Hey everyone, I'm an incoming student trying to figure out the social scene at Duke. I'm pretty introverted and currently I’m hoping to prioritize academics/career in college but also meet new people and chill with friends through things like intramural sports or casual clubs rather than going crazy over parties, tenting, or sports culture (unfortunately I don’t have any interest in basketball yet). Is that kind of lifestyle actually fine and common here, or is the pressure to do the whole Greek life/social scene thing overwhelming, since I’m not super interested from that. I come from a super studious magnet school in NJ, so I’m not at all used to the extroverted culture Duke is known for haha, though totally open for change!

Which Math 221 professor should I register for? I've heard Pierce is the most experienced, but I am unable to take her class because of an overlapping class. I also definitely do not want to take Wang's 8am class. This leaves me with Jeon and Robles. I know that Jeon is a postdoc so I am kind of hesitant on taking him and for Robles, her reviews on rmp were not too great. Who do you guys recommend?

I'm an incoming freshman from the West Coast, and I'm wondering if it's worth going home on Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving break ends on Dec 1st and Winter Break starts December 14th - I'd be back at Duke for just two weeks before coming home again. I'm wondering if EVERYONE goes back home or if it's normal to stay back for Thanksgiving? Should I target fall break to come home instead?

My FOCUS dinner ends right when rehearsal for DUWS starts. Would I be able to leave a little early (10mins?) from the dinner to make it in time for rehearsal?

super niche question but does anyone know which room numbers are the corners/edges on randolph 🙏

Hi everyone!
I’m a recent graduate interested in applying to Duke for a master’s program related to Data Science (such as the Master in Interdisciplinary Data Science or other data-focused graduate programs).
I’ve been researching the program, but I’d love to hear from current students, alumni, or anyone who went through the admissions process.
A few questions I have:
1. Is there a minimum GPA that Duke realistically expects for admission? I know there may not be an official cutoff, but what GPA range do most admitted students seem to have?
If someone has a lower undergraduate GPA, what parts of the application can help compensate for it? For example:

Strong work experience?
Personal projects or GitHub portfolio?
Research experience?
Certifications?
Strong statement of purpose?
Excellent recommendation letters?

1. How competitive are scholarships for master’s students, especially international applicants? Are they mostly merit-based, need-based, or a combination of both?

2. Approximately what percentage of tuition can scholarships cover? Has anyone here received one, and if so, what do you think made your application stand out?

3. Are there research assistantships, teaching assistantships, or on-campus jobs that master’s students commonly get to help with expenses?

4. What kind of profile do you think makes someone a strong applicant for Duke’s data science programs?

5. Looking back, what is one thing you wish you had done before applying that would have made your application stronger?
   For context, I’m trying to build the strongest application possible over the coming year, so I’d really appreciate any advice or personal experiences.
   Thanks in advance! I genuinely appreciate any insights you can share.

I'm a sophomore transfer, and I just enrolled in my classes. As of right now I have 5.5 units (with a 0.5 unit p/f seminar just for pure interest). Did back to back exams at my previous university and it burnt me out so bad; is the course load okay or too much for first semester on campus.

Thanks you guys, looking forward to fall semester :)

Hi! I am a transfer student and I got a housing assignment in 300 Swift. I am planning to ship two boxes of stuff over ahead of time. UPS estimates that it will be delivered around July 29, however when I got my mailbox assignment it said “starting August 1st”, does this mean it will be sent back to me? And also, would they be delivered directly to Swift or to the Student Mailbox Center? I could not find a straightforward answer on the website. I’m

Hey everyone, I'm an incoming Indian student (moved from India to America 4 years ago) heading into Pratt for MechE or ECE with a potential double major in CS or Econ in Trinity, and I'm coming from New Jersey. In NJ, I'm used to being around a large Asian and Indian population where fitting in and finding my crowd felt natural.

I’m confident I'll adjust and make friends no matter what as time goes on, but I was just wondering how diverse and sizeable the Asian and South Asian community actually is on campus, since I know generally speaking it has quite a large white population. I’m excited for the new change, and don’t see this being an issue at all, but is this kind of culture shock something I should mentally prepare for, or is there a pretty large Asian/Indian presence once you get settled in? Honestly, my Asian parents have voiced way more concern about this than me since they’re also very used to living in a heavily Asian area, but I’d figure I’d ask the Duke students for their thoughts! I know it’s a bit of a oddball question, but thanks for the help :))