Tuck (Dartmouth): Class of 2016- Calling all applicants!

Hey guys,
Just got removed from the waitlist today, so count me in for EA this year! I applied in the Jan round this last application cycle.
A little bit about me:
Latin American male, 28 (soon-to-be 29), 5.5 years WE by July'14 in marketing and sales at large corporations and startup companies.
Being released from the WL, I was offered a coaching session with a member of the adcom to help me strenghten my application. As soon as I get the feedback, I'll try to share some of it with you guys.
Best of luck to all!
Best,
biizwiz

Hey all, i was just curious if anyone knew the key pros/cons to the EA round?

The EA round has many pros:

- Non binding
- You get to know if you've been accepted at Tuck 'early' - this is relative to Tuck's other deadlines where the time gap between applying and acceptance is much more
- If Tuck is your #1 choice, you will know by Dec end which isnt a bad deal at all given so many things to manage post acceptance (employer notice, moving, loans, finances, pre MBA trip planning etc.)
- Showing the school that they are your #1 choice - there's a reason this round is called EA and not Round 1
- Higher chances of admission - this is completely my theory, but EA should see the highest yield for Tuck as most people who apply really do want to go to Tuck. This means lesser space is available as rounds progress. Multiple arguments to this argument, but general consensus is that EA has max no. of admits (as a % of applicants), then R1

Cons:
- You will lose $4,000 if you apply to another school such as HBS/Wharton etc. in R2 and choose to go there versus come to Tuck

M/26/Indian/HR + Consulting background

Two points, second one is more generic

- Show the love: Tuck thrives on this. If you are in the US, visit. If you aren't, try to visit. It won't go unnoticed. Don't be afraid to email people in their admissions office directly regarding queries - they are extremely helpful. Stress on your 'love' for Tuck in the interview versus talking about generic points like rankings, employment data etc. Don't be afraid to let your essays take a much more personal flavour than essays you may be writing for other schools.

- Competition among Indian applicants is just tremendous. Be prepared to turn in your absolute best. Tuck is a very prestigious school in the US (it doesn't have as big a name in India/ Europe as US) which makes it very competitive to get into. There are folks joining me in Hanover who have turned down HBS, Sloan, Kellogg, Booth etc. to come to Tuck. Hence, even if you are not an Indian, make sure your Tuck application is top notch. And when I say application, I don't mean just the essays. The interview is where they really look at how well you mirror the paper versus the real you. If you wrote stuff for the sake of pleasing them, you are dinged immediately

Another Con that goes along with this is that the deposit is due mid-January, which is much earlier than other schools' R1 deposit deadline, and well before ASW. This is why you need to be sure you want to be at Tuck when you apply EA. Some people treat EA as R1 and in the event that they get multiple offers, they can't wait to attend multiple admit weekends before deciding. You'll have to either pony up 4K or be prepared to say goodbye to Tuck.

Personally, I wish EA was binding as that would weed out people who are treating it as R1 when it's not their top choice

Thanks for the tips Str1der. Very good advice.



haha! totally agree.

Thanks for the feedback. Honestly, first doing research Tuck wasn't even on my radar, but the more I look into it the more it climbs on the list. Seems like the culture/community is mind blowingly tight knit and strong. Definitely an appealing factor! Excited to learn more and get the application rolling.

Btw, you can watch Tuck Investiture 2013 live if you are too obsessed with the school

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN32ErXPkBU[/youtube]

Ballsy to not accept Ross. Wish you luck for this year's applications and hope you get something substantial out of the feedback.

Looking to apply in the Early Action period too; From what I have read, I get really good vibes about the school.

In for round 1

Posted from my mobile device

www tuck dartmouth edu / uploads / content / app_essays pdf

Does "MBA Program Application Academic Year 2013–14" refer to this - or last - year's application cycle?

I'm confused

The 2013-14 academic year starts this fall, so those essays would be for the applications that were submitted for the last application season (fall 2012-spring 2013). The essays for the 2014-15 academic year should be released later this summer (maybe next month). Can't hurt to use the 2013-14 essays to start brainstorming though as essays don't tend to change drastically year to year.

Edit: Did a quick search after posting and I think historically the essay questions have been released in early July, so keep your eyes peeled over the next few weeks. Though if you follow any sort of MBA related blogs, forums (like this one), social media sites, you're bound to hear that the questions are available.

You are right K8. It might take a month or so before the essays go live.

However, you can already start brainstorming and structuring your thoughts on the following topics:

1) S/T and L/T career goals: Where you are in your career? What would you like to do in the next 5 and 10 years (industry, function, geography)?
2) Fit with Tuck: How can Tuck help you achieve your career goals? What is your value-add for the programme? What distinguishes you?
3) Objective Assessment of your Weaknesses: This will come back again and again in your interviews, essays, and recommendations. So take some time to evaluate why you need an MBA in general and what are the weaknesses you would like to address when at Tuck.

While you are waiting for new essay prompts, I would highly recommend you to make use of Tuck Connections and reach out to T14s and T15s. You can signup for Tuck Connections here: https://www.tuck.dartmouth.edu/admission ... gn-up-form

Talking to alums and current students might help you refine and re-define some of your plans and thought process.

All the best with your applications.

Aaaaaaaaaaaand we're back!!! Count me in as well for any queries/advice about applying/re-applying from a T'15.

My Profile: Indian / M / 28 / 7 yrs Tech Consulting / 770 GMAT / 3.5 GPA

Cheers,
MBAWanderlust

Look forward to applying R2!

Your 2013-2014 essay topics are out:

1. Why is an MBA a critical next step toward your short- and long-term career goals? Why is Tuck the best MBA program for you, and what will you uniquely contribute to the community? (If you are applying for a joint or dual degree, please explain how the additional degree will contribute to those goals.)

2. Discuss your most meaningful leadership experience. What did you learn about your own individual strengths and weaknesses through this experience?

3. Describe a circumstance in your life in which you faced adversity, failure, or setback. What actions did you take as a result and what did you learn from this experience?

4. (Optional) Please provide any additional insight or information that you have not addressed elsewhere that may be helpful in reviewing your application (e.g., unusual choice of evaluators, weaknesses in academic performance, unexplained job gaps or changes, etc.). Complete this question only if you feel your candidacy is not fully represented by this application.

5. (To be completed by all reapplicants) How have you strengthened your candidacy since you last applied? Please reflect on how you have grown personally and professionally.
Tuck encourages applicants to limit the length of their responses to 500 words for each essay and to double-space responses.

Good luck everyone!

Clearadmit jumped the gun - sorry folks! No essays yet!