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21 Feb 2024, 04:12
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The Fuqua School of Business in Durham, North Carolina is a distinguished institution with a vibrant campus and a harmonious blend of academic excellence and community-centric culture. But you already knew that (scoot over to their website if this is the first you are hearing of this). In this tiny testimonial I shall take you through my journey as an applicant to the Fuqua School of Business’s 2Y Daytime MBA Program.
Tricks, traps and ambush questions in the application
Well, there are none. Honestly! The school is very upfront about what they ask and why. Talking in more familiar terms - think of the application like a Bumble profile, but for career-oriented people. You create a bio, condensing your personality and all that you have accomplished, whilst trying not to exhibit any red flags. You just have a lot more words at your disposal (Fuqua actually accepts photos in their essay as well! But more on that later). The school then swipes left or right based on the profile and hopefully asks to meet you for a first date (your interview). Then, they sit with their council of besties who decide if you are a good fit or not (basically multiple people from the AdComm read your application) and if you are compatible, voila, you get that coveted second date (an admission letter)! But as most young people know, crafting a bio is the hardest part. Now there will always be people who are really attractive and don’t need much on their bio to get matches (I’m looking at the Olympic Gold medalists and the I-started-a-company-and-sold-it-for-a-billion-bucks-before-I-learned-how-to-speak kinda people), but as a run-of-the-mill lovely person, how you attempt to stand out matters the most.
Creating a memorable first impression - Goals and Why MBA
The very first thing an admissions reader will probably look at is your resume (but you already knew that). And there is a wealth of information out there on crafting a sharp resume; I will not bore you with repetitive advice. Instead I will spend some time on the first thing you write that is unique to your Fuqua application (hopefully you’re not recycling material here), your goals and motivations. Whether it fits in your short term goal, long term goal, or reasons for pursuing the MBA, figure out some companies you might want to end up at, or people you might want to work with. Do your homework (more on the how later), and make sure the reader knows that you did it.
Your short-term goals are basically what you wish to do once you have graduated. There is no right answer, but there are wrong answers. Be realistic and practical about it - your next step should make sense from where you are right now. But what if I want to switch industries? No problem! Start with your motivations. Then talk about why this switch won't be problematic for you (think transferable skills and knowledge. What can you bring to your new role? Technical know-how? Maybe management experience? Do you have a strong network? Or perhaps some training?). I understand that sometimes it isn’t so straightforward. If you found yourself nodding your head emphatically just now, this next part is for you. Reach out to a person who already works in your target function/industry/company, and ask them about the nitty-gritty details of the job. See if you can picture yourself living their life. A little bit? Great. Now map out all those imaginary similarities to traits or skills you already have. Include those in your application. Brownie points for naming companies that actually recruit from that school. And about whatever’s missing - that’s what your MBA is for!
For your long term goals - be brazen and dare to dream. In most cases it would resemble the 12 labours of Heracles (or Hercules, the Roman equivalent), but as long as you know what you need to do, you have the school’s support! They want their students to make them proud someday. Just keep in mind that your short-term goal must eventually lead you to your long-term goal. For example I want to start my own healthcare consulting firm that drives equitable access to healthcare facilities, in the long-term. I intend to bridge my current skill-gap by working with a firm like McKinsey, consulting on equitable healthcare delivery frameworks, in the short-term. But don’t worry, the school officials won't hunt you down if you do not stick to your intended career path; they expect you to learn and grow. They just want to know what you see when you look ten years into your future, and whether your more immediate goals really carry you in that general direction. They want to know that you are intentional about building the future that you dream of.
As for ‘Why MBA’, I like to think of it as a flow chart. I want to do Lofty Thing. Lofty Thing requires me to have experience in certain areas. How will I gain those Missing Skills? Let’s say it’s a job with Prestigious Company. Or insights from Esteemed Person. How can I get a foot in the door to this Company, or this Person? Well, whatever you come up with, is the answer to your Why MBA. I have seen people make career pivots that will make Ross from Friends jealous. An MBA is a collection of people from a myriad of backgrounds in one building for two years. It's a barrel of experience and knowledge that is just waiting to be tapped (Cite me if you’re going to use this line please!). The beauty of these schools is that they’re almost like a magic wand. They can make the most wondrous wishes come true; just remember though that they aren't actually magic, so don’t abandon all logic and sensibility.
Random Things About Yourself
No matter how hard I try, I cannot find a better essay prompt than Fuqua’s 25 random things. There is no wrong answer. There is no need to concoct a story. It is simply your highlight reel of 20-odd years of life that you remember. Now I don’t know your life, but I can give you one or two points here to keep in mind while crafting this essay:
• You will be tempted to write about your professional experience and your greatest hits, but be weary of seeing one-dimensional. They do explicitly remind you to go “beyond the professional and academic achievements listed in your resume and transcript.” Don't shy away from being a tad vulnerable.
• Do NOT write about delinquent activities, that’s just a red flag. Nothing NSFW in your application under any circumstances, you want to be professional. This pertains to inappropriate humour, insensitive ideals, and immature antics. I’m a guy who has done some pretty dumb stuff that I find hilarious, but maybe hold off on bragging about the frat boy shenanigans if you can.
• As far as possible, make it unique to you. If you think that your points can be used by someone else, well that kind of defeats the purpose. Now I know, everyone plays a sport, everyone has an embarrassing childhood memory, everyone has an unlikely talent; so what to do? Well yes, all roads lead to Rome, but all roads take you on different journeys. That's why the HOW and the WHY of your journey is extremely important.
• When deciding which stories to pick, your research will come to your aid. Does the school have a lot of student led activities? Well then put in stories where you took initiative. Does the school value their student experience beyond the classroom? Pick up stories of game nights after work, or maybe that surprise party you organised. This essay is a subset of your life, not the complete picture, so it's not unethical to tailor your response to what the school stands for.
• The stories you choose must reflect who you are more than what you think the school wants you to be. A trick to use here is to talk to your parents, your friends, your colleagues, your partner (I went ahead and asked my exes, that's how committed I was). They might remind you of things you considered insignificant, but made a positive imprint on others. “Blah blah I helped someone blah blah I'm super considerate blah blah everyone relies on me'' - I’m sorry but that's a major turn off.
• When ordering your bullet points, my advice would be to start strong and end strong. The first point sets the pace and mood of the entire piece, and the last point lingers in the reader’s memory long after. Admissions readers comb through thousands of applications - some well crafted, some poorly put-together. As humans they too feel fatigue, so the last thing you want is to have really good points, but to not have the reader’s attention. So throughout the essay, you want to vary the focus of your points with accomplishments, personality traits, choices you have made, or simply compelling anecdotes.
• At the end of the day, this is a B-school application, not a Netflix script. So you want to take every opportunity to put forth your accomplishments (without sounding braggy). Just be aware that there are multiple components to your application, and repetition of points across components makes you look like a one-trick pony. But lack of consistency is dangerous too. So if you must repeat a point, make sure you have different angles. You have your resume for the impact angle, recommendations for the “awesomeness” angle, goal-statements for how it was a catalyst to your story, and other parts of the application form for any remaining meticulous details. So in this essay, your point would need a very personal, vulnerable angle.
• And remember, at draft 1 or 2, you WILL feel that your points aren’t interesting enough. I wrote 18 iterations of the same essay, so I know. Do not torture yourself trying to come up with numerous interesting stories. Not everyone has the luxury of constantly seeking envy-worthy experiences, so don't beat yourself up over it. Instead focus on bringing your true self onto paper. If you are a helpful person at your core, more than one essay point might reflect that. And that's okay, as long as each point is an additional piece to the puzzle that is you. As a great songwriter once wrote “Your broken pieces come together to make a masterpiece” (It’s me, Hi, I’m the songwriter. It’s me).
• The AdComms are trained to read between the lines, so don't harp too much on what happened, and let them have a sneak peek into the WHY and the HOW of your choices. Why did you want to teach underprivileged kids? How did you make a difference in that new team? How did you feel stepping out of your comfort zone?
• Finally, let me be clear in saying, do NOT fabricate any stories. For your sake, it will never come off well. Now for those who have lived a vibrant life and have the luxury of too many stories. Grab a pen, paper and a pal and map out Fuqua-worthy traits, and you can use my list as a guideline. I used a web scraper on the Fuqua website for this, but you can check out the broader Duke domain as well. (I built the web-scraper - not boasting, just saying that there is a very large room for error!)
• Like any good Marvel movie, here is my post-credit scene. Be charming. Show your personality in your writing. Maybe you’re poetic, or perhaps funny? Humour can be a lovely way to balance out some of the serious stuff. I wrote about an accident that left me confined in a wheelchair. Sombre, I know, but I made a pun there about “standing up” against the “ramp”ant accessibility barriers in the college campus. Show them that your setbacks are just cards you were dealt, not a character trait.
Finer trait points as mentioned
Contributing to the Fuqua Community
This question is about upholding their pride that is ‘Team Fuqua’. They care that each student elevates the experience of others, even just by being there. They do not want the proverbial bad apple to spoil the whole batch. They don't expect everyone to be Tim Cook of the campus and revolutionise every single thing, but you should be confident about contributing significantly to some combination of classes, professional clubs, affinity clubs, or the general student experience. And the best predictor of future behaviour is evidence from the past. For example you say you want to help classmates with interview prep. That’s nice of you, but why are you the right person? Maybe all your interviews have had positive outcomes in the past, or maybe you have been on the other side of the hot seat helping recruit employees for your team, or maybe you have read half a dozen books on acing these conversations!
When I was writing this answer, I was lost. I was certain there would be far more experienced people than me, so how could I meaningfully contribute to the classroom? And I'm sure a lot of you also feel the same, it's only natural. But most of it is a matter of perspective, and current students and alumni will help you shift yours. Don't annoy them with “Do you think I will get in with this profile?'' or “What are some shortcuts that will guarantee an admit?” They are a goldmine of information, but not for what the school offers, no, you have the website and youtube and forums and webinars for that. Students can tell you how to make the most of offerings the school has. My perspective shift was about classroom conversations, and how everyone makes the most of the evident diversity at the table. Sure I may not have 10 years under my belt, but I know something about how the pharma industry works, and won’t that be an interesting thing for an army veteran to learn about in a conversation on regulated markets? Your burden in the classroom is not to give the right answer, but to challenge the opinions of your peers. Oh and if you have some technical competencies be prepared to become a lowkey celebrity - you will not believe the number of complaints about the toughest part of B-school being spreadsheets!
B-Schools have a lot to offer, and they know it too. So don’t hesitate to mention why the ways in which you plan to engage with the Fuqua community are meaningful to YOU. In the end make sure that all components of your application, when they come together, paint a beautiful picture of who you are. Take it easy, breathe and de-clutter your mind (and for people like me, your workspace too). Stop trying to stick your nose where it don’t belong and focus on yourself. It will save you a lot of sleepless nights and a lot of heartache as well. All that you need to know in order to craft your best applications is already within you (and, I can’t stress this enough, current students and alums. There’s no such thing as too many informational interviews). And you are amazing. Go show them why.
Tricks, traps and ambush questions in the application
Well, there are none. Honestly! The school is very upfront about what they ask and why. Talking in more familiar terms - think of the application like a Bumble profile, but for career-oriented people. You create a bio, condensing your personality and all that you have accomplished, whilst trying not to exhibit any red flags. You just have a lot more words at your disposal (Fuqua actually accepts photos in their essay as well! But more on that later). The school then swipes left or right based on the profile and hopefully asks to meet you for a first date (your interview). Then, they sit with their council of besties who decide if you are a good fit or not (basically multiple people from the AdComm read your application) and if you are compatible, voila, you get that coveted second date (an admission letter)! But as most young people know, crafting a bio is the hardest part. Now there will always be people who are really attractive and don’t need much on their bio to get matches (I’m looking at the Olympic Gold medalists and the I-started-a-company-and-sold-it-for-a-billion-bucks-before-I-learned-how-to-speak kinda people), but as a run-of-the-mill lovely person, how you attempt to stand out matters the most.
Creating a memorable first impression - Goals and Why MBA
The very first thing an admissions reader will probably look at is your resume (but you already knew that). And there is a wealth of information out there on crafting a sharp resume; I will not bore you with repetitive advice. Instead I will spend some time on the first thing you write that is unique to your Fuqua application (hopefully you’re not recycling material here), your goals and motivations. Whether it fits in your short term goal, long term goal, or reasons for pursuing the MBA, figure out some companies you might want to end up at, or people you might want to work with. Do your homework (more on the how later), and make sure the reader knows that you did it.
Your short-term goals are basically what you wish to do once you have graduated. There is no right answer, but there are wrong answers. Be realistic and practical about it - your next step should make sense from where you are right now. But what if I want to switch industries? No problem! Start with your motivations. Then talk about why this switch won't be problematic for you (think transferable skills and knowledge. What can you bring to your new role? Technical know-how? Maybe management experience? Do you have a strong network? Or perhaps some training?). I understand that sometimes it isn’t so straightforward. If you found yourself nodding your head emphatically just now, this next part is for you. Reach out to a person who already works in your target function/industry/company, and ask them about the nitty-gritty details of the job. See if you can picture yourself living their life. A little bit? Great. Now map out all those imaginary similarities to traits or skills you already have. Include those in your application. Brownie points for naming companies that actually recruit from that school. And about whatever’s missing - that’s what your MBA is for!
For your long term goals - be brazen and dare to dream. In most cases it would resemble the 12 labours of Heracles (or Hercules, the Roman equivalent), but as long as you know what you need to do, you have the school’s support! They want their students to make them proud someday. Just keep in mind that your short-term goal must eventually lead you to your long-term goal. For example I want to start my own healthcare consulting firm that drives equitable access to healthcare facilities, in the long-term. I intend to bridge my current skill-gap by working with a firm like McKinsey, consulting on equitable healthcare delivery frameworks, in the short-term. But don’t worry, the school officials won't hunt you down if you do not stick to your intended career path; they expect you to learn and grow. They just want to know what you see when you look ten years into your future, and whether your more immediate goals really carry you in that general direction. They want to know that you are intentional about building the future that you dream of.
As for ‘Why MBA’, I like to think of it as a flow chart. I want to do Lofty Thing. Lofty Thing requires me to have experience in certain areas. How will I gain those Missing Skills? Let’s say it’s a job with Prestigious Company. Or insights from Esteemed Person. How can I get a foot in the door to this Company, or this Person? Well, whatever you come up with, is the answer to your Why MBA. I have seen people make career pivots that will make Ross from Friends jealous. An MBA is a collection of people from a myriad of backgrounds in one building for two years. It's a barrel of experience and knowledge that is just waiting to be tapped (Cite me if you’re going to use this line please!). The beauty of these schools is that they’re almost like a magic wand. They can make the most wondrous wishes come true; just remember though that they aren't actually magic, so don’t abandon all logic and sensibility.
Random Things About Yourself
No matter how hard I try, I cannot find a better essay prompt than Fuqua’s 25 random things. There is no wrong answer. There is no need to concoct a story. It is simply your highlight reel of 20-odd years of life that you remember. Now I don’t know your life, but I can give you one or two points here to keep in mind while crafting this essay:
• You will be tempted to write about your professional experience and your greatest hits, but be weary of seeing one-dimensional. They do explicitly remind you to go “beyond the professional and academic achievements listed in your resume and transcript.” Don't shy away from being a tad vulnerable.
• Do NOT write about delinquent activities, that’s just a red flag. Nothing NSFW in your application under any circumstances, you want to be professional. This pertains to inappropriate humour, insensitive ideals, and immature antics. I’m a guy who has done some pretty dumb stuff that I find hilarious, but maybe hold off on bragging about the frat boy shenanigans if you can.
• As far as possible, make it unique to you. If you think that your points can be used by someone else, well that kind of defeats the purpose. Now I know, everyone plays a sport, everyone has an embarrassing childhood memory, everyone has an unlikely talent; so what to do? Well yes, all roads lead to Rome, but all roads take you on different journeys. That's why the HOW and the WHY of your journey is extremely important.
• When deciding which stories to pick, your research will come to your aid. Does the school have a lot of student led activities? Well then put in stories where you took initiative. Does the school value their student experience beyond the classroom? Pick up stories of game nights after work, or maybe that surprise party you organised. This essay is a subset of your life, not the complete picture, so it's not unethical to tailor your response to what the school stands for.
• The stories you choose must reflect who you are more than what you think the school wants you to be. A trick to use here is to talk to your parents, your friends, your colleagues, your partner (I went ahead and asked my exes, that's how committed I was). They might remind you of things you considered insignificant, but made a positive imprint on others. “Blah blah I helped someone blah blah I'm super considerate blah blah everyone relies on me'' - I’m sorry but that's a major turn off.
• When ordering your bullet points, my advice would be to start strong and end strong. The first point sets the pace and mood of the entire piece, and the last point lingers in the reader’s memory long after. Admissions readers comb through thousands of applications - some well crafted, some poorly put-together. As humans they too feel fatigue, so the last thing you want is to have really good points, but to not have the reader’s attention. So throughout the essay, you want to vary the focus of your points with accomplishments, personality traits, choices you have made, or simply compelling anecdotes.
• At the end of the day, this is a B-school application, not a Netflix script. So you want to take every opportunity to put forth your accomplishments (without sounding braggy). Just be aware that there are multiple components to your application, and repetition of points across components makes you look like a one-trick pony. But lack of consistency is dangerous too. So if you must repeat a point, make sure you have different angles. You have your resume for the impact angle, recommendations for the “awesomeness” angle, goal-statements for how it was a catalyst to your story, and other parts of the application form for any remaining meticulous details. So in this essay, your point would need a very personal, vulnerable angle.
• And remember, at draft 1 or 2, you WILL feel that your points aren’t interesting enough. I wrote 18 iterations of the same essay, so I know. Do not torture yourself trying to come up with numerous interesting stories. Not everyone has the luxury of constantly seeking envy-worthy experiences, so don't beat yourself up over it. Instead focus on bringing your true self onto paper. If you are a helpful person at your core, more than one essay point might reflect that. And that's okay, as long as each point is an additional piece to the puzzle that is you. As a great songwriter once wrote “Your broken pieces come together to make a masterpiece” (It’s me, Hi, I’m the songwriter. It’s me).
• The AdComms are trained to read between the lines, so don't harp too much on what happened, and let them have a sneak peek into the WHY and the HOW of your choices. Why did you want to teach underprivileged kids? How did you make a difference in that new team? How did you feel stepping out of your comfort zone?
• Finally, let me be clear in saying, do NOT fabricate any stories. For your sake, it will never come off well. Now for those who have lived a vibrant life and have the luxury of too many stories. Grab a pen, paper and a pal and map out Fuqua-worthy traits, and you can use my list as a guideline. I used a web scraper on the Fuqua website for this, but you can check out the broader Duke domain as well. (I built the web-scraper - not boasting, just saying that there is a very large room for error!)
• Like any good Marvel movie, here is my post-credit scene. Be charming. Show your personality in your writing. Maybe you’re poetic, or perhaps funny? Humour can be a lovely way to balance out some of the serious stuff. I wrote about an accident that left me confined in a wheelchair. Sombre, I know, but I made a pun there about “standing up” against the “ramp”ant accessibility barriers in the college campus. Show them that your setbacks are just cards you were dealt, not a character trait.
Finer trait points as mentioned
- Mentoring -
- Leadership -
- Other before self -
- Bring out the best in others -
- Helping people gel together -
- Team player -
- Made the most of influence candidate has -
- ability to impact others -
- actively engaging from the front -
- creating organic relationships -
- Innovation -
- Helping other grow -
- impactful collaboration -
- Striving towards ones dream -
- Working in the face of adversity -
- working in functionally diverse groups -
- Working well in diverse groups / situations -
- Integrity -
Contributing to the Fuqua Community
This question is about upholding their pride that is ‘Team Fuqua’. They care that each student elevates the experience of others, even just by being there. They do not want the proverbial bad apple to spoil the whole batch. They don't expect everyone to be Tim Cook of the campus and revolutionise every single thing, but you should be confident about contributing significantly to some combination of classes, professional clubs, affinity clubs, or the general student experience. And the best predictor of future behaviour is evidence from the past. For example you say you want to help classmates with interview prep. That’s nice of you, but why are you the right person? Maybe all your interviews have had positive outcomes in the past, or maybe you have been on the other side of the hot seat helping recruit employees for your team, or maybe you have read half a dozen books on acing these conversations!
When I was writing this answer, I was lost. I was certain there would be far more experienced people than me, so how could I meaningfully contribute to the classroom? And I'm sure a lot of you also feel the same, it's only natural. But most of it is a matter of perspective, and current students and alumni will help you shift yours. Don't annoy them with “Do you think I will get in with this profile?'' or “What are some shortcuts that will guarantee an admit?” They are a goldmine of information, but not for what the school offers, no, you have the website and youtube and forums and webinars for that. Students can tell you how to make the most of offerings the school has. My perspective shift was about classroom conversations, and how everyone makes the most of the evident diversity at the table. Sure I may not have 10 years under my belt, but I know something about how the pharma industry works, and won’t that be an interesting thing for an army veteran to learn about in a conversation on regulated markets? Your burden in the classroom is not to give the right answer, but to challenge the opinions of your peers. Oh and if you have some technical competencies be prepared to become a lowkey celebrity - you will not believe the number of complaints about the toughest part of B-school being spreadsheets!
B-Schools have a lot to offer, and they know it too. So don’t hesitate to mention why the ways in which you plan to engage with the Fuqua community are meaningful to YOU. In the end make sure that all components of your application, when they come together, paint a beautiful picture of who you are. Take it easy, breathe and de-clutter your mind (and for people like me, your workspace too). Stop trying to stick your nose where it don’t belong and focus on yourself. It will save you a lot of sleepless nights and a lot of heartache as well. All that you need to know in order to craft your best applications is already within you (and, I can’t stress this enough, current students and alums. There’s no such thing as too many informational interviews). And you are amazing. Go show them why.
