Tuck (Dartmouth): Class of 2018 - Calling All Applicants!

FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: TuckGO: A Close Look at Media Best Practices in Prague

By Giuliana Vetrano T’16 To me, the definition of education is an experience that makes you think differently about something you thought you understood. That’s why I view the three weeks I spent in Prague this December as a keystone of my Tuck education. Having just completed my OnSite Global Consulting project, I’ll never think about Europe—or newspapers—in the same way. This winter, I was part of a team of six Tuck second-year students working with a leading Czech media company. We had the privilege of living and working in Prague during the long winter break afforded by Dartmouth’s quarter system. The company, which publishes the country’s top publication in its sector as well as several related magazines, asked us for advice on increasing digital revenues—from advertising, subscriptions, and other (potentially more creative) sources. At first, the question seemed simple—not far off from a case interview prompt—but once we were on the ground in Prague, it got a lot more complex. To begin with, the experts we interviewed in the media industry kept telling us that this was a business problem that no one had solved. Sure, maybe the New York Times was profitable, but with only about a 2 percent margin. And they were leading the market. Recognizing this, we approached our work as an exercise in ascertaining best practices in media—in the U.S. and beyond—and then deciding whether or not those could be applied to our Czech client. This meant that we needed to couple our external research with an in-depth understanding of our client and its operations. Our interviews with everyone from advertising directors, to editors, to data analysts, to the CEO were some of the most fascinating and rewarding parts of the project. The project also made us think deeply and carefully about the role media plays in society. Surely many of us take our 24/7 access to true, unbiased news for granted. And as much as we love reading analysis pieces in the Economist or literary pieces in the New Yorker, we still hesitate when we see the high price tag on the subscription. With the decline of print, almost all our beloved sources of information are struggling to survive. But the human need for quality content—whether “quality” is defined as eloquence, timeliness, integrity, relevance, or entertainment—remains. If online advertising and digital subscriptions and paywalls can’t be relied upon to fund journalism, then the media business model is poised for a fundamental shift. This problem is particularly interesting in the context of the Czech Republic. There, trusted sources of information are difficult to divine. Most newspapers and magazines are privately owned either by powerful politicians or the wealthy. The public news media (one can think of it as equivalent to the BBC in the U.K.), on the other hand, bears associations with the pre-1989 Communist state. As we learned, Czech readers are loyal to their papers of choice, but also very cognizant of a potential slant in what they read. All that being said, the Czech Republic we visited impressed us profoundly, and made us almost embarrassed by our expectations coming in. For one, we were told that this wasn’t Eastern Europe, this was Central Europe, and the old convention of talking about different sides of the curtain was truly passé. The city itself also operated at the level of many other Western European cities I’ve visited. We were struck by the beauty of Prague--not just in terms of the red roofs and pastel facades and the majestic medieval castle, but by the new, modern construction in the neighborhood where we worked. The city was vibrant and dynamic, the people welcoming and spirited, and we all remarked on how at home we felt so quickly. Despite the client’s assertions that digital technology and adoption in the Czech Republic was two or three years behind that of the U.S., we were amazed by how many best practices we identified that were already in place at the company. Hanover may be one of the world’s greatest environments for learning (I certainly think so), but we Tuckies are just as lucky to have opportunities like this to test what we’re taught in the classroom—not just in the American “real” world, but also in worlds we don’t yet know. For many Tuck students, Europe may seem like a “known,” a destination traveled at younger ages, the first frontier of our international discovery. But this trip to Prague reminded me of the immense cultural diversity and history in that (relatively) small continent, and reinforced how important it is to discover new nations and peoples and histories one at a time, resisting the urge to generalize or assume. At the same time, working in the Czech Republic showed me that business itself has many universal components, and has inspired me to seek out more opportunities to work and live abroad in my career. I am very grateful to Tuck, my five team members, and our advisor for this rich and fulfilling experience. And in the future, I won’t think twice about renewing my subscriptions. Giuliana is a second-year student at Tuck. She started her career as a history and French teacher in private schools in Connecticut before transitioning to digital marketing on the agency side in New York.  After Tuck, Giuliana will join Bain & Co. as a consultant in the Boston office.

FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: Media in Bohemia: TuckGo Consults in Prague

By Giuliana Vetrano T’16 To me, the definition of education is an experience that makes you think differently about something you thought you understood. That’s why I view the three weeks I spent in Prague this December as a keystone of my Tuck education. Having just completed my OnSite Global Consulting project, I’ll never think about Europe—or newspapers—in the same way. This winter, I was part of a team of six Tuck second-year students working with a leading Czech media company. We had the privilege of living and working in Prague during the long winter break afforded by Dartmouth’s quarter system. The company, which publishes the country’s top publication in its sector as well as several related magazines, asked us for advice on increasing digital revenues—from advertising, subscriptions, and other (potentially more creative) sources. At first, the question seemed simple—not far off from a case interview prompt—but once we were on the ground in Prague, it got a lot more complex. To begin with, the experts we interviewed in the media industry kept telling us that this was a business problem that no one had solved. Sure, maybe the New York Times was profitable, but with only about a 2 percent margin. And they were leading the market. Recognizing this, we approached our work as an exercise in ascertaining best practices in media—in the U.S. and beyond—and then deciding whether or not those could be applied to our Czech client. This meant that we needed to couple our external research with an in-depth understanding of our client and its operations. Our interviews with everyone from advertising directors, to editors, to data analysts, to the CEO were some of the most fascinating and rewarding parts of the project. The project also made us think deeply and carefully about the role media plays in society. Surely many of us take our 24/7 access to true, unbiased news for granted. And as much as we love reading analysis pieces in the Economist or literary pieces in the New Yorker, we still hesitate when we see the high price tag on the subscription. With the decline of print, almost all our beloved sources of information are struggling to survive. But the human need for quality content—whether “quality” is defined as eloquence, timeliness, integrity, relevance, or entertainment—remains. If online advertising and digital subscriptions and paywalls can’t be relied upon to fund journalism, then the media business model is poised for a fundamental shift. This problem is particularly interesting in the context of the Czech Republic. There, trusted sources of information are difficult to divine. Most newspapers and magazines are privately owned either by powerful politicians or the wealthy. The public news media (one can think of it as equivalent to the BBC in the U.K.), on the other hand, bears associations with the pre-1989 Communist state. As we learned, Czech readers are loyal to their papers of choice, but also very cognizant of a potential slant in what they read. All that being said, the Czech Republic we visited impressed us profoundly, and made us almost embarrassed by our expectations coming in. For one, we were told that this wasn’t Eastern Europe, this was Central Europe, and the old convention of talking about different sides of the curtain was truly passé. The city itself also operated at the level of many other Western European cities I’ve visited. We were struck by the beauty of Prague--not just in terms of the red roofs and pastel facades and the majestic medieval castle, but by the new, modern construction in the neighborhood where we worked. The city was vibrant and dynamic, the people welcoming and spirited, and we all remarked on how at home we felt so quickly. Despite the client’s assertions that digital technology and adoption in the Czech Republic was two or three years behind that of the U.S., we were amazed by how many best practices we identified that were already in place at the company. Hanover may be one of the world’s greatest environments for learning (I certainly think so), but we Tuckies are just as lucky to have opportunities like this to test what we’re taught in the classroom—not just in the American “real” world, but also in worlds we don’t yet know. For many Tuck students, Europe may seem like a “known,” a destination traveled at younger ages, the first frontier of our international discovery. But this trip to Prague reminded me of the immense cultural diversity and history in that (relatively) small continent, and reinforced how important it is to discover new nations and peoples and histories one at a time, resisting the urge to generalize or assume. At the same time, working in the Czech Republic showed me that business itself has many universal components, and has inspired me to seek out more opportunities to work and live abroad in my career. I am very grateful to Tuck, my five team members, and our advisor for this rich and fulfilling experience. And in the future, I won’t think twice about renewing my subscriptions. Giuliana is a second-year student at Tuck. She started her career as a history and French teacher in private schools in Connecticut before transitioning to digital marketing on the agency side in New York.  After Tuck, Giuliana will join Bain & Co. as a consultant in the Boston office.    (Featured photo above: Jason Tinder T’16, Michael Alemany T’16, Joe Brown T’16, Giuliana Vetrano T’16 (contributor), Molly Hinton T’16, Alice Feng T’16. Photo by Stephen Pidgeon, faculty advisor.)

Received interview invite last week. I opted for a skype interview. The email said my interviewer will be in touch with me shortly. Since then I haven't heard anything back. Should I be worried and email them? :/

Don't worry, but definitely email or call with your application reference number.

No need to worry, invitational interviews are on-going. It takes some time to coordinate interviewer and applicant schedules. If you still haven't heard anything by the end of next week (February 5), please send an email to tuck.admissions@tuck.dartmouth.edu.

Haha not very well. I've researched about every possible metric to gauge my odds of getting in and I've replayed my interview in my head a million times. Dartmouth is my absolute dream school and the wait to hear back is driving me up a wall!

Don't do that. It's futile and only serves to drive you crazy. Not sure how you researched every possible admissions metric especially sense admissions is not a science and is largely skewed towards subjectivity as opposed to objectivity. As I've said before, there is nothing you can do now so I suggest reading a book, exercising and any other endeavor to occupy your mind. IJS

Very true! I guess my main reason to dig into the admissions stats is that I fall in a kind of weird outlying group (very high GMAT, very low GPA) so it's really hard to handicap my odds. All in all, I think I interviewed really well, I like my application and essays, I have good recommendations and most importantly I think I'm a cultural fit. So subjectively I like my chances, but as an engineer I have a hard time looking past the objective, statistical side of things and that aspect will nag at me until I get the call or email with my final decision.

Hello guys,
Received skype interview invite on Jan 20. Application submitted on 5th Jan. Got an option to choose a slot from three. I chose Feb 1 as that's the only time we could work out due to time difference ( I am from India)
Interview conducted by a second year student. Very casual and conversational. At the beginning of the interview he told me how he planned to structure the interview - 30 min in all - 25 min for questions and 5 min for questions I may have.
The usual tell me about yourself, why mba, why Tuck and how will you contribute, explain your career shifts ( I shifted from O&G to Finance) and a failure experience. A couple of things interesting on my resume. I think it went well overall.
Very friendly and genuinely get to know me interview. wrapped up in 31 min as planned.
Don't over stress yourself. Just try to present your case and that's all. Wish you luck!

PS: Sent a thank you note! waiting for a response

Is any other Indian candidate from January round still waiting for the interview invite?

Yes, here I am! :/

Happy to not be alone

One more here!

There is still hope probably!

FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: So You Want to Work with an Admissions Consultant

It’s not a secret. MBA candidates use admissions consultants. Not all of you, we know. But enough, and we want to address the use of consultants head on. There are appropriate and inappropriate ways to engage admissions consulting services. So let’s answer some questions about using consultants. (Note: each MBA program you’re applying to may have a different view of the appropriate use of consultants. You should be aware of the policies of each school.) 1) The use of admissions consultants can raise eyebrows in Admissions offices. Why? Our concern is that the work in your application is not your own. Ethics aside for the moment, how could we possibly assess whether you are a fit for our program or whether you are capable of the work we will ask of you if what you submit in your application isn’t yours? Added to that, the act of submitting someone else’s work as your own is just wrong. If you use a consultant, it is important that the entire application is your ideas and your work, except the recommendation letters, of course, which should definitely NOT be yours. Be sure that your application reflects who you are. There are no exceptions to this. None. Ever. Hopefully that’s clear now. 2) What’s the appropriate way to use admissions consultants’ services? I’m so glad you asked! Admissions consultants can be helpful in providing information about programs and acting as a sounding board as you flesh out your school wish list. Reputable consultants have experience in MBA programs and a broad understanding of the variety of schools out there. Consultants can also assist on the path to reflection and discovery. A crucial component of your admissions process is knowing where you want to go. Sometimes we need someone on the outside asking the right questions to help us narrow down our goals and what we need in order to achieve them. Preparation is key, and the right consultant can help there as well. You should be writing multiple drafts of your essays. Getting feedback is fine, whether it’s from your mother, your best friend, or a consultant, as long as the final product is written by you, in your voice, and reflecting your ideas and ambitions. In preparing for your interviews, you can bounce ideas off a consultant, practice with them, and decompress with them afterwards. But again, the hard work is all on you. 3) So obviously, the next question is: what’s an inappropriate use of an admissions consultant? As I said above, all the work in your application should be your own. In the case of the recommendations, they should be the work of your recommenders only. It is a violation of the Tuck Honor Code to submit an application that is not exclusively your work or to submit recommendations that you or someone other than your recommender have written, even if at the request of your recommender. 4) Do I need an admissions consultant to be competitive? NO! Many, many people are admitted to business schools every year who do not use admissions consultants. Admissions consultants charge for their services and expertise. You absolutely can do all this work on your own, using school resources and your personal and professional networks as sources of information and sounding boards. 5) How could you possibly know if an applicant uses a consultant in an inappropriate way? You’d be surprised. A dead giveaway is when you accidentally submit a draft copy of your essays with the consultant’s notes all over them. Rare, I grant you, but it’s happened. More commonly, something in your application raises doubts in our minds. We notice that, although your Analytical Writing Assessment, TOEFL or IELTS score is low, your essays are perfect. You seem to know the questions we’ll ask in the interview before we ask them. Now, you could have done this all on your own, but it gives us pause. In a competitive applicant pool, don’t give the Admissions Committee a reason to weed you out. 6 ) If I decide to use an admissions consultant, how do I find one? Get referrals. Research the consulting firms and individual consultants. Talk to the consultants who make your short list and see if there’s a fit with you. Your consultant may offer a free consultation to make sure this can be a productive relationship. Understand clearly the services they offer and how they charge for their services. Don’t trust anyone who offers a guaranteed admission. A good resource can be the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants. This professional association is relatively new and is dedicated to promoting ethical practices in and better understanding of the graduate admissions consulting industry. Members agree to adhere to a set of principles to guide their consulting practices. Please note that AIGAC is a relatively new organization, and its membership is still growing. Whether the consultants you are considering are members or not, the principles can give you a set of important considerations as you evaluate your options.

This thread has kept me sane through the ongoing waiting process, and so I wanted to return the favor for others.


I applied by the 1/6 deadline, and did my interview (via skype - international applicant) on 1/29.
I dreaded the interview, as I have a tendency to "mess up" the more badly I want something.

However, the interviewer (2nd year associate) was a true class act.
He took the first couple minutes introducing himself, letting my heartbeat go back down to less suicidal range.
The interviewer clearly outlined the time parameters of the interview, and made sure I was comfortable and ready to go.
He was a kind listener throughout and let me finish my thoughts, even when I went a little long on a few of his questions.

The questions were not the standard run-of-the-mill types: each and every one was tailored to me, and showed that the interviewer really was interested in the answers. Advice: know your profession, know your motivations, know your impact, and know how the experiences changed you.

I am not saying that I did perfectly on the interview. (Mental replay + free time is... a curse.)
But my interview experience with the Tuck 2nd Year Associate confirmed yet again the kind culture that makes the Tuck community so classy.
Every single Tuckie that I've met or talked to embodies this culture and ethos. And I hope my interviewer saw a glimpse of it in me as well.

To everyone who will get the privilege to interview with Tuck, good luck!
I'm sure you're going to be as impressed with the process as I was (and am).

Hey Eagle T81
I had a similar experience last Thursday at the campus.
The student interviewers are exceptionally humble and friendly.

It was my first interview after 7 years and more than anything, it was a very pleasant conversation. (I hope my interviewer remembers me with similar sentiments )

Never felt for a second that I was being assessed.

During the QnA I asked some specific questions and the student ambassadors responded with the great details and patience.


The school in itself has a vibe to it,I hope you get to visit the school---Fantastic Campus---The tunnels, the study halls, class rooms, Tuck stuff!! Everything is cohesively placed, very cozy!!.

I am really excited about the extra courses one can take (history, music etc) at Dartmouth

Mental Replay of the interview is killing me!!

I am very fortunate to have experienced the Tuck way in 5 hours I was there.

A very hectic trip, DC-BOS-Hanover--Flying and Driving, same day return, but guess what, my fiancee and I walked out of there with so much motivation, i cannot express that in words.

Anyways, good luck with the admissions process. I hope we both make it there!!

Best,
Anant