Tuck MBA Application Essays
Essay 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)
Essay 2: Tuck students are aware of how their individuality adds to the fabric of Tuck. Tell us who you are and what you will contribute. (300 words)
Essay 3: Tuck students are nice and invest generously in one another’s success. Share an example of how you helped someone else succeed. (300 words)
Essay 4: How have you strengthened your candidacy since you last applied? Please reflect on how you have grown personally and professionally. (300 words)
Dartmouth Tuck, MBA Winning Sample Essays – 1
Tuck MBA Essay 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)
I have 4 years of experience in consulting with Deloitte and earlier this year I launched my own ed-tech startup – Surgypedia. Our vision is to teach surgery to medical students through experiential learning methods such as AI-driven online mock surgeries.
COVID-19 imposed lockdowns forced traditional test preparation institutes to shut down and the entire market shifted to online education. This presented an opportunity for exponential growth, so I left Deloitte and started focusing on Surgypedia full-time. Currently, with a team of 19 members, we have a user base of 2000+ and our short-term plan is to increase our market share to 25% in India before expanding overseas into the US market.
In order to do that, we would like to seek proper mentorship and guidance. I also need to bridge specific skill gaps I have with respect to managing a business such as limited knowledge of entrepreneurial finance, growth strategies, and brand management.
During my campus visit to Tuck last fall, the two elements which really appealed to me were the small cohort and a conducive environment for entrepreneurship.
I had a conversation with Mark Noble, a Tuck student at the Center for Entrepreneurship and I believe that resources such as Dartmouth Entrepreneurs Forum, pitch nights and incubator, will provide the necessary tools to nurture my start-up. If I get selected, I would love to incubate my start-up at the Tuck.
Additionally, in terms of classroom learning, I believe that various electives on entrepreneurial finance, venture capital, and strategic brand management will help me in bridging the skill gap as mentioned earlier. Further, Tuck’s Leadership Development program and roundtables will immensely help me nurture my leadership skills.
That’s why I believe Tuck’s MBA would be a perfect fit for me to advance my career and fulfill my entrepreneurial aspirations.
Tuck MBA Essay 2: Tuck students are aware of how their individuality adds to the fabric of Tuck. Tell us who you are and what you will contribute. (300 words)
Outside of the office and apart from being a passionate entrepreneur, I’m also passionate about music and theatre. I am a trained classical guitarist for more than 15 years and I often perform in live shows with my band. Music gave me the opportunity to connect on an emotional level with many people and it taught me the importance of meaningful relationships.
On the other hand, being a theatre artist helped me become more introspective and aware of my audience’s perceptions – qualities that helped me a lot in understanding client’s perspectives during negotiations and meetings. I have acted in a couple of regional movies, one of which was also produced by me and got a special mention at the Indian National Short Film Festival.
When I am not involved in music or theatre, I spend a lot of time on social initiatives. As a child, I often used to accompany my grandfather to several shelter homes and orphanages. These early memories shaped me as a more empathetic person and later, I went on to become the Project Director of a local NGO called “Society of Human Growth”, which is focused on educating underprivileged children in rural India.
I believe my professional experience of leading multicultural teams has helped me inculcate a diverse mindset which will help me contribute a varied perspective in classroom discussions. Outside the classroom, I would love to leverage my interest in music and theatre to introduce my classmates to different forms of Indian arts. I would love to be a member of the tuck band and tuck follies group to enhance the socio-cultural learning of my fellow peers at tuck. Also, if given the opportunity, I would like to contribute to a non-profit initiative in collaboration with Tuck Community Consulting Club and leave a positive impact on society.
Tuck MBA Essay 3: Tuck students are nice and invest generously in one another’s success. Share an example of how you helped someone else succeed. (300 words)
Deloitte has a Buddy Program whereby each employee is assigned a mentor, and in 2018, I was made responsible for three new employees. One of them was Pronay.
I have a hands-off Marco management style of leading my team. I followed the same method with Pronay, but he failed to deliver results. I modified my approach and started holding separate knowledge sessions for him. After working hard on Pronay for six months, I did not see any significant improvement in him.
So, I took him out to dinner and had an honest conversation with him. I got to know that Pronay is an excellent football player, played in state-level matches but didn’t have the financial means to pursue it as a career. Therefore under family pressure, he reluctantly took the job at Deloitte.
After listening to his story, I motivated him to relaunch his football career along with his job at Deloitte. He had around two months to prepare for his selection at one of the best football academies in India. So, I took on a significant part of his work and allowed him to leave early for those two months. Although this meant I had to work beyond my regular hours, I was happy that I was helping my teammate pursue his passion.
Finally, Pronay got selected with a half-ride scholarship and despite his reluctance, I volunteered to pay his remaining tuition fees. Today Pronay has a successful career as a football player now and I’m extremely happy to have acted as a catalyst in his journey of following his passion.
As a team leader, I have helped many people overcome their performance issues. But this experience made me realize the importance of going beyond the boundaries of work to help someone realize and work towards his passion.
- Share your short-term goals. (50 words)
As a co-founder of Surgypedia (Ed-Tech startup), in the short term, my plan is to grow Surgypedia internationally to the USA. We are already in talks with incubators such as YCombinator and should I attend Tuck next fall I plan to continue running the business while completing my MBA.
- Share your long-term goals. (50 words)
In the long run, we envision revolutionizing the medical ed-tech space and make medical education affordable. We aspire to teach surgery online and create a common platform for exchanging the best practices and cutting-edge technology used in surgeries around the world.
Tuck MBA Essay 4: How have you strengthened your candidacy since you last applied? Please reflect on how you have grown personally and professionally. (300 words)
I had applied to Tuck in 2019 for the full-time MBA program, and with only three years of work experience, I believe lack of leadership experience and soft skills were a prime reason for not being selected after the interview round.
Since then, in terms of professional growth, I got the opportunity to lead a team at Deloitte India in the renewable energy sector. I also got the opportunity to work on a few international projects in Southeast Asia and the USA. This year, I also took the bold decision of resigning from Deloitte to work full-time on a medical ed-tech startup where I am currently leading a team of 15 employees and interns.
I have also worked on my soft skills and took on passion projects. I have acted in a few regional films, one of which got an honorable mention in the BFI London Film Festival 2019 and Mumbai International Film Festival 2019. As the Project Director of a local NGO called “Society of Human Growth”, I also started a literacy program wherein we educated more than 3000 underprivileged students in 50+ Indian villages.
All these experiences have sharpened my leadership skills and made me more aware of my strengths and weaknesses as a team player. These experiences have nurtured my ability to be empathic and encouraging as a leader and co-founder in a startup in these difficult times.
After having visited the Tuck campus and attending a class on Analytics, the two things that appealed to me the most are the small class size and a strong environment of collaboration among the students. I strongly believe now, more than ever, that Tuck will be the best fit for nurturing my entrepreneurship goals through its diverse and collaborative environment.
Dartmouth Tuck, MBA Winning Sample Essays – 2
Tuck MBA Essay 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)
I have more than 7 years of experience in the energy industry as a product engineer; post-MBA, I aspire to transition into a product manager with a leading energy company.
I have worked for TechnipFMC in the Oil and gas sector and later for a startup “ThinkNotch” on cutting-edge energy technology products. I have hands-on experience working in the Norwegian Arctic region and have done energy research projects in Germany. I have led engineering teams to successfully deliver projects for leading energy companies like Shell, ExxonMobile, and British Petroleum. This international and client exposure allowed me to develop my core skill sets of problem-solving, team leadership, and client management.
To date, my technical acumen, international exposure, and client management skills have helped me succeed. But now at the startup, I discovered a few gaps which led me to believe that in order to grow further from the engineering team lead position into a manager’s role, I need to enhance my leadership skills and business acumen via an MBA.
I believe Tuck-MBA with its specialized electives in ‘Energy Economics’ and ‘Operations Strategy’ can provide me with the necessary knowledge to upskill myself in the energy business domain.
After talking to students, I was excited to see the large number of events planned at the ‘Revers Center for Energy’, especially the events focused on renewable energy, and the seminar by Professor Wändi Bruine de Bruin. During the MBA, the center and its partnership in ‘The Dartmouth Energy Collaborative’, would provide excellent avenues for me to access a wide range of resources and prepare myself for today’s energy challenges.
Therefore, with these specialized learning opportunities, I believe an MBA from Tuck would be a perfect stepping stone for me to achieve my goals of transitioning into a product manager in the energy sector.
Tuck MBA Essay 2: Tuck students recognize how their individuality adds to the fabric of Tuck. Tell us who you are? (300 words)
Singing has been my passion and a lifelong hobby; it rekindles the energy in me and makes me feel alive. I was drawn towards music at the tender age of 8, and I started proper training in Indian classical music and playing a classical musical instrument ‘Tabla’. Today I have a 4-year diploma in singing and a 3-year diploma in playing Tabla.
I have won multiple awards for singing and regularly performed at stage shows. Currently, I am the lead singer of our band ‘Dhwani’. We regularly practice over the weekends and hold bi-weekly performances. At Tuck, I want to continue my musical journey through Tuck Band. Also, I would love to be a part of the annual show of Tuck Follies.
After music, my second love is pets, and I am actively involved in pet rehabilitation and rescue programs. In my current city, I have actively involved myself in animal welfare and rescue operations. I believe in the happy coexistence of animals and humans, and the company of pets is very distressing and enjoyable for me. If given the opportunity, I would love to volunteer for the ‘Assistance animal programs’ at the school and learn more about the subject.
When I am not involved in music or rescuing pets, I plan some time out for hiking. Hiking is something I picked during my time in Norway. In the last 4 years, I have hiked all the major tourist trails in Norway and India. In addition to improving my bond with nature, finishing a hike by conquering the summits gives me a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. At Tuck, I aspire to organize outdoor hikes via the outdoor activities club to help my fellow peers disconnect from the hectic MBA and develop a network of like-minded people.
Tuck MBA Essay 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)
Having a strong team with motivated individuals can set up any leader for success and that is my mantra when it comes to taking care of my own team members. As a lead engineer, I successfully mentored over 40 engineers during my time at Technip FMC, but one instance which is close to my heart is when a colleague “Khushboo” was put on a performance improvement plan (PIP) and risked losing her job.
I sensed that some other teams were avoiding involving people on improvement plans in their projects. I proactively proposed to be her mentor and guide her to pass the post-PIP assessment.
I observed that she was dealing with genuine technical knowledge and skill gap issues. After assessing her interests, and resource requirements in the company, I trained Khushboo on ‘thermal analysis of manifolds’, which is one of the specialized areas where the company was seeing a global shortage of engineers.
We spent hours after the office to clear her technical doubts and helped course-correct her mistakes. On her part khusboo committed to putting in the required hours to learn and be the best in the specialized area. I could see her motivation and within 3 months I was confident to give her a client project to handle. She performed well and the client was really impressed by her work. The client’s recommendation actually helped Khushboo clear the post-PIP assessment with ease. Due to her knowledge in the niche subject area expertise of manifolds, she was now a critical member of the analysis team.
She was eternally grateful to me and chose to remain in my team after clearing her assessment. Although it was not easy, it is a leader’s duty to help set their team up for success and that is how I build a motivated team to support my goals.
Short Term Goal (50 Words)
Post-MBA I want to become a product manager in a leading energy company. I have extensive experience in the energy sector as a product engineer and engineering team lead; now, I want to transition into a product manager role within the energy sector.
Long Term Goal (50 words)
In the long run, I want to grow into a Chief Technology Officer role with a responsibility to define the long-term technology strategy for the entire product line of my company with a particular focus on renewable energy products.
