Tuck Dartmouth MBA 2013-2014 Application Essays
We see the essays as your opportunity to share with us who you are beyond the numbers and the resume, so reflect, take your time, and tell us your story.
Please respond fully but concisely to the following essay questions. There are no right or wrong answers. We encourage applicants to limit the length of their responses to 500 words for each essay. Please double-space your responses.
Essay 1. Why is an MBA a critical next step toward your short- and long-term career goals? Why is Tuck the best MBA fit for you and your goals and why are you the best fit for Tuck?
Essay 2. Tell us about your most meaningful collaborative leadership experience and what role you played. What did you learn about your own individual strengths and weaknesses through this experience?
Essay 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?
Essay 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.
Essay 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 Dartmouth MBA 2014 – 2015 Application Confidential Statement of Qualifications (CSQ)
“Application to the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth requires that each applicant provide the admissions committee with two Confidential Statements of Qualifications (CSQs) completed by individuals who can speak with certainty about the applicant’s candidacy for admission. I greatly appreciate your candor as one of the two individuals asked to provide this feedback. Your response will be a significant part of the overall evaluation process for admission to Tuck. The admissions committee is specifically looking for your insight into the applicant’s leadership, teamwork, communication skills, intellectual abilities, interpersonal skills, maturity, strengths, and weaknesses. We have found that the most helpful recommendations provide specific examples or anecdotes to highlight the qualities described. Please be as detailed in your evaluations as possible. If after reviewing the form you feel that you do not know the candidate well enough to adequately comment on these parameters, I ask that you discuss your concerns with the applicant.”
Recommendation Questions
1. How long have you known the applicant and in what context? Have you served as the applicant’s supervisor? If so, please provide approximate dates. Please comment upon the frequency and nature of your interactions with the applicant.
2. What are the applicant’s three principal strengths? Please provide an example of each
3. In which three areas can the applicant improve? Please provide an example of each. How has the applicant worked to address these areas?
4. How does the applicant respond to constructive criticism?
5. Please give examples in the space below to support any Top 5% or Bottom 20% ratings.
6. If you would like to provide any additional insights into this individual’s candidacy, please feel free to attach additional pages.
