Tuck Makes Applicant-Friendly Changes for the 2019-2020 Admissions Cycle

The round one application deadline will be October 7, with a November 1 deadline for applicant-initiated interviews. Round one decisions will still be released in mid-December.

“We pledge to listen and to be responsive to our applicants. Moving our round one deadline back two weeks provides several additional days for aspiring Tuck students to visit campus and interview before finalizing round one applications,” explains Luke Anthony Peña, executive director of admissions and financial aid. “And once again, we are committing to a shorter wait time for decisions.”

Along with the deadlines, Tuck Admissions is announcing a few changes to this year’s application. Gone is the short-answer question section of the application. Applicants will now have more space to share how a Tuck MBA advances their aspirations.

In the 2019-20 application, there will be three 300-word essays.

Essay Questions

1. Tuck students can articulate how the distinctive Tuck MBA will advance their aspirations. Why are you pursuing an MBA and why Tuck? (300 words)
2. Tuck students recognize how their individuality adds to the fabric of Tuck. Tell us who you are. (300 words)
3. Tuck students invest generously in one another’s success even when it is not convenient or easy. Share an example of how you helped someone else succeed. (300 words)

Tuck’s essays will continue to map directly to two of its admissions criteria: aware and nice. The essays invite reflection on these criteria as applicants demonstrate the other criteria, smart and accomplished, elsewhere in their applications. “We have been pleased with the quality and caliber of aspiring wise leaders for whom all four of the criteria have resonated,” says Peña.

The last difference between this year’s application and those of prior years is that Tuck Admissions has elected to fully adopt GMAC’s Common Letter of Recommendation Questions.

Letter of Reference Questions

1. Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization.
2. How does the performance of the applicant compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? (E.g. what are the applicant’s principal strengths?)
3. Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response.
4. Is there anything else we should know? (Optional)

“We really enjoy getting to know our applicants and are eager to reduce anxiety in the application process. Our previous questions for references were distinct. Applicants told us that made the process more onerous,” continues Peña. “We trust that references with the knowledge, desire, and time to thoughtfully advocate for applicants will still surface meaningful examples of Tuck criteria when responding to these common prompts.”

Tuck’s 2019-20 MBA application will open in early July.