Calling all Duke (Fuqua) Applicants (2016 Intake) Class of 2018!!

Hi guys,

I have a couple of questions

1. Is it okay if I update my resume a bit for the interviews from the one that I submitted along with the applications or are we supposed to take the very same resume for the blind resume?

2. In what detail do the interviewers ad adcom cross-check the information between application and interview? say, in the short term goals if I have mentioned 'Big Four' as my target companies but while interview I share my post MBA interest as more broad - strategy consulting (which both Big 4 and MBB do), will that be a red flag for adcom? in what detail do interviewers share detail with the adcom?

Can anyone share their ideas or suggestions on the above?

Thanks a lot

Thanks

Hi Everyone!

For Indians interviewed by Alums in previous rounds, did the interviewer have a copy of your complete profile, or was it a blind interview with your resume only?

Also, any1 had a face to face interview in Bangalore yet?

Cheers

The interview is blind. As in, the interviewer only has your resume.

Thanks!

I updated my resume for the interview. I handed the interviewer my updated resume at the start of my on campus interview it didn't negatively impact me in Round 1. not sure about second question.

Thanks sys323.

Do you mind sharing your interview experience. Was there any curveball, unexpected question or the interview unfolded along expected lines?
How did prepare for your interview.. anything different? Eager to hear your story


Cheers

Sure thing. My interview was with a second year student on campus. I waited in the waiting area with other interviewees then was taken to a small two person interview room. Brief introductions and chatter. Talked about the recent basketball camp out. Interviewer did not look at my resume beforehand. Asked me to walk through my resume. I was then asked many, many questions, I believe my interviewer was looking to get enough material to write his/her review. Questions were standard such as why mba, why fuqua, pitch yourself to admissions, name a weakness/strength, what makes you stand out etc. Interviewer was very pleasant throughout, at no time did I feel grilled. Interviewer ended interview by handing over card and stating that he/she was there to help and to reach out with any questions. Total time of about 40 minutes.

I was worried about a couple things but neither hurt me: scheduled an interview only and skipped tour and class due to workload, dressed more towards consultant than banker attire (on the casual side) <-i think this actually fit the culture

Tips: Prep some versatile examples for standard behavioral interview questions and research basics on Fuqua program/culture and probably most importantly, be yourself.

Thanks sy323! We would like to appeal interviewed applicants to submit their interview reviews on 'BSchool Reviews' Page. https://gmatclub.com/reviews/select.php Select Business Schools ---- School Name --- Program --- Admission Interview.

Good luck to all who are preparing for interviews!!

Hi guys,

Just wanted to check if fuqua conducted an information session in Mumbai last year and when. Did any one attend the info session and remembers its focus points?

Thanks

Hey, folks! I just had my in-person, off-site interview with a Fuqua alum (class of 2015). Similar to my Kellogg in-person interview, the questions were not your typical cookie-cutter "Walk me through your resume", "What are your short- / long-term goals", etc. These were a lot more behavioral, and I found myself talking a lot about lessons I had learned working in teams - both as a leader and as a follower. The questions require a lot more introspection, and it is very difficult to provide canned responses to them (and I actually like their method).

Some of the bang-on questions you would have seen shared already include:

1. What does Team Fuqua mean to you and why?
2. What differentiates you from other applicants?
3. If admitted, what will you bring to Fuqua as a student? In what ways will you contribute?
4. What qualities of mine am I most proud of? (and after I gave a response to those, there were follow-up questions on specific examples of times when I exhibited those qualities.)
5. Give me an example of constructive feedback you have received and tell me about a specific instance of where you have applied that.
6. What surprised you most from your most recent performance review?

I think that to do well in this interview, one needs to have at least five good stories with multiple lessons that you can call on if needed. Thinking back, I don't even think I talked about my short- or long-term goals at all. When I realized the pattern the interview was taking, I wove in some of my long-term goals and reasons I like Fuqua into some of my responses to other questions.

All said, I think it went well. I didn't have time for questions in the end, but we did have a chat about class specializations, switching careers, Dan Ariely, and Duke sports.

All the best to everyone preparing for their Fuqua interviews!

FROM Fuqua Current Student Blogs: Life at Fuqua: Finding Time for the Things You Love

Fall Term 2 for first-year students is a hectic time at Fuqua. My classmates and I took (at least) 4 classes, were involved in several extracurricular activities, and were swamped with internship recruiting. Our calendars were jam-packed with classes, Consequential Leadership (C-LEAD) team meetings, employer coffee chats and presentations, mock interviews, club meetings and occasionally a little time for lunch. Needless to say, it can be difficult to find time for hobbies and fun. However, one of the goals I set for myself in business school was to find a way to still pursue the activities I loved to do outside of school and to make sure I was having fun, no matter how crazy things got. Here are 3 ways that I’ve been able to accomplish this goal during my life at Fuqua so far! Completing My First Marathon Running a marathon has been a major bucket list item for me for several years. I decided that 2015 was my year to make it happen, and I successfully completed my first marathon on November 1! Now if I’m being honest, training for this marathon was not easy (to say the least!). Early morning and late night runs on top of an already hectic schedule made training difficult to manage at times. However, the amazing sense of accomplishment I felt when I finally crossed the finish line outweighed all of these challenges. Having the support of my family and classmates (especially my C-LEAD team) made the feeling even better. Cooking for My Section’s “Friendsgiving” The Thanksgiving turkey I cooked for my section mates With Thanksgiving right in the middle of our Fall 2 schedule, our section (about 75 of my classmates) took the time to take a short break from our studies and recruiting activities to hang out, eat some delicious food, and share this beloved American tradition with our international classmates who had never experienced the holiday before. Cooking is another one of my favorite hobbies, so I volunteered to make one of the turkeys for our Thanksgiving dinner. Several of my classmates prepared many classic holiday dishes (homemade stuffing, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, YUM!), and we also had some more modern fare (cranberry jalapeño cream cheese dip…so good!) that was enjoyed by everyone. One of my section mates even brought over a beautiful drawing of the Duke Blue Devil that he had made. We all signed it and will keep as a section keepsake. It was a great night and a reminder of how grateful we all are to have such good friends at an amazing school. Supporting the Duke MBA Workshop for Minority Applicants Our section’s Blue Devil keepsake The Duke MBA Workshop for Minority Applicants is one of the flagship events for Fuqua Admissions, as well as for student organizations like the Black and Latino MBA Organization (BLMBAO) and Business in Africa (BIA) Club. I attended the workshop as a prospective student, and it definitely helped me solidify that Fuqua was the right place for me. Prospective students had the opportunity to engage with current students and over 70 alumni who came back to share their stories, give career advice and share why they think Fuqua is such a special place. Whether it was giving a tour of Duke’s campus, helping prospective students prep for their admissions interviews, or moderating the health care alumni career panel, I was able to find ways to give back and have fun at an event that means so much to me. All of these experiences and more have enriched my life at Fuqua beyond what I could have ever imagined. While academics, career planning, and club activities are all important parts of my life at Fuqua, taking a little time for myself to accomplish my personal goals, to give back, and to have a little fun make the experience even better. I would advise incoming students to focus on prioritizing your goals and activities and then communicating this information to your teammates. The Team Fuqua spirit really embraces open communication, and students are more than willing to accommodate and support each other when it comes to accomplishing your goals. I let my team know I was not available for morning meetings on Wednesdays because of my running schedule, and during the Minority Workshop Weekend my team picked up the extra slack when I was busy. In return, I found ways to take on additional responsibilities with future assignments to make sure the load was evenly balanced. Spend some time thinking about what personal, professional, and academic ambitions you have before arriving to campus, so that you can hit the ground running when you get here. Investing in a good planner also helps, too. Life at Fuqua is amazing, for sure! Volunteering at Minority Workshop Weekend   The post Life at Fuqua: Finding Time for the Things You Love appeared first on Duke MBA Student Blog.

Hello!

I have my interview next week with Duke. I live in Israel (originally from USA) and will be interviewing with an alumni.

I have a 710 GMAT, 3.57 GPA, and <1 WE. My experience is definitely my weakest application aspect, I am 22 years old. I do make up for this with a plethora of business and international leadership experience though.

Any definite tips for my interview?

Congratulations on making it this far, nmills. I had my own interview last weekend and the advice that I can offer is this: know your stories and know them well. Have a bank of stories that you can call upon, that cover the different aspects of leadership and teamwork that the behavioral interview can touch upon.

You can bet that the interviewer will bring up your work experience and while the temptation might exist to over-compensate, I think calm, measured responses that don't dwell on your "lack" of work experience, but, instead, focus on your leadership experience, will go a long way.

All the best to you.

Thank you! This is a great concept. I will be careful not to overcompensate, but to redirect attention to my leadership experience. Thank you.

Did anyone else attend admissions events on campus today and/or interview? I'd say there were ~60 prospective students there.

It was great to speak with fellow applicants and learn about their backgrounds and application experience. Also, a beautiful day in Durham to explore campus.

I had mine on the 19th. I loved the school.

FROM Fuqua Current Student Blogs: A Week in the Life of a Fuqua MBA Student

Someone recently asked me to describe a typical day as a Fuqua MBA student. One thing I’ve learned over the last 3 months is that days move at lightning speed. Almost every student (myself included!) juggles academic work, recruiting efforts and club events. Throw in a social life too and it’s no surprise that each day quickly fills up with plans. Given the pace at which days move at Fuqua, I wanted to give you a holistic view of what a typical week looks like and the natural ebbs and flows of being an MBA student here. Monday On Monday mornings, I typically head into school at 8:00 a.m. to grab breakfast and catch up on emails before class. At 9:00 a.m., I go to my first class of the week: Foundations of Strategy. This class combines the case method of teaching with a number of strategic consulting frameworks to evaluate the attractiveness of different industries and companies. After class, I typically grab lunch with my friends to swap stories about our weekends. After lunch, my classmates and I head to a seminar room for Management Communications, where we learn how to be more effective presenters. There is no break between this class and the next—Global Financial Management—so all class preparation needs to be done in advance. After a jam-packed day of classes, I’m done at 5:15 p.m., so I either head home to relax, or stay at school and discuss the week’s deliverables with my team. Such a busy day means I sleep well on Monday nights! Tuesday On Tuesdays, I don’t have class until 3:00 p.m. I typically start my morning at the gym before heading to Fuqua to finish off some cases or study for any upcoming quizzes. This is a valuable time to not only catch up on academic work, but also to have coffee chats with second-year classmates to learn what they did over their summer internships. In the evening, I usually find myself at a student club event—either a training session organized by the Marketing Club, a group run facilitated by the Running Club, or a wine tasting hosted by the Wine Club! This discussion on behavioral science in sports is an example of a typical Wednesday seminar Wednesday Fuqua students don’t have classes on Wednesday, so it’s a great time to do some preparation for the following two days or catch up on emails and recruiting. This is often my most productive day as far as team meetings go. Because there isn’t class, conferences and seminars are usually held on Wednesdays. They provide a number of different opportunities to hear from speakers and industry experts and also to network. Thursday The class schedule on Thursday is the same as Mondays. I have 3 classes in addition to various club events and team meetings. Friday I usually start my Friday off with a run on the Al Buhrer trail—an excellent cross country running trail just a stone’s throw from Fuqua. Fridays are the same class schedule as Tuesdays, so I don’t have class till 3:00 p.m. I spend my morning doing some class preparation, catching up with friends, having coffee chats with second-years, and attending—or organizing—club events. Once class finishes at 5:15 p.m., it’s time for Fuqua Friday! This is a weekly event where students and faculty kick back with a beer and some food in the Fox Center. It’s a fantastic way to end the week and catch up with classmates. Hundreds of students, staff, faculty and families gather at each Fuqua Friday The post A Week in the Life of a Fuqua MBA Student appeared first on Duke MBA Student Blog.