Heading into his ninth month leading MBA admissions at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, Luke Anthony Peña took to the Tuck360: MBA Blog last week to share the month’s happenings on campus.
“I have a deep appreciation for our well-earned reputation as an accessible and transparent community,” he wrote. “In that spirit, I want to keep you updated on what’s happening here—at Tuck, in Admissions, and with me personally.” His April communication will be the first of monthly open letters designed to keep prospective applicants in the know.
April is a BUSY month in Hanover, Peña shared. For starters, Tuck will convene all five of its advisory boards and councils. These groups, made up entirely of alumni actively engaged in the admissions process, have never all come together at the same time before. After assembling on campus, the members of these groups will return home to regions around the globe, where they’ll spread the word about Tuck via recruitment events or direct outreach to admitted students.
On April 20th, Tuck will also host its 5th Annual Initiative for Women Symposium, featuring Major General Lori Reynolds and Joanne Lipman as keynote speakers. “Tuck’s commitment to women in business extends to our recruitment efforts,” Peña noted, adding that Tuck was a founding member of the Forté Foundation and currently leads top business schools in terms of approaching gender equity, with 44 percent women in the Class of 2019.
In other news on campus, more than 400 students are returning with stories to tell: Some 350 have recently completed TuckGO courses around the world, and another 62 took part in OnSite Global Consulting, a second-year elective helping students hone their consulting skills through assignments with global clients.
Tuck April Admissions Developments
This past weekend, the Tuck campus was flooded with close to 300 new faces as current students put the very best of the school on display as part of Admitted Students Weekend (ASW). “It’s my first Tuck ASW, and I’m in awe of our student leadership team,” wrote Peña. “They’ve taken care of every detail. It’s the first time I’ve been part of an ASW that is truly, 100% student run, and it perfectly reflects the Tuck culture of both thriving and contributing.”
Peña and his team are also busy recruiting the next cohort of Tuck Admissions Associates. These are the carefully selected and trained students who conduct on-campus interviews. Tuck is unique among leading business schools for offering applicant-initiated on-campus interviews to anyone who wants one, and it’s these student interviewers who help make that possible.
Finally, Peña devoted a paragraph to sharing what’s up with him personally. “I’m reflecting daily on our application and evaluation process, and how we can make it better for everyone—for both you and us,” he wrote. “My goal is to make the Tuck application process the most enjoyable, least stressful MBA application process you’ll experience.” You can read more about that in his in-depth interview with Clear Admit. He’s also turning his focus toward finding ways to scale up recruitment efforts around the globe without sacrificing personal connection. “As we build our recruitment calendar, much of which happens in June-September, you’ll still see us at large receptions, but you’ll also have opportunities to see me and my colleagues, alumni, and current students in informal small group settings like breakfasts, lunches, and coffees.”
So there you have it. The latest from Tuck admissions from the guy in charge. We think it’s great that he plans to keep the lines of communication open and look forward to his May installment. We’ll keep you posted!
