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19 Jan 2021, 11:00
| FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: Tuck Alumna Launches Podcast on Women Athletes Headed for Tokyo |
 Tune into Flame Bearers: The Women Athletes Carrying Tokyo's Torch, spotlighting women Olympians’ and Paralympians' experiences on their ways to the Games next summer. By Jamie Mittelman T’19 Last year, I spent six months networking my way to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the hopes of pitching and landing my dream summer internship: a creative communications position on the ground in Tokyo supporting the IOC’s elevating women in sport efforts. To be clear, no such role existed, but I thought it should and that I was the person for the job given my experiences in digital marketing and passion for women’s sports. Further, I was used to managing large open-ended projects where I was accountable for coming up with an idea, and making it happen. When COVID-19 hit and the Olympic and Paralympic Games were officially postponed, I realized it was a moment in which a lot of people were really hurting, and there was a void I could help fill. The Games wouldn’t happen for another year, and our world was locked in a state of constant change and chaos. People from all corners of the world were alone and in need of hope. My COVID adaption was to pitch a podcast, called Flame Bearers, championing women Olympians and Paralympians who had either qualified for Tokyo or were still trying to qualify. Our world’s best athletes were struggling, yet adapting on the fly. They were, and continue to be, true masters of resiliency. By illuminating these incredible women athletes who had overcome countless obstacles—civil war, unequal pay, racial inequity amongst others—my goal was to help instill hope in a time of uncertainty and pain.  With the generous support of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Women and Public Policy Program, this reimaged vision became a reality this past summer. This fall, my venture officially became part of the Harvard Innovation Lab, a university-wide incubator and training center for students with entrepreneurial ideas. This experience has taught me many lessons, two of which I wish I knew when I was pursuing my MBA at Tuck: Change the path when you don’t like the path you’re on. Anyone pursuing an MBA is by the vast majority of metrics, very fortunate and has choices—we’re lucky. Most people aren’t in our shoes. Most people don’t adapt because they want to, but rather because they have to. Iranian archery gold medalist Zahra Nemati picked up a bow and arrow only after losing movement in her legs and was unable to continue competing in taekwondo. In terms of my learning, I needed to first acknowledge my privilege, and second, realize that it comes with choice. All too often, I’m so comfortable on a path, that I fail to continually evaluate if it’s still actually the best path for me. Instead of taking classes at HKS this past fall, I took a semester off to focus on this venture. I was loving my work, learning something new every day and building relationships with people I greatly admired. I gained digital skills I previously lacked, specifically in audio recording, editing, and podcast narration. I pitched partnership opportunities to both corporate partners such as Dick’s Sporting Goods and nonprofits such as the Women’s Sports Foundation. After Tuck, when I started at HKS the plan was not to take a break mid-way through, but COVID-19 was also not in the plans, so I needed to adapt. Virtual classes, however thoughtfully planned, weren’t doing it for me. I decided to apply for additional grant funding to continue my work outside of the classroom. During my time at Tuck there were multiple times when I pushed through an experience or project instead of pausing to evaluate why I was involved in the first place. This experience has taught me to be more adaptable, but more importantly proven to me that adaptability is one of the most valuable skillsets anyone can have. As a result, I’ve tried to become more adaptable in all aspects of my life. Know where and when you thrive but also where and when you don’t. Then, lean into your weaknesses while at Tuck because it’s a safe place to fail. Tuck’s multiple leadership classes helped me determine who I am as an individual and the situations in which I thrive. COVID-19 and specifically this venture have helped me realize the situations and the tasks with which I really struggle. Most of us—myself included—prefer to focus on our strengths because it feels better than owning our weaknesses. That said, the process of figuring out what I’m really bad at has been one of the most clarifying of my career. This is not to say that I never thought I had weaknesses; as someone with diagnosed obsessive compulsive disorder, I’ve always been a bit too aware of them, but everyday distractions and the ability to rely on teammates pre-pandemic cushioned my ego. Given that I launched an entrepreneurial endeavor on my own in the middle of a pandemic, I was on my own, and therefore, couldn’t hide from the tasks/situations I disliked. During my time at Tuck, I was often so impressed by my classmates that I was nervous to take on something in which I was less than proficient. Instead, I recommend thinking of Tuck as your sandbox, a playground in which you can explore what you’re truly terrible at. Because it’s a safe learning environment, I’d recommend doing more of what you are worst at. While you may not turn your weakness into a strength, by the time you graduate, your skillsets will be less binary. As a result, post-Tuck you’ll have more arrows in your quiver and you can lean into more areas where you’re proficient.  If you’re interested in tuning in, check out live Flame Bearers’ episodes below, with more coming out every few weeks leading up to the Tokyo Games this summer. Becky Sauerbrunn, Olympic Soccer (USA) Profiles her fight for pay equity Sanda Aldass, Olympic Judo Follows her escape from the Syrian Civil War and journey into motherhood Manasi Joshi, Paralympic Badminton (India) Details how her leg amputation allowed her to become an advocate for disability rights Lea Davison, Olympic Mountain Biking (US) Explores her journey to becoming one of the first openly gay professional bikers Nicky Nieves, Paralympic Volleyball (USA) Spotlights her identity as an AfroLatina and support for the Black Lives Matter Movement Ezinne Kalu, Olympic Basketball (Nigeria) Celebrates her identity as an entrepreneur Katarina Roxon, Paralympic Swimming (Canada) Spotlights her family dynamic (her father is also her coach) and her commitment to living a balanced/healthy lifestyle Ida Jacobsen, Olympic Rowing (Denmark) Adjusting to the Pandemic Kym Crosby, Paralympic Track & Field (USA) Running, Marriage, & Albinism Zahra Nemati, Olympic Archery and Para Archery (Iran) Archery & Hope |
20 Jan 2021, 11:00
| FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: Building a Strong Black Tech Community: Inside AfroTech 2020 |
 By Kristen Hughes T'21 Prior to Tuck, I spent seven years working for educational nonprofits. My goal in attending an MBA program was to career shift and find a career pathway where I could accelerate my impact. Thanks to the help of Tuck’s amazing career resources, classmates, and alumni network, I secured an internship this summer at Microsoft and spent 12 weeks working with their U.S. Education Team as a modern workplace specialist. When I received a full-time offer from Microsoft at the end of my internship, I was thrilled. I’m really excited to be pivoting into tech; however, I can still feel a bit overwhelmed by how much I still have to learn about the tech industry. In my second year at Tuck, I have tried to be proactive about guiding my own learning and preparing as much as possible for this transition by being intentional with my elective choices and extracurricular activities. With the support of the MBAPO and Office of the Dean, I was able to attend AfroTechin November of 2020. AfroTech is “one of the largest multicultural tech conferences in the United States, bringing together engineers, venture capitalists, recruiters, technologists, and culture enthusiasts from all over the world. Started in 2016, it is the definitive conference that brings leaders in technology and business together to exchange ideas and build a strong Black tech community. With the COVID-19 pandemic still very present, the conference was hosted virtually for the first time. Given the Zoom fatigue from classes, I was initially apprehensive about more screen time, but I was pleasantly surprised by how AfroTech was able to leverage their tech savviness to create a unique and engaging experience for participants.  AfroTech World was the virtual location of the conference. Participants were able to create avatars and then navigate them through the virtual World for the duration of the conference. The conference’s schedule showed which sessions were happening in which spaces, and you could move your avatar into those spaces to participate. There was something really special about seeing the physical conference space replicated for this virtual experience. While there were minor tech issues, I was able to pretty seamlessly move throughout the World to attend sessions and network. Conversations were easy to start—you simply moved your avatar next to someone and unmuted to speak to them directly. You could even hang out in certain social areas and have private conversations just by sitting at the same table as someone else. While I wasn’t recruiting, I checked out the career expo and was so impressed by how much it resembled a true expo space. As a long-time Sims fan, this was right up my alley! When it came to cultivating my AfroTech experiences, I had two goals: 1) to build my network of BIPOC people in tech and 2) to attend sessions that would expose me to the latest trends and insights in the tech world. To build my network, I was able to connect in sessions and in AfroTech World’s social spaces to hear from other MBA students about why they attended the conference and what their post-MBA career plans were. While I have a couple other Black Tuck classmates going into tech after graduation, it was great to meet others and build connections. AfroTech’s sessions really ran the gamut and gave me exposure to so many new ideas. As a newbie to tech, I have a lot to learn and was thrilled that I can speak about issues that are top of mind for many in the tech industry. Some of my favorite sessions included: Harnessing Imposter Syndrome to Help Your Career and Your Users; Infrastructure Security Best Practices for Start Ups; Building A Tech Product As A Non-Technical Founder; and Humanizing Data - Ensuring our Digital Data Keeps Humanity at the Center. In the tech industry, there has been a lot of focus on the lack of diversity. Despite renewed efforts in hiring and retention, according to the LA Times, “the percentage of Black employees at major tech companies remains low: 2.9 percent at Salesforce; 3.8 percent at Facebook; 4.4 percent at Slack; 4.5 percent at Microsoft; and 6 percent at Twitter. Apple’s workforce is 9 percent Black, but that includes retail employees. Amazon has a workforce that’s 26.5 percent Black as a whole, but is only 8.3 percent Black among managers.” One of the most powerful parts of AfroTech was seeing and hearing from these Black employees. I loved the chance to learn directly from them. In sharing their passion for tech, as well as the stories of their successes and failures, the AfroTech speakers reminded me how much representation matters and how crucial it is to have mentors and thought leaders in your life that look like you. I left the conference feeling less alone and empowered to continue to build on their legacies when I start at Microsoft in August.  Kristen grew up in Midlothian, Virginia and was an anthropology major at Davidson College. Prior to Tuck, she spent 7 years working for educational non-profits in NYC and in Denver. As a black queer woman, Kristen is passionate about intersectional identities in diversity and inclusion work. At Tuck, she’s a co-chair of DivCo and Tuck Pride, a Tuck Admissions Associate, as well as an active member of BSAT and the Consortium. |
21 Jan 2021, 07:00
| FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: Get to Know the Tuck Admissions Associates Program |
  By Valeria Wiens Associate Director of Evaluation, Admissions The admissions interview is an important component of the Tuck application. While I have written elsewhere about how you can prepare for your interview, many of you were curious to learn more about our second-year interviewers, Tuck Admissions Associates (TAAs). Below, I’ll answer some of the most frequently asked questions related to the TAA role. How many interviewers does Tuck have? For the T’21 TAA Class our team received just under 100 applications, with over a third of the first-year class applying for this role. Following our selection process (outlined further below), we extended TAA offers to 47 T’21 students and saw an offer acceptance rate of 100 percent. All of our current TAAs are second-year students. What are the application components for the TAA role? Students apply for this role in the spring of their first year at Tuck and are selected through a rigorous evaluation process. The application process includes:
What do you look for when evaluating TAA candidates’ applications? Through the resume and short essay answer, we get insight into the TAA candidates’ interviewing, decision-making, and writing skills. Members of the graduating TAA class interview potential TAAs to help us better understand each student’s motivation behind applying for the role, learn about how they have engaged at Tuck, how they express empathy for diverse experiences of others, how they remain objective and fair, and how they are encouraging. During the mock interview part of the application process we observe the candidates’ interpersonal and communication skills, how they ask questions, and how they deal with high pressure conversations. Following these initial stages of the evaluation process, TAA candidates observe an interview and complete an interview report for it. This exercise helps us further assess TAAs’ evaluative and written communication skills. Through this process, we select empathetic and curious interviewers who know how to ask questions to draw out your story, capture the information you share, and succinctly put in writing what they learn from you in the interview, illustrating how you are smart, accomplished, aware and encouraging. What training process do the TAAs go through? Once selections are announced to the Tuck community, incoming TAAs participate in a series of training exercises. Spring training consists of sessions with graduating second-year interviewers and admissions officers. The admissions team then works with the incoming TAAs over the summer, focusing on interview styles and flow (knowing when and how to ask follow-up questions), and interview evaluation and report-writing techniques. We also invite the Dartmouth Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity to facilitate an interactive discussion about cultural and implicit biases. TAAs then shadow an interview conducted by an admissions officer, and officers shadow some of the TAAs’ early interviews. This part of the training focuses on conducting interviews and completing interview reports that show the admissions committee how you, the Tuck candidate, demonstrate our four admissions criteria, how you will contribute to our community, and how Tuck can help you thrive. Do the TAAs have access to my entire application? The only part of your application TAAs have access to is your resume. Using only your resume, they ask questions that draw out evidence of each of our four admissions criteria - smart, accomplished, aware and encouraging. If your interview was committee-initiated, TAAs will not know why we invited you to interview with us, or if there are any particular areas they should focus on; they approach all interviews with full discretion over the direction of the conversation, focusing on our admissions criteria and your story only. Do the TAAs submit formal interview reports following the interviews? Yes. Your interviewer listens to your answers and takes detailed notes. When submitting the report, they use an online interview report form, which includes open-ended text boxes that correspond to each of our four admissions criteria. The TAA reflects on your interview in its entirety, records evidence of our admissions criteria, professional impression, and verbal communication skills, synthesizes your candidacy and interview in a brief concluding paragraph, and selects their level of support on your candidacy based on your interview, ranging from champion to oppose. Our TAAs take great pride in their role and understand the seriousness of it. They are enthusiastic about Tuck and invested in its future. TAAs are excited to learn from you and share what makes Tuck such a unique place. Members of the T’21 TAA class draw from their own diverse backgrounds and experiences to achieve the same common goal—to select and enroll the best Tuck Class of 2023. T’21 TAA Class Profile Personal Women 49% U.S. Minorities 37% International (including dual citizens, permanent residents) 28% Countries represented by citizenship 13% Citizenship U.S.A and Canada 77% Asia 23% Europe 4% Latin America 56% Students with partners 23% Students with children 4% Academic Undergraduate majors Arts, humanities, social sciences 49% Science, technology, engineering, math 23% Business 26% Previous advanced degrees 6% Professional Pre-MBA industry experience Consulting 28% Financial services 21% Technology 15% Health care, pharma, biotech 11% Consumer goods, retail 4% Energy 2% Manufacturing 2% Media, entertainment 2% Other 4% Average months worked 65 |
22 Jan 2021, 15:00
| FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: January Update on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Tuck School |
  By Dia Draper, Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion As we celebrate the life of and honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., this month, I cannot help but wonder what he would have thought about this year of collective trial, tribulation, and change. I believe that Dr. King would not be surprised by the state of the union or the world, but I do believe he would still be hopeful. You can hear both hope and steadfastness in his words. They point to his understanding that justice and equality would not come swiftly or easily. Hope is at the core of what drives our work in diversity and inclusion. The hope that human and civil rights will always advance towards equality, justice, and affinity. I have hope because even in the face of division and discord, global, national, and local movements have brought more attention to important issues such as economic and health disparities, anti-black racism, trans rights and xenophobia. We have seen what is possible when hope meets courage. As we endeavor to be agents for change, I hope that we continue to show up for each other—and that we use our resources, skills, and talents to ensure that our communities, our families, our organizations also have cause and occasion for hope. Dartmouth 2021 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration: Hope and Action We invite you to join us for the month-long 2021 MLK Celebration and hope that that this year’s programming, inspired by Dr. King’s life and legacy, provides opportunities for learning, for reflection, for hope, and for action. For a full schedule of events (including links to virtual events) visit www.dartmouth.edu/mlk. Wishing you well, Dia Dia Draper (she/her) Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Many Voices. One Tuck.  On My Mind One of the things that I am most excited about working on in my new role is fostering collaboration with my fellow DEI Deans at Dartmouth’s other graduate and professional schools which include the Guarini School of Arts & Sciences, the Geisel School of Medicine, and the Thayer School of Engineering. In the last 18 months, all four schools have appointed a staff or faculty member as Deans for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. While each of us is tasked with supporting our institution’s communities and advancing our efforts and impact, we recognized that though our student profiles are vastly different, our work overlaps significantly. We now meet every other week to share ideas, resources, streamline efforts and support each other. We have joined together to support the Dartmouth Black Hair Care Program, working to ensure that graduate students can access this vital resource. We created the Graduate Student Partner Visit Program which helps students secure guest rooms at the Hanover Inn at a discounted rate since visitors are not allowed in campus housing and gathering spaces. We also held space for students to check-in and connect after the November 2020 election. I am curious to investigate if there are other ways the graduate and professional school students want to create community. Recommended Reading “How 2020 Accelerated Conversations on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion” A conversation with Lauren Romansky, Managing Vice President of Gartner Human Resources “While there have been many points in history where society reflects on expectations of diversity and inclusion, the summer of 2020 has presented a real opportunity for change. As employees across the globe engage in discussions of racial justice, leaders are seizing this moment to consider their roles and opportunities to advance diversity, equity and inclusion at their organizations,” says Romansky. Listen to the full interview here. DE&I Team Updates There is a popular African Proverb that says: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” As we gain momentum on our quest to build an infrastructure to support our institutional DEI efforts, we needed some additional help to capitalize on the great energy from the Tuck community. We are happy to share that Michele Wheeler, guest services and academic coordinator, and Taryn Rich, associate director for institutional initiatives, are joining the DEI team so that we can go fast and far. The Black Students at Tuck (BSAT) have changed their name to: Black Student Association at Tuck, retaining the BSAT acronym for the organization. The incoming T’22 co-chairs are: Jazmine Brite, Andrew (Drew) Hazel, and Natalie Omondi. My (and our) deepest gratitude to the T’21 co-chairs as they pass the torch: Ike Amakiri, Leah Jack, and Erukana Kazibwe. DE&I Student Co-Chair Corner With Roderick Milligan T'21 and Lia Parker-Belfer T'22 Hi there! We wanted to share a few exciting initiatives and events to look forward to in the coming months. Coming up: We’ve partnered with TuckStuff and BSAT to raise funds for the NAACP Legal Defense. Please consider purchasing a shirt here that we developed through a partnership with Paul Nichols, a Dartmouth undergrad and virtual designer. 100 percent of proceeds will be donated to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Thank you for your support and partnership this fall. We look forward to continuing this important work with you all in the new year. —Rod and Lia  January 2021
February 2021
March 2021
*If you’re a current Tuck student interested in supporting this summit, please email us and we’ll loop you in! Update on TADA Tuck is undeniably a place that inspires connection and engagement. I am rarely surprised, but always inspired by how alumni remain such dedicated advocates, advisors, and stewards of Tuck. One of the things that has improved diverse alumni engagement is the TADA (Tuck Association of Diverse Alumni) organization and the vision, structure, and opportunities that the group offers alumni who want to get involved. This month, TADA welcomes Victoria Weiss T’04, Ramsey Jay Jr. T’05, and Joanna Jen T’08; the triumvirate joins Lisha Davis T’10 as co-chairs of the association which is celebrating its 10th year. History, Heritage, and Honor MLK Jr. Day: This week we celebrated and honored the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A fundraiser (#TuckFallsMLKJr) organized by DEI student co-chairs raised a remarkable $3,390 for The Brennan Center for Justice, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and The King Center. For a full schedule of MLK Jr. events visit www.dartmouth.edu/mlk. Movember: Led by Mikael Clement T’22, over 20 Tuck students and Tuck partners signed up to help change the face of men’s health, exceeding a fundraising goal of $2K by raising nearly $10K. Read more from Mikael on the true meaning of Movember.  Black Legacy Month: Throughout the month of February, the Tuck and Dartmouth communities will offer a number of events and programs to celebrate BLM. Be on the lookout for the following events and more:
The purpose of Black Legacy Month is to recognize the Black experience, explore topical issues in the Black community while giving context to a vision of what the Black future could be, and engage the Dartmouth community in an appreciation for all that Black people have contributed to the campus and the world at large. Download the BLM logo here. In Case You Missed It: Recent Programs and Events AfroTech Conference AfroTech is one of the largest multicultural tech conferences in the United States, bringing together engineers, venture capitalists, recruiters, technologists, and culture enthusiasts from all over the world. Started in 2016, it is the definitive conference that brings leaders in technology and business together to exchange ideas and build a strong Black tech community. For Kristen Hughes T’21, who is headed to Microsoft in August, the AfroTech Conference was a reminder of just how much representation matters and how crucial it is to have mentors and thought leaders in your life that look like you. Read more on the conference from Kristen. Tuck Business Bridge Program Introduces Inclusive Leadership Session One of the benefits of moving to virtual delivery platforms during the pandemic is the increase in access to programs like Tuck’s Business Bridge Program which provides top liberal arts and STEM undergraduates and recent grads with essential business skills via a best-in-class certificate program that delivers a comprehensive business curriculum taught by Tuck faculty. In the December and January sessions, the participants were invited to join me for a pilot 60-minute seminar on Inclusive Leadership. I was stunned at the level of participation and the lively conversation and their thoughtful remarks. We used mini case studies and breakout rooms to dig into scenarios that would challenge these young leaders to consider: “What would I do?” while exploring a variety of scenarios around race, gender, sexuality and identity. Tuck Executive Education: Diverse Business Programs Share Wisdom with Tuck MBAs Last month we had the great fortune of partnering with Tuck’s Executive Education team and the Diversity Business Programs to give Tuck MBA students a chance to connect with leaders, change-makers and entrepreneurs who were participating in the Building a Successful Diverse Business Program. Tuck students had the chance to learn from entrepreneurs and executives from a wide variety of backgrounds and industries about how they lead, manage and build successful businesses, organizations and teams. Many students were interested in the opportunity to network and make connections with peers and executives who share common interests and goals while also sharing their own experiences. The participants in the MBE Program include women, men, veterans, LGBTQ, under-represented, and international folks. This year marks 40 years of Minority Business Program leadership at Tuck. We are proud to have the first and longest-running program for Diverse Business Executives. Special thanks to Emmanuel Ajavon, Associate Director, Business Leadership Programs, Executive Education. A Final Thought: Join a DEI Working Group As we head into drafting our strategic plan and crafting an inaugural annual report for DEI, we would benefit from having interested members of the Tuck community involved. To that end, I am convening advisory committees and working groups for short-term (through August 2021) partnership. These groups will be responsible for providing insight, ideas, and feedback on our research, drafts, and proposals. I anticipate that the time commitment would be 4-6 hours per month. Faculty, staff, students, partners, and alumni are welcome to indicate your interest via this short form or email tuck.diversity.equity.inclusion@tuck.dartmouth.edu. |
26 Jan 2021, 11:00
| FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: One Summer, Two Internships in the Renewables and Sustainable Food Industries |
 By Grant Schaller T’21 I have long been interested in both sustainability and entrepreneurship, which has done little to narrow down my career search. Deciding whether to follow my interest in food and pursue something in the world of agriculture, or to pursue something more directly tied to sustainable energy production in renewables was a dilemma—from being accepted into b-school all the way into recruiting season. Perhaps a silver lining of COVID-19 was that the companies I recruited for in my first year were flexible in their work offers. And so, with some enticing offers in renewables and sustainable food systems, I jumped at the opportunity to gain experience in both. I spent my summer with two organizations: Deep Green Solar (DGS) and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. Deep Green Solar, a Tuck-alum-founded spinoff of a private equity firm, finances solar projects that would otherwise be unpopular—the small C&I (commercial and industrial) deals where the size is too small and the soft costs (sales, negotiation, etc.) are too high to be attractive. And it does so by bringing down those soft costs in all ways possible. It was fitting that, given my background in analytics, data structures, and process automation, that I was given the opportunity to do similar work with DGS. My second role was at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, a marine research organization with deep knowledge and research expertise in sustainable aquaculture and fisheries and the “Blue Economy” more broadly. GMRI was interested in putting its industry expertise to work by building out a small business accelerator and a venture capital fund, all to modernize a sector with a great amount of innovation upside but difficulty in mobilizing capital. Summer mornings were spent with GMRI, the qualitative balance to my more quantitative DGS role. Crafting a concise message to convey the strong positioning of GMRI as a research institution and its ability to roll that expertise into private sector innovation required many hours of research, and even more hours of writing. Afternoons were with Deep Green and my West Coast team members, helping in back end process and data automation while learning a great deal about energy economics (and constantly reviewing the difference between a kW and a kWh). Despite the obvious differences between my two summer experiences, I found them to be compellingly complementary and interlinked. For example, while researching energy credit markets, it didn’t take long to find California rebates for farmers looking to install solar power on their land. Given my positive experiences this summer, my dilemma of industry choice continues into my second-year recruiting. But I find solace in knowing that, while renewable energy is a broad topic, and sustainability even more so, the opportunities to learn more in one sector contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the others it touches. And now, more than ever, every industry needs that more comprehensive view of sustainability.  Grant is interested in entrepreneurship and early-stage work in renewables and sustainable, equitable food systems. Prior to Tuck, he worked in strategy and analytics for e-commerce home goods retailer Wayfair. He is President of the Tuck Chapter of InSITE Fellows, which pairs grad students as consultants with local startups, and co-captain of the Soccer Club. Grant enjoys being outside, making food, and roasting coffee. The Revers Center for Energy supported Grant’s internship through the Career Exploration Fund generously donated through the Thad T'95 and Margaret Hill Career Exploration Fund. |
02 Feb 2021, 08:00
| FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: What’s Up at Tuck: The January Edition |
 By Tuck Admissions Happy New Year! This January has seen both a flurry of snow here in Hanover and a flurry of activity at Tuck. We hope everyone had a moment to rest and reset for the new year, because January brings with it a new admissions round, new online events, and more opportunities for us to get to know you. The team here in Tuck Admissions has spent most of January welcoming our Round 1 admits to the Tuck class of 2023. We are thrilled to welcome you into our community and hope you get the chance to connect with students, staff, and alumni, all of whom are eager to ensure you get all your Tuck questions answered. For those of you who applied in Round 2, we are excited to learn more about you through your application. Our reading team is hard at work evaluating your applications while our Tuck Admissions Associates (TAA’s) are busy conducting virtual interviews. Still early in your MBA journey? Our online events are a great way to connect with our community. We host a multitude of events throughout the academic year with our Admissions officers, students, and alumni, to offer an inside view of life at Tuck and the Tuck MBA experience. In the coming weeks, check out our ongoing virtual events like student Q&As, Tuesdays with Tuck, and more. Tuck student clubs, including the Black Students Association at Tuck, Tuck Pride, and Tuck Hispanic American Student Association, will also be hosting chats—register now! Note that we have two application deadlines remaining so there is still time to apply for the class of 2023, Round 3 (March 29) and Round 4 (June 1). The start of a new semester always brings with it a breadth of co-curricular events that leave us spoiled for choice, from the first-ever Made in Africa Speaker series session, a set of events focused on Doing Business in Africa and spearheaded by our Tuck Africa Club, to a visiting executive week that (virtually) welcomed back Debi Warner Brooks T'86 Co-Founder & Executive Vice Chairman, Michael J. Fox Foundation For Parkinson's Research, Art Lindenauer T'59 CFO and EVP of Finance (Retired), Schlumberger Limited, and Thad Hill T'95 President & Chief Executive Officer, Calpine Corporation (just to name a few) – our alumni are global leaders in the world of business and we’re always excited to welcome them back to Tuck to share their insights. Read about (or watch!) some of our Board Chat series events from the fall where alumni speakers from the NBA, Citigroup, Brooks Running, and more spoke with Dean Slaughter about navigating the pandemic as business leaders of their organizations. Our student Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion chairs also shared the exciting news that this month would see the launch of Tuck’s If You Knew Me podcast. This podcast, hosted by Lia Parker-Belfer T’22 and Roderick Milligan T’21, focuses on building connections, broadening perspectives, and sparking meaningful conversation during this pivotal moment in our world. Our community is better for these continued efforts to build trust, empathy, and understanding all with the goal of positively contributing to the culture of belonging we are collectively working towards. Listen to these short podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.  This month meaningful connections were also made throughout the Tuck and greater Dartmouth communities during the weeks-long annual celebration honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Through this year’s theme of “Hope + Action” the campus community was supported in looking back and planning forward through scholarship, spoken word, song, Artivism, and a multitude of other events providing opportunities for learning, reflection, hope, and action. Visit Dartmouth's Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration page for reflections on Dr. King by Dartmouth students, the events calendar, Dr. King's speech at Dartmouth in 1962, and more. Looking ahead to February, Tuck and Dartmouth are also offering a number of events and programs in celebration of Black Legacy Month. In our December blog, we said that we were going to take a few moments to look forward with hope; and during this month, we at Tuck have found hope in our message and mission, to build wise, decisive leaders who better the world through business. Now more than ever, our leaders are of vital importance, and we are excited to learn from our alumni, get inspired by our students, and welcome our new admits, all of whom embody the essence of Tuck. "This Week, I Am Inspired By..." Shared by Aleena Fazli Assistant Director, Marketing Analytics  “The way the Tuck community continues to find new and inventive ways to foster community and inclusivity despite not being able to be physically together. The start of the new year is always busy and it’s inspiring to see so many Tuckies take a moment to reach out to welcome an admit or support a student-led podcast, all while being amid classes and recruiting.” |
03 Feb 2021, 10:00
| FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: T’19 Obinna Arizor on 3 MBA Interview Tips to Stand Out from the Crowd |
 By Obinna Arizor T'19 The following tips from Obinna Arizor T'19 were recently shared by Menlo Coaching, where he serves as a Sr. Admissions Consultant. At Tuck, Obinna was a Tuck Admissions Associate. He has developed an approach for the MBA interview that emphasizes storytelling, organizational frameworks, and active listening over memorization of pre-rehearsed answers. When asked to break down his method into a list of “top 3 MBA interview tips,” he offered the following advice to MBA applicants. 1. Compile a “Story Bank” One of the things that I coach applicants on–who plan on applying to business school in a few years–is to immediately begin using a diary or notebook to detail their experiences and check in and reflect on at least a quarterly basis. You may be wondering why. Well, considering the mean number of years of professional experience is ~5 for top-tier programs, it can be difficult to recall the details of the various experiences that have taken place during that time frame. So, yes, that time you dealt with a difficult colleague over the following year’s roadmap or deciding which project should receive resourcing in your first year of work might end up the best answer for a behavioral question being asked of you in an MBA interview. From a thematic perspective, some commonly discussed topics in an interview are teamwork, leadership, failure, and conflict. If you haven’t kept a diary, take the time to reflect on your professional experiences, even if your reflection spans multiple days. As you complete this mental exercise, think through all of the scenarios that address each of the thematic areas likely to come up in the interview, and keep a running list to help organize your thoughts. I recommend thinking of stories first (macro prep) then thinking of which types of questions the story can answer (micro prep). This is a better strategy than trying to prepare by simply rehearsing interview questions pulled from the web. This is not to say that you shouldn’t review MBA interview questions likely to come up during your conversation, as doing so may give you some ideas on how to better apply your story bank. We cover frequently asked interview questions in detail in our article, The Most Common MBA Interview Questions. 2. Research Frameworks and Decide Which Works Best for You Most interviewees are familiar with the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) framework for answering behavioral questions. It is the most widely used framework and for good reason. The STAR Framework for Interview Preparation The STAR framework allows you to structure your thoughts and then deliver an answer to the interviewer in a digestible way. So, let’s break down that framework. STAR is an acronym that stands for:
According to the Muse, STAR format works well for answering behavioral questions with openings such as:
CARL Framework for Interview Preparation Another framework that is a personal favorite of mine is CARL. CARL is a framework that I especially love because it organically encourages reflection through telling what one has learned, which can be especially helpful to round out a response. Recall that in an interview, the interviewer is not only concerned with the what (you did) but also the how and why (you did it). According to the University of Edinburgh, the CARL framework is adapted from a job interview technique where you structure each of your answers according to the different aspects of the model. Given the reflective nature of successfully answering many job interview questions, this model can easily be used to guide your reflective process on experiences and deliver a compelling MBA admissions interview. CARL stands for:
Other than ensuring you hit each of the elements in either of these interview frameworks STAR or CARL, you’ll want to make sure you are providing the optimal amount of detail for each part. For example, if you’ve spent 50-60 seconds detailing the situation or context, but only 5-10 seconds detailing what you did and the associated result, you likely have missed the mark for the question by glancing over your value-add. I recommend practicing with a professional to ensure that you’re answering using a framework effectively in conjunction with delivering strong content. 3. Prepare Questions to Ask MBA Admissions Interviewers At the end of almost every interview for MBA admissions, the interviewer–sometimes a member of the AdCom itself–will ask if you have any questions for them. The interviewer might not be evaluating your questions per se; but if you don’t have anything to say, or you ask incredibly basic questions, it will reflect poorly on you. As you prepare, you should not only be thinking about how to answer questions based on your own stories, but you should also develop some reflective questions that you can pose to the interviewer(s). Keep in mind: you will want to be flexible. For example, if the interviewer is an alumni, you can tailor your question to their background as a former student of the program to which you are applying. Likewise, you should be asking questions specific to the program for which you are interviewing. This is a skill that often requires expert guidance and in-depth knowledge of the top business schools and their MBA program offerings. Just as with your answers, you do not want to rely on pre-rehearsed questions that won’t be relevant in your particular interview. The most successful business professionals adapt quickly, and the MBA program might be evaluating your aptitude to do so. Questions to Ask MBA Interviewer
So to wrap up, you should have at least 3-4 questions to ask the MBA admissions committee during your interview–and if you have to adjust them on-the-fly, you should still aim to ask at least 3 questions before the interview is over. |
04 Feb 2021, 09:00
| FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: A Year in Review with the Tuck Social Venture Fund |
 As we reflect back on the tumultuous year of 2020, the Tuck Social Venture Fund (TSVF) team acknowledges the tremendous learning opportunity that we had as directors of the Fund during a time of crisis. In a typical year, the TSVF Student Directors develop a close working relationship with our faculty advisors, get real-time experience sourcing and diligencing deals, and learn how to support portfolio companies using the Tuck and Dartmouth networks. 2020, in turn, revolved around navigating a deal-making environment amidst the uncertainty of the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when we had limited data on the future outlook. As the months passed, we spoke frequently with the advisors about how the market for funding was changing over time, with discussions in the fall shifting to increased availability of funding as venture capitalists looked to deploy capital again. As a team, we were in touch with our various portfolio companies to offer guidance, advice, and encouragement during a challenging time for founders. We are in awe of our founders and their teams for their creativity and agility in navigating business model transitions, product launches, and financing rounds. Below, we highlight the successes of a few of our portfolio companies during 2020. CNote The TSVF team welcomed CNote to the portfolio in the midst of COVID-19. With challenges facing the U.S. small business community and the need for alternative forms of financing, the TSVF is proud to play a part through our investment in CNote. In response to the pandemic, CNote created a new Rapid Response Fund to deliver low-cost and flexible capital to their community-lender partners so they could adequately respond to the financing needs of their communities. CNote also stated that their stakeholders have been laser-focused on impact during the pandemic. VP of Marketing, Mike Ivancie commented, “The investors on CNote's platform have shown an increased desire to leverage their investment dollars to address pressing social issues, including racial equity and supporting the small business recovery from the pandemic and associated shutdowns.” Ed Mod In August 2019, the TSVF team participated in a follow-on round of financing for Ed Mod. COVID-19 highlighted the need for digital learning tools that support the quality of education for students with thinking and learning differences. CEO Melissa Corto stated, “Helping special education teams to work smarter, not harder, is what will get our schools and families through the tail end of the pandemic. This includes investing in research-based technology solutions and putting sustainable, best-practice systems in place that can be managed regardless if students or teachers are in person or remote.” You can read more about Ed Mod’s historic 2020 here. New/Mode The TSVF team made an investment in New/Mode in early 2020. New/Mode is committed to empowering people and communities to ensure public institutions meet their needs through a multi-channel advocacy and civic engagement platform. In 2020, New/Mode supported over 10,000 campaign actions and 30 million+ texts, tweets, emails, faxes, and calls to decision-makers. New/Mode is becoming essential campaign infrastructure and their executive team has seen the biggest players in the civic engagement platform market expressing interest in partnering or integrating with them. CollegeBacker The TSVF team made a pre-seed investment in CollegeBacker in 2019, and as of early January 2021, we are participating in a subsequent round in partnership with renowned lead investors. In reflecting on their business traction during the pandemic, the founding team shared tweaks they made to their business model to make it more impactful for their customers. In response to economic uncertainty, CollegeBacker launched a cash back rewards program with over 100 brand partners. Their customers for 529 plans can gain reward points while shopping that then help fuel their savings balance for 529 plans. Additionally, the CollegeBacker team bolstered the community aspect of the business by allowing family members and community members to gift contributions to 529 plans via their platforms. Overall, we are proud to say that not only have our portfolio companies weathered the storm of a global pandemic and disruption of our daily lives, but also have helped to make more impact than ever when people really needed it. The founders and teams that lead these companies have shown their resilience and resolve, so we appreciate them and applaud their efforts. It is a privilege to spend our days at Tuck investing in impact and working with the innovators dedicated to changing the world. TSVF Student Directors Lavi Aggarwal T’21 Ed Beshers T’21 Kurt Buchbinder T’21 Claire Dalman T’21 Madeleine Livingston T’21 Tobin Krieg T’21 The Tuck Social Venture Fund is overseen by the Center for Business, Government & Society and the Center for Entrepreneurship. The fund’s advisers who work closely with the students include John McKinley, executive director of the Center for Business, Government & Society; Curt Welling D’71, T’77, Clinical Professor of Business; and Daniella Reichstetter T’07, Executive Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Adjunct Professor. |
19 Feb 2021, 11:00
| FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: February Update on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Tuck School |
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By Dia Draper, Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion I often take for granted my ability to find safe, secure, and equitable housing here in Hanover, NH. My wife and I live on campus here at Dartmouth College, serving as Live-In Advisors to Triangle House, the undergraduate LGBTQIA+ Living Learning Community. And while housing for students, faculty, and staff is limited and expensive, we don’t typically have to worry about discrimination. It was a relief and welcome good news to learn that on February 12, 2021 the department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that it will extend fair housing protections to the LGBTQ community. The Fair Housing Act of 1968—which prohibits discrimination because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability—will now include protections against discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. In this time of great uncertainty, economic fallout and a widening wealth gap, I am sorry that we need laws like the Fair Housing Act, but grateful for every life that mandates like this protect because these laws usually serve the most vulnerable members of our communities. At Tuck we believe that wise leaders can better the world through business. Sometimes they drive change directly by tackling tough problems head on by developing affordable housing, working for equity in health care or education. Other times they better the world by setting an example and being an inclusive leader, or by bringing people together to learn, problem-solve, educate each other, and grow. This winter, as MBA students from Tuck, HBS, MIT, Ross, and Wharton collaborate to host a first of its kind conference on allyship scheduled for April 7, 2021, I am humbled by their vision, action-orientation, and conviction. These students from the class of 2021 and 2022 have not let the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on their MBA experience temper their desire to collaborate and drive change. These students inspire us and make us proud to be a part of their journey, even if for just a little while and they remind us that each of us can make a difference where we are and with what we have. Wishing you well, Dia Dia Draper (she/her) Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Many Voices. One Tuck. Inspiring Moment of the Month The Tuck PEVC Conference welcomed David Grain T’89 who was interviewed by Dean Matthew Slaughter. The conversation gave me the chance to reflect on the first time I met David and something he shared then that has helped frame how DE&I impacts organizational performance and outcomes for shareholders. “I firmly believe that inclusive cultural, gender, religious (and political) diversity leads to more thorough analysis, hedges risk, produces better solutions, and optimizes gains.” – David Grain T’89 I am beyond grateful for colleagues like Jim Feuille and Eileen O’Toole of Tuck’s Center for Private Equity and Venture Capital and the PEVC conference leadership team, organizers, guest speakers, and participants from around the world. This year’s conference infused an array of content that did not shy away from and in many cases directly addressed issues of equity in resources and representation in a notoriously exclusive industry. I was inspired by the energy, honesty and the commitment to action that we heard from all sides of the table from founders to funders. Recommended Reading “The number one predictor of your success in today’s borderless world is not your IQ, not your resume (CV), and not even your expertise,” writes social scientist David Livermore in his book The Cultural Intelligence Difference. “It’s your CQ.” Why “Cultural Intelligence” might be the hidden talent that determines your success in our global world.  At a Glance: Women in the C-Suite Higher representation of women in C-suite level positions results in 34 percent greater returns to shareholders. Fast Company DE&I Team Updates On February 4, Dartmouth College announced the appointment of its inaugural Senior Vice President/Senior Diversity Officer Shontay Delalue. Learn more about Shontay DE&I Student Co-Chair Corner With Roderick Milligan T'21 and Lia Parker-Belfer T'22 Save the Date: DEI Summit on April 7  Tuck will join HBS, Kellogg, Ross, and Wharton on Wednesday, April 7 to host an inaugural summit on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Mark your calendars and in the meantime, please email Rod or Lia with questions! TuckStuff: With your help, we were able to raise $2,565 for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. If You Knew Me Podcast: We’ve had 500+ downloads since launching the first season of If You Knew Me. We are now starting to develop season two of If You Knew Me and we are still looking for current Tuckies to be on the podcast so please reach out if interested. Successful MLK Jr. Day programming: A recent Civil Rights Trivia Night raised a total of $3,390 that has been split equally between The Brennan Center for Justice, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and The King Center  History, Heritage, Honor and Upcoming Events Lunar New Year This month we celebrated Lunar New Year, Year of the Ox, with an in-person movie night hosted by the Asia Business Club (ABC) as well as a virtual dumpling making class hosted by the Hop. Don’t miss Year of the Ox Shadow Puppetry, Friday, February 19 at 3 p.m. ET. Join puppetry artist Jana Zeller with Sandglass Theater to learn the basics of shadow puppetry. Using items from home, you’ll create a shadow box stage and two-dimensional puppets and animate them on a screen. Black Legacy Month We continue to celebrate Black Legacy Month throughout February with a number of events and programming. Below is a photo from the recent screening of One Night in Miami, hosted by Black Students Association at Tuck, Tuck Africa, and the Film Club. Coded Bias Viewing and Fireside Chat with Director Shalini Kantayya The Center for Digital Strategies, BSAT, and the Dartmouth Women in Technology Project are pleased to welcome filmmaker Shalini Kantayya for a virtual fireside chat about her most recent documentary Coded Bias. Faculty, staff, students (current, admitted and prospective), alumni, and partners are invited to view the film and join the discussion. Learn more and register.  Inclusion in Action: Introducing Student-led “Next50” Initiative Next50 is a student-led effort to advocate for more diversity in the cases taught at Tuck so that every student at Tuck can see themselves in the business leaders they study. Fifty-one and 55 years ago, the first woman and Black student graduated from Tuck – the start of an important journey to a more diverse and representative student body. Today, with a near-gender parity in our student body and the most diverse class ever, Tuck is more ready than ever before to showcase a diverse set of leadership voices in the curriculum. The Next50 team looks forward to partnering with Tuck students, faculty, and staff to evolve and diversify the cases taught at Tuck—so that students not only see themselves in these examples, but also are better prepared to enter a business world reflective of our diversity. Next50 is being led by Katherine Britt (Chair), Tabitha Bennett, Lindsay Cox, Krishna Desai, Jhanvi Jagad, Monica McGreal, Bridget Morton, and Anna Vaughn. In addition to this committee, more than 40 students contributed to this work in the fall. A Final Thought As we head into drafting our strategic plan and crafting an inaugural annual report for DEI, we would benefit from having interested members of the Tuck community involved. To that end, I am convening advisory committees and working groups for short-term (through August 2021) partnership. These groups will be responsible for providing insight, ideas, and feedback on our research, drafts, and proposals. I anticipate that the time commitment would be 4-6 hours per month. Faculty, staff, students, partners, and alumni are welcome to indicate your interest via this short form or email tuck.diversity.equity.inclusion@tuck.dartmouth.edu. |
25 Feb 2021, 08:00
| FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: What’s Up at Tuck: The February Edition |
 By Tuck Admissions A historically busy month for Tuck, this February has been rich with activity and action, including community-building events, timely discussions led by all-star speakers, and a month full of programming to honor Black Legacy Month. This month, the Tuck and Dartmouth communities came together to honor and celebrate Black Legacy Month with virtual events, movie nights, and open forums dedicated to recognizing the Black experience, exploring topical issues in the Black community, and celebrating the Black community’s many contributions to our campus and the world at large. Themed "Defining a Generation: The Triumph, Power, and Legacy of Black Women" events included a Black History Month Book Club featuring How to be an Antiracist by historian Ibram X. Kendi; a series of fireside chats focused on Minorities in Private Equity; a movie screening of One Night In Miami hosted by Black Students Association at Tuck, Tuck Africa Club, and the Film Club; a Black History Month trivia night co-hosted with the Geisel School of Medicine; and "Smart, Funny and Black,” a fun event hosted by comedian, actress, and producer Amanda Seales of HBO’s Insecure. The Black Students Association at Tuck, Tuck Africa Club, and the Film Club hosted a screening of "One Night in Miami." Over here in Admissions, our evaluation team has spent most of February reading Round 2 applications, while our Tuck Admissions Associates (TAAs) continue to interview applicants. We have also offered a lot of programming this month for Round 1 admitted students, and have worked with students, centers, alumni, and staff to host events that are focused on building the bonds that are so integral to the Tuck experience. For those of you looking to apply in Rounds 3 and 4, our application deadlines are March 29 and June 1. ICYMI here are the top Tuck360 Admissions posts your peers are reading this application cycle:
We hope these resources will not only help you tell your story but also submit your application with confidence. We look forward to learning more about you! While for many the Super Bowl is a main attraction, for us at Tuck, the annual Super Bowl Ad Review led by Professor of Corporate Communication Paul Argenti and branding expert and Professor Kevin Lane Keller, is a beloved event that our community greatly looks forward to. Students, faculty, and staff spiritedly debate the best (and worst) ads they saw the night before. This year, Cheetos’ “Wasn’t Me” and Amazon’s Alexa ads were selected as favorites among the Tuck community. At Tuck, our power is in our community, and our unique living and learning environment fosters community through every season. As winter settled in and the Green was blanketed in snow, Dartmouth created an outdoor ice rink with Free-Skate-Friday for Tuck students to enjoy winter in the Upper Valley. For those more inclined to stay in on chilly days, Tuck’s Southern Appreciation Society took time this month to host a biscuits and gravy making class for the Tuck community. (It was no Waffle House, but it was close enough!) The Tuck Asia Business Club shared the Lunar New Year Celebration and ushered in the Year of the Ox with a movie night and dumpling making for all. The Tuck Volunteers Club also chose this month to Spread the Love, with a food and donations drive to give back to extraordinary causes in the Upper Valley. As with every month here, when it comes to an end we look back amazed at all the exciting moments and extraordinary events that were packed into these 28 days. After all, where else can you go to class in the morning, go ice skating in the middle of town, and listen in on a conversation between Dean Slaughter and former Secretary of State Madeline Albright all before 1 p.m.? "This Week, I Am Inspired By..." Shared by Matthew Slaughter The Paul Danos Dean of the Tuck School  “I am inspired by the creative resolve that Tuck students, faculty, staff, and alumni continue to summon in ways that allow us to create our School’s distinct MBA experience. It has long been the case that students thrive at Tuck most fully when they invest in the success of others as well as themselves. Teamwork, trust, risk-taking and joy flow from this co-investment. If you are your best self when working with and through others, there is no better place for you than Tuck to prepare for a lifetime of impact and wise, decisive leadership.” |
03 Mar 2021, 07:00
| FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: Winter Activities in the Upper Valley |
 By Hilary Miller TP’22 Although I was a bit apprehensive about the freezing winters in a rural area coming from a major metropolitan city in the South, the Upper Valley has been all adventure and no disappointment since moving here seven months ago! There are constantly things to do and explore, regardless of the weather. As a transplant from Dallas, Texas, words of wisdom that I first received when we arrived at the Upper Valley was to remember “there is never bad weather here, only bad attire.” I was warned to brace for the rain in the fall and for the New England cold in the winter, and the advice was to invest in quality waterproof and warm gear to be able to enjoy the great outdoors regardless of the temperatures Mother Nature throws at us! Those words ring true, and we are learning to layer and enjoy the sunshine regardless of the amount of snow or temperatures outside! There are so many winter activities in the Upper Valley, even with COVID-19 hindering normal socialization, there is a plethora of fun to explore and do, as an individual, a couple, and a family! We have found even more activities here than in the Big D (Dallas)! With Vermont now starting to ease restrictions due to the pandemic and open up to those who have received the vaccine and quarantined, in the Upper Valley we can explore New Hampshire as well as across the river into Vermont for fun across state lines including but not limited to the following highly recommended activities! All of the activities below are highly encouraged and will result in smiling memories for years to come! In no particular order I recommend the following: Hiking or Fat Tire Biking Boston Lot in Lebanon, NH With numerous entrances and paths, hiking or fat tire mountain biking Boston Lot is fun for all ages! The paths lead to the beautiful lake at the top where we usually let the Tiny Tuckies run around, eat a snack, take in the gorgeous scenery, then load the hiking backpacks back up and head back down. Sachem Village also has entrances of its own to other trails—including Mink Brook and Indian Ridge. Dogs are welcome too! Don’t forget your spikes/coils to add traction to your snow boots and the Trailforks App on your phone to keep you from getting lost! Billings Farm & Museum in Woodstock, VT We love bringing family and friends to enjoy the Winter Wonderland at Billings Farm! Our Tiny Tuckie giggles like crazy while getting cow kisses in the barn, and also is mesmerized to see the other farm animals including sheep, pigs, goats, and chickens up close and in person. Billings Farm has a lovely indoor historical museum and plenty to enjoy outside. Bring your own sled and snowshoes to enjoy the picturesque snow-covered farm fields! Dartmouth Skiway in Lyme Center, NH “An awesome outdoor activity during the winter is the Dartmouth Skiway—only a 25-minute (15 miles) drive from Hanover. The Skiway is very family-friendly, affordable, and a great little mountain to learn to ski or get a few runs in before or after lunch. I highly recommend checking out the Skiway for all levels of skiing or boarding!” - Krysta Noble, TP’21 “Our favorite winter activity so far has been going to the Dartmouth Skiway to teach our son to ski. We love to ski ourselves and getting our little guy out there has been a true highlight of the winter season.” - Maggie Glenn TP’22  DOC House Sledding & Cross Country Skiing We love meeting up with Tiny Tuckie families at the Dartmouth Outdoor Club (DOC) House to enjoy sledding with the kids down the snowy golf course hills, which offers small and large, steep and shallow sledding hills for all ages. The fire pits and lounge chairs are a beautiful place to be able to socially distance and enjoy the great outdoors while cozying up to a mug of hot cider or cocoa and a snack. Many locals enjoy cross-country skiing through the Hanover Country Club’s golf course as well! Sachem Field in West Lebanon, NH “Since moving to Tuck, I have enjoyed many outdoor activities like skiing, hiking, and swimming. But this winter, my favorite activity has been bringing my dog to Sachem Field to play in the snow!” - Rae Hickox TP’22 Ice Castles in North Woodstock, NH Just a 30-minute drive from Hanover, New Hampshire Ice Castles was a huge hit with our little Tiny Tuckie. This is a great place for a date night or fun hang out with friends. We enjoyed the horse-drawn sleigh ride, ice-slides, and forest walk through the LED-lit forest. We recommend purchasing tickets at the sunset time slot so you can enjoy the ice all lit with different colors at night.  White Mountain Cabin “Renting a cabin in the White Mountains can be just as fun in the winter as it is in the summer! With so many cross country and downhill skiing trails nearby, it’s perfect to have a home base where you can come back after a long day and sip some cocoa in front of the fire.” - Lauren Farrar TP’21 Killington Ski Area Killington is the largest ski resort in the eastern U.S. and just a 40-minute drive from Hanover. It’s the perfect place for all levels and a favorite among the Tuck community. It offers ski and board rentals, lessons, a learning area for beginners, terrain parks, over 150 trails, and more! Dartmouth Ice Skating This year, Dartmouth opened an outdoor skating rink on the Green for community members. Bring your own skates or rent them on site! |
05 Mar 2021, 14:00
| FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: Reflections on Black Legacy Month and Our Connected Community |
 Throughout the month of February, the Tuck community honored and celebrated Black Legacy Month with a number of events and programming. Black Legacy Month (BLM) is the celebration and recognition of Black culture across Dartmouth, dedicated to the education, awareness, and commemoration of Black heritage and people. Themed "Defining a Generation: The Triumph, Power, and Legacy of Black Women" events included a Black History Month Book Club featuring How to be an Antiracist by historian Ibram X. Kendi; a series of fireside chats focused on Minorities in Private Equity; a movie screening of One Night In Miami (pictured above) hosted by Black Students Association at Tuck, Tuck Africa Club, and the Film Club; a Black History Month trivia night co-hosted with the Geisel School of Medicine; and "Smart, Funny and Black,” a fun event hosted by comedian, actress, and producer Amanda Seales of HBO’s Insecure. As we celebrated, we reached out to our students, faculty, staff, and alumni to ask, “What does Black Legacy Month mean to you?” Here’s what they had to say. From Harry Holt T’91, VP of Operations, BITHGROUP Technologies “I think it is important that we learn about all the amazing contributions that Black people have made to the United States and the world. Therefore, I personally try to expand my knowledge about Black history and work hard to share the information with my family and friends. Finally, when I think about Black Legacy Month I also think about the 'father of black history’ Dr. Carter G. Woodson. I will share with you two of his quotes that I find particularly inspiring and relates to Black Legacy month.
This is what Black Legacy Month means to me." From Dia Draper, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion “To me, Black Legacy Month means honoring my history while designing my destiny. The celebration and acknowledgment of the contributions of Black and Pan African people is critical, particularly in a world and nation that has benefitted greatly from our contributions yet struggles to even acknowledge that Black Lives Matter. Representation matters—from books and film, to academics and entrepreneurship, we have helped shape American culture. Honoring the legacy of Black excellence and achievement is fundamental to my hope for the future, for equity and equality, justice and acceptance. I am resilient when I remember that those who came before me sacrificed and suffered as no human should. I am courageous when I remember that young Black leaders who are looking to me need to know that there is nothing that they cannot do. That is my Black legacy.” From Jazmine Brite T'22 "Celebration. Celebration of the beauty, the richness, the genius, the joy, the resilience, the diversity, and the impact of Black people and all that is Black heritage throughout the country and the world." From Adam Kleinbaum, Associate Professor of Business Administration "Black Legacy Month is an opportunity to reflect on the many ways my background has given me privileges that are not afforded to everyone and a prompt to act in ways that promote equity in light of these differences." From Susan Clifford T’80, Principal at Hancock Askew & Co LLP "As a CPA, I am proud to know that the first Black CPA John Cromwell, Jr. was a graduate of both Dartmouth and Tuck.”  #OneLoveOneTuck: Pictured above, in 2016, the Black Students Association at Tuck (BSAT) organized an MBA Blackout event that brought together members of the Tuck community to stand in national solidarity in the wake of violence against Black Americans. From Felicia Swoope D'91, Assistant Director, Admissions Recruitment "Throughout Black Legacy Month I have been inspired by campus wide connections and the brilliance that permeates the entire Dartmouth community. Dean Matthew Slaughter encourages a ‘One Dartmouth, One Tuck’ spirit as we carry forward our mission at Tuck to educate wise, decisive leaders who better the world through business. Anything we can do to make our parent organization, Dartmouth College, successful is critical as we move forward to accomplish our Tuck mission. Past action has prepared us for this current moment. In early Fall, Tuck elevated our colleague Dia Draper as the inaugural Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. While a new appointment at Tuck, Dia’s dedication and service to the campus community is long standing. Tuck students have taken the lead to partner with Dean Draper to create and refine a new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategic plan that will launch this spring. More now than ever, I have witnessed the creation of non-traditional connections between all segments, departments, and schools on-campus. These connections are imprinting a sense of purpose that students will crave once they graduate, creating a legacy of leaders and innovators who will champion diversity, equity, and inclusion for all in their professional lives. At this moment we are connecting to history and the mission of leaders who have long provided hope and inspiration. Students and alumni exhibit their dedication to the legacy of leaders who have come before them as they continue their own leadership journey. Black Legacy Month’s Spotlight on Student and Community Leaders is a visual display on the Dartmouth Green of leaders of color representing organizations campus wide. Robust programming and fundraising in both graduate and undergraduate departments commemorate the work of Dr. King while utilizing his message to foster an environment of advancement and inclusion for marginalized members of the community. Virtual safe spaces have been created to bring our community together to solve existing problems, educate one another, and openly discuss student concerns in order to create a better experience during their time here. The Black Alumni at Tuck have been a consistent presence this academic year. They have come back to campus (virtually, this year) to inspire current students with their personal and professional accomplishments, stories of lessons learned, and to share their love for Tuck. While I am meeting some of these alumni for the first time, the ease of connection is a result of their openness and desire to always stay connected to Tuck and anyone who shares the experience of Hanover. In addition to my work in Admissions, I also serve as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategist for Artivism at Dartmouth. Artivism provides a new digital platform for artists and activists in our community to elevate their voices and showcase their artistry. Through this platform, current students, alumni, faculty, and staff are provided with an opportunity to highlight what is closest to their hearts and broadcast it across campus and throughout the alumni community. A silver lining to continuing artistic programs virtually this year is that more community members can participate. For the first time ever this year, Tuck students are participating in Dartmouth Idol. We look forward to seeing the amazing talent from all corners of campus (with a particular interest in two Tuckies who made the finals!) and we will keep you posted on the results!” |
09 Mar 2021, 08:00
| FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: To Our International Applicants: Why a Tuck MBA? |
 By Valeria Wiens Associate Director of Evaluation, Admissions Applying for an MBA is a process that requires research, self-reflection, commitment, and willingness to take a calculated risk to invest in yourself. Committing to an MBA might seem especially intimidating if it means moving to a country that’s new to you, while leaving your family and support network behind. We in Tuck Admissions work hard to make our application process as transparent as possible, and our community open and accessible to you throughout the process. Through online events, like Q&A sessions and coffee chats, as well as virtual tours and so much more, we strive to show you what makes our community special, and our program unique. We approached three members of the T’22 class who found themselves in a position similar to yours last year. They got to know Tuck virtually, embraced our community, summoned their sense of resolve, and said YES to becoming wise, decisive leaders who can operate across cultures and in environments of ambiguity. See what T’22s Elias, Philip, and Shimoli shared about what events and activities they found most helpful when learning about Tuck, what they think is the best part about being at Tuck, and what advice they have for international applicants trying to decide what MBA programs to apply to, or which one to attend. Elias Castro Orrego T’22  Elias is a member of the Marketing and Brand Management Club, the Consulting Club, and is a junior manager at theBOX (Tuck’s student-run food truck). He attended Universidad del Pacifico in Lima, Peru where he majored in economics with a minor in Finance. Prior to Tuck, he was a senior marketing lead for new business and innovation at LAIVE. Elias is passionate about supporting communities around him, has co-founded an online platform aimed at creating opportunities for independent workers in Peru, and has been heavily involved with an NGO supporting children's development through creative activities. What events or activities did you find most helpful in learning more about Tuck? Before deciding which schools to apply to, I did a lot of research and talked to many students. But once I was admitted, it was really Admitted Student Week (ASW) that convinced me that Tuck was the best school for me. The interactions with Admissions, faculty, and especially with my future classmates, were essential to making me feel part of this incredible community from that point forward. While it was virtual, we did get to experience Tuck's well-known sense of community. What is the best part about being at Tuck? I really like Tuck’s small size. Being in a rural town and in an intimate class really helps (and encourages) you to build strong relationships. I came from a really noisy city, and having the opportunity to live in Hanover for two years in a really quaint, charming, and outdoorsy town is great. You sort of disconnect from the world and really get to know your classmates, your professors, faculty, and staff of the school. I’ve been here for less than six months and I feel that I’ve been able to create really strong friendships. What advice would you give to international applicants trying to decide what MBA programs to apply to, or which one to attend? This was really important for me. I knew that as an international student it might be more difficult to adapt to the culture and get an internship. So, my advice would be to make sure the school has a diverse class, diverse faculty, and that there are career services advisors specialized in international students. In the case of Tuck, its small class size facilitates an intimate culture where faculty and administrators are personally available to you and easy to access. As a personal experience, it was vital for me to have access to international professors and a career services advisor—who were always available to help me on my career development. Philip Munyao T’22  Philip is a member of the Consulting Club, Black Students Association at Tuck (BSAT), and the Energy Club. He attended the University of Nairobi where he majored in electrical & electronics engineering. Prior to Tuck, he was an application engineering lead for the Sub-Saharan Africa region at General Electric. Philip is a world traveler, pseudo-marathon runner, and adopter of five stray cats—Kit Kat, Mittens, Onesie, Socks and Knameless (the k is silent). What is the best part about being at Tuck? Best part about being at Tuck is the community. I’ve been blown away by how supportive my classmates have been. I arrived at Tuck late due to embassy closures as a result of the pandemic, but I felt the Tuck “niceness” even as I was conducting my studies remotely. My study group members would schedule meetings so as to be mindful of time-zone differences and also to accommodate times when I had networking events with companies I was recruiting for. This thoughtfulness is easily one of my classmates’ best qualities. The support system at Tuck is unparalleled. What surprised you most about Tuck after you started your MBA? The most surprising thing about Tuck after I started the MBA was the rigor of the curriculum. I knew Tuck was renowned for the strength of its academic curriculum, but I was stunned at how in-depth the professors went into each topic. I believe this is what lays the foundation for so many Tuckies to go and impress at their summer internships and ultimately full-time jobs. The quality of faculty is second to none. What advice would you give to international applicants trying to decide what MBA programs to apply to, or which one to attend, without being able to visit the schools in person? Speak to current and past students—you will not find better ambassadors!—who have done what you are seeking to do. And if you are unable to find someone, reach out to the Admissions team who will be happy to connect you with such an individual. Not being able to visit the schools in person is hard, especially when making such a big decision but I believe the warmth of Tuckies, past and present, shines through! Shimoli Gandhi T’22  Shimoli is a member of Tuck Community Consulting, Tuck Gives, the Tuck Game Club, and is undertaking an immersive experience working for a startup with the Diverse Entrepreneurship Collaboration. She attended the University of Mumbai where she majored in accounting, taxation & financial analysis after which she obtained a CPA-similar professional certification (chartered accountant). Prior to Tuck, she was a senior manager in Transaction Tax Advisory Services at Ernst & Young. Shimoli is a trained classical Bharatanatyam dancer, and strategic board and card games enthusiast. What advice would you give to international applicants trying to decide what MBA programs to apply to, or which one to attend, without them being able to visit the schools in person? First, international applicants being able to visit the campus in the US is rare in any year—so you are not at a disadvantage there. Learning about the school is frankly as simple as talking to as many people as possible—from T’22s to prospective T’23 students. At the end you’ll be able to gauge your best fit school based on how you feel and the interactions you’ve had and the students you jibe well with. After all, most top schools have similar career prospects, but the difference lies in the people. Once admitted, if you feel comfortable meeting a certain admit who is in the same city as you are, do try and meet them; always helps to come in with a few known faces. Speak to T’22s and tell us your concerns—chances are that we have faced similar concerns in the past six to seven months and can provide some direction. What is the best part about being at Tuck? For me, I enjoy the many experiential learning opportunities at Tuck. In the fall, as part of Tuck Community Consulting (TCC), I was helping a family center streamline its recruitment process so that they can better find talent and recruit the team faster and efficiently. In the winter and spring, I am working for a startup with its product launch, formulating a product strategy and helping develop a value proposition. These experiences help me develop soft and technical skills which I couldn’t develop in my pre-MBA job, while working in different sectors, industries, and with diverse people. I am also really looking forward to my First-Year Project (FYP) which entails working with a local café to turnaround its business impacted by COVID-19. One is studying using the case method and the other is rolling up the sleeves and getting to work. Thankfully, the Tuck learning experience has been a perfect mix of the two! I also think Tuck’s Centers do an amazing job in discussing and sharing knowledge. For example, in a meeting with the Center of Digital Strategies we discussed the business model of Amazon and that is among the top 10 discussions I have had at Tuck so far. Learn more about Tuck's MBA program, career options, and distinctive learning community by joining us for an online event like our AMAs with Tuck’s International Admissions Officer. Or, reach out to our Tuck Ambassadors to connect with current students from your region or based upon career, center, or activity and club interests! CBGS runs two fellows programs, the nonprofit board fellow sand MBA fellows. Can I take part in both programs? Regression is the technical term for a model where you use data to make a prediction or explanation. Say you have data on undergraduate GPAs and GMAT scores and want to predict how well someone will do at Tuck. You can use historical data to estimate the relationship between GPAs at Tuck and GMAT scores. The model provides weights on various parameters and ranges of accuracy for forecasts. Marketers use it to understand demand and predict it based on other attributes of products. In Finance, students use it to understand risk-return relationships. How do you actually do it? You’ll have to take Analytics to find out. [/*] How many students can participate in the MBA Impact Investing Network and Training program at Tuck? We want to enable as many students as possible to explore impact investing through this hands on learning program. Since 2018 all students who have applied have been able to participate. [/*] What opportunities does CBGS offer students to customize their learning experience while at Tuck? From elective courses and the First Year Associates Program to the Center’s fellows programs and other co-curricular events and series, Tuck students can individualize their program of study based on their own interests. View Center opportunities for students [/*] [/list]--> |
18 Mar 2021, 10:00
| FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: Dear Tuck Admissions: “Should I Apply in Round 3 or Wait Until Next Fall?” |
 By Valeria Wiens Associate Director of Evaluation, Admissions Tuck Admissions’ Valeria Wiens is back on Tuck360 to answer your burning application-related questions. In our second “Dear Tuck Admissions” column, Valeria unpacks whether to apply in Round 3, why we share our interviewers' contact information, and how to frame your long-term goals. Have a question for our admissions team? You can submit your queries anonymously to Dear Tuck Admissions and Valeria will respond in future columns. (Pictured above, the Dartmouth green was transformed into an ice-skating rink this winter, complete with fire pits and Adirondack chairs. Photo by Laura DeCapua) Dear Tuck Admissions, Please help—I can’t decide when to apply and am hearing differing opinions. I think my application will be ready to submit in Round 3, however I’m not sure if I should apply now, or wait until next year. Some say now’s the time, others say applying in Round 3 severely limits my chances of getting admitted. Which one is it? Will your class be full in the spring? Will I be up against hundreds upon hundreds of incredibly qualified candidates in the fall? I want to shoot my shot but feel stuck dribbling here. Any advice? Regards, Not indecisive, just unsure Dear Not indecisive, just unsure, This is the million-dollar question we get every year, and one we can never answer directly. Why? Because the answer is it depends. A lot depends on how many admitted candidates from Rounds 1 and 2 say “Yes!” to Tuck. This is probably why you hear different information—some years it’s great to be in Round 3 because there are still many open seats in the class. Other years our yield is higher than expected and the number of seats we have to offer in the spring is limited. But—and here’s the key part—we have never had a Round 3 in which we didn’t admit candidates. If your application is as strong as it can be this spring, and you think it meets our four admissions criteria, then go for it, and shoot your shot! One thing I can tell you with certainty: We have never admitted someone who hasn’t applied. If, however, you think you can score a tad higher on your tests, or there is an exciting and challenging project coming up at work that will bolster your accomplishments, perhaps you should wait until the fall and submit a stronger application then. So, take a moment to carefully consider if there are ways in which you could strengthen your candidacy over the next few months. If you don’t think so, then you have your answer. If yes, then perhaps waiting a few more months will be of greater benefit. Some members of the Class of 2022 were admitted in May, June, and even July last year. Some were admitted off of the waitlist while others were reapplicants—there are many paths to admission to Tuck, you just need to find yours. Sincerely, Tuck Admissions Dear Tuck Admissions, I recently received my interview invitation (yay!), followed by an email with additional logistics, and my interviewer’s name and email address. While I already looked them up on LinkedIn (preparation is key!), now that I have their contact information I’m wondering if I should reach out to introduce myself before the interview? Do other candidates do that? Is that “expected?” A test to see who is most excited? Or the opposite, and they will think I’m too eager? So many options and I’m just not sure what to do here… Sincerely, Eager beaver Dear Eager beaver, I appreciate your enthusiasm and agree: Preparation is key. But in this case, you might be overthinking it. The purpose behind us sharing your interviewer’s contact information is not to trick you into an “evaluation trap.” We are transparent about what we look for in candidates and sending an introduction email to your interviewer does not fall into any of our four admissions criteria. More than that—our team works hard to make this process as seamless and transparent as possible. We want you to engage with us without the fear of those touch points being evaluative. The reason behind us sharing your interviewer’s contact information is quite simple: All our interviews are conducted virtually this year, and networks are … well … not always reliable. Should you run into technical difficulties, and you are unable to connect to Zoom, or your computer decides to take a last-minute vacation day, we want you to be able to contact your interviewer. That’s all. No hidden traps here—just a desire to save you the nerves and hassle should something unpredictable happen last-minute. I hope this helps, and saves you (and our interviewers) an email! Sincerely, Tuck Admissions Dear Tuck Admissions, I am working on my application now and can’t decide what to write about my goals. I know what I want to do in the short-term, and have a pie-in-the-sky dream of what I want to do in the long-term. However, I am worried that you will find it unrealistic. Can shooting for the stars in the long-term harm my chances of getting admitted? Should I tell you about my more realistic plan B instead? With warm wishes, Shooting for the moon Dear Shooting for the moon, As stated in our mission, Tuck develops wise, decisive leaders who better the world through business. We want you to have ambitious long-term goals, to tell us about your dream job, and share your highest aspirations! After all, you are unlikely to better the world through low ambitions. But as we discussed elsewhere on Tuck360, good judgement is an essential aptitude of wise leadership. We will be looking at your long-term goals within the context of the post-MBA role and the impact you want to have immediately after you graduate from Tuck. What are the necessary steps on the path to that pie-in-the-sky idea of yours? Can you identify them? Can you speak to why you need an MBA from Tuck to reach them? Strong candidates strike a balance between being ambitious and realistic, tilting more towards the former for the long-term goals, and the latter for the short-term ones. So be bold and share your compelling vision for the future! Just don’t forget to tell us what you will do to get there, and we will be cheering you on all along the way. With warm wishes, Tuck Admissions |
30 Mar 2021, 08:00
| FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: What’s Up at Tuck: The March Edition |
 By Tuck Admissions It’s officially spring in Hanover, and our students are enjoying their last days on the ski slopes before trading in their ski boots and mittens for hiking boots and t-shirts. March was a busy time here in Admissions with the team gearing up for two big days this month. First, March 18 was our Round 2 decision day. Congratulations to the newest members of the class of 2023! We are excited to connect, welcome you to our community, and give you the information you need to make your MBA decision. For those of you still looking to apply this cycle, the Round 3 deadline is March 29 at 5 P.M. EST and our rolling Round 4 begins April 1 and ends on June 1. As always, the Tuck360 Blog is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to learn more about our essays, letters of reference, and four admissions criteria. March also brought with it Women’s History Month which provided our community with an opportunity to pause and celebrate the extraordinary women who have paved the way at Tuck . From Martha Fransson T’70 who came to Tuck in 1968 as the first woman student on campus, to alumnae and leaders like SurveyMonkey CMO Leela Srinivasan T’06, we honor the Tuck women who have, and continue to, better the world through business. Our commitment to building a program with a diversity of perspectives and experiences is bolstered by our current Tuck Class of 2022, of which 49 percent are women. This milestone surpassed records and reinforced Tuck’s reputation as a top MBA program for women leaders. Reach out to our Women in Business (WIB) Club leadership team to explore how the club provides mentorship, networking, and career development opportunities for current students, how the Tuck program facilitates their mission, and to learn more about the annual Tuck Women in Business Conference, hosted at Tuck each fall! Spring term has officially kicked off and last week first-year students met for the first time to embark on their First-Year Projects (FYP)—a major highlight of the spring semester. This year, 56 student teams will work with myriad clients across industries on their top business challenges, ranging from marketing and branding to strategy and operations. For our second-years, who are nearing the end of their Tuck journey, these final months are a time to look forward to their post-Tuck plans and reflect on all they’ve learned and experienced during their two years at Tuck. To celebrate the outgoing class and to maximize the potential of the spring term, Tuck has created a special initiative, Tuck Rising: Spring '21 for T'21s—a series of opt-in programming and events to support T’21s in making lasting connections with classmates, faculty and alumni. The transitional month of March is always interesting at Tuck. The change of seasons and academic terms require many of us to take stock of the months that have passed and consider the rest of the year to come. Although summer is still a few months away, for those of you who enjoy a good summer reading list, check out these suggestions from ten Tuck professors who recently shared their must-read books for 2021. If you’re looking to bolster your bookshelf, this list is definitely one to peruse. "This Week, I Am Inspired By..." Shared by Becky Rice-Mesec Director, First-Year Project, TuckGO  “After 13 years of working on Tuck’s First-Year Project course I continue to be in awe of the enthusiasm of students, clients, faculty and staff for the course! T’22s will be spending the next eight weeks working closely with clients on their projects, supported by their team and our amazing cadre of faculty advisors. It is exciting to be part of a course that engages so many facets of the Tuck community." |
31 Mar 2021, 15:00
| FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: From Current Students: Why You Should Attend Tuck ASW! |
 Congratulations once again on your admission to Tuck! We had hoped to welcome you to campus in person this Spring; however, in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and public health guidelines, Tuck’s Admitted Students Weekend (ASW) will be a virtual-only event. Wherever in the world you (and your partner) are, we are excited to welcome you, virtually, April 8-11. Below, five current students—T’22s Joe Bourque, Elias Castro Orrego, Cuauhtemoc Trevino Martinez, Elizabeth Schechter, and Lindsay Cox—reflect back on their own ASW experiences. "My ASW experience played a big role in my decision to choose Tuck. I applied to Tuck because of the personal, connected nature of the program, and I was very worried what impact the COVID-19 shutdown would have on this experience. Seeing the thoughtful nature of how the virtual ASW was conducted reassured me that the personal, connected aspects that drew me to Tuck originally would not suffer (and were a priority for the school). Tuck did the best job of allowing me to meet other admitted and current students, allowing me to get a true sense for what a virtual experience at Tuck would be like, and left me excited to begin my Tuck journey." —Joe Bourque T’22 "When I got admitted to Tuck, I was very excited to come to Hanover for the Admitted Student Week (ASW). Finally, for obvious reasons, the event was virtual, and my expectations were not very high. However, Tuck did an excellent job, and it was this event that convinced me that Tuck was the best school for me. The interaction with admissions, faculty, and especially with my future classmates was essential to making me feel part of this incredible and unique community from that point on." —Elias Castro Orrego ‘T22 "As someone who was planning on having the MBA experience together with my wife, ASW became the best glimpse at how life as an MBA couple would look like. We attended the events organized both by Tuckies and Tuck Partners, who were enthusiastic at the prospect of getting to know us better and having us as future neighbors in Sachem Village. The tight-knit community for which Tuck is highly praised really surpassed my expectations, as they all went the extra mile to make sure we had all the information we needed, and even offered their assistance to help us with arrival logistics and getting all settled. All in all, the conversations with the various student club chairs, professors providing iconic sample lectures, and the welcoming words from Dean Slaughter resonated strongly with me, confirming my decision of joining this amazing community." —Cuauhtemoc Trevino Martinez T’22 "Virtual ASW was a great way for me to learn more about Tuck in an open and laid back way. I loved that I got to meet other people in my class and know some people before getting to campus in the fall. It helped answer a lot of my questions such as where I should live and how I should be preparing for school. It was also a great opportunity for my partner to learn more about Tuck and connect with other students and their partners as well." —Elizabeth Schechter T’22 "One of the reasons I chose Tuck is its close-knit, supportive community of genuinely good people. Meeting my future classmates at ASW gave me a sense for what being a part of that community would be like. The virtual meet-ups let me start meeting my classmates, and I actually met some of my best friends (and my roommate!) at Tuck through one of those virtual meet-ups! It was a lot of fun to come into Tuck Launch having already made meaningful connections with a few of my classmates." —Lindsay Cox T’22 Meet Your ASW Co-Chairs Register for ASW |
13 Apr 2021, 09:00
| FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: Financial Aid FAQs: International Students |
  By Sandra Belisle Assistant Director, Financial Aid Figuring out how to pay for your MBA can be a challenge, from scholarships, to loans, to fellowships, there are many avenues to explore when starting your MBA journey. We often tell prospective students, there is no one right way to fund your education, it just has to be right for you. For many of our international students, we understand that this process can be even more complicated, so we have compiled a list of FAQs that are tailored to the international student financial aid experience. Are scholarships available for international students? Is there a specific process to be considered for financial aid? Yes, everyone admitted to Tuck is considered for a scholarship. There is no separate application for Tuck scholarships. Tuck’s admissions and financial aid offices will review the application materials submitted by all candidates for admission. Tuck uses discretion in awarding scholarships to incoming students who will significantly contribute to Tuck’s distinctly immersive learning community. We offer scholarships to enroll outstanding students who, absent funding, might not attend the Tuck School. Are student loans available for international students? There are loan options available for international students looking to finance their MBA. We are aware that many of our international students do not have an established credit history in the US. In cases like this, Tuck does offer a no cosigner Custom International Loan. Through this loan program students are eligible to borrow up to 80 percent of the cost of attendance annually. This amount is determined by a needs analysis using the information provided on the international financial aid application. The maximum amount of the loan in addition to any other aid cannot exceed the full cost of attendance. International citizens with demonstrated need may also be eligible to borrow institutional loans such as Tuck 5% Loan and the Tuck Educational Loan Fund. These loans are interest-free while the student is enrolled at Tuck and five percent during the repayment period. International students may also be eligible for other types of loans if they have a U.S. cosigner with positive credit history. Do you have specific percentages of the scholarship budget allocated for international students? There are no specific percentages we allocate to any demographic of our admitted students. Tuck scholarships range from $10,000 to full tuition with the average being $29,290. Scholarships are automatically renewed in the second year provided that a satisfactory academic record is maintained throughout the first year at Tuck. We have been fortunate enough to increase the size of our scholarship budget at Tuck to continue reducing financial barriers for strong candidates for whom the Tuck mission is resonant. At what point after admission can an international student begin their financial aid/ loan application? Students can apply for financial aid at any point after they are admitted. The application deadlines posted on our website are not eligibility deadlines. They are merely to guarantee that an admitted student in Round 1 will receive their eligibility letter prior to Admitted Students Weekend or before the enrollment deadline for students admitted in later rounds. If I don’t receive a scholarship offer when I’m admitted, is there any way to reapply in my second year? Scholarships are granted in the first year and are automatically renewed in the second year provided that a satisfactory academic record is maintained throughout the first year. The admissions and financial aid team do not reevaluate students in the second year for scholarship. However, there are a couple of opportunities to apply for scholarship in your second year that are based on academic excellence in the first year. Are there outside scholarships available for international students? We encourage our international students to investigate funding sources in their home country. Some organizations offer scholarships to foster the professional development of international students. For reference, additional resources for outside scholarships have been compiled in the Outside Scholarship Guide. Can financial aid be used as proof of funding for the I-20 process? Scholarships and education loans can be used as proof of funding when completing the Tuck Student Form which is submitted during the I-20 process. Students must first apply for aid and receive approval for the loan. We hope these FAQs have given you some insight into the financial aid process and answered common questions we receive from international students. Our Financing Your Degree section on the Tuck website is a wonderful resource for anyone looking for more financial aid-related information. |
20 Apr 2021, 11:00
| FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: Applying Next Year? 6 Things You Can Prepare Right Now |
 By Valeria Wiens Associate Director of Evaluation, Admissions Applying for an MBA is a time-intensive process that inherently requires work and introspection, but there is a lot you can do now to lessen the last-minute stress of submitting your application. My hope is that the checklist below will provide helpful guidance as you think about the next steps in your MBA application journey. Take a good look at your resume. Your resume is likely as recent as your latest employment search. If it does not (yet) reflect the work you have done recently, take some time to update it. Having a resume that is representative of your work output, skills, interests, and community involvement will allow you to highlight specific meaningful aspects of your experience. It should be a snapshot of your experiences and achievements, showing that you have the transferable skills needed to succeed at Tuck and beyond. Keep in mind that composing effective bullet points for the experience section of a resume requires effort. If you take the time to do so now, you will free yourself up later in the application cycle. Curious about how to structure those bullet points and format the resume? Use this guide as your starting point. Additionally – and starting with your resume for this might seem counterintuitive at first – looking at your past accomplishments provides time for introspection. Think about what motivated you to join your current or past employer, what you enjoy most about your current job, and what has led you to this point of wanting to change your career through an MBA. Thinking about all this will lead you to the next point on this list. Solidify your goals and become comfortable articulating them. Do your desired post-MBA goals align with and support what you enjoyed doing in the past? Do you need an MBA from Tuck to achieve them? What is your personal unique combination of skills and strengths? If you need help solidifying your list, refer to your resume, look back through your recent performance reviews, have a conversation with your mentor – all this will help you in the process. Once you have answered these questions, identified your skills, and considered what brought you most satisfaction in the past, put it to paper and make sure there is alignment with the path you plan to pursue post-MBA. Next, research your target industries and companies, and explore what roles are available to MBAs in these spaces. Tuck’s Career Advisers suggest going through this initial introspection and research early in the process in order to find the right intersection of your skills, your interests, and jobs that are available. Do your research and get to know us better. Really getting to know Tuck (and other programs you might be applying to) will help ensure you select the program that challenges and supports you the most and is best aligned with your future trajectory. For Tuck specifically, consider how you can contribute and thrive in our mutually beneficial, distinct community, curriculum, and culture. Engage with us through online events, and connect with our admissions team, current students, and alumni. By doing so, you will not only learn more about Tuck but also be able to articulate how the Tuck MBA can help you reach your goals, while telling us how your individuality will add to the fabric of Tuck. We will be asking you about this in our essays, conversations, and during the interview, so do the legwork now to have a clear answer when the time comes for you to shine. Identify and connect with your recommenders. While the application deadline might seem far away, spend some time now thinking about who to ask for a Letter of Reference (LOR). The most helpful LORs will be professional in nature, and will come from someone who directly supervised you, preferably from your current and former direct supervisors. You want your reference to be someone who has the knowledge, desire, and time to advocate for you. You also want them to have plenty of notice as last-minute requests are rarely appreciated. Once you have identified those two persons (or one if you are a reapplicant who applied during the previous year), reach out to them and have a discussion to explain why you are applying to Tuck, and how you see the MBA advancing you towards your long-term goals. Remind them of the traits, abilities, and accomplishments you brought to their organization, and keep them updated on your application process to ensure their awareness of not only where you stand but also – and most importantly for the LORs – your application deadline. Schedule your test date and start your GMAT/GRE prep. Spend some time familiarizing yourself with the two tests to determine which structure and format is best suited to your abilities; we do not prefer one test over the other. Then, dive into test prep and practice tests. I often hear from candidates and current students that they wish they gave themselves more time to prepare, so try to give yourself plenty of buffer to study, practice, and re-test if needed. While these tests are not the most important part of your application, we see them as reflective of your academic aptitude, and use them to evaluate how you meet our smart criterion. Ideally, you will want to have your strongest score about a month before the application deadline to give yourself time to focus on other parts of your application (essays, interview prep, etc.). While Tuck does not have a minimum GMAT or GRE score requirement, our class profile might be a helpful resource to you. Consider the ranges, not just the averages, to realize the diversity of successful applicants for admission. Start working on your application form. This might be the part most commonly overlooked by applicants. Yes, some of it is fill-in-the-blank information that’s very straightforward, and if you need a break from studying for the GMAT/GRE, or from crafting your essays, this could be an “easy” checklist item to complete. We ask about your extracurricular activities and any awards you might have received. You can use this section of your application not just to name them, but to help us understand your time commitment, and by providing a brief description to highlight your involvement or achievements to emphasize how you are accomplished and encouraging. You will also fill out the Employment History section, so spend some time early on collecting, and writing down the information you will need to provide, such as description of your organization, size of your team, and your responsibilities. Your job description is a good place to start drawing from when speaking of your responsibilities, your first employment contract will remind you of your starting salary, and if you work more than 40 hours/week, spend some time roughly tracking your hours worked so that you are able to provide an accurate answer to that question. While everyone has a different approach to working on their MBA applications, I hope that this guide helps highlight application components that you can start working on now, giving yourself plenty of time to put forth an application that is most reflective of how you are smart, accomplished, aware, and encouraging. My colleagues and I look forward to getting to know you better, and hope that we’ll have a chance to connect with you at our events over the next few months. Learn more about applying to Tuck |
28 Apr 2021, 13:00
| FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: April Update on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Tuck School |
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By Dia Draper, Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion On the heels of an incredible Admitted Student Weekend, the inaugural DEI: Make It Your Business Summit, and the always insightful annual Women’s Symposium, I am excited to share updates with you on the progress we’ve made on our DEI strategic review as we lay the groundwork for our inaugural DEI Strategic Plan. The recent deaths of Daunte Wright, Adam Toledo, and other Black and Brown people continue to raise the alarm. While the Chauvin trial, and other events including the continued rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, make it all too clear that our work to be better agents of change at the intersection of business and education is more important than ever. Part of that work is the efforts underway to develop Tuck’s strategic action plan for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. I want to share some updates on our progress to date. First, we created an internal DEI Working Group to support the immediate launch of a strategic review of Tuck’s culture, climate, and engagement with DEI, and to identify the greatest opportunities for us to create a comprehensive strategic plan that outlines DEI objectives, desired outcomes, strategies, and metrics for action. Second, we engaged Arable Ventures, a strategy consulting firm, to partner with us to design and deploy the initial stages of our strategic research phase. This included conducting 85+ conversations, focus groups and a survey that was designed to gather candid observations, feedback, and ideas from the Tuck community. My deepest thank you to all those who carved out the time required to participate in the aforementioned dialogues, discussions and the survey. The exchanges have already yielded beneficial insights about your experiences, sentiments, and priorities. Next, I convened several members of Tuck’s student body, faculty, staff and alumni groups to serve as a short-term Advisory Committee, an important role which includes providing feedback to the working team. This committee serves as a sounding board while representing a diverse array of perspectives in the Tuck community. Currently, the team is synthesizing and analyzing the qualitative and quantitative data they’ve collected in phase 1 in order to begin identifying themes and prioritizing where we should focus our efforts in phase 2. While that work continues, we deans have been listening and learning. While the work is progressing quickly, we are choosing to focus on quality, thoroughness and including as many voices as we can. In the meantime, we are collaborating with student leaders to organize programs for the Tuck community in the coming days and weeks including opportunities for open and honest conversation, reflection and learning. Check out the “Upcoming Events” section of the newsletter below and stay tuned! Wishing you well, Dia Dia Draper (she/her) Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Many Voices. One Tuck. Inspiring Moment of the Month  Launch of Pilot Seminar on Intercultural Leadership: “Level Up Your Leadership” On April 14, T’21s were invited to join Vincent Mack, associate director of intercultural leadership, for a leadership intensive designed to help them level up their skills as a decisive and inclusive leader that embraces and leverages differences. This shared, one month, in-person experience features experts from across the country and will be held on Wednesday evenings from 5:30-7:00 pm, through May 12. Participants were selected through a process of application and nomination. Recommended Reading Professor Ella Bell and Phil Barta, executive director of Tuck Executive Education, both shared this thought-provoking piece by Lisa Leander and Ruchi M. Watson. Academic Leadership Already Lacked Women Representation Pre-Pandemic. Now What? It spotlights five leading women in business education and their experiences and calls for change. DE&I Team Updates  Paris Palmer Joins Dartmouth’s Counseling Center As we continue to explore opportunities to support the mental and emotional health of our students, Tuck is working to support and draw support from Dartmouth’s Counseling Center. I recently had a chance to speak with one of the newest members of Dartmouth’s staff and am excited to share that Paris Palmer, MSW (she/her) has joined Dartmouth as Staff Counselor at the Counseling Center. Paris is new to the Dartmouth community, arriving in December 2020. Paris received her MSW from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Prior to arriving at Dartmouth, she worked as a counselor in Knoxville, TN. Paris has a passion for and focuses on multicultural issues, suicide prevention, substance use, anxiety, and depression. Palmer can be contacted at (603) 646-9442.  Professor Ella Bell to Receive Faculty Achievement and Diversity Leadership Award Please join me in congratulating Professor Ella Bell Smith for receiving The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management’s 2021 Earl Hill Jr. Faculty Achievement and Diversity Leadership Award. “The award was established in 2019 to recognize and honor outstanding academic and professional leadership on campus and to the community beyond the boundaries of the university. The award is presented annually in recognition of the recipient’s courageous leadership within The Consortium community and commitment in advancing the goal of equal opportunity and access to higher education for underrepresented minorities in America.” This prestigious award is a testament to Ella’s scholarship and leadership, and I am delighted for Ella and for Tuck that her achievements have been publicly recognized by The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, an organization that counts Tuck and many other top MBA schools as members. An Update from the Next50 Fellows Next50 is part of an effort to increase diversity among the protagonists featured in the business cases taught at Tuck so that every student can see themselves in the business leaders they study. In service to this mission, the Next50 Fellows have been partnering with classmates, faculty, and deans to articulate goals and pilot ideas, building on the work of dozens of volunteers in the fall. The Next50 Fellows have also been developing a DE&I language guide for the Tuck community. Thank you to my classmates and fellow T’21 student leaders—Krishna Desai, Jhanvi Jagad, Monica McGreal, Bridget Morton, and Anna Vaughn—for all of the energy and time you put into laying the groundwork for this initiative. To the T’22s carrying the torch forward—Tabitha Bennett, Emily Blau, Caroline Carey, Gissell Castellon, and Lindsay Cox—we can’t wait to see where you take Tuck with this work. To the students and faculty that supported this effort from the beginning, thank you. Stay tuned—the future of Next50 is bright! —Katherine Britt T’21, Next50 Chair DEI Student Co-Chair Transitions Congratulations to Rebecca (Becky) Timmons; the incoming T’22 Student Board DEI Co-Chair! Becky also works closely with the Tuck Association of Diverse Alumni (TADA) and, in June, will take up the helm from Lia Parker-Belfer T’22, founder of the “If You Knew Me” podcast who begins her joint degree at the Harvard Kennedy School this fall and the amazing Roderick Milligan, T’21 who is heading off to the west coast to make his riches at Apple. Big thanks to Lia and Rod. It has been wonderful to work with you, benefit from your wisdom, and share the struggles on the tough days! DE&I Student Co-Chair Corner With Roderick Milligan T'21 and Lia Parker-Belfer T'22 “Since we last connected, we’ve been busy planning and hosting the MBA DEI Summit. We’re happy to report that the summit was a huge success, involving almost 600 participants from 20 countries. Huge thank you to everyone who helped plan the summit and to everyone who joined us day of. Students from the organizing institutions (Tuck, HBS, Wharton, Kellogg, Ross, and Darden) are hoping to make this summit an annual occurrence. If you’re interested in getting involved or have questions and feedback for us, please don’t hesitate to reach out! As the end of the year approaches, we’re working on finalizing season two of If You Knew Me and excited to onboard next year’s DEI co-chair. More to come!”  History, Heritage, Honor and Upcoming Events AAPI Heritage Month For the first time in Tuck’s history, we are proud to announce that we will be formally celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the month of May. It is a month recognizing the contributions and influence of our community to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States. Please join the AAPI+ community for the following events and be on the lookout for Asia Night—details to come! And a big thank you to Jerry Won, author, speaker, and podcast producer of Dear Asian Americans, who joined Tuck last evening for a fireside chat to kick off AAPIHM. Dartmouth AAPIHM Kickoff Event Date: Saturday, May 1, 2021 Time: 3:30pm-5:00pm ET Bubble tea grab and go on the Collis patio! Bystander Intervention Training hosted by Hollaback! Date: Thursday, May 20, 2021 Time: 7:00pm-8:00pm ET Hollaback! And Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) will lead a bystander intervention training. The one-hour, interactive training will teach you Hollaback!’s 5Ds of bystander intervention methodology. We’ll start by talking about the types of disrespect that Asian and Asian American folks are facing right now—from microaggressions to violence—using a tool we call the “spectrum of disrespect.” You’ll learn what to look for and the positive impact that bystander intervention has on individuals and communities. Easter Easter is a Christian holiday which fell on Sunday, April 4 this year. The holiday concludes the “Passion of Christ,” a series of events and holidays that begins with Lent—a 40-day period of fasting, prayer and sacrifice—and ends with Holy Week, which includes Good. The Association of Christian Tuck Students (ACTS) didn’t let the pandemic slow them down, the group hosted a TuckTails Praise Session with grab and go pastries on April 1 and small group Easter lunches on Sunday, April 4. Many thanks to the ACTS Co-Chairs: T’21s David Cantwell, Michelle Allum, Afolabi Oshinowo and T’22s Maria Tereza Nedochetko, Arun Ponshunmugam, and Amayo Bassey. Passover + Yom Hashoa Passover, or Pesach in Hebrew, is one of the Jewish religion’s most sacred and widely observed holidays. In Judaism, Passover includes a weeklong festival with a number of important rituals, including a traditional Passover meal known as a seder. Passover 2021 began at sundown on March 27 and concluded at sundown on April 4. The Jewish Student Club held a grab-and-go virtual seder dinner. Many thanks to the Jewish Student Club Co-Chairs: T’22s Kira Hattenbach and Orly Booker and T’21s Yakir Gillis and Lior Zaum. Ramadan Mubarak April 12 marked the start of Ramadan, the holiest month of the year for more than a billion Muslim people around the world. The month-long observance—which ends May 12, 2021—will see Muslims fasting from dawn to sunset, reciting verses from the Quran, and attending prayer sessions. For many of those observing Ramadan, it is a time to draw closer to their faith, for joy and spending time with one’s family, and giving to charity and those in need. You can exchange Ramadan greetings by saying “Ramadan Kareem,” which translates into “Have a generous Ramadan,” or “Ramadan Mubarak,” which roughly translates into “Happy Ramadan.” If you want to learn more about Tuck’s Muslim Student Association, reach out to T’22s Muhammad Hassan, Fatmah Ba and Edris Samadi. Additional Upcoming Events More information is coming about some upcoming events, so stay tuned to learn how you can engage and get involved. April-June: Men As Allies virtual book group Good Guys: How Men Can Be Better Allies for Women in the Workplace. Sign up here or reach out to T’21 Ed Beschers; digital or hardcopy books will be provided to the first 60 participants. April 28: Fostering Board Diversity and Why It Matters Panel Discussion. 12 p.m. ET. May 5: A Conversation with Ijeoma Oluo, Author, So You Want To Talk About Race. 7:30-830 PM ET. Summer Book Group: So You Want To Talk About Race  In Case You Missed It: Inclusion in Action Inclusive Leadership Session The Personal Leadership Spring Workshop Series hosted a session on inclusive leadership to help Tuck students continue to hone the critical capability to leverage diverse thinking in complex and dynamic business environments. This workshop, in its second year, is designed to help participants recognize critical competency areas and review instances where current leaders have succeeded and failed in those areas. Brian Cook T’17 and Theodosia Cook, founders and principal consultants of Groundswell Change, led this dynamic session. A Final Thought Institutions and individuals cannot claim to be advocates for inclusion and equity while supporting actions that foster voter suppression. Tuck alumni Chris Williams T’84 and David Grain T’89 are among the dozens of Black leaders to sign a letter urging corporations to act against restrictive voting laws in Georgia. Black Executives Call on Corporations to Fight Restrictive Voting Laws. |
29 Apr 2021, 10:00
| FROM Tuck Admissions Blog: New Ideas Drive Virtual Summit on AgTech Forward |
 By VSAT Executive Committee The 3rd annual Virtual Summit on AgTech (VSAT), taking place May 4-6, will bring together some of the most influential individuals and organizations within AgTech for the purpose of accelerating the spread of knowledge, creating new connections, and generating ideas. The conference addresses topics that are fundamental to our well-being and climate such as the way we grow food, the way we eat, and the way we invest in change. Given the nature of these questions, it attracts a diversity of attendees that span industries and roles—everyone from farmers to investors to entrepreneurs has a stake in the conversation. This year, VSAT will bring in over 75 speakers from around the world who represent all corners of the AgTech space. The Tuck VSAT committee drives the entire conference—including deciding the topics to cover, the companies they’d like to hear from, and sponsorship opportunities. Speakers are entirely sourced from the Tuck student planning committee, who prioritized selecting an impressive and diverse lineup of speakers. Students helped craft panels which cover the gamut of cutting-edge AgTech topics, including the fight against food waste, cultivated protein, robotics, and indoor farming. This year, the committee opted to add two topics not previously covered, growers and cannabis, driven purely by student interest. VSAT is no stranger to the virtual environment and has always been rooted in the idea of accessibility. Each summit has taken place within a virtual technology platform, Crowdcast, to ensure that attendees spanning the globe are able to attend without financial burden. Last year, 44 countries were represented across over 900 attendees. The small registration fee exists for the purpose of benefiting local agricultural non-profits. This year’s charity partner is the SUSU commUNITY Farm, an Afro Indigenous stewarded farm and land-based healing center located in Vermont.  Judges Tobin Krieg T’21, Robert Sewell T’21, and Schuyler Dalton T’22 ask questions to Momavlis Glekhebi team, made up of Elena Nikvashvili T’22, Vladislav Azimhodjaev T’22, and Aaron DiPietro T’22. Pitch Competition This year, VSAT is expanding its mission and will incorporate a pitch competition as part of the conference to give visibility and support to the many startups aiming to improve the agriculture and food industry. Last week, 12 AgTech startups pitched their ideas to a panel of Tuck judges during the semi-final competition. Pitches ranged from patented seed technology to hydroponic trees aimed at reducing food insecurity to marketplace platforms which connect Georgian farmers directly with consumers. Four teams, Agryo, Seges Ag, Grain Weevil, and Spornado, were selected as finalists and will present during Day 3 of VSAT. Why You Should Join Us VSAT Executive Committee co-chairs share what makes the Tuck Virtual AgTech Summit stand out as both an opportunity to learn more about this expanding field and to connect with others in the industry. "With over 1,000 attendees at last year’s summit, we thought that VSAT could be a great avenue for early-stage companies to get exposure to a large audience of investors and potential customers. The winner of the competition will receive $3,000 and mentorship from serial entrepreneurs and VCs. We're hoping this event serves as a launchpad for these companies to accelerate fundraising and customer acquisition.” – Robert Sewell T’21 “VSAT is an amazing opportunity for Tuck students to network with leaders in the AgTech community, to gain experience in planning an event of huge scope and scale, and to work with some of the most passionate members of the Tuck community. For the public, it’s an incredible and highly accessible way to learn more about the way that food is produced, how it gets to our tables, and about the entire ecosystem that’s working to bring about lasting and sustainable change, from entrepreneurs to investors to industry leaders. Conferences that are a fraction of the scale of this can charge hundreds of dollars for one ticket. VSAT is unique in that it’s designed to be accessible while providing a high-quality and broad educational experience.” - Kristin Ng T’21 “I attended VSAT before I was even a student at Tuck. It opened my eyes to the degree of impact that food has on our climate and showed me the ability of the Tuck community to bring together change makers and innovators.” – Kelsey Eichman T’22 How to Attend We hope you will join us at the 2021 Virtual Summit on AgTech, May 4 – 6! Learn more and register today |
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Here are updates for you:
ANNOUNCEMENTS Saturday, June 3, 9:30am NY; 1:30pm London; 7pm Mumbai ✅ Faazil shares his secrets of scoring 750 on the GMAT with 1 month of preparation. He also talks about his application experience to ESSEC MiM ✅ Subscribe to us on YouTube AND Get FREE Access to Premium GMAT Question Bank for 7 Days  ✅ Fisayo Gracie Abby provides a strategic approach to highlight your qualifications, achievements, and potential for success in your MBA application. ✅ Subscribe to us on YouTube AND Get FREE 7-Day Access to our Premium GMAT Question Bank
YouTube, Instagram Live, & Chats This Week!
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