2025-2026 Duke

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2025-2026 Duke Secondary Essay Prompts: (#8 has changed, otherwise same as last year)

1. Share with us your story. This is your opportunity to allow us to know how you wish to be addressed, recognized, and treated. (400 Words)

2. Trust and rapport are essential in your day-to-day interactions with people. How do you cultivate a relationship with a person who may be very different from you? (400 words)

3. Describe a situation in which you chose to advocate for someone who was different from you or for a cause or idea that was different from yours. Define your view of advocacy. What risks, if any, might be associated with your choice to be an advocate? (400 words)

4. Not achieving a goal or one’s desire can sometimes be disheartening. What have you discovered from your setbacks and disappointments and how does this translate to your current way of thinking? (400 words)

5. What do you value most as a leader and as a contributor? What attributes do you possess as a leader and as a team member and how do you apply them on a daily basis? (400 words)

6. Critical thinking involves a number of characteristics. Research experience enhances critical analysis skills. Describe any research experience or similar experience in which you utilized critical thinking. How will critical thinking be important in your future career? (400 words)

7. Potential sources of health inequities exist. Duke’s Moments to Movement (M2M) is a collective stand to address these issues. Discuss your experience with disparities in health, health care and society. (400 words)

8. Drawing from your clinical experiences, how have you fostered a connection with people? (400 words)

9. (Optional) Please let us know any additional information that you would like us to consider while reviewing your application (400 Words).

Good luck to all applying!

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Last edited by a moderator:
any chance they are changing topics this year significantly? JHU's came out pretty late and they had changed around some stuff
 
OOS + 1:
  1. Share with us your story. This is your opportunity to allow us to know how you wish to be addressed, recognized, and treated. (400 Words)
  2. Trust and rapport are essential in your day-to-day interactions with people. How do you cultivate a relationship with a person who may be very different from you? (400 words)
  3. Describe a situation in which you chose to advocate for someone who was different from you or for a cause or idea that was different from yours. Define your view of advocacy. What risks, if any, might be associated with your choice to be an advocate? (400 words)
  4. Not achieving a goal or one’s desire can sometimes be disheartening. What have you discovered from your setbacks and disappointments and how does this translate to your current way of thinking? (400 words)
  5. What do you value most as a leader and as a contributor? What attributes do you possess as a leader and as a team member and how do you apply them on a daily basis? (400 words)
  6. Critical thinking involves a number of characteristics. Research experience enhances critical analysis skills. Describe any research experience or similar experience in which you utilized critical thinking. How will critical thinking be important in your future career? (400 words)
  7. Potential sources of health inequities exist. Duke’s Moments to Movement (M2M) is a collective stand to address these issues. Discuss your experience with disparities in health, health care and society. (400 words)
  8. Drawing from your clinical experiences, how have you fostered a connection with people (400 words)?
  9. Please let us know any additional information that you would like us to consider while reviewing your application (400 Words).
Looks like number 8 is new.
 
batmanpremed123 said:
OOS + 1:
  1. Share with us your story. This is your opportunity to allow us to know how you wish to be addressed, recognized, and treated. (400 Words)
  2. Trust and rapport are essential in your day-to-day interactions with people. How do you cultivate a relationship with a person who may be very different from you? (400 words)
  3. Describe a situation in which you chose to advocate for someone who was different from you or for a cause or idea that was different from yours. Define your view of advocacy. What risks, if any, might be associated with your choice to be an advocate? (400 words)
  4. Not achieving a goal or one’s desire can sometimes be disheartening. What have you discovered from your setbacks and disappointments and how does this translate to your current way of thinking? (400 words)
  5. What do you value most as a leader and as a contributor? What attributes do you possess as a leader and as a team member and how do you apply them on a daily basis? (400 words)
  6. Critical thinking involves a number of characteristics. Research experience enhances critical analysis skills. Describe any research experience or similar experience in which you utilized critical thinking. How will critical thinking be important in your future career? (400 words)
  7. Potential sources of health inequities exist. Duke’s Moments to Movement (M2M) is a collective stand to address these issues. Discuss your experience with disparities in health, health care and society. (400 words)
  8. Drawing from your clinical experiences, how have you fostered a connection with people (400 words)?
  9. Please let us know any additional information that you would like us to consider while reviewing your application (400 Words).
Looks like number 8 is new.
Click to expand...
are you sure #1 is 400 words? the last few years, it has been 500 words. just curious
 
batmanpremed123 said:
OOS + 1:
  1. Share with us your story. This is your opportunity to allow us to know how you wish to be addressed, recognized, and treated. (400 Words)
  2. Trust and rapport are essential in your day-to-day interactions with people. How do you cultivate a relationship with a person who may be very different from you? (400 words)
  3. Describe a situation in which you chose to advocate for someone who was different from you or for a cause or idea that was different from yours. Define your view of advocacy. What risks, if any, might be associated with your choice to be an advocate? (400 words)
  4. Not achieving a goal or one’s desire can sometimes be disheartening. What have you discovered from your setbacks and disappointments and how does this translate to your current way of thinking? (400 words)
  5. What do you value most as a leader and as a contributor? What attributes do you possess as a leader and as a team member and how do you apply them on a daily basis? (400 words)
  6. Critical thinking involves a number of characteristics. Research experience enhances critical analysis skills. Describe any research experience or similar experience in which you utilized critical thinking. How will critical thinking be important in your future career? (400 words)
  7. Potential sources of health inequities exist. Duke’s Moments to Movement (M2M) is a collective stand to address these issues. Discuss your experience with disparities in health, health care and society. (400 words)
  8. Drawing from your clinical experiences, how have you fostered a connection with people (400 words)?
  9. Please let us know any additional information that you would like us to consider while reviewing your application (400 Words).
Looks like number 8 is new.
Click to expand...
Congratulations!

I looks like #2, #3, and #8 need DIFFERENT responses/examples.
 
For #2 and #8, they seem like they are asking the same thing. Fostering a connection vs cultivating a relationship? Is the only difference in #2 the fact that the example you are giving comes from someone who is different from you?
 
frejfwierbgrewog said:
is anyone else struggling to come up with stories to fit every single one of these? Can I use the same situation or experience for more than one?
Click to expand...
I'm more eh to using the same situation twice, but definitely different stories from the same experience/activity is fine. Make your analysis distinctive enough.
 
+1 OOS MSTP. If applying MSTP only, it’s just one prompt—the “trust and rapport one”—along with the additional info and tell us your story prompts.
 
As of now, I only have a letter packet from my university (three letters within the packet). I've seen Duke's requirement of four recommendation letters. However, in my status page, it says my letters are complete. Is this something that is just automatically marked as complete when they receive letters?
 
Cosecant1234 said:
As of now, I only have a letter packet from my university (three letters within the packet). I've seen Duke's requirement of four recommendation letters. However, in my status page, it says my letters are complete. Is this something that is just automatically marked as complete when they receive letters?
Click to expand...
Generally you can send either a letter packet from your committee, OR do the 4 letters individually.
Some colleges don't have a committee letter available.
 
wysdoc said:
Generally you can send either a letter packet from your committee, OR do the 4 letters individually.
Some colleges don't have a committee letter available.
Click to expand...
So, although my college does not provide a committee letter and just collects the 3 letters from the professors I selected for a committee letter, I would still be ok?
 
Cosecant1234 said:
So, although my college does not provide a committee letter and just collects the 3 letters from the professors I selected for a committee letter, I would still be ok?
Click to expand...
quote from Duke MSAR:
"Each applicant must submit a minimum four (4) letters of recommendations. We would prefer that the letters have a significant level of familiarity with the applicant, whether it is from the academic, research, clinical or community service environments. Letters should not be a reiteration of academic achievements or course grades. If your school submits a committee letter, this satisfies the four-letter rule. In other words, if you have a committee letter, you won't need to submit four letters of recommendation."

without the evaluative letter a committee sometimes writes, it sounds like you would need 4 letters in your packet.
 
wysdoc said:
quote from Duke MSAR:
"Each applicant must submit a minimum four (4) letters of recommendations. We would prefer that the letters have a significant level of familiarity with the applicant, whether it is from the academic, research, clinical or community service environments. Letters should not be a reiteration of academic achievements or course grades. If your school submits a committee letter, this satisfies the four-letter rule. In other words, if you have a committee letter, you won't need to submit four letters of recommendation."

without the evaluative letter a committee sometimes writes, it sounds like you would need 4 letters in your packet.
Click to expand...
Awesome, thanks so much. I thought so, but just wanted to be sure!
 
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