Instructions: Respond in 500 characters only (equivalent of about 100 words).
What are your post-MBA career goals? Share with us your first choice career plan and your alternate plan.
One of the main reasons MBA applicants are rejected by top business schools, is the lack of clarity about their career goals. Contrary to what some MBA students might say about not knowing what they wanted to do after MBA, top MBA programs expect you to give thoughtful consideration to your post-MBA career plans before you submit your MBA applications. This includes research on the kind of role(s) you might take up, your target employers as well as your long-term career vision after completing your Duke MBA.
For this MBA essay, you can start by talking about the industry and function you are interested in after completing your MBA and, if possible, give an example or two of your ideal employers (preferably from those that recruit at Duke). You must also include your geographical preference. For example, if you want to work in the US or want to go back to your home country, mention that clearly, so that Duke knows that you will be also doing an off-campus job search.
Next, think about two related career paths for which your past skill sets and interests match well. Look at your alternate path with respect to your long-term goals. So, ideally, both your Plan A and Plan B should be capable of leading you to your long-term career aspirations. For example, you could talk about consulting as the main goal and strategic planning as plan B; product management as the main path and product marketing or program management as an alternate.
When you decide to work with us, the first thing we do is help you refine your career goals. We will start by understanding your past experiences and your aspirations. Then we will help you make a compelling case for your goals while highlighting your strengths, uniqueness, and attractiveness for future employers.
Share with us your list of "25 Random Things" about YOU.
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. Instructions: Answer the following question, 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 750 words and 2 pages.
There are many many things you can talk about in this essay! So how to select? The main struggle students face is deciding which points to include and how to position the information.
Never forget that your singular focus is always to impress the MBA admission team! So for this MBA essay too, try to pick stories, anecdotes, achievements, and facts that are not only interesting, fun, and surprising, and show a glimpse of your personal side but also present you positively and strongly to the Fuqua MBA admissions team.
Try to make a list of perhaps 50-60 facts about yourself from your background, achievements, childhood, school, college, activities, hobbies, life experience, past times, passions, causes and more.
If it still feels daunting and you are lost, read some of Duke MBA students' blogs on this topic.
Here are few examples from Duke MBA student's application essays:
Emily Silman
1. In 2009, I completed ‘life goal #1’ when I ran the NYC Marathon. OK, more like I ran/walked it, and then hobbled across the finish line. But I finished it, and to me, that’s what counts.
2. One of my other, slightly more ambitious life goals is to visit every country in the world. So far I’ve been to 20 different countries, so I’ve still got a lot of traveling to do!
3. My work at Food Network afforded me two TV appearances. The first was in the premiere episode of season five of Food Network Star—in the back, behind Giada DeLaurentiis’s head. (What, you don’t recognize me?) The other was a slot on New York’s Pix11 Morning News, representing FoodNetworkStore.com on live TV to talk about holiday gift ideas.
4. Serving in the Peace Corps in Madagascar and receiving my government-issue mountain bike turned me into a biking addict. At first, it was a big deal for me to bike 8km up the road, but then I started biking 40km, then 60km, then finally up to 100km in one day! One of the best things I did while in Madagascar was a 3-day, 230km ride through the unpaved roads of the southeast coastal region with three of my Peace Corps friends.
5. My philosophy on airplanes is that because we’re all stuck together enduring an unpleasant experience, I might as well be a beacon of kindness and civility and try to impart as much positive energy into the situation as I can. One of the most amazing experiences I had with this was when I asked a woman with a baby if she needed help lifting her suitcase into the overhead. Instead of giving me her suitcase, she gave me her newborn to hold!
Dan Tudesco
1. I launched the “Sad Irish Fan” campaign after I was (unfortunately) caught on TV, dejected, during the BCS National Championship game between Alabama and my alma mater, Notre Dame. The campaign became a national news story and raised a lot of money for leukemia research.
2. I am a master crane machine operator…at the arcade. I started a South Parkplush dolls eBay business in 1998 based entirely on my success with the crane.
3. I was recently quoted as an expert on eBay selling in U.S. News and World Report. While the South Park dolls are gone, today I am a ‘Powerseller’ and ‘Top Seller’ on the auction site.
4. I started my first business, a neighborhood candy stand, at age 8, and the next year I hired my brother and sister to ‘franchise’ a new stand a couple streets away. I drove my mom crazy by having her drive to the local wholesale warehouse to buy bulk candy.
5. My role model is Tim Russert, a man for whom I had the honor to work before he passed away. His incredible talent was impressive, but it was his caring, principled and gregarious personality that to me, as an intern, was a formative and early example of a ‘Leader of Consequence.’ I consider working for him my greatest privilege, and I miss his presence in the news every day.
Emmy Komada
1. I don’t have a middle name, but I do have two first names: Emi and Emmy, depending on which passport I’m using. Discrepancies between the name on my ticket and the name on my passport have gotten me within a hair’s width of missing several flights.
2. I once performed a lip-sync on live TV in Ruzhou, Henan Province.
3. Monologues I can recite from memory include: the president’s speech in Independence Day, Henry’s discourse on love in Tom Stoppard’s The Real Thing, and all of Sebastian’s breakdowns in The Little Mermaid.
4. I have driven across the U.S., ridden five 50-plus hour trains, biked through Ireland, rock climbed in Yangshuo and Yosemite, led hiking trips in Vermont, and hitchhiked across the Tibetan plateau. But am a total homebody at heart.
5. I get very competitive at trivia night.
Emily Madden
1. My first job was working as a waitress at a diner that was featured on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Each employee, from the front to the back of the house, contributed to the customer experience. This summer job offered a great lesson in teamwork and the value that each part of an organization contributes to the final product.
2. I was a coxswain on my high school rowing team for four years; my boat won second place in a national championship race in my junior year. Though most people think all I did was yell into a microphone, this role greatly shaped me as a leader, a team member, and a strategist.
3. I discovered my interest in marketing while participating in a case competition my freshman year. I continued to compete in case competitions throughout college. My senior year, my team was sponsored to represent our university at a competition in Thailand.
4. Many of my best friends live across the country and one way we stay connected is by traveling to compete in running races together.
5. By the end of my ten-week undergraduate internship I was managing two other interns. I was able to earn the respect of my peers because of my sense of confidence and my enthusiasm for the work. Those qualities were more powerful than a job title.
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 s
Based on your understanding of the Fuqua culture, how do you see yourself engaging in and contributing to our community, outside of the classroom? Your essay should not exceed 500 words and 1 page.
tudent-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, what are 3 ways you expect to contribute at Fuqua? Your essay should not exceed 500 words and 1 page.
Duke is known to be proud of its collaborative culture and actively seeks students who would fit with its culture and stay strongly engaged with the community.
Until 2021, Duke MBA application essay 2 was: "Based on your understanding of the Fuqua culture, how do you see yourself engaging in and contributing to our community, outside of the classroom?" However, from 2022 onwards Duke has kept the focus on only 3 things - which clearly conveys that they are looking for quality and depth more than quantity. So make sure your answer focuses on substantial contribution in each of the 3 aspects you talk about.
Looking at their past essays and application questions - it is clear that Duke places significant importance on their values and expect the students to share the same. So you'll need to perform in-depth research on the Duke MBA program and really understand Duke's culture and the community. Then you will need to give specific examples of your plans to engage with the Duke community. Duke has already given you a few examples of student-led organizations, clubs, and activities and in the essay, they expect you to deep dive into such opportunities.
As a first step - we strongly suggest that you connect with the current students and Duke Fuqua alumni, and speak with them to understand what makes Duke special and the different opportunities that would be available. These could range from professional and social club activities to conferences anything where you as a student can engage and provide your positive contribution and enhance the experience of your peers.
As a second step - reflect on your strengths, passion, and assets and then make a strong connection between the two. What you are good at and how, with those strengths, you'd contribute to the Duke community.
Ensure that the three areas you choose, you can write about them with passion, depth and specificity.
If you feel there are circumstances of which the admissions committee should be aware, please explain them here (e.g. unexplained gaps in work, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance). Note that you should NOT upload additional essays nor additional recommendations in this area. The Optional Information section is intended to provide the admissions committee with insight into your circumstances only.
Your response will be limited to 1 page (500 words maximum).
Some of the possible extenuating circumstances that you can address: lack of recommendation letter from the current direct supervisor, low GPA, GMAT scores, any gaps in your resume, or any other factor which you think needs to be explained or else might be construed against you.
Comment on your shortcomings with intelligence, perspective, and credibility: giving vague excuses or blaming others for your failures will be counter-productive. Explain the issues clearly and maintain a greater focus on the corrective actions taken.
It is not uncommon for it to take more than one try to achieve a goal. Please share with us the self-reflection process that you underwent after last year's application and how you have grown as a result. How did it shape your commitment to Fuqua and inspire your decision to reapply?
Responses should be no more than 2 pages, using 1.5 line spacing and a font size no smaller than 10-point.
Make sure you address any gaps in your application and that you show progress.
This is not a standard reapplicant essay.
You will need to show how you evaluated the weaknesses in your profile, what steps you decided to take to strengthen your application and why you still think Duke is the MBA school for you.
If you have not already done so, try to look at your last years profile and understand why you might have been rejected. If getting an objective view by yourself is difficult reach out to admission consultants who offer 'ding analysis' or perhaps a Duke student/alum who can do you a favor.
Then talk about the strategies you applied in enhancing your candidature and how you achieved that. Did you retake GMAT? Took more responsibilities at work? Got international exposure? Refined your goals? Connected with Duke community? Capture all this along with the process and outcomes.
Duke MBA application requires you to submit a one-page resume along with details about your employment and academics. The typical MBA resume format consists of employment, education, and extracurricular details. MBA resume tips
In your Duke application, you will be asked to provide one required letter of recommendation - from you current or previous supervisors. Like many top business schools in the US, Duke MBA application constitutes of letter of recommendation questions from the GMAC MBA letter of recommendation template.
Your recommendation should ideally reflect your performance in your most recent professional setting. Volunteer activities or other service-oriented roles in which you are deeply involved may also be excellent sources for recommendations. The most valuable recommendations come from people who know your professional skills and abilities. MBA LOR tips
Duke Fuqua follows a unique interview policy and process.
1. Open Interview Period: all applicants, regardless of the round, are eligible to interview even if their application is not complete.
2. Interview by invitation: all other applicants who did not interview in the open interview periods. Invitations will be sent after a thorough evaluation of your application. Students typically would recieve an invite 4-6 weeks after submitting their MBA applications. MBA interview tips
