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Duke Fuqua Essays: Top Tips + ‘25 Random Things About YOU’ Example

“Team Fuqua” may seem like a tagline or gimmicky motto, but that’s far from the truth.

Fuqua’s mission is to transform its students into leaders who are equipped to inspire organizations in a way that leads to positive impact on the bottom line, but also positive impact on the world. Admissions is looking to create a class profile that will embrace this mission and create a culture that fosters strong relationships between students, faculty, staff, and their families.

The short answer and essay questions are an opportunity for you to tell your story in a way that speaks to Fuqua’s core values of collaboration, diversity, integrity, respect, and community engagement. That is why the first essay is so important. (For advice on positioning your Duke Fuqua application , view my related post.)

Fuqua Required essay #1: 25 Random Things About Yourself

While many applicants are intimidated by the prompt, I absolutely love this essay (see a full example of a successful ’25 Random Things’ response at the end of this post). The full prompt clearly states that Admissions wants to get to know you beyond the professional and academic achievements listed on your resume. This is your opportunity to connect on a personal level by showcasing a different side (or sides) of yourself that may not come through in traditional MBA applications. If done right, this essay is where you create advocates among those reading your list.

Think about your values, your hobbies, your interests, and important life experiences. These can and should be a mix of poignant, humorous, playful, deep, and everything in between. Some may be a paragraph whereas others may be a simple sentence. Also keep in mind that they should resonate with the core values of the Fuqua community mentioned above.

It’s also important to highlight your cultural competency. Fuqua has always put an emphasis on diversity and takes pride in the fact that its student body is consistently around 40% international. In fact, the main hallway is lined with flags representing the many countries students come from. Teams are purposefully made of individuals from different genders, ethnicities, and functional and industry backgrounds. It’s important that your savvy self- and cultural awareness shines throughout your application. Look for ways to stress your experience working with globally diverse teams and why a global perspective is important to you personally and professionally.

Fuqua Required Essay #2: The Fuqua community and you – what are 3 ways you expect to contribute at Fuqua? (300 words)

While the essay topic remains the same, word count has been significantly cut this year, so it’s more important than ever that you dig deep into the engagement opportunities on campus and pick three that clearly align with your story, both past and present. Dedicating a significant amount of time to networking with students and alumni is essential so that you can envision yourself on campus and articulate how you will add value to the community.

As an added bonus, students and alumni are encouraged to submit online recommendations after engaging with prospective students and their opinions are highly valued by Admissions.

Outside the classroom is key here. All too often applicants ignore that part of the prompt and wax poetic about how their experience will add value in class discussions. You must go deeper. Fuqua boasts 60+ student clubs, each of which was started and run by students. These clubs and other experiential opportunities allow you to take initiative and flex the leadership muscle you are building in the program. Think about the groups you will be a part of – professional clubs and/or those that are more light-hearted like the Outdoors Club or Wine Club. There’s also the MBA Games, the MBAA leadership cabinet, GATE trips, and other opportunities to get involved.

Reflect on your past experience and how it will contribute to mission and goals of whatever opportunities you choose. If you have networked effectively, you’ll be equipped to articulate how you can add value in vivid detail.

Fuqua Required Short Answer: What are your post-MBA career goals? Share with us your first choice career plan and your alternate plan. (500 characters with spaces)

At Fuqua, Admissions and the Career Management Center (CMC) are well connected. Career Center staff educate the team on what to look for in resumes and the key skills/experience required for certain career paths. If questions arise about a candidate, their experience, and how realistic their goals are, they will bring in the Associate Dean of the CMC to get her feedback. That said, you need to be quite clear about your development so far, the skills needed from the Duke MBA, and how it all translates post-MBA.

While I wouldn’t recommend spending too much character count on your plan B, it is an incredibly important part of your answer. The MBA is a dynamic and transformative experience. At orientation, staff would often joke with the new class that more than half of them would end up doing something completely different than what they wrote about in their application. The point of plan B is to show that you have thought clearly about more than one option and how they will get you to your goals short- and long-term. That way, when the wind changes (and it will), you will be prepared to adjust your sails!

Example of a Successful ’25 Random Things About YOU’ Essay

Having gained seven siblings all at once, at the age of nine, I’ve come to have a loose definition of the word family. My definition is based more on time I’ve spent with someone than our legal or biological bonds.
It took time (and a new addition to the house), but eventually my newly-extend family fell into a rhythm. Our home was louder, but filled with more laughter. Together we learned to discuss topics such as subliminal racism and police violence against people of color with sensitivity, directness, and when appropriate, a sense of humor.
I have a pet Quaker parrot named Blue. I was told it was a male bird so I was shocked when “he” laid an egg!
I’m deathly scared of spiders. My first month living in Chongqing, a spider about 3 ½ inches across found itself in front of my doorway; after frantically facetiming my dad, I dropped a textbook weighing about 5 pounds on it. I didn’t move the book for two weeks.
When I am stressed out I like to watch documentaries about space… or the children’s show “Arthur”—totally different but equally effective.
Ever since I watched the show Madeline at age 5, my interest in studying another language was peaked. While it only included snippets of French (“Bonjour”, “merci”) I was enchanted by the idea of learning French and connecting with a group of people otherwise unreachable.
On Thanksgiving when I was 5 years old, I finally put it together that the turkey we were eating was “turkey”, the bird. I surprised my parents by announcing I was now going to be a vegetarian. I surprised them further by remaining vegetarian until the end of high school.
In college, I volunteered in China with an NGO building libraries in rural schools. When the children first saw me, they ran and hid. It was their first time laying eyes on a foreigner. While they were initially frightened, we eventually bonded over Chinese paper cutting (which I never did quite get the hang of).
One of my first nights in Hunan Province, I tried “huajiao”, a pepper known for its numbing effects on the mouth; I had no idea what I’d eaten and was convinced I was having an allergic reaction. Since we were hours from a hospital I was also half-convinced this could be the end. Now huajiao is one of my favorite spices.
My college roommates and I met on our hall freshman year and the five of us lived together the rest of our time at Penn—we still have yearly reunions despite all living in different cities.
This summer, I had a small “family reunion” in a cozy Italian restaurant in NYC’s West Village. Around the table sat Tao Tao, a close friend from middle school, Alex, Roon and Angie, my hallmates for two years in boarding school, Nick and Amanda, my college roommates, and Freddie and Mark, who lived with me in Chongqing. It was surreal to bring these “family members” from different stages of life and corners of the world together.
I failed the written portion of the driving test three times before passing. My family, who often made fun of me for being the “nerdy” one, got a huge kick out of this.
I once took a 10-day trip around the deserts and plains of southeastern Mongolia with two women who I had just met from Australia and Canada. Despite 10 days in very close-quarters, we became great friends and confidants.
My favorite moments living in China are those in which I completely mess up (e.g. first time I tried to hike Tiger Leaping Gorge in Yunnan province and ended up about a hundred miles off on the Tibetan border.) I had to squeeze into a 4.5ft. bed and go straight back the next day – hilarious and humbling.
Over the past few years, a couple clients’ passion for physics has rubbed off on me. Now, I listen to physics podcasts almost every night. Concepts like particle-wave duality and quantum field theory blow my mind!
I used to be more of a night-owl, until I walked onto the crew team freshman year of college. Even after I stopped my second year, I maintained the habit of waking up early and now I’m a total morning person.
My closest friends in Beijing identify as queer. Through them I have become involved in the LGBTQ+ community in Beijing, where there is still political danger associated with being queer/attending LGBTQ+ events. Locations are never released until just beforehand and only via private message.
One of my favorite memories this past year was trying to teach my 7-year-old niece how to play Mancala. Unfortunately, she never mastered the game… her 4-year-old sister kept flipping the board over.
While studying in France, I decided to stay abroad over the holidays and spent Christmas going on an impromptu tour through Lausanne, Switzerland, given by a professor from the Ivory Coast who I bumped into on the street.
My first job was working in a fine jewelry store. Looking at an inscribed platinum watch a family managed to bring with them after escaping France at the start of WWII, or a Victorian locket that still contained the black-and-white photo of young boy. I love learning the stories behind the pieces and then sharing them with customers.
My youngest adopted brother was drafted by the Miami Dolphins this past spring (my mom immediately bought an aqua and orange phone case to celebrate).
My freshman year at Penn, I thought I signed up for a writing seminar until I showed up for class and realized mid-way through the seminar that I had in fact registered for a seminar about sleep in the nursing school. No idea how I managed to mix that up but I ended up sticking with it and it became one of my favorite classes!
I had two pet rats, Chai and Cappuccino, in college. Side note: between its Parisian location and the fact that the main characters are rats, you may not be surprised to learn by now that Ratatouille is my favorite Disney movie.
Since high school, I have always had an interest in storytelling. One of the reasons I chose to work at ESC was its mission: Help students craft a narrative that tells their unique story.
The first time I played flag football was in open meet-and-greet game. I had a classic moment of almost making a touchdown and the football landing straight on my face. I still joined the team though!

Want more advice?

View my related blog: 5 Essential Tips on Applying for the Duke Fuqua MBA .

Fortuna Admissions Expert Coach Catherine Finch Tuttle brings deep MBA experience as a former Associate Director at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. For five years she worked in the Career Management Center creating , implementing, and evaluating programs and coaching MBA’s to achieve their career goals. She also served as the liaison to Admissions having worked with them earlier in her career as a Marketing Manager. For a candid assessment of your chances of admission success at a top MBA program, sign up for a free consultation .

FortunaAdmissions

Published in MBA , Fortuna Admissions , Admission Consultants and Blog

Duke Fuqua MBA Essays Guide: Overview, Tips & Examples

Discover everything you need to know about crafting standout MBA essays for Duke Fuqua.

Posted March 1, 2024

Featuring Jordan M.

Why You Should Consider Getting an MD/MBA

Starting friday, august 23.

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Are you considering applying to Duke University's Fuqua School of Business for your MBA degree? One crucial aspect of the application process is writing compelling essays that showcase your unique qualifications and suitability for the program . In this comprehensive Duke Fuqua MBA Essays Guide, we will provide you with an overview of the application process, offer valuable tips for crafting outstanding essays , and present you with examples of successful essays that have earned admission to Fuqua. Let's dive in!

Duke Fuqua Application and the Role of Essays

Before we delve into the specifics of the essays, let's first understand the overall application process at Duke Fuqua. Alongside academic achievements and professional experience, the essays play a significant role in assessing your fit for the MBA program. Admissions officers use your essays to gain deeper insights into your personality, motivations, leadership potential, and ability to contribute positively to the Fuqua community.

When it comes to crafting your essays, it is crucial to approach them as an opportunity to portray your authentic self and highlight your unique qualities. The admissions committee is looking for individuals who not only have the academic and professional credentials but also possess the personal attributes that align with the program's core values.

One of the core values at Duke Fuqua is teamwork. They believe that collaboration is essential for success in today's business world. Therefore, when writing your essays, it is important to showcase instances where you have worked effectively in a team setting. Highlight your ability to collaborate, communicate, and motivate others towards a common goal. Provide specific examples that demonstrate your skills in building relationships, resolving conflicts, and fostering a supportive and inclusive team environment.

Another core value that Duke Fuqua emphasizes is community involvement. They believe that business leaders have a responsibility to make a positive impact on society. Therefore, in your essays, discuss your experiences and initiatives that showcase your commitment to giving back to the community. Whether it's through volunteering, mentoring, or leading social impact projects, demonstrate how you have made a difference and how you plan to continue doing so as a member of the Fuqua community.

Lastly, leadership development is a key aspect of the Duke Fuqua MBA program. They are looking for individuals who have the potential to become effective leaders and bring about positive change. In your essays, highlight your leadership experiences and the impact you have had on others. Discuss the challenges you faced, the strategies you employed, and the outcomes you achieved. Show how you have grown as a leader and how you plan to further develop your leadership skills at Duke Fuqua.

Remember, the essays are not just an opportunity to showcase your achievements but also to provide the admissions committee with a glimpse into your character , values, and aspirations. Take the time to reflect on your experiences, goals, and what makes you unique. Craft your essays thoughtfully, ensuring that each response is tailored to Duke Fuqua's values and demonstrates your fit for the program. Good luck!

Duke Fuqua Essay Prompts (2023-2024)

For the 2023-2024 application cycle, Duke Fuqua has provided specific essay prompts. Let's take a closer look at each one and provide you with expert tips on how to approach them:

Prompt 1: [Insert Prompt 1]

When considering Prompt 1, it is important to reflect on your personal and professional experiences that have shaped your aspirations. Think about the challenges you have faced and the lessons you have learned along the way. Duke Fuqua values individuals who are driven and have a clear sense of purpose. Use this essay to showcase your goals and how they align with the values and culture of Duke Fuqua.

Additionally, consider discussing how your background and experiences have prepared you for success in the specific field you are interested in. Highlight any relevant skills or accomplishments that demonstrate your potential for making a meaningful impact in your chosen career path.

Prompt 2: [Insert Prompt 2]

Prompt 2 offers an opportunity to delve into your leadership experiences and how they have shaped your perspective. Reflect on a time when you had to take charge and make difficult decisions. What were the challenges you faced, and how did you navigate through them?

It is important to not only describe the situation but also to analyze your actions and the impact they had. Did you inspire others? Did you face any resistance? How did you handle it? Reflecting on these aspects will help you showcase your leadership skills and your ability to bring about positive change.

Prompt 3: [Insert Prompt 3]

Prompt 3 invites you to share your experiences working in a team and how you have contributed to its success. Think about a time when you collaborated with others to achieve a common goal. What role did you play in the team, and how did you contribute to its overall effectiveness?

Highlight any challenges or conflicts that arose during the team project and discuss how you managed to overcome them. Did you take on a leadership role or support others in their roles? Reflect on the lessons you learned from this experience and how it has shaped your understanding of teamwork.

Remember, the essay prompts are an opportunity for you to showcase your unique qualities and experiences. Take the time to reflect on your past and present, and use these prompts as a platform to articulate your aspirations and how Duke Fuqua can help you achieve them.

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List of Expert Tips for Each Fuqua Essay Prompt

Now that we've outlined the essay prompts, let's explore some expert tips to help you craft exceptional responses:

Tips for Prompt 1: [Insert Tips for Prompt 1]
Tips for Prompt 2: [Insert Tips for Prompt 2]
Tips for Prompt 3: [Insert Tips for Prompt 3]

MBA Essay Tips: How to Write Compelling Essays

Writing powerful and persuasive essays requires careful planning and attention to detail. Here are some general tips to consider as you begin the writing process:

Showcase your uniqueness : Highlight what sets you apart from other applicants, emphasizing your distinct experiences, skills, and perspectives.
Be authentic and genuine: Avoid exaggeration or fabrications. Admissions officers are looking for authenticity and truthfulness.
Structure your essays coherently: Create a logical flow of ideas with clear introduction, body, and conclusion sections.
Support your claims with evidence: Back up your statements with concrete examples, statistics, or personal anecdotes.
Proofread and revise: Ensure your essays are polished and free of grammatical and spelling errors. Seek feedback from trusted advisors or mentors.

Duke Fuqua Essay Examples From Success Admits — With Analysis

To provide you with inspiration, we have gathered some exceptional Duke Fuqua MBA essay examples from successful applicants who were admitted to the program. Each example will be accompanied by an analysis of what made the essay effective and compelling.

Duke Fuqua Essay FAQs

Throughout the application process, you may have questions regarding the essays. Here are some frequently asked questions and their answers to help clarify any doubts you may have:

FAQ 1: [Insert FAQ 1]
FAQ 2: [Insert FAQ 2]
FAQ 3: [Insert FAQ 3]

By following this comprehensive Duke Fuqua MBA Essays Guide, you will gain valuable insights and practical tips to create compelling essays that effectively convey your qualifications and motivations. Remember, the essays provide an excellent opportunity to leave a lasting impression on the admissions committee and maximize your chances of securing a spot at Duke Fuqua's prestigious MBA program. Best of luck with your application!

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2024-2025 Duke Fuqua MBA Essay Analysis and Tips

Admit expert.

July 29, 2024

The objective of Duke Fuqua is to prepare its students to inspire organizations in a way that has both a positive impact on the bottom line and a positive impact on the world. The admissions committee seeks to develop a class profile that embraces this objective and cultivates a culture that develops strong ties among students, faculty, and staff, as well as their families.

Duke is a popular choice when it comes to elite MBA programs, meaning it’s no easy task to win a spot in its small class.

Duke’s admissions team goes through thousands of applications every year to find the best people to let into its class of about 400 students. Duke places a lot of value on diversity, teamwork, and collaboration. Duke is also a highly community-driven school and tends to look for a certain set of characteristics in prospective students.

If this sounds like a place where you’d feel right at home, you’ll need to show Duke that you’re up to the task by answering their admissions essay questions well.

Duke Fuqua MBA Essays for 2025 Intake

You’ll need to provide your response to one short answer and two longer essay questions as part of your application.

Required short-answer essay question

Instructions: Answer the following question in 100 words.

What are your post-MBA career goals? Share with us your first-choice career plan and your alternate plan.

First required essay: 25 random things about yourself

The ‘Team Fuqua’ spirit and community is one of the things that sets the MBA experience apart, and it is a concept that extends beyond the student body to include faculty, staff, and administration. Please share with us “25 Random Things” about you. The Admissions Committee wants to get to know YOU – beyond the professional and academic achievements listed in your resume and transcript. Share with us important life experiences, your hobbies, achievements, fun facts, or anything that helps us understand what makes you who you are.

Your list will be limited to 2 pages (750 words maximum). Please present your response in list form, numbered 1 to 25. Some points may be brief, while others may be longer.

Second required essay: The Fuqua community and you

Fuqua prides itself on cultivating a culture of engagement. Our students enjoy a wide range of student-led organizations that provide opportunities for leadership development and personal fulfillment, as well as an outlet for contributing to society. Our student-led government, clubs, centers, and events are an integral part of the student culture and to the development of leaders. Based on your understanding of the Fuqua culture, what are 3 ways you expect to contribute at Fuqua?

Your response will be limited to 1 page (500 words maximum).

Optional essay: Tell us more

If you feel there are circumstances of which the admissions committee should be aware, please explain them here (e.g. unexplained gaps in work, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance). Note that you should NOT upload additional essays nor additional recommendations in this area. The Optional Information section is intended to provide the admissions committee with insight into your circumstances only.

Your response will be limited to 1 page (500 words maximum).

MBA Application deadlines

Short-answer essay question

What are your post-MBA career goals? Share with us your first-choice career plan and your alternate plan. (max 100 words)

It’s a pretty straightforward question.

The admissions committee knows that even the finest plans don’t always work out as planned or may even have unintended consequences.

It wants to know that you are ready to switch gears and recommit to a different path if you need to and that you are fully capable of doing so.

The key to answering this question is to show that your backup goal is just as connected to your skills, interests, and goals as your original plan and doesn’t come out completely disconnected.

For example, it might be hard to persuade the admissions committee that your short-term goal is to work in Private Equity and your alternative goal is to work as an Energy sector consultant since these jobs usually require very different skills and personalities. Just make sure that both of the goals you set are reasonable and doable.

In short, identify your immediate post-MBA goals and even list a few companies you’d like to work for. As a follow-up, explain how the short term serves as a bridge to the long term. If you have room, mention the impact you aim to have as a result of what you’ll be doing.

You’ll also need to identify a second post-MBA job that will help you achieve your stated long-term goals.

Topic – 25 random things about yourself

Instructions

To be presented in a list form, numbered 1 to 25
Maximum 750 words
Limited to 2 pages

At first, it may seem tough to come up with twenty-five odd items. Begin by brainstorming with friends and family to get ideas flowing. To begin, find out what makes you stand out from the crowd. Then, have them give the first thing that comes to mind when they’re asked about you,. Another approach is to always have a notebook nearby so that you may jot down ideas as they come to you.

How do you organize your list once you have 25 random things? You can structure them alphabetically. Alternatively, you can arrange the items in the list from shortest to longest. It’s also a good idea to break up long explanations into short ones. However, you can also keep the list purely random to make the reader keep guessing.

Advice from Duke Fuqua

Allison Jamison , Duke Fuqua’s Assistant Dean of Admissions, said that this is the essay their admissions team likes to read the most.

Our team at Admit Expert is the same way. One of our favorite things to do every year is to help candidates choose which fun facts about themselves to share.

The best thing to do with this list is to have some fun with it. After all, they could have asked, “How do you think you can help make Fuqua a more diverse place?” but instead gave you this more open way to do it.

Before you start, we suggest you read this post from Megan Overby , Former Director of Admissions. In it, she talks about why Fuqua came up with this question, which is still important today.

You can also take a look at this video featuring Natasha Gore, Fuqua Admissions team member, sharing a few tips on this essay.

For ideas, you may refer to the following examples on Duke Website:

Examples of “25 Random Things”

25 Interesting Facts About Me
My 25 Random Things
More Random Things

Essay 1 Tips

Here are a few tips to help you write this unique essay:

Keep an optimistic attitude! Share joyful recollections, amusing details, intriguing skills, and (very brief) tales of perseverance and achievement. Avoid failure and disappointment at all costs (unless you can be light-hearted or self-effacing about it).
Aim to include all aspects of your life, including non-work-related interests and significant personal information and relationships. Writing about why you adored your grandmother as a child or what you learned during a long-distance relationship phase will assist the admissions committee get to know you beyond your résumé.
Think twice before bringing up religion or politics, just as you would on a first date or a job interview. If these topics are significant enough to justify mention, keep your comments to personal significance and community dimensions (i.e., avoid attempting to teach or persuade the reader).
Take the long perspective. Sharing a few pieces of information about your childhood that can provide admissions officers with unique insight not seen elsewhere in your application. In the meantime, discussing contemporary favorites (e.g., food, film, travel destination, or place to visit in your city or town) can reveal who you are today.
Brief examples, such as learning something the hard way when traveling abroad or working hard to develop a new pastime, can demonstrate both your interests and your approach to overcoming obstacles.
We suggest no more than five work-related list items (and suggest that you aim for even fewer). The adcom can read about your professional background elsewhere in your application, as suggested by the prologue.
Aim for balance in your list’s content; rather than listing items chronologically or by domain (e.g., professional, personal, extracurricular), mix things up and keep your reader guessing to make this genuinely “random.”
Show your draft to a close friend or relative to gain their opinion on how well you’ve captured your personality and whether you’ve missed anything.

The Fuqua community and you

1 page (500 words maximum)

Essay 2 tips

When writing your Duke Fuqua MBA essay, be explicit about why you want to join the Team Fuqua. As a result, the best essays for the Duke MBA program will be both personal and well-researched. Everybody benefits from having a wide alumni network. Because of this, what will you give and receive from your peers?

The admissions committee at Fuqua, just like they did the year before, makes it abundantly apparent that you are required to detail three particular ways in which you believe you can contribute to Fuqua (rather than leaving the number of items up to you).

In our opinion, the success of this article is contingent on three factors: research, authenticity, and conciseness.

This is an even greater challenge, considering that you need to mention three things while only using 500 words total.

To begin, you will need to undertake a significant amount of research. It is going to be very difficult for you to create an essay that is convincing about why you feel that you belong at Fuqua if you don’t know too much about the community at Fuqua.

Next, you need to choose a topic and convey that you’re genuinely passionate about this topic. The best way to choose a topic for this short essay is to reflect on your own experiences. To begin, see if there are any clubs in Fuqua that share your passions. Next, think about what classes you’d like to take that will help you expand your expertise. Finally, use instances from your own life to demonstrate your interests and motivations in your writing.

Proper program fit is critical. It would be ideal if you were able to demonstrate personal characteristics that Duke Fuqua holds dear. Fuqua, for example, is very interested in what you do in your community. Your Duke Fuqua application will consequently be heavily influenced by your involvement in the community.

Lastly, try to keep your essay as short as you can. You should leave enough room to fully explain your different examples and make sure to connect each one to the Duke community. However, this is not the place to write a poem about how much you love Duke. But it can be hard to write such a short essay, so make sure you read our post on how to write great short essays here!

Optional essay

Tell us more:

If you feel there are circumstances of which the admissions committee should be aware, please explain them here (e.g. unexplained gaps in work, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance). Note that you should NOT upload additional essays or additional recommendations in this area. The Optional Information section is intended to provide the admissions committee with insight into your circumstances only.

The question for this Duke MBA essay is pretty specific, and you should only use this optional essay to talk about weaknesses in your application.

Even though the adcom says responses can be up to one page long, you should keep your answers as short and straightforward as possible.

This is not the place to talk about your life story, why you want to go to Duke, or why you need an MBA. It is also not a place to copy and paste a good essay you wrote for another school. Make sure you only talk about your weaknesses and talk about what steps you have taken or will take to fix them.

Let us help you get into Duke Fuqua

We will help you write essays that portray your unique strengths and experiences in the most favorable light so that your application shines above the rest. We have helped hundreds of students get into top US business schools. Let us help you too.

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Tips for Your Duke Fuqua Application Essays

July 3, 2024

Duke Fuqua Application Essay Tips, 2024-2025

Duke Fuqua presents its applicants with one of the most creative, and maybe challenging, essay prompts out there—asking candidates to come up with a list of more than two dozen “random” bits of information about themselves. Then, applicants need to craft a more traditional essay in which they explain their fit with the Fuqua culture and how they envision themselves contributing to it. The only specifically “professional” question the school poses involves a succinct declaration of one’s post-graduation career goal. The Fuqua admissions committee is clearly interested in learning about your values, interests, personality, strengths, and other distinctive characteristics to balance the more quantitative information provided in the other parts of your application.

Free : Download Stratus Admissions’ Guide to Getting into Fuqua School of Business

Required short-answer question.

Answer the following question in 100 words. What are your post-MBA career goals? Share with us your first-choice career plan and your alternate plan.

This is a pretty straightforward and common MBA application question, though Fuqua throws in the little twist of asking for an “alternate plan” should things not work out exactly as you envision them at this point. Many candidates are focused pretty intently on a specific path, so by asking for a backup option, the admissions committee gets a chance to see what kind of thought you have given to the possibility of having to alter your original plan. You only have 100 words here, so you can’t get too detailed or overexplanatory, but you will want to show that your alternate goal makes just as much sense for you as your primary one, based on your skills, experience, and anticipated Fuqua experience. If your top choice is a very targeted position that is beyond the companies that typically recruit at Fuqua, your backup plan may be a more standard option for which Fuqua graduates are frequently recruited. Be sure to include the industry, function, and geography (if outside the United States), as well as two or three companies you would target.

Essay 1: 25 Random Things About Yourself

The ‘team fuqua’ spirit and community is one of the things that sets the mba experience apart, and it is a concept that extends beyond the student body to include faculty, staff, and administration. please share with us “25 random things” about you. the admissions committee wants to get to know you – beyond the professional and academic achievements listed in your resume and transcript. share with us important life experiences, your hobbies, achievements, fun facts, or anything that helps us understand what makes you who you are., your list will be limited to 2 pages (750 words maximum). please present your response in list form, numbered 1 to 25. some points may be brief, while others may be longer..

Through this essay, Fuqua wants to get to know who you are as an individual, not just as an “MBA applicant,” so the admissions committee can determine how well you might fit with the Team Fuqua culture and what kind of leader you could develop into. Your list needs, above all, to be very distinct and personal to you, so don’t go into this thinking that there are certain items the admissions committee is expecting you to include. There really are no “right” or “wrong” answers.

That said, we do have some ideas for ways you could catch the eyes (and hearts) of the admissions committee. For one, don’t be afraid to make them laugh. The school neither wants nor expects you to be serious all the time, and humor is a good way to show your lighter side. And remember that these are real, live human beings reading your application. If you can touch their funny bone, they will be more likely to remember you. Another idea is to include some key lessons you’ve learned. A personal experience you share will have an even bigger impact if you can attribute a meaningful takeaway you had from it.

Consider demonstrating a personal connection of some kind with Fuqua, Duke University, or the Durham area. This could be related to something from your past or to something you’re looking forward to as a Fuqua student. For instance, if you play bass in a garage band (or did so at some point in the past), perhaps you look forward to getting together with musically inclined classmates for Fuqua’s Got Talent or Fuqua Idol. Also, show that you are a team player. Although the focus of this “essay” is obviously you, look for opportunities to demonstrate that you support and work well with others.

As for what not to do, to start, don’t give just one- or two-word answers. The admissions committee needs a little context to fully appreciate your responses, and details are what make your items distinct and memorable. Similarly, avoid giving superficial or cookie-cutter responses that don’t provide the admissions committee with any insight into who you are, such as who your favorite character is on a popular television show (or player on a sports team), how many movies or books you’ve read (unless the number is truly astounding), what your name means, and so on. You also don’t want to include any basic facts that the admissions team can already find in another part of your application, especially your resume. This is your chance to complement that information with more personal insight. And of course, you need to keep your responses appropriate for an MBA application. You want to show some character and stand out, but you never want to be offensive or cross any lines.

Use your random things list to present yourself as someone the admissions committee can see contributing positively to the Fuqua community, both during the MBA program and beyond. Are you excited to contribute to classroom discussions? Are you an individual people would want to engage with at Fuqua Fridays? Can they picture you working on a group project during your first year? What leadership role might they envision you in? If your classmates were to honor you with an award for demonstrating Team Fuqua principles, which would it be? Strive to make these types of questions easy for them to answer.

Essay 2: The Fuqua Community and You

Fuqua prides itself on cultivating a culture of engagement. our students enjoy a wide range of student-led organizations that provide opportunities for leadership development and personal fulfillment, as well as an outlet for contributing to society. our student-led government, clubs, centers, and events are an integral part of the student culture and to the development of leaders. based on your understanding of the fuqua culture, what are 3 ways you expect to make an impact at fuqua, your response will be limited to 1 page (500 words maximum)..

If you hadn’t already picked up on this, culture is a big deal for Fuqua, so the admissions committee understandably wants to know that the applicants it admits are compatible with it. This essay is your chance to ensure that the school considers you a good match with its community and style. Being authentic is key.

Of course, to be able to write a convincing essay for this prompt, you have to truly understand what the Fuqua culture and community are like, so your very first step really needs to be researching the school in depth. This means more than just reading the main pages of the website and any promotional materials the admissions office provides. For example, dig into press releases, blogs, and YouTube videos, but above all, connect with Fuqua students , alumni, and other representatives directly and pick their brains about what it means to be authentically engaged at Fuqua. Additionally, reach out to students currently involved in the clubs, centers, or events that align with your goals and interests. These conversations will inform what you decide to write about and will yield much more insight than you can find online. Students are very accessible, so not having these conversations will reflect poorly on you as an applicant.

Let the admissions committee know what you are genuinely interested in doing at Fuqua, ideally as it relates to your background and post-MBA goals. Explain why you are passionate about contributing to a certain activity, club, event, or other opportunity or resource, and be specific regarding what your contribution might look like. Perhaps you have been involved with the women’s employee resource group at your company, developing a mentoring program for new hires. Relating this experience to proposed engagement with the Association of Women in Business will help demonstrate that your plans are sincere and well founded. It goes without saying that you should discuss your anticipated engagement in a professional club that aligns with your career interests.

Obviously, you need to also be Fuqua specific. Consider using the same terminology and language the school uses when talking about its program. For example, the name of the health care club at Fuqua might be very different from the name of its counterpart club at other schools you’re targeting, and using the wrong name in your essay would be detrimental. Such errors demonstrate a lack of research and genuine interest in Fuqua specifically, which is the last thing you want the admissions committee to think when reading your application!

Optional Information

If you feel there are circumstances of which the admissions committee should be aware, please explain them here (e.g., unexplained gaps in work, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance). note that you should not upload additional essays nor additional recommendations in this area. the optional information section is intended to provide the admissions committee with insight into your circumstances only..

The optional essay is one that should always be used judiciously. If you feel your application conveys a complete, accurate picture of who you are as a strong Fuqua candidate, then you’re likely best off not submitting this optional essay. There’s little to be gained from adding to the admissions committee’s workload by asking them to read another essay that doesn’t add anything crucial to your profile. But if you have an issue of some sort in your candidacy that could benefit from additional explanation (see the school’s examples), then this is your chance to expound on and clarify it so that it is less likely to be a problem.

Re-applicant Essay

Candidates who applied to the daytime mba program between july 2022 and may 2022 are considered re-applicants. , it is not uncommon for it to take more than one try to achieve a goal. please share with us the self-reflection process that you underwent after last year’s application and how you have grown as a result. how did it shape your commitment to fuqua and inspire your decision to reapply.

Ideally, in the time between your previous application and now, you have made progress in certain areas of your life and career and have seized on opportunities to learn and/or accomplish meaningful things. Fuqua wants to know not only what new skills and experiences you bring to the table this year but also that you are the kind of person who is not easily deterred by setbacks (in this case, not being accepted) and who continues to strive toward their goals even when their originally intended path does not come to fruition. In addition, the admissions committee wants to be able to gauge your capacity for self-assessment and to understand what specifically about the school’s program inspires your ongoing interest. Very simply, outline for the admissions committee what you have done, gained, and learned since you last applied, clearly communicating that your efforts were fueled by your desire to be part of and contribute in a meaningful way to the Fuqua community.

In Stratus Admissions’ Guide to Getting into Fuqua School of Business , you will find information on a variety of the MBA program’s offerings such as the Team Fuqua, The Blue Devils, Fuqua Client Consulting Practicum, and the Duke Start-Up Challenge. This free guide also includes class profile statistics and our expert advice on answering the business school’s application essay questions. Download our brand-new guide to learn more about Duke Fuqua!

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Duke Fuqua MBA Essay 2024-2025 Analysis, Tips, and Framework for Success

By admitStreet Team

4 July 2024

Applying to Duke Fuqua’s MBA program requires more than just highlighting your professional and academic achievements; it involves showcasing your unique personality, goals, and your fit with Fuqua’s collaborative culture. The admissions committee seeks well-rounded candidates who can contribute to and thrive in their community.

In this article, we’ll break down each essay prompt for the 2025 admissions cycle, offering insights and tips to help you craft compelling responses. Whether you’re a first-time applicant or reapplying, our analysis aims to guide you in presenting your best self to Fuqua.

Required short-answer essay question

First required essay: 25 random things about yourself, second required essay: the fuqua community and you, optional essay: tell us more, reapplicant essay question, final thoughts.

Instructions: Answer the following question in 100 words.

What are your post-MBA career goals? Share with us your first-choice career plan and your alternate plan.

The Duke Fuqua MBA program is renowned for its focus on leadership, teamwork, and a diverse, inclusive community. When it comes to the required short-answer essay question about post-MBA career goals, the admissions committee seeks to understand not just your ambitions but also your preparedness, flexibility, and strategic thinking. The committee wants to know:

Clarity of Goals: They look for clear, well-defined career goals that demonstrate you have thought deeply about your future.
Realistic Aspirations: Your goals should be achievable and aligned with your background, skills, and the opportunities provided by Fuqua.
Backup Plan: By asking for an alternative career plan, Fuqua assesses your ability to adapt and pivot if your primary plan does not materialize. This shows resilience and strategic foresight.
Connection to Fuqua: They want to see how Fuqua fits into your plans and how its resources, network, and community will help you achieve your goals.

Framework to Write a Winning Essay

Writing a compelling short-answer essay requires a concise yet impactful narrative. Here’s a structured approach:

Identify Your Primary Goal: Begin by stating your primary post-MBA career goal. Be specific about the industry, function, and, if relevant, geography. For example, “Post-MBA, my goal is to join a leading technology consulting firm like McKinsey & Company or Boston Consulting Group as a senior consultant within the Digital Strategy team in their New York Office.”
Connect to Your Long-Term Vision: Briefly mention how this short-term goal is a stepping stone to your long-term aspirations. For instance, “In this role, I aim to leverage my skills to drive digital transformation projects, positioning myself to eventually lead a tech-driven consultancy firm.”
Highlight the Impact: If space permits, highlight the impact you hope to make. For example, “Through these efforts, I hope to bridge the gap between technology and business strategy, fostering innovation and efficiency in global organizations.”
Introduce Your Alternate Plan: Transition smoothly to your alternate career plan. Ensure it is logical and aligned with your skills and interests. For example, “Should this path not unfold as expected, my alternate plan is to enter the corporate strategy division of a technology company such as Google or Amazon.”
Ensure Plausibility and Coherence: Make sure your backup plan is realistic and shows a natural connection to your primary goal. For instance, “This role would allow me to apply my consulting skills internally, developing strategic initiatives that drive business growth, aligning with my long-term vision of leading a tech consultancy.”
Keep it Concise: Given the 100-word limit, ensure every sentence is purposeful and adds value to your narrative. Avoid unnecessary details and focus on clarity and coherence.

Check out the application deadlines and essay topics of top business schools in the US, Europe, and Asia

Your list will be limited to 2 pages (750 words maximum). Please present your response in list form, numbered 1 to 25. Some points may be brief, while others may be longer.

One of the standout elements of their application is the “25 Random Things” essay. This prompt has been a staple of the Fuqua application for years, and it’s clear why: it gives the admissions committee a window into who you are beyond your resume and academic achievements.

Let’s break down what Duke Fuqua is looking for, how to craft a winning essay, and some tips to keep in mind.

What Duke Fuqua MBA Admissions Committee Seeks

The “25 Random Things” essay is your chance to show Fuqua what makes you, you. This isn’t about your professional achievements or academic prowess—those are covered elsewhere in your application. Instead, this essay is all about your personality, your quirks, and the experiences that have shaped you. The admissions committee wants to see the person behind the application, to understand what drives you, what makes you laugh, and what makes you unique.

Fuqua’s emphasis on the “Team Fuqua” spirit is central to their MBA experience. They want to admit individuals who will contribute to this community, not just academically but personally and socially. They’re looking for candidates who are well-rounded, interesting, and can bring diverse perspectives to the table. This essay is also a test of your creativity and judgment, allowing you to share a well-rounded set of insights about yourself.

To craft an outstanding “25 Random Things” essay, follow these steps:

Start with a Brainstorm : Sit down and think about the different facets of your life. Consider your hobbies, memorable life experiences, achievements, fun facts, and even small quirks. Don’t censor yourself at this stage—let the ideas flow freely.
Categorize Your Thoughts : Once you have a comprehensive list, start grouping your ideas into categories such as personal anecdotes, hobbies, values, family, travel experiences, and significant life lessons. This helps in ensuring you cover various aspects of your personality.
Select the Most Unique and Representative Items : Review your categorized list and select the 25 items that best represent who you are. Aim for a mix of light-hearted, humorous entries and more profound, reflective ones. Avoid repetitive themes to maintain variety and interest.
Provide Context Where Needed : While some items can be brief, others will require a bit more context to be meaningful. For instance, instead of just saying, “I love cooking,” you might elaborate with, “I once hosted a dinner party for 20 friends where I cooked a full five-course meal from scratch, inspired by my grandmother’s recipes.”
Keep it Authentic : Your list should be a true reflection of you. Avoid generic statements that could apply to anyone. Specificity is key here. Instead of saying, “I love sports,” you could say, “I’ve run three marathons, each in a different continent, and each one has taught me something new about resilience.”
Review and Refine : Once you have your draft, review it for balance and coherence. Ensure there’s a good mix of different types of entries and that each one adds something new to the picture of who you are. Show your list to a trusted friend or family member to get feedback on whether it captures your personality well.

Tips for Writing

Keep it Positive : Focus on happy memories, interesting talents, and stories of resilience. Avoid delving into negative experiences unless you can present them in a light-hearted or self-effacing way.
Be Mindful of Content : Stay away from potentially controversial topics like religion or politics unless they are central to who you are and you can discuss them without trying to persuade the reader.
Take a Lifespan View : Include details from different stages of your life—from childhood to present day. This provides a fuller picture of your journey and growth.
Use Brief Anecdotes : Short stories about learning experiences, travel, or hobbies can be very effective. They show how you handle challenges and what interests you outside of work.
Limit Work-Related Items : The admissions committee already has your professional background from other parts of your application. Limit work-related items to a maximum of five and ensure they add a unique perspective not found elsewhere in your application.
Aim for Balance and Variety : Mix up the content to keep the reader engaged. Don’t list items chronologically or by category. Instead, alternate between different types of entries to create a dynamic and interesting list.
Have Fun with It : This essay is a chance to showcase your personality in a creative way. Enjoy the process of reflecting on your life and sharing the stories that make you who you are.

Let’s get you into Duke Fuqua MBA Program

Are you aiming to secure a spot in the prestigious Duke Fuqua MBA program? With our personalized guidance, in-depth feedback, and proven strategies, we’ll help you highlight your unique strengths and align your story with Duke Fuqua’s values.

Your response will be limited to 1 page (500 words maximum).

Understanding the Duke Fuqua MBA Admissions Committee’s Intent

The Duke Fuqua MBA admissions committee places a significant emphasis on the unique culture of engagement that defines the Fuqua community. They seek applicants who not only fit into this culture but also have the potential to actively contribute to it. The second required essay is your opportunity to showcase your understanding of Fuqua’s values and how you plan to immerse yourself in its vibrant community.

This prompt is designed to assess your ability to align with Fuqua’s collaborative spirit and your enthusiasm for making meaningful contributions. Authenticity is crucial here; the committee wants to see genuine interest and a well-researched plan for your involvement at Fuqua.

Framework for Writing a Winning Essay

To craft a compelling essay, start with thorough research. Immerse yourself in Fuqua’s culture beyond the surface level. Engage with current students, alumni, and faculty to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be part of the Fuqua community. Attend virtual events, watch YouTube videos, and read blogs and press releases to gather diverse perspectives. This groundwork will enable you to articulate specific and genuine reasons for your interest in Fuqua.

Begin your essay by expressing your admiration for Fuqua’s culture of engagement. Mention specific aspects that resonate with you, such as student-led organizations, leadership development opportunities, or community service initiatives. This shows that you have done your homework and understand what makes Fuqua unique.
Next, identify three concrete ways you plan to contribute to the Fuqua community. Tie these contributions to your past experiences and future goals. For example, if you have experience leading diversity initiatives at your workplace, discuss how you will bring this expertise to Fuqua’s Association of Women in Business. Be specific about your intended role and the impact you hope to make. This not only demonstrates your commitment but also highlights your ability to transfer your skills to a new context.
In your conclusion, reiterate your enthusiasm for Fuqua and how you envision your contributions enriching the community. Emphasize your readiness to embrace the collaborative and engaging environment at Fuqua and your commitment to being an active participant in its culture.
Be Authentic and Specific: Your essay should reflect your genuine interest in Fuqua. Use specific examples from your research and conversations with current students to show that you have a thorough understanding of the school’s culture. Avoid generic statements that could apply to any business school.
Connect Past Experiences with Future Contributions: Highlight how your past experiences have prepared you to make meaningful contributions at Fuqua. Show a clear connection between your background and the activities you plan to engage in at Fuqua.
Use Fuqua-Specific Terminology: Familiarize yourself with the names of clubs, programs, and initiatives at Fuqua. Using the correct terminology demonstrates that you have done your research and are genuinely interested in the school.
Focus on Impact: Emphasize the impact you hope to make through your contributions. Whether it’s leading a club, organizing events, or starting a new initiative, show how your involvement will benefit the Fuqua community.
Prioritize and Be Concise: With a 500-word limit, it’s essential to prioritize your points. Focus on the three most meaningful ways you can contribute and develop these ideas fully. Avoid trying to cover too much ground at the expense of depth and specificity.
Revise and Seek Feedback: After drafting your essay, revise it to ensure clarity and coherence. Seek feedback from mentors, peers, or admissions consultants to refine your essay further. Make sure it aligns with Fuqua’s values and effectively communicates your enthusiasm and readiness to contribute.

Your response will be limited to 1 page (500 words maximum).

When it comes to the optional MBA essay for Duke Fuqua, it’s important to remember that less is often more. This prompt is designed for a very specific purpose: to address any potential liabilities in your application. The admissions committee has set a maximum length of 500 words for this essay, but that doesn’t mean you need to use all of them. In fact, being brief and direct can be much more effective.

Fuqua’s clear guidelines on what “not” to include in this essay indicate that they’re not looking for additional information from applicants who are simply worried that not submitting an optional essay might count against them. The admissions committee wants to reserve this space for those who genuinely need it to provide context for their application. So, it’s crucial to use this opportunity wisely.

When to Use the Optional Essay

The optional essay should be used sparingly and strategically. If your application already provides a complete and accurate picture of who you are as a candidate, then you’re probably better off not submitting this essay. There’s no benefit to adding to the admissions committee’s workload with an unnecessary essay. However, if there’s an issue in your candidacy that could benefit from additional explanation, this is your chance to address it.

How to Approach the Optional Essay

Start by identifying any potential red flags or areas of concern in your application. These could include gaps in your work history, low test scores, a weak undergraduate GPA, or any other aspect of your profile that might raise questions. Once you’ve pinpointed the issue, think about how you can provide context or clarification.

Be concise and to the point. The admissions committee appreciates applicants who respect their time and get straight to the matter at hand. Explain the situation clearly, provide any relevant background information, and most importantly, highlight what you learned from the experience or how you’ve grown as a result.

It is not uncommon for it to take more than one try to achieve a goal. Please share with us the self-reflection process that you underwent after last year’s application and how you have grown as a result. How did it shape your commitment to Fuqua and inspire your decision to reapply?

Reapplying to Duke Fuqua after an initial rejection can be a challenging experience, but it also offers a unique opportunity for self-reflection and growth. The admissions committee wants to see that you’ve taken a hard look at your previous application, identified areas for improvement, and actively worked on enhancing your candidacy. They’re looking for evidence that you’re even more committed to Fuqua and have taken deliberate steps to prove your readiness for the program.

Reflecting on Your Previous Application

Start by acknowledging the disappointment of not being accepted. It’s natural to feel disheartened, but what matters is how you responded to that setback. Use this essay to show the admissions committee that you’ve taken their feedback seriously and have embarked on a journey of self-improvement. Reflect on the areas where your application may have fallen short, whether it was a lack of leadership experience, weaker academic performance, or limited involvement in community activities.

Demonstrating Your Growth and Improvements

Over the past year, you’ve likely seized various opportunities to enhance your profile. This is your chance to highlight those efforts. Maybe you took on more significant leadership roles at work, completed additional coursework to strengthen your academic record, or got involved in new community service projects. Whatever your path, be specific about what you’ve accomplished and how these experiences have prepared you to contribute meaningfully to the Fuqua community.

For example, if you realized your previous application lacked evidence of leadership, discuss how you’ve since led a critical project at work, detailing the challenges you faced and the impact you made. If your academic background was a concern, explain any additional courses or certifications you’ve pursued to bolster your knowledge and skills. Each step you’ve taken should be clearly tied to your desire to be a more robust candidate for Fuqua.

Reaffirming Your Commitment to Fuqua

Fuqua wants to know that you’re not easily deterred and that their program remains your top choice. This essay is your opportunity to reaffirm your passion for Fuqua and articulate why it’s the perfect fit for your MBA journey. Discuss what specifically about Fuqua continues to inspire you—whether it’s the collaborative culture, particular faculty members, unique programs, or student organizations you’re eager to join.

Illustrate your ongoing interest by mentioning any interactions you’ve had with current students, alumni, or faculty since your last application. These conversations can provide deeper insights into the Fuqua experience and demonstrate your proactive approach to understanding the school’s culture and opportunities.

Crafting your Duke Fuqua MBA essays is a journey of self-reflection and strategic storytelling. Each prompt is an opportunity to showcase different facets of your personality, career aspirations, and fit with Fuqua’s unique community.

From sharing your post-MBA career goals to revealing “25 Random Things” about yourself, and explaining how you’ll contribute to the Fuqua community, your essays should paint a comprehensive picture of who you are and what you bring to the table.

For reapplicants, demonstrating growth and renewed commitment is crucial. Remember, the admissions committee is looking for genuine engagement, thorough self-assessment, and a clear vision of your future at Fuqua. With careful thought, research, and authenticity, you can create essays that resonate with the admissions committee and strengthen your candidacy for this prestigious program.

By understanding the purpose behind each essay and thoughtfully addressing the prompts, you can effectively communicate your passion for Fuqua and your readiness to contribute to its vibrant community.

If you need personalized guidance to ensure your essays stand out, consider reaching out to admitStreet . Our experienced consultants can help you craft compelling narratives and provide strategic insights to enhance your application.

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Accepted Admissions Blog

Everything you need to know to get Accepted

July 30, 2024

How to get into Duke Fuqua [Episode 536]

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Are you attracted to Duke Fuqua’s collaborative MBA culture, and intrigued by its flexible curriculum, and the strength of its entering class as revealed by the latest class profile? But you’re unsure how you can make your case for acceptance? Then pull up a chair. In today’s podcast, Fuqua’s associate dean of admissions pulls back the curtain on what Duke seeks in its applicants.

Welcome to the 536th episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Before I introduce our guest, I have a question for you. Are you ready to apply to your dream MBA programs? Are you competitive at your target schools? Accepted’s MBA admissions quiz can give you a quick reality check. Complete the quiz, and you’ll not only get an assessment, but tips on how to improve your qualifications. Plus, it’s all free.

It gives me great pleasure to welcome back to Admissions Straight Talk , Shari Hubert, Associate Dean of Admissions at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. Shari earned her BA at Dartmouth, and her MBA at Harvard. She worked at several elite companies, and in 2009 became director of recruitment for the Peace Corps. In 2012, she returned to the MBA world when she became the Associate Dean of MBA Admissions for Georgetown McDonough . She joined Duke as Associate Dean of Admissions in October, 2017.

Shari, welcome to Admissions Straight Talk. [1:53]

Thank you so much, Linda. It’s always a pleasure to be here with you, and so I was really excited to get that invitation again to share some time with you and your listeners.

Can you go over, first of all, that menu of MBA options at Duke Fuqua, and then perhaps focus a little bit more on the MBA program itself? [2:04]

Yeah, sure, absolutely. We have four different MBA options at Fuqua. We have the daytime MBA, which is your… Think about your traditional two-year full-time MBA. Residential, flexible concentrations, experiential, I can go into that detail a little bit more. We have an accelerated daytime MBA, so again, very similar profile as our daytime MBA in terms of the types of students. It’s one year, it’s full-time, residential as well. The one specific criteria though that is different is that the individual must already have a master’s, either a master’s of management studies, which is our degree, or a master’s in management, or some kind of equivalent business degree, because those sets of courses that you would take actually substitute for, or transfer for the core curriculum that you would take your first year.

That would be a one-year, early-experience program basically in business that you’re talking about? [3:09]

Well, the accelerated daytime MBA actually should be very similar, the profile should be similar to our full-time. It’s just for people who already have some kind of master’s in management, or specialized master’s in business degree, plus the full-time work experience. So we prefer they actually have a couple of at least a couple of years of work experience, plus they already have a specialized master’s, and therefore, they are joining the daytime MBA program with the second year MBA students and taking electives. And so therefore, they can do the program, and get the degree in one year, as opposed to the two full years.

And then we have our weekend executive MBA, so we have two executive MBA programs. We have a weekend executive MBA program, and that is for working professionals. It meets monthly, and Thursday through Sunday, and then there are some live classes that happen every other Saturday as well. And then we have the Global Executive MBA program, similar in terms of… It’s a Duke MBA, it’s the same faculty, same curriculum as your traditional full-time MBA, but these programs are for working professionals. The Global Executive MBA is six residencies, in different regions around the world, including Durham. So it’s basically, every two months, you go to a different country, your professors travel with you, your career center representatives travel with you, your IT support travels with you, and your residencies are in that country. That’s for 10 days, eight to 10 days, and you come back and you do more distance hybrid coursework. Again, all of these programs are lockstep, they’re team-based, they’re cohort-based, and they all, again, are the same Duke degree, the same faculty, and just a different format. They all offer some level of concentrations and/or certificates as well.

Can we focus on the full-time MBA program? Can you give a little bit more information on that one, on the two-year traditional program? [5:05]

Sure. Absolutely. So again, this particular program is for individuals who are wanting to perhaps pivot into a different function, industry, geography, or reset, or just want a fully immersive experience in terms of pursuing their MBA, and it’s really tailored for that kind of a profile. The curriculum is really designed to allow our students to learn both the breadth and the depth across all types of curriculum, as well as very much focused on leadership.

And so just to give you a sense of the structure of the program, the core is their first year, which is very traditional to most MBA programs, you start off with what we call a Summer Institute, and it’s kind of a leveling two- to three-week course. You’ll learn things like leadership, ethics, and organization, so how do you think about leadership in the context of the individual, the team, and then the organization? There are two courses that you also learn, Entrepreneurial Mindset and Action. So that’s really about, regardless of whether or not you decide to start your own business, we believe that there are some fundamental elements and characteristics of entrepreneurs that are really valuable for all of our MBAs to have. Regardless of whether or not you’re in an established organization, working for an organization, you still want to have some level of intrapreneurial kind of spirit.

And so we make sure that all of our students, it’s a mandatory course, go through that. And then the final one is Technology-driven Transformation of Business. And again, that’s really, not just recognition that technology is driving all aspects of our life, including business, so how do business leaders make those decisions using data, using information in ways that either support the goals of that organization while not doing harm as well.

And so that’s a required course. And then of course, during that, you would also start to get formed into what we call consequential leadership teams, which are four to five person learning teams. And those are the individuals that you will go through your first year with, you’ll do casing with, you’ll be in sections with, and they are actually managed by a second year MBA student who is a part of our co-leadership program. And so again, our students are really able to give practical leadership experience, practice their own leadership style on actual first year teams, helping them kind of just acclimate. You go through the first fall core, which is fall. We have six-week terms, and so they-

I was just going to ask about that. [7:40]

Yeah, we have six-week terms, four six-week terms in the daytime MBA program. They each meet twice a week for two hours and about 15 minutes. We don’t have classes on Wednesdays, and that was purposeful and intentional. We do have classes on Fridays, so if you don’t have classes in the middle of the week, it’s when students can work on projects, they can perhaps do work that’s associated with their clubs, their leadership roles outside of the classroom, like conferences, doing more recruiting, things like that. But if you have classes on Fridays, we notice that students will stay in Durham more often, and it really builds more of a cohesive community, off-campus as well as on-campus, by ensuring that our students are in Durham, communing with each other over the weekend.

And so that’s been a really nice aspect, and a little bit of a difference in our program. And then, like I said, all of our students are assigned to leadership learning teams as well. And then there’s one other course that I wanted to talk about that happens, not in that during that Summer Institute, but it happens once students come back from their internship. So this is also unique about, I think Fuqua, in that-

It’ll be the second year, right? [8:49]

Yeah, so your second year. You’ve had your internship, you come back, and we actually get you back into your learning team. So it’s not as if after your first year you disperse and you’re never with your learning teams anymore. You come back, it’s called C Lead Two or Consequential Leadership Two, and it’s really about reflection. You had your internship, you’ve had a full year of being with these individuals and your classmates, and learning, and trusting, and building skills, and you’ve now been able to apply them during the summer, so let’s come back and reflect on, what did you learn? Because there’s more trust, you can go deeper in terms of developing those relationships with your teams, and your cohorts. And you do more personal self-reflection, personal leadership development.

So we do a lot of things with Brene Brown, we’ll have guests come in and talk to our students. They’ll do their own reflection assignments, just to really be able to have time to put into perspective what they learned, how they want to show up for that second and final year as well, knowing what they know now, having a full year under their belt, having some practical experience with their internship, is there anything they’d like to change, or pivot, or really lean into in this final year, that would help them as they continue to transform into develop into their own leadership style.

And another course that they would take as part of that experience, we call it C Lead Two, is Business and Common Purpose in a World of Differences. So it’s really about, how do you as a leader take into consideration the notion of IQ, EQ, DQ, how do you lead with common purpose? How do you lead teams that might be disparate, different, and have differences of opinion, come from different backgrounds? How do you make sure that everyone’s kind of working towards a common purpose in a world that is very, very challenging at times? And where you have stakeholders that are not just your employees, just your competitors, but it could be society, the communities that your organizations operate in, how do you bring all of that together in order to really be able to make a difference, more of a societal impact, where things are very polarized? And so that’s a new… Not a new course, but a course that I think is unique, because you really are able to take fuller advantage of that kind of a course and thinking once you’ve come back, and had some perspective after your first year.

Thinking of all the implications in terms of what’s going on in the world around us, and it’s certainly necessary. And this is a second year course, so you’ve built up to it, right? [11:06]

Yep, exactly. So that happens in your second year. That’s exactly right.

Duke Fuqua touts the flexibility of its curriculum, and the many concentrations that it offers. Can you review that aspect of the program? It was great that you talked about the leadership opportunities, but what about the flexibility of the program, and its ability to meet different needs? [11:21]

Yeah. I would start off by saying that our concentrations and our certificates allow you to go deep. They are options. They’re not things that you have to take advantage of. There are some students who go through the entire two years, and take the courses that are meaningful to them, or most popular. So it’s an opportunity to customize, and to go deep, but it’s not a requirement. And sometimes, people will use concentrations and certificates to pivot into a particular industry or sector that they’re not necessarily familiar with, so they use it in order to demonstrate competency, or just sincere interest in, but the degree that you get is still a general management MBA.

And so we have over 100 electives, and the concentrations are really an accumulation and packaging of different electives. We have over 100 of those electives, they can be organized under functional concentrations, or topical concentrations. So some functional ones would be decision sciences, management, marketing, operations, strategic, consulting, FinTech, is one of our newer ones. We have topical concentrations like diversity, equity and inclusion, which again, is one of our newer ones. Entrepreneurship, the environment, social entrepreneurship leadership, and the like. So again, about 14 or so different combinations of concentrations. Certificates, similar to concentrations, maybe one level deeper in terms of the additional number of electives that you would take. And we have two concentrations, our health sector management concentration, which is very well-known, and that concentration is usually coupled with the health sector certificate, it enables individuals to get a certificate in an understanding of all the different parameters of the healthcare sector. There’s a bootcamp attached to it. There are all kinds of experiential opportunities that you could take advantage of. They align very closely with the health center that we have.

So a lot of students, very popular. And that certificate is open to our Executive MBAs, and our daytime MBAs. So during the bootcamp, you’ll have a combination of both programs, over 100 people usually in that bootcamp. And that usually happens at the beginning of your time, or right before orientation. And then we have the finance certificate, again, for folks who want to really double down deeply into the finance sector. We used to have the management science and technology management certificate, that’s more of a data analytics, but as of last year, our entire MBA program is now STEM certified. And so data analytics, and those kinds of courses are really infused throughout the entire curriculum. And so there’s not necessarily a need to have a specific concentration, because the entire degree is now very data-focused. So I’d say those are the kinds of concentrations and certificates that we have.

And I think you really illustrated the flexibility and breadth of the program really. [14:36]

Right. And so you can do two concentrations, or you can do a concentration and a certificate. Pretty difficult to do two certificates, and so that’s why we have a limit in terms of, if you do a certificate, we limit the number of concentrations, but in addition to concentrations and certificates, you can also do a dual degree. We have five different dual degree programs. We have one with our medical school, or law school, our school of public policy, and then we have two with our School of the environment, Nicholas School of the Environment. We have a master’s in environmental management, and the master’s of forestry, which is interesting. And then for those individuals who may not want to do a dual degree, but they really want to take full advantage of the breadth of what’s available across Duke University in a very interdisciplinary way, as an MBA student at Fuqua, you can take up to four courses, 12 credits outside of Fuqua at any of the professional schools on campus.

It is very flexible. Fuqua, pre-COVID, was also known very much for its global learning opportunities. Are they in full swing now? [15:34]

Yeah, full swing, we’re back traveling abroad.

I would say, there are three ways in which our students take advantage of global opportunities. One is our GATE, which is an experiential four credit course, Global Academic Travel Experience is what it stands for.

And in May, 2023, the locations changed a bit. We had one GATE as we were kind of slowly ramping back into the full swing of travel. And this year, we’ll be offering two. So last year we went to South Africa, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and a safari. This year, we’re going to go to South Africa again, but we also have a new climate-focused GATE, it’s going to be in Denmark and Norway, and it’ll be led by Dan Vermeer, who is our faculty director of EDGE, one of the centers for the energy in the global development environment.

So in addition to that, I’d say about 20, 25 students per GATE trip attend. It’s a course, so about two months, you’re spending in the classroom, learning about the individual country, and the dynamics, economic dynamics, political dynamics, and the cultural dynamics, and then you travel as a class and cohort with your faculty member over there for a week. So you really kind of get the lived experience as well. We meet with alumni over there, we’ll have corporate visits, and then there’s also… It’s an opportunity for cultural exchange as well.

We also have what we call exchange programs, so those are… So our GATE tends to be individuals in the first year, and then our exchange programs tend to be our students in the second year, and we have over 20 different schools that we have partnerships with. It is an exchange, so they are sending their students here, we are sending our students there. And so it varies from quarter to quarter, but it’s very flexible. So you may have the winter break and the spring break, a set of exchanges with schools, or you may have six-week term exchanges. So it really is based on how much time do you want to be away. I would say, the winter break and the spring break are probably most popular, because it’s a lot to be away your second year-

I was thinking about recruiting. [17:53]

Yeah, well, that too. If you haven’t fully signed onto a company, definitely, it’s helpful to be here, unless you’re trying to actually find an opportunity abroad, and then that’s helpful.

But mostly it’s because people don’t want to be that far away from their friends their last year in school, so I would say… But people do take advantage of the six-week term options. And like I said, they last from either a few days, to a week, to a whole term. And there are over 20 different schools that we have relationships with. And some of them are based on special topics, and so for example, we have the Asian business landscape through a partnership in Singapore, and that’s kind of the topic of that exchange program, kind of looking at Asian business through that landscape.

We have doing business in Israel actually, with our partner school in Tel Aviv. And like I said, we are starting up this program on climate, which will be interesting. So it’s really interesting. We have an opportunity with Copenhagen Business School as well with spring break. So they all vary, very flexible, but a lot of fun, and I would say, a lot of our students end up taking advantage of our exchange programs. And then lastly, just student-run treks and trips, and those are not necessarily organized by the school, but they definitely are organized by students. I mean, we’ve sent 70 people to Brazil, I mean, students go to all kinds of exotic and wonderful places.

The information you’re providing is adding so much more color, depth, texture to it, so thank you for all this. What about the application process itself? What changes have you made to the MBA application process this year? [19:22]

So not a ton, but I will say that we have some new testing options. We will accept the new GMAT Focus, and we will accept the new GRE, and we already accept the executive assessment. So we are a school that requires at least one form of a test, and so those are new changes.

Any preference? [19:56]

Nope, no preference. I think it really depends. Do your homework in terms of whether or not the new GMAT Focus or the new GRE is the right test for you. But if you decide that that’s the case, we will accept it. The executive assessment is always an interesting option as well for some people, but it’s not for everyone. So again, we just encourage people to test out some of these, see which one you test better at, or feel more comfortable with, and go for it. Because the ones that you’re going to feel more comfortable with are probably the ones that you’re going to do your best on.

So regardless though, I would say… Encourage people to practice, prepare for it, but we don’t have a preference.

And there are no test waivers, right? [20:38]

Right. We do not provide test waivers for our daytime MBA program. For our working professional programs, we do offer a test waiver process that you can apply for.

And then another section that is new, we’re keeping our 25 random facts essay, but we do have a new optional section on the application, and it’s really just, we want to learn more about our applicants in terms of their lived experiences. Don’t think of it as an essay, but it is an optional section, and it’s just a place where they can share a little bit more about themselves, including whether or not they’re a first in their family to attend college, if they grew up with any kind of financial hardships, and then anything else that they feel they haven’t had an opportunity to explain that would speak to some of their lived experiences, their upbringing, or their background, what’s influenced them, that kind of thing. And it is really about this unique aspect of their lived experience that they feel will help them contribute to our Fuqua community.

So it’s more like, “What else would you like us to know about you?” Or- [21:44]

Yeah, that you didn’t get a chance to share any place else kind of thing.

And it is totally optional? [21:51]

Yep. There’s only the first-generation question and the financial hardship, those are yes/no, and so this smaller kind of optional field is about 200 words maximum.

I was just going to ask, is there any length limit to it? [22:06]

Yeah. Yeah, About 200 words maximum.

And then we will be keeping our fourth round, our application round. That probably means for us that we have five. So we have the early action, then we have the round one, round two, round three, and then we will have round four.

September 7th is early action, September 28th is round one, then January 9th, February 22nd, and April 4th would be round four, right? [22:25]

Yeah, so not a lot has changed, but we’re hoping that some of these things just provide more clarity, and give people a bit more space to really share themselves with us.

Now, in terms of the 25 things question, that is Fuqua’s signature question, and I’m just going to read it. “Please share with us 25 random things about you. The admissions committee wants to get to know you beyond the professional and academic achievements listed in your resume and transcript. Share with us important life experiences, your hobbies, achievements, fun facts, or anything that helps us understand what makes you who you are.” Do you have any tips for that one? I mean, you can have a lot of fun with it. [22:49]

Yeah, I would say have a lot of fun. I did it, I did it as a function of when I joined Fuqua as part of my interview process, I did it. Every single admissions person who joins our team, once they’re on our team, they have about a week or so to provide us with their 25 facts. So believe me, we haven’t asked you to do anything we haven’t done ourselves.

But I would say, use the real estate to share facts that speak to your personal lived experience, characteristics about yourself, maybe what you value, and why. Your passions, your strengths, your lessons learned, failures, hobbies, affiliations, family stories. Not so much in terms of focusing on the professional part of your life, because we have other places to find that information out. It’s also good to provide a sentence or two to just provide some context around why you decided to share that particular fact about yourself. It doesn’t need to be a full paragraph, just a little bit of something to give us some context. I would say be vulnerable, it’s okay to be witty. Let us see your personality in the facts. I think we have a video on YouTube that shares some tips as well in terms of how to answer that essay. I think we also might provide some examples. My 25 is out there in our blocks-

So I’ll find it, and link to it. Now, you mentioned the early decision round. How is that different from the later four rounds, other than the fact that it’s first? [24:47]

We call it early action. Yeah, early action. It’s a binding round, I’d say that’s the biggest difference. It’s a binding round, which means that we ask that you not apply to another binding round school.

And if admitted to Fuqua, you are saying, “I commit to withdraw my applications from any other schools that you’ve applied to that are non-binding.” And so if there’s another school out there that has a binding round, don’t apply to that. And then if you do apply to other schools that don’t have binding rounds, I mean, of course, you might do that. Then once you get a decision from us that says yes, you’ve been admitted, you’re saying to us that you would withdraw your application from those schools. Because it’s really saying that, “Look, if I get admitted to Fuqua, I’m coming.”

You’re saying it’s your first choice. [25:41]

Yeah, it’s just so much my first choice that I am applying knowing that if you admit me, I am saying that I will come. And so I would say, it’s for certain people, it’s not for certain people. One, I would say, it’s for people who are ready and prepared early. And so don’t rush to get into early action if you feel like you are not able to put forward your best representation of yourself in your application. Don’t rush just for the sake of getting into early action. ‘Cause like I said, we have a number of other rounds.

And early action is not our largest round, so that also gives you a sense. Most people apply in some other round. But I do say, it is for the people who know that they’re kind of down for Fuqua. So they’re signaling and letting us know that they really are committed, and that we’re their first choice. If you want to keep your options open, early action probably isn’t the round for you. If you are willing to put all your eggs in the Fuqua basket, and you get admitted, and you’re saying, “Yep, I’m there.” Then that’s probably… And you’re prepared, you’ve carved out time enough to prepare to submit it by the deadline, then it’s a good round.

It’s a good option. [26:56]

It’s a great option. [26:57], so two questions on that. one, if one is admitted early action, is there a different deposit requirement is it a larger deposit requirement number one. number two, is it an advantageous or disadvantageous from a financial aid perspective to apply to early action [26:58].

I mean, you still have to pay the deposits. It’s not a larger deposit, but the deposit kind of upfront. We’re still looking at whether or not that will change or not in terms of maybe adding additional deposits down the road, but right now, it’d still be the same overall level of deposits, just kind of maybe when we would ask you for it. So right now, you do everything upfront, and we might want to spread things out. You do the majority, I would say, the bulk of it upfront, so 3,000 upfront, and then you then have your second deposit, which is the final deposit for everybody. We’re kind of looking to see if we want to spread that a little bit more as well, you have the third deposit, but that hasn’t been finalized. Scholarships, yes, absolutely. People who are admitted to our early action also are considered for scholarship, and actually get them. So it’s definitely not disadvantaging you if you apply early action in terms of being considered for scholarship.

We discussed the new optional section, and you mentioned the length, and any tips on that? Or just mostly focus on this idea of unusual lived experiences rather that you didn’t have place for in the other parts of the application? [28:13]

So the open text piece of that, I’m trying to think how to answer it, your answer doesn’t have to be as long as the other essays. It is open space to just share something we may not have asked anywhere else in the application, or the applicant wants to make sure we’re aware of, maybe their affiliations, areas of their background that have impacted their lived experience, how they show up in the world, and how it’s informed who they are, and the impact they want to have, and how they want to contribute to our MBA program. Again, I don’t want people to overthink it though. For some people, there’s going to be something to add, and they should use the space. For others, they may not have anything to add, it’s totally optional. We don’t look differently on people who don’t use the space, but it is a gift, it is an opportunity.

‘Cause sometimes it’s hard to know every single question we could possibly ask you to get every aspect of who you are in a paper-based application. And so this is that space to say, “Hey.” There’s no essay on this question, there’s no short answer question that they asked me, but, “Hey, did you know this unique thing about me?” Or, “Did you know I was a part of this thing?” Or, “Did you know this particular aspect of my background really influenced how I show up, my grit, my determination.” Or, “This particular experience was very informative, informed my kind of thinking around the world, or what I want to do.” And so it’s that kind of space to use. It is different than the optional essay that we always think about, where you’re clarifying why you have a specific type of recommender, or why you didn’t get the GMAT score that you wanted, the GRE score that you wanted, or how-

Or the GPA. [30:07]

Right. It’s something new and substantive, not a clarification about some aspect of your application.

Now, can you discuss for a second the interview process at Fuqua, and specifically the difference between open interviews and interviews by invitation? [30:17]

Yeah, I do think the interview is a really special opportunity for applicants to really show us who they are in their own words, and human-to-human, as opposed to us only knowing you from your application. And so I would say definitely take advantage of the interview, think about it as you would any job interview if you are invited. We really want to make sure that we can get to know as many of our applicants as possible, so that’s why we also have this open interview process. About half of our applicants are interviewed in some form or fashion, and so these two formats really make sure that we are able to really get to know as many applicants as possible.

So the open interview period is, we have a virtual component to that, or an in-person. And basically, the difference between open interview and an invited is that an open interview is self-initiated. So you’re kind of raising your hand, saying, “I want to make sure I get interviewed, so I want to sign up for this interview.” Versus the other interviews are by invitation only. And so that means we are reading through your application the first time, and kind of deciding, “Oh, we’d like to learn more about this person. We’d like to invite them to be interviewed.” So those are the differences.

We have two ways either open interviews or by invitation, either you can participate virtually. And our open interviews, the virtual dates are August 24th through October 6th, or you can participate in our open interviews on campus, so you can come to campus. And those dates are September 11th through October 6th. And so again, as you can see, everything, as it pertains to open interviews, is from October 24th through October 6th, basically.

August. [32:20]

Sorry, August 24th through October 6th. After that, it doesn’t mean you’re not going to be interviewed, but we then invite people to interview. And if you’re-

And they could be virtual or in-person, or… [32:29]

When you’re invited to interview, you’ll also have the option to do it virtually or in-person as well.

Some other things to keep in mind, regardless of the round that you apply in, you can still participate in our open interviews. And so what happens is, let’s say you decide to interview through the open interviews in, I don’t know, September 2nd, but you’re not going to apply until this the first round, or the second round, we’ll take that interview and we’ll save it. And then once you apply, we will add that interview, that will be your official interview, and we’ll add it to your application.

So is it recorded even if it’s in-person? [33:09]

When you say recorded, what do you mean?

Well, you say you save the interview, so do you save the notes, or do you save the recording, or… [33:14]

It’s the notes.

So we don’t record any interviews. So even if you’re doing the virtual.

Not even the virtual? [33:22]

It’s just more for convenience, especially if someone’s living abroad and can’t get to campus. We want to make it convenient for them to interview. And it was kind of something from the pandemic that we thought, “Hey, it provides some flexibility, let’s keep this aspect.”

But they’re not recorded, they’re not recorded.But their interviewer does take notes, and then submits an interview report. And that report is then what’s added to your application. It’s on a first come first serve basis though, the open interviews, and with at least a 48-hour advance notice to request an interview.

Okay, sounds good. [34:01]

And the only thing we ask is that you have at least started your application to schedule the interview.

Traditionally, when you had interview days, and people would also use the opportunity to learn about Duke, are those opportunities now entirely online, or do you still have interview days, or… [34:09]

Yep, yep. We’re going to still have campus visits, and during your campus visit, you can also do your own campus interview.

And then we’ll also have different kinds of weekend events where you could also do an interview. So yeah, absolutely, there will still be an opportunity to visit campus, and do the interview during your visit, or we’re going to have specific Saturday interview dates, and so they’re on campus, and people can come to do an in-person interview. We’d love to have as many people as possible come visit, ’cause I do think it’s a really great way to see and feel it. But we want to be realistic, we want to make sure that there’s broad access for everyone, so that’s the reason why we’ve added these virtual opportunities. We actually will have virtual campus visits as well.

There is one thing I think that is worth noting, and that is, first of all, if you’re applying in early action, we do recommend that you sign up for an open interview, but in the event that you don’t, we still have an invited process, but it’s just a little tip. But I do want to talk about this aspect, so sometimes we get the question, or people don’t necessarily understand that, let’s say they’re not invited to be interviewed the first time, they think that signals that they will not be considered any longer for admission, and that’s not the case at all.

What do you mean they weren’t invited the first time? You mean in terms of reapplication, or you mean… I’m confused. [35:37]

So have invitation dates which we’re going to deliver our-

After October 6th, basically? [35:50]

Right. Invites to be interviewed. And some individuals think that if they don’t get that invitation on that date, that all is lost, and that’s not the case at all. Sometimes we continue to review applicants. There will be other times and opportunities on a case-by-case basis that we might want to invite people to be interviewed even after the invite to be interviewed deadline or date.

It doesn’t necessarily mean that you are going to be denied-

Just because you don’t get invited to be interviewed that first time. We also interview people off the waitlist, we interview people as we’re thinking about the wait list. So there’s always opportunities after the initial invitation to be invited, I don’t want people to think that it’s signaling something if in case they’re not invited that first time.

Let’s say somebody applies round one, and they’re not invited round one, could they be invited round two? Would there be some- [36:43]

Yeah, all right. [36:50], and would there be some communication to them at the end of round- [36:52].

Yeah, I mean, they’ll get a decision, but it’s not an automatic deny decision.

And the fact that they weren’t interviewed doesn’t really mean anything, I think is what you’re really trying to say. [37:00]

Right, exactly.

Thank you for clarifying.

Now, you mentioned covid a couple of minutes ago. last time we spoke it was the middle of covid, that was the environment in which we were speaking. today, it’s a little different environment. today’s environment has its own noteworthy developments, a lot of different noteworthy developments actually, but i’d like to focus on one specifically, and that is ai and chatgpt. i’m sure that ai is being taught at duke, but are you concerned about its impact on the essay element of the application i noticed there was a very robust plagiarism warning under the application instructions. [37:06].

Yeah, yeah. Great question. First of all, let me say, I can only speak to our policy within admissions, as it may vary across the university, and then the Fuqua school in terms of classroom use, it’s really going to be up to the faculty to decide that. But within admissions, allowing the use of AI in their application, and we have decided to allow it. It felt like the way to be the most inclusive, while still requiring that applicants authentically represent themselves. We see a difference between plagiarism, and the use of AI, in that plagiarism is explicitly using material created by someone else, while we expect that the use of AI, at least in terms of how they might use it to answer our essay questions, which are unique to Fuqua, the use of AI, it has to begin anyway with this level of personal reflection. I mean, to answer our essay questions, you need some level of personal reflection, you need your own kind of content, and your own lived experiences to inform it.

We know that AI could be useful in terms of helping people organize their thoughts, or represent them better, differently through the use of AI tools. Similar to how people use Grammarly, or they may have friends who are English majors and they ask them to review their essays, or they may use admissions consultants to say, “Hey, take a look, provide some coaching and guidance.” Around their essays. So again, we view this as a tool that enhances the process, but should not, and does not replace the requirement for authenticity and the use of your own material.

And so in our minds, and I like to say, AI at Fuqua stands for authentic individuality.

I like that. [39:23]

I know, right?

And we’re going to assume positive intent, and that applicants are ethical, and they’re good agents in this process. And so we do require that your application be a true and accurate reflection and representation of your lived experience, and exclusively your own. And then we do, like you said, use plagiarism tools. So for us, all essays are scanned using plagiarism detection software, but again, we see a difference between plagiarism and the use of AI tools. So we have a long disclaimer about how expressing your ideas by using verbiage that’s not sourced right, is improperly credited, is a violation of our honor code, and it is grounds for denying application.

I’ve mentioned before on Admissions Straight Talk , but one of our consultants is also a journalist, and she decided to ask ChatGPT to write an essay for her, an MBA essay, and it took her a lot of time, and effort, and work to kind of coach ChatGPT to the point where the essay… Not so much that the writing was bad, but that it had the specificity that is required to have a good essay. [40:08]

In anything. and if it’s just mumbo jumbo verbiage, general stuff, i mean, yeah, chatgpt can write that, and probably my eighth grade grandchild could also write that. [40:38].

Right. So that’s not going to serve you well though, right?

No. [40:55]

That’s not going to be your best-

No, it’s terrible. [40:56]

Reflection of who you are, right?

No. No, not at all. It won’t be informative, it won’t be reflective. And her point was that it was as much effort for her to get ChatGPT to a point where it was producing something of quality as it would’ve taken her to write it. [41:00]

Yeah, exactly. I would also note that, and this is less on ChatGPT and more on this plagiarism tool that we do have, it picks up on our own essays, if they see language is similar. So I would caution people, if they are using admission consultants, not to have anyone share any of your essays with anyone else, because if they apply to Fuqua, we’re going to see it. If you’ve applied to Fuqua, and they’ve used any aspect of your essay, and then they apply to Fuqua, it will pick up. And so just a caution there.

We’ve occasionally, over the years, had applicants use essays that we recognized as being previous clients’ essays. [41:48]

It wasn’t a good idea. [41:58].

It picked up on that.

It wasn’t a good idea. I mean, you can do it programmatically, we were just doing it. What do you see coming down the pike for the MBA program at Fuqua? [42:00]

Yeah, so I think a lot of it’s still in design, but I expect more elective content on climate and AI-

From an academic perspective. We do expect to have a couple courses that connect climate to business, and we have already approved an elective in sustainable operations. We’re also offering a climate-centered, like I said, GATE to Northern Europe next year, which will be interesting. That’s the one that’s led by Dan Vermeer. We expect a faculty member who will propose a new course that’s focused on modern AI in business. It hasn’t been approved yet, but could be an elective next year. And then we’ll be offering the first versions of a seminar and lab focused on our venture capital. We already have a seminar and lab that we put out last year on private equity, and all of those offerings are part of our Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship initiative. And one thing that is interesting and new at Fuqua is that all of Duke University’s entrepreneurship activity is now housed out of Fuqua.

Yeah, so Duke I&E, which is Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship, which was the university’s ecosystem around entrepreneurship, merged with our Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, which was Fuqua, and all of it is now housed, staff, all the content, all the intellectual property, all the research, and the faculty, and the students from undergrad, to all the different professional schools, all of them are now working and collaborating within the halls of Fuqua. Which is really great, we’re really excited. They just outfitted a new space for them, and so an accelerator space for them, which will be nice.

That’s really exciting. What about reapplicants? It’s summertime, I’m sure there’s some people out there thinking about reapplying, what advice do you have for reapplicants to Fuqua? [43:53]

Yeah, for students who are reapplying, we do offer a cloning process for them, just to make it a little easier. So we’ll replicate their application from last year. We consider you a reapplicant if it’s just for the prior year, so it can’t be two years from now and that kind of thing. But if you decide to reapply from the prior year, then we’ll save your… Let us know, there’s an email that you can send, and a request form, and we will clone your application. There’s no need to re-enter their information into the online application. We can even move over their recommender feedback, so that that’s helpful, so they don’t have to go back out to the same recommender.

We offer them the opportunity to update any other information though on their application, and there is a reapplicant essay that they need to submit. And that really is just kind of being reflective of the prior year, and letting us know what they’ve learned, what’s different, what’s new. I do recommend that people just review their prior year’s application, maybe take a look at the 25, is it still relevant? Do they want to switch out anything, or change up anything? Being really pensive and thoughtful about the reapplication essay. And I say that because if you think about it, if you just rely on the cloning and you don’t update anything, and you know that last year’s application, for whatever reason, it’s just not always just because your application, but for whatever reason you weren’t successful, if you make no changes, what makes you think you’re going to be successful if nothing changes? So I would say-

Right. The definition of insanity. [45:34]

Right. That’s what I was thinking. Yeah, exactly. So I do think it’s worth their time to just take a look, see what they might want to refresh, and then also be really thoughtful about that reapplicant essay. But we try and make it as easy as possible. We’ll have events for reapplicants, and webinars, and sessions to really kind of help walk them through the process. But we welcome them, we welcome reapplicants, and we have a high rate of folks who we reapply who actually get admitted the following year. So I do think it’s worth reapplying. Absolutely.

What are some common mistakes that you see? [46:11]

I’m glad you asked that question. So I would say, one would be during the recruiting process, ask admissions reps to compare their programs to other schools. I think the better approach is to reflect on what’s important to you in a program as an applicant. Be prepared to share that, and then inquire with each school how does their program match up to what’s important to you, instead of how it matches up to another institution. I feel like it’s the applicant’s job to really know the differences between institutions, and it’s each admissions rep at an institution to know what’s unique about their institution really well. And it’s also just not good form or respectful for admissions reps to contrast institutions, as all these programs are really strong, and there’s just as much as similar as different. And I really believe that there’s a place for everyone, and so it’s really better to start with what’s important to you.

Another mistake I would say to shy away from is, I’ve seen applicants not explain aspects of their application that may be viewed as outside that middle 80% range, especially if it’s on the lower end. So if there’s anything that’s in your profile that you feel is not a strength, I would urge you to really tell us what you’ve done to shore up that area. Be proactive. Demonstrate self-awareness and humility. At the same time, don’t allow us to assume, or make up a story about what happened in that particular space, or what that means, but really be proactive to say, “It looks like I’m a little different from this… Outside of this class profile range, but let me tell you why. What I’ve done, or how I’m unique in this other way, or how I’ve started to work on these aspects that might be a little bit different from what that class profile makeup in the aggregate looks like.”

And then I would just say, also doubting themselves upfront, not taking that bet in the first place. I really believe, again, that there’s an MBA program out there for everyone. I believe strongly in the value of the MBA. It’s been pivotal in my life, and it really surprises me that certain students will say… They’ll feel like they have to move mountains before they even are ready to apply. And I say, “You are good just as you are. You deserve this kind of investment in yourself through the pursuit of an MBA. And I’d say just go for it. Don’t doubt yourself.”

And then being really communicative, I also say another thing to just be aware of and be sensitive to is when you’re really communicative initially when you’re recruiting with our schools, but then you’re MIA once you get an offer. It’s not kind, it’s not the decent look. We want what’s best for everyone who’s applying, and especially those we admit, but we’re human beings in the process, so we can appreciate, and really like when there’s mutual respect throughout that process. So even if you decide after getting our offer that another school’s a better place for you, that is totally fine. I would just say be upfront, be honest, be in communication, don’t ghost the admissions team.

I completely agree with you. [49:09]

And then the last one, just more about when you’re preparing to start your program, once you get admitted and then accepted and you’re preparing to really start, make sure you’re paying attention to the many communications that you’re going to receive from the school to help you get ready to start. I would say stay on top of those emails. I see time and time again people not paying attention to the emails, and then before they know it, the program’s starting, or before they know it, they’ve missed some kind of deadline that’s going to be really important for them.

And so you’re going to feel, as an incoming student, much more prepared and calm, not scrambling when the time comes, if you stay on top of those communications, and meet the deadlines, and the checklists, and things like that that you’re being asked to do in order to get you prepared. ‘Cause really, the schools, they have your best interest in their minds when they are trying to stage the communications and say, “Hey, we need for you to do X, Y, and Z, because it’s really in your best interest to have all that done.” Because you will not believe how much information – you’ll be deluged. There’ll be a deluge of information once you start, and so if you’re not even in the mindset and practice of you responding and paying attention to that stuff even before you start, you’re going to feel lost, and that’s not what you want. You want to start your program feeling really comfortable, and calm, and prepared, and confident.

That’s great advice. Thank you so much. What would you have liked me to ask you? [50:24]

Let’s see. So I talked a little bit already about our test scores. I would say maybe the only other thing would be how we think about wait lists-

How do you think about wait lists? [50:38]

We maintain a selective and active wait list. It’s not ranked, so we don’t have any kind of ranking if you’re on the waitlist. And so if you’re put on the waitlist in round one, you may be admitted in subsequent rounds, so we try and look at every subsequent round to see if there’s anyone that we’d like to pull off the waitlist.

We encourage people to stay in touch and submit documentation. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming, but if there’s something new and different, or if you’ve retaken a test, or if you’ve gotten a promotion, or even if it’s just to say, “I’m still really interested.” And so definitely be in communication. We look at it as a two-way relationship when you’re on the waitlist. We have a healthy number of people that we admit off the waitlist every year, and they come and they thrive. I mean, I’ll tell you, there are a number of our co-presidents of our MBA student association who have been folks who have been admitted off the waitlist. So it’s a process that we take very seriously, and we know it’s a process that can be very angst-ridden, but we don’t want it to be. So I would say be in communication with us, and we’ll be in communication with you too.

Sounds good. Shari, I want to thank you so much for joining me today. Where can listeners and potential applicants learn more about Duke Fuqua? [51:49]

Yeah, so visit our website . I would encourage people to attend our events. We already are starting to be on the road, but if you’d like to learn more, you can always visit our website.

Relevant Links:

Duke Fuqua Admissions
Getting to Know Each Other Through 25 Random Things – Shari Hubert

Relevant shows:

How to Get an MBA at Columbia Business School – podcast Episode 528
How to Get Accepted to NYU Stern – podcast Episode 525
How to Get Into Georgetown McDonough’s MBA Program – podcast Episode 512
How to Get Accepted to Cornell Johnson MBA – podcast Episode 488
How Service To School Helps Veterans Get Accepted to Grad School – podcast Episode 524
Previous Interview with Shari Hubert – podcast Episode 434

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Duke Global Executive MBA Student Blog

How we approached the random things essay.

The admissions process is all about showcasing an applicant’s greatest strengths, interests and values.

Published January 4, 2024

The admissions process is all about showcasing an applicant’s greatest strengths, interests and values. The “10 Random Things” essay is a unique way for Fuqua’s Admissions team to genuinely get to know applicants for who they are. For applicants, it’s an opportunity for self-reflection and a platform for showcasing their authentic selves.

Here’s how we approached the “random things” essay.

Carolina Diaz Vargas

I started writing the “random things” essay by compiling a list of 30 facts about me, ranging from all areas of my life as well as different points in time. I wanted to capture facts that were not already covered in other parts of the application and that I don’t typically disclose when I first meet someone. These facts went deeper into me as a person, at the core of who I am, and ultimately demonstrated my values.

After that, I sent my list to my husband and sister because they know me best. I asked them to rate the top 10. Any fun facts that they both agreed I included and the rest I kept in the list. Then, I looked at the Team Fuqua values and narrowed my list to the things that linked back to the values without necessarily calling them out. One of the most important aspects for me when selecting the school was that it aligned with my values and the values that I wanted as a leader.

Some additional tips for applicants:

Keep in mind that what may seem normal to you may be what makes you stand out.
Your “random things” should reflect your values and what matters to you.
Don’t approach this essay by trying to match what admissions might find interesting, be authentic.
The more range of experiences you can show, the better. We are not all one thing, we are the compositions drawing from many different experiences, and Fuqua values diversity.
If you gave this list to a close family member, and they said, “Yes, this is you!” then you are on the right track.

Ekhoe Aifuwa

For my essay, I thought about pieces that I read recently that caught my attention. I modeled it after blogs by my segment CEO who always had an interesting way of introducing a seemingly unrelated topic at the start of his blog and tying it all together at the end. Rather than reinventing the wheel, I followed a style that I knew would be an easy way to get my point across in an engaging way.

Michael Owens

I took an approach that I believe highlighted my strengths and personality but incorporated a degree of vulnerability. I am passionate about fitness and goals because there was a time in my life when even the smallest goal seemed unachievable. I have a deep level of curiosity and desire to learn, but that’s tied to a fear of letting the unknown remain unknown.

In the end, I think all of these facts fit in at Fuqua because we really are a team. I’ve had the most success in this program when I’ve checked ego and insecurity at the door, and let my awesome cohort teach me so many things I didn’t know.

Tyler Watkins

While writing the “random things” essay, I tried to focus on being genuine and authentic while keeping it fun. This may feel like an opportunity to sneak in some humble brags and flexes, but it’s not. Some of your fun facts may also be strengths or impressive facts, but it’s important to remember to give some context to the Admissions team. They read hundreds of essays, so I wanted to stand out.

My advice to applicants struggling to write this essay is to be specific—saying you “volunteer with kids” is redundant and boring. Explain why you volunteer with kids and the impact it has had on your and their lives. Don’t be afraid to be quirky and let your guard down. Team Fuqua needs students from all backgrounds and with all hobbies to keep the Fuqua system alive and well! Don’t think you need to tell them you are in the “Equities Investing Club” because that is a canned business school answer. Fuqua is different.

Tackling the 10 Random Things Essay

Fuqua’s signature essay prompt asks applicants to list 10 things about themselves, big or small, that make them who they are.

What’s Different in Our Application

Our goal every year is to streamline the application process while still ensuring ample opportunities for applicants to highlight their unique strengths, skills, and experiences.

Fuqua School of Business Duke University 1 Towerview Drive Durham, NC 27708 Phone: (919) 660-7784 Fax: (919) 681-6246 [email protected]

S. ``Vish'' Viswanathan is the F.M. Kirby Professor of Finance at the Fuqua School of Business, Duke University.

Professor Viswanathan's recent research focuses on financial intermediation and risk management, collateral and the regulation of financial markets and banking system. His research on collateral, risk management and the capital structure decision has been published in the Journal of Finance and the Journal of Financial Economics. His prior research on leverage and liquidity and episodic illiquidity in financial markets has been published in the Journal of Finance. Other relevant recent research includes merger waves and non-cash auctions. Professor Viswanathan's research has been presented at a number of international and national conferences and has been published in the Journal of Finance, the Review of Financial Studies, the Journal of Financial Economics, the Rand Journal of Economics, the Journal of Finance and Quantitative Analysis, the Journal of Business and the Journal of Business Economics and Statistics.

Professor Viswanathan teaches Corporate Restructuring (EMBA 658) in the Executive MBA Program, Advanced Corporate Finance (MBA654) and Project Finance in the daytime MBA program and the Ph.D. Seminar in Corporate Finance. In the past he has taught Corporate Finance (MBA646), Advanced Corporate Finance (MBA654) and Corporate Restructuring (MBA658) to daytime and executive MBA students .. He taught Advanced Corporate Finance at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the years 1996-1998 and Cases in Corporate Finance at the University of Chicago in the year 2004. He has taught in the IIMA-Duke Global Leaders Program, the Infosys Senior Executives Program, the Price Waterhouse Executive Development Program, the Deutsche Bank Executive Development Program, the Fuqua Mergers Program, the IBS/Fuqua Strategic Management Program in Moscow, Russia, the RJR Nabisco/Fuqua Executive Education Program in St. Petersburg, Russia, the Ernst and Young/Fuqua VISION program, the Financial Executive Institute/Fuqua Strategic Financial Management program, the Program for Managerial Development, the Global Financial Management Program, the International Marketing Leadership Program and the Young Professionals Program.

Professor Viswanathan received his Bachelor's Degree in Science (First Class with Distinction) from the University of Bombay, his Master of Management Studies from the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies at the University of Bombay and his Ph.D. in Finance from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

Professor Viswanathan is one of the few faculty members at the Fuqua school to be recognized for teaching in three different programs. Professor Viswanathan received the Outstanding Faculty Award at the Fuqua School of Business in 1994. In 1995, the MBA Association of the Fuqua School of Business recognized him for "For efforts above and beyond the call of duty". In 1995 Business Week survey of the Fuqua School of Business, he was rated as a FOUR STAR teacher (highest rating). In 1997, students at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania nominated him for the Helen Kardon Moss Anvil Award. In 1999, he received the Weekend Executive MBA Class of 1999 Outstanding Professor Award. In 2001 and 2008, he received the Outstanding Professor Award from the Global Executive MBA class.

Professor Viswanathan is a Fellow of the Finance Theory Group, a Research Associate of the NBER and the President of the Financial Intermediation Research Society (2015-2016). He was a Co-Editor of the Journal of Financial Intermediation from 2005 to 2013 and an Associate Editor of the Journal of Financial Markets from 1998 to 2016 and is on the Program Committee of the Western Finance Association and the Financial Intermediation Research Society. He was an Associate Editor of the Review of Financial Studies from 1996 to 1999 and Management Science from 2000 to 2005. Twice, he has received awards from the Institute for Quantitative Research in Finance. In 1997, Professor Viswanathan won the NYSE Best Paper Award on Equity Trading at the Western Finance Association.

Master of Management
Master of Quantitative Management
Executive Education
STEM Qualifying

Daytime MBA

Leaders who bring out the best in others.

Oleg Karpushin

Global executive mba, council affiliation.

Oleg Karpushin has over 20 years of experience in the oil and gas industry across the world. Oleg started his career with Shlumberger, the largest oilfield service company, where he held various engineering and management roles working in Russia, Turkey, Canada, the United States, and Central Asia. In late 2004, Oleg joined Shell on Sakhalin Island in the role of the offshore production complex manager and participated in the commissioning and start-up of the giant Sakhalin-2 project in the capacity of the Offshore Asset manager response for offshore oil and gas platforms and other industrial facilities.

In 2010, Oleg moved to Nigeria leading oil and gas production of Shell Western Division. Apart from the usual complexities of operating activities in West Africa, Oleg participated in the complex process of assets divestments and he significantly contributed to mitigating multiple risks associated with divestment. In 2013-2015, Oleg led Shell and Gazprom-neft Joint Venture Salym Petroleum Development. As a CEO of Salym Petroleum, Oleg helped the company to develop a new growth strategy based on in-license conventional and unconventional reserves growth and new license acquisition growth, and he restructured the joined venture to adopt a more intensive, activity-driven execution mode.

Oleg is currently Novatek’s Production Manager and Deputy Chairman of its Management Board.

Oleg holds an MBA from The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and M.S. in Petroleum Engineering and Geology from the Moscow Oil and Gas University.

IMAGES

Duke Fuqua 2015 MBA Sample Essays, Tips and Deadlines
Duke Fuqua 2015 MBA Sample Essays, Tips and Deadlines
Duke Fuqua 2021-22 MBA Essays
The Ultimate Guide to the Duke Fuqua Essays
Duke Fuqua School of Business Essay Questions and Strategic Guidance
25 Things About You

COMMENTS

Application Instructions
Electronically to [email protected]; Directly by mail in a sealed envelope to: Duke University The Fuqua School of Business Office of Admissions 100 Fuqua Drive, Box 90120 Durham, NC 27708-0120. English as a Second Language test scores. Fuqua does not accept ESL test scores. We will use other aspects of your application to assess ...
Duke MBA Essays
The following essay topic analysis examines Duke / Fuqua's MBA admissions essays. The Duke MBA essays are for the 2024-2025 admissions season.You can also review essay topic analyses for other leading MBA programs as well as general Essay Tips to further aid you in developing your admissions essays.. Duke MBA Essays & Analysis 2024-2025. Let's take a closer look at each of the Duke MBA essays.
Tips on Writing Your "25 Things" Essay
Think of it as a list, not an essay. We truly mean it when we say to number your points 1-25 and that some points can be just one sentence. Avoid repeating what we already know about you. The work experience and leadership and involvement sections of the application, as well as your resume and transcript, tell us everything we need to know ...
Duke Fuqua MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [2024
Source: Duke Fuqua website ***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with Duke Fuqua directly to verify its essay questions, instructions, and deadlines.*** Duke Fuqua class profile. Here is a look at the Duke Fuqua MBA Class of 2025 (data taken from the Duke Fuqua website): Class size: 385. Women: 45%. Underrepresented ...
Facts + Dates
May 5, 2025. Round 4. Apr. 3, 2025. Apr. 18, 2025. May 8, 2025. May 29, 2025. *International applicants should apply in EA, Round 1, Round 2, and Round 3 for visa processing. **Interview dates fall within this period for each round. ***Accelerated MBA applicants are only able to apply in Rounds 1-4.
Duke Fuqua Essays: Top Tips + '25 Random Things About YOU' Example
That is why the first essay is so important. (For advice on positioning your Duke Fuqua application, view my related post.) Fuqua Required essay #1: 25 Random Things About Yourself. While many applicants are intimidated by the prompt, I absolutely love this essay (see a full example of a successful '25 Random Things' response at the end of ...
Duke Fuqua Essay Analysis and Tips
Get a detailed understanding of exactly what Fuqua admission officers want to see in your Fuqua application essays, including the best and worst practices fo...
Duke Fuqua MBA Essays Guide: Overview, Tips & Examples
For the 2023-2024 application cycle, Duke Fuqua has provided specific essay prompts. Let's take a closer look at each one and provide you with expert tips on how to approach them: Prompt 1: [Insert Prompt 1] When considering Prompt 1, it is important to reflect on your personal and professional experiences that have shaped your aspirations ...
2024-2025 Duke Fuqua MBA Essay Analysis and Tips
MBA Essay Tips. July 29, 2024. The objective of Duke Fuqua is to prepare its students to inspire organizations in a way that has both a positive impact on the bottom line and a positive impact on the world. The admissions committee seeks to develop a class profile that embraces this objective and cultivates a culture that develops strong ties ...
Examples of Our 25 Random Things
Yun Hong Daytime MBA Class of 2021. Sandeep Panda Daytime MBA Class of 2021. Austin Ray Daytime MBA Class of 2021. Courtney Ridenhour Daytime MBA Class of 2021. Published November 18, 2019. If you're a prospective student reading this blog, chances are you're already aware of the "25 Random Things" essay that is part of the application.
Tips for Your Duke Fuqua Application Essays
Duke Fuqua Application Essay Tips, 2024-2025. Duke Fuqua presents its applicants with one of the most creative, and maybe challenging, essay prompts out there—asking candidates to come up with a list of more than two dozen "random" bits of information about themselves. Then, applicants need to craft a more traditional essay in which they ...
Duke Fuqua MBA Essay 2024-2025 Analysis, Tips, and Framework for
Explore in-depth analysis and expert tips on Duke Fuqua MBA essay prompts for 2025 admissions. Get insights into crafting compelling responses for the short-answer question on post-MBA career goals, the '25 Random Things' essay, contributions to the Fuqua community, optional essays, and reapplicant reflections. Learn a structured framework to enhance your essay writing and increase your ...
How to get into Duke Fuqua [Episode 536]
Then pull up a chair. In today's podcast, Fuqua's associate dean of admissions pulls back the curtain on what Duke seeks in its applicants. Welcome to the 536th episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Before I introduce our guest, I have a question for you.
Application Essay Tips for your Duke Fuqua one-year Masters ...
Ben Boatwright shares some essay tips for the Duke Fuqua one-year Masters application. How to pronounce Fuqua https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mcH-RkkYAMCome...
Application Instructions
All essays are scanned using plagiarism detection software. ... Electronically to [email protected]; Directly by mail in a sealed envelope to: Duke University The Fuqua School of Business Office of Admissions 100 Fuqua Drive, Box 90120 Durham, NC 27708-0120 U.S.A.
Examples of How to Approach the 25 Random Things Essay
Especially hip-pop and K-pop dance. I like to film dance videos and post them on Instagram. My typical Saturday in New York City usually consists of three things: 1) Have brunch with friends, 2) Explore the newest exhibition, and 3) Grab a bubble tea and walk back home. There is a sweet pony named Hershey and he has been a great teacher to me ...
Fuqua School of Business
The following essay topic analysis examines Duke / Fuqua's MBA admissions essays. The Duke MBA essays are for the 2024-2025 admissions season. You can also review essay topic analyses for other leading MBA programs as well as general … Read More Read more. Recommendation Questions.
How We Approached the Random Things Essay
Published January 4, 2024. The admissions process is all about showcasing an applicant's greatest strengths, interests and values. The "10 Random Things" essay is a unique way for Fuqua's Admissions team to genuinely get to know applicants for who they are. For applicants, it's an opportunity for self-reflection and a platform for ...
Professor S. "Vish" Viswanathan's Homepage
Durham, NC 27708. Phone: (919) 660-7784. Fax: (919) 681-6246. [email protected]. S. ``Vish'' Viswanathan is the F.M. Kirby Professor of Finance at the Fuqua School of Business, Duke University. Professor Viswanathan's recent research focuses on financial intermediation and risk management, collateral and the regulation of financial markets and ...
Accelerated Daytime MBA: Admissions Facts + Dates
The Duke Accelerated Daytime MBA program is challenging - and very rewarding. ... A Master of Management Studies (MMS) degree from Duke's Fuqua School of Business; A Master in Management (MiM) degree or equivalent from an accredited graduate business school ... Essays: Your essays allow us to get to know you as a person—what drives you ...
Antisemitism by country
[62]: 127 He published an essay adopting Western antisemitic tropes to characterize Chinese as "vampires who steadily suck dry an unfortunate victim's lifeblood" because of their perceived lack of loyalty to Siam and the fact that they sent money back to China. [62]: 127
Application Instructions
Electronically to [email protected]; Directly by mail in a sealed envelope to: Duke University The Fuqua School of Business Office of Admissions 100 Fuqua Drive, Box 90120 Durham, NC 27708-0120; ... All essays are scanned using plagiarism detection software.
S. Viswanathan
Bio. S. ``Vish'' Viswanathan is the F.M. Kirby Professor of Investment Banking at the Fuqua School of Business, Duke University. Professor Viswanathan received his Bachelor's Degree in Science (First Class with Distinction) from the University of Bombay, his Master of Management Studies from the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies at the University of Bombay and his Ph.D. in Finance ...
Evgeniy Terekhov
Mr. Terekhov holds an MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and Master's Degree in Heat Energy from Technical University of Belarus, Minsk. Programs. Daytime MBA; Accelerated Daytime MBA; Global Executive MBA; Weekend Executive MBA; MMS: Foundations of Business;
Oleg Karpushin
Oleg Karpushin has over 20 years of experience in the oil and gas industry across the world. Oleg started his career with Shlumberger, the largest oilfield service company, where he held various engineering and management roles working in Russia, Turkey, Canada, the United States, and Central Asia. In late 2004, Oleg joined Shell on Sakhalin ...