Calling all Duke (Fuqua) Fall 2009 applicants!

That sounds like a pretty good blend. One advantage in applying to several schools

It does help

The Duke essay about leaders of consequence though...that's a tricky one and is taking forever!

That's my plan too!

RF

I probably spent 80% of my time on that essay alone. It's so open ended that I think my essay was up to 1400 words at one point!

RF

ha! last night (I have no social life with these apps!) my draft was up to 1500 words of absolute drivel. And it didn't even answer the question. ::sigh:: back to the drawing board!

I agree. My Tuck and Duke essays on class contribution are very similar.

And, the LOC essay was by far the toughest essay I have written this application season. In fact, I had to adjust my career goals essay a little to better answer the question.

Excellent. That's more than reassuring.

Today I did take a social break. Went to a dinner with some family friends and listened to some beautiful jazz music and tunes of some old Hindi songs on a grand piano. Helped me to deviate my mind. I am at 1380 words on the LOC essay. Tomorrow with full steam expect it to bring it down to 1000.

Oof... this essay is brutal. I'm working on it right now .

Have you guys copy pasted the essay question in the document that you upload for Duke ? Till now, for all the schools I applied, Tuck and Ross, there was a word limit. For Duke, there is a page limit. So the question of including the essay question arises.
I noticed that the LOC question is quite long - takes up 77 words. When I am struggling and racking my brains to reduce the length of my essay by every single word possible, 77 words is a big deal. If i remove the question, then I am just 2 lines on the third page. But with the question, I have to do a lot of work to fit it in two pages. And plus, I have used 10 font size for the first time. I have always stuck to 11 for other apps. But Duke app says, "not less than 10 font size", so I have taken advantage.

The Adcom guys out at duke know what they are asking for so use the entire page for your answer..
my 2 cents...

I'm putting it in size 8 in the header. Has worked so far for the other essays...

I agree, unless it was stated in the essay requirements, I did not include the essay question in my essays. I figured they know what they are asking for.

Nope. It didn't specifically ask for it (unlike Michigan), so I wasn't willing to give up the space!

When you finish your app, it gives you a chance to see the app as the adcom will see it (pdf file). When you upload the essays, the app software actually puts headers on each page. For the first essay it puts "Short Essay 1", then your name and app ID number.

So there shouldn't be a need to put it there yourself.

BTW, look over the pdf file carefully, some of the formatting doesn't transfer well. If you notice, the apps asks you for "part-time work during school" in two different places. But on the pdf, it doesn't really belong in one of the places.

RF

Does anyone know much about the Health Sector concentration? Are you actually admitted to the Health Sector management program or is the question on the application more of a formality? Could you realistically be admitted to Duke, but not be admitted to the HSM program if you had indicated that preference in the application?

You don't apply to HSM - you apply to Duke and then opt in.

Ah, okay. Thanks. I couldn't tell for sure from the website.