At Menlo Coaching, we admire Duke’s Fuqua School of Business for their emphasis on the cultural fit between the applicants and Fuqua’s MBA program.
David White, founding partner of Menlo Coaching, sat down with Fuqua’s Associate Dean for Admissions Shari Hubert to discuss what kind of an applicant is a good fit for Fuqua’s MBA program, and what prospective students should expect from Fuqua’s culture.
This interview includes discussion of the following topics:
You can watch more from David and Shari, with topics including The Fuqua Decency Quotient, Why Get a Fuqua MBA? Careers After Duke’s B-School, and Opportunities for International MBA Students at Duke Fuqua.
Ready to start your application? Apply to Fuqua.
Duke’s Fuqua School of Business is eager to admit applicants who fit in well with the culture of their collaborative MBA program. Typically, these candidates demonstrate the capability of making their own personal transformation, as well as that of others. These are the students who are not solely focused on grades, but are also engaged outside the classroom and contribute to the Fuqua—and larger, Duke University—community.
To determine whether you would be a good fit within the Fuqua MBA class, it’s important to get to know the school on multiple levels. Understanding more about the Fuqua MBA program, and what is has to offer, allows you to imagine yourself as a Duke student as well as envision what could come after. From the curriculum to the community, this prestigious business school has several advantages.
The Fuqua admissions committee recommends that students interested in applying to Fuqua should definitely plan to make a campus visit. An in-person visit may be the best way to get to know Fuqua, however, not everyone has the time or means to visit Duke’s beautiful campus. For those prospective applicants, there are other options available to help you make an informed decision.
Very! Earning a competitive GMAT or GRE score is critical for admission to top MBA programs (competitive meaning 90th percentile or higher) . That’s partly because a high score reflects your potential to succeed in the classroom—and it’s also because business schools rely on high test scores to maintain their position in the rankings.
As with everything else MBA-related, at Menlo Coaching, we take a practical, no-nonsense approach to GMAT and GRE prep. Our curriculum is based on 100% official material and is designed to help you earn a high score in as little time as possible. So if you’re applying for a top MBA program, let us help you get started on the right foot.
As part of their MBA, students at Fuqua go through a robust curriculum to prepare them for successful careers after completion of the program. Fuqua’s MBA curriculum places a special emphasis on the importance of networking.
Fuqua’s curriculum teaches students to use their network to navigate the job search process. Stave Dalton, senior career consultant and associate director at Fuqua, wrote “The 2-hour Job Search” to explain and simplify this process.
Fuqua requires students to complete a range of assignments even before they begin their MBA. Among redesigning their resumes in the Fuqua format, students are asked to think about their accomplishments, the things they are passionate about, and their strengths.
The Fuqua program also ensures that students are equipped with a wealth of information regarding each specific industry including consulting, investment banking, and tech, among others. After completing Fuqua’s rigorous curriculum, students are knowledgeable and informed about the critical companies and roles in each sector.
Employer and employment development at the Fuqua School of Business is constantly underway through the sector directors and career coaches, who are supported by an entire operations team. As part of this development process, students are encouraged to think about things like their brand image and how to manage their brand and presence online.
As discussed in the first part of our interview with Ms. Hubert, the Fuqua culture and curriculum generates an MBA class full of humble, smart, and pleasant people, who are able to successfully steer differences found in group dynamics towards a unified goal. This civility is evaluated through the Decency Quotient, and there is a strong belief at Fuqua that the “DQ” helps increase students’ employability.
The DQ curriculum at Fuqua aims to prepare its students for the challenges faced by leaders in today’s society. Starting next year, Fuqua is introducing three new courses to its mandatory summer institute program.
Through these three courses, the Fuqua MBA interweaves the Decency Quotient into its curriculum and arms its graduates with the soft skills needed to succeed in a leadership role.
David White
Founding Partner
Education: BA
David studied at UC Berkeley and worked as a tech industry professional, including stints at Yahoo! and Efficient Frontier, before co-founding Menlo Coaching. He has been listed among Poets & Quants’ Best Admissions Consultants and featured for his expertise—and tell-it-like-it-is attitude—in publications like The Wall Street Journal and MBA.com.
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