Admissions Statement

In late March, high school students around the world will be poised at their computers to find out whether they've been admitted to Duke. About 3,500 of them will be greeted with a new video congratulating them on their acceptance and helping them imagine the possibilities of a Duke education.

They then will be linked to their official on-line decision letter. While allowing students to view their decision letters online through a password-protected section of the admissions website is nothing new, this is the first year that admitted students will experience the sights and sounds of Duke when they log on.

The congratulations video is part of a larger admissions project to showcase undergraduate education and student life at Duke. The admissions office also is creating a series of web-based video vignettes that profile students' experiences in the classroom or lab, the professors who inspire them, and the social fabric of student life at Duke.

"We always tell people that the only way to get an accurate sense of the opportunities and energy at Duke is to visit campus. Unfortunately, not everyone can do that, so this new video series will give us an opportunity to help many students and their parents ‘see' Duke on a personal level," said Christoph Guttentag, dean of undergraduate admissions.

The admissions office will post the student vignettes throughout April, the month in which admitted students consider their options and decide which college they will attend.

"By rolling out the video in stages, we can whet students' appetites and keep them coming back," Guttentag said. "After the congratulations video grabs their attention, we think they'll want to log on again and again to see some of our wonderful undergraduates and faculty."

The admissions office is working with New York-based Beaucoup Chapeaux Productions, in conjunction with Penelope Maunsell and Associates of Durham, to create the video. Filming on campus is scheduled from Thursday, Jan. 25, through Monday, Jan. 29.

Although the video producers will try not to intrude on classes, labs, study space and extracurricular activities, a small amount of disruption is possible. "Everyone involved will be doing their best to minimize inconveniencing people," Guttentag said. "I expect people on campus will be as cooperative and patient as they've been in the past with projects of this type, and I have no doubt that the end result will be worth it."