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(4.7) |
Any alumnus review you read is admittedly going to be biased, but Fuqua exceeded every one of my expectations, and I'll try to explain why.
From a career standpoint, I landed my top choice for an internship and am now there full time. A lot of my classmates can say the same. But what might be more difficult to describe is how the experience itself exceeded my expectations.
The first thing you will hear if you look into the program is the "Team Fuqua" culture. I initially found the phrase a little gimmicky and was weary of the substance behind it. However, once I was on campus the cut-throat behavior that I anticipated I would see in business school just wasn't there. That's not to say that there wasn't a healthy level of competition (it's still a top business school after all), it was just never at the expense of others. Everyone seemed to feel a responsibility to help each other in both academics and recruiting. I even saw students come out of interviews and give advice to classmates who were about to interview for the same position. Everyone seemed to realize that the “me vs. the world” mentality just won’t get you far in the long run.
To show how the “Team Fuqua” aspect extended into the alumni network, every Fuqua alumni I reached out to during the recruiting process (hint: it was a lot) got back to and spoke with me. Every single one. I’m sure that wasn’t the case for all of my classmates, but that really stuck with me.
I found it interesting how Fuqua is able to maintain this unique and very real culture when students cycle through every two years. After reflecting on my two years there, I came up with four main factors:
1) Admissions. I think it starts with really trying to select multi-dimensional students. Admissions seems to look beyond the “easy” metrics (GMAT score, GPA, career accomplishments, etc.) and learn about each candidate as a person. The “25 Random Facts” essay is a good example of this. This multi-dimensional focus probably makes it more difficult to compare candidates and creates a more involved decision process, but the effort seems to be paying off.
2) Self-selection. This is somewhat obvious. If you buy into the mindset that you can achieve more collectively than individually and you want to the develop skills to bring the best out of others, you’re likely to come to Fuqua. If you don’t, you’re likely find another school that is a better fit for you.
3) Location. Being located in Durham, I think, is an advantage. It’s not such a large city that students have a lot of external ties nearby. Everyone’s entire social network is within the Fuqua community and, subsequently, the connections formed are quite strong. At the same time, Durham is big enough to have plenty of opportunities for students and has truly grown into a vibrant area. In fact, quite a few students end up falling in love with the area each year and decide to stay in Research Triangle full-time.
4) Class structure. This one is a little more subtle. Most business schools have classes just four days per weeks (generally Monday-Thursday) in order to leave one day (generally Friday) for recruiting and other events. Fuqua has Wednesdays off. This lends to Fuqua students usually staying in town during the weekends, which in turn leads to more socializing and creates tighter bonds between classmates. I don't know if this was intentional or not, but the effect is certainly noticeable.
My suggestion to any MBA applicant is to not underestimate the importance of culture and fit. Certainly the program you choose should enable you to reach your post-MBA career goals, but make sure that the experience is one that you will enjoy and will enable you to develop as a person as well.
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
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Coming from a military background, Fuqua has provided me with opportunities far and above anything I could have expected if I would have gone straight to work after the military. All of the best companies recruit at Fuqua and if you have a company in mind that doesn't recruit on-campus then the Duke name recognition will help you in your off-campus search. The Vet club is fantastic and is strongly supported by the school. The course load is modest and grading is pretty easy which is a huge plus in my opinion. You don't have to spend 2 years chasing grades, but can instead chase your dream job and then relax a little before heading back to the workforce. The student body is really nice and supportive and there is no competition between peers. Families and partners are well integrated into the overall school community.
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
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Pros - great student body, diversity, everyone knows how to balance school, recruiting, and a social life. Very tight student body and always something going on. Awesome alumni network and great career center. Good amount of electives and opportunities for experiential learning. Lots of leadership opportunities in the student-driven clubs.
Cons - pretty bad IT system - some terrible, outdated apps that need consolidation. Also, we shouldn't disclose grades similar to some other top programs. Finally, many of the extracurriculars/experiential activities have such high demand that there's a chance a student could lose out on an opportunity to someone who is just looking for a resume-builder.
Awesome professors.
Overall BSchool experience (4.0)
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The students, the, faculty, the facilities, & the alum network are fantastic. Everyone is self-motivated, helpful to one another, & smart. I have loved being in Durham because of the low cost of living relative to the locations of other top business schools. It is a highly underrated "foodie" city and the weather is fantastic. In my opinion, the biggest area for improvement is the quality of the career center and related counseling. I would recommend that future applicants do a campus tour, sit in on a class, and talk with current students to get a sense for whether or not the culture fits their personality.
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
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Fuqua has a very diversified class backgrounds and you can meet with people with different origin, experience and career aspirations. It is a good place for applicants from all the backgrounds. No matter what you wanna get out of the business school experience, Fuqua is always a right choice for you.
The school really value the teamwork spirit and everyone here is very helpful no matter it's academic aspect or career aspect. The faculty is great in driving you to think independently as well as enlighting the path of professional success
The location of the school is fantastic too. The climate of North Carolina is second to none across the country. It's very convenient for you to have a lot of fun outside of school and during your holiday seasons. The RDU airport is just 20 minutes drive distance and it has direct flight to almost every major cities in United States. The big companies will all visit Fuqua during the recruiting seasons so you won't miss the opportunities compare to other peer schools.
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
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I have loved my program. The program has a large population of helpful, down to earth people. Arrogance is low but confidence is very high. Team Fuqua is a creed that everyone lives by and for which alumni/companies recruit. Alumni are very active on campus as well. Fuqua is a student ran program and being involved is highly encouraged. However, this environment is not for everyone. Your class work and grade will be largely based on group work with your team (c-lead). All of this has both made me successful in my pre-bschool goal of going to a top consulting firm but has also made me a stronger more well rounded person. The program boasts a large percentage of internationals who creates a strong global view in the classroom.
Fuqua boasts some of the strongest faculty in the nation that are deeply involved in research as well as highly decorated practitioners. There is a strong mix in class teaching methods from cases to auctions to games etc.
Due to the high desire to recruit high caliber team oriented applicants the diversity of companies recruiting at Fuqua is at an all time high. With some companies like the Bill and Malinda Gates foundation and John Deere only recruiting at Fuqua and a few other schools. The reach of alumni has given Fuqua a great advantage in the range of companies that recruit on campus.
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
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Fuqua is a collaborative environment with huge support from alumni, second year students and faculty. The school especially focus on international students and emphasis on diversity. At Fuqua, It is not the recognition that matters; it is that the value everyone brings to develop others is the school ultimate goal. When talking with Fuqua’s alumni and current students, you I sensed the tight knit community that I want.
Fuqua is a feeder in consulting industry. The school also has long reputation for marketing. The downside of Fuqua is location, which may make it difficult for investment banking track.
Recommendation for future applications: put strong emphasis on teamwork and diversity in essay!
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
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Overall, my experience at Fuqua was amazing. I certainly felt that it met expectations in regards to my career objectives and student support. What stood out to me most about my experience was the culture at Fuqua. The students genuinely care about helping you, and I really felt that the "collaborative/Team Fuqua" culture was real.
One of my primary criticisms is that the CMC needs to add more support in the consulting space considering the number of students that pursue this field. The person in charge is amazing, but unfortunately, there is only one of her and so many of us.
Overall, I felt that the curriculum was valuable, especially the finance/accounting classes, considering I did not have a business background prior to b-school. However, I felt that the marketing courses were subpar and became redundant after the first one or two classes.
Overall, I was very satisfied with the opportunities that I was presented at Fuqua. Majority of my classmates were able to land jobs from the companies of their choice.
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
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Specialization in a particular area (e.g. Finance, Consulting, Healthcare, etc)
Provided me the opportunity for 3 main things:
1. Expand my knowledge of business concepts (e.g., finance and accounting) through case studies and exercises
2. Expose me to people from different cultures and work backgrounds that enabled me to make new friendships and expand my cultural horizon
3. Support and resources to work on start-ups and VCs (including ability to link with other schools such as Energy, Engineering etc. across graduate and undergraduate programs) - I worked on 3 different ideas and professors were willing to talk about them and provide advice
I came for the three things listed above, and the business school met all those expectations. However, you have to pursue them actively.
Great professors willing to help.
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
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A lot of programs emphasize their teamwork. At Fuqua, however, it is real. Students go out of their way to help each other with recruiting, academics, and life in general. Instead of being stabbed in the back for a grade or a connection, you find someone who is more than willing to share a contact or helpful hint. This goes for the alumni as well, as once you are a member of Team Fuqua, you remain so even after graduation. If at all possible, before applying, find some way to get some kind of sense of what Team Fuqua might mean for your b-school experience and career - meet with alums, attend events in your city, or visit campus. It is definitely worth your while.
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
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Program for for-credit internships in academic yea
