I will teach you how to bring your life stories to essays faster with F1GMAT's essay guides. Download below or subscribe to F1GMAT's Service and work with me - Atul Jose, Author/Editor/Founding Consultant, F1GMAT(16 Years of helping applicants gain admissions to M7 and Top 30 schools) Based on your understanding of the Fuqua culture, how do you see yourself engaging in and contributing to our community outside of the classroom? (300 Words Maximum)
Tip #1: Hint is in the Question
The first part of the question has clues on what to highlight in the essay: student-led clubs, events, and centers. You should always choose the experiential learning modules and leadership initiatives that would have an immediate impact on your post-MBA career.
Tip #2: Professional + Talent + Passion + Non-Profit + Global Experiential Learning
Not all your potential contribution has to be aligned with a post-MBA goal. Even though almost all engagements require some form of consulting, causes that you believe in can be found in Duke Fuqua’s student organizations.
Diversity Clubs
• Asian Business Club: attracts candidates who are interested in Asian cultures and in developing a network in Asia. The club also invites candidates who would like to guide Asian students with opportunities in the US.
• Adam Smith Society: encourages debate and discussion on topics that are wide-ranging from Business, Entrepreneurship, or issues affecting the society at large.
• Arts @ Fuqua: promotes artistic expression through hosted events or the creative expressions the students share.
• Badminton Club: connects candidates interested in the sports of Badminton
• Cocktail and Spirits Club: coordinates bar crawls along Chapel Hill & Raleigh while providing educational classes on preparing cocktails.
• Blockchain Club: Evolved from a disruptive to an essential settlement technology in banking services, blockchain is still in its infancy with the potential to fork into technologies based on the industry and the startups working on the concept. The club offers education on the technology, develops hands-on learning skills, and provide networking opportunities.
• Consulting Club: The club is a pivotal launchpad for career switchers and a networking and leadership platform for career enhancers. They provide guidance and tools for students interested in the consulting industry.
• Design and Innovation Club: Design thinking has evolved from an idea to a competitive differentiator. The club exposes students to a broad range of ideas at the intersection of Design, Innovation, and Business.
• Energy Club: Another strong point of Duke, the club covers all aspects of the energy industry, including technology and finance, with forums like the annual Energy Conference to address energy-related issues leaders & companies are trying to solve. Last year has not been great for exciting candidates to enter the Energy industry as 1 or only 1% of the latest class chose the industry. But indirectly, through consulting, technology, and finance, candidates would solve interesting non-renewable to renewable transitioning and financing problems.
Complete Analysis of the Clubs with F1GMAT's Duke Fuqua MBA Essay Guide
Experiential Learning
Global Academic Travel Experience (GATE)
Duke Fuqua's travel learning experience is fulfilled through The Global Academic Travel Experience (GATE) - an elective program that captures ..
Fuqua Client Consulting Practicum (FCCP)
With the majority of the latest class choosing Consulting, the Fuqua Client Consulting Practicum (FCCP) is the bridge that helps candidates transition ..
Complete Analysis of the Experiential Learning with F1GMAT's Duke Fuqua MBA Essay Guide
The Program for Entrepreneurs (P4E)
The reality is that - in most top MBA programs, the percentage of candidates pursuing Entrepreneurship in the short-term is small. Duke Fuqua team realized the trend and designed P4E for any student interested in Entrepreneurship or working with start-ups in the short-term or long-term. The program is divided into three interest groups: Project Management, Team Member, and Entrepreneurs. This way, everybody has a role to play, and work with mentors from Life Sciences, Technology, Medical Devices, Internet, Gaming, and Media & Marketing. The experience gives candidates a peek into the challenges of the start-ups in the growth industries. By solving problems faced by startups, candidates will be ready to work on similar challenges in established companies that tend to lag behind innovators.
Fuqua on Board (FOB)
For those who want to combine their consulting expertise with IMPACT, The Fuqua on Board (FOB) program is a platform that connects them to Durham’s non-profits. The one-year partnership helps students address the problem faced by non-profits and gain governance experience and business skills necessary to understand operations/strategic challenges. The services offered at FOB are mostly board-related and not operational. With a written application and an interview, students are matched to non-profits where they can utilize their pre-MBA experience and apply concepts learned on leadership.
Tip #3: Connect an interesting problem you solved outside your Professional engagement with Duke Fuqua's student clubs or volunteering
Many applicants who want to pivot into consulting from Technology or Finance quote an example where they helped a friend in the SMB sector with a strategic or an operational problem. COVID-19 presents several such opportunities. If you had one such example where you helped a neighborhood store find a digital presence or overcome the supply chain shock, quote it here. Be Specific on the solution and share how the lessons could be applicable for the engagements in Durham.
Tip #4: Connect the non-profit or Entrepreneurial initiative you started with the initiative at Duke Fuqua
The examples can be as diverse as starting a Drama club or Debate competition for underprivileged students in building a Healthcare App that nudged low-income households to plan their meal at the lowest cost. It could also be your hands-on experience in bringing real change - book distribution, tutoring during weekends, or campaigning for healthy living. Cite examples that highlight a complementary skill.
For Finance/Accounting professional, public-facing roles - marketing, teaching, and Sales or extra-curricular - acting, standup, music, debating, sports, or other creative public performance.
For Marketing/Sales professional, strategic planning.
You get the idea.
Tip #5: Innovative Solution Relevant for Duke Fuqua
This example requires some homework. You have to scavenge through Duke Fuqua's blog, network with the current students, and find at least 3-4 big roadblocks in going remote or other challenges that limit their learning. Any example, through a non-profit where you introduced an innovative solution - technology, process, or incentive that maximized say learning among students who would otherwise not be engaged is one good example.
I have seen a client share the experience of producing a mini-series that explains quantum physics with the characters represented as sub-atomic particles. Needless to say, kids loved it and retained it like a sponge.
Think about such innovative solutions you worked on. It could also be from your professional engagement.
