Why College X - Visit with A Checklist

Essay Prompt

If you are applying to the Pratt School of Engineering as a first year applicant, please discuss why you want to study engineering AND why you would like to study at Duke.

Sample Essay

Over the course of a set of summer experiences beginning with a visit to an orphanage in Africa when I was 11 to a selective summer camp for would-be engineers, I have developed a dream for myself. I want to become an engineer who helps people all over the globe. Based on that dream, I came to visit Pratt armed with a checklist of what I wanted in a college. Great engineering program with depth in sustainability? Check. Talented and motivated students? Check. Superior professors? Check. Opportunities to study abroad and engage in service? Check. Check. In fact, Duke Engage is a service program beyond my wildest dreams. But what made Pratt my top choice? The unexpected and completely persuasive bonus items – like the Smart House where I can already imagine myself living. Pratt is the next step on my path to fulfilling my dream.

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