FAQ

For more information on our application process, including required application materials and admission dates, visit our How to Apply page.

Please email precollege@duke.edu.

Financial Aid is available for the 2024 program in limited quantities. If awarded, financial aid will cover 100% of tuition fees. Families will remain responsible for any room and board fees for residential programs and/or meal fees for commuter programs. If interested in being considered for a financial aid award, please indicate your interest on the application. You will be contacted for more information and receive a financial aid decision at the same time as your application decision. Students from families of military, first responders and educators are encouraged to indicate their interest in financial aid consideration. If you are part of a group or organization that is already receiving some financial assistance from the Pre-College Program, please indicate that on the application in the appropriate section. Please know no tax information will be requested during the financial aid review process. ALL housing, commuter, or other fees (recreational, immunization or course change or drop) will be the responsibility of participant.

You can take one course each session. 

Applications are reviewed once they are complete. Due to our high volume of applications, please allow up to 3 weeks for an application decision. You must return and log into the application portal to check your status. If you application is approved, you will follow these steps:

1. Go to https://learnmore.duke.edu/precollege/all-programs, choose your course from those available to 6^th-8^th or 9^th-11^th grade students and add to cart. If the course is filled, move to your second choice. If you choose a course not intended for your grade, your registration will be removed, and you will be notified and asked to choose the appropriate course. This delay could result in your course choice being filled so please only register for courses for your grade.
2. Pay your enrollment deposit of $500 to reserve your spot in the course. Final payments are due MAY 1, 2024. Any students with an outstanding balance after May 1, 2024, will be dropped from the course.
3. Log in to CampDoc (you will receive an invitation via email to create your account) and complete the required medical information, housing preferences, and transportation details. All must be completed by May 31, 2024 to attend the program. 

1.  Log in to the student portal as a returning student using with the same credentials you used to apply for the program.

• If you need to retrieve your username or reset your password, use the links provided on the login screen as shown: 

2.  Search for your course and Add to Cart then complete the check-out process. A receipt will be emailed to the email address associated with your account. 

• We accept VISA, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. If you choose to pay a deposit and have an outstanding balance, this amount will show in red when you login to the student portal. You can pay by visiting My Invoices within the student portal, or the Make a Payment link .  

For any additional questions on payment, please email learnmore@duke.edu.

Participants currently in 6^th-11^th grade during the 2023/2024 academic year can apply. If you will be 18 years of age (DOB PRIOR TO 6/15/2006) at the time of the program please consider exploring opportunities with Duke Summer Session.)

Program dates and other information can be found in our Program Overview.

Pre-College program fees are separated into tuition fees and room and board fees. Tuition fees cover courses and course materials, College Connections (9^th-11^th grade students) or Club Activities (6^th-8^th grade students) and tours during the program. Room and board fees for residential participates include evening events, community engagement opportunities, housing, and meals. For commuting participants, the fee covers the course and lunch only for each weekday of the program.

Instructors are Duke faculty, affiliates, and graduate students who are experts in their fields. Instructor biographies will be included on the course site in Canvas, Duke’s learning management system, once participants are admitted and provided access to the program.

All Pre-College courses are non-credit. Duke Summer Session offers credit commuter options for local 10^th and 11^th grade high school students and online courses for non-commuters, including international high school students during the summer term of July 1-August 11. Participants must meet academic qualifications and be 16 years of age by July 1, 2024.

A sample schedule can be found in our Program Overview. Please check back after March 1, 2024, for more information about the daily class schedule.

Current 8th-11th grade students can apply (including rising 9th grade students and 18-year-old students.) Courses will be available 9:00-10:30 a.m. EST and 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. EST every weekday. Participants will attend 1.5 hours of synchronous sessions and have asynchronous sessions on their own and within groups as outlined by the instructor. Asynchronous learning activities and assignments will be assigned daily.

Participants enrolled in the Residential Programs will have a variety of events and activities to choose from, including but not limited to, College Connections, club activities, open recreation, evening events like Karaoke and other social activities, as well as community service opportunities. There will also be opportunities for campus tours, visits to Sarah P. Gardens, the Nasher and Duke Lemur Center. Participants will receive detailed scheduled closer to the start of their program.
 

Participants OVER the age of 16 at the time of the program will have the opportunity to use East Campus gym facilities for an additional $35. Participants will receive an email with instructions to sign a waiver and pay the fee in April. Participants will not have access to tennis courts, basketball courts, any other sport field locations as university athletic camps will be in session during the same time frame.

More information to come in 2024.

We do not guarantee attending Duke Pre-College will affect your application to Duke University in any way. However, applicants are welcome to include their participation in the Duke Pre-College program when applying as an undergraduate.

COVID-19 vaccines are not required for attendance but are strongly encouraged. To read more about visitor vaccines guidelines, visit the Duke Coronavirus website. 

See our sample packing list.

Participants will live and eat on East Campus. Depending on the session of attendance, Participants will live in one of the following Residential Halls while attending Duke Pre-College – Alspaugh, Bell Tower, Blackwell, Pegram, Randolph, or Southgate. Most courses will also take place on East Campus although some courses and labs will take place on West Campus. Participants will primarily eat at East Union (Marketplace), but there maybe activities on West campus, including tours, etc., that will allow Participants to eat at Broadhead. For those with food allergies or other specific dietary needs, rest assured Duke Dining can address any concerns.

1. Arrival dates are listed on our website. Participants arriving with their parents or guardians by car, should check in between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. (noon) on arrival day. Room assignments will be provided at that time. Lunch and required orientation will immediately follow check-in. Participants arriving by plane later in the day will be required to make-up this orientation with their Residential Assistant (RA). Following orientation, Participants will gather in their Residential groups, and begin getting acquainted with fellow participants through fun, social activities.

2. Complimentary airport shuttles will be provided from RDU (Raleigh-Durham International Airport) to campus on the first program date listed on the website. Staff will be available at the airport throughout the day to meet Participants and guide them to the shuttles. Participants will receive confirmation and more information about this process in early June. 

3. Participants are NOT allowed to take an Uber or other rideshare transportation methods to campus without a parent or guardian. Those who do will not be allowed to check-in. 

4. Commuting Participants should plan to arrive at 1 pm on Arrival Day to join orientation and to receive information on daily arrival and departure details.

YES, Participants will be able to provide information about housing preferences and roommate requests through our CampDoc system after they are enrolled in the program.

Arrival times, locations, maps and parking information will be provided to participants via email by May 20, 2024.

Arrival day Orientation for Commuting Students will begin at 1:00 p.m .on all arrival days. Pre-College staff will meet you and your parent or guardian on campus and take you to orientation. Information on exactly where to meet and park will be provided closer to the program start date. You will be given your schedule, commuter residential assistant contact, and exact information on where and what time to arrive and depart each weekday of the program at orientation.

Commuting students will receive meal cards so they can eat lunch each weekday during the program dates.

Commuters can remain on campus for either Club Activities, for 6 – 8 grade students, OR College Connections, for 9 – 11 grade students, after classes each weekday. Students must be picked up from campus no later than 5:45 pm each day if they stay for these activities, or immediately following class no later than 4:15 pm each day by an approved parent or guardian in the appropriate, designated location.

All Participants will receive an invitation to register for a NetID in late April or early May. Participants MUST complete NetID registration within three days of receiving the initial email. If that deadline passes, Participants will need to email precollege@duke.edu to have a new activation email set. Only an active NetID will give Participants access to Canvas, Duke University’s learning management system, where syllabi and other course information will be posted.

A sample schedule is on the website. Night and weekend activities will include karaoke, outdoor movies, dances, games, community service projects, tours of campus and visits to local attractions.

Our program follows the minors’ Standards of Best Practice established by Duke University. All participants will be assigned a Residential Counselor the first day of their program who will be their main point of contact. Additional staff including medical professionals will be on campus during the entirety of the program. All staff will be required to pass backgrounds checks and specialized training prior to the program start date. At no time will participants be allowed to leave campus nor have cars on campus. 

YES. Participants can receive letters and packages during their stay at Duke Pre-College. The complete address will be provided in May with the other arrival details.

CampDoc is the system the program uses to collect all of the information necessary to participant in Duke Pre-College. In this system, Participants will review and sign the program’s Participation Agreement; enter and upload health records signed by a Healthcare Provider; and, complete housing preferences and travel information details. Email invitations from CampDoc to registered participants will begin going to the primary email address on applications March 10. Please accept the invitation and log into the system within 5 days or your access may be blocked and require a reset. All CampDoc information must be signed, uploaded and completed no later than May 20, 2024, or Participants will not be allowed to attend the program.

Participants are required to depart from the program on the last day of the session On Departure Days, Participants will need to pack and clean out their room before breakfast. After breakfast, class or presentations will occur until 12 p.m. (noon). Those leaving by car will begin leaving at noon. For those flying home, we will work with Participants who can only secure flights in the morning of departure day, and make arrangement to ensure their transportation to the airport. Those with flights after noon will have access to meals until they depart for home. For questions about departure days please email precollege@duke.edu.