A Q&A with Rachel Phillips, a first-year student at Tuck.
I first learned about Tuck through the Consortium application. The Consortium seeks to identify students with a passion for increasing underrepresented minorities in business education and leadership. I then had the opportunity to meet senior associate director of admissions Amy Mitson, Justin Holzwarth T’16, and Keith Morancie T’16 in Chicago at the Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA) 2015 conference. Everyone was warm, friendly, and happy to answer my questions. I kept in touch with Justin who helped me prep for my interview and encouraged me to complete my interview at the Tuck Diversity Conference. He gave me great advice and showed me how supportive Tuckies are.
When I arrived on campus, I was immediately taken aback by the gorgeous buildings and picturesque campus. Helena Nannes T’17 was gracious enough to lend her room to Jodine Gordon T’18 and me for the weekend. Being in the dorms made me feel like I was at home with family.
The next day, I learned about the admissions process and had the opportunity to participate in a strategy course taught by professor of corporate communication Paul Argenti. We had a lively discussion about how societal pressures can positively impact a company’s strategy. Professor Argenti had incredible energy throughout the class and it just felt great to be back in the classroom. Later that day, we had a small plate dinner at one of the many gorgeous houses Tuckies rent in the second year. We had candid discussions about life at Tuck and I felt very comfortable getting to know everyone.
On Saturday, during the student life panels at DivCo, I learned of Justin Gerrard T’16 who launched a wildly successful social dating app called BAE during his time at Tuck. I learned how he tailored his course experiences to create BAE and how his classmates assisted him. This discussion reinforced how supportive the Tuck network is. I then had the opportunity to experience a wine tasting courtesy of the Wine Club. We went from Italy to Spain learning about the history and how to examine different wines. Needless to say, the Wine Club was one of the first clubs I joined when I arrived here at Tuck.
My DivCo experience wrapped up with the Black Light party in Raether Hall. At the party everyone wears white t-shirts with different funny statements that glow in the black light. I had so much fun that night! Tuckies showed me that they know how to turn up and have a great time. The party was the perfect ending to my DivCo experience.
There were actually a couple of moments that stuck out to me at the DivCo dinner on Saturday. First, Jay Calhoun T'08, a Tuck alumnus and Oklahoman, sat at my table. It was fantastic to meet another engineer from Oklahoma and learn about why he chose Tuck, his experiences at Tuck, and his career success after Tuck in private equity.
Another moment that stuck out to me occurred after dinner on Saturday. I was chatting with a few prospective students when Dean Slaughter came over to speak to us. He started out by asking if we had any questions and let us know we could ask him anything. By taking time out to have a conversation with us, he showed us how thoughtful and down-to-earth the leadership is at Tuck. Now that I am a part of the Tuck Fabric, I continue to be impressed with Dean Slaughter’s commitment to our community.
Yes, absolutely! I had a wonderful time at DivCo. The programming was robust and I knew after the conference that Tuck was the perfect fit for me. Since my DivCo experience, Tuck has exceeded all of my expectations. I am still in awe of my school and am grateful to be a part of this amazing community!
Learn as much as you can about the program, the students, and living in the Upper Valley. Ask questions that allow you to determine if this is the right environment for you. Make sure to keep in touch with everyone you meet in the program. These individuals will be a source of support as you finish out your business school applications, start your MBA program, and beyond.
This year, we will bring the Diversity Conference to you, virtually! Tuck values the rich perspective a diverse community brings and the Conference is your opportunity to experience our community first-hand. We realize that a lot of prospective MBAs are interested in Tuck and might have wanted to attend DivCo, but were unable to attend physically due to cost, distance, or other constraints. Register for Virtual DivCo.