Now that Tuck has announced the Tuck MBA essay topics for the 2016-2017 admissions season, we wanted to offer our advice to applicants who are targeting that program’s Class of 2019.
The format of Tuck’s essays remains the same as last year’s: applicants will respond to two required essays in a maximum of 500 words. While the school maintains a prompt about career goals, the longstanding essay about a meaningful leadership experience has been replaced with more of a focus on diversity.
Let’s take a closer look at each of Tuck’s 2016-2017 essays:
Essay 1: What are your short- and long-term goals? Why do you need an MBA to achieve those goals? Why are you interested in Tuck specifically? (500 words)
This is rather straightforward career goals essay; in a sense, the adcom has gone back to basics with this question. Effective responses will directly address each of this prompt’s questions in full, in the order in which they’re posed. We recommend that candidates open with a discussion of their post-MBA goals, naming both the position that they hope to hold after an MBA (and perhaps a few organizations they plan to target) as well as the job they hope to hold 5-10 years down the line. In addition to explaining how their target short-term position will prepare them for this longer-range role, applicants might also explain the reason they’ve chosen this path, with a particular emphasis on the impact they hope to make on an organization, sector, or region.
Applicants should then discuss the gaps between their current skill sets and the preparation they’ll need to be effective in their short- and long-term positions, and the reasons that an MBA is a logical next step to bridge the two. Candidates should then devote at least 50% of the essay to their reasons for choosing Tuck, naming specific courses, student organizations, and programmatic offerings that will prepare them for professional success.
Applicants should also aim to demonstrate that they are a truly excellent fit with Tuck’s close-knit and supportive community. Dartmouth’s Hanover location should likely factor into these comments; the school’s campus is located in an idyllic (read: decidedly non-urban) New Hampshire town, which is something that is truly unique about the Tuck experience as compared to that of other leading MBA programs. Applicants would therefore do well to demonstrate an understanding of — and eagerness to relocate to — this relatively peaceful place with ample outdoor opportunities.
In addition to discussing the ways the Tuck MBA would prepare you to accomplish your professional goals, it will also be important to comment on the ways that you would contribute to the learning experience of your fellow students. Navigating this issue will require a fair amount of research, as it will be important to identify features of the MBA program that are a good fit with one’s goals, background and/or interests. Discussing some focused ways that your skills and experiences would positively affect this close-knit community (in a modest manner, of course) is key to your response here, since the adcom is sincerely looking for applicants who will change the program for the better. Taking the time to learn about the school’s special programs and extracurricular activities -– whether through a visit to campus, conversation with alumni or reading the Clear Admit School Guide to Tuck –- will naturally pay dividends here.
Essay 2: As a diverse and global community, our students arrive at the same place from many different paths. Tell us about an experience in which you have had to live, learn and/or work with other people very different from yourself. What challenges and/or opportunities did you experience, how did you respond, and what did you learn about yourself as a result? (500 words)
Tuck has swapped out their usual prompt about a “meaningful leadership experience” for one focused on diversity and one’s sense of teamwork among that diversity. The adcom has developed more specific situational and reflective guidelines for its second essay, suggesting that the prior prompt was too broad for the kind of information they are seeking. While there are many elements to cover, the topic does acknowledge the potential impact of diversity within nations, communities, and workplaces; the key is to quickly establish context of setting and the relevant differences in order to get to the challenge and subsequent actions.
As a relatively small and geographically isolated program, Tuck seeks to ensure that every member will fit—through personality, communication skills, leadership and global mindset. Given the school’s size and emphasis on the diversity of the student body, it would obviously be very unwise to adopt an anti-diversity stance in response to this question. That said, it’s absolutely fine to discuss a time when differences led to discomfort, conflict or confusion – as long as you then detail how you worked through this and what lessons you learned. As the prompt is open to opportunities and not just challenges, you may want to detail a conflict-free story about the way that a team’s diversity helped to facilitate a positive outcome and/or personal growth. No matter what the situation being covered, effective responses will reflect a high degree of respect for other cultures and value systems, as well as adaptability and empathy in the course of cross-cultural encounters.
Another element of the response should cover self-reflection; as Tuck no longer specifically asks for strengths and weaknesses, this material could be on the positive end of the spectrum. It is important, however, that the resulting conclusions be drawn from the evidence in the presented anecdote. In highlighting one’s strength or strengths, it would make sense to wrap the essay up with how this would enable you to contribute to the Tuck community.
Optional Essay: Please provide any additional insight or information that you have not addressed elsewhere that may be helpful in reviewing your application (e.g., unusual choice of evaluators, weaknesses in academic performance, unexplained job gaps or changes, etc.). Complete this question only if you feel your candidacy is not fully represented by this application. (500 words)
The admissions committee provides some clear guidance about “allowable” topics for this response, indicating that it will be best used to address liabilities in one’s application. It’s possible that there are other elements of one’s background that would be appropriate and not covered elsewhere in one’s application, for example an anticipated promotion or an element of one’s identity not covered in the program’s data forms, though the wording of this prompt suggests that it should be used sparingly, with applicants making an effort to fully represent their candidacies within the required elements of the application.
Reapplicant Essay: How have you strengthened your candidacy since you last applied? Please reflect on how you have grown personally and professionally. (500 words)
This response asks repeat applicants to comment on outward steps they have taken to enhance their applications — for example, retaking the GMAT, asking for more responsibility at work, or stepping up their involvement in a community organization — while also providing some more introspective commentary on how they’ve grown since they first applied to Tuck. Reapplicants will therefore want to offer a balance of commentary in this essay, remarking on how they’ve proactively taken measures to become a stronger applicant, as well as on how their skills, career goals, and if applicable, appreciation of the Tuck MBA, have evolved in recent months.
Clear Admit Resources
Thanks for reading our analysis of this year’s Tuck MBA essay topics. As you work on your Tuck MBA essays and application, we encourage you to consider all of Clear Admit’s Dartmouth offerings:
Dartmouth Tuck School of Business Profile on the Clear Admit website: up-to-date advice and admissions information
Clear Admit Tuck School Snapshot: overview of key curricular details and application information
Clear Admit Tuck School Guide: in-depth program and campus information and side-by-side school comparisons; everything you need to know for a successful application!
Clear Admit LiveWire: admissions updates submitted in real time by applicants to Tuck
Clear Admit DecisionWire: school selections in real-time by admits to Tuck