Christoph Guttentag retires after decades leading undergraduate admissions

Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Christoph Guttentag retired in June after nearly 33 years in the role, according to a press release from Duke Today.

Guttentag had been reappointed to the role in 2023 for a five-year term that was intended to last until 2028. He has led Duke’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions since 1992, after spending nine years at the University of Pennsylvania’s admissions office. 

“Under [Guttentag’s] leadership, Duke experienced significant and unprecedented growth in applicants for each incoming class,” said the press release, which went on to note that in the Class of 2029 that number reached over 58,000.

During Guttentag’s tenure, acceptance rates for the University fell considerably, from 24.46% in the 2000-01 academic year to 4.78% in the 2024-25 academic year.

His tenure was also marked by gradual steps to increase the racial diversity of the student body and initiatives to increase socioeconomic diversity, such as the Carolinas Financial Aid Initiative, which provides full tuition scholarships to students from North and South Carolina from families with less than $150,000 in annual income.

Notably, Guttentag led the office during the COVID-19 pandemic, which included the decision to make standardized testing optional, and through the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn race-based affirmative action in college admissions.

He also oversaw the office when Duke announced in February 2024 that it would stop giving essays and standardized testing scores numerical ratings in the application process, the former which he attributed to the increase in the use of generative artificial intelligence and college admissions consultants.

Kathy Phillips, associate dean of undergraduate admissions, will take over as interim leader of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.