Please respond fully but concisely to the following essay questions. Compose each of your answers offline in separate document files and upload them individually in the appropriate spaces below. Although there is no restriction on the length of your response, most applicants use, on average, 500 words for each essay. There are no right or wrong answers. Please double-space your responses.
MBA Decoder’s Essay advice: Tuck has not specified that they want professional/ personal answers for any of their essay questions. However, it would be wise to give a judicious blend of both.
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? (If you are applying for a joint or dual degree, please explain how the additional degree will contribute to those goals.)
The fact that a career goals essay features in almost every b-school’s application underscores its importance, and justifiably so. Every business school wants to understand why you should be among the select few to get a place. And when the program is a small, like Tuck’s class size of 250, then they really do want to ensure that you understand : a). Tuck’s importance in helping you reach closer to your career goals; b). your fit in this small class. The only way to figure this out is through researching the program inside out and soundly articulating its benefits to you.
The words that an “MBA is a critical next step” denote an urgency and a compelling need to do an MBA. So, other than mentioning your short term (upto 5 years) and long term career goals (beyond that), make it a point to answer “why MBA?” and “why now?”. Be clear about your stated career path – is it feasible, considering the skills set you have built thus far? Is it what you really want to do? Most importantly, will Tuck help you reach there? If yes, then how?
2. Discuss your most meaningful leadership experience. What did you learn about your own individual strengths and weaknesses through this experience?
Tuck’s essay question makes it very clear that they really want to know you as a person. Therefore the question is framed as “your most meaningful leadership experience” as opposed to the “most defining one”. It does not have to be a situation with big results but one with a big impact on you, where you learned something about your leadership style.
The second part of the question is for introspection, all in the context of this leadership experience. How do you analyze yourself and what do you consider as your strengths and weaknesses? This answer would give the adcom a peek into your value system, your maturity levels and your ability to view yourself objectively. A wise decision would be to write about a weakness on which you have had a chance to work upon.
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?
This question has a fairly wide scope as it allows you to talk about any of the three aspects- adversity, failure or setback – a lot of questions prompts from other b-schools ask you to narrate an incidence reflecting a specific one of these circumstances.
An unfavorable situation is good testimony to your mettle- how did you react in circumstances that were not upto your liking and what key traits of your personality emerged in that situation. If it was an adverse situation, how did you manage conflict, If it was a failure, did you have the self insight to realize your mistake and not pass the buck on to the next person. If it was a setback, how did you cope with it and come out stronger? All three examples would require a high level of maturity in understanding the situation and dealing with it.
Select an incidence – personal or professional- where you get a good chance to showcase this mettle. Then go on to build a background, explain your actions and the results. What was your learning?
4. Tuck seeks candidates of various backgrounds who can bring new perspectives to our community. How will your unique personal history, values, and/or life experiences contribute to the culture at Tuck?
In line with the “small community” feeling of Tuck, this question is to really understand your fit with the b-school. Since students engage in a lot of peer based learning at an MBA program, it is essential that every one of them brings something new to the table, in order to maximize the learning experience of his fellow classmates. In this light, how can you differentiate yourself from the others? This essay is where you can talk about any formative years’ experiences which had a lasting impact on you; influencers in your life, what you learned from them and how you internalized that to form your current personality; or any other background story that demonstrates you as a unique addition to the Tuck class.
An important component of the answer is that how will you use this distinctiveness to contribute at Tuck- for this you would first need to understand what personality traits would make you unique at Tuck – you can do this by talking extensively to students, alumni and admissions staff, reading their blogs and through You Tube videos and online chats. Research, research and research is our ending advice for this essay analysis.
5. (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.
6. (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.