How can I impress the Duke admissions committee on a visit? Like should I bring a resume, should I try to be interested in my tour guide so I can talk after, etc?
I don’t remember if Duke tracks campus visits, but I can tell you (from being a tour guide) that while we love it when you’re interested in us, we aren’t asked to fill out forms afterwards or comment on applicants. I doubt a resume (which will mirror things in the application you submit) will help significantly either.
There are no interviews during regular campus visits; leave your resume at home. It’s really an information session, but still well worth your time. You don’t need to impress anyone, but the guides are current students, so they are a good resource. Good luck!
If you show up for the campus tour with a resume or overly eager to impress your guide, you will leave an impression, but probably not the one you have in mind.
Stop by admissions and say hi. But don’t expect anyone to notice. Enjoy yourself and take in the Duke campus.
Simply stated, you cannot. Moreover, I believe “trying to be impressive” could really be catastrophic (at a minimum, you are likely to appear foolishly ardent). Your resume will not be retained, Duke does not track interest, and there are no on-campus interviews. Look, you’ll be one of thousands of students and parents who visit this Spring; enjoy the campus, LEARN a LOT, and invest the planning, time and energy to go well beyond a superficial tour and an information session. However, this visit is not – nor should it be – a “marketing opportunity” for your candidacy.
In addition the “Admissions Committee” is NOT Undergraduate Admissions (although there is some overlap). What may impress Admissions Readers, Regional Officers, and Committee members is your TOTAL application package . . . nothing more and nothing less. Selection is NOT a “marketing exercise;” rather it is an assessment of YOUR achievements, potential, college readiness, and what you potentially might offer to classmates, faculty, and the university in aggregate.
@TopTier I understand your points but they don’t make sense, since if Duke does not track interest and nobody records anything about my visit etc. then it can’t possibly hurt to try to add something to a file for my name?
@jessiekorovin (re #6): To illustrate, 1000+ students (and parents) arrive at Undergraduate Admissions some Spring week, but you’re the ONLY one to deliver a resume. Duke doesn’t have a file for you as yet (you haven’t applied) and it’s rather irregular. However, your resume – beginning with your name and address – will likely find it’s way to the applicable Regional Admissions Officer, who may well say, “this kid is a little strange, he’s too ardent, that’s often a troubling indicator.”
Look, leave a resume if you wish, but understand there are potentially adverse consequences. You initiated this thread and I’m attempting to provide sincere advice, based over four decades of Duke involvement (not just as student and an alumnus, but also as member of key oversight boards and executive committees that assist in university governance, as an alumni who interviews applicants, and as the co-chair Duke’s second largest regional alumni organization).
They WILL remember someone who isn’t with the program during visits – volume of students is very high at a school like Duke, and generally students who try to stand out end up making a negative impression. I don’t always see eye to eye with @TopTier :), but I am with him on this. Schools like Duke see thousands of students on tour. Seek to impress through your application, and your alumni interview if you have one, not via something you do on your campus visit.
I have to agree with everything said above. The campus visit is a way for you to learn more about Duke. Duke couldn’t care less if you’re interested, and as others have mentioned, going above and beyond to make an impression isn’t going to help you and could potentially even hurt you.
It would be an interesting experiment to ride a unicycle around campus, wearing a top hat and juggling fruit while handing out lollipops to bystanders and asking them if they have any pull in the admissions department. If you played your cards right, you should get an interview from the university newspaper where you could declare that you are doing it to be impressive.
Oh @JustOneDad, post #10 is my nominee for “Best in Early-2015!!!”
