duke 25 things essay examples

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Tips on Writing Your "25 Things" Essay

Admissions counselor claire garst has some suggestions.

If you've taken a look at an application for any of the programs we offer at Duke's Fuqua School of Business, then a unique essay prompt has likely caught your eye—"25 Random Things About Yourself." Yes, you read that correctly. While we're interested in learning about your reasons for applying to Fuqua and your future goals, the most important thing we want to know is what makes you, YOU.

We read hundreds of applications per admissions cycle, and many people have similar motivations for studying quantitative management—but no one has had the same life experiences as you. Sharing your experiences with us is the easiest way to make your application stand out! Most of my teammates in admissions save reading the "25 Things" essay until last when we review applications. We're really rooting for you to demonstrate how interesting you are! 

After reading many "25 Things" lists from amazing applicants—and even creating my own list—I have a few tips on what makes a great "25 Things" essay.

• Think of it as a list, not an essay.  We truly mean it when we say to number your points 1-25 and that some points can be just one sentence.
• Avoid repeating what we already know about you.  The work experience and leadership and involvement sections of the application, as well as your resume and transcript, tell us everything we need to know about your academic and professional accomplishments. Reiterating that you graduated top in your class or that you were the student body president wastes valuable space you could use to share something else about yourself.
• Make it personal.  For example, many of our applicants are very well-traveled, so we commonly see statements like, "I have visited 38 of the United States and 17 additional countries." A more specific and personal demonstration of your wanderlust would be, "I have visited 38 of the United States and 17 additional countries, but my most memorable trip was when I traveled to Italy the summer after graduating from college. I saved up during college by working a part-time job to afford that trip." Here, you don't just tell us you're well-traveled; you show us your strong work ethic. Plus, it's unlikely another applicant would share this exact same story!
• Phone a friend.  Ask your family and friends—those who know you best—for help identifying your most unique traits and interesting stories. Something you may not think is noteworthy may be someone else's favorite thing about you!
• Take your time.  This list shouldn't be written at 11:00 pm the night of the application deadline. Come up with as many facts as you can for your first draft, and then think on it for a week or so. During this time, get help from friends and family, reflect on childhood memories, make a list of your favorite anecdotes, and consider your hobbies. Then revisit your list, and you'll likely have plenty of great inspiration to reach the magic number 25!

I hope these tips help as you begin to tackle this very fun essay prompt. For more inspiration, check out  this post  from some of our Daytime MBA bloggers. Happy writing!

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Duke Fuqua Essays: Top Tips + ‘25 Random Things About YOU’ Example

“Team Fuqua” may seem like a tagline or gimmicky motto, but that’s far from the truth.

Fuqua’s mission is to transform its students into leaders who are equipped to inspire organizations in a way that leads to positive impact on the bottom line, but also positive impact on the world. Admissions is looking to create a class profile that will embrace this mission and create a culture that fosters strong relationships between students, faculty, staff, and their families.

The short answer and essay questions are an opportunity for you to tell your story in a way that speaks to Fuqua’s core values of collaboration, diversity, integrity, respect, and community engagement. That is why the first essay is so important. (For advice on positioning your Duke Fuqua application , view my related post.)

Fuqua Required essay #1: 25 Random Things About Yourself

While many applicants are intimidated by the prompt, I absolutely love this essay (see a full example of a successful ’25 Random Things’ response at the end of this post). The full prompt clearly states that Admissions wants to get to know you beyond the professional and academic achievements listed on your resume. This is your opportunity to connect on a personal level by showcasing a different side (or sides) of yourself that may not come through in traditional MBA applications. If done right, this essay is where you create advocates among those reading your list.

Think about your values, your hobbies, your interests, and important life experiences. These can and should be a mix of poignant, humorous, playful, deep, and everything in between. Some may be a paragraph whereas others may be a simple sentence. Also keep in mind that they should resonate with the core values of the Fuqua community mentioned above.

It’s also important to highlight your cultural competency. Fuqua has always put an emphasis on diversity and takes pride in the fact that its student body is consistently around 40% international. In fact, the main hallway is lined with flags representing the many countries students come from. Teams are purposefully made of individuals from different genders, ethnicities, and functional and industry backgrounds. It’s important that your savvy self- and cultural awareness shines throughout your application. Look for ways to stress your experience working with globally diverse teams and why a global perspective is important to you personally and professionally.

Fuqua Required Essay #2: The Fuqua community and you – what are 3 ways you expect to contribute at Fuqua? (300 words)

While the essay topic remains the same, word count has been significantly cut this year, so it’s more important than ever that you dig deep into the engagement opportunities on campus and pick three that clearly align with your story, both past and present. Dedicating a significant amount of time to networking with students and alumni is essential so that you can envision yourself on campus and articulate how you will add value to the community.

As an added bonus, students and alumni are encouraged to submit online recommendations after engaging with prospective students and their opinions are highly valued by Admissions.

Outside the classroom  is key here. All too often applicants ignore that part of the prompt and wax poetic about how their experience will add value in class discussions. You must go deeper. Fuqua boasts 60+ student clubs, each of which was started and run by students. These clubs and other experiential opportunities allow you to take initiative and flex the leadership muscle you are building in the program. Think about the groups you will be a part of – professional clubs and/or those that are more light-hearted like the Outdoors Club or Wine Club. There’s also the MBA Games, the MBAA leadership cabinet, GATE trips, and other opportunities to get involved.

Reflect on your past experience and how it will contribute to mission and goals of whatever opportunities you choose. If you have networked effectively, you’ll be equipped to articulate how you can add value in vivid detail.

Fuqua Required Short Answer: What are your post-MBA career goals? Share with us your first choice career plan and your alternate plan. (500 characters with spaces)

At Fuqua, Admissions and the Career Management Center (CMC) are well connected. Career Center staff educate the team on what to look for in resumes and the key skills/experience required for certain career paths. If questions arise about a candidate, their experience, and how realistic their goals are, they will bring in the Associate Dean of the CMC to get her feedback. That said, you need to be quite clear about your development so far, the skills needed from the Duke MBA, and how it all translates post-MBA.

While I wouldn’t recommend spending too much character count on your plan B, it is an incredibly important part of your answer. The MBA is a dynamic and transformative experience. At orientation, staff would often joke with the new class that more than half of them would end up doing something completely different than what they wrote about in their application. The point of plan B is to show that you have thought clearly about more than one option and how they will get you to your goals short- and long-term. That way, when the wind changes (and it will), you will be prepared to adjust your sails!

Example of a Successful ’25 Random Things About YOU’ Essay

• Having gained seven siblings all at once, at the age of nine, I’ve come to have a loose definition of the word family. My definition is based more on time I’ve spent with someone than our legal or biological bonds.
• It took time (and a new addition to the house), but eventually my newly-extend family fell into a rhythm. Our home was louder, but filled with more laughter. Together we learned to discuss topics such as subliminal racism and police violence against people of color with sensitivity, directness, and when appropriate, a sense of humor.
• I have a pet Quaker parrot named Blue. I was told it was a male bird so I was shocked when “he” laid an egg!
• I’m deathly scared of spiders. My first month living in Chongqing, a spider about 3 ½ inches across found itself in front of my doorway; after frantically facetiming my dad, I dropped a textbook weighing about 5 pounds on it. I didn’t move the book for two weeks.
• When I am stressed out I like to watch documentaries about space… or the children’s show “Arthur”—totally different but equally effective.
• Ever since I watched the show Madeline at age 5, my interest in studying another language was peaked. While it only included snippets of French (“Bonjour”, “merci”) I was enchanted by the idea of learning French and connecting with a group of people otherwise unreachable.
• On Thanksgiving when I was 5 years old, I finally put it together that the turkey we were eating was “turkey”, the bird. I surprised my parents by announcing I was now going to be a vegetarian. I surprised them further by remaining vegetarian until the end of high school.
• In college, I volunteered in China with an NGO building libraries in rural schools. When the children first saw me, they ran and hid. It was their first time laying eyes on a foreigner. While they were initially frightened, we eventually bonded over Chinese paper cutting (which I never did quite get the hang of).
• One of my first nights in Hunan Province, I tried “huajiao”, a pepper known for its numbing effects on the mouth; I had no idea what I’d eaten and was convinced I was having an allergic reaction. Since we were hours from a hospital I was also half-convinced this could be the end. Now huajiao is one of my favorite spices.
• My college roommates and I met on our hall freshman year and the five of us lived together the rest of our time at Penn—we still have yearly reunions despite all living in different cities.
• This summer, I had a small “family reunion” in a cozy Italian restaurant in NYC’s West Village. Around the table sat Tao Tao, a close friend from middle school, Alex, Roon and Angie, my hallmates for two years in boarding school, Nick and Amanda, my college roommates, and Freddie and Mark, who lived with me in Chongqing. It was surreal to bring these “family members” from different stages of life and corners of the world together.
• I failed the written portion of the driving test three times before passing. My family, who often made fun of me for being the “nerdy” one, got a huge kick out of this.
• I once took a 10-day trip around the deserts and plains of southeastern Mongolia with two women who I had just met from Australia and Canada. Despite 10 days in very close-quarters, we became great friends and confidants.
• My favorite moments living in China are those in which I completely mess up (e.g. first time I tried to hike Tiger Leaping Gorge in Yunnan province and ended up about a hundred miles off on the Tibetan border.) I had to squeeze into a 4.5ft. bed and go straight back the next day – hilarious and humbling.
• Over the past few years, a couple clients’ passion for physics has rubbed off on me. Now, I listen to physics podcasts almost every night. Concepts like particle-wave duality and quantum field theory blow my mind!
• I used to be more of a night-owl, until I walked onto the crew team freshman year of college. Even after I stopped my second year, I maintained the habit of waking up early and now I’m a total morning person.
• My closest friends in Beijing identify as queer. Through them I have become involved in the LGBTQ+ community in Beijing, where there is still political danger associated with being queer/attending LGBTQ+ events. Locations are never released until just beforehand and only via private message.
• One of my favorite memories this past year was trying to teach my 7-year-old niece how to play Mancala. Unfortunately, she never mastered the game… her 4-year-old sister kept flipping the board over.
• While studying in France, I decided to stay abroad over the holidays and spent Christmas going on an impromptu tour through Lausanne, Switzerland, given by a professor from the Ivory Coast who I bumped into on the street.
• My first job was working in a fine jewelry store. Looking at an inscribed platinum watch a family managed to bring with them after escaping France at the start of WWII, or a Victorian locket that still contained the black-and-white photo of young boy. I love learning the stories behind the pieces and then sharing them with customers.
• My youngest adopted brother was drafted by the Miami Dolphins this past spring (my mom immediately bought an aqua and orange phone case to celebrate).
• My freshman year at Penn, I thought I signed up for a writing seminar until I showed up for class and realized mid-way through the seminar that I had in fact registered for a seminar about sleep in the nursing school. No idea how I managed to mix that up but I ended up sticking with it and it became one of my favorite classes!
• I had two pet rats, Chai and Cappuccino, in college. Side note: between its Parisian location and the fact that the main characters are rats, you may not be surprised to learn by now that Ratatouille is my favorite Disney movie.
• Since high school, I have always had an interest in storytelling. One of the reasons I chose to work at ESC was its mission: Help students craft a narrative that tells their unique story.
• The first time I played flag football was in open meet-and-greet game. I had a classic moment of almost making a touchdown and the football landing straight on my face. I still joined the team though!

Want more advice?

View my related blog: 5 Essential Tips on Applying for the Duke Fuqua MBA .

Fortuna Admissions Expert Coach Catherine Finch Tuttle brings deep MBA experience as a former Associate Director at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. For five years she worked in the Career Management Center creating , implementing, and evaluating programs and coaching MBA’s to achieve their career goals. She also served as the liaison to Admissions having worked with them earlier in her career as a Marketing Manager. For a candid assessment of your chances of admission success at a top MBA program, sign up for  a free consultation . 

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Duke Fuqua's 25 Random things about me

Updated: Feb 1

Duke’s Fuqua School of Business stands for diversity , inclusion and statement . In addition, the school focuses on social responsibility, inclusiveness, collaboration, integrity and service. Therefore, for Duke Fuqua’s admissions committee it’s essential to get to know their applicants at a personal level.

Fuqua’s AdCom want to understand your world and worldview. Especially, they want to learn about your experiences so far, things that matter to you, values you uphold, memories you cherish, and how these experiences have impacted you.

Get the full Duke Fuqua 2023-2024 essay guide here .

With this in mind, let’s discuss Duke Fuqua’s “25 Random Things About Me” essay. It has been a staple there for many years, and this essay does a great job at giving you room to express your uniqueness. It goes beyond the standard essay structure and traditional writing style. It allows candidates to be serious yet playful, and open up in an unexpected and quirky way. The adcom expect you to bear your soul.

However, precisely because it’s so unusual, some candidates find it difficult to pick what to write and skip out. So here I’ll share a few examples of topics you may choose to write about in your “25 random things about me” essay.

Each point should say something about you. It should reflect your personality and character. Writing “I love pizza.” says absolutely nothing about your character. Whereas “I want to be an astronaut.” gives some insight into your adventurous side and ambition.

Finally, unlike many other MBA essay prompts, this one doesn’t call for bragging. Instead, focus on weaknesses as much as strengths—particularly “human” flaws like your terrible handwriting or fear of heights. This way the admissions committee gets a well-rounded view of YOU.

“Try to uncover some deeper meaning behind each of the random things.”

The word limit for the 25 random things essay is 750 words - longer than most MBA applications. If you break it down, that’s 30 words per random thing. However, you don’t have to stick to this guide. Instead, try to vary the length of your points to make your essay more interesting.

Without further ado, here are examples and ideas that should help as you tackle Duke Fuqua’s “25 Random Things About Me” essay:

1. Regrets:

Through a bit of self-reflection, most applicants can find something they regret doing (or not doing)!

“I regret not studying abroad during undergrad. I want to study abroad during my MBA and be more than a tourist.”

“I caused a car accident by shooting my Super Soaker into traffic. Then I hid in a bush. That was the end of my water fighting career”

2. Superpower

If charming people into buying things is your superpower, and it has worked well for you in your career in sales, here’s your forum to boast about it!

“I’m Michael the Mediator. I can convince anybody to talk to anybody else by putting myself in their shoes”

“My superpower is my ability to gain trust. This has helped me build unusually strong bonds with my new coworkers, who I now hang out with at the weekends.”

3. Religion

Talking about religion can be tricky. Balance and open-mindedness are key. Steer clear of polarising discussion and show that you’re keen to see other perspectives. Some solid advice here is to get your point reviewed by other people with different perspectives.

4. I am a sucker for

Everyone has a soft spot for something or the other. Something material or immaterial that you find very hard to refuse. For example, exotic clothing, foreign cuisine, unusual cars, etc.

“I am a sucker for symmetry. It helps me make sense of the world. My parents say I should have been an architect.”

5. Something everyone else likes but you dislike or something no one likes but you like

Maybe you feel like an odd-one-out in your friend group or family. So don’t hold back on showing your quirks in Duke’s 25 random things essay. Allergies, perhaps? And more importantly, how does this affect your life?

6. I’m proud of

Everyone has their proud moments. Be it getting a job you love, an achievement you take pride in, standing up for something, taking a big decision in life, showing persistence to your dreams, or growing personally. So do the self-analysis and find that moment in your life!

7. I want a

What’s something you deeply desire? Perhaps something you wanted as a child but couldn’t afford. Open up about it! Why is that thing so meaningful? What does it symbolise? Also, how do you plan to get it?

“ I want a sailboat. My fondest memories with my grandfather were on his daysailer.”

8. First times doing things

Doing something new is fun, stimulating and satisfying. Whether overcoming a fear or fulfilling a long-awaited dream, it’s bound to be memorable.

Discuss the excitement, thrill, success, failure, courage, creativity or realisation you felt. Write what you did, how, why it was impactful, especially why you cherish this memory.

“My first time in the ocean, I nearly drowned. I froze the minute I dived in. My family was worried that I’d be afraid of water, but I ended up winning swimming competitions.”

9. My dearest wish

A dearest wish is another way of highlighting your motivation. Again, connect this to your overall narrative. Perhaps your dearest wish has changed over time as you’ve grown.

“My dearest wish used to be to have a pet dolphin. Then I realised that’s cruel.”

“My dearest wish is that one day every plastic bottle is biodegradable.”

10. Nicknames

Is there an interesting story to share about your childhood, school or college nickname? Now would be a good time to reveal this.

“I had big ears when I was born, so my brothers started calling me FA Cup after the soccer trophy with big handles.”

11. Things I like

Don’t just say, “I like pizza.” Instead, discuss the deep-seated reason for this liking to convey a meaningful story about yourself.

“I love dogs, but it wasn’t until I got one that I realised I have dog allergies. So now, I still have my dog but I take allergy pills every day.”

“When I was 10, I smashed a window in our house with a ball of play-dough, then lied about it to my parents. I’ve lived with the guilt ever since.”

12. I once made a quick buck by...

Show your hustle. Show that you’ll push to work hard and grow. Add in stories about how you sold t-shirts during college or got paid for fixing computers, or taught kids math to buy a car during college.

“I worked in a call centre to pay for my college expedition. I still remember my opening lines.”

Travelling opens the door to new experiences, different cultures, food, music, living style, ethnographic changes, and life. So pick up an angle and describe your random thing from that perspective.

A classic boring answer is to list how many countries you’ve visited. Spice it up! Tell a significant travel story.

“I lost a shoe at Everest base camp.”

Discuss fears in one of two ways:

Write about an irrational fear or phobia, and add why it still holds a grip on you.

Or discuss a fear you’ve overcome and tell us about the process and how you feel liberated since you overpowered it.

It might seem challenging to open up about your fears, like discussing failures or weaknesses. However, it will show the strength of your character and self-awareness.

Note: The fear you open up about shouldn’t negatively impact your application. In other words, avoid sharing something that hinders you from fully participating in the MBA experience!

15. Hopes and dreams

Your hopes and dreams convey your optimistic view and what motivates you. But it can also reveal your pragmatism. So how have you started working towards fulfilling those dreams?

Just saying, “I want to be a millionaire” isn’t enough! Show them the path you’re on to achieve that.

16. Retirement plan

What’s your retirement plan? Are you planning to live in each country for a month, or taking up an entirely different profession? Perhaps you’ll move to a meaningful remote corner of the world to do humanitarian work? Use this space to share it with the adcom.

This can be an exciting way of demonstrating what drives you when money is not a factor.

“I hope to retire on a ranch. I picture myself living as a cowboy.”

“I’ll follow Charles Darwin’s itinerary through the Galapagos.”

17. Hurdles or challenges

Hard times stimulate growth in a way that good times don’t. What matters the most to the adcom is your approach to dealing with these hurdles. Admit your mistakes. Show that you persevere when things spiral out of your control. Open up about the challenges you’ve faced in your personal or professional life.

We all like to eat, and each one of us might have a favourite dish. But don’t discuss food choices without any context. Frankly, nobody cares.

Think about what holds you close to this particular meal. For example, you might like Armenian food because you can link it to your ancestry so it’s a way to retain your cultural identity.

“Coming from a staunchly vegetarian family, I never had chicken until I accidentally ate Biryani at my friends’ house when I was ten. I was sick and stayed vegetarian.”

Do you have a habit that you find meaningful? Something that could be as mundane as getting your share of daily news while cooking breakfast but could unsettle you if you don’t get to do it every single day? Perhaps you take cold showers?

“The first thing I do when I wake up is making my bed. This makes me feel in charge.”

“I enjoy dressing up and planning my outfits in advance. It makes me feel prepared and confident. I already have my first day of MBA outfit planned.”

20. Success

Successes are a no-brainer! But try to distinguish between random successes versus academic and professional successes, which will be in your resume.

“When I was 13, I wrote a dark poem about divorce for a talent competition. It won”

21. Childhood obsessions

It can be interesting to look back on how you were as a kid, and how you perceive your childhood behaviour now. However, just writing that you were obsessed with Hannah Montana goodies isn’t good enough. Instead, choose something significant that has impacted you profoundly.

22. Inspirations

What inspires you to advance further in life is fundamental to your being. So talking about that source of inspiration can be interesting.

“My inspiration is Sushmita Sen. She is Miss Universe 1994, actress, single mother of 2 adopted girls, and a philanthropist. Her efforts inspired me to become a UN Volunteer.”

Discussing the heroes, role models, leaders you look up to is another way of showing who you are and what you’re aspiring towards in life. Write about a particular character trait that you look to emulate.

I help determined applicants get admitted to top MBA programs. So if you need help in writing your own “Duke Fuqua’s 25 random things about you” essay, let’s chat .

Learn how to answer all Duke Fuqua essay questions with our full school essay guide 2023 - 2024.

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Examples of Our 25 Random Things

If you're a prospective student reading this blog, chances are you're already aware of the "25 Random Things" essay that is part of the application. But how should you approach writing it? Here are some examples from our essays that might help spark some of your own ideas

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25 random things about my section.

The “25 Random Things” admissions essay is one of the not so random ways that Fuqua creates a diverse class of MBA candidates that push each other to grow both personally and academically.

25 Random Things About Us

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How To Answer Fuqua’s ’25 Random Things’ Essay

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It is one of the more unusual essay questions that any business school can ask an applicant: “Share with us your list of “25 Random Things” about YOU.”

The question is a key reason why MBA admission consultants judge Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business as having one of the very best admissions processes that allow the school to know applicants best, second only to Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business. Among the school’s fans is Tyler Cormney, co-founder of  MBA Prep School .

“It’s why I rated Duke as a school that gets to know their applicants well,” he says. “By comparison, Columbia asks for one pleasantly surprising thing and Duke demands 25. It’s pretty telling when an applicant runs out of fun facts after listing only a handful or can’t resist copying in a few resume bullet points. Fuqua’s out to find the fun ones in the bunch, and I’m guessing the MBA experience will be much more fun as a result.”

THREE GREAT EXAMPLES OF 25 RANDOM THINGS

Still, what kinds of answers does Duke expect to see when applicants attempt to list their own 25 random things? The school provides a couple of very good examples from Fuqua MBAs who graduated in the Class of 2013.

Here’s one from Dipesh Shah:

• I was born and raised in the suburbs of Atlanta—specifically Stone Mountain, GA. Stone Mountain is one of the largest pieces of exposed granite in the United States and also the fictional home of Kenneth from the sitcom 30 Rock.
• I am a US citizen by nationality, an Indian-American by ethnicity, and a true Southerner by geography.
• I worked for 5.5 years at Deloitte Consulting doing Human Capital consulting. If you have seen the movie  Office Space , imagine the “Bobs” and you may get a picture of some of my work.
• I have been dating my girlfriend for nearly 8 years.
• My favorite television show in the entire world was  Lost . I was so addicted to the show that my friends had a  Lost  viewing party with T-shirts for the finale.
• I am obsessed with planning and being on time. I wouldn’t say I am OCD but I think 5 minutes early is late.
• I never snooze. When the alarm goes off, I get up.
• I have a nephew, Rushabh, who is the cutest person in the entire world.
• I went to Emory University and graduated with a business degree in marketing and finance. I love Emory!
• I studied abroad in London while in undergrad and I still remember those 6 months as some of the best moments of my entire life. While abroad, I backpacked through Amsterdam, Athens, Corfu, Prague, Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, and Paris.
• I once skipped work with my girlfriend to hear Mark Paul-Gosselaar (Zach Morris from  Saved by the Bell ) speak at my undergrad school. I’d like to think I just said “time-out” and no one knew.
• If I had to describe myself in one word, it would be “goofy.” If I am not the goofiest person in the room, I want to meet that person because we will get along.
• I had an internship this summer at Facebook. It was absurdly awesome.
• I fully intend on winning the lottery one day, buying a private island, and reading books on a hammock while overlooking the ocean.
• I love TV sitcoms and my favorite show right now is  How I Met Your Mother .
• I am pretty passionate about cookies. I love them, specifically chocolate chip and double-stuff Oreos. This fact is on my resume and was asked about multiple times during my interviews.
• My hero is and will forever be my dad. He passed away in 2005, but I aspire to be 10% of what he was, every single day when I wake up.
• I am a vegetarian and proud of it. As far as I know, I have never eaten meat or fish.
• I love to do Karaoke but I am so awful that I have to get a private room to save everyone else’s ears.
• I dig Bikram Yoga (hot yoga) and have been practicing it off and on for a few years.
• I grew the most hideous mustache last year for Fuqua’s Stache Bash. It was disgusting, but I raised $900 for charity!
• My favorite guy movie of all time is  The Rock  and favorite chick flick is  Serendipity . (That’s right … I have a favorite chick flick!)
• I always take the day off on my birthday because who wants to do work on their birthday?!?
• I try to always be positive and high-energy. I think I exhaust people at times.
• I shuffle my feet when I walk so most people hear me coming (and run away … LOL).
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Duke Fuqua MBA Essay Examples

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Duke Fuqua Essay Samples

We asked the former Duke Admissions Officers on our Stacy Blackman Consulting team, “What does Duke Fuqua Admissions look for?” The consensus they shared is, “Duke Admissions hones in on clear, concise and attainable career goals, as its team works very closely with the Career Management Center to ascertain recruit ability. As well, Duke Admissions looks for how you will contribute and fit in with the highly collaborative culture both in and out of the classroom.”

SBC has former Duke MBA Admissions Officers and several additional Duke experts on our team. We know the nuances of applying to Duke Fuqua successfully. If you’d like to speak with one of our Principals about your candidacy, please request a free analysis here.

Successful Examples of Duke Essays

Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team .

HBS Admissions Board at Harvard Business School HBS MBA

HBS Admissions Board at Harvard Business School Kellogg MBA

Director HBS Admissions at Harvard Business School MBA, the Wharton School

HBS Admissions Board at Harvard Business School

Director HBS Admissions at Harvard Business School HBS MBA

Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)

Asst Director MBA Admissions at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) Director MBA Admissions at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business

MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) Minority Admissions, the GSB Diversity Programs, the GSB

Associate Director MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania

Associate Director MBA Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute

Director, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania Professional Writer

Assistant Director MBA Admissions at Columbia Business School (CBS) NYU Admissions

Assistant Director MBA Admissions at Columbia Business School (CBS) M.S.Ed, Higher Education, U of Pennsylvania

Associate Director MBA Admissions at Columbia Business School (CBS)

Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure.  Ashley  holds an MBA from HBS. During her HBS years,  Ashley  was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...

Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS). During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions. Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and  ...

A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally.  Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM.  For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...

Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).  In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds.  Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students.  In additio ...

Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years.  Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...

Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years.  In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee. In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School.  Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...

Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...

Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB). Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...

Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications.  She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics. Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...

Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford.   Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...

Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise. During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year.   Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...

Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies. In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...

Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team.  During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students.  She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...

Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS).  During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...

Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business. At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...

Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director.  Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants.

Having had to create homes away from home in Chicago and New York, I realized I may have found my new home when chatting with several Fuquans during Women’s Leadership Weekend (WLW). I quickly learned that as a Fuquan, it’s impossible to not contribute to the community they call family. What drew me to advertising was the sense of community and distinct culture within the industry. With the late nights in the office over the past several years also came camaraderie, which is exactly what I know I’ll find at Fuqua. During my time in advertising, I was a key player in creating collaborative environments between the agency and clients and within the team, a skill I intend on harnessing during my time at Fuqua both in and out of the classroom.

I plan to jump start my MBA at the Program for Entrepreneurs (P4E) summer kickoff. During P4E, I intend to vet my travel app idea during the “Opportunity Evaluation” course and recruit a team of classmates to help build the app. Additionally, I will become an active member of the Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Club, which will give me the opportunity to better understand how and why startups are funded and meet other entrepreneurs during panel and networking events. In order to fully immerse myself in the entrepreneurial experience, I plan to get involved with Durham’s growing startup community in the Triangle. Building a community within Fuqua and Durham will allow me to integrate the two together and bring more hands-on experience to the classroom.

As a woman of color, I was most impacted by my interactions with the Association of Women in Business (AWIB) during WLW. I plan to prioritize involvement with AWIB because of their commitment to women representation in business and would like to help plan next year’s WLW. All the AWIB members I met were a source of comfort and assurance as I began to navigate the challenging business school process. Mentorship is extremely important to me and, evidently, to the AWIB women who did not hesitate to lend an ear or a helping hand after WLW. As someone who is currently building a new mentorship program for my agency, I am excited to continue my passion for mentorship by seeking out an AWIB Career and Mentorship position. By joining AWIB and its efforts, I aim to provide future prospective students the same sincerity and commitment I had felt at every AWIB event.

As evidenced by my career aspirations, travel is one of my biggest passions and I want to share that with my classmates by becoming a trip lead for the Global Academic Travel Experience (GATE) program. Planning an extensive trip for a large group would expose me to people’s various travel habits, behaviors, and planning approaches – observations that I could leverage as qualitative research for my travel app. Additionally, I would also like to plan a Week-in-Cities trip, like Tech Trek, where my classmates and I could further develop our understanding of the tech industry and network. Participating in experiential learning such as GATE and Week-in-Cities are invaluable opportunities to grow strong relationships with my classmates and to build upon the Fuqua family legacy.

Lastly, food has always given me a chance to connect with people in a more meaningful way, which is why I’m excited to join the Food and Agriculture Club. As a member, I’d like to help organize speaker-series events, such as FoodCon. Additionally, I plan to be a regular at the famous Durham Farmers Market and become a member of Durham’s local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). As current Brooklyn CSA-er, I want to share my love and appreciation for eating locally and seasonally with Fuqua and the broader Durham community.

I am most excited to start my new chapter with Fuqua and Durham because of the one-of-a-kind, tight knit community that they both undeniably offer. Fuqua offers extensive opportunities for me to pursue my passions all while building a strong foundation for business acumen. As someone who has successfully started new beginnings in multiple cities, I have learned how to build my own communities in new environments by embracing change and committing to integration. Ultimately, I intend to be an active member of the Team Fuqua community and I would be happy to call Duke and Durham home.

1. In fifth grade, I dressed up as broccoli for Halloween.

2. I am a creature of habit, so my instinct is to sit in the exact same seat every day. My coworkers joke that stealing my seat regularly and forcing me to sit elsewhere is a key part of my professional development plan.

3. My mom is Jewish, my Dad is Episcopalian, I went to Catholic school for three years, attended a Presbyterian preschool and college, and taught Hebrew school.

4. If I’m going to a new restaurant, I will spend at least fifteen minutes beforehand reading the menu online and picking out what I’m going to order (as well as what I’d like the people I’m going with to order so that I can taste it).

5. For my senior year at college, I lived in an incredibly dirty, loud apartment with four of my best friends, right in the middle of campus. I don’t know if I could ever do it again, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

6. Growing up, I played competitive soccer for thirteen years. Those experiences engrained my work ethic and effectiveness in a team environment.

7. I had terrible shin splints in high school. They got so bad before my junior year that I had to wear air casts on both of my legs for two months – it was a good look!

8. One of my favorite childhood memories is practicing piano while my family’s dog “sang” along while sitting next to me.

9. I grew up in (city) but am somehow freezing 80% of the time in (location). Living in the South for seven years has weakened me!

10. A huge component of what drew me to (college) was the honor code. While most undergraduate institutions have honor codes, the way that (college) emphasizes its importance in our admissions literature and at the beginning of freshmen year makes its influence on academics and student life unique.

11. From childhood through my senior year of high school, I was convinced that I would become a pediatrician. As advanced science classes became less exciting to me, I realized that I was passionate about the idea of this career because it was rooted in helping others and building long-term relationships with patients.

12. My final round interview at Consulting Firm was a three-hour dinner with eight of my future teammates. While it was an exhausting several hours, I love that they wanted to get to know me as a person in addition to assessing whether I would contribute to the firm.

13. I pride myself on never forgetting any family members’ or friends’ birthdays and on being an excellent gift giver.

14. I absolutely love being a middle child as it allows me to experience the best of both worlds. I get to be a role model to my younger brother while having my older sister to look up to.

15. My first job was at a property management firm in the summer between seventh and eighth grade. I called tenants to collect rent that was several weeks overdue – needless to say, it was an abrupt entrance into the working world.

16. In 2007, I spent a weekend canvassing for Obama in Iowa.

17. My friends make fun of me for having terrible taste in music as my choices are eclectic and have no rhyme or reason. The artists of my top 100 “most played songs” on Spotify range from Justin Bieber to Idina Menzel in Frozen.

18. At the end of a stressful day of work, nothing is more relaxing to me than coloring books.

19. When I was fifteen, my eighty-year-old grandmother got married in my backyard. Unfortunately, I fainted in the middle of the ceremony due to dehydration. Fortunately, people thought that it was because I was so overcome with emotion.

20. At airports, I am the annoying person who anxiously lurks around the boarding gate way too far in advance. Upon landing, I stand up from my seat immediately after the fasten seatbelt sign is turned off even though I know I will not move for at least another ten minutes.

21. A few years ago, I started playing tennis regularly. I love participating in a competitive sport again – it relieves any frustration from my day, increases my patience, and helps me to manage stress.

22. My favorite snacks are pop chips dipped in ketchup and sweet potatoes with Greek yogurt.

23. I see tremendous overlap in the values that define Consulting firm and those that are most important to me: integrity, a strong sense of community, an emphasis on the value of hard work, and the importance of supporting those around you.

24. In middle school, my friend and I caught a foul ball together at a MLB game. Every week for the next three years, we would trade off whose house the ball got to “live” in.

25. My family enjoys having long debates over dinner about topics such as whether the Byzantine empire was actually the Roman Empire or a separate entity. This particular gene skipped me as I would prefer to discuss almost anything else!

I attended my first Fuqua Friday with (name), a current student, when I visited campus in March. If I join Team Fuqua, this will certainly become a part of my weekly routine. It was wonderful to see students actively choosing to be together in their free time. Per the “loyal community” paired principle, they are clearly engaging in the full Fuqua experience as I also plan to do. The sense of community at Fuqua Friday was underscored by my concurrent discussion with (name). She told me about the lifelong friendships she’s made at Fuqua, that it is true that students choose to stay on campus over the weekend, and that the “supportive ambition” paired principle is not a myth even in situations when you’re directly competing with your classmates for a role. (Grad), a Fuqua alumnus, described that most of the Fuqua student body live in one of three buildings near campus. This unique, close-knit situation provides the opportunity to build even more meaningful relationships with your peers. I want to be fully immersed and live in this environment at Fuqua.

I will jumpstart my Fuqua experience by participating in the HSM Bootcamp. I will build relationships with classmates in the tight knit, supportive HSM community prior to orientation. The experience will confirm my interest and build foundational healthcare knowledge so that I can take full advantage of the HSM courses to come. Later I aim to work on a Duke University Hospital Experiential Learning Practicum. Given my experience on a range of consulting projects, I am confident in my ability to quickly pick-up key components of my HSM courses and apply them to support my DUH-ELP client. Additionally, I will leverage my ability to effectively build rapport with clients over a short period, collaborate with multiple stakeholders with conflicting priorities, and distill large amounts of information into actionable insights to contribute to my project. Through DUH-ELP, I will make a positive impact on Duke University Hospital, and better prepare myself for my summer internship.

Given my goal to further develop my career in management consulting, I aspire to serve as a co-President of the Consulting Club, leading with a peer who’s focused on larger firms; this will facilitate a balance of perspectives. Through serving as (Consulting) training lead, I have experience leading amongst peers which will create a smooth transition into this role. One priority will be organizing networking and interviewing opportunities for students with midsized consulting firms. Additionally, I want to help prepare classmates taking summer internships in consulting for the first time. At (firm), I created and implemented a best practice checklist to more effectively onboard new consultants to client-facing projects. I’ve thought about the prioritization and simplification of questions to ask and actions to take when entering a new client situation. I will lead a team in gathering input from second years and Fuqua faculty members, synthesizing and streamlining, and creating clear best practice recommendations for new summer consultants. This will strengthen Club resources.

As a member of Team Fuqua, I want to serve as an Admissions Fellow. I was a tour guide in middle school, high school, and at college. I enjoy engaging with prospective students through sharing information on organizations about which I am passionate. At (firm) I take candidates to coffee and show them around the office which I consider to be the adult equivalent of “tour guiding”. I believe in the importance of cultural “fit” and as an Admissions Fellow, I can contribute through helping prospective Fuqua students ascertain this intangible.

I’m also excited to join the Association of Women in Business Club at Fuqua. For my first year at (company), my project teams were primarily comprised of men and therefore I had limited opportunity to identify female role models. This finally changed on my most recent project giving me the opportunity to grow relationships with other women who I can identify with more closely and now look up to immensely. I hope to have this same opportunity through engagement with the Association of Women in Business Club at Fuqua. I plan to contribute to the club through organizing fun events such as “Dinner with Six Strangers” to provide additional opportunities for women from all backgrounds to build relationships with one another.

When I visited campus, I attended a Women in Business coffee run by a current Admissions Fellow. Among many things, (student) discussed learning to work with her C-Lead team which highlighted how Fuqua’s “collective diversity” paired principle comes to life. In one of her team’s first meetings, they discussed a seemingly straightforward topic: “What time would you arrive for a 3:00 meeting and when would you expect the meeting to get started?”. One of her teammates was from Colombia and had a completely different answer to this question than (student)– with a variance of 20 minutes! What would be a clear-cut conversation amongst most groups that I’ve been a part of turned into a nuanced discussion about cultural norms and effective ways of working in a diverse group. At Fuqua, I want to absorb as many of these learnings as possible while having the opportunity to contribute my own background and experiences.

Fuqua’s location in a smaller city appeals to me and it will be great to explore local restaurants with Fuqua’s Culinary Club. I’d also love to contribute through joining Fuqua On Board, with the aim of serving a non-profit working to reduce the inequity in our education system. The program’s focus on mentorship will demonstrate how to benefit organizations through impactful board membership. I will also contribute the learnings from my leadership-focused Fuqua courses and experiences serving on the Junior Board of the (organization) to add a fresh perspective.

Following my day on campus and conversations with current students and alumni, I am confident that Fuqua’s people, culture, location, and opportunity to be both supported and challenged is the right place for my MBA. I will engage with and contribute to the Fuqua community in the same way that I’ve impacted organizations I’ve loved so much in the past, ultimately leaving Fuqua an even better place than I found it.

1. I have been to 23 countries on four continents. One of my favorites was a safari in Botswana because for the first time I was completely disconnected – no internet, no cell phones. As a result, I truly detached and enjoyed the beauty of the nature and animals around me. My goal is to hit 30 countries by age 30!

2. In college I won the Founders Award and a $500 monetary prize for best analytical historical paper at Emory, writing on the transition from courtship to dating in 1920s America. Ever since my high school American History class, I’ve been fascinated by the role gender has played throughout history.

3. When I was 15, I desired to see the world beyond my hometown of Cleveland. After researching study abroad programs, I lobbied my parents and school to allow me to take part in a non-school sponsored program where I spent a semester living with a French family and attending French school. The experience greatly impacted me; it ignited a sense of curiosity and passion for meeting new people and seeing parts of the world different than my own.

4. In high school, I spent a summer volunteering in Costa Rica, helping run a day camp for underprivileged children. As a result of our team’s efforts, we were awarded “Visitante Distinguida” (distinguished visitor) by the Mayor in a televised ceremony for outstanding community service.

5. I started an international food and wine club with my friends; each month we pick an international location and make food and bring wine from that region. I always try to make recipes that I have never made before. Some group favorites include chicken saltimbocca and quiche frommage.

6. In undergrad I was elected as a Campus Visit Coordinator. I met weekly with the Director of Admissions to discuss applicants and planned three Admitted Student Weekends. I loved getting to know each applicant and determining who would be a good fit for the program – it was my own way of leaving my legacy at Emory!

7. I went to one of the world’s largest camel and livestock fairs in the world in a desert in Pushkar, India. I was amazed by the literally thousands of camels along with nomadic people and gypsies.

8. My sister and I both love to bike and travel. We’ve meshed the two and gone on international biking trips in the Loire Valley, France, Tuscany, Italy, and the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. My favorite trip was to Cario because my grandparents are from Egypt; it was a great way to connect with that part of my culture.

9. I am the proud aunt of two-year-old little Peter, who lives in Spain with my sister and her husband. While I do not speak much Spanish, I think learning a foreign language at a young age is an incredible opportunity; so whenever I visit, I love playing games with him so that we can both learn Spanish.

10. I am actively involved with the Girls Scouts Association in Atlanta, GA For its 100th anniversary, my team successfully raised $10,000 for scholarships for underprivileged students in the Atlanta. area. As a result, I was elected as the youngest member on the Executive Board.

11. I recently volunteered for Soul Fiesta, an annual block party in my neighborhood that celebrates heritage and culture among low income Latino and African American neighbors. I helped run carnival games with the children and served food from some of the neighbors’ native homes, such as Salvadorian and Mexican cuisine. I enjoyed volunteering for an event that promotes different cultures, especially amongst my neighbors.

12. I love few things more than trying a new restaurant. I have a running Excel spreadsheet with lists of restaurants in different cities (D.C., New York, Atlanta, Nashville, San Francisco, etc.), broken down into type of cuisine, location, setting and price. I am considered the go-to resource for restaurants!

13. My favorite part of my job after completing the quarterly valuations of my portfolio companies, is getting to present my findings at the quarterly Board meeting to the Board and C-Suite level executives. I feel excited when presenting, and enjoy learning from this level of executives.

14. I taught a Financial Literacy class in the Bronx to underprivileged elementary and middle school children. I found it rewarding to help young students begin to understand the importance of their finances.

15. My favorite book is Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers, which argues that the most successful people in our time achieved this status due to a combination of hard work and being in the right place at the right time. I have tried to live my life to this effect, by not only working steadfastly, but also by putting myself in positions to take advantage of any opportunity if it should arise.

16. I’m an active member of Emory’s Alumni Association. I was drawn to Emory by the strong sense of community and school spirit.

17. I love to smile and laugh…my high school superlative was for “Best Smile!”

18. Growing up, I was the baker in my family and always had freshly baked treats ready to go. Some personal favorites include coconut cupcakes, homemade brownies and apple pie.

19. I really enjoy getting in a workout – whether it’s going for a run, spin or barre class. Working out makes me feel healthy and that I’ve accomplished something strictly for myself.

20. I love dancing too. In high school I directed and choreographed my Spanish club’s salsa dance at the cultural extravaganza.

21. Emory doesn’t have a business major, so despite knowing before college that I eventually wanted an MBA, I chose to major in History because I loved writing and had a great high school history teacher. I never realized at age 16 just how much my high school teacher would impact such important decisions.

22. I don’t like sitting at my desk all day never interacting with anyone. I am definitely a people person!

23. Going to India on a cultural expedition was one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life. I found that it was a place of contrasts – 30 foot high piles of trash on the side of the roads, set against spice markets or beautiful cloths and silks that were so full of color and life. I also saw the contrast between the rich and the poor, and the divergence amongst the two.

24. I studied abroad in Paris and became close friends with three other girls from across the States I never would have met without this program. Every time we get together now, we start the weekend cooking French food like crepes.

25. In college I was hand-selected by Emory’s Chancellor Goldman to take a class he taught on the Federalist Papers. Every week for a semester, ten of us met in his office to discuss the Founding Fathers of our country. It was one of my favorite classes because I think it spoke to how involved the Chancellor wanted to be in the school. With this in mind, I am also impressed that Fuqua’s Dean Bill Boulding continues to teach classes in addition to his duties as Dean.

Throughout my application process, family, friends and colleagues have asked me why I want to attend Fuqua. I always share with them that Fuqua is my first choice for all the following reasons:

Anyone who knows me well already understands my passion for travel. I have studied abroad in France and Mexico four times, and have also traveled extensively through Europe, Central America and parts of Asia and Africa. I find being in new places, surrounded by people with different backgrounds and culture, to be absolutely invigorating. Those who know me will also tell you that my career goal is to follow this passion, becoming a Management Consultant for a company like Bain in its Travel, Hospitality & Leisure practice. After gaining the skillset necessary at a larger firm, I plan to transition to a smaller, niche consulting firm in the industry, eventually achieving the rank of Partner. There, I will lead the practice to ultimately help our clients offer rewarding travel experiences.

Academically, Fuqua is the best place for me to achieve my goals. While as a CPA I have a solid understanding of accounting, Fuqua’s rigorous foundation within the general management core disciplines and variety of teaching methods will give me a more well-rounded skillset. I also am drawn to the emphasis on teamwork because after having spent considerable time working on teams during graduate school and at EY, I enjoy collaborating with a diverse range of people; I believe that working together is the best way for me to learn and solve problems. While at Fuqua I plan to earn concentrations in both Strategy and Management, which will provide me with the skills I need to excel in my career in management consulting. I am excited to take classes like Strategy Implementation with Professor Joao De Figueiredo and International Strategy with Professor Arie Lewin; the former will teach me how to broadly execute strategies to successfully deliver value to my clients, and the latter will help me to better understand some of the specific nuances and global challenges my Travel & Leisure clients might face. The Fuqua Client Consulting Practicum also offers a unique opportunity to tailor my education, and I hope to pursue a project aimed at solving a Travel & Leisure company’s real-world issues. I also tell my family, friends and colleagues how excited I am to participate in Fuqua’s Global Academic Travel Experience, and my desire to travel somewhere new like China. Learning firsthand about all aspects of China’s business, politics, economics and culture will prove extremely useful when I am staffed on engagements for Asian hospitality companies. As a whole, GATE will give me greater exposure to international businesses, which is crucial for my desired career path.

Outside of the classroom, Fuqua has all of the professional extra-curriculars in which I am interested. I am excited to join the Consulting Club, and aim to eventually become a Cabinet Member of the organization, so that I may facilitate networking and coordinate case interview preparation with other members. I also plan to be involved with the International Business Club, which will help me learn more about international business opportunities and connect with fellow students from different countries, learning about some of their personal travel experiences both in the U.S. and overseas. Finally, I will become a member of The Association of Women in Business, because coming from the male-dominated field of private equity, I appreciate some of the unique challenges women face in the workplace. I want to surround myself with people who are supportive of one another.

Fuqua on Board is another program that personally excites me about Fuqua. I am a member of the Executive Board for Girl Scouts Association (GSA), a non-profit that provides educational events for GSA members and raises money for scholarships. Serving on a non-profit board through Fuqua on Board will enable me to continue my involvement with a non-profit, further develop my leadership abilities and allow me to give back to the Durham community in a way that’s meaningful to me.

Arguably what I am most excited to tell my family, friends and colleagues about matriculating at Duke is the resounding sense of Team Fuqua that permeates throughout the student body. When looking at undergraduate colleges, I was drawn to Emory’s strong sense of school spirit, which ultimately drove me to be actively involved both in and out of the classroom. This spirit is also what has propelled my strong involvement as a current member of the Emory Alumni Association. I appreciate the unquantifiable benefits of an active and spirited school body and am looking for a similar engagement with my MBA program. Speaking with Jason DeValdenebro, a Fuqua first-year and former undergraduate school classmate and friend, he relayed that Fuqua’s sense of school spirit is palpable, and noted that Fuqua’s emphasis on collaboration and teamwork is similar to that of Emory. I felt this sense of school spirit firsthand during my visit to Fuqua, where everyone from my tour guide to the students on the Curriculum Panel seemed genuinely excited about Fuqua. This made me even more thrilled to be there than I already was. My visit also allowed me to truly envision myself as a Fuqua student, and daydream about what my life would be like, the sorts of classes I would take and the lifelong friends that I would make.

When the people who matter to me most ask me “Why Fuqua?” it is not always a quick answer, despite being one I am truly excited to give. Academically, Fuqua offers the best of both worlds for me – a solid general management foundation, with countless options to tailor my studies to prepare me for Management Consulting within the Travel & Leisure space. Outside of the classroom Fuqua offers the extracurriculars that excite me both professionally and personally, including Consulting Club and Fuqua on Board. Finally, Fuqua’s spirited and collaborative student body are intangible assets unique to Fuqua that excite me not only about starting my MBA program at Fuqua, but also about giving back to Team Fuqua for many years beyond.

SBC’s star-studded consultant team is unparalleled. Our clients benefit from current intelligence that we receive from the former MBA Admissions Officers from Kellogg, Booth and every elite business program in the US and Europe.  These MBA Admissions Officers have chosen to work exclusively with SBC.

Just two of the many superstars on the SBC team: Meet Beth who held the position of Director of Admissions for Kellogg’s Full Time MBA program selecting candidates for the 2-year, 1-year, MMM and JD MBA programs.

Meet Kim , who was an Senior Associate Director of Admissions at Chicago Booth.

Tap into this inside knowledge for your MBA applications by requesting a consultation .

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Learn about our all-in service, meet the sbc consulting team.

(323) 934-3936 info@StacyBlackman.com

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