Each month, Amy Mitson, co-executive director of Tuck Admissions, will be here on the Tuck360 Blog to share the latest news, insights, and advice from Admissions. We look forward to getting to know you and sharing what makes the Tuck MBA experience distinct. As Teo Gonzalez T’21 puts it: “Tuck is a place where everyone can be 'all in.' When you commit to this experience, you commit to two years when all your focus is on yourself, your teammates, and your craft."
A few coffee chats ago I proclaimed that there were more leaves than people in Hanover. While true for a moment, fall leaves have given way to snowflakes and it continues to be a beautiful time of year.
Sometimes in the bustle of application season, we forget to take a moment to enjoy the Upper Valley. I took a moment to breathe just before Thanksgiving and shut down my computer mid-afternoon to take a long walk at Poverty Lane Orchards. Walking among the apple trees under a perfectly blue sky, I couldn’t help but feel rejuvenated. The change of the season was in the air, and with it, the anticipation that propels the academic calendar, and our admissions work, from one cycle to the next.
Refreshed by my late fall stroll, I returned to my computer later that evening to read some of your applications and was filled with immense gratitude. As our admissions team progressed through Round 1 evaluations this fall, we were all consistently in awe of your thoughtful applications. Thank you for sharing your powerful personal and professional stories, and how you plan to spend your two years at Tuck and beyond.
Whether it was the fresh autumn air or your impressive applications, I have been feeling particularly inspired. Read on for ways our tight-knit community is engaging with and inspiring one another this season.
In Tuck Admissions, we concluded three successful hybrid conferences this fall—Military Visit Day, the Diversity Conference, and the Women in Business Conference. My team and I were thrilled to be able to connect with applicants, current students, and alumni in person and virtually during each conference. For those of you who joined virtually or are looking for ways to continue learning about Tuck, a conversation with a Tuck Ambassador is a great way to discover more about our distinct learning community.
We were also excited to learn that the Global Insight Expeditions (GIX) are back on the academic calendar after a brief hiatus due to travel restrictions imposed by the pandemic. While there are numerous ways to meet the global learning requirement at Tuck, our faculty recently shared spring 2022 GIX options for students. From Norway to Denmark, to the UAE, interested first- and second-year students will have the chance to explore a variety of sectors from sustainability in Germany, to entrepreneurship in Israel, alongside their classmates and faculty.
From seriously supportive to purely social, the opportunities for community connections have been numerous. Amidst resume prep and mid-terms for first-year students, and the completion of Fall Term for second-year students, calendars have been full. Professors Jennifer Dannals and Dan Feiler partnered with our Women in Business club to lead a negotiations roundtable, and Professor Paul Argenti and a student team shared research on Corporate Purpose. Also, second-year students led the annual “Passing the Torch” session which provides a safe forum for second-years to reflect on their experiences and share some wisdom with first-years on navigating relationships, recruiting, academics, and social life at Tuck.
Consistently ranked a top community event at Tuck, our special Tuck Talks event series returned to an in-person format, with five students sharing their personal journeys and stories with the Tuck community. The Tuck Africa and Tuck Asia clubs hosted a wine gala in partnership with T’89 Zdenek Bakala and Dean Slaughter partnered with the Tuck Veterans Club to host the annual Microbrews and the Military gathering in honor of Veteran’s Day. And to raise awareness around men's health issues, the Mental Health and Wellness Initiative partnered with Tuck Basketball for the annual Movember event.
The Tuck community also came together to celebrate the start of the holiday season. Tuck Diwali was wonderfully festive with customary food, drink, and dancing! From Diwali, we headed into Tucksgiving. This annual event was started by a Tuck student in 2014 and has grown into a community celebration for students, partners, faculty, staff, and families who are in the Upper Valley over Thanksgiving. This event has taken on many forms over the years, from groups of five or ten at the homes of faculty and staff, to a dinner for 85 in Stell Hall. Our student-managed Tuck Stuff store is stocked for the holidays and Dean Slaughter will lead the annual holiday toast to celebrate the accomplishments of our T’23 class as the term concludes on December 14.
For some of you who have already applied, we hope you are enjoying the break from test prep and essay writing. We are thinking of you and commend you for the brave steps you have taken on this MBA journey. To help you make the most of this newfound free time, here are five opportunities to learn more about members of the Tuck community:
1. Listen to Sydcast—A podcast hosted by award-winning Tuck professor Sydney Finkelstein who hosts intimate and informative conversations with fascinating people you may not know.
2. Check out our If You Knew Me Podcast—Each episode features an intimate conversation with founder and host Lia Parker-Belfer T'22 and another current student, and is focused on deepening student connections and fostering a culture of belonging at the Tuck School.
3. Get inspired by Kate Jhaveri T'03, CMO of the NBA—Watch the NBA’s 75th-anniversary commercial.
4. Read the most recent Slaughter and Rees Report—In this missive, Dean Matthew Slaughter and co-author Matthew Rees discuss the Great Resignation and its impact on policy going forward.
4. Listen to Ella Bell Smith in conversation with Gwyneth Paltrow—They discuss Ella’s book, Our Separate Ways: Black and White Women and the Struggle for Professional Identity, which was recently re-released and uncovers how race and gender shape our workplaces, careers, and relationships with our colleagues. Ella will inspire you to keep exploring this topic.
For Round 2 applicants, we are committed to supporting your application efforts. Join us this month for answers, advice, and perspective before you hit submit. Tuck students are available throughout December and are hosting coffee chats that will inform and illuminate your perspective on the Tuck experience. The admissions committee will lead specific AMA sessions on the application process and answer any lingering questions so you can feel confident as you work toward the Round 2 deadline.
Until we see or hear from you next, enjoy the change of season wherever you are in the world. Spend some time outdoors and take a moment to reflect and celebrate everything that has brought you to this moment.
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