for two weeks, I scrutinized the social, political, and economic effects of the legislation, and concluded with a half-hour presentation on my findings to the Congressman. In the process, I realized that even seemingly minor pieces of legislation affect all of society; by helping disenfranchised communities gain access to education, the bill addresses cyclical poverty at the root. When the Congressman announced he would become a co-author, it was a personal victory–it cemented my desire to intertwine my passion in economics with our political process, and learn how to craft innovative legislation designed to benefit millions.

The College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell is the ideal environment for me to pursue those passions. As an aspiring Economics major, I’m incredibly excited to learn from world-renowned economists like Professor Basu. Beyond fascinating courses like Game Theory and Strategic Economics, which synthesize economics, business, politics, and diplomacy, it would be a privilege just to attend his office hours and learn from his experience as former Chief Economist at the World Bank and President of the International Economic Association. In addition to my classes, I’d love to get involved in the Hatsfield Undergraduate Research program and further my understanding of how economics can be applied. Papers like Professor Battaglini’s “The Political Economy of Weak Treaties” are fascinating to read, and it would be a phenomenal experience to receive mentorship from veterans in the field while aiding them in their work. 

I’d also love to minor in Public Policy, which seems almost tailor-made for my own career goals; the synthesis of an unparalleled education in the fundamentals of economics with courses designed to help students craft tangible policy would literally be a dream come true. Programs like Cornell in Washington promise the opportunity to get hands-on experience from Capitol Hill itself. I’d be more than happy to use my education in a Congressional Committee and get an insider perspective on the steps that go into developing, amending, and passing legislation.

The College of Arts and Sciences combines that with a robust undergraduate community, which offers unique opportunities to collaborate with a large student body and start developing a professional network–whether I’m catching a game of ice hockey or participating in Dragon Day, I know there’ll never be a dull moment. All in all, Cornell promises four truly life-changing years–I can’t wait to become a member of the Big Red community.

Reading through Cornell Arts and Sciences supplement essay examples, like the one above, can serve as an excellent case of how to combine a Why Major essay and a Why This College essay.  

Out of all the college essay examples we’ve included here, the Cornell Arts and Sciences supplement essay examples contain the most detail. This why this major essay example showcases how important it is to have exact details available about the college or program you are applying to. This student highlights several different professors at Cornell, as well as their specific work and research. The Cornell Admissions Office appreciates the time and effort put into these essays, so it’s crucial to do your research! 

This why this major essay example also uses the longer word count well. In particular, it offers personal anecdotes while showcasing the writer’s knowledge of economics. The reader gets to know the student better, and the Cornell Admissions team can see that the writer is serious about studying at Cornell. 

As you can see in these why major essay examples, the more specific details you can include about the college, the better. Reading multiple Cornell supplemental essay examples can help you explore the different programs students look forward to joining. Be sure to explore the Cornell Admissions website to review their offered fields of study .  If you’re undecided on a major, you can read through our guide on Cornell Majors here for some inspiration. You can also read more Cornell supplemental essay examples here . 

Georgia Tech Essay Examples

Next, let’s look at some essay examples from Georgia Tech. Here’s the prompt:

Why do you want to study your chosen major at Georgia Tech, and what opportunities at Georgia Tech will prepare you in that field after graduation? (300 Words)

Georgia tech essay example.

March 29, 2019. 11 AM EST. GT Shadow Day. I remember it all so clearly: Descending the red-brick steps of the Old Civil Engineering Building. My friend and I, chatting up a storm, our minds blown by our newfound perspectives. 

We had just walked out of ECON-4060: Money & Capital Markets, taught by Dr. Belton. To say that it changed my life would be no exaggeration; within an hour, Dr. Belton had upended my perception of society and defined my future aspirations. 

We had been asked to consider a popular commodity, diamonds. Hardly rare, fast-decaying, and intrinsically worthless. So why do we buy them? Dr. Belton had then illuminated the factors in our economic behavior that cause us to gift a ring in marriage rather than something with real value, say a treasury bond. These realizations were enough to rock me back on my heels, for I had never before noticed the large degree to which our everyday economic decision-making is irrational.

Craving more than that one splendid hour, I knew where and what I wanted to study for the next four years. I saw myself strolling through Bobby Dodd Way, bumping into old friends as I made my way to Midtown Atlanta. Then, I imagined myself exploring the realm of economics, probing questions ranging from price formation to income disparity. I saw myself at a place that felt familiar enough to call “home,” learning in a way that felt genuine enough to call “discovery.”

Educating myself on the mechanics of economics is just a glimpse of my great desires. Through the senior research project, I seek the one-on-one guidance of faculty in yielding a publishable journal paper. Someday, with the support of the program’s alumni network, I plan to pursue career and internship opportunities in the great company headquarters of Atlanta.

Like many of the why major essay examples we’ve highlighted, this why major essay starts with a personal anecdote.  Our Georgia Tech essay examples can be used as a why this college essay sample as well. 

The student’s personal story is tied to Georgia Tech. This makes it a great addition to a Georgia Tech application.  Our Georgia Tech essay examples also drive home the importance of bringing specific details about a college into your why major essay. The Georgia Tech supplemental essays examples can help spark your inspiration on what details to include. This why this major essay example does a great job of building on a personal experience with Georgia Tech. It also highlights what prompted the student’s interest in economics. 

Learning from Georgia Tech essay examples

Reading through Georgia Tech supplemental essays examples like the one above can teach you a lot. As you approach your essays, make sure you showcase how important it can be to reference specific classes or professors offered by a college. Use Georgia Tech essay examples to get some inspiration for your research and writing. 

If you are interested in submitting a Georgia Tech application, be sure to familiarize yourself with the offered majors. These can be found here .  The Georgia Tech supplemental essay examples can be a great research tool as well if you are unsure about picking a major. 

For more help on a Georgia Tech application, be sure to read through our guide on Georgia Tech Admissions as well. Reading through more Georgia Tech essay examples can help if you’re feeling stuck on your why major essay—it can be helpful to target your search for the major you’re interested in. The Georgia Tech supplemental essays examples illustrate the importance of building connections between your interests and what each college offers. 

Pomona College Essay Examples

What gets you excited about your academic interest selection(s) above? (300 Words)

Pomona college essay example.

I’m a cis-gender gay man. I came out to my family during my sophomore year and to my entire school in an assembly my junior year. 

My queer identity has inspired my involvement at Tony’s Place, my research on LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness, and my involvement in changing my school’s LGBTQ+ policies. Being gay has become a primary lens through which I view the world. 

The Gender & Women’s Studies Program would provide me with a critical lens to further understand my own experiences and ways I can become a better activist. 

The LGBTQ+ community is distinct from other marginalized groups because it is an umbrella of different experiences, and it takes a high level of literacy to understand these differences. The Gender & Women’s Studies Program’s emphasis on including diverse perspectives in the curriculum is crucial in my understanding of other perspectives and ways I can support others. 

For my Modern Middle East final, I wrote a forty-five page paper on LGBTQ+ movements in Middle Eastern countries. Writing this paper made me think about LGBTQ+ rights from an international perspective. Pomona’s Decolonizing Gender and Sexuality in Asian/America can advance my understanding of the cultural implications of Western colonization. In doing so, I’ll discover ways the United States can assist an LGBTQ+ social movement in other nations without imposing an imperialist definition of pride.

While researching alongside a University of Houston professor, I had to consider the relationship between disabilities and LGBTQ+ homeless youth’s mental health outcomes. Taking The Disability Studies: Foundations, Intersections, & Future class will help me better empathize with the different communities represented in my future research endeavors. 

By linking queer theory to disciplines such as economics, media studies, and politics, The Gender & Women’s Studies Program will prepare me for a lifetime of activism.

This why this major essay example does a great job of connecting this student’s personal identity and experiences to their intended major. This Pomona essay gives the reader insight into who the student is. It also highlights how their identity has informed their academic passions. 

Out of all the Pomona majors, this student describes a specific program that spoke to their long-term goals. Reading through the Pomona College essay examples can help you structure your Pomona essay. This why this major essay example also has a great structure. It opens with a personal anecdote and segues into specific details about Pomona naturally. As such, this why this major essay example feels cohesive and clear. 

When reading through college essay examples, pay attention to how closely they follow the exact prompt directions. The Pomona College essay examples highlight how important it is to answer the prompt. Your Pomona essay should explain why your intended major excites you. Make sure you read through the offered Pomona majors, found here. The Pomona College essay examples can also help you narrow down your options from the many Pomona majors offered. The reader can feel how excited this student is to pursue their major at Pomona, making it a great why this college essay sample as well! 

How to write a Why Major Essay

After reading through the why major college essay examples, you may still feel stuck on how to write a why major essay. The first step to writing a why major essay is to pick your major. 

While this may seem obvious, this can be a difficult step for a lot of students. There are many great guides on picking a college major, including our own guide . There are also guides from U.S. News , Research.com , and Coursera . Additionally, you can review the data collected by the National Center for Education Statistics on the most popular college majors. Reading about different majors (and reading different why did you choose this major essay examples) can help you decide which path of study is best for you. 

You can also read a number of college essays that worked from Johns Hopkins University here . These can help you explore different areas of study and see how other students have described their experiences. Additionally, you can read our guides on college search , building a college list , and how to compare colleges . 

Beginning your writing process

Once you know what major to pick, the fun part starts. Read some why did you choose this major essay examples and think of your own experience. Was there a class you took that sparked your interest or a club that inspired a new academic passion? What subjects or topics within this major speaks to you the most? Start reading why major essay examples for your intended major—they may help you focus your interest. 

Let’s think through how a student may tackle a why major essay. Imagine a student named Isla who plans to study biology in college. When sitting down to write her why major essay, she might research each school’s biology programs in depth. Then, she might pick one or two classes for each school and look up what research projects the professors design. 

She’ll also think about why she wants to study biology. She can still remember how captivated she was during her biology classes and how excited she was to learn more—this can be a great start to her essay. Isla can build her why major essay around her personal interests and the research she’s done. The Why Major essay gives Isla a great opportunity to explain her passions and to show schools she is serious about her goals. 

Why engineering essay

If you’re interested in applying to engineering programs, your why engineering essay should detail what subjects within engineering you find compelling. Some schools will have you write a why engineering essay as part of their application process. Some of these include Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering and the California Institute of Technology . 

When writing your why engineering essay, it can be helpful to include the specific field you’re interested in, such as mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, or computer engineering. Research the programs you’re applying to. Then, try to include any recent projects or news in your why engineering essay. Overall, a why engineering essay should explain your interest, include relevant information about each school and showcase your knowledge in engineering. 

In addition to the UT Austin why this major essay example included in this guide, research other college essays that worked specifically to engineering. Reading why major essay examples for engineering programs can teach you more about the programs that interest you. If you’re feeling stuck, read more why did you choose this major essay examples for some inspiration!

Why business major essay

As the most popular major for undergraduate students, writing a why business major essay can be intimidating. Since business is such a popular major, many why major essay examples will focus on business. Some schools will have you write a specific why business major essay. For example, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan Ross School of Business require them. You can also refer to the Cornell why this major essay example included in this guide. 

Try to include specific details about your experiences to ground your why business major essay. Think about your future career goals—do you have a dream company you’d like to work for? Look into each business program as well. Do they have any exciting internship programs, or connections with local businesses? Breaking down your goals and detailing what makes you excited about the specific program can help you write your why business major essay. 

Reading college essay examples specific to business programs can help as well. You may find more essays geared towards graduate degrees, but researching why did you choose this major essay examples for business can help target your search. Reading why major essay examples for business programs can also help you see what specific schools look for.

Why nursing essay

Nursing is quickly becoming one of the fastest-growing professions in the United States. Writing a why nursing essay can be a core component of applying to nursing programs. This includes applying to programs at the University of Virginia and the University of California, Los Angeles . So, reading a why this major essay example for nursing can help jumpstart your writing process. 

Your why nursing essay should explain your passion for the field. In your why nursing essay, be sure to include any personal stories you may have regarding nursing and the health field. Many why major essay examples for nursing include personal stories to help explain the student’s interest in healthcare.

Your why nursing essay should also be as specific as possible. Is there a specialization you’re interested in? Be sure to reflect on caretaking and share any personal experience you may have. These can elevate your why nursing essay. Additionally, if you’ve volunteered in a healthcare facility or have any experience with the profession, include these details in your essay. Overall, your why nursing essay should explain to the reader why you’re passionate about such an important field. It should also outline your future career goals within healthcare. 

Other CollegeAdvisor Resources on College Majors

If you’re still feeling stuck on picking a major for your why major essay, CollegeAdvisor is here to help. In addition to these why major essay examples, you can review our guide on college majors here . This guide includes college-specific resources, but we also have a guide on listing a college major . Beyond that, we have guides for business majors and computer science majors. Additionally, we have guides on college enrollment , study abroad , and test scores . 

Reading these different guides, alongside these why major essay examples, can help you navigate the wide array of majors. Once you find a major you’re interested in, reading why major essay examples for your specific major can help you start writing your why major essay. 

Why This Major Essay Examples – Final Thoughts

Applying to college may feel overwhelming, but researching schools and majors is a crucial first step. Reading college essays that worked can help you understand what goes into a great why major essay. 

Even if you’re not sure about your intended major, reading through why did you choose this major essay examples can help in the decision-making process. Arming yourself with information about each program will help, too. Reading why major college essay examples can provide specific inspiration for the programs you’re interested in. Focus on what excites you about each school’s program, and you’ll have a great starting point for your why major essay!

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Duke University is an Ivy League college in Durham, North Carolina, that consistently ranks in the top 10 national universities. It has an undergraduate population of 6,500 students, and in the 2020-2021 admissions, there was only a 5.8% acceptance rate. 

As a highly-selective university, Duke’s supplemental essays help personalize the admissions process, so that the admissions committee can admit a diverse incoming class. This is true of many institutions; look at Emory supplemental essays for further inspiration.

Duke supplemental essays for 2022-23: requirements and guidelines

College Essays: Supplemental Essays

Supplemental essays are an imperative part of the college application process. Click here to read more

Duke University essays are a crucial part of your college application. Use each Duke University application essay to show that you are invested in your education and are passionate about attending Duke. The admissions committee wants to admit a diverse, passionate group of students. 

Each Duke admissions essay gives you the chance to convey more about your personality, goals, and passions. Take advantage of each of these essay questions to personalize your college application and give yourself a competitive edge. 

Test scores and high school GPAs are important but supplemental essays are key in the Duke application process.

Why Duke essay: 5 tips that can help you earn admission to Duke University

As with many highly-selective institutions, Duke University requires at least one supplemental essay, often referred to as the “why Duke essay.” This essay prompt is as follows: Please share with us why you consider Duke a good match for you. Is there something in particular about Duke’s academic or other offerings that attract you? (200 words maximum)  

Admissions officers want to admit students who are passionate about attending Duke and plan to fully take advantage of its unique educational opportunities. Use this Duke writing supplement to show that you have researched Duke University thoroughly and are passionate about their unique opportunities, especially as they relate to your academic and professional goals. 

In this article, we will focus on tips and strategies for how to write Duke supplemental essays, as well as look at several accepted Duke essay examples. 

Use detailed language

The more specific you can be, the better! Reference specific courses, programs, and professors by name. Duke wants to admit Duke students who will take advantage of as many opportunities as possible. 

Naming specific aspects of Duke’s unique curriculum shows that you are passionate about the school and are able to take initiative. Mention any specific internships, majors, minors, certificates, classes, research opportunities, and clubs/sports teams that interest you.

State your goals clearly

Use this Duke supplement to state your personal, educational, and professional goals clearly. Of course, not all incoming freshmen will know what they want to study — and this is okay! — but do your best to write clearly and with intention. Write about your interests, passions, and ideas for the future.

Use the tone of your essay to reflect your personality

Duke writing supplements are meant to personalize the admissions process. Give the admissions committee a reason to choose you by showing them a bit more of your overall personality. 

Use words and phrases that reflect the way you speak, think or interact with the world. Be creative. Funny. Thoughtful. Use this personal statement to demonstrate who you are and what you’re passionate about. How can you contribute to the Duke community?

How can Duke help you reach your goals?

While it’s important to include lots of personal details about your goals and passions, it is just as important, if not even more important, to connect every personal detail back to Duke University. 

How can Duke University, specifically, help you reach your personal, educational, and professional goals? While preparing your response to this Duke essay prompt, read each of your sentences carefully and ask yourself if each and every detail can be connected back to Duke University.

Duke University supplemental essay prompts

In addition to the “why Duke essay” prompt, there are two Duke optional essays. Duke essay prompts are designed so that the admissions committee can gain a more holistic understanding of each applicant. 

Use your Duke supplement essays to show the true depth of your character, goals, and passions to strengthen your overall application and personalize the admissions process.

Prompt 1: perspective and experience

The first of the two optional essays focuses on your perspectives and experiences. The prompt is as follows:

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 you’d like to share a perspective you bring or experiences you’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 words maximum)

Strategies to consider for this prompt.

The most important thing to do for this 250-word essay is to be sincere. While some students may already have lots of interesting and inspiring life experiences, this is certainly not always the case. 

Do not exaggerate or make anything up in this essay! Be genuine and sincere. The Duke admissions committee wants to get to know you, so make sure you give them that chance.

Again, this is the most important strategy for addressing this Duke essay prompt. Be.     genuine and speak earnestly.

Write concisely

      To do this well, focus on including lots of detailed language. You only have 250         words to convey something deeply personal, so make each word, phrase, and            sentence count!

   A helpful strategy for writing succinctly and powerfully is to not worry about the       word limit initially. Free write. Get all your ideas on paper. Sometimes you need to start writing to gain momentum and realize your most important details.   

Think outside the box!

What is the most engaging way to tell your story? Even if you don’t have a particularly unique story, you can still be creative! Consider the overall structure of your essay thoroughly before you begin. 

If you are interested in theater, perhaps you could write your essay with stage directions. If you’re interested in science, perhaps you could structure your essay in the style of a lab report. The possibilities are endless!

Prompt 2: sexual orientation and gender identity

The second of the two Duke optional essays focuses on sexual orientation and gender identity. The essay prompt is as follows:

Duke’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 words maximum)

Remember, this essay is optional. Only include this essay if your gender or sexual identity has played a significant role in your life experiences. Generally speaking, only include this essay if you are a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.

As with the other Duke writing supplementals, use detailed language. Be specific and precise. Share lots of personal details. This does not mean you have to be overly personal and share experiences you would rather keep to yourself. Always respect your boundaries! Rather, focus on details that will contribute to the overall tone and imagery of your essay. Try to personalize your statement so that it is memorable.

It’s about your sexual identity — not about sex

Use discretion when writing about this prompt. Remember, you are writing about your identity, not about your sexual experiences.

Don’t worry about defining terms

Don’t feel pressured to use defining terms. It’s okay to not know how to label your experiences, just as it’s okay (and good!) to change your mind. Focus on writing honestly and authentically, without necessarily worrying about terms. 

The Duke essays that worked: winning Duke supplement essay examples

One of the best ways to prepare for your Duke application is to read several accepted Duke essays. There are lots of Duke supplement essay samples online for you to peruse. 

Gain insight into what the admissions committee is looking for by examining at least one Duke optional essay example before beginning your writing process.

Essay example #1

I love many things, but learning and sports top the list. the moment i stepped onto duke’s campus, i leaned over to my mother, gasping, and said, “whoa,” even before beginning my tour. i was stunned to immediately see signs of my loves everywhere. my dreams of tenting in k-ville for the annual duke-unc game almost made my mouth water. as for learning, the cross-disciplinary study options that duke offers ignite my passions. i have always loved business, and as i have aged, i discovered a deep interest in education. at duke, i saw the opportunity to combine these two interests in many ways. i would love to initiate lunches with professor elizabeth garcia, whose work focuses on educational motivation, and mark t. brown, director of the management communications center. exploring commonalities in business and educational spheres would be uplifting, and will engage all of my most profound interests., why did this essay work.

This essay is detailed, well-paced, and clearly shows the student’s personal and academic passions. The tone is upbeat and excitable. As a reader, you get a glimpse into who this student is as a person — what motivates them and brings them joy. 

The student clearly states why they are passionate about attending Duke, and the fact that they mention specific professors and programs by name shows that they can take initiative and are passionate about their course of study.

Essay example #2

I look around my room, dimly lit by an orange light. on my desk, a framed picture of an asian family beaming their smiles, buried among us history textbooks and the great gatsby. a korean ballad streams from two tiny computer speakers. pamphlets of american colleges scattered on the floor. a cold december wind wafts a strange infusion of ramen and leftover pizza. on the wall in the far back, a korean flag hangs beside a led zeppelin poster. , do i consider myself korean or american, a few years back, i would have replied: “neither.” the frustrating moments of miscommunication, the stifling homesickness, and the impossible dilemma of deciding between the korean or american table in the dining hall, all fueled my identity crisis., standing in the “foreign passports” section at jfk, i have always felt out of place. sure, i held a korean passport in my hands, and i loved kimchi and yuna kim and knew the korean anthem by heart. but i also loved macaroni and cheese and lebron. deep inside, i feared i’d be labeled by my airport customs category: a foreigner everywhere., this ambiguity, however, has granted me the opportunity to absorb the best of both worlds. look at my dorm room. this mélange of cultures in my east-meets-west room embodies the diversity that characterizes my international student life., i’ve learned to accept my “ambiguity” as “diversity,” as a third-culture student embracing both identities., now, i can proudly answer: “both.”.

The use of imagery in this essay is particularly impressive and effectively acts as an anchor and overall structure for the essay. By seeing the inside of this student’s dorm room you are able to gain insight into their inner world. You get a clear understanding of their likes, interests, and priorities. You are also privy to their inner trepidations, cultural insecurities, and personal growth. 

By including so many personal details and examples, the student can demonstrate what both their Korean and American cultural identities mean to them. This essay’s sincerity and candor are what help this student stand apart from other applicants.

Essay example #3

I belong to a community of storytellers. throughout my childhood, my mother and i spent countless hours immersed in the magical land of bedtime stories. we took daring adventures and explored faraway lands. imagination ran wild, characters came to life, and i became acquainted with heroes and lessons that continue to inspire me today. it was a ritual that i will never forget., in school, i met many other storytellers—teachers, coaches, and fellow students whose stories taught me valuable lessons and enabled me to share stories of my own. my stories took shape through my involvement with theatre. i have learned that telling stories can be just as powerful as hearing them. when i tell a story, i can shape the world i live in and share my deepest emotions with the audience. this is exactly why i love theatre so much. the audience can relate to the story in many of the same powerful ways that i do., i love to perform with my theatre class to entertain and educate young audiences throughout my community. to tell our stories, we travel to elementary and middle schools performing plays that help educate younger students of the dangers of drugs, alcohol, and bullying. as storytellers, we aim to touch lives and better the world around us through our stories..

This essay is well organized and follows a clear narrative arc. The student uses this essay to display their strong storytelling skills and abilities. Not only does this essay demonstrate the student’s passion for theater and its communicative potential, but it also shows their level of engagement with their craft and community. 

This essay covers a lot of material in a small space. The student starts their essay with their childhood and their overall source of inspiration, addresses their background in theater thoroughly yet succinctly, and ends with their plans and excitement for the future.

Key takeaways on Duke University supplemental essays

For your Duke writing supplements, focus on writing detailed, concise statements. Make each word, phrase, and sentence count. Be sincere and authentic. For the Duke optional essays, ask yourself if responding to each of these prompts will enhance your overall application. Use your best judgment. 

Take time to honestly reflect on your answers and decide if each of these prompts will give your application a competitive edge. Sometimes less is more, so don’t feel pressured to respond to the optional prompts if they don’t resonate with you. 

FAQs related to Duke supplemental essays

Read on for some frequently asked questions and their answers as you organize yourself and prepare for college applications.

How many supplemental essays does Duke have?

Duke University has three supplemental essays. One of these supplemental essays is required; the two others are optional. The required Duke essay is often referred to as the “why Duke essay.” The two optional prompts differ year to year but generally focus on life experiences and cultural diversity.

Should I answer the Duke optional essays?

Use these essays to further personalize your application. Duke is highly-selective, so take advantage of every opportunity to make your application memorable. If you are struggling to come up with meaningful responses, however, the optional essays may not enhance your application. Always be genuine and sincere. Do not exaggerate personal details to seem like a more desirable applicant. 

When do the Duke supplemental essays come out?

Duke supplemental essay prompts are typically released by mid-August. Check their website to stay the most up-to-date. The prompts will be released by the time the common application is open. 

How do you stand out to Duke?

Use each Duke application essay to show off your passions and personality. Do your best to write creative, genuine, well-structured essays. To stand out, you need detailed, memorable essays. As you respond to each Duke essay prompt, ask yourself if your answers are interesting, engaging, unique, or creative in some way. Even if you don’t necessarily have a unique answer, you can find a unique way to share your experiences. Think outside the box!

• August 9, 2022
• 11th Grade , 12th Grade , College Admissions

How to write Duke supplemental essays (2022-23 essay prompts guide)

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How to write the ‘why this major’ essay

How to write the “why this major” supplemental essay.

Bonus Material: PrepMaven’s 50+ Real Supplemental Essays for Ivy+ Schools

If you’re in the process of applying to colleges, you likely already know that many universities (especially top-tier schools like Ivies) ask you to write essays in response to supplemental prompts. 

When it comes to selective schools, these supplemental essays make a huge difference! Some schools even prioritize your supplemental essays over your Common App personal statement. 

One of the most common supplemental essay prompts asks you to explain your choice of major or academic interest. In this guide, we’ll break down exactly what you need to do to craft the perfect response to this prompt. 

As universities get more and more selective, you’ll want to make sure you do everything possible to ensure your admissions application is perfect. At PrepMaven, that’s exactly what we do: for years, our expert tutors have guided students through the college application process, helping them land acceptances at schools like Princeton, Harvard, and MIT. 

Read on for our guide–backed up by years of experience–on how to approach the “Why this major?” essay prompt. 

Download 50+ Real Supplemental Essays for Ivy+ Schools

Jump to section: What is the “Why this major” essay? Examples of “Why this major” prompts What are colleges looking for when they ask “Why this major?” Start with a story or a question Get into “why” Get into “how” Things to avoid Next steps

What is the “Why this major” essay?

This essay prompt can come in many forms, but the fundamental idea is the same. Colleges want to hear about what academic subject interests you and why. 

Sometimes, the college will ask you about major choice specifically; other times, they may ask you about “academic/intellectual interests.” Really, these come down to the same thing: what’s interesting to you, and why do you wish to pursue it?

At the same time, many schools will ask you how you plan to pursue this academic interest at their university specifically. This doesn’t change the core of the essay, but it does mean you’ll have to include specific information about the university you’re applying to, and how their academic offerings intersect with your own interests. 

After the “Why us?” prompts (on which we have a detailed guide here ), this is probably the most common supplemental essay prompt you’ll encounter, so you’ll want to make sure that you’re ready for this one well ahead of the application deadlines. 

Below, we’ll walk you through what these prompts look like, and what you need to do to answer them effectively. 

Examples of “Why this major” prompts

Lots of schools ask a version of this question, but each university has their own spin on it. Take a look below for some examples from the 2022-2023 application cycle: 

Describe how you plan to pursue your academic interests and why you want to explore them at USC specifically. Please feel free to address your first- and second-choice major selections. (Approximately 250 words, USC) Most students choose their intended major or area of study based on a passion or inspiration that’s developed over time – what passion or inspiration led you to choose this area of study? (300 words, Carnegie Mellon) What academic areas are you interested in exploring in college? (200 words, Emory University)

As you can see, each of these looks a bit different, but really they all want to know the same thing: what interests you, and why?

What are colleges looking for when they ask “Why this major?”

Simply put, they want to see whether you’re really passionate about something. Almost nothing is as impressive to college admissions officers as real, demonstrated passion for some particular interest. 

College admissions committees want to see that you really care about some topic, that you’re the kind of student who has thought carefully about what they want to pursue. Why? Well, students with real passion for what they study are just more likely to achieve impressive things and to really give their all to their major.

Ultimately, you can think of your response to this prompt breaking down into three key components: 

• Explain what you’re interested in specifically.
• Show, with details from your life, why it interests you.
• Address how you’ll engage the specific resources of the college you’re applying to. 

The good news is that, because this essay is mostly about you and your interests, you can develop a template and reuse it anytime you’re asked a version of this question. While you’ll want to edit it a bit for each school, you won’t have to start from scratch! 

Below, we’ll run down what one of these essays needs to have to wow admissions officers. Although this guide should give you the information you need, there’s never a substitute for a real college essay expert who can help you with your essay live–we always recommend reaching out to one of our essay coaches if you want to maximize your chances of admission.

• Start with a story or a question

This is often the advice with all college essays, and it’s no less true here: you want to start with something that grabs the reader’s attention. For these essays, think about it as giving your intellectual interests a sort of origin story. There are lots of people who want to study any particular major–if you want to stand out from those thousands of other applicants, you’ll want to connect your choice of major with something unique and personal. 

The easiest way of doing this is to tell a (very) brief story about where this interest of yours comes from. When did you realize you wanted to pursue, say, neuroscience or English? What event in your life sparked this interest? If you can tell a concise story that describes that moment, you’ll immediately stand out to college admissions committees. 

Alternatively, you can start with a question (or multiple) that demonstrates how deeply you’ve already thought about your academic interests. For example, if you want to study history, you could start by posing some historical questions that interest you and you wish to pursue further. 

You’ll want to be careful with the questions approach, however: if you ask questions that are too basic or come off as uninformed, you’ll actually hurt your case. You want to make sure that these are real, serious questions that only someone who truly cares about your field of study would be asking. 

Whether you choose to start with a question or a story, you’ll want to ensure that it’s specific and unique to you. The way to hook a reader–especially a picky college admission officer–is to show them something they haven’t seen before. 

Take a look at a few of the real supplemental essays collected in our free guide , and take careful note of how each one begins with something unique to hook in admissions committees!

• Get into “why”

Once you’ve introduced your choice of major or academic interest with an anecdote or question, it’s time to get into why it appeals to you. This is trickier than it may seem, and really requires some thought. How do you explain why you’re interested in a particular field to someone who likely isn’t?

The keys here are passion and specifics. The more passionate and evocative your language, the better you’ll be able to convey to admissions committees that you really do care about what you’re studying. And the more specific you’re able to be–raising specific issues or questions–about your choice of major, the more it’ll seem like you really know your stuff. 

This is also a great place for you to introduce specific experiences you’ve had that relate to this academic interest or major. Did you do some kind of research? Have you done a really deep dive on a particular author or topic? Did you participate in an internship or similar work experience?

If you can reference anything like one of the above, that’ll be a great addition to the body of your essay. You can use these experiences as a springboard to get into a discussion of why this field interests you. Perhaps you really fell in love with lab research or spent a lot of time digging through archives of 19th century writers–in any case, you’ll want to highlight those specific experiences as you explain why you want to pursue your chosen field. 

Not sure what kind of “why” explanation will really stand out to admissions committees? The best way to be sure is to work with someone who has experience wowing admissions committees themselves. That’s why we always recommend getting a bit of professional help from one of our many Ivy League essay tutors. 

• Get into “how”

Some schools ask for this explicitly, and some don’t, but as long as you have the space, you should address how the specific academic resources of the school you’re applying to can help you pursue your interests. 

This part doesn’t have to be long, but it is an important thing to add. Think about it this way: each school you apply to wants to know that you’re actually interested in going there. The best way to prove that is to show that there are specific, unique elements of that school that appeal to you. 

What kinds of things can you discuss here? The best resource is likely going to be the website of the specific academic department for your major. There, you can find specific information on:

• Research programs
• Work/internship/coop opportunities
• Unique curricular offerings
• Unusual minors or specializations
• Service learning opportunities 
• Thesis/honors opportunities

Each school will naturally be a bit different, so this part of your essay should change from application to application. While you don’t want to go overboard here, showing that you’ve done your research into a particular school will go a long way to showing them you actually want to attend their university. And that can make a huge difference. 

Things to avoid

While you’re doing all this, there are a few things you should avoid writing in your essays. Some of the Don’ts we list below are just too cliche; others are actually red flags for college admissions committees. 

Don’t: 

• Reference money as a primary reason for your major choice.
• It’s fine to be undecided! But even then you should discuss what kinds of things interest you and why. 
• Randomly name-drop professors or classes as the university you’re applying to. 
• Forget to include a specific story, question, or hook to get the reader interested.

Though the steps here might seem simple, they can be astoundingly hard to pull off in just 250 words or less, which is usually the word count for this kind of supplemental essay. But if you can thread the needle and do everything listed above on this kind of essay, it can make a huge difference for your application. 

Most people don’t treat the supplemental essays as if they were particularly important, but they absolutely are: each college has put time and resources into coming up with these supplemental essay prompts because they want to see what you have to say. 

If you’ve read this guide carefully, then it’s time to start drafting! If you want to ensure that you’re writing the kind of essay that can get you into a top tier school, however, it often pays to get a second opinion. Our college essay experts have helped thousands of students get admitted into their dream schools, and are ready to help you do the same as soon as you’re ready. 

For over 50 examples of real supplemental essays that got students into schools like Princeton, check out our free collection of sample supplemental essays below–many of these are in response to the “Why major?” prompt!

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6 Duke Supplemental Essays That Worked for 2023

Getting into Duke University is difficult in 2023. But you make sure you have your best chances by writing great supplemental essays.

In this article, I've gathered 6 essays from admitted Duke students so you can get inspired.

What is Duke University's Acceptance Rate?

Duke University has highly competitive admissions, and this past year over 45,000 students applied to Duke. Duke had an overall acceptance rate of 4.8%.

Duke University Acceptance Scattergram

If Duke is your top choice school, then consider applying Early Decision. For the Class of 2026, the acceptance rate for ED admissions was 21.3%!

Regardless of if you apply regular or early, admissions to Duke is competitive. But that only means writing stellar essays matters even more.

What are the Duke University Supplemental Prompts for 2022-23?

This year Duke asks applicants to write one required essay of 200 words and two optional essays of 250 words each.

Here are the 2022-23 Duke writing supplement prompts:

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

We want to emphasize that the following questions are optional. Feel free to answer them if you feel that doing so will add something meaningful that is not already expressed elsewhere in your application. If you have already addressed either or both of these questions in your application, please don’t worry about leaving them blank. We appreciate how much time it takes to fill out this and your other college applications.

• 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 you'd like to share a perspective you bring or experiences you'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)

Duke University Nondiscrimination Statement

• Duke’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 in these areas, you can do so here or, if you feel you have adequately represented your gender and sexual orientation in other parts of your application, feel free to not respond to this prompt. (250 words maximum)

If you're serious about getting into Duke, you should definitely answer the second optional prompt.

Because everybody has a unique background, and this prompt is another opportunity to show admissions officers why you deserve admission.

6 Duke University EssaysThatWorked

Here are 6 of the best Duke essays that worked that respond to the writing supplement.

I've also included an example of a Common App personal statement essay from an admitted Duke student.

Let's get started and inspired writing great admissions essays like these.

• Duke University Essay Example #1
• Duke University Essay Example #2
• Duke University Essay Example #3
• Duke University Essay Example #4
• Duke University Essay Example #5
• Duke University Essay Example #6

#1. Duke "Diversity" Essay Example

Prompt: 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 you'd like to share a perspective you bring or experiences you'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 words max)

The pitter patter of droplets, the sweet smell that permeates throughout the air, the dark grey clouds that fill the sky, shielding me from the otherwise intense gaze of the sun, create a landscape unparalleled by any natural beauty. I have gazed upon the towering cliffs of Yosemite, stood next to Niagara falls as the water roars, succumbing to the power of gravity, and seen the beaches of Mexico basked in moonlight, yet none of these wonders compares to the simple beauty of an Arizona rainstorm. To me, our rain represents more than humidity and darkness; its rarity gives it beauty. The uncertainty of when the next day of rain will come compels me to slow down, and enjoy the moment.

Out of the three realms of time; past, present, and future, the present is the only one we can experience, and I take advantage of every moment I have. When I pause my running to enjoy a sunset that dazzles the sky with brilliant colors of purple and orange, when I touch my brush to a canvas and focus on my movements in the present, when I drive home after a long day of improving our robot, and decide to drive around my neighborhood to finish “Garota de Ipanema”, which just popped up from my playlist of 700 songs, I am taking advantage of the moment.

So next time it rains, step outside. Close your eyes. Hear the symphony of millions of water droplets. And enjoy the moment.

#2. Duke "Diversity" Essay Example

Prompt: We seek a diverse student body that embodies the wide range of human experience. In that context, we are interested in what you’d like to share about your lived experiences and how they’ve influenced how you think of yourself. (250 words max)

Ever since I can remember, the comforting lullabies my mother sang to me planted a deep seed in my mind. In my dreams, I began a journey for my identity to discover the hidden stories within those songs. Perhaps that's what led me to explore Hindustani music. "Sa-re-ga" encodes my ancestors' songs just like "do-re-mi." With this solfege, I began exploring a vocal part of my culture, collecting the keys to my identity.

Each song I learned further educated me about myths and legends that helped form who I am today.

When I face adversity in male-dominated activities, I remember Sita, who fought heroically in revolutionary conflicts hundreds of years ago. This has empowered me to believe in my talents and goals, whether I am doing research or organizing a STEM fair in my community. The character Arjuna, who became one of the best archers, taught me perseverance and a desire to learn from others. When chosen to fly to Denmark to play badminton with local clubs, I embraced this experience to play among outstanding competitors and to enhance my competitive abilities. As an Asian American, I am reminded by the Indian National Anthem that I am an American and an Indian.

I plan to bring my music and stories with me to college. The keyboard in my Duke dorm will ring with strong Hindustani notes. I hope to share with my dorm mates and friends the history of those heroes and the strength I gleam from them every day.

Learn the secrets of successful top-20 college essays

Join 4,000+ students and parents that already receive our 5-minute free newsletter , packed with top-20 essay examples, writing tips & tricks, and step-by-step guides.

#3. Duke "Why Engineering" Essay Example

Prompt: If you are applying to the Pratt School of Engineering as a first-year applicant, please discuss why you want to study engineering and why you would like to study at Duke. (150 words max)

At Duke I was equally entranced by the articulate movements of 3D printers in the Co-Lab and the stunning Gothic architecture. Instead of forming a dichotomy, these aspects of Duke blended to symbolize its emphasis on interdisciplinary education, which will offer me a nuanced perspective of the world integral to becoming a leader in engineering.

I will join the Academy for Model Aeronautics and share my passion for designing drones, while taking fascinating courses such as “Taboo Markets” and “Banality of Evil”, while simultaneously working on an engineering project that improves real people’s lives in “Engineering Design”. By joining the Duke Robotics Club, I can expand upon my love for robotics, and I hope to write for the Duke Engineering magazine, as well as join the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. By drawing from this diverse range of educational experiences, I can become a leader in creating a better future.

#4. Duke Personal Statement Example: "Forest of Lights"

Common App Prompt #7: Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. (250-650 words)

The diamond leaves of gnarled oak trees throw spectrums of color onto mounds of frosty snow that gleam melancholily under the moonlight. The leaves chime as wind violently rustles them in a haunting melody. I splinter a leaf off its branch and inspect the shard of my illusion, eyes dancing with amusement.

As I dwell in my worries, a cold hand reaches from behind me and taps my shoulder.

I jerk away, fear bubbling in my amygdala as I look into the nonexistent eyes of my intruding visitor.

The moon illuminates a blob of pink squish as it draws back slowly, points its spindly hands towards my drink and asks: “Could I have some of that?”

The blob wipes its invisible mouth with its nonexistent sleeve. I ask: “What are you?”

The blob tells me to stop looking at it so suspiciously. “I can prove it,” It says. I tell it, please, go ahead.

Suddenly we are back in the glowing forest. “Diamonds? Pah!” The blob dismisses them. Instantly, the leaves turn solid gold, the snow melts, and the wintry world is thrown into a blistering summer.

The blob laughs heartlessly. “Your cortex is under my control,” it says smugly.

“I heard you had a question for me?” It taps its invisible ears knowingly.

The blob wriggles its invisible brows as it waits.

It smiles that wicked smile. It laughs that sinful laugh. Then that insufferable blob wakes me up.

As I sit up in the dark and rub my bleary eyes, I am vaguely aware of the deep­set unfulfillment settling itself inside me. I yawn and plop back into bed, the soft red glow of my alarm clock indicating that it is still before midnight.

Why This Essay Works:

One thing is for sure about this essay: it has a unique idea that has surely not been written before. Regardless of your topic, you want your essay to be unique in some way, even if it isn't as fantastical as this essay. You can use a unique structure, such as having central symbolism, metaphor, or being structured as a recipe, for example. But this can easily become "gimmicky" if it doesn't have a clear purpose. In general, the most effective way to have a unique essay is to focus on having deep and unique ideas and reflections. By focusing on interesting takeaways and connections that are ultra-specific to you and your experiences, your essay will standout regardless of the structure.

What They Might Improve:

This essay uses a lot of fiction-like writing that is fantastical and "flowery." Although moments of this kind of writing can make your essay more vivid, it is quite easy to end up with dense storytelling and descriptions that ultimately don't share anything interesting about you. The purpose of your essay is ultimately to learn about you: your values, your ideas, your identity, etc. By using dense story-like writing, it can be easy to lose focus of what admissions officers are looking for. In general, avoid writing "fancy" stories like this essay, unless you have a clear and distinct purpose for doing so. Everything in your essay should have a purpose in "going somewhere" (i.e. reaching interesting ideas and takeaways).

This essay is definitely creative, but lacks meaningful takeaways and ideas. By the end of the essay, we don't know much about the author besides the fact that they have an affinity for creative writing and are "on a search." Although the content is unique, the end result comes off as quite generic and surface-level because no interesting thoughts are explored deeply. The most interesting part of this essay is "I open my mouth and ask it my most crucial question," but this is super unsatisfying because the question is never divulged. Instead, the reader is teased by this fantasy story and the essay goes nowhere meaningful, which comes off as gimmicky and "creative for creative's sake," rather than deeply personal and interesting.

This essay ends on the idea of "continuing my search," but for what exactly? It is never explained, elaborated, or even implied (besides one reference to painting earlier). That makes this conclusion comes off as somewhat surface-level and uninteresting. Admissions officers won't care about "your search" unless they have a reason to care. That is, unless it tells something specific about you. On it's own, this idea of "exploring" and "searching" is meaningless because it is too broad and unelaborated.

#5. Duke Personal Statement Example: "Shadow-Box Stick Art"

Common App Prompt #5: Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. (250-650 words)

This essay shows a strong thinking ability because the author shows how they view the world differently than others. Specifically, the author is able to see something as mundane as fallen branches as an opportunity to create artwork. Showing how you view things differently is a great way to demonstrate your unique perspective. Another strategy is to think deeply about things that are often easily overlooked or things that are mundane on the surface. Everything can be reflected upon deeply, and doing so shows a strong thinking ability and level of thoughtfulness. Ask yourself: what do you see differently than others around you? What do you find fun that others find "hard"? What do you find fascinating that others find "boring"? What is something mundane in your life that you do, and what's the greater meaning behind it?

This essay uses a lot of narrative writing—that is, recounting of a specific story and moment. While most essays use storytelling, what most applicants get wrong is they describe unimportant details to the story. Don't write like a fiction book and describe everything in the scene, like what others were wearing, what people looked like, what the environment was, each small action that took place. This is a common mistake that students make in trying to write compelling stories, but it ends up with a lot of unnecessary details. This author shows how a story can still take up a lot of the essay, while also including interesting reflections throughout the story and making it purposeful by only including details that move the story forward.

This essay has a somewhat unexpected conclusion where the author connects to their significant accomplishment of starting and running a charity. Even though this is such a large and meaningful activity, the author chose to only write about it when it came in naturally and not make it the whole focus of the essay. Counterintuitively, by de-emphasizing your biggest accomplishments, they will seem more impactful and you will seem more ambitious. This is because students often try to showcase their achievements and make them the focal point, but instead if you have the attitude of, "Yeah, this is what I did, but really it is nothing in comparison to what I'm going to do" it makes your accomplishments even more impactful. You don't want to be nonchalant, but you do want to make your accomplishments small in comparison to your future goals and achievements, which will show both humility and ambition.

This essay is almost 100 words less than what is given. In general, you should try and make your essays as close to the word limit as possible. Why? Because you should have a lot to say and it should be a challenge to fit it all into your essay, not the other way around. Especially for personal statement essays, its almost always better to use most of the words. Being within 10-20 words of the limit is usually the target. In this essay, they could include further meaningful details that make their essay more vivid. They could describe what their "stick art" actually looks like, because it is hard for the reader to imagine since it is an obscure type of artwork. They could reflect on the impact of their charity: how many people did it help so far? What are their goals for the future of it? What have been challenges with it? Don't add words just to add words, however. As with everything, each sentence should be meaningful and have a clear purpose, but this essay could definitely use more words.

#6. Duke Personal Statement Example: "Kiki's Delivery Service"

Common App Prompt #6: Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more? (250-650 words)

I spent much of my childhood watching movies. I became absolutely engrossed in many different films, TV shows, and animations. From the movie theatres to the TV, I spent my hours enjoying the beauty of visual media. One place that was special to me was the car. My parents purchased a special screen that could be mounted on the back of the headrest, so that I could watch movies on trips. This benefited both parties, as I was occupied, and they had peace. Looking back, I realize this screen played a crucial role in my childhood. It was an integral part of many journeys. I remember taking a drive to Washington D.C, with my visiting relatives from Poland, and spending my time with my eyes on the screen. I remember packing up my possessions and moving to my current home from Queens, watching my cartoons the whole time. I can comfortably say that watching movies in the car has been an familiar anchor during times of change in my life.

I used to watch many different cartoons, nature documentaries, and other products in the car, yet there has been one movie that I have rewatched constantly. It is called “Kiki’s Delivery Service” by Hayao Miyazaki. My parents picked it up at a garage sale one day, and I fell in love. The style of the animations were beautiful, and the captivating story of a thirteen year old witch leaving home really appealed to me. To be honest, the initial times I watched it, I didn’t fully understand the story but the magic and beauty just made me happy. Then, the more I watched it, I began to see that it was more about independence, including the need to get away from home and establish yourself as your own person. This mirrors how I felt during that period of my life,with mehaving a little rebellious streak; I didn’t agree with my parents on certain topics. That is not the end of the story though. As the years passed, and I watched it a couple more times, although with less frequency than before, my view of this movie evolved yet again.

Instead of solely thinking about the need for independence, I began to think the movie was more about the balance of independence and reliance. In the movie, the girl finds herself struggling until she begins to accept help from others. Looking back, this also follows my own philosophy during this time. As I began to mature, I began to realize the value of family, and accept all the help I can get from them. I appreciate all the hard work they had done for me, and I recognize their experience in life and take advantage of it. I passed through my rebellious phase, and this reflected in my analysis of the movie. I believe that this is common, and if I look through the rest of my life I am sure I would find other similar examples of my thoughts evolving based on the stage in my life. This movie is one of the most important to me throughout my life.

What Can You Learn From These Duke Essays?

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Duke University 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 2

You Have: 

Duke University 2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: One required 250-word essay and two optional 250-word essays Supplemental Essay Type(s): Why , Communit y , Diversity

What is your sense of Duke as a university and a community, and why do you consider it a good match for you?  If there’s something in particular about our offerings that attracts you, feel free to share that as well. (250 word limit)

Admissions is truly asking you to do your homework here. What do you make of Duke and why do you want to go there? This space is a wonderful opportunity for you to summarize the aspects of a Duke college experience that call to you and to address your personal connection to this elite school. Were you able to tour campus last year? What drew you in? What part of campus could you see yourself hanging out in? Where do you see yourself studying for exams? Admissions knows that Duke is a prestigious university, with impressive alumni to boot, so make sure to personalize your answer. Instead of showering Duke with compliments, focus on how Duke has attracted your interest and how you hope an education at Duke will prepare you to accomplish your goals—academic and otherwise.

We want to emphasize that the following questions are optional. Feel free to answer them if you believe that doing so will add something meaningful that is not already shared elsewhere in your application.  Four optional questions are available – a maximum of 2 can be selected.

Please select 0 – 2 optional essay topics. (respond in 250 words or fewer.), 1) perspective response, we believe a wide range of personal perspectives, beliefs, and lived experiences are essential to making duke a vibrant and meaningful living and learning community. feel free to share with us anything in this context that might help us better understand you and what you might bring to our community..

Admissions wants to know what you will contribute to the Duke community. What has shaped you as a person and how has that made your perspective unique? What lessons have you learned and applied? What can you share with others? Is there anything you can teach your classmates or peers about your hometown, culture, religion, identity, race, or ethnicity that they might not already know? Duke wants to know how your personal perspectives, beliefs, and/or lived experiences will affect the conversations you have and the ways in which you engage with the Blue Devil community, so tell them a story that helps them to imagine the kind of student you’ll be on campus next fall.

2) Intellectual experience

Tell us about an intellectual experience in the past two years that you found absolutely fascinating..

It’s no surprise that Duke is hoping to invite students to campus who are excited about learning, so take this opportunity to geek out about an awesome learning experience you had recently. Maybe you were given permission to write your research paper on a historic event that has always amazed you and, through that project, you were able to deepen your understanding of the complex social hierarchies during the Qin dynasty. Perhaps you had the opportunity to take a class or seminar with a thought leader you really admire or you went on a reading retreat that expanded your horizons. Whatever it may be, this is the perfect place to show admissions your passion for intellectual endeavors.

3) Beliefs & values

We believe there is benefit in sharing and sometimes questioning our beliefs or values; who do you agree with on the big important things, or who do you have your most interesting disagreements with what are you agreeing or disagreeing about.

This prompt is an inquiry: how do you communicate with others about difficult topics and issues? Duke wants to foster the kind of learning environment that encourages respectful discussions about beliefs and values, so tell them about someone you speak with about issues you hold dear to your heart. Maybe it’s a mentor in your life, who you consult when you feel overwhelmed by current events. Do they provide reassurance that you’re on the right path? Perhaps it’s a family member who tends to disagree with your worldview and vision for a better future. How do you approach these complex conversations? Have you ever questioned what you believe in, or perhaps, discovered a new perspective you hadn’t considered before? How have you become a better listener or speaker because of these chats? Don’t forget to mention the topic or issue of importance here, so you can also give admissions insight into what you care about.

4) Being different

We recognize that “fitting in” in all the contexts we live in can sometimes be difficult. duke values all kinds of differences and believes they make our community better. feel free to tell us any ways in which you’re different, and how that has affected you or what it means to you..

We have all felt different from those around us at some point in our lives, and with this prompt, admissions is inviting you to talk about your lived experiences. Perhaps you are one of few South Asian students at your Midwestern high school, and that difference has led you to explore your heritage and connect with family members overseas to better understand what it means to be you. Maybe you have lived with a physical disability for as long as you can remember; how have the ways you move through the world and take up space impacted the way you interact with your surroundings and vice versa? Whatever has kept you from “fitting in,” admissions knows that difference makes communities stronger, so invite them to learn a little bit about what it’s like to be you and what the world looks like through your eyes.

5) Orientation, identity, expression

Duke’s commitment to inclusion and belonging includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. feel free to share with us more about how your identity in this context has meaning for you as an individual or as a member of a community..

Duke was one of the first schools to embrace the subject of sexual orientation and gender identity in their essay questions, and this is yet another step in their overt attempt to recruit a truly diverse pool of applicants. They want you to know that they embrace all sexual orientations and gender expressions, so if you are open to discussing your identity, feel free to share your story. Note that this question will not be applicable to all students, so if you don’t have a relevant story to tell, we recommend responding to two of the other three prompts!

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How the Renovation of a House Rocked a Famous Church

Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem and one of its most well-known members have been ensnared in a seven-year saga, after a deacon hired to renovate another member’s house didn’t finish the job.

By Ronda Kaysen

Abyssinian Baptist Church is one of the oldest Black churches in America, and certainly one of the most storied. As a college student at Columbia University, Barack Obama often lingered in the back pews during Sunday services, taking in the sermon and the choir. Hundreds of mourners have gathered at the 216-year-old institution in recent years for the memorial services of Cicely Tyson and André Leon Talley .

It’s the kind of church where networking mixes with Bible study, and the roll reads like a who’s who list of Black intelligentsia and entrepreneurship.

In 2017, when Mara Porter, a member of the church, found a Harlem brownstone to buy, she was struck by the charming real estate agent who had listed it. He was also a deacon at the church. A year later, Ms. Porter and her husband, Tommie Porter, hired the deacon as a contractor to lead the renovations of the $1.44 million house. “We really loved the idea of keeping it in the community,” said Ms. Porter, 44, host of “CrimeFeed” on Investigation Discovery.

The business deal between the parishioners, however, collapsed spectacularly, ensnaring the church and its membership in a six-year saga of multiple lawsuits, closed-door meetings at the church, a public spat in a Harlem restaurant, a bankruptcy filing by the deacon and a criminal investigation.

The Porters and other members of the church accused the deacon, Jerome Yeiser, of absconding with money in lawsuits filed against Mr. Yeiser by the Porters and another church family. The Porters wanted Mr. Yeiser prosecuted for grand larceny, for failing to pay subcontractors and misspending funds. In 2019, the Manhattan district attorney’s office, then led by Cyrus R. Vance Jr., opened a criminal investigation into Mr. Yeiser.

But then in January 2022, Alvin L. Bragg Jr., became the D.A. and there was a big problem, the kind of problem that comes when the D.A. is also a Sunday school teacher at the church.

Mr. Bragg is a longtime church member. He even counted on some of his fellow congregants to help him get elected: Mr. Yeiser, his wife, Avis, who was a deaconess at the church, and elder daughter all contributed $50 or less each to Mr. Bragg’s campaign.

In August 2022, Mr. Bragg recused the office from the case because of “the nexus of the allegations and the church community” and because of his relationship with Mr. Yeiser — Mr. Bragg taught Mr. Yeiser’s daughters at Sunday school, said Emily Tuttle, a spokeswoman for the Manhattan D.A., in an email.

Hermann Walz, an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a former assistant district attorney in Queens and Brooklyn, said district attorneys recuse themselves to avoid the appearance of impropriety. “It’s absolutely proper to say, ‘My office should not handle this case,’” he said.

The investigation was transferred to the Bronx district attorney’s office, which closed the case in August 2023. “Based on the evidence, we could not prove criminality beyond a reasonable doubt,” said Patrice O’Shaughnessy, a Bronx D.A. spokeswoman in an email.

With the case closed, the Porters and another couple, John and Cheryl Graves, are hoping to recover their losses through lawsuits.

And there are plenty of lawsuits: In January 2020, Mr. and Ms. Graves filed a lawsuit against Mr. Yeiser for breach of agreement and fraud. Two months later, Mr. Yeiser and Ms. Yeiser, 60, followed up with a lawsuit for defamation against the two couples and the New York Daily News, which reported on the conflict; intent to inflict emotional distress against the two couples: and for assault and battery against Ms. Porter. And in December 2023, the Porters countersued Mr. Yeiser and his company, Siva Real Estate Services, for breach of contract, unjust enrichment and fraudulent inducement. None have been resolved, though a judge dismissed the claim against the Daily News.

Mr. Yeiser, 63, declined to comment on the lawsuits or the allegations against him, saying, “I definitely don’t owe a dime and I have all my proof and when it’s time, it will be submitted.”

‘No Other Church’

Ms. Porter, who grew up in Maryland, became a born-again Christian in college at the University of California, Los Angeles.

She found her church home at Abyssinian when she moved to New York in 2002, attending nearly every Sunday and sitting high in the balcony (it was always too crowded to find a seat down below). “It’s the Black church of Harlem. There was no other church I would have thought of going to,” Ms. Porter said.

The church, which declined to share the number of members in its congregation, has 50 deacons and deaconesses, according to Gerald Barbour, the chairman of the diaconate. Every Sunday, the sister deaconesses sit in the center pews and the deacon brothers sit along the side, by the organ, Mr. Barbour said. The deacons handle blessings, communion and wear a badge identifying themselves.

Mr. Yeiser had been a deacon for eight years when he first met Ms. Porter at the brownstone that made her swoon.

“It was an embarrassment of riches,” said Ms. Porter, 44, who recalled the spring day seven years ago when she and a friend visited the 114-year-old brownstone just a short 10-minute walk from Abyssinian. The woodwork was exquisite, from original shutters on the windows to the 10-foot-tall wood-carved living room mirror.

Ms. Porter imagined moving out of her Upper West Side apartment and raising her two children in Harlem, in the home where, decades earlier, a young Harry Belafonte had lingered on the front stoop with a teenage Sidney Poitier.

“Jerome was great, very present, very engaged,” Ms. Porter said, recalling her interactions with Mr. Yeiser during the home buying process. “He often referenced how proud he was of me and Tommie being a young Black couple raising a family in Harlem. From the beginning, he made it feel like he was rooting for us.”

A year later, in spring 2018, when Ms. Porter and Mr. Porter, 46, who works in tech security, were getting ready to remodel the house, they did not know that the Internal Revenue Service had recently levied a nearly $75,000 tax lien against Mr. Yeiser and that he and his wife had filed for bankruptcy in the past. They would first learn about the tax troubles when Mr. Yeiser explained to them why he couldn’t pay the subcontractors, according to the Porters’ countersuit.

All the couple knew was that Mr. Yeiser had agreed to renovate their kitchen, bathrooms and add an addition to the garden level apartment, with a deck above it that would open onto the kitchen, a $539,000 job, according to the renovation agreement between Siva Real Estate and the Porters.

For the first few months, work moved along without incident — walls came down; electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems went in, according to the countersuit and a video The Times reviewed of a meeting between Mr. Yeiser and Ms. Porter. But in December 2018, the work came to a halt, “unexpectedly and inexplicably,” according to the countersuit.

The countersuit details mounting anxiety and confusion: When the Porters asked questions — in emails and in person — Mr. Yeiser told them that his bank account was frozen because of unpaid taxes, and some of their money had been used to pay his taxes; but the money would be released soon, he promised. As the weeks went by and the winter set in with no work getting done, the Porters learned that the subcontractors had not been paid in months; inspections had not been completed and Mr. Yeiser was not a licensed contractor. (Mr. Yeiser’s license expired in 2013, according to the city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.)

Tally it up, and $192,758 was unaccounted for, the countersuit alleges.

In March 2019, Mr. Yeiser quit over email.

That same day, a sprinkler subcontractor filed a $15,000 lien against the Porters’ home, an effort to collect the debt that also meant the couple could not sell the house until it was settled.

“It’s rare that somebody just stops paying,” said Barry McLaughlin, the plumber for the job. “But in this situation, he just basically vanished.”

Bleeding money — $16,000 a month in mortgage payments and rent on the Harlem apartment where the family was living — the Porters panicked.

They turned to the church.

‘Not the First Victims’

In early spring 2019, the Porters laid out the conflict to the Rev. Calvin O. Butts III, who told them “they were not the first victims,” and other parishioners who had hired Mr. Yeiser as a contractor “had been defrauded out of thousands of dollars in fact patterns that were eerily similar,” according to documents filed in federal bankruptcy court by the Porters as creditors seeking payment from Mr. Yeiser.

Dr. Butts advised the Porters to get a lawyer and meet with him and the deacon board the following Sunday, which they did in a closed-door meeting, the Porters’ bankruptcy filings show.

Mr. Yeiser, who was at church that Sunday, too, was summoned to the meeting after the Porters left, and he and Ms. Yeiser, were suspended from their roles as deacons, according to the lawsuit he and his wife filed against the Porters and others.

“I felt horrible,” said Mr. Barbour 79, who attended the meeting. “As officers and members of the church, I felt very disappointed, very sad.”

For the Yeisers, the experience was ostracizing and humiliating, and “turned a house of worship, which had been for decades a place of solace and comfort to the plaintiffs, into a place of near-medieval banishment,” according to the Yeisers’ lawsuit, as they were “told that they were no longer welcome in their own Church.”

The Yeisers’ suit goes on to chronicle more humiliations: Two months after losing their positions, the Yeisers were at lunch with three Abyssinian deacons at Renaissance, a Harlem restaurant. It was a Sunday, and Ms. Porter was there, too. She called the couple thieves and liars who could not be trusted, walked up to Mr. Yeiser’s table and in front of everyone, poured a glass of water over his head.

Ms. Porter denied the allegations in her countersuit.

She and her husband, desperate to finish the renovation, contacted the various subcontractors directly.

“They had a house partially finished, they wanted to move into it and they couldn’t,” said Mr. McLaughlin, the plumber. “Jerome was gone.”

Ms. Porter cut deals with the subcontractors, including Mr. McLaughlin, and Bilal Farooq, the HVAC subcontractor. “The lady paid us in pennies to get it done,” Mr. Farooq said.

The family moved into their house in July 2019.

Mr. Yeiser filed for bankruptcy a month later.

‘Church Folk’

Years before the Porters hired Mr. Yeiser, Mr. Graves, 66, and Ms. Graves, 59, met Mr. Yeiser in the fellowship hall, where parishioners often gather and eat, after Sunday services in early 2014, according to a lawsuit the Graveses filed against Mr. Yeiser. The conversation turned to home improvement — the couple wanted to renovate the basement of their Harlem brownstone — and Mr. Yeiser offered to do it, according to the Graveses lawsuit.

The job was a big one for a basement — a contractor would need to level the basement floor and renovate the wall along the steps, according to the work agreement between Mr. Yeiser and the homeowners. In July 2014, Mr. Yeiser signed a contract for almost $18,000, but like with the Porters, work stopped in December and Mr. Yeiser “refused to pay subcontractors,” according to the Graveses lawsuit.

Mr. Graves rarely went to church on Wednesdays. But after Mr. Yeiser stopped returning his texts and calls, Mr. Graves, a lawyer, showed up at church on a Wednesday night looking for Mr. Yeiser, but could not get a straight answer from him as to when and how the work would get done, the Graveses lawsuit shows.

As the Porters would do years later, Mr. and Ms. Graves turned to Dr. Butts, their lawsuit shows. They were told that they were not the first couple to come forward, according to documents filed in federal bankruptcy court by the Graveses as creditors seeking payment from Mr. Yeiser. Mr. Barbour, however, told The Times that he knew of only two families — the Porters and the Graveses — that came forward with allegations.

Another deacon tried to mediate the peace, talking to Mr. Yeiser and Mr. Graves separately, according to the Graveses lawsuit. Quinton Dixie, an associate research professor of Black Church Studies at Duke Divinity School, said such a strategy is common in churches. “Generally speaking church folk would try to handle things themselves, rather than introduce any kind of secular authorities,” Dr. Dixie said.

But no resolution was reached and Mr. and Ms. Graves eventually hired another contractor to complete the job, according to the their lawsuit.

Mr. and Ms. Graves declined to comment on the lawsuits.

After the Porters came forward and the church began looking at the complaints, a formal investigation was opened. In February 2020, Dr. Butts told the congregation in a letter and from the pulpit that Mr. Yeiser and Ms. Yeiser had been suspended from their positions. “It was pretty much publicized throughout the church,” Mr. Barbour said.

Dr. Butts died in October 2022. A few months earlier, he called Ms. Porter. “He said he really felt very badly about what happened and said, ‘I wish we had done more,’” Ms. Porter recalled. While she appreciated the gesture, it was not enough to bring her back to the fold.

“It really deeply affected my faith — not my faith in God,” she said. “It has completely turned me off to the church.” She no longer attends Abyssinian or any other church.

Susan C. Beachy and Sheelagh McNeill contributed research. Kim Barker contributed reporting.

Ronda Kaysen is a real estate reporter for The Times, covering the housing market and home design trends. More about Ronda Kaysen

The State of Real Estate

Whether you’re renting, buying or selling, here’s a look at real estate trends..

A lot of change is happening in the housing market. Here’s the outlook .

With a landmark legal settlement  poised to upend a decades-old norm that has dictated who pays real estate agents and how much, economists, agents and lenders are beginning to worry that the burden could now be on first-time home buyers .

American homeowners could see a significant drop  in the cost of selling their homes  after a real estate trade group agreed to a landmark deal  that would eliminate the standard 6% sales commission.

A pricey housing market and higher interest rates have made it harder to afford a house, but so-called closing costs — for items like loan origination fees, discount points, appraisal and credit report fees — are also adding to the challenge .

As the prices for office space in urban centers tumble, cities whose municipal budgets rely on taxes associated with commercial real estate are starting to bear the brunt .

Homeowners are adding hidden doors and rooms to foil burglars, eke out extra storage space and prepare for Armageddon .