Today's Blue Devil Days to be the Largest Ever
Admitted students and family members check out student organizations during Blue Devils Days earlier this month. The final BDD will be held this weekend. Photo by Jeffrey Williams.
There are several reasons why Undergraduate Admissions Dean Christoph Guttentag is excited that the final Blue Devils Days (BDD) this year will attract its largest number of admitted students ever.
Admissions is expecting 600 admitted students, accompanied by more than 800 family members and guests, to tour the campus, attend classes, and meet faculty and staff and each other Sunday and Monday, April 24-25.
The turnout is so large that the welcome session has been moved from Page Auditorium to Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Guttentag said he believes a small change in the calendar is partly responsible for the large turnout for the third of the planned admitted student programs. This is the latest in April the program has ever been held. Students must make admissions decisions by May 1.
“It’s given families more time to plan their trip,” Guttentag said. “We’re pleased that for many of our visitors we’ll be the last college they see before making a decision on where to enroll. The closer our last BDD is to the May 1 date by which students have to respond to our offer of admission the better it is. We know that the enthusiasm that members of the Duke community have for Duke will make a great impression on our visitors.”
The program is Duke’s opportunity to show off its faculty, students and academic and co-curricular programs and involves hundreds of members of the Duke community. Several faculty members invite the visitors into their classrooms. Students perform and talk up campus organizations. And throughout the two days, students and parents will explore the campus residential halls and recreational and dining facilities.
Coming on the heels of a large Reunions Weekend, the event is causing several units to do a quick turnaround of campus facilities. However, BDD is an example of university units working together, said Susan Waters, associate director of undergraduate admissions.
“I am so pleased with the overwhelming support of the entire campus for this event,” Waters said. “The Duke Card office is ensuring all of our guest dining cards are in place. Duke Dining has made heroic efforts on dining options. For example, during our last Blue Devils Days event we had one student with severe food allergies attend, and the Duke dining staff prepared special meals just for this guest.”
Waters added that both Athletics and Theater staff have helped coordinate the move from Page to Cameron. Parking and Transportation also has contributed to planning.
“There are so many moving parts that it takes the coordination and dedication of a large number of people to make this a success.” Waters said. “That’s especially true when you have so many people visiting at the same time.”
The first two Blue Devil Days attracted 394 and 349 admitted students, Waters said.
The 600 students arriving Sunday include 458 Arts and Sciences students and 142 Pratt students. Participants include visitors from China, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Italy, Turkey and the United Kingdom, as well as nearly every state in the United States.
Duke University has offered admission to slightly more than 3,300 students for the Class of 2020. Of these, 818 were accepted as Early Decision applicants. The final enrollment for the Class of 2020 is expected to be around 1,705.