Duke Announces First Members of the Class of 2026
On December 16, 855 students learned that they were the first members of Duke University’s Class of 2026. The students applied as Early Decision applicants this fall, getting a head start, as well as an advantage, on the college admissions process compared to students applying via Regular Decision.
Duke received 4,015 Early Decision applications, and the new students represent a 21 percent admit rate. This is an increase from 2020, which saw a 17 percent admit rate. In 2019, Duke had a 21 percent Early Decision admit rate.
Of the 855 accepted students, 42 identified as QuestBridge scholars and were admitted to the university through the QuestBridge National College Match program. The states most represented by the Early Decision admits are New York, North Carolina, California, Florida, and Texas.
Recently, Duke was ranked as one of the top ten national universities, with an overall acceptance rate of 7.7 percent, making admissions to the Durham-based school highly competitive. The average GPA of accepted applicants is 4.13, meaning Duke requires students to be at the top of their class. Yet this is only part of the challenge of gaining admissions. In addition to acing all their classes, students need to impress an admissions committee with their extracurricular accomplishments, compelling essays, and effective letters of recommendation. Ivy Link’s expert advisors, who are graduates of the Ivy League and the world’s leading universities, can provide your student with the comprehensive advising they need before it’s too late. Your student only has a few weeks to complete their application for Duke to meet the Regular Decision deadline of January 4th.
What if your student was deferred? Our expert advisors will diagnose what went wrong in the Early Decision round to help maximize your student's chances of acceptance in the Regular Decision round. In addition, we can help your student craft a compelling Statement of Persuasion. Penning an engaging and successful Statement of Persuasion is not an easy task, so don’t be afraid to ask for help! We have worked with many students to successfully turn a deferral into an acceptance.
