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

United States Class of 2031 entry: Common App due 2 January 2027 (Regular Decision); Early Decision 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.

Duke University

University-funded

emoji_events Award Overview

savings

Value

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

school

Duration

4 Years (renewable)

flight_takeoff

Extras

Annual Travel Home + Research Funding

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

school

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.

public

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.

work

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).

gavel

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.