AMA_-Dan-and-Remi2.jpg
Jan 15, 2016

Ask Me Anything: T’16s Remi Evans and Dan Linge

Remi Evans T’16, is originally from Colorado and graduated from Trinity College in 2011, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience with a minor in Math & Computer Science.  Prior to Tuck she worked at Citigroup, Inc. in New York City as an investment banking analyst in their Financial Institutions Group.  She covered banks and diversified financials, focusing on capital raises, M&A, and credit rating strategies.  This past summer she interned at Under Armour’s Headquarters on their Financial Planning & Analysis team, where she developed a model to quantify and match workload and capacity of product teams to future company growth plans. 


Dan Linge T’16, hails from Wenatchee, WA and attended the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY on a Naval ROTC scholarship majoring in Political Science and History. He served for nearly three years in various roles on an Arleigh Burke class destroyer out of Bath, ME and San Diego, CA. He then spent 18 months as an operations and exercise planner working with foreign navies throughout Asia while assigned to Destroyer Squadron Fifteen in Yokosuka, Japan. After a nine month stint studying at the Department of Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA, he worked nearly two years as an exchange officer embedded with a squadron of Fast Attack Boats in the German Navy in Warnemuende, Germany. Dan spent this last summer interning in management consulting for Deloitte out of San Francisco and will be returning to the firm upon graduation.

 

On October 28, 2015, a live AMA (Ask Me Anything) chat with Dan and Remi was held on the Tuck Facebook page

Matt: Hello! Thank you for helping us gain additional insight into Tuck today. I am wondering, what aspect of Tuck, outside of pure academics, do you wish you had been able to dedicate more time to? Do you feel as though you missed out on any opportunities at Tuck, and would you approach your education differently given the opportunity to do so?

Remi: Hi Matt, great question. Luckily Dan and I still have one year left here to try to do all the things we love. While the first year is incredibly busy and I definitely didn't get to do everything I wanted to, as a second year, I have had more time to focus on two things outside the classroom that I really love: tripod hockey and learning about my classmates. I didn’t know how to skate before Tuck and have loved spending my evenings learning to play (aka fall) and hang out with my classmates on the ice. I am also trying to take the time second year to spend genuine, quality time with my classmates. It can be really easy with our busy schedules to miss out on meeting and learning about everyone, but pausing and taking the time to do things like Sunday Night Dinners or small group trips can make a huge difference in learning about the amazing people here.

Trevor: I have had a variety of professional experiences: JPMorgan Asset Management, Nonprofit in the Middle East, and now as the personal aide for tax/banking policy for Senator Hatch, the Chairman of the Finance Committee. I know Tuck is great and can do a lot for me, but how do you think I could best give back to Tuck in and out of the classroom based on my diversity of experience?

Dan: Hi Trevor, I'd encourage you to seek out information on the many centers and initiatives available at Tuck to get involved in and then decide which ones best align with your interests and experiences. There are no shortage of options, so it'll really be a question of prioritizing based on what's right for you personally.

Justin: Hi Dan & Remi. Thanks for taking time to be here. Tuck obviously stands out for its close knit community and location (traits I also see as very important). However, what is one thing that really surprised you about Tuck? Something you never expected.

Remi: Hey Justin, thanks for the question. Glad to hear those are important traits, they are definitely defining elements of life at Tuck. While I spent a lot of time looking at the plethora of opportunities that exist here (classes, extracurricular options, and career/ travel opportunities) I didn’t think about the ability to create new things here. If you have an idea, Tuck is a great place to create it and implement it. Whether that's a new company, club, initiatives, etc... There are so many resources here and the support of your classmates makes just about anything possible.

Charlie: Hi Dan and Remi, thank you for taking the time. Could you describe any interactions you've had with the various subject-focused Centers at Tuck? How have these been a resource for you? Have you volunteered/spent time working for the Centers?

Remi: Hi Charlie, happy to answer this. I am a fellow for the Center for Private Equity and Entrepreneurship. As a fellow I work to support the visiting executives related to the center that visit Tuck. This is an invaluable resource. As a fellow I get to have one-on-one conversations with some of the significant players and companies in the industry. I have also been able to interact with some of the other centers through other clubs/activities. The Centers are great resources for learning and interacting with alumni related to different industries. The Centers are available as a resource for everyone, but you can apply to be a fellow at one of them at the end of first year.

Chase: Hey friends! Can you talk about how the curriculum and extracurricular activities supports those students interested in (1) tech and (2) product management?

Remi: Hi Chase, if you send admissions an email, they can connect you with a student in the tech/product management space!

Muhammad: Hi. I keep reading and hearing about how the tuck Alumni are so amazingly helpful. Can you share any personal experiences with regards to that?

Dan: Hi Muhammad, one example is just how high the response rate is when reaching out to alumni. I've never had an alum not respond to an email even when having not met them prior; usually it's within a day. These connections and relationships they help build can be very useful throughout the job hunt as they often lead to being better informed as well as continued introductions to other helpful folks.

Anirudha: Hi, Dan & Remi. Thanks for taking the time, much appreciated! My first question is around development as a leader. Do you feel that there are certain traits within your leadership style that are directly attributable to the student culture at Tuck? What do you feel is the impact of 'Outward Bound', 'Tuck Tails' etc. in your development beyond the curriculum? Thanks in anticipation!

Remi: Hi Anitudha! Learning about and developing leadership is obviously a significant element of your time here at Tuck and because of that there are lots of opportunities to practice, learn, and develop who you are/want to be as a leader. The Tuck attribute that comes to mind when we talk about leadership is authenticity. Tuck is a place to be yourself as a leader, rather than try to fit a formula for a successful leader. This feeling of authenticity permeates the community and is one of the reasons are community is so close. I partook in Outward Bound and found it to be both one of the most challenging and fun weeks of my life and to be a great leadership experience. You can learn a lot when you are forced to be a captain of a sail boat as a girl who has never been on a boat smile emoticon Beyond OB there are leadership opportunities within clubs, centers, and teams.

Manas: Hi..Thanks for taking out time to share your experiences...Could you talk a bit about how the Consulting Club at Tuck helps enrich a student's experience, other than the usual networking and case workshop events?

Dan: Hi Manas, the Consulting Club is involved in helping students both explore consulting in general as well as prepare for interviews. Part of that as you mentioned is case workshops and networking opportunities. It also is involved with bringing top consulting alums to speak for various other events on campus as well as facilitating a lot of one-on-one case and behavioral interview prep between first and second year students that proves invaluable. Students are genuinely excited to help each other out which results in plenty of preparation opportunity.

Manas: Thanks for the response Dan..Could you also share a couple of key experiences that you had at Tuck, during your journey to Deloitte, or otherwise?

Dan: Manas, I'd say that it's hard to pinpoint one specific experience during the consulting recruiting process. I spent a lot of time researching the various firms and speaking to practitioners at them. Alums were very useful in this process and offered very honest feedback and experiences to help get a picture of the firms.

Charlotte: Hi Dan and Remi, thanks for chatting! I was curious to know what experiences or characteristics of Tuck were a surprise to you once you arrived on campus? Was there anything, positive or negative, that you were not expecting?

Dan: Hi Charlotte, I'd say one of the things I was pleasantly surprised by was just how vibrant the social calendar is here at Tuck. While a different atmosphere than some of our peer schools in bigger cities, it is undeniably active with a surprising amount of variety. The Upper Valley area has a lot to offer and combined with the creativity and social nature of Tuck's students, there is always something fun going on to get involved with.

Angela: Hi! Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. I would have two topics to discuss: 1. When it comes to your summer internship, was it easy for you to get the job you wanted? Does the school help you with this process? 2. How do you think Tuck feels about career switchers? Many thanks!

Remi: Hi Angela, good questions. Your first question is a little difficult to answer since every person has a different experience. Let me say this, if there is an industry or role that you want to pursue, there are an incredible amount of resources available between the Career Development Office (CDO), your classmates, and the very potent alumni network that can help you get to your goal. I used the Dartmouth and Tuck network a lot in my intern search and was able to successfully find a role, finance, at a company I love, Under Armour. I have seen many of my classmates successfully career switch, it is definitely possible and again, there are resources to help you think through the steps necessary to obtain a strong switch. The CDO is always on call to help students! If you want to reach out to them now with any specific questions, you definitely should.

Sami: Hi Dan & Remi. Thank you for this chat. Have you been active members of student clubs? How was your experience in terms of socializing and making new friends through these clubs?

Dan: Hi Sami! There is a club for practically everything (from Karaoke to Private Equity). I've been involved in Consulting Club, Tripod Hockey Club, our Veteran's club and a number of others. The clubs provide a lot of opportunity for social interactions both with members of the clubs and others. They often host and sponsor social events that are open to all members of the Tuck community whether involved in the specific club or not.

Sami: Is there a team building event organized for the first year students. Are there opportunities to interact with second year students during studies?

Dan: In addition to pre-term programs, there are definitely numerous team-building activities that are incorporated into orientation which occurs the week before classes start. First year students will be in classes with second year students during the spring term for electives and also have many opportunities to interact via the various clubs and activities that are a part of daily life at Tuck. 

Sami:  What does the pre-terms programs consist of?

Remi: Hi Sami. There are a number of different programs available before starting time at Tuck. I would highly recommend partaking in one or several of these as they are a unique opportunity to get to know your classmates before arriving on campus. Below are some of available options:

* Outward Bound - 5 day sailing trip off the coast of Maine
* Math Camp
* International Orientation
* Week long international trips to places like Macchu Piccu or Nicaragua
* Tuck Builds - spending a week volunteering in the community (Example: building a handicap ramp for a house)
* Outdoor trips such as varied levels of backpacking

Sami: How often are events organized at tuck for meeting employers? How was your experience in such events? Do students contribute to organize them through clubs or the career development office?

Dan: Hi Sami, events with employers on campus are nearly constant in the late autumn and early winter during on-campus recruiting season. Employers from many industries including all the top consulting firms and banks, as well as many top firms in other industries visit campus frequently. While here, they give overview briefs about their interview processes, host networking events, offer one-on-one office hours for questions, conduct interview prep workshops and practice interviews, and finally conduct actual interviews. These were all great opportunities that I would not have had were it not for attending a top school such as Tuck. Additionally, some students targeting specific industries make trips to certain cities in order to visit the offices of various firms in person. The Career Development Office puts in a lot of work getting all of these events set up and students are not generally part of that process. Hope that helps. I encourage you to reach out to the CDO for more details.

Ramesh: Hello! Great to see you guys on Facebook. Tuck has a lot of things which are "popular" so to speak...the GIX, the collaborative culture, infrastructure, that are all hugely popular. But there are also some "diamonds in the rough", literally lesser known aspects of Tuck. Could you share any such interesting aspects of Tuck that you think Applicants should know about and which you think deserves more attention? Thank You!

Remi: Hi Ramesh, your questions really has me thinking... I think one of the things that I love is the number of school wide events that bring a huge amount of the community together to celebrate different cultures or events. These can be things such as everyone attending the Tripod hockey champion game on a Thursday night, classmates learning to do amazing dances for Diwali and performing in front of the school, Section Wars where the four different first year sections compete against each other to earn points, etc... The fact that we gather so often as one community to learn from each other and enjoy moments of Tuck life is great!

Alexa: Hi, Dan and Remi! As many of us are deep in the throes of application preparation, I'd be curious to hear from you what aspects of your application to Tuck you think had the greatest impact on your acceptance. I'd also love to get your take on what traits you feel students of Tuck share. Thanks for your time!

Remi: Hi Alexa, I don’t know what specifically impacted my acceptance from my application, but I do know admissions does a great job of looking at each application holistically. You are more than one data point or resume item and they know that. I think it comes down to being yourself and letting Tuck know who you are. What are your strengths? How do you see yourself spending two years of your life here? What enables the Tuck community to be close is a level of genuiness and authenticity that exists within the members of the community. Tuckies come in all shapes and sizes, but they are all intellectually curious, driven, good people.

Admissions: Hi Alexa, perhaps you'd also be interested in this "7 Traits of a Successful Applicant" Webinar we held recently. We look forward to reading your application!

Sana: Dan and Remi, can you please tell me a bit more about how peer coaching is integrated into the classroom experience? Also what percentage of the program is case study vs lecture based?

Dan: Hi Sana, there is an extensive peer coaching experience with feedback surveys and comprehensive personal assessments built into one of the required leadership courses during the core curriculum. This can be a very useful exercise. Additionally, students are encouraged in class to discuss actively and think critically when analyzing and assessing their peers' comments in class. The mix of case vs lecture-based teaching varies by class but all classes are highly interactive regardless of whether they are "case-based." You can learn more about the teaching style in general here.

Sana: Hi, thank you for taking the time to answer a few of our questions. I was wondering if you could tell us a bit about your time at Tuck? And why you felt Tuck was the right place for you?

Remi: Hi Sana! I chose Tuck mostly because I was looking for a smaller, close knit school, not in a city, where I would have both the opportunity to know my classmates and professors, but also have the ability to play an impactful role in the community. It is very easy to get involved, lead, and have an active role here. I know many schools talk about their community, but there is truly nothing like being a member of the Tuck family, and it lasts for life.

Dan: Hi Sana, to echo Remi, I think deciding on Tuck being the right place for me really had a lot to do with the community that is here and the personal nature of the program. If that is something that you think you'd enjoy, I'd encourage you to come and visit to experience it in person.

Sana: Thank you Remi, do you know what percentage of students come to Tuck with Partners and or families? And how integrated are they into the Tuck community?

Remi: Hi Sana, there are roughly a quarter of students who come to Tuck with partners and they are very welcome to get involved with nearly every social aspect of the Tuck experience including Fun Treks, club activities, etc. They even have their own club as well that hosts many events both on and off campus such as events for "Tiny Tuckies" (kids), and many others.

Suman: Hi Remi and Dan, I am putting in an application to Tuck with over 3 years of experience in the infrastructure industry (focus on power and utilities). There are things at Tuck that truly interest me- the strong sense of community and a real campus feel, great consulting placements (the 50% student self-selection is just awesome) and of course, the strong general management curriculum. I am looking to find a place at the energy practice of a top consulting firm post MBA. I have some questions for the essays- 1) I would like to mention about the Cohen Leadership Development program- would want you to share some insights on this aspect of the first year curriculum. 2) In the meaningful leadership essay- I would like to understand the expectations of the school- whether the focus is on what we gained from the experience of the narration of the experience that involved something challenging.

Hi Suman. Are you interested in how students have experienced the Cohen leadership curriculum and related activities or are you looking for a general sense of how the Cohen leadership development program is incorporated into the first year curriculum? The leadership essay is intended to provide an opportunity for an applicant to share an impactful leadership experience, how the applicant approached the challenges that arose from that experience, and what the applicant learned from it.

Darrell: Can I get one final question in? Has the Center for Private Equity and Entrepreneurship or any other business related program undergone a Personal START to FINISHED project with its students outside of the State of New Hampshire? And if so? Where at? And what was the company's or business name? Or has it ever been done?

Dan: I'd encourage you to reach out directly to the Center to get information on the initiatives they've been a part of as I have not had a direct involvement with that particular center.