Duke University's wording, checked October 26, 2026“Meaningful dialogue often involves respectful disagreement. Provide an example of a difference of opinion you’ve had with someone you care about. What did you learn from it?”
How to approach it
- 1Pick a disagreement that is still a little unresolved; those are more honest than ones you won.
- 2State the other person's view fairly in their terms before yours.
- 3Show what you did in the conversation (listened, asked, changed your approach), then what you learned about disagreeing.
A structure that works
One way to shape this answer. It describes moves, not sentences: the words have to be yours.
- 1The disagreement in one or two sentences, with both views stated fairly.
- 2The moment it mattered: what was at stake for the relationship.
- 3What you did differently in the conversation, in specific actions.
- 4What you learned about how you disagree, and where you have used it since.
Where the 250 words go
| Part | Words |
|---|---|
| The moment or example | about 100 |
| What it shows or changed | about 90 |
| Why it matters, or what you bring | about 60 |
Mistakes to avoid
- A debate you won.
- A lesson so general it could end any essay ("I learned to respect other opinions").
The checklist our grader uses for this question
When you check your Duke answers, this answer is read against these 5 areas. Each comes back Met, Partly or Missing with a quote from your draft as evidence, and together with the 250 words limit they set its readiness verdict.
| Area | What a reader looks for |
|---|---|
| Answers the question | The opening sentences answer what was asked, plainly, before background or a hook; every part of a multi-part question is answered. |
| A real difference | The issue and the other person or group are specific, and the difference between their views is stated fairly. |
| How you engaged | It shows the process (listening, questions asked, what the applicant said and did), not a debate won; the applicant need not be the hero. |
| What you learned | It says honestly what changed in the applicant's thinking or way of engaging, even if neither view changed, and how they engage with others now. |
| Duke's ask | A difference of opinion with someone the applicant cares about, and what they learned from it. |
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Questions
More on Duke and this kind of question
- Harvard: A time you strongly disagreed · 150 words
- Yale: Essay: an opposing view · 400 words
- Columbia: A time you did not agree with someone · 150 words
- Johns Hopkins: Engaging across differences · 350 words
- Barnard: A woman who brings people together · 200-250 words
- Wellesley: Working alongside people different from you · 250-400 words