The most accurate AI grader for Duke essays.
Kolly was built and calibrated on hundreds of thousands of essays from students who actually got into Duke University and the rest of the T20.
Duke essay prompts for 2025-26
Copy the prompt you are answering into the prompt field above, then paste your draft, so the readers grade the answer against the question it has to answer.
These are the most recent Duke prompts Kolly has verified, checked . Duke may have updated them since, so check Duke University admissions before you submit.
Why Duke (Required)
What is your impression of Duke as a university and community, and why do you believe it is a good match for your goals, values, and interests? If there is something specific that attracts you to our academic offerings in Trinity College of Arts and Sciences or the Pratt School of Engineering, or to our co-curricular opportunities, feel free to include that, too.
250 words max · Required
Why Duke
What is your sense of Duke as a university and a community, and why do you consider it a good match for you?
250 words max · Required
Community Contribution
We believe a wide range of personal perspectives, beliefs, and lived experiences are essential to making Duke a vibrant and meaningful community. Feel free to share with us anything about you (your character, values, or background) that will help us understand what you might bring to our community.
250 words max · Required
All Duke supplemental essays, with word limits and the published source.
How Kolly grades a Duke essay
The grade covers the same six dimensions as every Kolly read: hook, theme, detail, authenticity, reflection, and writing, each scored from 0 to 5. The big number is a percentile that shows where your draft lands among accepted essays of the same type from top US schools. Duke readers, like their counterparts at peer schools, read fast and form an impression in the first paragraph. The verdict quotes the line that lands and names the weakest moment, so you know what to fix first.
Why Kolly instead of a ChatGPT read
ChatGPT and other general models grade against writing in general, which is not what Duke readers do. Kolly grades against essays that got in, and four readers argue over the draft before they vote, so a polished answer that says nothing specific gets called out instead of praised. The quick read is free without an account. A free Kolly account adds the full review: a stronger scoring model, notes on each paragraph, and a fix-it plan.
Grading your personal statement?
Use the main college essay grader for a Common App essay that goes to every school on your list. For acceptance rates, test scores, and cost, see Duke University admissions.