How to get into Dartmouth Tuck
- Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business Program Overview
- Tuck School of Business Curriculum
- Extracurriculars at Tuck School of Business
- Notable Professors and Classes at Dartmouth Tuck
- Tuck School of Business Statistics
- How to Answer Dartmouth Tuck’s Essay Prompts 2024-2025
- Application Requirements for Dartmouth Tuck
- Dartmouth Tuck FAQ
Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business Program Overview
Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business is well known for its small class size and tight-knit community that you become part of the day you are admitted and lasts the rest of your life. Tuck’s location in Hanover, New Hampshire—population: roughly 12,000—means Tuckies spend a lot of time bonding with their classmates, not only during study groups but also outside the classroom at student-run parties and events, small-group dinners, and outdoor activities ranging from hockey to skiing. Never played hockey or gone skiing? Don’t worry—you won’t be the only one. Many Tuckies are trying things for the first time. Once you get the hang of winter sports, though, Tuck has plenty to offer: the annual Tuck Winter Carnival welcomes roughly 650 students from business schools around the country for a weekend of skiing and snowboarding, with other activities ranging from hot dog–eating contests to ‘80s skiwear fashion shows. During the rest of the school year, students stay connected in their free time at Tuck ‘Tails, happy hours that are open to the entire campus. Tuck traditions tend to stick—many alumni groups host Global Tuck ‘Tails well after graduation.
Because Tuck has one of the smallest class sizes (296 students within the Class of 2025) among top-ranked schools, the program is looking for cultural fit—enthusiastic team players. In a word, Tuck is looking for students who are aspirational. In your Tuck application, you need to emphasize teamwork, collaboration, and how you will contribute to the school’s community. Explore Tuck’s learning community and outside activities connected to your passions and interests. At Tuck, learning takes place in small teams, which creates an environment where students can take risks. The school’s residential community can be thought of as a “base camp” from which students can explore and take risks with their trusted teams.
Although the Tuck alumni pool may seem small (approximately 10,700 individuals) in comparison to other schools, Tuck’s alumni are known for being an amazingly loyal bunch who respond personally and promptly when contacted by current Tuck students. Demonstrate that you are committed to becoming part of the Tuck community not just for the two years you will spend on campus, but for many years to come.
One Tuck student and former Stratus client told us, “I found the career support on campus, both from the career center and the career-focused clubs, to be extremely helpful for internships and full-time recruiting. Given Tuck’s remote location, they do a great job of bringing the hiring to campus through company presentations, networking receptions, coffee chats with company reps, subject matter conferences, and the interview process itself.”
Tuck School of Business Curriculum
Like all top business schools, Tuck’s curriculum is rigorous and designed to challenge students to reach their full capacity. Tuck’s goal is to develop leaders with a broad set of skills who will better the business world, and one of the school’s key approaches to achieving that is cultivating self-awareness. Tuck’s approach to leadership development includes not only coursework but also feedback from coworkers and fellow students through guidance and peer coaching.
The coursework at Tuck includes the required core curriculum, elective curriculum, and experiential learning. Students are divided into four sections and then assigned study groups; these groups complete much of the core curriculum together. The core is divided into four semesters: Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring. Core courses in the Summer and Fall semesters include such themes as “Capital Markets,” “Managerial Economics,” “Marketing,” and “Financial Accounting.” During the Winter and Spring terms, students can begin to explore electives, of which there are over 100 options.
The Spring term also includes the required First Year Project, during which students work in teams with real clients to apply their skills to strategic problems. The First-Year Project is a required part of the curriculum that allows students to work with real clients to solve complex business issues. Students apply their classroom learning to actual projects under the guidance of designated faculty advisors and further develop their skills in project management and problem solving. Each nine-week project is divided into four stages: research, analysis, recommendation (when teams finalize their presentations), and the final presentation to the company. Some First-Year Projects fulfill the Tuck global requirement and include five days of being onsite with the client, typically outside the United States. For example, a recent project included a trip to France, where a student team met with the founder and director of the Normandy Institute.
Tuck does not offer majors or formal specializations, but students who take at least 15 elective credits’ worth of courses in management science and quantitative methods at Tuck receive formal recognition for their course of study. The school offers 30 electives that meet these guidelines, including such courses as “Managerial Accounting,” “Data Analytics Project Lab,” “Real Estate,” and “Futures and Options Market.” In addition, 11 technology and innovation management classes, including “Marketing in the Network Economy” and “Ecosystem Strategy,” count toward the 15 required credits.
The Tuck curriculum also includes a global requirement, TuckGO. This program features immersive, experiential courses across the globe. Experiential learning options include the half-term elective Global Insight Expeditions and Term Exchanges, which are available at 27 partner schools around the world.
Extracurriculars at Tuck School of Business
Tuck has an incredibly active and vibrant culture of student-run clubs, conferences, and activities. Categories of clubs include career, event-focused, cultural affinity, sports, and social, service, and special interest. Because the class size is small, you will find that most Tuckies take on at least one (if not more) leadership roles in these organizations. By leading the clubs (and starting new ones!), Tuckies both influence the community and practice the leadership skills they are learning in the classroom. Additionally, clubs and extracurricular activities serve to build bridges among diverse classmates. Tuck is one of the few business schools where you will get to know the majority of your classmates. Tuck’s tight-knit community offers opportunities to take risks: try out ice hockey with Tripod Hockey (teams are available for both men and women); work with a team to design and build a snow sculpture for the Winter Carnival; or poke fun at yourself and your classmates in Tuck Follies.
Tuck also provides a number of career-building opportunities. The career clubs lead industry-specific treks to cities around the world, such as a Finance Trek to New York and a Venture Capital Trek to San Francisco. Tuckies also provide hands-on support to each other through the clubs. For instance, fellow students in the Consulting Club help each other prepare for case-based consulting interviews, and members of Net Impact help each other recruit for social impact roles. Although Hanover doesn’t offer the opportunity to have lunch with a Wall Street executive who will head back to their office afterward, Tuck’s location actually has its benefits. The Visiting Executive Program (VEP) brings alumni and business executives to campus overnight, offering opportunities for students to sign up for a small-group dinner, coffee chat, or roundtable discussion.
Small-group dinners are a long-lasting Tuck tradition where students get together for a home-cooked meal and socializing. “Small-group dinners are one of my favorite Tuck traditions and are truly emblematic of Tuck’s close-knit culture. They gave me an opportunity to meet classmates, get to know them on a deeper level, and build long-standing relationships,” one Tuck student and former Stratus client said.
Another told us, “Tripod Hockey is a must-experience activity at Tuck. Whether you are a hockey newbie who needs the hockey stick to stand up on the ice, hence the name “Tripod Hockey,” or you are a former Olympic Champion, Tripod Hockey will provide you a fun experience to bond with your classmates and decompress from coursework and recruiting.”
The Tuck Winter Carnival is an annual two-day event that brings together students from 15 business schools across the country—more than 650 people typically join in on the fun!—to take part in ski races, a live auction that benefits local charities, and après-ski celebrations. In its 39th year in 2024, the Winter Carnival is one of the largest inter-collegiate business school sports events in the world. Whether you’re only interested in the hot dog–eating competition or the ‘80s skiwear fashion show, or you’re determined to guide your sledding team to the finish line first, you’ll find your place at the Winter Carnival!
Finally, Tuck ‘Tails are weekly happy hour events that take place on campus each Thursday to culminate the week’s classes. The ‘Tails are often hosted by clubs or have a theme, but they’re always informal and concentrate on bringing together students to network, mingle, and get to know one another. Tuck alumni keep up the tradition post-graduation; Global Tuck ‘Tails take place in cities around the country and the world. Global ‘Tails are hosted in nearly 40 cities each year.
Notable Professors and Classes at Dartmouth Tuck
Daniella Reichstetter
Daniella Reichstetter is an adjunct professor of business administration and the faculty advisor for the Tuck Center of Entrepreneurship. She received an MBA from Tuck in 2007 and joined the school’s faculty in 2016. Professor Reichstetter teaches the courses “Entrepreneurial Thinking” and “Global Insight Expedition” and advises several teams on First-Year Projects. She founded the company Gyrobike and previously served as its CEO. One past Tuck student describes Professor Reichstetter’s “Socratic style of teaching” as “sharp and effective” in a Tuck blog post, continuing, “She masters the art of facilitating the ‘aha moments’ that make lessons so sticky.”
Emily Blanchard
Professor Blanchard teaches the core course “Global Economics for Managers” and a Research-to-Practice seminar and is, according to a past Tuck student’s blog post, “one of the most beloved professors [at Tuck].” She received the Core Curriculum Teaching Excellence Award for her work at Tuck and was awarded numerous other accolades during her time at the University of Virginia, where she taught before joining Tuck. During 2022–2023, Blanchard served as Chief Economist of the U.S. Department of State.
Ron Adner
Professor Adner is known as an expert on value creation and ecosystem-based disruption. He is the author of two books, The Wide Lens: What Successful Innovators See that Others Miss (Portfolio, 2012) and Winning the Right Game: How to Disrupt, Defend, and Deliver in a Changing World (The MIT Press, 2021), which the Tuck website describes as “landmark contributions to the strategy literature.” At Tuck, he teaches such courses as the “Entrepreneurship and Innovation Strategy” elective and the Research-to-Practice seminar “Strategy in Innovation Ecosystems.” A past Tuck student wrote about Adner in a blog post: “He teaches theories and ideas that sometimes are not yet published, making his class experience very original. It is not often that you get the opportunity to enroll in a course that no other MBA programs are teaching.”
Global Insight Expeditions
Global Insight Expeditions are hands-on courses where students meet for sessions on campus before traveling to a foreign country for the duration of the March break or the December break to learn about local cultures and businesses. The goal of the course is, according to the school’s website, “to prepare students to lead effectively outside their home countries and in multicultural environments.” In 2024–2025, Global Insight Expeditions were offered in such locations as South Africa, Chile, Vietnam, and France.
Research-to-Practice Seminars
These small seminar courses, which are supported by donations from Tuck alumni, allow students to discuss the class professor’s current research findings. The seminars are aimed to “enable students to become more confident thinkers capable of making better decisions for their organizations and achieving a higher level of success,” the Tuck website explains. Some current Research-to-Practice Seminar offerings include “Global Structure and Conduct of Firms,” “Corporate Takeovers,” and “Strategy in Innovation Ecosystems.”
Early Stage Venture Capital Workshop Practicum
The Early Stage Venture Capital Workshop Practicum is a team-based, hands-on course in which students explore venture capital deal making in its early stages via “deal workshops,” where founders and CEOs of companies work with students on analyzing various deals. Students act as partners in venture capital firms and work in teams to negotiate with entrepreneurs during the final week of the program.
Tuck School of Business Statistics
Class Profile (Class of 2025)
Class Size: 296
Average Work Experience: 5.6 years
Women: 44%
US Minorities: 29%
International Citizenship: 30%
Countries Represented: 41
LGBTQ+: 7%
Average GMAT: 727
GMAT Range: 650–780
Average GRE Verbal: 161
Average GRE Quant: 161
Average GPA: 3.6
GPA Range: 2.95–3.99
Career Placement (Class of 2023)
- Consulting: 46%
- Financial Services: 23%
- Investment Banking: 14%
- Investment Management: 3%
- Private Equity/Venture Capital: 3%
- Other: 2%
- Technology: 14%
- Health care/Pharma/Biotech: 6%
- Consumer Goods/Retail: 6%
- Energy: 2%
- Manufacturing: 2%
- Government/Nonprofit/Education: 1%
- Media/Entertainment/Sports: 1%
- Real Estate: 1%
- Transportation: 1%
Geographical Placement (Class of 2023)
United States: 95%
- Northeast: 53%
- West: 14%
- Mid-Atlantic: 5%
- Midwest: 10%
- Southwest: 8%
- South: 6%
Outside the United States: 5%
Latin America and the Caribbean: 1%
Asia: 2%
Europe: 2%
Canada: 1%
How to Answer Dartmouth Tuck’s Essay Prompts
Known for its extremely close-knit, down-to-earth community, Dartmouth Tuck wants to learn about you and how you will embody and add to its culture. Through its application essays, Tuck asks you three questions intended to highlight a side of you that is not conveyed in the other parts of your application. Take the time to assess what is included in your resume and the short answers of the application, as well as what your recommenders might say, to identify your best stories for the school’s essays.
Essay 1:
- Why are you pursuing an MBA and why now? How will the distinct Tuck MBA contribute to achieving your goals and aspirations? (300 words)
Essay 2:
- Tell us who you are. How have your values and experiences shaped your identity and character? How will your background contribute to the diverse Tuck culture and community? (300 words)
Essay 3:
- Describe a time you meaningfully contributed to someone else’s sense of inclusion in your professional or personal community. (300 words)
Optional Essay:
- Please provide any additional insight or information that you have not addressed elsewhere (e.g., atypical choice of references, factors affecting academic performance, unexplained job gaps or changes). Complete this question only if you feel your candidacy is not fully represented by this application. (300 words)
Click here to read our advice on Dartmouth Tuck’s essay questions.
Application Requirements for Dartmouth Tuck
Bachelor’s degree and transcripts
Tuck requires all applicants to have completed an undergraduate degree (or its equivalent if the applicant graduated outside of the United States) and to provide academic transcripts with their application.
Resume
All Tuck applicants must submit a one-page resume with their application. “Make your resume is a concise and compelling representation of your work impact, skills, and interests. A well-crafted resume highlights specific meaningful aspects of your experience,” the Tuck website reads.
Recommendations
Tuck requires two recommendation letters from all applicants, including reapplicants (although reapplicants who applied during the most recent admissions cycle are only required to provide one new recommendation). “Request [recommendation letters] from people who can demonstrate that you are smart, accomplished, aware, and encouraging,” the Tuck website states. In business school applications, obtaining a recommendation from a direct supervisor or a manager is usually the best option. If you do not have a current direct supervisor or manager, consider past supervisors, colleagues, or clients, based on your work situation. Family members, friends, and professors are typically not suitable recommenders.
Test scores
Tuck accepts the GMAT and the GRE to fulfill the test score requirement. The school accepts self-reported scores for the application but asks for official reports if a candidate is admitted. For the Class of 2025, the average GMAT score was 727 and the middle 80% range was 650–780, while the average GRE quantitative and verbal scores were both 161. International applicants are also required to provide a TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, or Duolingo English Test score.
Anything else?
An interview and three essays are required of Tuck applicants. Tuck offers interviews in two formats: guaranteed interviews, which are available to all applicants who apply by a specified deadline for each round, and invitational interviews, for which Tuck invites applicants on a case-by-case basis. Interviews are conducted by trained second-year students who have seen the applicants’ resumes but not their complete applications.
These are some of the questions that are commonly asked during Tuck interviews:
- Tell me about yourself.
- Why do you want an MBA and why at Tuck?
- What are your short- and long-term goals?
- What is your most significant accomplishment?
- Tell me about a mistake you made in a leadership role.
Dartmouth Tuck FAQ
What is Tuck best known for?
Tuck is perhaps best known for its tight-knit, collaborative community and its immersive and personalized curriculum. The school aims to equip “wise, decisive leaders who better the world through business,” as is evident in how Tuck places emphasis on emotional intelligence and growth.
How much does tuition cost?
Estimated cost of attendance for the Tuck full-time MBA program is $124,514 for students living on campus and $130,237 for students living off campus for the Class of 2026 during the 2024–2025 academic year. This includes tuition, room and board, health insurance, and such additional fees as books and supplies.
How difficult is it to get accepted into Tuck?
As is the case with all top-ranked business schools, Tuck has a competitive acceptance rate. In 2023, the school received 2,009 applications and admitted 806 applicants. This means that approximately 40.1% of applicants received an invitation to join the program. Out of the 806 applicants who were admitted, 297 decided to enroll.
Tuck may be best known for its close-knit community and team-based learning methods, but do not let a school’s reputation steer you elsewhere if it doesn’t look like a perfect match right away! Each incoming Tuck class is highly diverse, exposing students to various cultures and employment backgrounds.
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