For those of you considering which schools are right for you, you’ve probably been through the same thought process as me. That being said, if you’re from a big city and have never lived in a less urban area, you probably have some reservations about signing up for the Tuck experience (full disclosure: I had never lived outside of NYC before my move to Hanover, so I thought about this a lot). I’m going to provide you with three reasons, spanning the academic-professional-social spectrum, as to why you shouldn’t be worrying about this. All of these reasons are based on my personal experience:
1) Tuckies are known for being analytical rock stars. Sure, living in a city will provide you with tons of opportunities to go out every night, but is that why you’re signing up to go to B-School? Surely not. If you’re not looking to waste money, you’re going to want to hit the books hard and get the most out of your experience. The Tuck academic experience is unlike anything I’ve ever encountered before. We are literally surrounded by learning 24/7. Study rooms throughout the complex are constantly booked and alive with deep discussion. Some of the most insightful conversations I have ever had have taken place in the study rooms at Tuck. Having access to professors responsible for only 125 first-year students doesn’t hurt either. Any time I am truly stumped by a topic or question, I either shoot the professor an e-mail or walk through the complex to see him/her in his/her office. Either way, my questions are usually resolved within the hour.
2) Let me hit you with a little thought exercise: a Big 3 recruiter comes on campus to look for talent. You know you need to both network and impress said recruiter to give yourself the best shot at your top choice internship/full-time job. Would you rather be competing with 999 other students in the middle of a city knowing the recruiter is going to make another stop at another school to meet another 1,000 candidates right after yours? Or would you rather be among a group of 90 or 100 supportive classmates talking to recruiters who come to your school and your school only? Thought so.
3) The social scene is amazing. Tuck has the strongest alumni network in the world, hands down. This network is built through the mutual experience we share in Hanover. There are social events on the calendar weekly, hockey is fantastic, and living in dorms allows you to forge deep roots within your network. Are you thinking that Hanover doesn’t really give you enough options to enjoy your free time (when you have it) on the weekends? First of all, that’s rarely the case because of the fantastic quality of the company you’ll be in. If, however, you want to travel: go to Boston or New York!!
So there you have it. You will read/hear that Tuck is “in the middle of nowhere” from people/sources who, frankly, haven’t experienced it. Take it from me, the most die-hard NYC urbanite you will ever meet: Tuck’s location is what makes it such a great place to be.
P.S. – I’m considering toying around with the Video Blog feature next week. I remember when I was applying I really wanted to know what the rooms in the LLC looked like but couldn’t find them anywhere. Is there anything in particular any of you want to see? I’m taking suggestions!