BUSINESS SCHOOL AFTER DUKE - A Plan of Action

As You Leave Duke:

1. Take the GMAT, if not already, shortly after graduation. You should be conditioned to enter a challenging test situation after having just been involved in the rigors of academic study. Scores are reported for five years after the test date and most schools accept scores as long as they are reported. The GMAT Bulletin contains details relating to score reporting.

2. Approach professors and administrators you may ask to write recommendations. When meeting with them, explain your plans and ask if in the future they would be willing to serve as a reference. You should also offer to bring them up-to-date periodically.  It is safe to say that if a recommendation for Duke is needed, it will only be one.

3. Ask about the Appraisal/Recommendation Service in the Prebusiness Advising Office. It allows you to have one to two recommendations placed in a file for retrieving when you apply to business schools. Since most applicants would have worked prior to applying, this service can help in facilitating a faculty member's recommendation.

4. Search around campus for as many materials about business school as possible. The academic environment offers a collection of resources, an advantage often only realized once away. Go to the library, bookstore, and Prebusiness Advising Office for information. It will not be as accessible once you leave. Make sure you have a copy of the Prebusiness Handbook for Duke Seniors and Alumni which is available in the Prebusiness Advising Office.

Once You Leave:

5. Keep abreast of the business world and business schools. Read current literature; inquire about schools from associates; visit campuses when traveling; attend an MBA forum where schools gather.

6. Choose a work experience that will help define career goals. There is no one best kind of work to choose; rather, it should be such that you can gain some insight into yourself as a professional as well as knowledge of the functions engaged in the work-a-day world. The dilemma of overcommitting to a job concerns many who seek two or three years' experience. In the past, consulting firms, teaching positions, and financial management groups have allowed for easy movement from work back to school.

7. Feel free to write or call the Prebusiness Advising Office for information, materials, and advice. It is a good idea to complete an information sheet prior to leaving; these sheets are kept on file and have proved beneficial when responding to graduates or when writing recommendations for them.

8. Enroll in courses to extend your preparation for business school. If not already taken, courses in calculus, accounting, computer science, statistics, microeconomics, and foreign language will be invaluable. While all may not be required for admission to a program, they will certainly improve your understanding of the material encountered in the business school.

9. Request transcripts from the Office of the Registrar. The request must be made in writing, or on the form available in that office.