Calling all Duke Fuqua MBA Applicants: (2017 Intake) Class of 2019!!

Your nature of work experience is quite different. However, I believe having a company-sponsorship doesn't affect the Admission process. You can anyway put up a great application and maximise as much in the interview:)

Good Luck!

Guys

How many of us are joining the Associate Dean of Admissions Liz Riley Hargrove today for a live video chat.

She will -

- Preview a new essay and explain why a change was made
- Provide insight on how to approach it
- Answer your essay-related questions

Visit Duke's Facebook page at 10:00 a.m. on June 30 to watch the live stream. Once Liz begins taking questions, type yours into the comments section.

I am joining, who all are doing it along with me ?

Anyone here from Hyderabad, applying at Duke?

Hi Cyberjadugar,

what a nice coincidence, I'll be applying to Duke and I stay in Hyderabad.. I will pm you my contact, it will be very nice to connect!

Definitely!

I was a re-applicant last year. I applied to a bunch of schools in 2015 and did not get a single admit, so I made some changes and applied again. I chose to do Duke in EA, primarily because I was set on why I wanted to attend Fuqua. It is a great school, undoubtedly, based on all rankings and data, but it is also one of the best communities that I talked to. It matched with everything I was looking for in a B School and hence I applied EA. I also applied to UCLA, Tepper, Emory and UNC in R1, but withdrew all applications once I got through Duke.

Let me know if there are any other specific questions.

Curious to know the new essay topic. What is it?

I watched the Facebook video. The last question that previously asked why Duke or about the Team Fuqua principles has changed. It is now "Based on your understanding of the Fuqua culture, how do you see yourself engaging in and contributing to our community outside of the classroom?"

That's interesting. This means that applicants don't have a choice anymore? It is a good question, good space to bring out plans for your time at Fuqua.

Correct- from what Liz Riley Hargrove mentioned it didn't seem like applicants have the ability to choose anymore. It's a good question, I just have to figure out how to weave my campus visit experience in there.

First off if you're Indian you know that the acceptance rate is one-third to one-half of the average. Do you think you demonstrated teamwork skills? Did you show that you researched the school culture and that you would be a good fit for team Fuqua? Did you demonstrate how Duke would be a good fit with accomplishing your goals ? Did you get some professional support with your application? If you applied around 2 or later I think that it would have a huge impact on things. Most of the seats are gone by that point. Lastly, I think Community involvement in extracurriculars are especially important at Duke and Kellogg. So I'm hoping maybe some of this might give you some ideas for next time.

Farrell Dyan Hehn, MBA
Admissions Consultant & Verbal Tutor MBAPrepCoach.com

You can always do it. Find the two/three things you want to talk about in this essay and then link them to conversations you had when you visited.
Also, if you come in this year, send me a message and we can meet up!

The application for The Fuqua School of Business is live !

How many of us have started with the application and how do you guys think to work on it this time ? Looking forward to hearing from you all soon!

Application Essays for 2016 - 2017

Three short answer questions and 2 essays are required from all applicants.

Required Short Answer Questions

Instructions: Answer all 3 of the following questions. For each question, respond in 500 characters only (the equivalent of about 100 words).

1. What are your short-term goals, post-MBA?
2. What are your long-term goals?
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?

First Required Essay: 25 Random Things About Yourself

Instructions: Present 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 2 pages.

The "Team Fuqua" spirit and community is one of the things that sets The Duke MBA experience apart, and it is a concept that extends beyond the student body to include faculty, staff, and administration. When a new person joins the Admissions team, we ask that person to share with everyone in the office a list of "25 Random Things About Yourself." As an Admissions team, we already know the new hire's professional and academic background, so learning these "25 Random Things" helps us get to know someone's personality, background, special talents, and more.

In this spirit, the Admissions Committee also wants to get to know you–beyond 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 "25 Random Things" about YOU.

Second Required Essay

Instructions: Your response should be no more than 2 pages in length.

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.

Based on your understanding of the Fuqua culture, how do you see yourself engaging in and contributing to our community, outside of the classroom?

Optional Essay

If you feel there are circumstances of which the Admissions Committee should be aware, please explain them in an optional essay (such as unexplained gaps in work, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance).

Do NOT upload additional essays nor additional recommendations in this area of the application.
The Optional Essay is intended to provide the Admissions Committee with insight into your circumstances only.
Limit your response to one page.

No one is excited about the Duke app here? Who all have started working on it? Would anyone like to discuss any specific essay question in detail here?

Hey,

I applied to Duke in December 2013 (Class of 2016). Got rejected w/o interview.
Will my old application be reviewed again with the current one? Will it have any impact on decision, if I drastically change my essays and career goals?

- cj

Would anyone like to help cyberjadugar with his question?

anupamgupta2112 Can you please share your valuable input(s) here.

FROM Fuqua Student Blogs: Networking with Alumni: The Career Search in California

I remember looking at the calendar for the first 2 terms of school and thinking how great it was going to be to have fall break between them. But one thing that we learn as we start the MBA journey is the meaning of the word “fulltime.” Literally, there is very little time that is not invested in academic, career, or social activities. The same went for that 10-day break between fall terms 1 and 2, but the experience I had during it could not have been greater. I was fortunate to be able to return home for 3 days to see family, yet still get to experience 2 of Fuqua’s health care Week-in-Cities trips to Los Angeles and San Francisco. We have heard about these trips—filled with on-site company visits and networking with alumni and recruiters—all during the first term, and we were finally ready for that experience. Los Angeles Our group of students in L.A. was heavily international, with students from China, Korea, a few Americans, and me (from Argentina). We started the trip by visiting Amgen. We not only had the opportunity to meet with the commercial and finance teams, but we also got to tour the campus, review a business case, and discuss opportunities for MBA internships. On the same the day, we headed to Essia Health (a medical scribe services company) where we met a Fuqua alumnus who was more than open to our questions, and who gave us great career and life advice. The following day, we visited Kaiser Permanente and Medtronic where we had the opportunity to see how medical devices are manufactured and how they work. Both days provided great insights about biotechnology, medical devices, not-for-profit health plans, and the medical scribe business. San Francisco In San Francisco, our 2-day trip started with Genentech where we had the opportunity to learn about the company’s collaborative culture, the emphasis on people, and the opportunities for MBAs. We also got to visit Intuitive Surgical where they surprised us with a unique experience. We got to test their robotic surgery equipment, the Da Vinci Surgical System, and played surgeons for half an hour! The following day had a packed agenda that required getting Ubers, walking, and having a quick lunch. That allowed us to visit Rock Health, Castlight Health, McKesson, and IMS Consulting Group, getting the opportunity to learn about venture funds dedicated to digital health, health care IT, medical-surgical supplies, pharmaceutical distribution, and health care consulting. The Value of the Experience It is true that the MBA gives us the opportunity to switch careers and/or functions, but this freedom requires introspection. It is easy to lose sight of what we had as our main objective, and follow the path of others. Since you get to choose where you want to go and how many sectors you would like to explore during Week-in-Cities, it gives us a chance to see if a certain industry or multiple industries are of interest. These trips allow us to get to know the companies we would like to work for, and for them to get to know us as well. This might sound familiar—it’s a similar process to  visiting universities when applying for an MBA! And I think in both cases, it is a matter of finding the right fit. Week-in-Cities gave us a unique opportunity to learn from many players and aspects of the health care industry. This is helpful when it comes time to narrow our preferences and tailor our recruitment efforts to what interests us the most, and where we see ourselves in the near future. The experience is definitely something that I would recommend for every first-year MBA—it is a chance to discover more about your passions and to determine your future. The post Networking with Alumni: The Career Search in California appeared first on Duke Daytime MBA Student Blog.