“I purchased the Essay guide after struggling with my 25 random things about me list. The life examples of widely different profiles and their journey helped me see ways in which I could capture my uniqueness. I very much enjoyed the notion of using humor and quirkiness in the list. Each entry was an exercise in finding stories from routine examples that were not routine for an outsider. I chose the entries that were part magic and part chaos, mixed them up, and by the 3rd hour of referring to the list in the book, I was done with my 25 random things questions. Whoohoo! Thank you for the lovely book!” – Verified Purchase (Duke Fuqua Daytime MBA 2023 Entering Class)
“I really felt Duke Essay Guide presents different ways in which community engagement can be presented as a narrative. My favorite section was the summary and value of each student club. It forced me to carefully connect my past engagements with the value proposition. Instead of dreading to create stories out of ordinary events, I accepted my life's unique developments. Adding elements of the story from the book, I challenged the reviewer's perception of a place, event, or expectations from my journey. This strategy was the 'secret' to the book's examples, where each entry from the 25 random lists felt like a story in itself. A worthwhile read for anyone struggling to complete the application for Duke. ” – Verified Purchase (Duke Fuqua Daytime MBA 2023 Entering Class)
“There are two perspectives to gain from reading the book: as a guide to writing the goals & community essay and an inspiration to understand the strategies to write the 25 random things examples. The examples in the list were an exercise in remembering that brief life moment that was surreal but offered truths about life's beauty, randomness, and limits. I enjoyed explaining my travel experiences and encounters with grief and isolation during the first cycle of the pandemic. The role models cited in the examples connected with me and helped me cite a few of my own even though they were not American celebrities or from the popular culture in Western Media. ” – Verified Purchase (Duke Fuqua Daytime MBA 2023 Entering Class)
“I like the chapters on storytelling the most. The ideas on writing are practical, with anecdotes and strategies for improving essay drafts. I especially like the 25 Random Things examples that became my go-to template for crafting my list. My initial list was too long, with lines spilling over to paragraphs. The book shows how to edit the entries and keep memories that stand out from the page. The writing is conversational, and that helps to keep the technical strategies accessible to a non-writer. ” – Verified Purchase (Duke Fuqua Daytime MBA 2023 Entering Class)
“It is a pleasant surprise when the book exceeds your expectations and becomes useful in so many applications. I read the book as a reference for my Duke application, but the chapters on editing, reviewing, storytelling and leadership transcended the school-specific prompts. I felt as if I was on a crash course on writing application essays with stories and common fallacies included in the examples. The List question didn't go as planned. My first draft was all one-liners and, quite frankly, drafted with a stand-up comic-style setup and reveal. Some of the entries in the examples showed me that even stories could be drafted to 1.5 sentences with the right transitions. ” – Verified Purchase (Duke Fuqua Daytime MBA 2023 Entering Class)
