Calling all TUCK 2008 applicants

Hey Rajiv,
Quick question- how did you go about getting the alumni contacts? Did you just ask the admissions committee via email or did you request when you visited Tuck?

Dosa,

If you want to contact some students you can find some link I believe on the Tuck website. You fill in some e-form or you send an email, I did before applying last year but I 've forgotten the exact name. The administration will then send you the email of a current student.

If you visit it's even better since you can meet with a few people, take their name and feel free to ask for their email. But do ask for their name so that later on you can ask the administration for their email. It's not just about network but it's also a good way to navigate through the different profiles so you can have a better idea of the mix of students there and if you like it or not.

Also, be honest and natural, don't be too stressed but most importantly behave well at Tuck since the administration takes our opinions very seriously about any prospective visiting us. If you meet with students and they really like you then they can definitely help you and even send an email to the admission office to tell how nice you were, etc... Don't dream too much since it's not happenning everyday and it depends a lot on the students but I've personally done it this year for one candidate. I don't know how much weight they put on our opinion but even if it's 5% you should act properly when you are at the school. No worries though, I believe we usually welcome our prospective students very well and we are all conscious that the atmosphere and the small/strong network is our brand so nobody is going to bother you or to ask you some brain teaser. Relax and enjoy. Talk to as many people as possible.

It also depends on your nationality, if you are not from the US you should mention it to the admnistration and they can put you in touch with someone from your country at Tuck, it's usually a nice way to start.

2nd year Tuck

Here's a link to Tuck Connections form: https://www.tuck.dartmouth.edu/admission ... _form.html (it's offline for the summer period, so check it back in Sep). I used it last year, got connected with an alumnus, learned a lot from him.

I just want to say that Tuck people are really open and easy to approach.

Also my interviewer last year connected me with two students from my country, and it was useful experience as well.

hi dosa_don,

you can use the "tuck connections" link that is provided here... however, you will probably have to wait till fall for that... if you want to start right now, try emailing admissions... they are very helpful

I am trying to get an idea of the importance of the various factors in an app. My guess:

GPA: 20%
Essays: 35% (Career progression, leadership, teamwork etc)
Reco's: 20%
GMAT: 10%
Interview: 5%
Diversity: 10% (The diversity that you bring to the table)

Can anyone else take a guess on these?

Hmmm... I would not agree with giving to reco's twice as much importance as GMAT and four times more as interviews. I woud definitely value interviews over recos. Also, I do not agree with giving twice more importance to GPA as to GMAT. High GMAT can definitely compensate low GPA. Can stellar GPA compensate low GMAT? Unlikely, in my opinion.

Thanks Helg. I am trying to get an idea of how crucial is GPA as mine is kind of low. I have posted the question as a separate thread to get more answers.

Thanks!

What happened to all the Tuck applicants?!

Any other reapplicants here?

I'm done with drafts for Essay 1, 3, 4 and 6

I've got an idea for the optional essay... but I'm stuck with essay 2... the leadership essay. I'm no napoleon not am I jack welsh... anybody have ideas on leadership?

I am working on my Kellogg essays at the moment so tuck has fallen to the wayside. I am trying to get a time when my wife and I can both take off a day and drive to Hanover for a visit (we live a few hours away on the other side of the state). Its a great little town but it sure is tough to visit for a lot of people. If you have the ability to make sure you check out the school in person, not only will it help your decision but it really is different than pretty much any other highly regarded b-school.

I'm trying to get the app done for ED. On a side note, Hanover is an amazing town, think of the ideal New Englad town and that's Hanover. If you don't mind the cold, it's an amazing place. Also, I'm trying to maintain a consistent theme throughout my essays...and need some ideas on how to get some more info about the school. I'm currently working in India so campus visits may be a bit difficult so I sent the adcoms a mail, and am planning to attend the mba event in Bangalore next month. I'll definitely check out the connect page on the website as soon as its up...but in the interim does anyone have any other suggestions?

Is anyone else having trouble with Essay #3?

Well, I don't, since I already wrote that essay last year and I can hardly be expected to receive within the last 6 months a criticism harder than anything I got during the previous 29 years of my life Maybe I will just introduce some minor corrections the last-year's essay.

hey, just a wild thought
I am a big fan of S.King and you know most of his books deal with small New England towns... like Hanover, yeah... so in a sense I feel like I belong there... should I mention that in my essays?

Haha that would be a very unique introduction, or point to put in your essay. At this point, all I have for essay #3, is a criticism relating to the GMAT. I wanted to take the week off before the GMAT, but my boss refused...initially I was upset (to put it mildly) since I had been putting in 6 day weeks for the past 6 months and had progressed to running two teams within the company. Eventually, I realized that it wasn't much of a punishment but rather a reflection of my work and that the company couldn't afford to let me take time off in late August (we have been experiencing rapid growth and can't afford to let managers take time off). The story ends with my reaching a conclusion with my boss, and so on...it's not really a criticism of my work, but I perceived it as a criticism of my performance and value to the company. Will that work? I know it's a bit folksy but I really can't think of any other major criticisms that aren't "revise the latest draft of the report..." etc.

You know, they ask you about "the hardest criticism or feedback". So, if the hardest you ever got was not letting you to take some days off that may cause raised eyebrows of AdCom.

Yea that's what I thought, I guess I have to come up with another topic. Thanks Helg.

Helg, how many of your essays are you re-using? I can't seem to get confirmation whether they will look at your old application or not. Well, for me, I received some very new and harsh criticism that turned around well in the end - so I'll be using that.

Can anybody confirm whether it's acceptable to reuse old essays?