A diverse group of graduates in academic gowns throwing their caps in the air.

United States Closing soon Closes 1 November 2026

Duke Karsh International Scholars Program

The Karsh International Scholars Program is Duke University's flagship merit award for incoming international undergraduates. It provides full tuition, mandatory fees, room and board, books, and an annual travel allowance home — totalling approximately USD 90,000 per year over four years (around LKR 115M for the full four-year programme). The award also includes funded research, study-abroad opportunities, and a six-week pre-orientation Karsh summer programme. Approximately 8-12 Karsh Scholars are selected each year from Duke's full international applicant pool. There is no separate application — all admitted international students are considered automatically, with finalists invited to interview.

Class of 2031 entry: Common App due 2 January 2027 (Regular Decision); Early Decision 1 November 2026

Duke University

University-funded

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Value

Full Cost of Attendance (~USD 90k/yr)

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Duration

4 Years (renewable)

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Extras

Annual Travel Home + Research Funding

info How this award actually works

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Who awards it

Duke University — not Lanka Scholar. We are not the awarding body and cannot grant, reserve or guarantee this award.

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How you are considered

Through your admission application. Awards like this are usually assessed automatically from the application you already submit — there is typically no separate scholarship form to fill in.

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What it covers

Full Tuition + Fees + Living + Travel (4 yrs). This is a reduction in tuition, not a full ride. You still fund the remainder, plus living costs and the balance your visa requires you to show.

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Where we come in

We make the admission application strong enough to be competitive — course choice, documents, references and deadlines. The funder makes the decision.

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

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First-Year Freshman Applicant

Open to incoming first-year undergraduate students applying to Trinity College of Arts and Sciences OR Pratt School of Engineering at Duke. Transfer students and graduate students are not eligible.

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Non-US Citizen

Open only to non-US citizens. Dual nationals with US citizenship and US permanent residents are NOT eligible. Sri Lankan citizens applying from Sri Lanka are exactly the target profile. F-1 visa support is provided post-acceptance.

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Exceptional Academic Record

Karsh Scholars are typically top of their school cohort. For Sri Lankan applicants, that means 3 As at A/L with island rankings, IB scores of 42+/45, or equivalent. SAT 1500+ / ACT 33+ strengthens the application (Duke is test-optional but Karsh finalists typically submit scores).

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Leadership + Impact at Scale

Duke evaluates Karsh applicants on demonstrated leadership and impact — head prefect, founder of major school/community initiative, top placements in international Olympiads, captain of national sports teams, or substantial published work. Depth and scale matter more than breadth.

account_tree Application Process

Apply to Duke via Common App

Submit the Common Application by 2 January 2027 (Regular Decision) or 1 November 2026 (Early Decision; binding). Required: Duke supplement, transcripts, school report, two teacher recommendations, counsellor recommendation, optional standardised test scores.

Automatic consideration

All international applicants are automatically reviewed by the Karsh selection committee. There is no separate Karsh application form or essay. The strength of your Common App essay and Duke supplement is what differentiates you.

Finalist interview

Approximately 30-50 finalists are invited to virtual interviews (or in person at Duke for those who can travel) in February-March. Interviews are with Duke faculty and current Karsh Scholars.

Award + visa

Karsh decisions are released alongside Duke admissions decisions in late March. Successful applicants confirm by 1 May. The Karsh team handles I-20 issuance for F-1 visa applications at the US Embassy Colombo.

Why Duke?

Duke is one of the top-ranked private research universities in the United States, located in Durham, North Carolina. Strong across the board — Pratt Engineering, Fuqua Business, Sanford Public Policy, and the medical school are all top-tier. The Karsh program builds an exceptionally tight cohort of ~50 active scholars across the four undergraduate years, with funded summer research, international travel, and lifelong alumni networking.

#52

QS World Ranking 2026

~10

Karsh Scholars / Year

USD 360k+

Total Award Value (4 yrs)

Looking for a scholarship because of the cost?

Then start here instead. Scholarships are competitive, usually partial, and decided by someone else — they are the least reliable way to make studying abroad affordable. Your destination and course choice move the number far more, and both are entirely within your control.

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