General Admissions Questions

Can I submit my application before all of my recommendations or official test scores are received?
Yes. You should submit your application as soon as you have completed each section, sent recommendation requests to your recommenders, and requested that ETS send your scores. After you submit your application, the Graduate Admissions Office can add recommendation letters and official test scores to your application as they are received.
NOTE: While it is fine for recommendations and official test scores to arrive after you submit your application, it is important that we receive them by or before the application deadline.

Should I mail application materials or supplemental documents?
All application materials should be submitted electronically. Supplemental documents can be uploaded to the Additional Information section of the online application. Please do not mail paper copies of application materials or supplemental documents unless we specifically request that you do so. Mailing materials will create duplicate records in your file and delay the processing of your application.

Scholarships

Scholarship information can be found on the Program Costs & Financial Aid page.

Application Deadline

Application deadline information can be found on the admissions page. If you are interested in applying after the deadline, please contact your program of interest prior to beginning your application.

Application Support

What should I do if I am having trouble uploading documents?
First, make sure the file you are uploading is not larger than 1.5 MB. To achieve a file size this small, do not scan in color and make sure your scanner is on a low-resolution setting. Next, confirm that your document is in Word (.doc or .docx) or PDF format. If you are continuing to have difficulties uploading and viewing a legible document, please contact Technical Support via one of the Technical Support links in the online application. If Technical Support is unable to assist you, please email Graduate Admissions at dku-grad-admissions@duke.edu.

Transcripts

What is a transcript?
The academic record that we refer to as a transcript should provide a listing, year by year, of all courses taken and the grade or mark received for each one. Do not submit transcripts from secondary schools. If your Social Security Number (SSN) appears on your transcripts, please mark out all except the last four digits of the number before uploading the transcripts to your application.

What makes a transcript unofficial or official?
Unofficial transcripts: Transcripts uploaded to the application are unofficial. An unofficial transcript is also one that:

• has been opened by the student
• did not come directly from the school
• is an uncertified photocopy of the original
• was not produced by the school
• was translated by the student or a non-professional translation service

Notarized transcripts are considered unofficial unless they are mailed directly from the educational institution and bear the institutional seal.

Official Transcripts: Official transcripts are only required if an offer of admission is made. Do not send official transcripts unless and until you are offered admission. The transcript is official if it is sent directly by the institution to Graduate Admissions. Transcripts must bear an official signature in ink of the appropriate official at your institution, such as the registrar or recorder of records, and must bear the institutional seal. Certified true copies must be stamped and signed by the institution.

My transcript is not in English. Do I need to provide a translation?
Yes. Please provide BOTH the original transcript AND a translation from either the school issuing the transcript or a professional translation service.

When should I mail my official transcripts?
If you are offered admission and accept, we will contact you to request that you send your official transcripts by mail. Do not send your official transcripts until you are contacted.

May I submit a WES or ECE credential evaluation with my application?

Yes, you may submit a credential evaluation from a third party (e.g. WES or ECE), but you must also submit the transcript from your institution.

Recommendations

Can I submit my application before all of my recommendations arrive?
Yes. Submit your application as soon as you have completed each section and sent recommendation requests to your recommenders. After you submit your application, the Graduate Admissions Office can link recommendation letters as they are received. NOTE: While it is fine for recommendations to arrive after you submit your application, it is important that we receive them by or before the application deadline.

Can I change one of my recommenders or add a new one after my application has been submitted?
You cannot change a recommender that is already listed in a submitted application. If you have already submitted your application and need to add a new recommender because one of your original recommenders is unavailable, please email Graduate Admissions at dku-grad-admissions@duke.edu. In your email, be sure to specify your name, your date of birth, the program to which you applied, and the name of the new recommender. We will then reply to you with detailed instructions for submitting the new recommendation.

Is it OK to list more than three (3) recommenders in my application?
We strongly discourage you from requesting more than the required number of recommendations unless the department to which you applied has asked to see additional recommendations. Rather than improving your chances of admission, an excessive number of recommendation letters may actually cause application reviewers to view your file unfavorably.

Standardized Tests

What are the minimum GRE and GPA requirements?
There is no specific minimum GRE or GPA requirement; GRE scores and GPAs are considered alongside several other factors during the application review process.

Do you accept Chinese graduate school entrance exam scores in lieu of GRE scores?
Scores from Chinese graduate school entrance exams are not accepted in lieu of GRE scores.

What is the difference between self-reported and official test scores?
Any scores reported by an applicant — including paper copies of score reports submitted by an applicant — are considered self-reported and are not sufficient to complete an application. Scores sent directly from ETS (or other testing agencies) to Graduate Admissions are considered official.

What institution code should I use when asking ETS to send my scores? Do I need to include a department code?
Use the institution code for Duke Kunshan University. For GRE scores, use institution code 7554. For TOEFL scores, use institution code B624. A department code is not needed. If ETS requires you to enter a department code, select any one of the department codes listed on their site. Regardless of the department code selected, your scores will come to Graduate Admissions, as long as you use the correct institution code.

To what address should my IELTS score be mailed?
The IELTS score should be mailed to: DKU-Duke University Graduate School, 2127 Campus Drive, Box 90065, Durham, NC 27708. If the mail service will not deliver to a post office box, delete “Box 90065” from the address and use the postal code 27708-0065.

Who is required to provide TOEFL or IELTS test scores?
Duke Kunshan University requires any applicant whose first language is not English to submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test.

What is the minimum TOEFL or IELTS score required to apply?
Duke Kunshan University requires a minimum 90 (internet-based test) TOEFL score and a minimum 7.0 IELTS score.

Review and Notification

Who reviews my application?
The actual in-depth review of your file is conducted by the admissions committee of the department to which you are applying.

When are decisions made?
Decisions for Fall admission are generally made within four (4) weeks of receiving an application complete with all required materials.

How can I check the status of my application?
Within two (2) weeks of application submission, you will receive a status email message. This message will state which items are included in or missing from your application. Once a decision has been made on your application, you will receive an email with instructions for accessing the decision letter.

Why have I not received the official decision letter in the mail?
All official decision letters are sent electronically. Duke Kunshan University does not mail paper decision letters.

If I am not admitted, or if I am admitted but cannot come, can I be reconsidered for another term?

An admission offer is only for the semester and program specified in the letter of admission. Requests for deferral are rarely approved. (Valid reasons for a deferral are: serious health issues, visa issues beyond the student’s control, or military service.)

If you wish to reactivate your file for consideration in a later term, you must create a new Apply Yourself account and submit a new application; your previously submitted application form will not be used for the new application.

I have accepted the offer of admission. What should I do next?

See the Admitted Students section for details on how to proceed. Pay special attention to the items mentioned in the checklist which you will find by clicking on “Program-Specific Information”, then “Master of Science: Global Health and Medical Physics”.