YOU WANT TO COME TO
An e-publication made specifically for United World Colleges-affiliated undergraduate applicants
Hello from Duke Admissions! Dear UWC Friends, We inhabit a campus here that is aligned, in the most important possible ways, with the UWC mission. Duke is not simply an extension of the UWC experience, though, and I hope the following pages will highlight some of the great strengths of this place, giving you a glimpse of an exciting and dynamic university that you could soon call home. We understand it might be hard to imagine yourself at Duke from so far away, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to anyone here for more perspectives. Our cohort of Davis Scholars at Duke has grown quickly in the eight years we have been a Davis partner school, and we hope that by August 2015 we might have at least 40 Davis Scholars as current undergraduates at Duke. Should you come to Duke, plan on a warm welcome right away from us in Admissions and from the students listed in this brochure. You’ll also get a warm welcome from the faculty,
who are intensely focused on undergraduate teaching; the other undergraduates, about 14% of whom are international students; and the broader Durham community, which is made up of a diverse and cosmopolitan group of creative and highly educated people from all over the United States and the world. In the end, our hope is probably the same as yours: that the college or university where you end up is one where you will thrive, take advantage of opportunities, and contribute to the campus community; where you will feel not only challenged but also welcomed and embraced and valued. Maybe that place will be Duke! Sincerely, Duke Undergraduate Admissions www.admissions.duke.edu
Duke Undergraduate Admissions UWC Admissions Officers Anne Sjostrom
Jennifer Dewar
Associate Director
Associate Director
UWCs in her region: • UWCSEA • Li Po Chun UWC • UWC SEA East • UWC Costa Rica
UWCs in her region: • UWC Adriatic • • UWC Atlantic College • • UWC Dilijan • • UWC Maastricht •
Anne is also the Davis Scholars Program liaison.
UWC Mahindra College UWC in Mostar UWC Red Cross Nordic UWC Robert Bosch College
Nikki Baskin
Steve McLaughlin
Elysia Pan
Senior Admissions Officer
Associate Dean
Admissions Officer
UWCs in her region: • Waterford Kamhlaba UWC
UWCs in his region: • UWC-USA
UWCs in her region: • Pearson College UWC
Below: a photo of the Sarah P. Duke Gardens, located on campus.
With a medium-sized student body, Duke includes current undergraduates who represent well over 100 countries from all over the world. Our 6,500 undergraduates are part of a tight-knit residential community. The Class of 2018, which includes 14% international students, all live together on a single residential campus, shown below.
You, Me, Robert Bosch College UWC
Pearson College UWC
UWC Adriatic
We are Duke UWC Our 2015-2018 Davis Scholars
UWC Dilijan
Duke University
UNITED WOR
Davis Scholars
RLD COLLEGES
Your Inside Scoop The Duke Admissions Office asked our Davis Scholars to share their Duke and UWC experiences with younger UWC peers. Seven students are highlighted in this publication who are eager to offer their insights on all things Duke. These students are just a small sampling of our larger UWC cohort. Feel free to connect with any of our students via email (firstname.lastname@duke.edu).
Anh Trinh, Duke Class of 2018 (Intended) Academic Program: Computer Science/Economics UWC: UWC Costa Rica I identify myself as: Dukie, UWCer, Tico, Vietnamese What are you involved in on campus? I’m currently a member of the Crossroads Student Advisory Council, which aims to bridge the gap between domestic and international students. We hold active discussions between students about tackling cultural stereotypes and plan programs to promote multiculturalism on campus. Besides, I’m part of the club Pura Vida, a community for students to practice Spanish and learn about Hispanic culture. This community is a way by which I can improve my Spanish and connect to my experience in Costa Rica.
Mathilde Ooi, Duke Class of 2018 (Intended) Academic Program: Pre-Med UWC: UWCSEA I identify myself as: Malaysian/Singaporean/Chinese Ethnicity What are you involved in on campus? I’m involved in the club badminton team, intramural soccer, GlobeMed, the service-learning program that connects us to Durham (I was helping tutor ESL students at a school nearby).
Sophia Aliza Jamal, Duke Class of 2017 (Intended) Academic Program: Public Policy UWC: Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong I identify myself as: a Malaysian girl going through a stage of (hopefully positive haha!) personal discovery! What are you involved in on campus? International Association, Duke Human Rights Advisory Board Council, and ARTivism (Art for activism).
Emma Smith, Duke Class of 2016 Academic Program: International Comparative Studies, Arabic, Innovation and Entrepreneurship UWC: UWC-USA I identify myself as: A social entrepreneur What are you involved in on campus? I have participated in DukeEngage, and am now on the student advisory board. I have been involved in independent study research courses, working with Arabic speaking refugees in Durham, Business Oriented Women, the Compass Fellowship for social entrepreneurship, DukeAfrica, the sailing team, intermural sports, and a few others.
Quang Do, Duke Class of 2016
Academic Program: Neuroscience Major and Economics Minor UWC: UWC Maastricht, the Netherlands I identify myself as: A fully Vietnamese and global nomad. What are you involved in on campus? Currently, I serve as executive vice president of Duke International Association, organizing many campus-wide cultural and social events every semester. I am an ambassador at the Duke Career Center. I also am on the Kunshan Student Advisory Council, which functions to facilitate student experience at DKU, a Duke brand new campus. In addition, I spend my free time doing some volunteer work.
Chandra Swanson, Duke Class of 2015 Duke Grad Year: 2015 Academic Program: Evolutionary Anthropology and Global Health UWC: UWC-USA I identify myself as: Kansan, Chinese, Scandinavian What are you involved in on campus? Duke Chinese Dance, Ubuntu (SLG), Thompson Writing Program, Brannon Lab, Pusey Lab, Arts and Health at Duke.
Silvia de Denaro Vieira, Duke Class of 2015 Academic Program: Environmental Sciences (BSc) major, Visual Arts minor UWC: Atlantic College, Wales I identify myself as: Brazilian, Italian, with splashes of Australian, Californian, and now Welsh and North Carolinian (ie a global nomad) What are you involved in on campus? Mundi multicultural living group, Duke Brazilian Association, Duke Energy Club.
Your Inside Scoop “Why did you choose Duke?”
Mathilde, T’18: I chose Duke because it was the one place that really emanated the essence of my UWC experience and showed me a way to continue my UWC journey somewhere else. Duke fosters every part of us as people what I mean by that is that it really emphasizes a holistic education. With that I have found that this is the place that will help me grow stronger as a student and a global citizen. Sophia, T’17: Duke really gives students all the opportunities they could possibly need/want to help them reach their dreams. Although it is big in size in comparison to any UWC and requires time to get adjusted, Duke is really a place that is fluid, diverse and dynamic. Want to change something you dislike on campus? Want to create a new venture and get support from the administration? Want to major in an unconventional way and create your own major? You can do all of this here at Duke. If you have the passion and energy, Duke will give you its support. I’m especially proud that in my two years here at Duke, there have been a few big shifts in culture: Duke students are learning to be vulnerable around each other on a large scale, the stigma of mental health is being largely challenged and the platforms for dialogue about race, gender and socioeconomic background are growing. Emma, T’16: I chose to come to Duke for the international service learning opportunities, and the opportunity to design my own major. Duke seemed to offer me a very innovative environment where I could create, explore, and learn. Chandra, T’15: I applied on a whim and fell in love with the atmosphere and people when I visited. Pragmatically, Duke has endless opportunities academically and extracurricularly; I also felt it would provide the best location to continue to grow and be challenged, but not lost.
“What’s your favorite Duke memory?” Anh, T’18: So far my favorite Duke memory is watching the first football game against Elon at the Wallace Wade stadium. It was exciting to see a football game for the first time in a joyful and energetic atmosphere with thousands of Duke fans cheering tirelessly. At that time, I really felt the Blue Devils spirit and joined my friends’ cheer for the home team. It ended up nicely with a win for us! Silvia, T’15: It’s too difficult to pick just one, but I can talk about one very cool experience I had through Duke. I studied at the Duke Marine Lab campus for a summer session, and despite how demanding the coursework was, it was an incredible experience. That summer I was pushed to my limits, and ended up being so proud of what I achieved. Quang, T’16: A group of UWC and international friends gathered and celebrated the World Peace Day by painting peace symbol on a tunnel on Duke campus. In the evening, we had a small tea and instant noodle party where we got to share our stories and make some dance moves. It was very reminiscent of my UWC experience. Chandra, T’15: Too many! I have had some awesome classes at the Lemur Center and amazing abroad adventures… Maybe Senior Bhangra - all getting together backstage. Or making Thanksgiving dinners with my friends - probably a compilation of a bunch of smaller moments with friends.
“What’s the same about Duke and UWC?” Emma, T’16: The dancing. I love to go salsa dancing in downtown Durham on Thursday nights, and there are also dance groups on campus ranging from Bhanghra to Irish dance to modern dance. To me, it seems – if people are dancing the way they did at UWC, there are people that are definitely living and breathing the mission of UWC here too. Silvia, T’15: All freshmen live on the same campus which creates a very similar feel to UWC in the first semester as everybody is open and reaching out to meet new people. Both schools also have a lot of very passionate and hard-working people, and a lot of diversity within the student body. There is a lot of emphasis on social service at Duke as well. For example, after my second year, I was awarded a full scholarship to volunteer for an environmental education NGO in the Republic of Kiribati, a project I individually designed and executed through the Duke Engage program. Chandra, T’15: In my experience, I have found that both UWC and Duke professors most often want the best for their students, and are very giving with their time and energy. Anh, T’18: The people. You will find people from all walks of life here just as you do at UWC. They are very much like UWC people: interesting, motivated, and willing to make a change for the better.
“What’s different about Duke compared to UWC?” Emma, T’16: More opportunities! If you thought you had too many choices at UWC, just wait! There is even more to come, and even more beautiful things to learn and experience. Silvia, T’15: If there is something you are passionate about and want to change/develop/improve, there is a way to make it happen at Duke. I feel there is a lot more follow-through at Duke, and definitely a lot more funding (so many different grants!). Also, despite the diversity of the student body at Duke, nothing quite compares to UWC’s. The shock of moving from such an international and open-minded community to a “regular” college campus is a concern many of my friends around the world talked to me about post-UWC.
Quang, T’16: We keep seeing new people every day. Duke is big. It has a lot of opportunities that we can embrace. Academic and social environment is much more dynamic, and in some ways, I think more challenging. Workload is absolutely heavier, but IB prepared us well. We got use to it over time.
Communi
Some activities Duke Davis Scholars have been involved in include: • • • • • • •
A Cappella groups Amnesty International Arab Students Association, president Badminton Club Baldwin Scholars Capoeira Center for Documentary Studies
• • • • • • •
Common Ground Consulting Club Duke Africa Duke Cancer Center volunteer Duke Cycling Team Duke East Asia Nexus Duke EMT
• • • • • • •
Duke Student Government Duke Students for Justice in Palestine Duke Symphony Orchestra Duke University Improv Duke University Marching Band Duke Women’s Center intern Durham Urban Ministries
ity Change Agents • • • • •
Eastern European Association Engineers Without Borders Hindu Students Association Human Rights Center at Duke Innovation Design Lab for Electrical and Computer Engineering, manager • Investment Club
• • • • •
Lunar New Year Showcase Newman Catholic Student Center Paradigm Shift Forum Project Build Resound Magazine (music magazine), president • Robotics Club
• Sabrosura (Latin dance group) • Small Town Records (Duke’s record label), manager • The Chronicle, Duke’s daily newspaper • Winter Forum
Intellectually Eng
Our Davis Scholars do amazing things. Their Duke educations combined with their UWC experiences prep journeys--close to home or far away, in the present or far out in the future.
gaged
pare them for life’s
A sample of Duke classes chosen by Davis Scholars: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
AIDS & Emerging Diseases Architecture and Urbanism in New York City Ballet Biological Bases of Behavior Chemistry, Technology, & Society Chinese Media & Pop Culture Coming of Age in Africa Comparative Ancient and Modern Ethics Darwin’s Finches Devices & Circuits Early Soviet Culture 1917-1934 Electoral and Social Protest in Latin America Energy & Environment Financial Markets Global Economy Game Theory Gender, Politics, and Space Ghandi, King, Mandela Global Brazil Irrationality in Economics Jazz Dance Korean Sociolinguistics Lemur Behavior and Ecology Literature through Photography Marxism and Society Mechatronics Modernism & Avant Garde Muslim Women Across Ages Neural Mechanisms News / Moral Battleground Pathways to Biomedical Research People, Plants, & Pollution Policy, Politics, & Media Queer Theory
Many Duke UWCers participate in other academic pursuits: • • • • • •
Graduate with Distinction (write an honors thesis) Research in all academic fields Hart Leadership Program (service-oriented leadership initiative) Bass Connections (interdisciplinary, team-based educational pathways on a problematic theme) DukeEngage (summer civic engagement opportunities) Study abroad all over the world
“What advice would you give to younger UWCers?” Silvia, T’15: Prepare yourself by reading as much as you can about the universities you’re applying to, and above all talking to people who’ve already been through the process (don’t be scared of asking questions!). Also realize, however, that in the end you must make a decision and that wherever you end up, UWC has already taught you how to make the world your home. Chandra, T’15: I think it is important to realize that having come from UWC, you have been given a wonderful community and learning experience that no college can replicate for you. However, I think it is very much within your own ability to take whatever it was that was most central to your UWC experience and find a way to bring it into your college experience. For me, it was a matter of finding the right communities of like-minded people, and continuing to find outlets for the extracurriculars that gave me balance. Sophia, T’17: I’m sure you already know this, but really appreciate the time you have left in UWC. Time flies, and sometimes UWC feels like a fairytale/dream in the far past. One personal advice though, in your final term in UWC, as you are reflecting on your journey and just about writing the last few chapters of your UWC journey, think hard about how you intend to keep the values you fostered in UWC. The journey only truly begins afterwards. How do we as a community take what we have learned and translate it into life after UWC? That’s a challenge I think many people feel once leaving UWC, especially when college culture can be incredibly different. Quang, T’16: Apply to Duke! But whichever school you go to, you can always find a way to take opportunity, to learn and to grow. So, don’t worry too much. Enjoy UWC as much as possible. When you are gone, you will miss it a lot.
Emma, T’16: Don’t worry about college! It will come when it comes. Right now, you are there at UWC, so revel in every last moment and laugh and story and class. You’ll miss the people you share everything there with very soon, so hug them tight for now. Mathilde, T’18: Trust yourself and stay calm because you will be drawn to wherever is the right place to you and that is where you will end up. Anh, T’18: Enjoy your last year to the fullest. Be open to new experiences and friends. Make good memories with those you love. At the same time, make sure you catch up well with the demanding workload and tasks of the IB and university applications. The experience is most fulfilling when everything is balanced. Good luck!
We Hope You’ll Join Us! As we said a few pages back, we hope every student finds a great university match, either at Duke or elsewhere. If we can do anything to help you figure out whether Duke is right for you, please let us know. We are always happy to talk with UWC students interested in Duke, and always happy to answer any questions about our admissions process. You can also find lots of information about Duke and our admissions process online, of course. The best websites for general information are www.admissions.duke.edu and www.duke.edu. For more personal views and more photos of our beautiful campus, check out our social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. If you would like to reach out to one of our Davis Scholars individually, you may email them at firstname.lastname@duke.edu. What you’ve read here includes just a sample of the many UWC voices at Duke. Look for more (including your own?) in future communications from us!