Policies

Admission Process Policies 

  • A copy of your school transcript is required to determine acceptance. It does not need to be official but must show student’s name, current grade, name of current school and include ALL grades from current school. (Note: For 6th–8thgrade students, your most recent report card can serve as your transcript. For 9thgrade students, a current 9thgrade transcript is sufficient. You will be notified if any grades are needed.)
  • A formal resume detailing academic awards and recognitions as well as extra-curricular activities.
  • A one-page personal statement describing why you are interested in the program. (Note: For 6th-8th grade students, other options are to record a video no longer than 3 minutes or create a spoken word, poem or song to respond to these questions.) 
    • Why you wish to attend Pre-College
    • What you hope to gain from attending your chosen course
    • What you will contribute to the course
    • Experience and involvement in activities associated with the course
    • Other information you wish to share about yourself
    • Upload videos here and name file using lastname_firstname_personalstatement. If you have questions, please email precollegemiddleschool@duke.edu.

Applicants who are not US Citizens should exhibit English Language Proficiency by one of the following: 

  • Evidence of attendance at an international high school taught in English
  • English Language Test Scores of a 90 on TOEFL or a 7.0 IELTS
  • Demonstrate English proficiency through an oral interview conducted by staff from the Duke English for International Students (EIS) program to finalize admission at a cost of $100 (USD)
  • Please know that a B-2 Tourist Visa is required to attend in-person sessions

Application Dates and Deadlines

Early Admission

  • Apply by February 1, 2023
  • Admission letter will be sent via email February 15, 2023
  • Full program fee due March 15, 2023

Regular Admission

  • Apply by April 1, 2023
  • Admission letter will be sent via email April 14, 2023
  • Full program fee due May 5, 2023

Late Admission

  • Applications received after April 1 will be considered for any courses still open
  • Admission letters sent via email April 21
  • Full payment is due May 5, 2023

Accepted applicants will be asked to complete a Participation Agreement and Health Form, also to be signed by physician, prior to attending the Program. Program will follow standards of Duke University regarding COVID policies. If you have questions, please contact precollege@duke.edu. 

Payment & Refund Policies

Program Application Fee

There is a non-refundable $150 fee due when submitting an application. If you enroll in two courses, there will be a $150 discount applied to the program fee.

Program Fee Deadlines

Within two days of receiving an admission letter, Applicants must login into the application system and pay an enrollment deposit of $150. Enrollment in any course is NOT guaranteed until this deposit plus remaining fees are paid. Fees are due according to the schedule below. Payments can be made as often as needed in any amount as long a full payment is received by date outlined below. If full program fees are NOT received by date outlined below, students will automatically be dropped from the course.

All payments must be received no later than May 5, 2023. 

Early Admission

  • Full program fee due March 15, 2023

Regular Admission

  • Full program fee due May 5, 2023

Late Admission

  • Full payment is due May 5, 2023

Refund/Cancellation Policy

Cancellations made more than 30 days prior to the course start dates will result in a full refund of money received via the same method of payment, less the non-refundable $150 application fee. Refunds are not available if the cancellation is made within 30 days of the course start date.

Participation Policies

The program is an interactive, collaborative community of learners. Meaningful participation in the program is the responsibility of the Participant, the Parent/Legal Guardian, and the Instructor. Participants who participate as outlined below will receive a final evaluation and certificate.

The following policies are designed to provide a safe and comfortable environment for students attending one of our Summer Session programs. As you review the policies, please keep in mind that our goal is to duplicate college life to the extent that we are able, given that the majority of our participants are under the age of 18. Please be sure that you are able to commit fully to these guidelines and adhere to the program expectations. Should a Participate be unable to adhere to the policies, they will be dismissed from the program. If dismissed, no program fees will be refunded, and the student will be expected to depart from the Program site with a Parent/Legal Guardian within 24 hours of the time of dismissal.

It is the responsibility of the Participant to:

  • Sign a Participation Agreement outlining program guidelines, restrictions, regulations and policies.
  • Agree to use and bring to campus personal laptop (*Chrome books do not work with all Duke Pre-College and University software and programs).
  • Adhere to all Duke University policies applicable to residing on campus and attending classes including polices related to the use of campus facilities and labs.
  • Refrain from unacceptable academic or social behaviors such as: plagiarism, theft, bullying, harassment, endangering oneself or others, etc.
  • Remain in assigned room during residential program.
  • Wear acceptable clothing that does not show or display offensive graphics or slogans or promote illegal activities.
  • Attend all classes and notify instructor about any absences, understanding that absences exceeding one session for one-week course sand two sessions for two-week courses are against Program policy.
  • If absent, take steps to prepare work for early or late submission, per the course make-up policy, and schedule submissions with the Instructor.
  • Regularly engage with Instructor, peers, course activities, and course tools during the program.
  • Respond within 24 hours to communications from Instructors and office staff.
  • Check weekly announcements, course calendars, and activity checklists and remain up to date with assignments.
  • Complete work on time and contribute to the community of learners.
  • Know and understand the success criteria for individual assignments and assessments before attempting them.
  • Know and understand the criteria for successful completion leading to a Certificate of Course Completion.
  • Review and reflect on Instructor feedback and look for opportunities to apply feedback to new tasks.
  • Complete the majority of required assignments and assessments to receive a final evaluation and a Certificate of Course Completion.

It is the responsibility of the Parent/Legal Guardian to:

  • Sign a Participation Agreement outlining program guidelines, restrictions, regulations and policies.
  • Review and ensure Participants adhere to all Duke University policies applicable to residing on campus and attending classes including polices related to the use of campus facilities and labs.
  • Provide necessary resources (tools, time, and required technical equipment) for Participants to log in regularly.
  • Review email and other notifications from program staff members regularly and, when needed, respond within 24 hours to communications from Instructors and Duke office staff.
  • Discuss schedule with Participant during the application process, prior to the term, and at the start of the term, understanding that absences from online access exceeding one session for one-week courses and two sessions for two-week courses are against Program policy.
  • Communicate regularly with Participant about any unplanned absences so Participant can inform the Instructor and arrange for early submission or make-up work.
  • Check-in with Participant weekly about coursework and progress in the course toward meeting success criteria and course completion.
  • Know and understand the criteria for successful completion leading to a Certificate of Course Completion and utilize the available resources to monitor your Participant’s participation and progress as needed.

It is the responsibility of the Duke Pre-College Program Instructor to:

  • Post weekly announcements, activity checklists, make-up policies, and maintain an updated course calendar.
  • Clearly communicate to Participants expectations and criteria for success on all assignments and assessments.
  • Regularly provide timely feedback to Participants on core assignments and assessments.
  • Maintain the course related communications so that Participants can accurately assess their progress.
  • Provide a final evaluation that is reflective of the Participant’s work and follows the criteria for successful completion.
  • Respond to inquiries and communications from Participants and families within 24 hours.
  • Follow participation checkpoints and the program participation policy for Instructors by messaging all Participants and families per the policy regarding class assignments and engagement expectations.
  • Maintain high visibility and availability for the duration of the Program for risk management purposes.
  • Lead, guide, and support students and staff and set the tone of the site through a consistent and positive, interpersonal style while performing job duties.
  • Uphold all Duke University policies as applied to the Duke Pre-College Summer Programs.

Community Standard

  • Participants will take full advantage of the academic opportunities provided by Duke University. Participants will apply themselves to the best of their ability in their studies and participate fully in collaborative activities and the Duke University community.
  • Participants will not lie, cheat, steal, or plagiarize in their academic and collaborative endeavors, nor will they support the actions of those who do.
  • Participants must understand Duke University policies have been developed to promote the safety and enjoyment of the program for all Participants, and must adhere to these policies and follow the direction of Duke Pre-College staff members.
  • Participants will be honest, responsible, and fair in all their activities and will conduct themselves in a manner that is respectful of other Participants, Duke Pre-College staff, and Duke University digital and in-person spaces.
  • Participants must understand that harassment, intimidation, and bullying will not be tolerated.
  • Participants will share in the responsibility of maintaining an environment where individual actions do not violate the integrity of the community.
  • Participants will accept responsibility for their own actions and accept the consequences of those actions.
  • Participant will view the Duke Pre-College Program as a community and will recognize the commonalities and respect the differences that make each Participant unique.
  • Participants will abide by Duke University's nondiscrimination policy regarding race, color, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, sex, genetic information, and age.

Digital Citizenship Policies

The Duke Pre-College Online program utilizes a variety of online resources and other tools and programs that require Participants to post, share, and publish work online in both protected and open environments. This agreement serves as a resource to help Participants maintain safety and privacy while interacting in online environments such as these. It is important that both the Participant and the Parent/Legal Guardian carefully read and understand this agreement.

  • I will protect my identity in all online environments. This includes not sharing my email address, home address, phone number, full name, birthdate, location, school name, or any other information that might pose a privacy or security risk.
  • I will protect the security of my fellow classmates, Instructor, Duke University and Duke Pre-College information by not sharing information with others. It is important that Duke University online communities are a safe and welcoming space to share ideas and work. Therefore, it is very important that you don’t share the course content, Participant information, or Participant work with anyone other than your parents.
  • I will manage my own passwords. It is crucial that you develop a secure password for all sites, and that you never share that password. You are responsible for managing all passwords you create.
  • I will be responsible for maintaining or deleting my accounts. You are solely responsible for what happens with the accounts you create after the conclusion of your Duke Pre-College Online course. Duke and your Instructor may share links to your products or capture screenshots of your work, but you own both the products and the accounts you create. It is recommended that you go into the settings of these accounts and change the email address to a personal email at the conclusion of your course. We request that you keep all accounts and products active for one week following the conclusion of your session to ensure your work can be properly assessed and evaluated by the Instructor. Deleting these products before that time could result in an incomplete program evaluation from Duke. Duke will not be able to assist you in retrieving passwords or products from these accounts, either during or after the course.
  • I will use my Sakai account to communicate with classmates and my Instructor when in-person communication in not possible. All course-related communications should be from your Sakai account to your Instructor or classmates’ online accounts. You should never use a personal account for course communications.
  • I will exhibit appropriate behavior online. Many internet tools allow for a wide range of interaction, including comments, posts, discussions, and peer feedback. Everything you write or share online is a reflection of you and should be treated as both permanent and public. It is your responsibility to make wise decisions about how you want to be perceived by Instructors and classmates, as well as potential schools and employers that might one day see the interactions you have had online. Commit to only sharing appropriate information, images, and multimedia resources.
  • I will respect myself and others at all times. Never share a post, comment, or image that could be perceived as disrespectful. Do not engage with or respond to inappropriate or disrespectful posts or images. Report inappropriate activity to your Instructor or Duke Pre-College Programs Director, leisha.deriso@duke.edu.
  • I will adhere to copyright laws and fair use guidelines. It is important that you never use copyrighted work without permission, and that you always credit the original producer of the work. This includes text from books or websites, images, videos, and any other resource you obtain. This is particularly important when you are creating and sharing things online that could potentially have a public audience that may interpret these items as your own work. If you are unsure of whether you might be using copyrighted materials, refer to the Duke University Online polices or seek the help of your Instructor. “I didn’t know” is not an excuse for plagiarism or copyright infringement.
  • I understand that it is my responsibility to read the terms of use or service and adhere to any age restrictions. Most web tools have specific age restrictions and terms of use that they expect users to follow. These are typically located at the bottom of all pages, particularly the home pages. It is your responsibility to read, understand, and follow these guidelines. Duke University will never expect or require you to use any tool in a manner that violates the terms of use or age restrictions. If you are unsure whether you can complete an assignment due to age restrictions, seek the help of your Instructor immediately.
  • I will contact my Instructor or Duke staff if at any time I feel uncomfortable about online activity related to my course. You have the right to feel safe and protected when utilizing online tools and resources. If at any time you feel uncomfortable, or experience or witness instances of bullying, harassment, inappropriate language or content, please contact your Instructor or Duke Pre-College staff as soon as possible. If you are concerned about the manner in which you are being asked to share an assignment, your Instructor can offer an alternative method or tool, or an alternate assignment.

Additional Policies

Non-Discrimination Policy

Duke University prohibits discrimination and harassment, and provides equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex or age. The university also makes good faith efforts to recruit, employ, and promote qualified minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and veterans. It admits qualified students to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students. The university also does not tolerate harassment of any kind.

Smoking Policy

Duke University is a Tobacco Free campus.

Housing Policy

For Participants residing on campus, Residential Policies and Expectations will apply.