Duke

Fuqua is an odd name in any context, let alone for a business school. If you pronounce it incorrectly (it's actually "few - qwah"), you might come dangerously close to a cuss word-sounding variant. Thankfully, Fuqua is part of a very recognizable (and pronounceable) university: Duke.

But it takes more than a name to make it onto my short list, so let's dive into Duke's Five E's:

Education - The Wall Street Journal notes that one of Fuqua's most impressive features is its reputation for academic excellence, while students gave teaching quality an A+ in a BusinessWeek poll. Part of those reviews may stem from Duke's unique curriculum structure. Instead of dividing the school year into trimesters, Duke holds six-week classes, which allows students to take more courses and get the same number of faculty contact hours as most other programs. Duke also allows you to concentrate in a professional track, not just an academic area. This means that I can concentrate in, say, Strategy AND Consulting. While Duke doesn't offer a "consult abroad" course like some of my other targets, it does have several "real world" courses that simulate consulting engagements. It also offers an exchange program with 29 international business schools.

Employment - Duke doesn't send droves of students to the top strategy firms (only 17% of the class goes on to careers in consulting), but all of the big guys - McKinsey, Bain, Boston Consulting Group - hire Duke grads. Graduates also gave their career services A+ marks in BusinessWeek. While 26% of students find employment in the Northeast, the rest scatter across the country fairly evenly, which demonstrates the school's national presence.

Exposure - Apart from its sterling academic reputation, Duke is a household name because it has a powerhouse basketball program (like Michigan's football program.) Those two elements give it a lot of exposure, but its b school commands respect in its own right. It was ranked #9 (BusinessWeek), #11 (US News), and #12 in the Wall Street Journal.

Environment - Duke's campus is supposed to be one of the most beautiful in the country. Durham's southern orientation gives it a laid-back feeling and, as part of the "Research Triangle, the city is just cosmopolitan enough to offer a good quality of life. The smaller feel also help students develop tighter bonds. One student blogger notes that most MBA candidates don't come from Durham, which means almost everyone looks to their classmates for social interaction. Schools in bigger cities, like New York or Chicago, tend to draw students that already have social affiliations nearby. Physically, the business school's buildings seems spacious and modern, and 2008 promises a new wing of MBA classrooms.

pEople - Duke calls its student body "Team Fuqua," a term that encompasses the entire school's love of collaboration and its commitment to mutual success. In fact, in all of my research, this is one of the most appealing aspects about Duke. Students really care about each other, and that makes a strong network later. Of course, part of working in a team means being a leader too, and Duke seems hell-bent on creating a culture of leadership. While every top MBA program aspires to instill leadership in their students, Duke has clearly found the right formula. Recruiters gush about Duke grads' leadership abilities and gave their teamwork skills an A+ in BusinessWeek's 2006 poll.

As you can see, there's a lot to love about Duke - the education, the name, the people - and they all add up to a great MBA program.