Now that all the R1 excitement has died down a bit (congrats to all you admits, btw!), I thought I'd post my experiences visiting/interviewing at Fuqua.
I was on campus from 12/11-13. One of my college roommates, who is a FY (first year student) at Fuqua, advised me to visit that weekend because it was the last day of classes for term 2. Thinking back on my experiences, I don't think there could have been a better time for me to visit. I had a blast!
I touched down at RDU late Thursday (12/11) night and headed straight for Station 9, a popular graduate student only apartment/condominium complex about 2 miles away from Fuqua. It ended up being a 25-30 minute cab ride that cost about 42$ (including tip). Not bad at all.
InterviewThe next morning, I headed to campus where I chatted with current students and other perspectives in the visitor's lounge as I waited for my tour and lunch to start. After the tour of Fuqua and a quick bite to eat, I had my interview with a current SY (second year student). Even though my interviewer stuck to a list of questions, the interview was very conversational and low-pressure. Here are some of the questions that I remember:
Why an MBA? Why Duke?
Resume walkthrough.
3 strengths.
3 weaknesses.
3 people you'd like you have on your team.
Leadership example.
What is your leadership style?
When do you decide to take a leadership role on a team?
What do you contribute to a team?
There's one spot left in this year's incoming class. Tell me why Duke should take you.
There were a few more questions, but I can't remember them off the top of my head. Nothing out of the ordinary and definitely no surprises. This was probably my best interview, and ironically, the interview that I prepared the least for.
Fuqua FridayThe tour was great and the interview went well but everything afterwards was what made my trip so enjoyable. Every Friday, Fuqua has a happy hour type event called Fuqua Friday. There are snacks and free beer available for people to just hang out, chat, and unwind after a busy week. It's hosted by a different organization or club and this week there was a brand challenge.
My friend and his partner organized a challenge called "Jell-O Shot", comparing Jell-O made with sugar with Jell-O made with sweetner. The objective of the game was to throw a ping pong ball the length of a table into a cup with a Jell-O shot in it. A made shot resulted in a point earned for your section. Regardless of miss or make, you would get to eat a Jell-O shot (non-alcoholic) and then guess whether it was sugar or sugar-free. A correct guess would also earn your section a point. Other tables compared products such as body spray and lipstick but I didn't get a chance to visit them since I was too busy tallying the points for Jell-O Shot, drinking beer, and stuffing my face with chicken fingers and cheese-infused tater tots. If any of you current Fuqua students happen to come by the table, I was the guy in the back wearing the blue zip-up fleece.
Fuqua VisionAround 7, people started filing out of the Fox Center and toward the auditorium for Fuqua Vision, a SNL-type video comedy show. Throughout the term, students create videos that poke fun at business school related topics and especially their fellow classmates. The popularity of this event was amazing and the line to get into the auditorium filled the atrium. Inside wasn't much better as students lined the hallways and sat on the stairs just to catch the show, which lasted about an hour. This was a perfect example of how tight-knit the student body is at Fuqua.
NightlifeLater that night we went to a house party, where about 20-30 FYs were hanging out and drinking. It was a really relaxed atmosphere and the perfect opportunity to chat with students about their experiences at Fuqua. Everyone was really friendly and very open to chatting with me and introducing me to their friends who also shared my goals and interests. I even ran into my tour guide there!
A few beers later we made our way to a local bar called Shooters. Nothing too special, just a few bars and a mechanical bull, but supposedly it's one of the more popular hangouts for Fuqua students (moreso by lack of options than by choice, haha). Inside, a man with a mullet wearing a t-shirt with the American flag on it ran up to me and yelled, "MY ancestors and YOUR ancestors can live in HARMONY. Wooooooooooo!!!!!" and proceeded to give me many hi-fives. I was caught off guard at first, but being the happy drunk that I am, I soon recripocated his excitement. Fun times.
Overall, I had a blast. I got my interview out of the way and I was able to experience Fuqua outside of the cookie-cutter tour/class/info session that people usually experience during a campus visit. My visit allowed me to really immerse myself in the culture of Fuqua and see how students interact with each other, not only in a school atmosphere but also in their personal lives. I feel like this is a place I can see myself spending the next 2-3 years of my life.
Round 2 here I come!
Attachments
File comment: Fuqua Foxes or local hotties? You decide...
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File comment: Jell-O Shot!
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19 Dec 2008, 17:21
