Tuck School of Business – Dartmouth College

FAQ

What is the tuition for Tuck’s MBA program?

The tuition for Tuck’s MBA program is $75,108 per year. The total cost of the Tuck MBA program is $115,040 per year; this includes budgeted living expenses.

How hard is it to get into Tuck’s MBA program?

The acceptance rate for Tuck is 22.1% It is important to consider the acceptance rate in the context of the student profile of those who are admitted. For example the average GMAT score is 723.

What is the average GMAT score for admission to Tuck’s MBA program?

The average GMAT score for the incoming class at Tuck is 723. The GMAT range is 620 to 780.

Does the Tuck MBA program accept the GRE?

Yes. The Tuck MBA program has accepted the GRE for a few years now.

What is the average GRE score for admission to Tuck’s MBA program?

The average GRE score for the incoming class at Tuck is 163 Verbal average 161 Quant average.

What is the minimum number of years of work experience required for admission to Tuck’s MBA program?

Tuck does not state a minimum requirement for years of work experience. However, it is important for candidates to be aware that they are being considered against other candidates with an average of 5 years of experience.

What is the average number of years of work experience for admission to Tuck’s MBA program? (or, What is the average age of a Tuck student?)

The average number of years of work experience among students in Tuck’s MBA program is 5.

What is the average starting salary for graduates of the Tuck MBA program?

The average starting salary for Tuck MBA graduates is $130,022. The salary will vary by industry, with consulting and finance jobs generally commanding the higher salaries.

How long is Tuck’s full-time MBA program?

Tuck offers a traditional 2-year MBA program.

What are the application deadlines for Tuck’s MBA program?

The Round 1 MBA application deadline is October 7, 2019. The Round 2 application deadline is January 6, 2020. The Round 3 deadline is March 30, 2020.

What percent of Tuck MBA students are women?

The percentage of the class at Tuck that are women is 42%.

What type of interview does Tuck use for MBA admissions?

Tuck offers open interviews. If you do not interview during the open interview period, you may still be invited for an interview. The interviews are blind. This means the interviewer has not had access to the application materials.

Admissions

The Class Profile

Tuck’s Class of 2021 has 284 students who arrived with an average of 5.3 years of full-time work experience by the time of matriculation. Thirty-eight percent of students entering in 2019 are international and 28 percent identify as members of a U.S. minority group. Forty-two percent of the class is comprised of women.

The average GMAT score of 2019 entrants was 723, though results ranged from 620 to 780, and the average GPA was 3.49.52. Twenty-one percent had submitted GRE scores for the standardized test requirement.  For the GRE results, the Verbal average was 163 and the Quantitative average was 161.  Forty-three percent of first-year students completed undergraduate majors in humanities, social sciences, or the arts, followed by engineering, tech, math or science at 30%, and business at 27%. 

Application Procedures

Tuck offers three rounds for admissions, including an early action option, that run from mid-October until late March. All applicants must complete Tuck’s online application form, except for applicants submitting their materials through the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management. In addition to this form, non-Consortium applicants must submit a nonrefundable application fee of $250, academic transcripts from all academic institutions attended, their highest GMAT or GRE results, essays, two recommendations, and TOEFL or IELTS results if applicable. 

Tuck provides on-campus interviews for any applicants who request them. The admissions committee may also extend interview invitations to applicants who have not requested an interview; these interviews can take place on or off campus.

Application Checklist

• Online Application
• Highest GMAT/GRE/TOEFL score(s)
• Academic Transcripts
• Two Recommendations
• Application fee
• Essays

Interview Reports

Dartmouth / Tuck MBA Interview Questions & Report: R2 / Second-year Student / On-Campus

Applicant-initiated interview on-campus. It was a pretty good interview; most of the questions were in line with my expectations. They really do turn it into a full day at Tuck, which I thought made a lot of sense (they are clearly aware that they’re at a relative disadvantage due to location, and know they really […]

Dartmouth / Tuck MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-year student / On Campus

Interviewed as part of full day visit schedule. Other activities include a class visit, campus tour (led by a 1st year student), lunch with two 1st year students, and an info session with adcom members. Honestly, the interview was not even the most memorable part of the day for me. One thing you should keep […]

Dartmouth / Tuck MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Second-Year Student / Skype

Standard interview questions asked. Nothing out of the blue. Tell me about yourself Why MBA? Why Tuck? Questions from CV – about my experience on one of the consulting project I did. Three key factors that make me successful at my job (strengths). How would your coworkers describe you? What are you passionate about? Anything […]

Dartmouth / Tuck MBA Interview Questions & Report – Round 1 / Adcom / On Campus

I was picked up from a classroom where other interviewees were mingling for a bit. Highly recommend chatting with other prospective applicants prior to getting picked up because it really calms your nerves. I was totally expecting a second year student to pick me up but it was a Adcom member. We went to a […]

Dartmouth / Tuck MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-year student / On-campus

Overall it was a very relaxing / informal interview and echo a lot with Tuck’s lotto / criteria of Smart, Nice, accomplished and aware so make sure you are prepared for that. Questions Tell me about yourself Tell me about a timing…conflicts/hard team members How would other people describe you How would you describe yourself […]

Dartmouth / Tuck MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 3 / Second Year Student / Skype

The interview was conducted by a second-year student. As the case for Tuck interviews, it was a blind one. It was a friendly chat, she tried to make me more comfortable. No surprise questions. Questions: Tell me about yourself Why MBA Why Now Why Tuck – she kinda dug deep on this question with few […]

Dartmouth / Tuck MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-year student / On-Campus

I went up to Hanover, NH for DivCo (which I HIGHLY recommend) and did my interview then. It was mildly unfortunate in the sense that my interview was so early in the process (I hadn’t even finished taking my GMAT yet) relative to the other full time programs I was looking at – just something […]

Dartmouth / Tuck MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-year student / On-campus

The following Dartmouth / Tuck MBA interview questions and report were submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 2 Applicant. Good luck to them! I interviewed during an open interview period. I waited in the admissions office and a second-year student came to pick me up. She was very friendly and we walked together to one of the […]

Dartmouth / Tuck MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1/ current second year student/ via Skype

The following Dartmouth / Tuck MBA interview questions and report were submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 1 Applicant. Good luck to them! My interview was conducted via Skype. The first question surprised me a bit: “tell me about yourself” instead of “walk me through your resume” or “tell me about your professional experience.” Interviewer was very […]

Dartmouth / Tuck MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 1 / Adcom / On-Campus

The following Dartmouth / Tuck MBA interview questions and report were submitted to Clear Admit by a Round 1 Applicant. Good luck to them!  I unexpectedly went to interview on the first day of interviews for the season, so it was a little nontraditional. Instead of the typical 1:1 interview with a second year, I had an interview […]

Tuck Q&As

Admissions Director Q&A: Luke Anthony Peña of Dartmouth Tuck School of Business

Since 2017, Dartmouth Tuck‘s Executive Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, Luke Anthony Peña, has developed and implemented strategies for recruiting, selecting, and enrolling MBA candidates who possess the greatest potential to become tomorrow’s wise leaders and contribute to and thrive in Tuck’s distinctly immersive learning community. Peña previously served as director of MBA admissions […]

Podcast Episode 17: Q&A with Tuck Admissions Director Luke Anthony Peña, Part II

We are thrilled to bring you Part II of our wide-ranging interview with Luke Anthony Peña, executive director of admissions and financial aid, on the admissions process at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. In Episode 16, Peña shared about his transition to Tuck from Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB). He also talked in great detail […]

Our Latest Podcast: Admissions Director Q&A With Tuck’s Luke Anthony Peña, Part I

In this wide-ranging interview on the admissions process at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, Luke Anthony Peña shares a little about his transition to Tuck from Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB). Peña came to Tuck just over a year ago, after working for several years in admissions at Stanford, where he also obtained his […]

Tuck LiveWire and DecisionWire

Academics

Faculty

Tuck’s 55 full-time faculty members teach MBA courses across 17 areas of expertise. The faculty also contribute to Tuck’s six research centers, which study topics ranging from digital strategies to international business. 

Curriculum

Tuck’s faculty members generally use a combination of lecture and discussion to convey course material. Tuck’s small incoming classes of about 290 MBA students are each divided into four sections of 60 to 70 students who often work together throughout their Fall Term. These sections are further divided into study groups of five to six students each. 

The Tuck MBA program runs on a quarter schedule, with three terms of classes and a Summer Term reserved for internships. Tuck’s pre-term, including the very popular Outward Bound program, typically takes place across two weeks in mid to late August. In 2019, Tuck made sweeping changes to their orientation program with the introduction of Tuck Launch, a new two-week program based on three design principles—integrated programming, experiential learning, and reflection—intended to prepare them for the intensity and academic rigor of their first year at Tuck. Second-year students returning to Tuck will also encounter an updated re-entry into life in Hanover with Tuck Recharge.  Fall examinations correspondingly occur at different times for first- and second-year students, though all conclude around mid-December. 

The fall of students’ first year is further divided into Term A and Term B, and Term A courses and exams conclude in early October before Term B work begins. In the spring, students complete the mandatory First-Year Project (FYP), a staple of the Tuck program that puts student’s comprehension of the first-year curriculum to the test through a five-student consulting project undertaken for real businesses. Students may propose their own projects or pursue a number of cases provided by the school. 

Tuck students take 14 required courses, including the FYP, and two electives in the first year and often satisfy the ethics and social responsibility mini-course core requirement in their second years. Mini-courses are offered alongside full-term courses yet meet for fewer weeks. In total, students must complete 46.5 credits in year one and 36 in year two, or 82.5 in order to graduate. 

Second-year students have their choice of over 100 electives and must take a minimum of 12 full-term courses. Tuck students do not have the option to pursue a major, but they can tailor their curriculum to specialize in areas such as finance and marketing. Most second-year students pursue an independent study at Tuck, allowing them to work under two faculty members to explore diverse topics in their fields of interest. Second-year students can also apply for the chance to spend a semester abroad at one of Tuck’s 20 international partner programs.

In addition, Tuck offers several unique learning opportunities, including its Research-to-Practice Seminars that let students weigh in on faculty members’ most up-to-date research. MBA students can also undertake a field study course through the Tuck Global Consultancy, through which students spend four to six weeks performing on-site research and analysis of firms and NGOs internationally before presenting their findings to both U.S.-based and overseas senior management teams. The Healthcare Initiative is another diverse aspect of the Tuck MBA, bringing resources and industry leaders from across Dartmouth and beyond to help Tuck students become thought leaders in the healthcare space.

Other MBA Degree Options

The Tuck School of Business offers only the MBA degree, and the only route for attaining it is the full-time, two-year program. However, Tuck does provide four joint-degree options within Dartmouth: the MD/MBA, MPH/MBA, MEM/MBA and PhD/ MBA. Five dual degrees—the MBA/MA, MBA/MALD, MBA/MELP, MBA/MPA, and MBA/MPP—are also offered in conjunction with other institutions in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. 

First-Year Curriculum

Fall A

• Analytics I
• Management Communication
• Financial Accounting
• Managing People
• Managerial Economics

Fall B

• Capital Markets
• Analytics II 
• Crafting Strategy 
• Marketing

Winter

• Corporate Finance
• Global Economics for Managers
• Electives

Spring

• First-Year Project
• Operations Management
• Managing Organizations
• Electives

Degree Offerings at Tuck

Full-time MBA
www.tuck.dartmouth.edu/mba/

Joint Degrees within Dartmouth College
MD/MBA, MPH/MBA, PhD/MBA, MEM/MBA
http://www.tuck.dartmouth.edu/mba/academic-experience/joint-and-dual-degrees

Dual Degrees with other institutions
MBA/MA, MBA/MALD, MBA/MELP, MBA/MPA, MBA/MPP
http://www.tuck.dartmouth.edu/mba/academic-experience/joint-and-dual-degrees

Campus Life

Clubs, Conferences & Competitions

Despite the school’s small size, Tuck students can engage in over 70 student groups on campus. Club focuses include professional, cultural and athletic interests. The school also supports a relatively large number of social interest and volunteering initiatives such as the Tuck Ambassador Program and Tuck Community Consulting. Students interested in event organizing and volunteering have opportunities both in the Hanover community, through events such as Run for the Kids, and more broadly through conferences such as the Women in Business Conference.

Each year, Tuck hosts a range of conferences; some notable examples are the Diversity Conference, the Business, Government & Society Conference, and the Private Equity Conference. MBA students can also take part in a number of competitions both within the school and on a national level. These include the Venture Capital Investment Competition, Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network Business Plan Competition, and the Negotiation Challenge, to name a few.

Campus Spaces

Dartmouth’s picturesque New England campus also houses the Tuck campus, which is comprised of 11 connected buildings. Three key academic buildings are the Murdough Center, Tuck Hall and Byrne Hall.  The school describes itself as having a “residential program,” and so its three residence halls are active places in which to build a community. Tuck students may opt to live in Dartmouth’s graduate housing or can choose to live in both on- and off-campus apartments; unlike at many other leading programs, many students choose to live on campus.

MBA Careers

Career Services

Career Services at Tuck offers students ample opportunities to investigate new careers and find leading management positions in line with their existing career interests. On-campus recruiting begins in the winter term for first-year students and in the fall for second-years. During this time the office hosts workshops and panels, job postings and company briefings, and it also organizes global career trips for student organizations with professional focuses on a particular industry or region.

Tuck students benefit from individual counseling from Career Advisers, who bring diverse experience from a range of industries to guide Tuck students in their career choices. In addition to alumni networking support, Tuck-specific resources are available for both full-time employment and internship seekers, such as the Maynard Entrepreneurial Internship Program. Students can also find nonprofit internship information and funding through Tuck GIVES and the Revers Board Fellows.

Career Statistics

98% of the graduates of the Class of 2019 received job offers within three months of graduation.  Graduates received a median base salary of $140,000 in their post-MBA roles, with a median signing bonus of $30,000. Thirty eight percent of the class chose to work in consulting. Financial Services followed with 24% of graduates, and technology drew 19% of the class. The consumer goods and healthcare/pharmaceuticals industries drew 4% and 5% of the class, respectively, while 4% of graduates went into manufacturing and 2% into transportation. The largest group of graduates, 44%, chose job functions in consulting, and 17% took finance positions. The next most pursued post-MBA functions were general management and marketing at 15% and 10%, respectively. 

Over half of all 2019 graduates took post-MBA positions in the Northeastern U.S., lending credence to the trend that graduates often find work in the region where their school is located. The second highest percentage of Tuck graduates, 15%, opted to move to the West Coast, while 10% found employment internationally and the remainder spread out throughout the U.S. 

Financing

Tuition for the Tuck MBA program is $75,108 for the 2019-2020 academic year.  However, the school notes that students will incur several other costs, such as expenses for books and supplies, room and board, and health and general spending. Due to slight differences in estimated costs for first- and second-year students, the total estimated yearly cost for first-year students is $115,040 while the total cost for second-year students is placed at $114,190. 

Applicants are automatically considered for Tuck scholarships upon submitting a completed application. U.S. citizens and permanent residents can pay for their education through federal loans, and Tuck provides loan options that do not require a U.S. co-borrower for international applicants.

Two-Year Program Tuition (first year)

• Tuition $75,108
• Board $600
• Books & Supplies $1,500
• Housing $15,742
• Program Fee $3,489
• Miscellaneous & Health Exp. $18,501
• Total $115,040

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Dartmouth / Tuck MBA Interview Questions & Report: R2 / Second-year Student / On-Campus

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Dartmouth / Tuck MBA Interview Questions & Report: Round 2 / Second-year student / On Campus

Interviewed as part of full day visit schedule. Other activities include a class visit, campus tour (led by a 1st year student), lunch with two 1st year students, and an info session with adcom member

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