Real Humans of the Dartmouth Tuck MBA Class of 2025

Gina Cirrincione, Dartmouth Tuck MBA Class of 2025

Age: 27
Hometown: Elk Grove Village, IL
Undergraduate Institution and Major: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Supply Chain Management and Marketing
Pre-MBA Work Experience (role, company, years): Medical Device Product Management, Medline Industries, 3 years; Product Commercialization and Operations, Factor/HelloFresh, 2 years

Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
From my prior experience in product management, I have grown to love the product commercialization process and wanted to do this at an early-stage company to make a bigger impact in the consumer products space.

Attending business school seemed like a no-brainer. I knew I wanted to be around like-minded individuals that would help me build a broader and stronger skill set to be a more well-rounded leader that adds value to an early-stage company post-school. For that reason, I targeted schools with a broad range of resources, a vast number of elective courses applicable to my goals as well as a strong community to learn from and lean on.

Why did you choose Dartmouth Tuck? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
I chose Tuck because of the strong academics and genuine conversations I had during the application process. Listening to current students on webinars and panels during the application process, I was impressed that the Tuckies deeply knew their classmates. I could sense the true friendship and respect between them. This is my first time moving outside the Midwest and I knew I wanted a tight-knit community where everyone would be invested not only in academics, but also the social aspects of business school so I could build friendships and a network to last a lifetime. I love that Hanover is a small, quaint city so that we can be fully engaged and immersed in everything going on at Tuck. 

What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2025?
I have unique experiences in the consumer products space from my five years in product management. Core to my pre-MBA roles was the opportunity to lead different functional areas of the business to move projects forward, which has helped me gain a wide-angle lens. I know a lot of people are interested in consumer products & product management, so I’m hoping that I can offer help to my classmates navigate these spaces.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I was in the crowd at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding 

Post-MBA career interests:
Product development and operations at an early-stage consumer products startup

Advice for Current Prospective Applicants
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Invest in personal reflection. Not only was this necessary for the application essays, but it has also helped narrow my career goals and recruiting focus so I can effectively maximize my two years at Tuck.

–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I would have gone to every women’s weekend event at the schools I was applying to. I only went to one and wish I went to more because it was an amazing way to immerse myself in the culture of the school and learn about what each school had to offer beyond what is in the info packets and on the websites.

–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
I would have skipped worrying so much about having the “ideal” GMAT score and retaking it over and over again—it truly is only one part of the application.

What is your initial impression of the Dartmouth Tuck students/culture/community?
“Tuck nice” is not just a façade! The entire community is the most generous, kind, interesting, hardworking, and fun group of individuals I have ever met. 

What is one thing you have learned about Dartmouth Tuck that has surprised you?
I love living in the dorms! Being steps away from class, friends, and events has been invigorating. Being so close, I’ve tried new things and have yet to find a second where I am bored.

What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
I am recruiting for startups, which is a non-structured path in comparison to the other more traditional recruiting paths most of my classmates are taking. It is nerve-wracking to have a much later recruiting cycle, but I have found so much support from other classmates on the same path and faculty who have given me resources to help break the process down into more palatable bits.

What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
Exploring all the things the Upper Valley has to offer, like skiing, hockey, river floats, breweries, blueberry picking, cute little towns, and more.