We are so excited that you are considering business school as a next step, and in particular, Fuqua. As an organization, it is part of our mission to increase the amount of top talent that our MBA program attracts and retains from the underrepresented minority (URM) pool – students of Black, Latinx/Hispanic, or Native-American/ Asian Pacific Islander descent.
As such, we’ve provided a shortlist of frequently asked questions (and answers) here, but please feel free to reach out via the Contact Us tab if you have additional questions through the application and admissions process.
How robust is the Black/Latinx/Native-American/Asian Pacific Islander community at Fuqua?
We are a force to be reckoned with! For the 2022-2023 school year, BLMBAO members are cabinet members of various clubs on campus, lead BDW and Orientation, are on the MBAA cabinet, and serve as representatives to the Board of Visitors. In number, our active membership ranges from about 60 to 80 Fuqua students across First Years and Second Years, including allies who do not identify as Black/Latinx/Native-American but who actively commit to supporting our communities. In addition, we count on BLMBAO mentors within the broader Fuqua and Duke community, spanning departments such as Admissions, the Dean’s office, the Career Management Center, faculty, and Alumni Relations.
What are some typical events hosted by your organization?
- An annual Minority Business Conference – This conference draws attendees and top speakers from across the country to engage in high-level discussion and planning around topical issues for URMs in the workplace.
- Admissions Events – We partner closely with the Fuqua Admissions team to plan and host 4 major Admissions weekends for prospective students
- Officer of the Day
- MBA Workshop
- Blue Devil Weekends
- Career Events – These events are hosted in conjunction with our company sponsors and provide access for our members to learn more about these companies and their commitments to diversity in the workforce.
- Coffee chats,
- Company presentations
- Diversity conference workshops
- Networking happy hours
- Celebrations of the various cultures we represent as an organization. “Mi Comida Latina” to introduce the greater Fuqua student body to homemade cuisine samples from almost all of Latin America.
- Hispanic Heritage Month
- Native-American History Month
- Black History Month Events
- Social gatherings to build rapport within the organization.
- Fall Retreat
- Fuqua Wide Social Events
- Ally Engagement Events
- And more!
What types of resources are available for URMs at Fuqua?
Just one example: in addition to Fuqua-wide resources (including COLE Fellows, Career Fellows, Fuqua Buddies, etc.), BLMBAO also hosts dedicated academic review sessions in advance of Core class quizzes/exams, led by current BLMBAO Second Year students.
Applying to Fuqua?
As one of BLMBAO’s goals is to increase the number of underrepresented minority students at Fuqua, we invite you to participate in our Application Review Initiative for this upcoming application season (class of 2025). Through this initiative, applicants to Fuqua are paired with current student volunteers who review and provide one round of comments and feedback on their application materials (resumes and all essays). This is a student-led initiative and is not associated with Fuqua Admissions.
Applicants should send all materials to blmbaoappreview@gmail.com. In the body of the email, include:
- Your full name
- Your current industry
- Your current town/city of residence
- If you are associated with MLT or any pre-MBA prep programs
- I would like to do a mock interview before round [x] interview date
- Anything else we should know
Dates to remember for the upcoming applications rounds:
ROUND 2 (Deadline: Thursday, January 5, 2023)
Send materials to us before midnight on: Saturday, December 10, 2022
You can expect them back from a volunteer on/before: Thursday, December 22, 2022
ROUND 3 (Deadline: Tuesday, March 28, 2023)
Send materials to us before midnight on: Friday, February 24, 2023
You can expect them back from a volunteer on/before: Friday, March 10, 2023
We encourage you to continue engaging with current Fuqua students as you build your applications and decide if Fuqua is the right fit for you. Please reach out to us if we can help connect you with members of our vibrant and diverse community, and/or if you have any questions at all.
Best of luck – we can’t wait to learn more about you!