A 7 min read

Known for recruiting a diverse cohort of accomplished candidates from around the globe, Duke Fuqua stresses on the philosophy of team building and collaboration throughout the learning experience offered by its Full-Time MBA course.  That’s what ‘Team Fuqua’ stands for. Appreciated by Forbes as one of the most internationally focused schools in the US, Duke Fuqua often makes it to the list of top-ranked top B-schools in world.

With an  acceptance rate of just over 22% , Duke Fuqua considers a number of parameters to select the best of the lot applying for a seat at this coveted B-school. The ask for an essay on “your list of 25 Random things about YOU”, says a lot about how you are judged by the admissions committee at Fuqua. You will find the application instructions for Duke Fuqua here.

The first step which can take you one step closer to studying at Duke Fuqua is a GMAT score good enough to help you qualify for the interview stage.  You can read more about the weightage of GMAT scores in an application here.

By analysing past trends and applicant-data of the latest incoming class, we have tried to determine a good GMAT score for Duke Fuqua.

Here’s what you will read next:

• 5-year GMAT score trend of Duke Fuqua
  • Methodology
  • Observations
  • Inference
• What is a good GMAT score for Duke Fuqua
• What is a good GMAT score for Indians applying to Duke Fuqua

5-year GMAT score trend for Duke Fuqua

To estimate a good GMAT score for any B-school, our first step is to take a quick look at the 5-year trend report of the average scores of the incoming classes.

Here’s a summary of the average GMAT scores of the incoming classes of Duke Fuqua from 2014 to 2018.

From 690 in 2014, the average GMAT score for batches at Duke Fuqua has risen to 704 in 2018.  In one of our previous articles on what is a good GMAT score we have explained a simple 5-step process to be able to approximate a good score for any of the top B-schools.

As per the process, adding 20 points to the average GMAT score of the latest batch should give us an ideal score. This leads us to a score of 720+ for Duke Fuqua.  However, for a more accurate estimate, this article will cover a thorough analysis of the scores and results of the latest batch of applicants to this B-school.

If you are applying to other business schools as well, you might want to take a look at the 5-year GMAT score trend report of 50 top US and European business schools

 

Methodology

In order to determine a good GMAT score for Duke Fuqua, we will refer to the  Duke Fuqua decision tracker page. Several candidates who applied for the class of 2021, have updated their data on gmatclub and in this article we have analysed the same.

This will help us perform a deeper analysis of scores of actual candidates who were invited for interviews and those who finally made it to Fuqua.

 

Observations

• Maximum invites are for scores in the range of 690 to 740 with the invite rate being above 60% for scores in this range.
• GMAT score 700 witnessed a notably high invite rate of 95% with 19 out of 20 applicants receiving admission and 13 being finally admitted to Fuqua
• For a score of 740, only 2 out of 8 invited applicants were admitted
• The interview rate for all scores above 690 has been over 60% except for GMAT score 750 for which the invite rate is 50%- with just 6 out of 12 applicants receiving an invite
• The conversion rate (admission to interview ration) does not show an increasing trend as we move up the ladder from 690. However, exceptionally high GMAT scores 770 and 780 witness a 100% conversion rate
• While the number of applicants decreases below a score of 690, the invite rates and conversion rates are high even for lower scores- 4 out of 5 applicants with a GMAT score 670 make it to Fuqua. Also for scores 640 and 620, 2 out of 3 applicants made the cut in each case.
• No applicant with a score below 620 received an admit in Duke Fuqua.

 

Inference

As per our observations, a score in the range of 690 to 740 is a good GMAT score for Duke Fuqua.

GMAT score 690 almost serves as an ideal cut off, above which the interview performance, diversity and the application score take preference in determining whether you will make it to this esteemed institute or not.

For those scoring in this range, it is crucial to focus on other parameters of the application process.

As we can see many applicants with a much higher GMAT score could not get an admission letter, while many others with lower scores were offered admission by Duke Fuqua, it hence becomes mandatory for all applicants to work on their complete profile.

Here are 10 ways to boost your MBA profile

Our analysis would be incomplete without exploring the scores of candidates who got waitlisted in the interview process. Here’s a quick look:

As per the data available to us, around 52 applicants were waitlisted. From this list, 6 applicants received an admission offer with scores 730(2), 720(2), 710(2) and 660(1).  As is evident, only 1 candidate with a score lower than 710 received an admit, which highlights the importance of scoring above 710.

We have talked about  some interesting ways to get off the MBA waitlist in one of our previous articles.

What is a good GMAT score for Duke Fuqua

From the above observations and inferences, a score of 720 or higher is a good GMAT score for Duke Fuqua.

However, while a score above 720 gives you an edge over other applicants, if you are scoring anything above 700, you should be pulling up your socks to get ready for the next rounds in the admission process and ensure you give it your best shot.

 

What is a good GMAT score for Indians applying to Duke Fuqua

We specially introduced this section in this article-series for our Indian friends who belong to an over-represented candidate pool, and who internally compete with some of the best GMAT scorers in the world.

And so, as a part of our analysis let’s look at the GMAT scores of Indian candidates who applied to Duke Fuqua for the incoming class of 2021.