Meet Duke Fuqua’s MBA Class Of 2023

Hire the right people.

Great advice, but easier said than done. As the adage goes, you hire people for what they know and fire them for who they are. That means finding people who are more interested in solving problems than scoring points. Passionate and proactive, the right people don’t dictate terms, let alone hog credit. Instead, they have a knack for bringing out the best in teammates, rallying them around a purpose and a plan, leaving results and goodwill in their wake.

How do you develop the right people who can get along anywhere with anyone? Most business schools hold classes to build EQ — an emotional intelligence encompassing everything from social awareness to conflict resolution. At Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, EQ is reinforced in every interaction, where culture holds equal footing with cases. For some, the Fuqua mentality can be summed up in a proverb: To go fast, go alone. To go far, go together. Or, in the words of first-year Tatiana Dasso, “The success of someone else makes us all stronger.”

“SUCCESS IS SHARED”

In fact, Duke MBAs have given a name to this dynamic: Team Fuqua. That sense of team takes many forms at Fuqua according to alumni. Teni Ariyo, a 2020 grad who joined Microsoft, notes that “there is as much emphasis on character and integrity as there is on competence and productivity.” Hence, you will often hear Dean Bill Boulding describe the school’s DQ — Decency Quotient — an extension of IQ where students expect each other to engage respectfully, embrace differences, and band together in good times and bad.

Olivia Henshaw, a 2020 grad who joined Ariyo at Microsoft, isn’t surprised that some might roll their eyes when they hear Team Fuqua. Make no mistake, she says, Team Fuqua is an identity…not a slogan. “Before our first round of Microsoft intern interviews, a bunch of us gathered to practice together to give each other feedback,” she recalls. “We genuinely wanted our “competition” to succeed, knowing that ultimately success is shared. The result? Nearly 20 Fuquans interned at Microsoft in summer 2019, more than any other business school in the US.”

Another 2020 MBA grad, Joao Pinto, describes the Fuqua spirit as deliberately being there to support your classmates. “Team Fuqua is there when someone reaches out asking if you are enjoying your experience, offering help, sharing an accomplishment, or talking to get to know you. I will never forget when I was tested positive for COVID-19 in March 2020 and had to stay at home without stepping out. Fuquans kindly did groceries for my wife and me and hosted virtual get-togethers to check on us; they made the time go by faster, and even showed up on the street to say hi from our distant balcony.”

Fuqua MBA Class in JB Duke Hotel

THE PAIRED PRINCIPLES

Not surprisingly, Fuqua has been tagged as the “nice” MBA program. In reality, Team Fuqua is just as competitive and ambitious as everyone else. They just channel it towards collective success. Still, Thomas Louvaris, who joined the Class of 2023 this summer, noticed something else about the program.

“It attracts a certain subset of motivated individuals who are career-oriented but don’t take themselves too seriously, and know how to have fun. I heard many times of students who were accepted to higher-ranked programs but chose Fuqua instead for the more complete MBA experience. I found those observations and others powerful and elected to enroll.”

Team Fuqua may have started organically, but its qualities have since been codified. Fuqua MBAs operate out of six “Paired Principles.” Think of them as a framework, core standards that define the Fuqua experience — and students’ expectations of for each other. The Paired Principles are always front-and-center, so much so that Daytime students nominate classmates for exemplifying each of these principles: Supportive Ambition, Collective Diversity, Loyal Community, Impactful Stewardship, Authentic Engagement, and Uncompromising Integrity.

A DUTY TO RETURN THE FAVOR

Among the incoming class, Supportive Ambition seemingly enjoyed the greatest popularity. The school defines this principle as, “We support each other to achieve great things, because your success is my success. The success of each individual member of Team Fuqua makes the whole of Team Fuqua better.” This team over individual philosophy resonates with Maureen Ojukwu, who’d already witnessed the damage unleased by “toxic competition” and “underhanded tactics” in the workplace. Her classmate, Devika Mathur, also gravitated toward Supportive Ambition due to its expressions in everyday MBA life.

“At business school, you’re surrounded by a brilliant peer group with similar ambitions,” she writes. “Rather than considering each other as competition, Fuquans become each other’s strongest assets. To me, it is the little, everyday things that truly bring this principle alive: things such as bringing each other up to speed with classes we miss, sharing what’s working for us during the recruitment process, taking the load off overwhelmed teammates, or just being each other’s most genuine cheerleaders!”

For Eliza Johnson, Loyal Community was the Paired Principle that has lived up to its billing: a team that “has your back when you need it most.” “Before orientation, I had already met more than 100 classmates through Fuqua-initiated efforts and through social channels,” he tells P&Q. “From day one, we’ve been helping each other with early recruiting, finding resources, and discussing the pre-work, as well as meeting up for hikes and meals.

That Loyal Community experience also instilled a pay it forward mindset for current and future students. “I see it as my duty to help my classmates feel welcome and included,” she adds.

Daytime MBA class held in Geneen Auditorium

BECOMING AUTHENTIC

Team Fuqua defines Authentic Engagement in this way: “We care and we do. We make a difference to Team Fuqua by being ourselves and engaging in the things we are passionate about.” That’s exactly what Lizzie Ayoub has experienced thus far. She observes that the whole Fuqua community — “students, faculty, and staff — shows up engaged and committed to making this an incredibly special place, every day.” More than that, Ayoub adds, Fuqua encourages students to bring their true selves to Durham. That was a welcome respite for Travis Beach, who is still starting to embrace his identity.

“I have been a closeted gay man for most of my life,” he shares. “I came out to close family and friends in recent years, but I was not out at work. This was a choice I made at the very beginning of my career and continued for my seven years in the army. After learning about the community at Fuqua and speaking with students from so many backgrounds, I saw strong intersectionality between affinity groups and felt comfortable expressing myself. For example, FuquaPride hosts a drag show with members of the Duke Armed Forces Association (DAFA) being one of the most participatory groups. Although this is just one example of a community that promotes inclusion and acceptance, it was very relevant for me because I was committed to engaging in an environment where I could be authentic about my true self as a former Green Beret and a LGBTQ+ identifying person. Now that I am at Fuqua, I can live the principle of Authentic Engagement.”

Nurses, CFOs, and Philanthropy Consultants. Anthropology, Physics, and Economics majors. Google, Nike, and Northrop Grumman alumni. The Fuqua Class of 2023 has been everywhere and done everything…often in high profile roles. Take Eliza Johnson who once led a fund-raising campaign for the World Health Organization to combat tropical diseases.

LEAVING A MARK ON GOOGLE, NIKE, AND WHO

“With WHO AFRO, our fundraising goals were modest, but I encouraged my team to aim higher to take advantage of the opportunity to make a real impact in eliminating these diseases. We raised $45M – enabling WHO AFRO to scale up treatment for 42 million people in 751 districts across 23 African countries.”

Working as a Google account manager, Devika Mathur partnered with Cadbury on a social impact campaign. The goal, she says, was to motivate Indian consumers to support local stories that had been “hard-hit by the pandemic.” The results became the highlight of her career.

“Over three months, I worked with multiple advertising agencies and Google teams to leverage YouTube and Google Maps technologies, so that every consumer was shown a Cadbury ad promoting his or her nearest neighborhood store,” she explains. “This campaign became India’s first AI-enabled, hyperlocal personalized ad campaign, increasing the monthly turnovers of 1,800 local retailers. It went on to win the 2020-21 Bronze Award, Acknowledging Marketing Achievements, at the Cannes International Film Festival. When I was leaving Google, the Cadbury team gifted me a copy of the campaign banner, with my face photoshopped onto it, as a farewell memento!”

Earlier this year, Joel Martinez managed the World Justice Challenge 2021, a global competition that provides financial support to “nonprofits and social enterprises working on key rule of law problems.” Kiera Givens was tasked with converting her non-profit’s meetings into remote interactions due to COVID.  By the same token, Tracy Liu overhauled her area’s project management efforts.

“I built the project delivery process and standards from scratch and implemented it in all five tech streams at Nike,” she explains. “It guided 40+ projects delivered yearly, greatly improving delivery efficiency and avoiding delay.”

Next Page: Interview with Russ Morgan, Senior Associate Dean

Page 3: Profiles of 12 Duke Fuqua MBAs

Fuqua MBAs in Mexico City

LOOKING AT LIFE…FROM INSIDE A VOLCANO

The Class of 2023 also brings plenty of great stories to Durham. Exhibit A: “I got married on Super Bowl Sunday (02/02/2020),” writes DeMontrez Johnson. “I like to think that my wedding is the event that shut down the world instead of COVID. Immediately after the wedding, we went on our honeymoon in Fiji. We left the U.S. without a pandemic and came back to find everyone wearing masks.”

Think that’d be hard to top? Just wait until you read this story from Thomas Louvaris. “As a kid, I almost fell into a crater of lava while climbing the volcano in Santorini. I don’t know how I strayed but fortunately there were no accidents. The unexpected reward: I found the best sunset view in the area.”

And Tatiana Dasso received an early introduction to commerce, thanks to having eight siblings. “When we were young, we used to create a supermarket in our house with our toys and create money with paper. Then, we divided and some of us were the consumers and the others the sellers. It was really fun!”

A RECORD-SETTING CLASS

You’ll find that same celebratory spirit in the admissions offices this summer. The Class of 2023 represents a record-setting year for applications, GMATs, and even diversity. Notably, Fuqua received 3,762 applications during the 2020-2021 applications cycle. It was a 12% bump over the COVID class. Along the same lines, the school’s acceptance rate dropped from to 25% to 19.2%, making the program all the more selective. More impressive, the school’s yield — the percentage of accepted candidates who ultimately enroll — climbed to 61%, an all-time high and a 12 point improvement over the Class of 2022.

Here’s the number that really stands out: The Class of 2023 boasts 447 students, a near record that reverses an enrollment slide that had bottomed out at 395 students two years ago.

The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University is nearing gender parity in its full-time MBA program

Average GMAT scores were another sign of Fuqua’s growing vitality. This year’s class posted a 713 average, up from the 702-705 range reported over the previous three years. A third of the class also submitted GRE scores, whose average came to 317. By the same token, average GPAs came in at 3.48.

Here’s another striking feature of the Class of 2023: Diversity.  Notably, 47% of the class hails from outside the United States, including 54 students with dual citizenship. In addition, there are 54 countries represented in the class, up 10 from the previous year. Domestically, the class consists of students of 33 states. This year, women also make up 48% of the class, representing the fourth consecutive annual improvement in this measure. Minority students also account for 47% of this year’s class, with underrepresented minorities holding 27% of all class seats. Overall, class members average 29 years of age and 5.9 years of work experience.

Academically, the class earned undergraduate degrees at 266 different institutions. 34% of first-years hold undergraduate degrees in Business and Accounting. Engineering and Natural Sciences majors make up 30% of the class, followed by Liberal Arts (22%) and Economics (13%).  In terms of professional experience, the largest segments last worked in Financial Services (14%) and Consulting (13%).  Healthcare accounts for 8% of the class, followed by Non-Profits, Analytics, and Technology at 6% each. The class also includes representatives from Marketing and Sales, Energy, Consumer Goods, Government, Entrepreneurship, Media, and FinTech.

A SCHOOL ON THE MOVE

That admissions momentum also carried into graduation outcomes. Last week, Duke Fuqua released its annual employment report for the Class of 2021. Here, graduates saw their starting base and bonus climb to $141,409, with 98% of the class receiving job offers within 90 days of graduation. At the same time, 94% of international grads had already accepted a job offer during that same 90 day window. The largest consumers of Team Fuqua talent included Amazon, McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group, and Deloitte.

“We’re just thrilled,” explains Sherlye Dirks, associate dean for Fuqua’s Career Management Center, in an October interview with Poets&Quants..”I think one of the things we really try to focus on is that for every percentage and every 10th of a percentage, there’s a student behind that, and we want them to be happy with that acceptance and to really feel good about the trajectory of their career. And so I think that’s the part that our coaches get really excited about. And we’re just glad it added up for those numbers to all look so good.”

Those aren’t the only good numbers this year at Fuqua. Consistently ranked as a Top 10 program for Marketing and Managers by business school deans and MBA directors, Fuqua also ranked th in Faculty Research according to the Financial Times’ 2021 ranking. In a 2021 FT survey of MBA students and alumni, Fuqua notched the 5th-highest score, a ranking that has fit with the Class of 2023’s experience.

Fuqua Mallway. File photo

GAINING AN “EDGE”

“When speaking about their stellar placements, our second-years never fail to mention how much their teams coached and supported them,” notes Devika Mathur. “Similarly, during alumni chats, no matter how senior and successful Fuqua alums are, they are always interested in hearing my perspectives as well. This humility makes for strong teamwork and even stronger personal bonds!”

The program has also remained quite busy. Notably, the school’s Center for Energy, Development and Global Environment (EDGE) launched MBA Edge, where students can access new research and resources on areas like climate change. Such offerings only deepen one of Fuqua’s core programming strengths: social impact and sustainability. It is an area that is only increasing in value says Daniel Vermeer, the executive director for EDGE.

“It’s now about staying focused on your north star of the world’s biggest challenges, because somebody is going to compensate you for making progress on those issues,” Vermeer told P&Q in February. “You may find a company that’s doing revolutionary technology, or a new business model that might take you into government, nonprofits or to other geographies. While it may look like you’re scattered, you’re actually very focused in terms of what you’re trying to accomplish in your career. That’s a different kind of security.”

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE SENIOR ASSOCIATE DEAN

What can MBA candidates expect from Fuqua in the coming? That was one question P&Q posed to Russ Morgan, the senior associate dean for full-time programs. From advances in AI to Fuqua Fridays, here are the latest developments and differentiating features of Fuqua according to Morgan.

P&Q: What are the two most exciting developments at your program and how will they enrich the MBA experience for current and future MBAs?

RM: “We are proud of the nimbleness exhibited by our faculty as they continue to innovate to make sure our curriculum remains relevant for the ever-evolving business challenges our students will face when they graduate. As an example, we launched three new courses in our curriculum this past academic year: Creating Common Purpose In A Divided World, Cultivating An Entrepreneurial Mindset and Leading Technological Change And Innovation. Each of these courses equip students to think through business issues critically and ethically, take ownership of their work as if they owned the company, and find ways to bring different perspectives together to work toward a common goal—the key to true and meaningful innovation. In addition to the new curriculum, our faculty is continually updating our courses to make sure we are using relevant examples, sometimes in real time, and reflecting a range of diversity in our cases. We continually hear from companies who hire Fuqua students that our graduates add value almost immediately. I believe the intentionality behind maintaining relevance in our curriculum is a big reason why our graduates enter companies with frameworks that are immediately applicable in helping solve a business challenge or successfully lead a team to a good outcome.

Russ Morgan, Senior Associate Dean

I’m also delighted by the caliber of our experiential opportunities—which continue to become more robust as more companies seek our students’ help in solving pressing challenges they are facing. As such, our students worked on a wide variety of complex business challenges during the past academic year as part of our Fuqua Client Consulting Practicum, Fuqua On Board and Fuqua Volunteer Corps. We aren’t always at liberty to discuss the companies or business problems our students are solving because of confidentiality agreements—but I believe each year the companies participating and the work our students are doing is increasingly impressive. We launched the Fuqua Volunteer Corps during the pandemic as a way to help support non-profits who were struggling—so it’s also been tremendously rewarding to see the impact our students are making during such a difficult time. The value of this experience for our students can’t be overstated, given students are immediately applying their learnings to real business problems. In addition, we are continuing to offer new opportunities to students looking to start a company. This year, our Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation hosted a competition matching investors wanting to support Black-owned or Black-founded businesses with students or recent alumni who own or have founded a company –in addition to offerings like The Innovator’s Spark and our New Ventures courses which allow students to work on their startup during their time at Fuqua.”

P&Q: What are two biggest differentiating features of your MBA program? How do each of these enrich the learning of your MBA students?

RM: “I like how our curriculum is designed to allow a student to learn both the breadth of business fundamentals and leadership and the depth of specialization in their individual interest. We front load the first year of the MBA with core course to ensure a strong foundation of business. The second year is made of up electives so students can go deep in the area of their choosing. We offer 16 concentrations in addition to our certificates and a second major. This really allows our students to customize their experience to fit their interests and career goals.

I’m also proud of the way we teach leadership—in particular the importance of appreciating and valuing difference. We believe a great team will always outperform a great individual. We intentionally recruit students we believe not only share this philosophy, but will thrive in our team-based program. We intentionally structure learning teams with members from different geographies, genders, ethnicities, functions and industries, so that our students are continually learning from each other. We are proud when recruiters tell us stories about how in group job interviews, our students seek to draw strengths from others to solve the problem, versus posturing to their own strength which would be the natural tendency for most people.”

P&Q: In recent years, there have been several areas that have gained increased prominence in business school programming, including STEM, analytics, artificial intelligence and digital disruption. How does your full-time MBA program integrate these concepts across its curriculum?

RM: “We believe it is essential that MBAs understand not only how technology is changing almost every aspect of business, but how to navigate all the changes, and the role human judgment must also play. As I mentioned earlier, we launched a new required class this year on leading and managing technological change and innovation. We also have a second major in Management Science and Technology Management (MSTeM). A large number of our students, about a quarter of the class, take advantage of that second major.  We’ve found the curriculum—which may include courses like Data Analytics for Business, Marketing of Innovation, Value Chain Innovation, and Innovation and Cryptoventures—makes our graduates better able to direct analysis and use data in decision-making in any industry they pursue.”

Next Page: Profiles of 12 Duke Fuqua MBAs

Fuqua student team working on the patio

P&Q: What have you learned during the pandemic and the shift to hybrid or remote learning and how will they impact the MBA experience going forward?

RM: “For students who have been in our program during the pandemic—I have no doubt they have learned a great deal about how to effectively participate in and lead virtual teams. That is a skill that will most certainly serve them well in the future as virtual collaboration will stick around post-pandemic in business. I believe we also learned about how well our community copes with adversity. The resilience of our students, staff and faculty continues to amaze me, as they find ways to innovate to remain connected and deliver the best experience possible in the most challenging of circumstances. Long term, I think we will see some changes stick around. For example, recruiters may do some interviews virtually before they fly to campus or invite a student to an in-person interview at a company. We are likely to also see more admissions events offered virtually as well so that a wider range of people can participate without having to travel. In terms of the curriculum, we are still assessing what worked well online that we might want to incorporate in future courses. For example, we were able to recruit a wider range of speakers who were able to join us virtually but wouldn’t have been able to physically travel to campus.”

P&Q: Duke Fuqua places a heavy emphasis on Decency Quotient (DQ) in admissions. How do you define DQ? Why is it so important to learning at the school?

RM: “DQ is decency quotient or actively caring for people and trying to do right by them. Our dean started talking about this concept several years ago – and DQ has now become part of the Fuqua ethos. As Dean Bill Boulding explains, leaders must have a combination of IQ (intelligence) +EQ (emotional intelligence) +DQ. People who possess only IQ+EQ can read a room and manipulate others—but people with DQ will genuinely want to elevate others. However, as Dean Boulding explained recently, DQ doesn’t mean just being nice and not holding people accountable. Instead, DQ means being honest with people and helping them grow. We believe that ultimately leaders with DQ win the hearts and minds of those they lead because people know they have their best interest at heart. For that reason, we not only recruit students who share this value –but we intentionally work to develop DQ when a student is at Fuqua—DQ is fundamental to a person’s ability to meaningfully draw out strengths from others in leading a team.”

P&Q: One of your cherished traditions is Fuqua Fridays. What does this entail? How does this foster community among MBAs?

RM: “Fuqua Friday is personally one of my favorite traditions at Fuqua. I find inspiration in seeing our community come together on Friday evenings for a meal and drinks. Typically, Fuqua Fridays are hosted by a student club and have a theme. Often that theme involves learning about a new culture or region. Our students often bring their families and it is a great way to get to know people in a more personal way. In addition, our faculty often attends so students can connect with them outside the classroom.  Fuqua Friday is about developing relationships on an even deeper level for our community and celebrating the values and differences that make Fuqua such a special place.”

MBA students working together in the Winter Garden

10 REASONS TO CONSIDER TEAM FUQUA

1) Sustainability: “I’m excited to be part of the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE) and work with classmates and faculty to think creatively about social impact. With my background working in NGOs and in the social sector, I believe this will also be a part of Fuqua where I can contribute more towards my classmates’ learning experience and help them break into the social impact sector.”
Eliza Johnson (’23)

“Fuqua stood out to me due to its academic strengths and its focus on leadership. When applying to MBA programs, I was looking for a school that has a strong sustainability program and a strong social impact program. Fuqua blew that requirement out of the water with both the Center for Energy, Development, and the Global Environment (EDGE) and the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE).  In addition, there was faculty specializing specifically on sustainability in ocean industries, a particular interest of mine. However, what turned the tide for me was my sense that Fuqua was teaching its students how to be compassionate, impactful leaders who could not only deliver on the bottom line but could also deliver for the people within their companies.”
Kiera Givens (’23)

2) Curriculum: “It has to be the unique curriculum. Fuqua has fewer core classes, allowing me to tailor my two-year experience here the way I want to with more than 100 electives to cherry-pick from. Also, since Fuqua has short and intensive four 6-week terms, it allows me to dabble in a range of courses and amplify the breadth of my education.”
Aswasan “AJ” Joshi (’23)

3) Career Management Center: “Fuqua convinced me not only for its strong curriculum, but also because of its strong alumni community and its CMC, who are always willing to support you in finding the career path you choose. I have felt this spirit from my multiple conversations and now I am experiencing this support in real life. The CMC is supporting me to prepare for the recruiting process. No details are left out and you really feel confident that you are going to outperform in your internship and full-time jobs interviews, no matter the sector you are targeting.”
Tatiana Dasso (’23)

4) Great Faculty: “I am really excited to have the possibility to attend a class of Professor Dan Ariely. After many years reading his books, I have learned that psychology and behavior play a very important role in business.  Just by reading one of his famous books, Predictably Irrational, I felt I learned a lot. I just can’t imagine attending a class with him.”
Tatiana Dasso (’23)

“When I saw that the Health Sector Management program’s Faculty Director, David Ridley, had proposed the priority review voucher program to encourage development of drugs and vaccines for neglected diseases, I knew that Fuqua was the right environment for me to make my career shift into the private sector while working to make a meaningful social impact.”
Eliza Johnson (’23)

5) Durham: “Not sure if this a myth but more around not being able to do much in Durham, especially coming from a larger city. I have been blown away by the number of activities available here. From restaurants and beaches to mountains and lakes, there is just something available for everyone here and my classmates are always open to exploring new activities.”
Nwaka Isamah (’21)

Ford Library, Alex Boerner photo

6) Fuqua Friday: “I know this may sound obvious, but definitely Fuqua Friday, which I have to confess was one of the reasons I choose this school. As I mentioned, for me it was not only coming to business school to learn about finance and marketing, but also to keep developing my people skills and making valuable and meaningful connections, while making Fuqua my home. Before COVID, Fuqua Fridays provided a space to change our mindset from an academic and professional perspective to a more social and relaxed one, allowing us to stay in the building and talk to our friends in a casual environment. I was even able to make some new friends, with Fuqua providing food and drinks in the process. I even registered for Friday afternoon classes so I could go straight from the classroom to Fuqua Friday.”
Giovanni Lu (’21)

7) FCCP: “As a career switcher, the key part of Fuqua’s MBA programming I am most interested in is the Fuqua Client Consulting Practicum (FCCP). FCCP matches local and international businesses with Fuqua student teams to allow them to apply their experience and education to deliver useful solutions to business problems. This aspect of the program is important to me because it will give me the opportunity to gain firsthand international consulting experience.”
DeMontrez Johnson (’23)

8) Healthcare: “Seeking a career at the intersection of health and wellness and innovation, I knew that I wanted to find a school that was strong in both of those areas. Duke, a leading health care institution that also sits in The Research Triangle, is the perfect place for me to explore this intersection.”
Lizzie Ayoub (’23)

9) Fuqua On Board: “In India, I served as director of a nonprofit that supports women against violence. Having experienced how fulfilling it is to play a role in driving change, I am keen to continue my involvement in the non-profit space. During my MBA, I hope to expand the scale of my impact, while also gaining formal mentorship in the non-profit sector. I am therefore very excited to join Fuqua on Board. This program matches MBA students with Durham-area nonprofits to serve as non-voting board members. To me, it represents the ideal intersection of personal growth and driving social impact.”
Devika Mathur (’23)

10) Fuqua2Duke: “I am excited to join Fuqua2Duke as a mentor to undergraduates, especially first-generation students. As a first-gen student myself, I have had to learn most things the hard way. Having discovered the blessing of mentorship throughout the years, I hope to spare other students from facing avoidable hurdles.”
Thomas Louvaris (’23)

The bust of J.B. Fuqua in the school hallway at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business. Justin Cook photo

ADMISSIONS ADVICE TO POTENTIAL FUQUA APPLICANTS

“Figure out who you are. Then do it on purpose.” Be yourself! Fuqua’s Admission’s team emphasizes personal fit in the admissions process. One of Fuqua’s six principles is Authentic Engagement. This principle creates a culture at Fuqua for students to show up as their authentic self. This is also a general rule in life.”
DeMontrez Johnson (’23)

“Team Fuqua is real: collaboration and team-bonding run deep in the DNA of this school. It is therefore important to reflect on and demonstrate how you are a team player who can not only flourish in but also facilitate such an environment. Besides that, remember to have fun with the application! Don’t try and present a certain image that you think typical business school candidates may have, because this school hugely values authenticity and diversity. Just be yourself and give it your best!”
Devika Mathur (’23)

“Do not go through this application process by yourself. Ask for help. If you are like I was, and did not have anyone in your circle, you may be tempted to just go at it alone. Don’t do it. I cannot emphasize this enough. Reach out to the students and alumni of the schools you are looking into, and do so early. Seek out support so you can put your best foot forward and avoid entirely preventable missteps.”
Maureen Ojukwu (‘23)

How did COVID change how the Class of 2023 approached life? What do class members hope to do after graduation? What are their secrets for landing an acceptance letter from Team Fuqua? Click on the links below to get answers like these from incoming first-years. 

The post Meet Duke Fuqua’s MBA Class Of 2023 appeared first on Poets&Quants.