Calling all Tuck (Dartmouth) Applicants: (2017 Intake) Class of 2019!!

We got confirmation from the school. Amy Mitson - Senior Associate Director of Admissions at Tuck- will be in the chat to answer applicants' questions. See y'all in the chat tomorrow.


Brief intro of Amy Mitson: Amy has been at Tuck since 2000 and is currently Senior Associate Director of Admissions. Prior to working with Tuck Admissions, Amy was the Senior Associate Director of the MBA Program Office. As an admissions officer at Tuck, Amy serves on the admissions committee, reads applications, interviews candidates, oversees the campus visitation program, and manages recruiting efforts in Asia. Her combined student services and admissions experiences have helped her get acquainted with the day-to-day operations at Tuck as well as its history. Her favourite thing about Tuck is the people; working with the faculty, staff and students is a consistent source of motivation and inspiration.

FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: An Internship in Health Care, Thanks to Tuck GIVES

By Mark Seelen T'17 This summer, with support from Tuck GIVES, I interned at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Perioperative Services, learning a tremendous amount about how a hospital functions. My department was responsible for the operations and administration of in-patient and ambulatory surgery, with a daily volume of approximately 150 surgical cases. In addition to the high daily volume, the management of the operating rooms is extremely complex due to the high acuity of patients and the precision needed to control the throughput of patients from their arrival to their departure, being constrained by patient mix, staffing needs, and institutional bed capacity. I was provided exposure to many diverse and fascinating projects across the institution, while also being assigned specific assignments in my department. My projects namely focused on the flow and storage of surgical instrumentation, applying many of the concepts that I learned in my operations management classes at Tuck. I was afforded incredible trust and access across the hospital, and I felt that I was able to add value as a non-clinician, bringing a different perspective to the discussion. This experience really clarified my career goals, learning that the challenges and opportunities at a large academic medical center are a great fit for me. Coming from the military, I was seeking another mission-oriented organization, where I could positively impact people and be part of something greater than myself. I certainly found that sense of purpose this summer. There is one quote by MGH’s founders, which really forms the foundation of the institution: “When in distress, every man becomes our neighbor.” This notion still rings true today, with MGH possibly providing the last hope for a patient and his or her family. This is a very powerful mission to get behind. Finally, I was fortunate to find several mentors who sought to help my development as a future hospital administrator. It was clear that these individuals really cared about the four pillar mission of MGH: patient care, research, education, and the community. Their motivation and desire for continuous improvement in health care was certainly infectious (in a good way). I will incorporate what I learned this summer, continuing my education this year at Tuck and The Dartmouth Institute, to further prepare for a career in health care delivery.

FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: Forté Foundation: A Lifelong Network for Women in Business

By Leeann Bo T'18  Leeann grew up in Ohio and New Jersey. She spent (almost) the last decade in New York City, with the exception of a semester in Florence, Italy. She graduated from New York University's Stern School of Business and worked in investment banking prior to attending Tuck.      It was mid-June and about a hundred degrees in Austin, Texas. I, along with 400+ MBA students, entrepreneurs and powerful women in business were making our way to the annual Forté MBA Women’s Leadership Conference. Uber and Lyft had just left Austin and we all bonded over the mutual struggle to get to the conference center. But it was definitely worth it! The 2-day conference was full of energy and vision, powered by this year’s theme, ‘Let’s Turn It Up: Transform the power trip. Propel your career’. Back-to-back panels, presentations and networking sessions opened up discussions about goals, obstacles and ideas. Women from all over the country and the world gathered to inspire one another. CEOs, recruiters and alumni mixed with current and prospective MBA students. My fellow Tuckies and I found each other quickly, as Tuck green runs thicker than blood. It was great getting to know future classmates before arriving on campus!  A few incoming T'18 Forté Fellows catching up with Senior Associate Director of Admissions, Pat Harrison.  The Forté Foundation is a non-profit consortium comprised of companies and top business schools. Membership is free and currently, there are more than 70,000 members. Forté is committed to motivating, educating and connecting women with their business career dreams. Founded in 2001, Forté was created in response to a study that explored myths and misperceptions about business careers and why fewer women attend business schools than law or medical schools. Forté’s goals include showing that business careers can be rewarding, preparing women and building excitement for business school. Forté helps connect women with key decision makers in business school admissions, corporate recruiters and fellow students. Personally, I’ve been extremely inspired by the visionary women within the huge Forté network. Tuck is a founding member of the Forté Foundation and has been active in the advancement of women in business. I was fortunate to be named a Forté Fellow, one of 10 incoming T’18 women this year who will serve as liaisons between Tuck and the Forté Foundation. The fellowship program’s objective is to increase the number of women applying to and enrolling in MBA programs. It is open to women pursuing a full-time, part-time or executive MBA education at sponsor business schools. The schools make their own selections from the applicant pool [there is no separate application]. At Tuck, Fellows are chosen based on the strength of their application overall and specifically for their alignment with Forté’s mission. As of 2016, schools have given “nearly $110 million to more than 5,000 Forté Fellows”. In addition to scholarships, fellows have immediate exposure to the broad Forté Network. The programs and benefits of Forté however, begin well before Fellowship as a prospective MBA applicant. Some of them include: Forté Forums: Events held in 12 cities throughout the U.S. and Canada with MBA information and school representatives, which give great insight into MBA programs and the admissions process Forté MBALaunch: 10-month program that provides women interested in MBA programs with a support network and structured plan for applying to business schools. Tuck is now waiving their application fee for Launchers!  Job Center (for premium members): Members can upload their resumes, which are available to sponsor companies and a host of other organizations. There are settings to receive alerts when relevant job postings are available. Many companies also attend the annual conference to meet students and recruit in advance. I’m proud to be part of the Forté network and know this will be a lifelong commitment. Apart from the advice and insight from the annual conference and forums, I am positive the wonderful women I’ve met will continue inspiring me throughout my MBA years and far beyond.  Cover photo: Forté Tuckies pause for a photo in front of the "What's your word?" wall (from left to right: Guneet Sangha, Kim Misher, Annabel De Braganca, Lucy Zuraw, me).

We are starting the chat session in 40 minutes! Hope to see you all in the chat. mchat.php?fl=menu

Anyone schedule their interview? I was really surprised to see 2 Fridays already unavailable yesterday morning hours after receiving the e-mail from Tuck Admissions announcing that scheduling was open.

Did anyone notice that?

Looks like all of the Friday interviews are unavailable now. Luckily I was able to make time for a Tuesday trip.

FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: A Dream Internship, with the Help of the CDO

By Keith Hollis T'17 Prior to Tuck, I spent five years serving in the United States Navy. Although my experiences were varied, I was able to develop a common set of skills and virtues that were forged from strategic and stressful situations. These experiences ranged from navigating a 700-foot-long warship through the Singapore Strait in a torrential downpour to performing nail-biting test procedures in the control room of a nuclear reactor. I knew what some of my strengths were heading into my MBA, but what I didn’t know was how I would be able to apply those to the civilian workforce. As my first year went on, I would see numerous postings on the Tuck Recruiting database that seemed like dream internships. I would usually read the descriptions and discount my skills, presuming that my military experience didn’t fit the bill of what the company was looking for. For this reason, I didn’t feel I should leverage the Tuck network because I wanted to feel more comfortable with the fit of the internship I was applying for and inquiring about. Lizzie Napier T’91 of the Career Development Office reached out to me to ask how I was feeling about the summer. Within seconds Lizzie had several opportunities she ran by me to gauge my interest. It was the first time I had really leveraged the Career Development Office at Tuck to narrow in on the intersection of summer opportunities, my interests, and my skills. My meeting with Lizzie lasted for about 30 minutes and the next week I received an email with the contact information of her close friend who worked in e-commerce at Monster.com. She thought my profile would work perfectly with her objectives at Monster. This came as a welcome surprise as I would have never thought the position would be a fit for me, and never would have applied otherwise.  After learning more about the position, I realized that it was the perfect opportunity to not only apply my strategic process and newly developed business tools, but most of all, make an impact.  Using the same critical thinking abilities and thorough approach that I applied as a nuclear engineer, I’ve spent the summer at Monster rethinking the way it sells its products online. Through this project, I’ve helped to completely redesign a product website and buying interface, with the expectation that it will launch in early September. These changes are expected to make a difference in Monster’s product offering and change its position in the competitive landscape of talent search. This internship blew away my expectations and previously established ideas of “the right fit.” The Career Development Office was essential in connecting my current strengths, newly acquired skills, and internship opportunities. Without this facilitation, I may have found myself far from the ideal position this summer. From my internship search experience, I’ve learned that the Career Development Office has an unmatched ability to identify a student’s desires and abilities and pair them with opportunities that are made through leveraging the Tuck network.    Keith is a second-year student at Tuck. He grew up in Syracuse, NY and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2010 with a degree in Quantitative Economics. Prior to Tuck, he spent five years serving in the Navy and was stationed in Japan and Virginia. At Tuck, he is a club leader for Tripod Hockey, a co-chair for Admitted Students Weekend, an admissions associate, and a co-chair for Tuck Winter Carnival. He is currently spending his summer at Monster.com in e-commerce strategy.

+1 for Early Action.

Visiting the school last week of September - anyone visited recently and/or has any insights on the visit & interview experience at Tuck? The best to all the applicants!

FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: An Applicant’s Role in the Letter of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation (LOR) provide us with additional insight into your career success/potential, as well as your personal and professional strengths and weaknesses. The LOR is the only part of the application not completed by the applicant themselves. Because they're not writing it, it’s common for applicants to assume that they don’t have much influence over the letter. Not true! By picking the best recommenders to make your case and giving them some guidance, you can have a big impact. Who should I ask? Someone who can speak to your work experience—preferably a direct supervisor. Typically, we like to see LORs from an immediate supervisor. Someone who has worked with you closely and can really speak to your work experience. The recommender doesn’t need to be the CEO or head of the company, especially if he/she has had little direct contact or interaction with you. It is more important to have someone who has worked directly with you than someone with an impressive title. There are times that applicants don’t want their supervisors to know they are applying to business school. In these situations, a client, previous manager, senior colleague or contact from an extracurricular organization can be a good option. However, if you are not providing a letter from your supervisor, we suggest you include an explanation in an optional essay so we do not assume that it is because you don’t have a good working relationship with him/her. These people are also great choices for your second recommender. Who shouldn’t I ask? Family, friends, or professors. We do not recommend asking family or friends for a LOR. If you work for a family business, and your supervisor is a parent (or an aunt, or an uncle, etc.), we suggest asking a client, customer, or non-family member in the organization to write a letter for you instead. Likewise, we do not recommend asking a professor to write the recommendation. We will know how you performed in the class from your grades, and professors are not usually in a position to provide insight into the areas we are most interested in learning about. Asking your Recommender Asking your potential recommender these two questions, will set you on the right path: 1) are you willing to write a positive recommendation for me? and 2) do you have the time to write a detailed recommendation? If his/her answer to either of these questions is “no,” you should find someone else to write on your behalf. Prepare your Recommender (Highly encouraged!) Preparing your recommender in advance is important. It should go without saying, but be sure to give your recommender plenty of time to complete the letter by the school’s deadline. Then, we recommend taking them out for coffee, or finding some time to talk about your goals and rationale for getting an MBA. Spend some time reminding them of your recent performance reviews, and talk about your significant accomplishments. This will help them write a more compelling evaluation because they will have specific examples to use in support of their comments. Those detailed examples are important. Letters that are brief and state strong feelings either positive or negative without providing examples to support the comments aren’t very helpful. Just saying “Susan is a great team player” doesn’t provide as much insight as a letter that then supports the comment with a specific example. This does not mean telling your recommender exactly what to say… Do NOT—we repeat, do NOT!—write your own letter of recommendation. We want an honest assessment of your skills. Occasionally, we will hear that a recommender asks the applicant to write the letter for them and they will sign their name to it. If this request is made of you, find someone else to write your recommendation. Do however, make sure that your recommender knows how important for them to submit the Tuck LOR form rather than a generic letter. We ask these questions for a reason and want to be sure we’re getting the information we need. Also, it’s just plain wrong. Tuck is proud to operate under an honor code and writing your own LOR would be a direct violation. Say THANK YOU : ) Finally, be sure to thank your recommender (profusely!). Writing these letters takes a lot of work, particularly if you are applying to several schools. Show your appreciation, because you may want to use them as a reference again in the future. Thanks for your Tuck 360 readership! We look forward to learning about you all through your letters of recommendation and the rest of the application.

FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: An Internship with the Maine Venture Fund

By Natalie C. T’17 I went into the summer wanting to learn as much as I could about the venture capital space and the startup world, and my experience at the Maine Venture Fund (MVF), with the support of funding from Tuck GIVES, has provided me with that opportunity and much more. The Maine Venture Fund is a professionally managed venture capital fund that invests exclusively in Maine companies that demonstrate a potential for high growth and public benefit. The Fund is run by a small team of managing directors, and I’ve had the opportunity to build close relationships with all of them, as well as connect with their experienced board members (one of whom is a Tuckie!). In addition to my day-to-day responsibilities of working with two of the fund’s portfolio companies, I’ve also participated in board meetings, conducted due diligence on possible investments, and attended a number of startup and venture capital events in Portland, Maine. As for my responsibilities as a summer intern, I spend the vast majority of my time working with one of MVF’s portfolio companies called R.e.d.d.; an early stage energy bar company that recently secured $1M in funding to accelerate product innovation and distribution. I’m working on three projects for R.e.d.d.: establishing and implementing a brand ambassador program, creating a cause marketing initiative, and conducting strategic multi-category analysis and field research to help identify which categories outside of the energy bar space are most consistent with the R.e.d.d. brand and provide the best opportunity for product expansion. R.e.d.d. currently has three full-time employees (the CEO is a Dartmouth alum), so the experience has been incredibly valuable in terms of being able to observe and tangibly contribute to the growth of an early stage start-up. Not to mention they have an actual zipline in the office which I was required to do before being considered an official member of the team.…so despite working around the clock in your typical start-up fashion, they still find time for fun! Shameless plug: R.e.d.d. bars are now sold at Tuck and Dartmouth, so be sure to give them a try – they are delicious!  In addition to my responsibilities at R.e.d.d., the remainder of my time is split between conducting research on the competitor landscape for one of MVF’s edtech portfolio companies, and working on a project related to the fund where I am researching what criteria MVF should evaluate when assessing whether or not it is time to engineer an exit from an investment and what tools are most appropriate for executing those exits (stock buyback, auction, etc.). What has made this experience so rewarding, both personally and professionally, is not only the skills and experience I’ve gained through my internship projects, but also the meaningful relationships I’ve built with the MVF team and the local VC community. I came to Tuck to switch careers and my time at MVF has provided me with strategic and tactical experiences to help me achieve my long-term career goal of working in the mission-driven venture capital space. It has been a truly invaluable experience!   (Main photo above: The entire R.e.d.d. team during a shoot for their marketing campaign. Photo at right: Natalie working with the R.e.d.d founder Alden Blease and CMO Reed Allen. Photo at left: Natalie with R.e.d.d. founder Alden Blease and R.e.d.d. CEO Peter Van Alstine whom she worked closely with during her internship.)

FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: MBA/...? Joint and Dual Degrees at Tuck

Tuck has several opportunities for students to customize their MBA experience around individual areas of interest or areas that are of particular relevance to the next step in their career. Elective courses, independent study, Research-to-Practice Seminars, student-led clubs and conferences, and Research Centers & Initiatives are great ways to do this. Sometimes though, students are looking for more. That’s why Tuck allows students the flexibility to work toward two degrees concurrently. In addition to those listed below, you may also design your own specialized degree programs in association with other schools. Check out Tuck 360 posts from current or former students who have pursued some of the most popular degrees. Their experiences offer insight into why they chose a joint/dual degree and how Tuck’s curriculum enhanced their overall education.   Joint Degrees within Dartmouth College MD/MBA The Geisel School of Medicine and the Tuck School of Business offer students an opportunity to pursue combined MD/MBA degrees that can be completed in either five or six years. In a time of tremendous change in health care, there is a growing need for leaders with expertise in both medicine and management. This joint-degree program is designed to open pathways for leadership roles in diverse areas and industries such as pharmaceuticals, biotech, health care related entrepreneurial ventures, governmental health programs, health related nonprofits, hospital management, HMO management, large practice management, health care policy formation, and medical school administration, to name a few. MPH/MBA The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice (TDI) is dedicated to improving health care through education, research, policy reform, leadership improvement, and communication with patients and the public. TDI's Master of Public Health (MPH) curriculum is designed to provide every student with the fundamental skills, knowledge base, and philosophical foundation in health policy and clinical practice, with specific attention paid to public health, clinical/health services research, or health care leadership. The MPH/MBA joint degree offered with the Tuck School prepares graduates to take on leadership positions in both the public and private sectors of the health care industry. Jennifer Ferrigan T’14 Anthony Hemming T’17 PhD/MBA The PhD/MBA joint degree program offers the unique opportunity for PhD students at Dartmouth College to finish off their training with management education. The joint degree aims to produce individuals who are not only thoroughly trained in a scientific discipline but also possess fundamental business and entrepreneurial skills. The program is currently only available to PhD students at Dartmouth.   Dual Degrees with Other Institutions MBA/MA The three-year MBA/MA dual degree program between the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University and the Tuck School of Business has been designed to prepare students for careers that combine international relations and business management. The program is particularly appropriate for students who are seeking management positions within international corporations, financial institutions, economic and development institutions and government agencies. The need is clear for individuals in these positions to have a sophisticated understanding of both international affairs and management issues. MBA/MALD The three-year MBA/MALD dual degree program between the Fletcher School at Tufts University and the Tuck School of Business is also designed to prepare students for careers that combine international relations and business management. The program is particularly appropriate for students who are seeking management positions within international corporations, financial institutions, economic and development institutions and government agencies. The need is clear for individuals in these positions to have a sophisticated understanding of both international affairs and management issues.  Olivia Jones T’17 MBA/MELP The MBA/MELP dual degree with nearby Vermont Law School enables students to earn the two degrees concurrently. Climate change, wildlife protection, and alternative energy are just a few of the critical issues facing the world today. Vermont Law School and its Master of Environmental Law and Policy program are leading the movement to address these issues. The Master of Environmental Law and Policy program gives students a comprehensive knowledge of the policies and laws shaping the solutions to these problems and prepares graduates for leadership positions in the public and private sectors. Experiential learning opportunities with state and federal agencies, advocacy groups, and international organizations ensure that MELP graduates are prepared for real-world situations the first day on the job. MBA/MPA and MBA/MPA/ID The MBA/MPA and MBA/MPA/ID (Master in Public Administration in International Development) dual degrees between the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and the Tuck School of Business are designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of established professionals seeking further leadership responsibilities in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors, and to prepare the next generation of leaders in international development. Adam Ranson T'14 and "Why I Chose a Dual Degree" Christine Hou T’15 MBA/MPP The MBA/MPP dual degree between the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and the Tuck School of Business prepares students to understand complex policy problems and to craft concrete solutions. Candidates in this dual degree program can apply their core training, policy interests, and functional skills to roles and organizations across the public and nonprofit sectors.   Admissions Candidates must complete separate applications and be admitted at each school individually before they are considered a joint/dual degree student: There is not an application for admission to a combined program. Like all Tuck candidates, admissions decisions are based on a combination of the following factors: academic excellence, leadership ability, accomplishments, interpersonal skills, diversity of background and experience, and global mindset. Though Tuck’s application will ask you to indicate which program you’re pursuing, we do not require you to provide special information or an additional essay. However, your entire candidacy should reflect goals and aspirations that make sense based on the specific degree program you wish to be part of. Joint and dual degrees are typically completed in three years (with the exception of the MD/MBA). The structure of the program may be specific to the degree and the individual. For more details about joint and dual degrees, please visit our website.

FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: MBA/...? Joint and Dual Degrees at Tuck

Tuck has several opportunities for students to customize their MBA experience around individual areas of interest or areas that are of particular relevance to the next step in their career. Elective courses, independent study, Research-to-Practice Seminars, student-led clubs and conferences, and Research Centers & Initiatives are great ways to do this. Sometimes though, students are looking for more. That’s why Tuck allows students the flexibility to work toward two degrees concurrently. In addition to those listed below, you may also design your own specialized degree programs in association with other schools. Check out Tuck 360 posts from current or former students who have pursued some of the most popular degrees. Their experiences offer insight into why they chose a joint/dual degree and how Tuck’s curriculum enhanced their overall education.   Joint Degrees within Dartmouth College MD/MBA The Geisel School of Medicine and the Tuck School of Business offer students an opportunity to pursue combined MD/MBA degrees that can be completed in either five or six years. In a time of tremendous change in health care, there is a growing need for leaders with expertise in both medicine and management. This joint-degree program is designed to open pathways for leadership roles in diverse areas and industries such as pharmaceuticals, biotech, health care related entrepreneurial ventures, governmental health programs, health related nonprofits, hospital management, HMO management, large practice management, health care policy formation, and medical school administration, to name a few. MPH/MBA The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice (TDI) is dedicated to improving health care through education, research, policy reform, leadership improvement, and communication with patients and the public. TDI's Master of Public Health (MPH) curriculum is designed to provide every student with the fundamental skills, knowledge base, and philosophical foundation in health policy and clinical practice, with specific attention paid to public health, clinical/health services research, or health care leadership. The MPH/MBA joint degree offered with the Tuck School prepares graduates to take on leadership positions in both the public and private sectors of the health care industry. Jennifer Ferrigan T’14 Anthony Hemming T’17 PhD/MBA The PhD/MBA joint degree program offers the unique opportunity for PhD students at Dartmouth College to finish off their training with management education. The joint degree aims to produce individuals who are not only thoroughly trained in a scientific discipline but also possess fundamental business and entrepreneurial skills. The program is currently only available to PhD students at Dartmouth.   Dual Degrees with Other Institutions MBA/MA The three-year MBA/MA dual degree program between the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University and the Tuck School of Business has been designed to prepare students for careers that combine international relations and business management. The program is particularly appropriate for students who are seeking management positions within international corporations, financial institutions, economic and development institutions and government agencies. The need is clear for individuals in these positions to have a sophisticated understanding of both international affairs and management issues. MBA/MALD The three-year MBA/MALD dual degree program between the Fletcher School at Tufts University and the Tuck School of Business is also designed to prepare students for careers that combine international relations and business management. The program is particularly appropriate for students who are seeking management positions within international corporations, financial institutions, economic and development institutions and government agencies. The need is clear for individuals in these positions to have a sophisticated understanding of both international affairs and management issues.  Olivia Jones T’17 MBA/MELP The MBA/MELP dual degree with nearby Vermont Law School enables students to earn the two degrees concurrently. Climate change, wildlife protection, and alternative energy are just a few of the critical issues facing the world today. Vermont Law School and its Master of Environmental Law and Policy program are leading the movement to address these issues. The Master of Environmental Law and Policy program gives students a comprehensive knowledge of the policies and laws shaping the solutions to these problems and prepares graduates for leadership positions in the public and private sectors. Experiential learning opportunities with state and federal agencies, advocacy groups, and international organizations ensure that MELP graduates are prepared for real-world situations the first day on the job. MBA/MPA and MBA/MPA/ID The MBA/MPA and MBA/MPA/ID (Master in Public Administration in International Development) dual degrees between the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and the Tuck School of Business are designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of established professionals seeking further leadership responsibilities in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors, and to prepare the next generation of leaders in international development. Adam Ranson T'14 and "Why I Chose a Dual Degree" Christine Hou T’15 MBA/MPP The MBA/MPP dual degree between the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and the Tuck School of Business prepares students to understand complex policy problems and to craft concrete solutions. Candidates in this dual degree program can apply their core training, policy interests, and functional skills to roles and organizations across the public and nonprofit sectors.   Admissions Candidates must complete separate applications and be admitted at each school individually before they are considered a joint/dual degree student: There is not an application for admission to a combined program. Like all Tuck candidates, admissions decisions are based on a combination of the following factors: academic excellence, leadership ability, accomplishments, interpersonal skills, diversity of background and experience, and global mindset. Though Tuck’s application will ask you to indicate which program you’re pursuing, we do not require you to provide special information or an additional essay. However, your entire candidacy should reflect goals and aspirations that make sense based on the specific degree program you wish to be part of. Joint and dual degrees are typically completed in three years (with the exception of the MD/MBA). The structure of the program may be specific to the degree and the individual. For more details about joint and dual degrees, please visit our website.

FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: Profits & Purpose: My Internship with Inspiring Capital

By Anjali Patel T’17 While the prestige and security of more traditional MBA pursuits had their appeal, I was committed to finding an internship at an organization that was making sustainable impact. In particular, I was looking for an opportunity to explore the social sector broadly while working in the service of others. That's when I found Inspiring Capital. Inspiring Capital is a unique consulting firm integrating profits and purpose by aligning talented business professionals and high-potential, purpose-driven organizations in the social sector. Each summer, they recruit high-performing MBAs and match them with consulting projects at social impact organizations. I was fortunate enough to be matched with Viable, an early-stage social venture that aims to foster a community to generate, build, and test ideas and create a pipeline of pre-seed capital to entrepreneurs in emerging markets. As employee #2 at Viable, the work—from understanding stakeholders to building out the business model—is endless, undefined, and challenging. I know that everything that I do this summer sets the stage for the future of this organization. On top of an amazing client experience, Inspiring Capital provides both professional and personal development opportunities. Every week, all of the Inspiring Capital fellows gather to hear from individuals and organizations that work across the social sector. We heard from social entrepreneurs like Chid Liberty from Liberty & Justice; nonprofit leaders like Jason Duchin from DreamYard; impact investors; and professionals like Michael Slaby from Timshel, to name just a few. Each day with Inspiring Capital has presented me with new trials and uncertainty, but also inspiration and fun. I can't imagine a more rewarding summer internship experience and take stock in a quote from Richard Branson that was shared with us during our first week: "Every risk is worth taking as long as it's for a good cause and contributes to a good life." Thanks to Tuck GIVES and the Tuck community for its generous support of students (like me) who pursue less traditional internships in the social sector. Without them, my summer would have been a lot less impactful and interesting. (MAIN PHOTO ABOVE: The IC MBA fellows, celebrating the Fourth of July. Getting to know my cohort was a highlight of the summer!; PHOTO AT RIGHT: Champions of the 1st annual Guac-off! Inspiring Capital really knows how to integrate work and play; PHOTO AT LEFT: Steve Li, guest speaker from the Robin Hood Foundation, one of the many amazing, inspirational people that came to chat with us about their work.)

In for the November round

FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: Q&A: Student-Led Zippity Brings Car-Care to You

An interview with Ema Reid T'17 on her First-Year Project. Discover Ema's Pathway.  So what is Zippity exactly and how did it begin? Zippity is an entrepreneurial First Year Project (FYP) that provides a subscription car-care service at one’s place of work. Zippity came to be when co-founders Russell Walker T’17 and Ed Warren T’17 realized they had the exact same idea: a subscription care-care service. Ultimately the two were put in touch, realized they were working on very similar projects, and decided to combine forces. Russ and Ed spent a lot of time working on [Zippity] during the winter prior to the FYP. They ended up winning a $2,000 founders grant, so their idea obviously had a lot of legs. What was the main goal of the FYP? Our main goal was to determine if there’s a consumer need for this type of service and what this business could be. Our first null hypothesis was whether car maintenance is an issue that people are frustrated by. We found that the answer was overwhelmingly, yes! Car maintenance is one of the biggest issues people have when owning a car. Our second null hypothesis was to determine what their exact pain points were: convenience, trust, the cost? After those pain points were identified, it helped us determine what kind of car service to offer. What was your main takeaway from working on this FYP? I purposefully chose an entrepreneurial FYP. My internship is in internal strategy at New Balance within a new division; I knew this would be an entrepreneurial venture within a larger company, so it was important for me to test what I learned—to make sure I was comfortable before setting out on this new project. Because of this FYP experience, I started my internship with more confidence and excitement about the skills that I’ve been nurturing at Tuck all along.   (Photo at right: members of the Zippity team celebrate Ema's birthday!)

FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: Internship Diary: The Social Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

By Xiaoxiao Yang T’17 I spent the summer working with Impact Hub, a global network of social entrepreneurship communities, co-working spaces, and programs. The first Impact Hub was founded in London in 2005 with the idea that people who had decided to dedicate their lives to new ways of confronting the world’s issues can find the resources they needed for their project, and meet and share with other like-minded people in the same situation. Currently there are 85 Impact Hubs in 42 countries in the world. I got to know Impact Hub when doing the TuckGO First-Year Project in spring. During the project, I was inspired by the vision of this organization and the positive impact it brings to the social entrepreneurial sector. Subsequently I explored potential opportunities to continue working with Impact Hub over the summer. With funding support from TuckGIVES, I had the opportunity to work on two projects with the Global Growth team. The first project was to develop a market entry strategy in China, where I looked at different indicators from economic, social, and entrepreneurial perspectives and identified the top cities to enter. The second project was to develop a capital access strategy for establishing new Impact Hubs and expanding existing Impact Hubs. In this project, I conducted a best practice study by interviewing the founders at different Impact Hubs, and did a research on different resources of capital access. The projects allowed me to learn more about Impact Hub, as well as the social entrepreneurial ecosystem. I had the opportunity to interact with Impact Hub founders, social entrepreneurs, and impact investors etc. It is inspiring to hear what they do and why they chose this path. Innovative practices emerge everyday in this fast growing sector, and people strive to navigate through the ambiguity and find the best solution. The global presence and flexibility of Impact Hub allowed me to gain exposure to different hubs and meet different teams. I had the opportunity to work in both the New York and Vienna Impact Hubs—the latter is also where the headquarters of Impact Hub global company is based. I also attended the Unlikely Allies event in Seattle, the annual gathering of Impact Hub makers, members, and people passionate about social impact topics. More than 500 people from more than 80 different cities in the world came together to discuss social issues in the cities, such as community inclusion/refugee support etc., and how to best resolve them. People with so many different backgrounds came with a shared vision of making the world a better place. It was truly an amazing experience to be part of it.

Hi everybody,

I was going through Tuck's application and there is a section for awards received since graduating. I haven't won any. How should I tackle this section?

Thanks