The following is a guest post from GrantMeAdmission that was originally published on the GrantMeAdmission blog. For more insights, advice, and stories about business school applications, follow the GrantMeAdmission blog and twitter feed!
Hey everyone, today I will be reviewing my interview with Tuck. As many of you already know, I applied to only Tuck last year, as I loved the school. I was subsequently put on the wait list (until August). Last year was brutal. I applied in October, wait listed in December and waited until August for my rejection.
As I get ready for interview tomorrow at Kellogg, I wanted to review my second (and hopefully final) interview with Tuck. (also make sure to subscribe on my main page to get automatic updates on my progress!!!)
Before the Interview
As I drove up to beautiful Hanover, listening to Hozier on Pandora, I thought, “How will I improve over last year?” I managed to really beef up my resume, but will the Adcom be able to see the difference? The Tuck application process is really tough, decisions don’t come out until December, meaning you have no idea how close you are.
The weather was pretty poor (overcast and raining the entire way), but I made FANTASTIC time. I got into Hanover at around 5:30PM, took a quick nap, and had dinner with some friends at a local restaurant. Both of my friends are Tuckies, and even though it was my second time interviewing, they could tell I was nervous. After dinner, a Tuckie came over to chat, and we had a great conversation about innovation. After exchanging ideas for around 10 minutes, he gave me his card and told me to contact him (still have to!). This was a fantastic reminder of how awesome the Tuckie culture is, and why I love the school so much.
The next day, I got to the admissions office with one minute to spare. I sat in a class about financial markets and investing. For someone who is not directly working with financial markets, it was pretty interesting stuff. Afterwards, it was back to admissions office and time for my interview!
The Interview
My interviewer was a Second Year student (pretty typical for Tuck). I felt it was a great conversation. The questions were pretty standard (here is a list of common Tuck questions). I made sure to differentiate myself from last year, as well as give concrete examples of performance. Ultimately, the interview (in my opinion) is really about “fit,” and so I made sure to relate stories that showed my character and passion.
Overall it was a very pleasant experience. However, with that being said, I am still extremely nervous. Last year was pleasant as well, and I ended up getting wait listed. Only time will tell.
Post-Interview & Driving Home
After the interview, I waited in the admissions office for the lunch, tour, and information session. While in the waiting room, I chatted with a few other applicants… ONE of whom reads my blog! He gave positive feedback, which really made my day (please email me, and let’s catch up!). One of my big goals I wanted to accomplish this year is to help others, so I’m glad that is happening.
Meeting the other candidates is a good way to understand exactly who is applying/interviewing for these top schools. All of them had amazing backgrounds and experiences (definitely made me feel inspired to be in the same applicant pool as them). To end my day (before my long drive home) I met up with three of my gmatclub friends that are first years (one of which wasDomotron, a big time blogger last year). They assured me that Tuck was just as amazing as they had thought, and then some! It was great to catch up with friends.
As I drove home, I realized one thing… I have fallen in love with Tuck again. I was scared this was going to happen again. The first time I applied, I KNEW that Tuck was the place for me… and then it didn’t work out. This year, I restrained myself, applied to a few schools, told myself to think logically, keep an open mind, etc. etc.
And here we are again; you never forget your first. Bring on December!
