past accepted Duke applicants

[let.me.in!]

I'm considering applying to Duke this Fall for the doctoral program and I wanted to see the characteristics of past applicants that got accepted. So if you were accepted in the past can you post :

• whether you were applying as an undergrad of graduate student
  
• your GPA
  
• your GRE score
  
• how you constructed your statement of purpose
  
• what did you use for your writing sample
  
• what you think or know made them pick you
  

I'm really anxious about this and would love your guys advisement!take care!

[AaronM]

you'll probably have a better chance of getting these questions answered by emailing current Duke grad students as most of the visitors on this forum are applying this year. There are a few who are already in programs, but if you really want these questions answered, I would find some duke grad students who line up with your interests and shoot them an email

[let.me.in!]

Thanks AaronM! I will do that!

[jacib]

Please don't do that. As a current graduate student, I can say I do periodically get an unpersonalized email from a prospective student (and it's always clear that it's unpersonalized, even with generic phrases like "your research interests seem fascinating") and they annoy me and they annoy my colleagues. If you do email people, email one or two current students who have research interests similar to yours. And don't just ask them how they got in, because why would they tell a stranger that? Ask them how the program is, who they work with, how it is for some one with your research interests, and maybe ask them what they think the program is looking for in someone with your research interests and more broadly. I know for example my department is more interested in "creative, imaginative" work than it is in work that fits squarely into mainstream sociology of X (we have very few people doing straight strat, race, or gender work here, for example). And I believe my adviser, more than others, cares about languages (none of her current students are monolingual, though one who recently graduated was, and most of her students are non-Americans so that might be coincidence) than most.

But you should know that most schools are A good application at Duke would probably be a good application at UNC or Northwestern or Arizona or wherever.

As for the least important part of the application, the GRE and scores, again this is probably broadly the same at Duke and peer institutions in the Top-25. but if you go to "results search" on the top of the page, you can actually search for Duke Sociology. Any result with a little red rombus you can click on and that'll show you their "stats". It's a small self-selected sample, but here's what people reported:

Admitted:

GPA: 3.8, 3.1, 3.5

GRE-V: 640, 660, 169

GRE-Q: 710, 770, 156

Rejected:

GPA: 4.0, 3.76, 4.0

GRE-V: 710, 680, 610

GRE-Q: 740, 800, 670

Waitlisted:

GPA: 3.68

GRE-V: 620

GRE-Q: 780

As you can see, the GREs and GPAs are high for all applicants in this non-random sample (probably a little bit higher than average, because people who do well are probably more likely to self report), but notice there is basically no difference between the kids who were rejected or waitlisted and the kids who were accepted accepted. If anything the former have better stats than the latter! Just concentrate on writing a good application, you can find examples of statements of purpose (or SOPs) around this website and you will probably know what your most appropriate writing sample is (a section of your undergraduate thesis if you wrote one, or another research paper of some kind).

[gilbertrollins]

Do any in the sociology department work with the guys over at the History of Political Economy Institute? Also Rachel Kranton (economics) on networks/game theory and Timur Kuran (econ/poly sci) on economic history and institutions, do either of them attend seminar and work with the sociologists?

[let.me.in!]

jacib thank you!that's exactly the information I wanted and you went above and beyond in answering my question.My GRE scores aren't that great (too embarrased to say) but my gpa is pretty good and I do feel my statement of purpose is very strong since it is very specific in what I'm aiming to research and it lines up well with a professor i'm interested in. Can you advise me on possible writing samples by any chance?I'm kind of lost as to what to pick for that and how long it should be?Your comments are greatly appreciated!

[let.me.in!]

just realized you answered that question as well about the writing samples!you are on point haha thanks again!!