Fuqua (Duke) Class of 2016: Calling all applicants!

Neuroticism > logic.

I got the email and subsequently checked SISS and saw that I received another notification that I was being placed on the waitlist (again, was placed on it after the second round).

This is entirely speculation, but I'm assuming it's because you were waitlisted without interview, but now waitlisted with interview.

Interesting that you received an e-mail.

Per the latest e-mail I had received from Duke:

"If you do not receive an email on the Round 3 decision release date, this means that your application remains on our waitlist. For those remaining on the waitlist after Round 3 decisions, your application will continue to be reviewed as we move forward with enrollment during the spring and summer months."

The way I see it, at this point we should actually be hoping that we don't receive an e-mail.

If not admitted today, I plan to help reduce the competition on the waitlist for the white/male/corp fin/East Coast demographic by ducking out.

Quite possibly. Good call.

I called the admissions office bc my significant other is waiting to hear from the R2 waitlist and the receptionist confirmed that Fuqua has sent out all WL release emails today already -- so if you didn't get one, you remain on the WL. I tried to get information out of her re: how many people remain on the waitlist (since there hasn't been anyone active on this thread who has said they were released) but she didn't give me any other info. I'd recommend calling if you want info and just don't give your name!

I was admitted from the waitlist and I received an email today at 11:30 AM central time.

FROM Fuqua Current Student Blogs: Fuqua Study Abroad – Lessons from the Farm

Just like 1/3 of the 2014 class, I returned from a term abroad and jumped back into the Fuqua swing of things for Spring 2. Upon coming back to Durham, I was surprised that a new batch of student leaders had already been chosen for next year. So beyond some transition meetings with new cabinet members for the Net Impact and Consulting Clubs, I found myself devoid of extra-curricular responsibilities. The author helping out with the dishes. That down-time before graduation gave me the opportunity to reflect on my study abroad experience. I spent four weeks at Pontificia Universidad Católica, in Santiago, Chile, taking courses in Negotiations and Consumer Behavior. Beyond that, I crossed an item off my bucket list and volunteered with Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF). I worked on a small farm in Curanipe and spent two weeks pulling weeds, living in a tent and gaining some unexpected insights into business in Chile that I believe can be applied to any client engagement.     Volunteering with Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) included taking care of trees on a farm in Curanipe,Chile. Lesson 1: Pay attention to what your clients want. (i.e. Sometimes no one cares that you have consulting experience) I wanted to leave my mark on that farm in a way that wouldn’t be covered in weeds a month after I left, so before I arrived, I thought of ways I could help their business succeed. I could assist in developing their presence on TripAdvisor, or I could teach them to keep records using Excel instead of pen and paper. My dream was to get them customers and save them time! As it turns out, they were in the process of selling their business, and they’re not fans of computers, so to make their lives easier I spent most days in the fields weeding. Having a lot of time to think, I realized that when you work for a small business or a large corporation for that matter, you have to pitch in and do the less glamorous work. Farm owners Bettina and Christian. Lesson 2: Learn the context. The farm owners were operating in a rural environment where business was done with people you knew. Being foreigners (an Argentine and a German), they were often shut out of this equation. They also faced a long-term decline in tourists after an 8.8 earthquake hit in 2010 seven miles off the coast. I might have been able to imagine ways their operation could run more smoothly, but I had to consider obstacles that weren’t immediately apparent to a visitor. Lesson 3: Keep the lines of communication open. This was tricky in a place where I had no phone service or internet. My sole source of news was my host organization, and both owners acknowledged that they only read “alternative” news sources. As a result, I left after two weeks under the impression that there had been a major earthquake in North Carolina and the economies of several Western nations had collapsed. The lesson in there is to make sure that you get your news from more than one source (or manager), whether you’re farming or managing a project. With these lessons in hand, I’m ready to transition to life after grad school. I’m very grateful I had the chance to immerse myself in a business in rural Chile. I can’t say I ever expected to spend time on a farm while studying for my MBA, but I’m so glad that I did.

FROM Fuqua Current Student Blogs: Achieving Success Deliberately with the Personal Development Plan

Fuqua is full of opportunities. These two years are a time of growth and development beyond what you’ve ever before experienced, with multiple avenues and roads to take you to new places. However, one of the challenges is having a plan and knowing which path to take. It can be a bit like when Alice met the Cheshire Cat: “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat. “I don’t much care where –” said Alice. “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.1 Although meandering aimlessly could result in success, Fuqua stresses the importance of deliberate and conscientious development into leaders of consequence. One core aspect of this deliberate developmental journey is creating a Personal Development Plan (PDP). The PDP is a roadmap and action-planning process and tool that guides you through personal reflection, goal setting, and finally, sets you on a route to fulfilling your ambitions. First-year students are introduced to PDP concepts during Global Institute when they take their Leadership, Ethics and Organizations (LEO) class. The class teaches the importance of identifying and effectively setting goals. Then, once core classes begin in September and you are placed in your C-LEAD team (a group of 6 students you work with in all of your core MBA classes), each team works together on the PDP. A COLE Fellow is assigned to each team to mentor and help each student create their own individual PDP plan. Reflection. The first part of the process is to reflect. Each student thinks about the following key questions: Why am I at Fuqua? What do I want to gain from this experience? Where am I now? What are the values, beliefs, and principles I want to uphold? What are my current strengths? Weaknesses? Where do I want to be and who do I want to become? Goal Setting. After the critical reflection stage, students write out 3-5 goals, with each goal fitting into one of six categories: Leadership, Academic, Social, Career, Personal, or Physical. For the first iteration of my PDP, my goals revolved around Academic, Career, and Leadership, as those were the priorities I specified for Fall Term 1 in my team’s Charter (a document each C-LEAD team creates to explicitly state team expectations, norms, and guide the way the group operates). To ensure you meet the definition of an effective goal, the SMART principle is used. That is, each goal must be Specific, Measurable, Relevant, and Time Bound. Goals are added to a PDP online platform, making it easier for each student to track their progress. Additionally, each goal is linked to an Accountability Buddy to help keep students on track—it was up to me to decide how often my buddy would check in on my progress. For example, my wife and three team members were specified as my Accountability Buddies for each of my 4 goals, and I had the opportunity to be an Accountability Buddy for some of my teammates as well. Our COLE fellow also received a copy of all of our goals, to ensure that they were SMART and to provide an additional layer of accountability. Continual Refinement. The Personal Development Plan is not a static list of goals, but rather a living and changing document. We would regularly discuss our progress toward achieving each goal during meetings with our COLE fellow, and had the formal chance to update our goals at the start of Fall Term 2. As Fall Term 2 began, we also reflected on which goals we accomplished, and which ones we fell short on, learning from our failures as well as our successes. This process then continues with opportunities to update our goals prior to heading out for summer internships, then again during our second year, and finally, before graduating and leaving for full-time employment. The Personal Development Plan has been a critical part of my Fuqua experience, allowing me to take control of my future and chart the course to achieve my goals . As I began my MBA experience, I wasn’t sure which path I wanted to take, and threw myself into as much as possible. The Personal Development Plan helped me take a step back, prioritize my goals, and deliberately determine which path I would take to get to my desired outcomes. 1  “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” Lewis Carroll. The Millennium Fulcrum Edition 2.7a © 1991 Duncan Research

So it has been a long hard path in the application to Fuqua. Fuqua is my DREAM school and I am on the wait list. At this point it feels like all hope is lost as R3 has already been admitted and the start date of school is around the corner. Does anyone have a good sense for what the odds of moving from WL to Admit would be at this point in the game? I assume it is almost none but I do know Duke has a yield rate that would make me think a fair amount of WL get moved to Admit. My other question would be next steps if I don't get in. Does anyone have good advice for applying next year?

Apply EA next year, and put your heart and soul into it.

Judging by last year's WL applicants, it seems most who bled Duke Blue were able to get in this year via EA.

Orientation doesn't start until July 30th and there are always few people who get in during summer months - they key is to stay active and keep sending updates/letter of support from current students and alums. Also, you will be assigned a WL counselor shorty, and make sure to develop strong relationships with them, even if you don't get in.

If you do have to re apply, make sure you apply in EA and write a new application. i.e. new set of essays and refine your weak areas. Also, take advantage of the open interview policy and visit Durham early.

Let's hope for the best for next 50 days, and reach out to me if you are re applying in EA - I will share some more tips.

I can't speak to the odds of being admitted from the waitlist, but they are going to it, and I just got in today. I know they are still reviewing all waitlisted candidates applications in full again, so new info doesn't hurt.

In talking with admissions a couple weeks ago, they confirmed that there were peopled who had sent in early deposits that pulled out, so slots are definitely open. Keep the flow of new information coming to them, including additional recs if they are good, differentiated, and applicable.

Yeah, I got in yesterday as well. Very excited and pumped! XC99TF00, congrats! For those waiting to coming off the wait list, make sure you contact admissions every 3 weeks or so and let them know that if admitted, you are still willing and able to come to Duke as well as submit a financial deposit quickly. I believe you would only have 3 business days to submit a deposit.

Congrats guys. With Orientation starting in 35 days, you guys have to pack up and move to Durham very quickly. Looking forward to meeting you both.