Duke Fuqua MBA/MMS Admissions Event in Tokyo on February 12, 2016

Duke Fuqua's Associate Director of Admissions, Russell Davis, will be in Tokyo on February 12, 2016 to host an information session on both Fuqua's MBA program as well as their 1-year MMS (Master of Management Studies) program. This event is ideal for those interested in either program, as well as those interested in learning about broader opportunities for masters degrees in business.

Click on the corresponding links to learn more about Fuqua's MBA and MMS programs.
To register for the event click here.

John Couke
john.couke@gmail.com

Interview with Russell Davis, Duke Fuqua's Assistant Director of Admissions

I am pleased to offer this interview with Russell Davis, Assistant Director of MBA Admissions at The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. 

Can you tell us a little about your background?

Moving into higher education was a career switch for me back in 2001, and one that I have found to be very gratifying. I started working at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University in 2005 and joined the Office of Admissions in 2008. Prior to joining Admissions I was the Director of one of Duke’s Executive MBA Programs. In my first career I was a serial entrepreneur involved in three start-ups in the US. I was born in Houston, Texas. My father was an ex-pat so I was very fortunate and lived in a number of international locations growing up including Singapore, Hong Kong, London and Japan where I attended St. Mary’s International School. I actually lived in Japan the longest growing up, for three years.

Why did you decide to become involved in Admissions?

Two of my start-up experiences were ‘new concept’ start-ups. I spent a lot of time educating the consumer while at the same time creating excitement. When I made the move to higher education I quickly discovered that working in Admissions was where I wanted to be. It gave me the opportunity to leverage my skillset and passions, educating prospective candidates and creating excitement about an MBA Program that I believe is truly special. I enjoy working across cultures, and learning from and engaging with people who have different backgrounds from me. I am quite certain this comes from my international upbringing. My primary area of responsibility is MBA recruitment in Asia. Nothing puts a bigger smile on my face than knowing I have helped someone reach their dreams.

What is it that you like about the Duke MBA? What makes it different from other MBA programs?

More than anything, it’s the people – students and colleagues – and the culture. We have a very unique culture at Duke, something we call ‘Team Fuqua’, where our students truly appreciate being part of something special, and they know they are stronger and have a better chance to fulfill their potential because of the people around them. We have a student driven community that provides almost limitless opportunities for a student to develop the soft skills that will ultimately set them apart in their careers. At the Duke MBA we have a general management curriculum that enables students to fill their gaps and specialize in areas that are most important to them. Duke’s Faculty are highly ranked across all areas. When a student goes to a top business school, recruiters and sponsoring companies know their potential hires and employees are going to be smart and are going to learn the hard skills – finance, marketing, accounting, strategic thinking skills, etc. Ultimately, however, it will be the soft skills – their ability to work with others, to work across cultures, to influence, to be a future leader in their organization – that will enable an employee to have the greatest impact on their organization. These are the skills our students develop and hone as a result of the Team Fuqua culture. And to be honest, the thing I hear just as often from recruiters I speak to when discussing our students and why they are so desirable – our students are likable! 

Admissions

When you are reviewing an applicant’s application, what are you looking for, what is the process?

At the Duke MBA we are looking for students who are the right fit more than anything else. When a candidate begins reviewing business schools they are looking at the curriculum, the teaching methods, who the target employers are that are hiring students from the school and the industries in which the  students are entering as well as the geographic locations where students are going. Next, they look at their own profile, their GMAT, their GPA, how many years work experience, and how these data points fits into the different schools’ class profiles. After they make this pass, it typically results in a short list of schools for them to focus on. Then they look at where the school is located, how is the quality of life and what is the student culture like? They are trying to determine which school is the best fit for them. Fit is a two-way street and we are doing the same thing. Of course, we need the applicant to demonstrate they can do the work, and that their professional and personal background brings something to the table. Next, we want to see in the application that the applicant ‘gets’ the Team Fuqua culture and truly wants to be a part of it, be an engaged partner and make the most of the two-year MBA experience, because that is what creates the richest learning environment for everyone. How do they do this? In their application we are going to learn a lot about them. We are going to learn about their past experience – where they’ve come from – and they are going to tell us where they want to go, what their post-MBA goals are. In their application it is their responsibility to tell us how Duke can help them achieve their professional and personal aspirations as well as demonstrate that they truly understand what makes Duke unique and how they are the right fit for our program. They do this by doing their research, by digging into the resources and programs that will help them achieve their goals and then highlighting them in their application. When an applicant does their research, it comes through in their application. And when they are the right fit, passion also comes through!

I know candidates hear this all the time, but we truly do take a holistic approach when reviewing an application. We look at every element closely and weigh all components of the application equally. We dig deep. For example, when we look at an applicant’s GPA, we look at the coursework – was it challenging, we look at trends in grades, we consider the quality of the university and the rigor of the major. We do not have minimum score requirements for GMAT, TOEFL, GPA or minimum or maximum number of year’s work experience. I have heard of schools that will not look at a candidate if they do not have a certain GMAT or TOEFL score. That is definitely not us because we put so much emphasis on bringing in the right students.

We know how important language skills are in an MBA program. What kind of a TOEFL score are you hoping to see? How do you assess an applicant’s English?

Of course, a student must be proficient in their English skills, both speaking and listening, to be successful in an MBA program and the TOEFL score is one of the ways to get a sense of a candidate’s English. However, we also know that test scores don’t always accurately reflect a candidate’s true abilities. So in addition to the TOEFL score we will look at the candidate’s writing abilities in their essays and other areas of the application as well as in any email exchanges we may have with them. We will also get input from a candidate’s interviewer. Lastly, I do my best to engage with as many of our candidates from Japan in person as I can which obviously provides our office with first-hand insight into their English abilities. I meet with all Japanese candidates who make the trip to Durham for a campus visit, or have a colleague meet with them if I am traveling, and I travel to Japan multiple times a year to connect with our potential candidates and applicants in person. I can tell you that we had quite a few applicants who were admitted with a TOEFL score under 100 this past year, this is not uncommon. 

Can a high GMAT offset a low GPA? How about the other way around?

Good question. The GMAT and GPA give the admissions committee a sense of the applicant’s ability to do the work. A top MBA program is very rigorous and requires a solid quantitative aptitude. We do not want anyone who starts our program to not finish the program, nor do we want them to struggle such that they are not able to make the most of the MBA experience. There is so much more to the MBA experience than sitting in the classroom and doing the coursework, and we want the student to be able to take full advantage of everything their two years in Durham has to offer. I do advise candidates to review our class profile and get a sense of where their scores fit in. If they see that they are on the low end on both, I would suggest they put some effort into raising their GMAT, because there is not anything they can do about the GPA at this point. So yes, a higher GMAT can offset a lower GPA, as well as the other way around. Bottom-line, I often tell candidates, it’s ok to have a blemish on your application, they just don’t want to have too many! 

Do you look at an applicant's entire GMAT history, or do you only consider their highest overall score?

When assessing an applicant’s application, we only consider the highest GMAT score they submit. We will look at their test history, but rarely does the history have an impact on their application. I will add, if the applicant has only taken the GMAT once and the score is on the lower end, and especially if their GPA is also lower, the Admissions Committee may wonder why the applicant didn’t take the GMAT a second time in an attempt to improve it and their application. 

Duke seems to emphasize a teamwork approach in the MBA program. How do you look for this in applicants?

As mentioned earlier, we review every element of the application closely. We are able to see many different sides of an applicant and view them through multiple lenses in the application process. We get their recommenders’ insights into them in a working environment, we get the interviewer’s perspective and of course we learn much from the applicant themselves. At the Duke MBA, the vast majority of our interviews are conducted by second year students, if on campus, and alumni if off campus. No one knows better who is a good fit for our program than those who have lived it. We want to see that the applicant values others’ perspective, has an appreciation for diversity and understands how a diverse learning, and team environment makes them better. 

The three words candidates hear most frequently from business schools when promoting their programs are ‘teamwork’, ‘leadership’ and ‘global’. My advice to candidates is to ask ‘how’? In their research, an applicant should be able to understand how the school delivers in these areas.

Can you tell me about your application rounds? When do you see the most applicants?

At the Duke MBA we actually have four rounds. We have what we call our Early Action Round, followed by Rounds 1, 2 and 3. The Early Action Round is for those applicants who know Duke is where they want to be. They have done their research and they know Duke is the best school – for them. There is no advantage to applying in this round, other than the fact that if the applicant is admitted they are done with the MBA application process! They can now focus on preparation. If an applicant is admitted in Early Action they are required to withdraw their applications from other schools and submit their deposit. This round is a smaller round. We get the bulk of our applications in Rounds 1 and 2, split rather evenly. I strongly advise all candidates to not wait until the Round 3, another smaller round, because by that point the bulk of the class has been filled and there are only a few seats left in the class making that round extremely competitive. Also, all applicants are automatically considered for merit-based scholarship and by the third round we may not have much scholarship money left. For international applicants, they can also run into visa issues if they apply in Round 3 for by the time they receive their decision it does not leave them much time to get their visa, so we really like to see them apply no later than Round 2.

How important is the campus visit in the admissions process?

As I mentioned earlier, after doing their preliminary research a candidate usually has a short list of schools they want to focus on that can help them achieve their goals and provide them with the most fulfilling two-year experience. My advice to MBA applicants is to visit the schools on that short list. That is the best way to see which school is the best fit for them culturally. It also gives them a chance to see first-hand where the school is, and get a sense of the quality of life. In addition, it can really help an applicant put together a stronger application because they learn so much and get tremendous insight on their visit. For example, applicants hear and read about ‘Team Fuqua’, but it is so much easier to understand what it really means by experiencing it. At Duke we have amazing students who are passionate about helping and sharing their insights with prospective applicants. When a Japanese candidate comes to visit Duke they have an amazing experience as our Japanese students take great pride in hosting them and ensuring all of their questions are answered. Another advantage to visiting Duke is if the candidate comes during our open interview period – which lasts about 5 weeks from early September to mid-October – they can choose to have an interview during their visit and then have the interview attached to their application no matter what round they submit it in that year. If they are not able to come to campus during that time then the candidate must be invited to interview upon review of their application. If they are invited to interview, they can come to Durham for their interview where they will be interviewed by a second year student as well as take part in a number of other activities designed to give them a great Duke experience. Or they can be interviewed in Tokyo by an alumnus. In both cases, we have specific dates for the interviews. I travel to Tokyo for our Round 1 and 2 interviews to meet the candidates being interviewed.

However, we understand that visiting Duke from Japan is not always feasible, and we certainly don’t hold it against an applicant if they can’t visit. It just means the applicant will have to do their research and connect with our students and community virtually. Fortunately, as I just mentioned, our students are so helpful, they spend many hours on Skype calls with potential applicants as well answering emails with terrific insight. And our alumni in Japan are also great about sharing their experiences. So applicants can still get great insight into the Duke MBA without visiting.

Do you have any closing comments?

First, I want to thank you for the opportunity to share my insights, John! I often have candidates come up to me and start a sentence by saying, ‘I heard at Duke…..’ and then they tell me something that is news to me, a rumor or simply misinformation. I clear up whatever they heard, and then tell them the best place for them to get their answers is straight from us! So I appreciate this chance to provide what I hope is some useful information to future applicants.

What our office is most proud of is our commitment to getting to know our applicants. In two recent surveys of incoming MBA students last year Duke was ranked #1 and #2 respectively on the question ‘How well did the business school get to know you in the application process?’ I believe this is a reflection of our special culture and community, as well as our commitment to meeting our applicants on the recruiting trail. It may also have something to do with one of our essay questions – Tell us 25 Random Things about Your Self? But that’s a topic for another time! And on that note, I encourage candidates to come join me at my Information Sessions in Tokyo this year, where they can count on my providing more insight into what we are looking for in candidates and their application. Thanks again, John!

Thank you Russell for your time!

John Couke

john.couke@gmail.com

Duke Fuqua Deadlines for 2013-14 Application Season

Duke Fuqua has announced the deadlines for applying to their MBA program starting in the fall of 2014.

Early Action -
Deadline: 9/18/2013
Interview Invitation Sent by: 10/8/2013
Decision: 10/30/2013

Round 1 -
Deadline: 10/21/2013
Interview Invitation Sent by: 11/20/2013
Decision: 12/20/2013

Round 2 -
Deadline: 1/6/2014
Interview Invitation Sent by: 2/6/2014
Decision: 3/13/2014

Round 3 -
Deadline: 3/20/2014
Interview Invitation Sent by: 4/9/2014
Decision: 5/9/2014

As always, do confirm this information at the Duke website.

John Couke
john.couke@gmail.com

Interview with Kaya Kayanuma, member of the Duke Fuqua MBA class of 2013

I am pleased to present this interview with Kaya Kayanuma, a newly graduated member of the Duke Fuqua MBA class of 2013. I am sure anyone considering Duke - or an MBA in general - will find it useful and interesting. I'm also indebted to Kaya for sharing her time and answering my questions.

Congratulations on successfully completing your MBA at Duke Fuqua! What are your plans now?

I will work for one of the major biotechnology (pharmaceutical) companies, Biogen, as a commercial operation manager in the Emerging Market division. My initial focus is the Japan market. 

Why did you choose to go to Duke?

One of the main reasons I chose Duke/Fuqua was the Health Sector Management (HSM) program. Duke University and Duke Hospital have good reputations for health care and Fuqua has put great effort in enriching their HSM program. For students who are interested in health care, HSM gives them credibility when seeking employment in the industry. I also believe that knowledge in health care is very useful even for those who are not interested in working in health care industry, because of its rising cost and impact on the rest of the economy. During Fuqua, I particularly liked the Health Economics and the Pharmaceutical Economics classes taught by Prof. David Ridley. His lectures were comprehensive and covered the major health care topics, from pharmaceuticals to Obama care, and he brought great speakers such as the former CEO of Roche North America. 

Secondly, Fuqua focuses on teamwork within its diverse community throughout the MBA program - from class assignments to recruiting, and beyond. I became interested in the Fuqua community initially because of how friendly the Japanese alumni were, but I soon realized that Fuqua as a whole has a welcoming culture. I later learned that the program’s leadership (e.g. the Dean, admissions staff members) makes significant efforts to maintain the school values, “Team Fuqua” and “Leader of Consequence”. At the beginning of the first year and the second year, students are required to participate in a 3-4 day orientation that emphasizes leadership and ethics. Almost all Fuqua classes require several teamwork assignments per class. Students and alumni are proud of being a part of “Team Fuqua” and actively help each other throughout their lifetimes. 

How did your impression of the program change once you got there?

Until I joined Fuqua, I did not know that Duke University had such a prestigious reputation in the US and Europe. Many students come from well-educated backgrounds and it is extremely competitive to get admitted to Duke. Students share the sense of pride in the university education, and Duke Basketball symbolizes the school spirit. Many Fortune 500 companies come to campus for recruiting students, not just for the MBA program but also for undergraduate programs. The school spirit lasts after graduation and alumni help each other in business. After joining Duke, I realized the importance of having a good network of alumni. I actually got my job through a Fuqua alumni. 

I was also surprised by the seemingly unlimited amount of opportunities to exercise leadership and teamwork skills at Fuqua. Students often say, “There is almost nothing that you cannot do at Fuqua.” Students can start clubs, projects, business, etc. and there are many resources available. Some of my friends started events such as the Fuqua Musical and the Fuqua Iron Chef, and others started their own business. I myself participated in several projects (e.g. international business consulting, small business consulting, and entrepreneurship in health care), and I found them very practical and useful for my future career. There are many opportunities to get involved, and it is challenging to choose activities and focus on priorities. 

Looking back, do you wish you had prepared for your MBA any differently? What would you recommend to those who'll start their MBA in the fall of this year?

The first recommendation is relationship building. Even before you start preparing for an MBA, you might want to talk with as many alumni and current students as possible to learn how to prepare for life in business school. Many applicants fall into a trap of applying to schools based only on their ranking. They apply to multiple schools, and decide which school to attend after getting admitted. This is a waste of time and money. Instead it is important to research schools and reach out to students and alumni. This relationship building should start even before you apply to a business school. This will help you with your MBA admission and job search in the future. 

The relationship building will also help you become proactive. By talking to students and alumni, you will start to understand what you need to do and what you need to focus on. I waited for the school to tell me when and how to start my job search. I waited for emails from professors to learn what I needed to prepare for classes. Unlike me, some admitted students had already reached out to current students and knew how to prepare for an early job conference in September, just one month after orientation. Others had already finished all the summer assignments a few weeks in advance of starting the program. 

You also need to know your priorities, plan ahead, and focus on these priorities. My priorities were finance & health care classes, a job search within health care, social life with my close friends, playing music, and my Christian faith. But during the first year of the MBA, I let peer pressure influence me. I attended many social events, went to every corporate event, slept less than 6 hours a night, and became exhausted. I felt as if everything was a competition. During the 2^nd year, I made a more balanced life and my old hobbies priorities. I became selective about what social events to attend and spent more time with those who are important in my life. 

Lastly, you want to treat others fairly, be genuine towards others, and know your core values. Do not focus on what you get from others but instead on what you can give to them. This will help you to become a true leader of consequence. I learned this, and several different professors reinforced this in their closing remarks during their last classes. During my 1^st year of MBA, I was overwhelmed and could not even think of helping others. I rediscovered my core belief when I stopped thinking school and social life as competitions. I started to treat others in a genuine way as I did before. This attitude opened more opportunities than I expected. I received several job offers and did well in classes. I made many great friends and became much happier. 

Can you identify one or two classes and/or professors that were particularly impactful for you?

• Corporate Finance by Prof. John Graham: Prof. Graham has received a number of teaching awards at Fuqua for 10+ years and is a reviewer of a prestigious finance journal. This class was challenging because I had no prior experience in finance. But he offered review classes himself and helped us understand everything from the basics to the current common practices in the real world. He is well connected to the industry, and he even brings senior finance managers as speakers. He is also an advocate for an NGO, “Stop the Hunger”, and takes initiative to organize volunteer events at Fuqua for this organization. I strongly recommend taking this class. 
• Raising Capital by Prof. Manju Puri: Prof. Puri graduated from the Indian School of Business at the age of 23, worked in banking, and earned her Ph.D from NYU Stern. She has received a number of teaching and research awards and is well-connected to the finance ministry and banking in India. I really liked her teaching style. Her philosophy of teaching is for students to gain core analytical skill, not a superficial knowledge. She brought no handouts to class and had no PowerPoint presentations, so students really focused on listening to her and the class discussions. In the beginning of each class, she reviews the content from the last class. Students are required to write case write-ups after classes instead of before. This unique teaching style helps students review what we learn and retain the analytical skills that we gain. This class also covered a range of topics from bank loans to junk bonds and the Enron scandal. 
• Entrepreneurial Finance by Prof. Manuel Adelino: If you are interested in becoming an entrepreneur, you should take Corporate Finance, Private Equity and Venture Capital, and this class. Prof. Adelino is a new professor at Fuqua. Although he is fairly young, he has experience in investment banking, consulting, and academics. He covered a range of topics based on a POCD framework (People, Opportunity, Competition/Content, and Deal). Students are usually expected to know the basics of finance, but Prof. Adelino himself offered review sessions about WACC (weighted average cost of capital) and pro forma. He also explained in the class how he made an assumption on building excel models. Students are required to turn in a case write-up every class, and this helps students prepare well for the class. 
• Managerial Accounting by Prof. Scott Dyreng: Managerial Accounting is one of the most popular classes at Fuqua, and I strongly recommend taking this class. This class teaches how to allocate “cost” appropriately so that managers can make better decisions and incentivize people. For example, students are asked to allocate a fixed cost based on a labor hour or a machine hour. I also liked his teaching style because he required us to submit a case write-up before every class, used no PowerPoint, and reviewed what we learned in each class. He was very funny and made the class very interesting. He is also very sincere and is one of the professors who taught us the importance of having core values before entering the work force. 
• Pharmaceutical Economics and Management by Prof. David Ridley: I explained about this class above. 

What kind of extra-curricular activities did you choose to get involved in? Were they worthwhile for you?

I was a co-president of Catholics@Fuqua, a student group for Catholics and non-Catholics. I wanted to learn how to integrate the Christian faith into business and to help other students to develop and/or mature their faith in God. As some professors taught, I believe that having some sorts of a core value helps a student make a better decision when facing an ethical dilemma. We had a dinner event every term (=6 weeks), brought a priest and a business leader as speakers, and held workshops about faith and business. Students commented that they learned a lot during these events and felt encouraged. I was able to build a strong friendship within this group and found a few mentors through these events. It was challenging to balance school, job search, club activities, and private life. But it was very much worthwhile for me to lead this group and I believe I was able to make an impact on the Fuqua community. 

Any thoughts you'd like to share about your life in Durham, North Carolina? What's good/bad about living in this part of the U.S.?

I love the triangle region of North Carolina, and if I can, I would live here permanently. Like Silicon Valley, the triangle region (Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill) is one of the major research hubs in the country. There are several major universities such as Duke and UNC, and their health care systems are both excellent. Because of many university-based researches, the triangle region has many small start-up businesses and also major companies such as GSK (GlaxoSmithKline), Daiichi Sankyo, IBM, and Quintiles. Thanks to this entrepreneurial environment, I was able to find a local start-up company to do a part-time internship and had a good experience there. 

The triangle region is also a great place to live and raise a family. Durham and Chapel Hill are large enough to find things to do and small enough to manage commute and travel. Durham is much safer than it used to be, and you can find excellent restaurants. If you want to travel, the airport (Raleigh-Durham International Airport) is only 20 minutes away and the terminal is very clean. This is a great environment for children, too. People are well-educated, warm, and open-minded toward international people. The weather is mild and it’s comfortable to live here. 

How did you like my work during the admission process? 

John is patient, insightful, sincere, and trustworthy. He is an expert on MBA admissions, yet he is also very humble. When I didn’t even know what to write on the admission essays and resume, he asked me questions and gave me great suggestions. He was always prompt to respond to any questions and kept any promises. He does not put down anyone and always believes in the potential of an applicant. Above all the qualities that he has, I really admire John’s motivation to do his job, which is to raise global leaders from Japan. I strongly recommend John’s service when applying to a business school. 

Thanks Kaya for your time and insight!

John Couke

john.couke@gmail.com

Duke Fuqua and Michigan Ross are Reviewing Essays for Plagiarism

Both Duke Fuqua and Michigan Ross have recently admitted they've adopted plagiarism-detecting software that will help them spot applicants who are copying essays.  Duke is using TurnItIn according to an excellent article in the GettingIn blog at BusinessWeek. while Ross wasn't so specific about the software they were using in a recent posting to their Ross Admissions Blog.

This is a growing trend, and if it is helping schools identify applicants who are purchasing admissions essays or handing over the writing duty to a third party, then I think it's a good thing.  There's nothing wrong with getting a second opinion on your essays - I encourage it! On the other hand, using ghostwriters, heavy-handed editors, or the essays used by someone to get admitted before you is not just dishonest - it is just plain dumb.

John Couke
john.couke@gmail.com

Duke Fuqua MBA Program Deadlines and Essay Topics for 2012-13 Admissions

The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University has released their application deadlines and essay topics for those aiming to apply to enter the MBA program starting in the fall of 2013. The essay topics as written at the Duke website are at the end of this post; here are the deadlines:

Early Action:
Deadline: 9/19/2012
Interview Invitation by: 10/9/2012
Interview Period (in Durham): 9/10/2012 - 10/16/2012
Interview Period (off-campus): 10/11/2012 - 10/16/2012
Decision: 10/30/2012

Round 1:
Deadline: 10/24/2012
Interview Invitation by: 11/28/2012
Interview Period (in Durham): 12/6/2012 - 12/11/2012
Interview Period (off-campus): 12/1/2012 - 12/11/2012
Decision: 1/8/2013

Round 2:
Deadline: 1/4/2013
Interview Invitation by: 2/7/2013
Interview Period (in Durham): 2/14/2013 - 2/24/2013
Interview Period (off-campus): 2/8/2013 - 2/24/2013
Decision: 3/18/2013

Round 3:
Deadline: 3/21/2013
Interview Invitation by: 4/10/2013
Interview Period (in Durham): 4/22/2013 - 4/30/2013
Interview Period (off-campus): 4/11/2013 - 4/30/2013
Decision: 5/10/2013

Essays:

• Three short answer questions and two essays are required for all applicants.
• Responses should use 1.5 line spacing and a font size no smaller than 10-point.
• Responses must be completed before submitting your application.
• Prepare your responses carefully. The Admissions Committee considers your answers important in the selection process.

Required Short Answer Questions: Answer all 3 questions 

Respond in 250 characters only (the equivalent of about 50 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?

Required Essays: Answer both essay questions

1.  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.

Please 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.

2.  When asked by your family, friends, and colleagues why you want to go to Duke, what do you tell them? Share the reasons that are most meaningful to you.

Your response to this essay question should be no more than 2 pages in length. Please respond fully and concisely using 1.5 line spacing.

Optional Essay:
If you feel there are extenuating circumstances of which the Admissions Committee should be aware, please explain them in an optional essay (e.g. unexplained gaps in work, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, or any significant weakness in your application).

• 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 extenuating circumstances only.
• Limit your response to two pages.

As always, do confirm all information directly at Duke's admissions website.

John Couke

john.couke@gmail.com