Lifetime Achievement Award In MBA Admissions: Shari Hubert At Duke Fuqua

When Shari Hubert talks about MBA admissions, she sounds less like a gatekeeper and more like a matchmaker — someone who lives to connect ambition with opportunity. “What I love most is meeting prospective students and helping them see what’s possible,” says the Associate Dean for Admissions at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. “You can see the impact immediately. You build a pipeline of talent, and then you watch those students go on to lead and give back. That’s incredibly rewarding.”

To Hubert, admissions isn’t paperwork; it’s purpose. “Running admissions is like running a little P&L,” she says. “We manage growth and quality, balance scholarships and budgets, and lead a team that makes values-based decisions aligned with the school’s mission. But at its heart, it’s a mission-driven business. We’re shaping lives.”

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD IN MBA ADMISSIONS

So it will come as no surprise that the life story of an applicant to Fuqua’s highly selective MBA program assumes great importance in evaluating candidates. “For me, context is just as important as credentials. If two people have the same GPA but one has had to overcome significant obstacles, that achievement should be recognized in the admissions process. The fact that this individual was able to thrive despite adversity matters. The context in which someone succeeds should be considered—not just the outcome reflected in their credentials. Quality goes beyond academics. We don’t reduce people to a test score. It is about their leadership, their resilience, their values and their ability to contribute.”

Hubert’s calling to this work — and her consistent impact on it along with the courage she has demonstrated during this uncertain time — is what earned her Poets&Quants’ 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award in MBA Admissions along with MBA Admissions Director of the Year. The recognitions honor her deep commitment to widening access, advancing diversity, and sustaining the human touch in an increasingly data-driven world over her 13 years in MBA admissions. “This award really reflects the collective spirit of my team and of Team Fuqua,” she says. “We do this because we believe education is transformative — and that opportunity should never be reserved for a few.”

Hubert has always framed admissions as an act of access, not exclusion. “I got into this field because I wanted to give individuals access to something they might not have seen as a path for themselves,” she says. “There are so many capable people who just need someone to believe in them — and to show them the door.”

UNDER HUBERT, DIVERSITY REMAINS AN IMPORTANT VALUE

That belief defines Fuqua’s admissions philosophy. “Our process is values-based but legally bound,” she explains. At a time when diversity, equity, and inclusion are under political fire—and some business schools have severed ties with The Consortium and the Forté Foundation, two nonprofit organizations that champion opportunities for underrepresented minorities and women—Fuqua has steadfastly upheld its commitments.

The school is telling prospective students, as in a recent email invitation to admissions events in such red states as Florida and Georgia, “diversity is critical. Inclusion makes it a winning business strategy. Our entire community is deeply committed to fostering an environment where every individual feels valued, heard, and supported.”

Earlier this month, on National Coming Out Day, the school reached out to prospective applicants with a message reaffirming its values: “At Fuqua, we value and champion diversity, fostering an inclusive environment where everyone—regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity—is empowered to thrive both personally and professionally. As prospective students, know that here, your authenticity is our strength, and together, we’ll build a future where business leadership is as diverse and vibrant as the world we seek to serve.”

‘INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS AND STUDENTS ARE WELCOME AND WANTED’

Hubert is sending the same welcoming messages to international students who may be swayed to look outside the U.S. given the government’s anti-immigration policies. “I am sure international students are asking if this is the time to study in the U.S. and I say yes,” insists Hubert. “We still need their experiences. Domestic applications are steady but there are headwinds on the international side. We are doing everything we can to encourage applicants to still have faith in this degree.”

The school is providing access to immigration attorneys, deferrals, refunds of deposits, and has extended the time to show up on campus. “Once they arrived here, there is a team to welcome them,” she says. “During this past orientation our auditorium was full. The majority of our internationals made it, and across our 10 degree portfolio, almost half are non-U.S. citizens. We have just doubled down. We can’t do anything about the policies but we can do something about how we respond to them. International applicants and students are welcome and wanted. It’s not just about getting them here. It’s making sure they are set up for success for the next two years.”

Jack Oakes, who first met Hubert in 2005 when she was at Citi recruiting MBAs for investment banking and is now the sector director for finance at Fuqua, notes her upbeat manner in everything she does, from her annual Halloween parties at the school to how she deals with candidates. “Shari’s positive personality is infectious, and I have long been impressed by her poise and presence,” says Oates. “She is confident yet humble and has the gift of making others feel energized and engaged.”

Brenda Harris, who works in admissions operations at Fuqua, agrees. “What I admire most about Shari Hubert as a leader is that she is one who “truly listens”. I believe this is one of the key reasons our Admissions Team is so successful. It’s a quality that stands out not only at Fuqua but also in life — and it’s what makes any leader truly exceptional.”

Fuqua’s application readers, she adds, are trained to look for “culture add,” not “culture fit.” “We’re building communities, not replicas. The question is not whether someone fits into what exists, but what they can add — how they’ll make the class richer.”

THE TEAM FUQUA CULTURE

At the core of that philosophy is “Team Fuqua,” a culture Hubert believes sets Duke apart. “Team Fuqua is built on the idea of bringing out the strengths of others to move a team toward a common purpose,” she says. “In order to do that, you need a team that is diverse and that understands the value in differences. It is just so fundamental to our values. One of the things I am most proud of that as the classes have become more inclusive, the classes have become stronger. Average GPA and GMATs are the highest in eight years. Diversity and academic quality are not tradeoffs. They are mutually reinforcing. A homogeneous team is not going to be as effective as a team that values diverse perspectives. For us, that is at the heart of what Team Fuqua is all about. That has allowed us to continue to recommitted to that.

That collaborative spirit shapes every step of the process. “We’re a student-driven culture,” Hubert says. “Almost all interviews are conducted by second-year admissions fellows. The fellows mentor first-year learning teams. Our students constantly invest in each other’s success. When we admit people, we’re not just asking, ‘What will you get?’ We’re asking, ‘How will you contribute?’”

As business schools face demographic shifts and the emergence of AI tools, Hubert remains steadfast in her belief that admissions must stay human. “AI can help us be more efficient, but it can’t replace the human and humane touch,” she says. “Reading essays and hearing students’ stories — that’s the soul of this work. You can’t automate that.”

POETS&QUANTS 2025 HONORS

DEAN OF THE YEAR: RICE BUSINESS’ PETER RODRIGUEZ

BUSINESS SCHOOL OF THE YEAR: ESCP BUSINESS SCHOOL

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR MBA ADMISSIONS: DUKE FUQUA’S SHARI HUBERT

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD IN BUSINESS SCHOOL BRANDING: ILLINOIS GIES’ JAN SLATER

MBA PROFESSOR OF THE YEAR: MICHIGAN ROSS’ ANDY HOFFMAN

2025 BEST IN CLASS AWARDS FOR TEACHING QUALITY, CAREER SERVICES & MORE  

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