Every year, Duke students are among the winners of the most prestigious awards in higher education: Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships for study in England; Fulbright Scholarships for study abroad; Goldwater Scholarships for study of mathematics, the natural sciences, and engineering; Truman Scholarships for students planning careers in government or public service; Luce Scholarships for internships in Asia.
In addition, outstanding academic performance during a semester is recognized by inclusion on the Dean’s List (for students with a grade point average in the highest third of undergraduates) and the Dean’s List with Distinction (for students in the highest 10 percent).
Students who demonstrate excellence in their major area of study may qualify for admission to the department’s or programs honors program. By successfully completing a senior honors thesis/project, the candidate will graduate with distinction in the major. Each academic department and program offering a major, as well as Program II, has established procedures and standards for determining Graduation with Distinction.
Unlike the Dean's List, Latin Honors recognizes academic excellence over an entire undergraduate career. Summa cum laude honors go to students with cumulative GPAs within the top five percent of the previous year’s graduating class; magna cum laude honors to students in the next 10 percent; cum laude honors to students in the next 10 percent. About 25 percent of each graduating class will receive Latin Honors.
Duke's merit scholarship programs enroll approximately 70 incoming students each year. Each program has distinctive programmatic ideals and attracts different types of students.
There are no applications for these programs. Instead, finalists are selected from the general applicant pool based on their Duke application, including essays, academic work, extracurricular activities and recommendations. Finalists are notified of their status via email each March and invited to campus for an interview in April. Scholarship winners are notified shortly thereafter; a list of the winners is published in mid-May.
The first step in applying for any scholarship is to decide what it is you want to study, where and why. Once you have some idea of whether you are looking for something in the Arts or you want to study in Ireland or you want to do public service, use this database to help you find the right opportunity for you. Conversely, use it to figure out what is available to sophomores or seniors or graduates with your gpa. Get some ideas and come see us.