{"id":42327,"date":"2018-06-27T14:17:46","date_gmt":"2018-06-27T21:17:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=42327"},"modified":"2018-06-27T14:17:46","modified_gmt":"2018-06-27T21:17:46","slug":"duke-university-fuqua-school-of-business-essay-analysis-2018-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/duke-university-fuqua-school-of-business-essay-analysis-2018-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Duke University Fuqua School of Business Essay Analysis, 2018\u20132019"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

We were thrilled to learn that nothing has changed with the application essay prompts for Duke University\u2019s Fuqua School of Business this season, because that means the school\u2019s intriguing \u201c25 Random Things\u201d essay is back for another round! Very few MBA programs give applicants as much room to roam and get creative with the application as Fuqua does, and we encourage any hesitant candidates out there to view this essay as the generous opportunity it is to provide a comprehensive picture of yourself as a well-rounded candidate. With such a quirky and \u201crandom\u201d essay, we have trouble imagining any applicant not having fun with the process. So, enjoy the opportunity and get some inspiration for that and Fuqua\u2019s other required submissions in our analysis, which follows\u2026<\/p>\n

Required short-answer essay questions<\/strong>
\nInstructions: Answer all three of the following questions. For each question, respond in 500 characters only (the equivalent of about 100 words).<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. What are your short-term goals, post-MBA?<\/strong><\/li>\n
  2. What are your long-term goals?<\/strong><\/li>\n
  3. Life is full of uncertainties, and plans and circumstances can change. As a result, navigating a career requires you to be adaptable. Should the short-term goals that you provided above not materialize, what alternative directions have you considered?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    With this trio of questions, Fuqua is essentially asking for a standard, albeit very brief, personal statement\u2014though the third query does include a rather nonstandard component. Candidates often feel they must be totally unequivocal in their goals, but in this case, Fuqua is giving applicants room to address and speculate on other options. The admissions committee knows that sometimes the best-laid plans do not play out as expected or may even yield unintended results, and the school wants to know that you are prepared to switch gears and recommit to a different path, if necessary\u2014and that you are fully capable of doing so. The key in answering this question is showing that your alternate goal is just as connected to your skills, interests, and ambitions as your original plan and does not come \u201cout of left field,\u201d so to speak. For example, you would probably have a difficult time convincing the admissions committee that your short-term goal is to work in technology consulting while\u00a0your alternate goal would be to work in human resources, because these industries, for the most part, require entirely different skills and personalities. Just be mindful that both goals you present\u00a0must be plausible and achievable.<\/p>\n

    As we noted, these questions concern many of the same topics covered in a traditional personal statement, so we encourage you to download your\u00a0free\u00a0<\/em>copy of the\u00a0mbaMission Personal Statement Guide<\/a><\/strong>, which helps applicants write this style of essay for any school. This complimentary guide offers detailed advice on approaching and framing these subjects, along with multiple illustrative examples. Be sure to\u00a0claim your copy today<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    First required essay: 25 random things about yourself<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Instructions:<\/em>\u00a0Present your response in list form, numbered 1 to 25. Some points may be only a few words, while others may be longer. Your complete list should not exceed two pages.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    For context: Fuqua believes different types of people, points of view, and experiences bring out the best in everyone. And above all, we place a premium on succeeding while making a positive impact on businesses, organizations, and the world.\u00a0 These ways of thinking set the Duke MBA experience apart, and this concept extends beyond the student body to include faculty, staff, and administration.\u00a0When a new person joins the Admissions team, we ask that person to share with everyone in the office a list of \u201c25 Random Things About Yourself.\u201d As an Admissions team, we already know the new hire\u2019s professional and academic background, so learning these \u201c25 Random Things\u201d helps us get to know someone\u2019s personality, background, special talents, and more.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    In this spirit, the admissions committee also wants to get to know you\u2013beyond the professional and academic achievements listed in your resume and transcript. You can share with us important life experiences, your likes\/dislikes, hobbies, achievements, fun facts, or anything that helps us understand what makes you who you are. Share with us your list of \u201c25 Random Things\u201d about YOU.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Be prepared to have fun creating this list for your Fuqua application! Before you start scribbling down random things, though, stop and take some time to thoroughly brainstorm. You cannot simply draft a list of \u201ctypical\u201d accomplishments\u2014remember, the school is asking for a\u00a0random<\/em>\u00a0list, and keep in mind that your reader should learn more about you as an individual with each item presented. Make sure that every new story or tidbit of information you share gives the admissions committee a different window into your personality, into what really makes you tick and makes you\u00a0you. Most important is that you\u00a0own\u00a0all the points on your list\u2014that your final list could apply to no one but you. For example, a statement such as \u201cI love the movie\u00a0Goodfellas<\/em>\u00a0and have watched it multiple times\u201d could easily be made by many applicants\u2014therefore, it could not be considered truly\u00a0yours. However, if you were to instead write, \u201cAt least once a year, my friends and I get together to watch our favorite movie,\u00a0Goodfellas<\/em>, all wearing dark suits, eating fresh pasta with homemade sauce, and reciting the dialogue line-for-line,\u201d you would present an experience that is unquestionably\u00a0yours, because few\u2014if any\u2014other candidates would be likely to say this exact same thing.<\/p>\n

    Although Fuqua does not want you to rehash your professional and academic accomplishments in this list, and you should certainly avoid repeating facts that already appear elsewhere in your application, you can of course still touch on significant moments that occurred in these spheres. Use detail and a narrative style (keeping things brief!) to give these elements life and ensure that they are personal. For example, rather than saying that you \u201cwon a creative thinking award for implementing an innovative training solution,\u201d you might write that you \u201conce won an award for instructing trainees to flip their desks upside down and face what was previously the back of the room\u2014thereby creating an exercise to introduce new hires to the concept and value of new perspectives.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Second required essay: The Fuqua community and you<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Instructions:<\/em>\u00a0Your response should be no more than two pages in length.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    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 are vital to providing you with a range of experiential learning and individual development experiences.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Based on your understanding of the Fuqua culture, how do you see yourself engaging in and contributing to our community outside of the classroom?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    With this essay prompt, Fuqua clearly wants to see evidence that you have done your research on the school\u2019s culture and community and developed a true and thorough understanding of it. Ideally, your essay will convince the admissions committee that you are eager to take advantage of opportunities to lead and contribute, that you have thoughtfully considered your place within the school\u2019s community at length, and that as a result, you know the value of what you can offer and have a clear vision of how this will manifest when you are a Fuqua student.<\/p>\n

    For this to be possible, you really (really!<\/em>) must know the school well, because if you hypothesize incorrectly about the contribution you will make\u2014meaning that what you propose is just not possible at the school or does not align with Fuqua\u2019s values and culture\u2014you will definitely not get in. The question specifically mentions \u201cstudent-led government, clubs, centers, and events,\u201d so you could start your research there to find niches and opportunities that correspond with your strengths, knowledge, and experience. But if you feel you can contribute in a different area or way altogether (while still adhering to the \u201coutside of the classroom\u201d element of the prompt), you can certainly take that approach instead. Read student blogs, peruse discussion boards, catch up on the past year or more of press releases from the school, spend some time on\u00a0Fuqua\u2019s YouTube channel<\/a><\/strong>\u2014these are all good places to start (or better,\u00a0continue<\/em>!) educating yourself about what life at the school is really like, beyond the course work.<\/p>\n

    And for a thorough exploration of Duke Fuqua\u2019s academic offerings, defining characteristics, crucial statistics, social life, community\/environment, and other key facets of the program, consider downloading your\u00a0free\u00a0<\/em>copy of the\u00a0mbaMission Insider\u2019s Guide to Duke University\u2019s Fuqua School of Business<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    Optional essay: Tell us more<\/strong><\/p>\n

    If you feel there are circumstances of which the admissions committee should be aware (such as unexplained gaps in work, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance), please explain them in an optional essay.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Please do not upload additional essays or additional recommendations in this area of the application, and limit your response to one page.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Fuqua stipulates a maximum length for its option essay of just one page. We see this, along with the other clarifying bullet points, as confirmation that the admissions committee is not interested in additional information from applicants who fear that not submitting an optional essay would somehow count against them and would like to reserve this essay exclusively for those who truly need it. So be judicious in your use of this opportunity, and submit an optional essay\u00a0only\u00a0if you truly believe that explaining a key element of your story or profile is necessary for Fuqua to have a complete and accurate understanding of you as a candidate. Consider downloading a free copy of our\u00a0mbaMission Optional Essays Guide<\/a><\/strong>, in which we offer detailed advice on when and how to take advantage of the optional essay (along with multiple sample essays) to help you mitigate any problem areas in your profile.<\/p>\n

    The Next Step\u2014Mastering Your Duke Fuqua Interview<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Many MBA candidates find admissions interviews stressful and intimidating, but mastering this important element of the application process is definitely possible\u2014the key is informed preparation. And to help you develop this high level of preparation, we offer our\u00a0free Interview Primers<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0to spur you along! Download your free copy of the\u00a0Duke Fuqua\u00a0Interview Primer<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0today.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    We were thrilled to learn that nothing has changed with the application essay prompts for Duke University\u2019s Fuqua School of Business this season, because that means the school\u2019s intriguing \u201c25…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":126,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[368,63,11,3,4,6,8,1,872,775,113,10,2113,243,766],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42327","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mobile-blog","category-books","category-mba","category-b-school-life","category-career-reviews","category-current-events","category-fun-stuff","category-uncategorized","category-mbamission","category-admission-consultants","category-applications","category-interviews","category-financing","category-blog","category-top-stories","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42327","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/126"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42327"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42327\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42328,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42327\/revisions\/42328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42327"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42327"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42327"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}