Early Thoughts on Dartmouth Tucks 2016-2017 Application Essay Questions

Application season at the Tuck School  of Business  at Dartmouth is officially underway with the release of the school’s 2016-2017 essay questions. Let’s discuss from a high level some early thoughts on how best to approach these updated essay prompts. With all of your essays for Tuck, treat your responses holistically and try to paint a complete picture of your candidacy within the school-specific suite of essay questions. Essay 1: Tuck educates wise leaders who better the world of business. What are your short- and long-term goals? How will a Tuck MBA enable you to become a wise leader with global impact? (500 to 700 words) This essay is Tuck’s take on the common â€Å"Career Goals† essay. Tuck returns this year with an updated approach to this essay that asks applicants to hone in on the leadership and impact aspects of their career goals. This is a great opportunity to really show the school how you plan to become a global change agent, and how Tuck is the ideal place to help you manifest this goal. School research is key here, so make sure your school interest aligns with Tuck’s strong value system. Leadership is not typically an item that is directly called upon in a career essay prompt, so this should be a clear focus in your response. Tuck is looking for candidates who are aspirational and who truly  see themselves making an impact on the world around them through  a leadership role, so think through how your career goals will do that and make sure to frame your future plans in the context of leadership. Essay 2: As a diverse and global community, our students arrive at the same place from many different paths. Tell us about an experience in which you have had to live, learn and/or work with other people very different from yourself. What challenges and/or opportunities did you experience, how did you respond, and what did you learn about yourself as a result? (500 words) Attending Tuck  is a very different  MBA experience than one might have  at other programs from the remote location, to the small class size, to the close community, it is your job to convince the Admissions Committee that you are a strong fit for this unique student experience. In your response, it is important to directly address each point of the prompt while highlighting your strong fit with the Tuck MBA. Tuck is known for their unique culture and strong  alumni network, so your evaluation by the Admissions Committee  will be based on how well you will fit into their student community. Don’t limit yourself to just professional examples here; this prompt is purposefully open-ended, so whichever direction you choose to go should showcase  a cross-section of both your interpersonal skills and comfort in interacting with people from various walks of life. The experience you select should have a good deal of depth so you are able to address each aspect of the prompt in great detail. Make sure  you also  connect the dots for the Admissions Committee by detailing the impact this experience had on you, the lessons you learned from it, and how it will factor into your contributions as a Tuck MBA. Just a few thoughts on the new batch of essays from Tuck hopefully this will help you get started.  For more thoughts on Tuck  and its application essays,  check out our free  Essential Guide to Top Business Schools. Applying to Dartmouth Tuck  or other business schools? Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today, or take our free MBA Admissions Profile Evaluation  for personalized advice for your unique application situation! As always, be sure to find us on  Facebook,  YouTube,  Google+  and Twitter. Dozie A.  is a Veritas Prep Head Consultant for the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. His specialties include consulting, marketing, and low GPA/GMAT applicants. You can read more articles by him  here.