Duke Fuqua MBA program that seeks ‘leaders of consequence’ is known for a culture that is “more supportive, more collaborative, more immersive and more diverse.”Fuqua has made a few minor changes to the 2022-23 application. The word limits for Essay 2 and the optional essay have been increased from 300 words to 500 words. Allison Jamison, Assistant Dean of Admissions, explains the reasons for the changes: “We wanted to be sure applicants had the space needed to be able to explain not just what activities or groups they want to be involved in, but why they want to be involved with them. So take advantage of the additional space!” Additionally, the 25 random things essay now comes with a word limit of 750 words.
Fuqua continues to require one LOR. You may also submit one optional LOR.
Reapplicants can replicate their application from last year, but they can update any information they like. Reapplicants also have the option of submitting one or two new letters of recommendation if they wish.
In this article, Poonam Tandon from myEssayReview, who has been helping students with their MBA applications since 2011, shares her tips on the Duke Fuqua MBA essay for the 2023 intake. But, let’s first take a look at the essay guidelines and application deadlines.
Guidelines for the Fuqua MBA Essay Questions 2022-23
The basic guidelines for all the Duke Fuqua MBA Essays are as follows:
- You are required to use 1.5-line spacing, and the font size should not be smaller than 10-points.
- Respond concisely and fully
- Do not repeat the questions in the essay document that you upload with your application
- There is a word-limit/length required for each essay prompt:
- Two Short answer questions ā 500-character equivalent to 100 words each
- Two Long answer questions ā Not more than two pages each
- Optional Essay ā One page
- Re-applicants Essay ā Not more than two pages
- Do not copy-paste your responses as all the essays are scanned using plagiarism detection software
- The short question responses should be written in the space provided on the Duke MBA application form
- The applicant needs to upload the long question responses, where they would be able to preview their answers once the document is uploaded.
Application Deadlines 2022-23: Duke Fuqua MBA Program
The following are the deadlines for the Duke Fuqua Full-time MBA program:
| Round | Application Deadline | Interview Decision Sent | Final Decision Release | Deposit Deadline |
| Early Action | Sep. 7, 2022 | Sep. 22, 2022 | Oct. 20, 2022 | Dec. 5, 2022 |
| Round 1 | Sep. 26, 2022 | Oct. 26, 2022 | Dec. 8, 2022 | Feb. 21, 2023 |
| Round 2 | Jan. 5, 2023 | Feb. 1, 2023 | Mar. 10, 2023 | Apr. 24, 2023 |
| Round 3 | Mar. 28, 2023 | Apr. 12, 2023 | May. 2, 2023 | May. 15, 2023 |
Learn more about the Dukeās Fuqua School of Business MBA Program Class Profile, Employment Reports, and Notable Alumni.
Duke MBA Essays Analysis and Tips
The Duke Fuqua MBA program made a few changes in the essay questions this year. The first longer response question, the iconic 25 random things remains unchanged.
But, the required length of the second longer response essay has been reduced from two pages to only 300 words. Additionally, the short answer questions have also been further revised this year.
Instead of two short questions, the candidates will be answering only one short answer question this year. The three essays allow applicants to cover a lot of ground about their personal and professional traits and accomplishments.
The first required essay is Duke’s favorite for many years- ’25 Random Things about Yourself’ prompt; the second essay prompt asks applicants about their ‘fit’ with ‘Team Fuqua’, while the third one asks them about their post-MBA goal and their alternate plan.
Required Short Answer Question
Instructions: Answer the following question in 500 characters only (the equivalent of about 100 words).
What are your post-MBA career goals? Share with us your first-choice career plan and your alternate plan. (500 characters, or about 100 words)
For this question, you will elaborate on your post-MBA career goals as well as your alternate plans if your first-choice plans do not materialize. Please identify the position that you hope to hold immediately after your MBA, specifying your role, position, industry, and 1-2 organizations/companies for which you would like to work for. Articulate your goal and explain why this goal is interesting and important to you. Please note that your post-MBA goal shows a logical progression from your current skill set, and skills and knowledge acquired through an MBA degree. Also, make sure that your goals are ambitious as well as realistic.
Then think about your plan B. Duke admits that ‘life is full of uncertainties, and you may come across situations that might prevent you from realizing your post-MBA goals. So you must be prepared for plan B. Please make sure that your alternative career path is not an altogether different path that does not allow you to leverage your skills and experience to the fullest. It should be in alignment with your experience, skills, and knowledge gained from your MBA education.
First Required Essay: 25 Random Things About Yourself
Instructions: 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 two pages.
For context: Fuqua believes different types of people, points of view, and experiences bring out the best in everyone. And above all, we place a premium on succeeding while making a positive impact on businesses, organizations, and the world.
These ways of thinking set the Duke MBA experience apart, and this concept 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 youābeyond 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.
This question about ‘a list of 25 random things’ about applicants is Duke’s favorite for many years. It is my favorite, as well. For years, I have enjoyed working with applicants on this question as it offers me a glimpse into the ‘fun’ side of their personalities.
As stated in the essay prompt, the purpose of this question is to get to know youābeyond the professional and academic achievements listed in your resume and transcript. This means that the admission committee wants you to share with them your ‘important life experiences, your likes/dislikes, hobbies, achievements, fun facts or anything that helps them understand who you are as a person“.
Thus, the purpose of this essay is to show the admission committee your multidimensional personality.
Over the years, I have noticed that the candidates initially find this question a little daunting and are tempted to discuss their professional accomplishments, but when they dig deeper and begin brainstorming ideas about unique and exciting things about themselves, and the unique personal experiences that have made them who they are, they start enjoying this process of self-discovery.
I advise them to do these brainstorming sessions with their family and friends and ask them what they find interesting and funny about them.
Please note that the word ‘random’ allows you to include little fun things that you have done or are doing in your day-to-day life, your hobbies/ habits that have become an integral part of your personality.
The unique component of this essay question is the “fun” part of it. So you don’t need to get too serious about yourself. You want to share something about you that draws your reader in.
Also, please resist the temptation of drifting away from your accomplishments, career goals, or leadership experiences because this is NOT what the Admission Committee seeks to know about you through this question. For ideas, you may refer to the following examples on Duke Website:
Examples of “25 Random Things”
Bottom Line: Be Yourself
Second Required Essay: The Fuqua community and you
Instructions: Your response should be no more than 300 words.
Fuqua prides itself on cultivating a culture of engagement. Our students enjoy a wide range of student-led organizations that provide opportunities for leadership development and personal fulfillment, as well as an outlet for contributing to society. Our student-led government, clubs, centers, and events are an integral part of the student culture and are vital to providing you with a range of experiential learning and individual development experiences.
Based on your understanding of the Fuqua culture, how do you see yourself engaging in and contributing to our community, outside of the classroom?
This essay is primarily about your contribution to the school. Duke emphasizes greatly on how their students will make their community more productive. Hence for this question, you must do your homework and research the school thoroughly.
You need to think beyond your contribution to the classroom and discuss how your involvement in clubs, organizations, and student communities will add value to the program.
In addition to understanding the school’s resources (curriculum, faculty, clubs, organizations, and student activities) through the website, you should reach out to alumni and current students to gain additional insights about the school’s culture and resources.
Please note that it is vital to support your claims about your potential contribution to specific clubs and organizations by specific examples from your past experiences- personal or professional- in the given area.
In order to demonstrate your ‘fit’ with the program, you must showcase what you have done in the past and how you will be a strong contributor to Duke as a student and as an alumnus.
Allison Jamison’s advice: “Our second essay will still ask you about how you plan to engage with the Fuqua community, but we would like you to limit it to the three most meaningful ways you expect to engage as a student. While there are so many opportunities available, one of the first skills you must develop as a student is how to prioritize what’s most important to you. There will also be a 300-word limit on this essay. Again, we hope this change helps you to focus on things that spark your interest, while also providing the Admissions Committee with helpful insights into the unique contributions you will bring to the class.”
Optional Essay: Tell us more
If you feel there are circumstances of which the Admissions Committee should be aware, please explain them in an optional essay (such as unexplained gaps in work, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance), please describe them in an optional essay.
Please do NOT upload additional essays nor additional recommendations in this area of the application and limit your response to one page.
As instructed in the essay prompt, submit the optional essay only if you have to explain extenuating circumstances. (e. g, “unexplained gaps in work, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance“).
If you have a low GPA or less than ideal GMAT, or if you are not able to get a recommendation from your current supervisor, or if you have an employment gap, you may address these concerns in your optional essay. Your weakness may also bring out a positive aspect of your personality. This essay should convey that you are aware that these are areas of concern in your application, but, whenever possible, you have made a sincere effort to improve upon these areas.
If you do not have any of those areas to explain, it is best to skip this question and focus only on the required three essays.
About the author
Poonam, one of the top 5 most reviewed consultants on the GMAT Club, is a master storyteller with more than three decades of experience in successfully helping students craft compelling stories for undergraduate and graduate school programs.
A Ph.D. in English, with three decades of teaching experience in India and the US, Poonam launched myEssayReview (MER) in 2011 to provide highly personalized and dedicated consulting services to Business School applicants. Since then, she has helped hundreds of students around the world get into top MBA, EMBA, part-time MBA, and specialized graduate programs. A full-time consultant, Poonam is passionate about her work and is highly committed to each of her studentsā success.
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