If you’re interested in applying to the Dartmouth Tuck MBA program, you need to highlight four critical characteristics throughout your application and interview: Smart, Accomplished, Aware, and Nice.
In a recent Tuck Admissions Insight blog post, the admissions team offered concrete advice on how applicants can provide a complete picture of themselves during their admissions interview.
How to Prepare for Your Interview
Your Dartmouth Tuck admissions interview is an important piece of your application. The team is looking to see how you’ll contribute to the community and how Tuck can help you thrive. The entire process is meant to be a comfortable conversation, but the team knows that it can be incredibly stressful. So, here’s their advice on how to get a handle on the interview.
Know the Admissions Criteria
You need to demonstrate to the Tuck team that you are smart, accomplished, aware, and nice. Interviews are conducted by second-year MBA students who genuinely want you to succeed, so be prepared to draw out evidence of the four key criteria throughout your interview. Just be sure to have a conversation as those make for the best interviews—they should flow.
Prepare for Common Questions
Some of our questions are common to almost every MBA interview. Get ready to answer:
- Walk me through your resume.
- Why are you pursuing an MBA?
- What are your goals?
Just remember to keep these answers succinct. You should be able to respond in two-to-three minutes, which will give your interviewer more time to discuss the other relevant topics.
Don’t Forget Behavioral Questions
You’ll also be asked behavioral questions that are designed to understand your impact at Tuck and beyond. The interview team wants to hear stories about your past performance and how you plan to replicate that at Tuck and throughout your professional life. Start by talking about the situation, then describe the task with a brief summary of the actions you took and the result.
Be Ready to Improvise
You can’t prepare for every aspect of the interview. Be ready to answer questions on the fly and improvise. The key is to make sure you listen to each interview question carefully before answering. It’s okay to take a few seconds to gather your thoughts. Just be sure to answer as thoroughly as possible.
Research Tuck Well
Your interviewer doesn’t want just to know why you’re going for your MBA. They want to know why you specifically want to attend Tuck. Make sure you know as much about Tuck as you can because you can be sure your second-year MBA student interviewer knows a lot and expects you to know what you’re getting yourself into. Your interviewer will be excited about Tuck and more than eager to answer your questions, too.
Make a Great First Impression
Lastly, remember that your interview starts the moment your interviewer sees you in person or virtually. Present yourself with confidence and composure from the get-go and remember to stay positive throughout the process. In short, prepare, relax, and be confident. You will shine!
Read the full post from Tuck admissions here.
