In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about how to write your Duke Fuqua essays. Like other prestigious business schools, Duke is no stranger to low acceptance rates. Thus, you’ll need a fantastic set of essays if you want a shot at securing a spot in Fuqua.

First, let’s take a look at just how hard it is to get accepted into Duke Fuqua. We’ve listed some crucial information below based on their website which can be found here.

1. GMAT Range Middle 80%: 680-760
2. GRE Verbal/Quant Combined Average: 318
3. Average Undergraduate GPA Middle 80%: 3.1-3.9
4. Average Years of Work Experience: 6

As you can see, getting accepted into Duke Fuqua isn’t going to be a walk in the park.

Though, if you’re reading this article, you probably already know what your GPA and GMAT are. So, you can only really control for one more factor: the essays.

With that said, let’s cover how to answer each of the Duke Fuqua essay prompts.

Table of Contents

1. Duke Fuqua Essay Prompts
   • Required Short-Answer Essay Question
     • For each question, respond in 500 characters only (the equivalent of about 100 words).
       1. Why is pursuing an MBA the right next step for you?
       2. What are your post-MBA career goals? Share with us your first choice career plan and your alternate plan.
   • Essay 1: 25 Random Things about yourself
   • Essay 2: Based on your understanding of the Fuqua culture, what are the three most meaningful ways you expect to engage and contribute to our community outside of the classroom? (Your response should be no more than 300 words.)

Duke Fuqua Essay Prompts

Note that before we get into the Duke Fuqua MBA essays that there are multiple ways of writing these essays.

Although we’ve provided you with our recommended strategy for approaching the essay prompts below, we understand that every candidate is unique. Therefore, some of the advice shown here may also not apply to other students depending on their particular circumstances.

For instance, we’ve worked with clients and, after having looked through their profiles and unique background and work experience, realized that their essays are better suited with a more customized set of essays that can sometimes break the rules from the ones below.

So, in short, consider our advice for the Duke Fuqua essays as a one-sie-fits-all set of advice. If you’re looking for specialized advice suited to your individual needs, however, feel free to send us a request through a free phone consultation!

Required Short-Answer Essay Question

For each question, respond in 500 characters only (the equivalent of about 100 words).
1. Why is pursuing an MBA the right next step for you?
2. What are your post-MBA career goals? Share with us your first choice career plan and your alternate plan.

500 characters is not a lot of words to answer these questions.

Make no mistake: Duke Fuqua understands that they’re making you be concise. So, they know you can’t say everything you want to say.

It’s because these characters are so short that you really want to get straight to the point and cover as much content as you can in that time.

When answering both of these questions, it’s good to answer truthfully and honestly. At the end of the day, everyone has their own reasons for pursuing an MBA. Everyone has their own path after receiving an MBA.

So long as you have a reasonable response that demonstrates you have a sense of planning that is not irrational, you’re solid.

It’s also important to show admissions officers that you’re well-articulated in this section. A clear sign that someone does not know what they’re really doing is that they can’t concisely explain what their goals are. In short: if you can’t explain why you want an MBA and what you want to do in the future, you probably need to think about it more.

Here’s a great article covering the same principle in the world of entrepreneurship. It’s common for upcoming business founders to just “have a rough idea about what they want to do.” This is usually a surefire sign that the founder doesn’t really know or have enough experience with what they’re doing.

So, in the case of Duke’s Fuqua essays, follow the same rules. If you can’t explain it concisely, think about it more!

Essay 1: 25 Random Things about yourself

This is a rather interesting section of the Duke Fuqua Essays.

The key here is balance.

There must be a balance of serious and fun topics to write about when you’re answering the “25 Random Things About Yourself” essay prompt.

Now, that doesn’t mean sharing content about academic achievements or work. However, you can share personality traits and characteristics related or connected to academic and work achievements.

More specifically, here’s what Duke has to say about the 25 Random Things section on their website.

…the Admissions Committee wants to get to know YOU – beyond the professional and academic achievements listed in your resume and transcript. Share with us important life experiences, your hobbies, achievements, fun facts, or anything that helps us understand what makes you who you are.

Your list will be limited to 2 pages (750 words maximum). Please present your response in list form, numbered 1 to 25. Some points may be brief, while others may be longer.

Duke Fuqua Official Website

Doing the math here, you can afford approximately 30 words per item. So, that’s 25 items all 30 words each.

Think about some of the elements about you that may seem impressive. Then, think about the parts about you that are fun and interesting on a personal level. When you write about these elements, how much show your fun personality and how much show your impressive characteristics?

As mentioned before, the key here is balance. You don’t want to overwhelm admissions officers with the idea that you’re a great candidate for an MBA program without balancing those points with other points about personality, and vice versa.

Essay 2: Based on your understanding of the Fuqua culture, what are the three most meaningful ways you expect to engage and contribute to our community outside of the classroom? (Your response should be no more than 300 words.)

This is, once again, a test of conciseness.

You’re going to be reducing your answer to only 300 words. In this prompt, Duke wants to know how you will engage with the community outside of the classroom; and, you need to list 3 ways of doing so.

Thus, you’re approximately given 100 words per item.

In order to answer the Duke Fuqua community essay, we would recommend asking yourself about the value of networking in your field. Ask yourself how you may benefit in your discipline while working alongside other people.

Sometimes, people pursuing a path of entrepreneurship do well to understand the way other disciplines and their perspectives problem-solve. After all, most entrepreneurs will come across a diverse array of problems.

When you understand how you will benefit from networking, think about the ways you’ll specifically network with the Fuqua community. Will you be connecting with others during events? Will you collaborate on projects outside your discipline and learn from fellow Fuqua members despite them being in a different discipline?

These are genuine questions to ask yourself, especially since most people do not have specific instructions on how to network with other people. So, be specific about your plans to communicate and network with other fellow Fuqua students outside of classroom activities. Don’t keep it vague!

Also, because this is a community essay, you should not just be thinking about how YOU benefit from the community. You also need to think about how you can CONTRIBUTE to the community at Fuqua outside of the classroom. So, this is a mutual relationship. You benefit from networking with other students but they also benefit from your presence.

If you have any other questions about the Duke Fuqua essays, or you simply need help writing or editing them, feel free to ask us for a free consultation. Our editors and professional college admissions experts have helped students get into some of the most prestigious schools including Cornell Dyson and UPenn Wharton.