Known for its extremely close-knit, down-to-earth community, Dartmouth Tuck wants to learn about you and how you will contribute to and support the individuals in it. The school’s admissions committee also wants to see that you truly understand and value the program’s unique culture, which has evolved away from any major city. For its application essays, Tuck asks you three questions intended to highlight aspects of you that are not conveyed in the other parts of your application. Take time to assess what is included in your resume and short-answer responses within the application, as well as what your recommenders might say, to identify your best stories for the school’s essays.
Table of Contents
Essay 1
Your professional goals are described elsewhere in your application. What led you to those goals and to your understanding of where you need to grow? Why is Tuck the right environment to support that growth and help you achieve your ambitions? (2000 characters)
Although the wording of the prompt has changed this year, it feels as though Tuck is just trying to be more clear in what it is asking for. Within the program’s application, there are two short-answer questions about your professional goals, and in this essay, the admissions committee wants you to go deeper into this topic. Don’t rehash your goals here; instead, talk about the experiences that led you to form these goals. Approach this essay in two parts: Part one would explain how you developed your goals, and part two would address how Tuck is uniquely qualified to help you achieve them.
To start, you could break down part one even further. Consider beginning with a hook story that will help explain how you developed your professional objectives. If you are looking to change careers, this story might reveal what has inspired the change. If you are looking to accelerate your career, your hook story might convey the frustration you’ve felt in not being able to move forward as you’ve hoped. Then, identify the skills you need to build and experiences you need to have during your time in the MBA program that will help you be successful in attaining your goals. Think about your growth needs in terms of business, industry, and leadership skills.
For the “why Tuck” portion of your essay, identify the specific classes, clubs, conferences, and/or experiences that will help you gain the necessary skills you identified. Go a step further and explain how you plan to contribute to the Tuck community or share what you learned from a conversation you had with a Tuck student or recent graduate. A significant part of your learning at Tuck will be experiential, outside of the classroom, so make sure to include how you will be involved at the school apart from your coursework. Finally, talk about what draws you to the Tuck culture. Why does the small, close-knit, remote nature of Tuck appeal to you? And how will you contribute to that culture?
Essay 2
People are often shaped by experiences that are not fully reflected in their resume. Tell us about an important aspect of who you are that has shaped you as a person. How will your perspective enrich the Tuck community? (2000 characters)
Here again, the Tuck admissions committee has taken steps to fine-tune what they are looking for. With this essay, Tuck wants to understand what unique perspective you will bring to classroom discussions and the Tuck community and how you will share that background with your classmates. Rather than making a laundry list of what you will contribute, refine your answer to go deep on one topic. Consider splitting this essay between what you are trying to showcase about yourself and your experiences and how you will leverage this to give back to the school and your classmates. Reflect on what is unique about you that can add to the class.
Consider opening this essay with a story that illustrates the aspect you are trying to convey and then explain to the admissions committee how and why this story reveals who you are. How will your experiences influence the perspective you’ll bring to class discussions? How will you contribute through your involvement in the clubs and experiences at Tuck? Don’t repeat information or messages you included in the first essay — this is an additional opportunity to showcase how you want to be involved as a Tuck student. Pick something that allows you to show how you will apply something from your past to build on what already exists at Tuck. For example, a recent client of mine grew up moving across different countries. They could talk about how those moves made them more curious about meeting new people and learning their stories, and then discuss how they would be the person in certain clubs to bring people together and make sure everyone felt heard and valued. Try to stay away from professional examples and show who you are outside of work.
Essay 3
Describe a time when supporting another person was not easy or straightforward. What made it difficult, how did you respond, and what did you learn? (2000 characters)
Here, Tuck wants to know that you are going to make an effort to help your classmates and continue the supportive culture that exists on campus. Consider using the SCAR approach (Situation, Challenge, Action, and Result) to present your story in this essay. Be specific; don’t talk in broad terms about how you help people in general. Choose one person you went out of your way to support or help. Highlight why it was difficult or uncomfortable to help this person. Outline the steps you took, and summarize what you learned from the situation — bonus points for sharing how you now leverage this learning on a regular basis. Tuck values collaboration to solve problems, so this is a great opportunity to highlight your ability to support others empathetically. It is more impactful to “show” how you helped enable someone’s success by offering an example and including what you learned from the situation, rather than merely talking about success at a high level.
Optional Essay
Please provide any additional insight or information that you have not addressed elsewhere (e.g., atypical choice of references, factors affecting academic performance, unexplained job gaps or changes). Complete this question only if you feel your candidacy is not fully represented by this application. (2000 characters)
The optional essay is one that should be used judiciously. If you feel your application conveys a complete, accurate picture of who you are as a deserving Tuck candidate, then you are best off not submitting an optional essay. There is little to be gained from adding to the admissions committee’s workload by asking them to read another essay that doesn’t answer something new. But if you have something that warrants explanation, this is your chance to clarify it for the admissions committee.
Reapplicant Essay
How have you strengthened your candidacy since you last applied? Reflect on how you have grown personally and professionally and how your understanding of Tuck has developed. (2000 characters)
Ideally, in the time between your previous application and now, you have assessed areas of your candidacy and career that could be improved in this application — and have taken steps to fill those gaps. Tuck wants to know not only that you bring new experiences to the table this year but also that you are not easily deterred by setbacks and continue to strive toward your goals. Outline for the admissions committee what you have done, gained, and learned since you last applied. Highlight what new skills or experiences you could bring to Tuck and how you will use them to contribute to your classmates’ experiences. This year Tuck added the phrase “how your understanding of Tuck has developed.” This should clearly indicate to you that the admissions committee expects you to have continued to engage with Tuck. So, learn more about its programs, talk with students, and even visit campus (if possible) to show you truly understand and value Tuck’s uniqueness. For more tips on writing a reapplicant essay, see Six Tips for Business School Reapplicants.
In Stratus Admissions’ How to Get into Dartmouth Tuck, you will find information on a variety of the MBA program’s offerings, such as the OnSite Global Consulting program, First-Year Project, Tuck Winter Carnival, and small group dinners. This free guide also includes class profile statistics.