Dartmouth Tuck is truly a unique MBA program — one defined by a tight-knit community, enthusiastic alumni, an intense and rigorous core curriculum, its small and rural location, and a commitment to the two-year residential MBA program. I can attest from a decade of experience leading Tuck’s careers services team how hard the school, administration, students, alumni and faculty work to attract and admit students who value and will contribute to this special MBA experience. 

Because of Tuck’s unique nature, the Dartmouth Tuck MBA interview is a critical part of the application process, and therefore preparation is vital to your admissions success. Most interviews are conducted by a select group of trained second-year students, Tuck Admissions Associates (TAAs), and occasionally by members of the admissions committee. Interviews will last between 30 and 45 minutes.

Common Dartmouth Tuck MBA Interview Questions

As part of your preparation, think about how you would answer the following seven Tuck MBA interview questions:

 

Tuck Interview Question 1: Take me through your resume.

The answer should be two to three minutes in length and chronological. Make sure that you get all the way up to your present role and responsibilities. Focus on personal highlights relevant to the job and tie your story to joining the Tuck School of Business as a student.

 

Tuck Interview Question 2: What are your career goals and aspirations?

The essence of an MBA is career transformation: the learning, experience, credentials, access to job opportunities, and the professional network (students and alumni) that help realize your career goals. Be ready to describe briefly and clearly what these career goals and aspirations are. You should capture both your immediate goals post-MBA and your mid- to long-term goals too.

 

Tuck Interview Question 3: Why an MBA & why now?

Be prepared to describe the reason (or reasons, but not more than three) for “Why an MBA?” Tie your professional, educational and even personal experiences together with your career goals as you share your answer. The reasons should ‘make sense’ to Tuck Admissions, to yourself and to future potential employers.

 

Tuck Interview Question 4: Why Tuck?

Candidates are always asked “Why Tuck”, and your answer can ‘make or break’ your interview, because Tuck is truly a unique MBA experience, and Tuck’s admissions team seeks applicants that both understand its uniqueness and can also explain why Tuck’s traits fit with their background and career goals and aspirations.

 

Tuck Interview Question 5: How do you plan to contribute to Tuck?

The ideal Tuck candidate and student gives back more to Tuck than he or she receives. Tuck is looking for applicants that will make Tuck and the world a better place. Be thoughtful and clear in how you plan to give back and consider the following:

• What is unique to you that you can share?
• What drives or motivates you? 
• What will benefit your career goals as you contribute at Tuck?
• What are the areas of Tuck where you would like to be most active (clubs, research centers, academics, student leadership, career services & admissions, etc.)? Note: you may get bonus points if you share that you plan to be a dedicated member of Tuck Tripod Hockey. 

Tuck Interview Question 6: Tell me about a time when you…  

You will be asked “story” questions, also known as behavioral questions. A principal goal is to see if and how you would fit into the Tuck community based on what you share. It is critical that you select suitable stories to tell and that you practice telling these stories prior to the Tuck interview. Below are examples of recent questions asked in Tuck interviews:

• Tell me about a time you encountered something you felt was unjust and what you did in response.
• Tell me about a time at work when something did not go as planned and your response. 
• Tell me about a time when you gave feedback to someone.

Tuck Interview Question 7: “What questions do you have for me?”

You will be given time to ask questions; consider the following when preparing your questions:

• What do you really want to know: Interviewers can tell when you ask questions that are not authentic. This is your opportunity and these are your questions to ask, but here’s a bit of perspective: I value questions that seek insight into the motivations and experience of Tuck students (you will most likely be interviewed by a second-year). To capitalize on this student contact, I would also ask questions that allow for the student interviewer to be open and personal, so I recommend questions that are open-ended such as:
  • “Why did you choose Tuck?
  •  What do you find unique about the Tuck program versus other MBA programs? 
  • How does the experience compare to your expectations? 
  • What are your career plans and how has Tuck supported your career?
• Ask dynamic questions: Generate questions based on the interview itself – these questions can demonstrate the ability to listen to your interviewer, think on your feet and help make the interview more interesting. For example, if they asked about what extracurricular activities you would participate in, you might ask them which ones they are involved in. If you find an overlap in background based on their introduction, revisit with a question that ties to this overlap.
• Always be appropriate: Do not ask questions that could be perceived as showing poor judgement.

Additional Information to help you prepare for the Dartmouth Tuck MBA Interview

The following can help you prepare and perform in your Tuck interview:

Pre-Interview

• Speak to students & alumni: Fortuna strongly encourages you to speak to multiple current students and alumni through the application process and as you prepare for the interview. Listen to their answers and compile themes that resonate with you, and then include them in your responses.
• Practice, practice, practice: Write out your answers, do mock interviews with friends, family or an admissions coach (consider recording your mocks so you can evaluate your own performance), get feedback, rinse, and repeat. 

During the Interview

• Connect with the interviewer: Find commonalities and seek to establish a connection. 
• Have fun and smile: Tuck is a tight community and values people that will help make the community an enjoyable place.
• Be memorable and interesting: Choose stories and anecdotes that are unique and will help you be memorable.

Post-Interview Follow-up

Follow-up with the interviewer is a way to signal that you care and genuinely want to attend Tuck; this kind of gesture helps to demonstrate that you are the kind of person that would be welcomed at Tuck. In particular:

• Send your thanks: Always send a thank you email to your interviewer, ideally within 24 hours of the interview. Show thought and care with the note, ideally incorporating content from the interview itself. Take care to write it professionally and in the manner of a person that Tuck would want as a student on the campus.
• LinkedIn invitation: Consider also sending a LinkedIn invitation with a personalized note. This is an opportunity to continue a connection with your interviewer. Note: make sure that your LinkedIn profile is up to date and synchronized with your Tuck application and your resume. 

 

My Tuck Insights

Here are some insights that can help you craft your interview answers:

• Tuck’s Mission, Vision & Strategy (MVS): Tuck takes its mission very seriously; it is woven into all that it does and therefore is part of how the admissions team evaluates applicants – “Tuck develops wise, decisive leaders who better the world through business.” 
• General management focus and  strong core: The first year at Tuck is very intense; it is a mix of case and traditional teaching methods structured around its core curriculum.
• Tight-knit community: Tuck is a small, rural school that only offers an MBA degree. You get to know your classmates, faculty, administrators and some alumni really well. 
• Passionate alumni network: Each year, more than 65% of alumni donate to the school (which is the highest participation rate of any MBA program in the world). Alumni support you as students by answering networking calls, visiting campus to teach and recruit, helping you with your job search and will support your post-Tuck career. Supporting students and fellow Tuck alumni is both the expectation and the norm. 
• Access to top recruiters: The MBBs, Wall Street, top tech firms in the Bay Area and East Coast and leadership development firms all recruit and hire Tuck students.
• Unique programs and offerings: research and understand opportunities like the First Year Project (FYP) and the Bakala TuckGO international requirement. Get to know the research centers (energy, private equity, health care, etc.) and see which resonate and reference them in your interview.
• Clubs, student activities and special events: incorporating references to student activities and Tuck-specific experiences (i.e., Tripod Hockey, conferences, etc.) in your interview conversation can also help.

 

Get Ready to Shine

Practice is critical, and professional feedback makes your practice pay off. Fortuna coaches have insider insights into what interviewers ask and what business schools are looking for, so we excel at interview prep.

Reach out now for a free 30-minute consultation to learn more about how we can guide you through this high-stakes element of the application process and help you put your best foot forward on interview day. 

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Jonathan Masland is a Director at Fortuna Admissions and former Dartmouth Tuck Executive Director of Career Services. For a candid assessment of your chances of admission success at a top MBA program, sign up for a free consultation.