“At Tuck, you get to have a great education, develop an amazing network, and have a fantastic time along the way.”
I chose Tuck because it has a dual degree with the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, where I was already enrolled, so my arrival at Tuck was serendipitous. I had no direct business experience, but Tuck strikes a great balance between academic rigor, real-world perspective, and fun. Plus, the power of its community can’t be overstated—I think it’s the only reason I got an internship and then a full-time offer in banking. The bank took a big risk on me and it’s the Tuck alumni who really pushed my application forward. All you need is that one chance to prove yourself and Tuck produced that opportunity.
Tuck is a great place for a career-switcher. I came from public service where I’d spent three years at the U.S. Department of Justice in New York City and then in Baghdad. I needed an alumni network that would sit down and give me five minutes to explain my story: why moving from Baghdad to banking made sense. At a larger or less supportive school, I think I would have gotten lost in the shuffle. But Tuck’s alumni were willing to listen to me, hear what strengths I had and what weaknesses I was working on, and call me back. Put simply, Tuck is the reason I was able to switch careers.
Tuck’s location and size are its greatest strengths. They’re why we have such a great alumni network, why you can make these career switches, and why we place one out of five people to a Big Three consulting firm. Tuck is a two-year sabbatical from the urban locations where we’ll spend our careers. It’s where, in winter, you get to play ice hockey on a pond or ski before class. In spring, you get to hike, mountain bike, visit breweries, and row. It’s not just about the activities, though: the intimate environment cultivates connections that last a lifetime. Tuck isn’t a commuter school and it shows in the loyalty of students, faculty, and alumni.
The essence of the Tuck experience is to get a great education, develop an amazing network, and have a fantastic time along the way. Tuck made my career switch from Baghdad to banking possible and I’ll be forever grateful.
College of William & Mary, BA, 2008; Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), MA, 2014
U.S. Embassy to the Republic of Iraq, Rule of Law program analyst, 2010-11; U.S. Embassy to the Republic of Iraq, lead Office of Justice Attaché, 2009; U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York, N.Y., paralegal 2008
The Arrhythmia of Finance; The CEO Experience; Professional Decision Modeling
Center for Global Business and Government, fellow; Tuck Finance Club; Tripod Hockey; Tuck Winter Carnival photographer; Tuck GIVES; 2012 UBS Investment Banking Competition, first place
First-Year Project in Kosovo working with the Ministry of Health to produce a pilot project for a public-private partnership to increase the quality of care and the incomes of Kosovar doctors; dual degree with the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University
First-Year Project in Kosovo
Goldman Sachs Investment Banking Division (Financial Institutions Group), New York, N.Y., summer associate; Federal Reserve Bank of New York Legal Division, summer analyst
Frequent coffee chats with Tuck associate dean Matt Slaughter to discuss my career aspirations and academic direction; Exploring a new region—the Balkans—during my First-Year Project
Goldman Sachs Investment Banking Division (Financial Institutions Group), New York, N.Y., associate
Tuck serves as an incredibly powerful tool to switch careers. It’s allowed me to bolster my quantitative skill set and develop a business acumen that will allow me to apply what I’m learning to the real world.