Two years ago we were prospective students checking out various business schools, writing essays, and trying to figure out where we wanted to go if we got in … Now 2 years later, it is the middle of the admissions season and in early November, we wrapped another successful Weekend for Women.

What is Weekend for Women, you ask?

The admissions process at Fuqua involves Admissions officers, but also student interviewers and club members who organize various events. As part of the Association of Women in Business club, we serve as Admissions Co-Directors and have the privilege of working with the Admissions team to build a weekend specifically designed for female prospective students. It is a big undertaking, involving hundreds of participants, student volunteers, and alumni. But for us, it is a chance to take a step back from busy MBA life and remember how hard we worked to get here, and share our enthusiasm for Fuqua!

Funny story, neither of us attended the weekend when we were applying. But, we have been so impressed with and supported by the amazing community of women here at Duke that we wanted to make sure prospective women get to see first-hand what Team Fuqua is all about. It is easy to get lost in a sea of black suits when applying to business school, so the Weekend for Women is an opportunity to really spend a few days in the life of a Duke MBA.

Each year we start from scratch when coming up with the programming for the weekend, but we aim to give attendees more in-depth information about academic options, career support, international experiences, student life, and much more. We also strive to ensure that prospective female applicants experience how much Fuqua values female leaders. For the weekend, we invite student leaders — our MBA Association president, club cabinet members, and Center Fellows — to speak to the value of a Duke MBA as a female student. One of our favorite statistics that we shared at this year’s event was that though women are currently underrepresented in the overall student body, we are overrepresented in terms of club leadership positions!

This year’s weekend, the 9th annual, saw the kick-off to Fuqua’s “Year of the Woman,” a celebration of female leadership at Fuqua. The rest of the year will include hosting the C200 conference for the world’s most successful women entrepreneurs and corporate leaders, and will culminate with the 10th annual Weekend for Women in 2013. So, if you are thinking about applying to business school, we strongly recommend that you try to attend this wonderful event! Keep an eye out for the 2013 Weekend for Women application deadline in late summer/early fall!