By Dave Dauphinais
Dave is currently enrolled in the joint Masters in Business Administration and Masters in Public Administration program between Tuck and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Prior to going back to school, he spent ten years in the Navy working in Special Operations. He brings to campus experience from Iraq, Afghanistan, the Philippines, Horn of Africa and Yemen among other locations worldwide. Dave’s academic and professional focus is on the public and private intersection of energy, specifically involving private investment and security. He is in his first year at Harvard and looks forward to joining the Tuck Class of 2018 next fall.
To the Veterans,
The transition from active duty to business school is hard. It has a daunting financial cost, we are putting behind a culture of service in our military network, and it is difficult to translate your military service to an admission board. To be sure, there are many great business schools that are worth considering. But if you are a military veteran, there should be only one: Tuck. The culture, the financial incentives, the education, and Tuck’s support to the military really is not matched.
Culture: Tuck students are more experienced than many competing schools on average. There are no undergrads (no offense to those enterprising young MBAs out there). Dean Slaughter has rolled out his commitment to international engagement during your time as a student. And more simply, there is a culture of community when you arrive on campus. Tuck takes this very seriously. Your “fit” is a large part of admission and it resonates with a veteran’s sense of service. The culture is perhaps most evident among the fiercely loyal alumni Tuck. It is not matched anywhere in the world and this is not even a debate. National average giving rates among alumni of graduate schools hovers around 30-40%. Tuck proudly claims 70%. As a veteran, finding a culture of community and service to others was a priority for me. Tuck is very distinctive here.
Financial Support: The financial support for a veteran attending Tuck is both clear and measurable. For veterans eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program, 90% of tuition is covered. Yes, that’s right. The Yellow Ribbon Program is the best indicator of how much a school truly supports veterans and when you apply it really should be part of your research. The program is voluntary for schools in the amount of money offered by the school and in the number of veterans they will support so it serves as a telling indicator. Tuck has done the math and they offer a substantial level of support without limit on the number of veteran recipients.
Military Recruiting: There is a yet another reason why military vets should pursue Tuck over other schools. Her name is Kristin Roth. Kristin’s formal title is the Associate Director of Admissions but in addition to that, she works tirelessly on veteran recruiting. She captures it very well on Tuck’s website with insight on Tuck’s family community for veterans with partners and children, the Career Development Office and how Tuck’s general management education is extremely advantageous after military service. In my own experience, I have not forgotten the numerous phone conversations, informational interviews and genuine support she provided me before I even applied! To me, people like Kristin make a big difference.
For vets, things like culture, financial consideration for our service, general management education and our “fit” are huge priorities. We often step on campus with families and without great financial means. Tuck supports and promotes its veterans like no other school.