Jul 12, 2024

A Closer Look at Tuck’s Admissions Criteria: Accomplished

By Megan Creeden
Associate Director of Admissions, Yield

Welcome to the second entry in our A Closer Look at Tuck’s Admissions Criteria blog series, where we’ll explore how you can demonstrate that you are accomplished in your Tuck application. 

At Tuck, we seek candidates who excel professionally and make a significant impact beyond their roles. Tuck students act with conviction, thrive in tough moments, and seek to win the right way. In your application, your resume, application form, and your behaviors are key indicators of the accomplished criterion. 

Resume 

Beyond listing job positions and educational history, highlight promotions, awards, and increased responsibilities that showcase your growth. Share results and achievements that demonstrate strong performance. Include details about extracurricular activities, professional networking, community engagement, entrepreneurial endeavors, or personal pursuits that reflect your involvement and contributions. Prioritize presenting your highlights in a one-page format and know that we value diverse industry, functional, and extracurricular experiences and adjust our assessments accordingly. 

Application Form 

We ask for additional context beyond your resume, including questions about your organizations, roles, compensation, management responsibilities, and reasons for career transitions. The activities section allows you to elaborate on your extracurricular involvement, and the awards section highlights the criteria and significance of your recognitions. Providing us with a comprehensive view of your impact and accomplishments in these sections can enhance your candidacy. Incomplete sections leave unanswered questions and make it challenging for us to assess your performance within your environment. 

Behaviors 

Reference letters and interviews validate the outcomes listed in your application and often reveal additional achievements. Your behaviors are crucial as they indicate transferable skills that predict your impact at Tuck and beyond, aiding our assessment across diverse backgrounds. 

Choose references who have observed your outcomes and the behaviors driving them. The best reference letters provide clear, compelling stories and examples of how you achieved your successes. Without examples of your behavior, we may admire your results but question how they were attained and whether you exhibit the qualities that ensure consistent performance. 

In interviews, share stories that illustrate not just your achievements but also the actions and attitudes behind them. Prepare for your interview by reflecting on your experiences rather than memorizing responses. Our interviewers will allow you to naturally demonstrate your achievements based on the conversation and questions asked, so stay focused on the conversation. 

Additional Considerations 

• Address any gaps in your resume with transparency and ownership, demonstrating thoughtful reflection.  
• Highlight part-time work, freelance projects, internships, or externships that contribute to your overall experience in your resume, your application, or your optional information essay.  
• We do not recommend reference letters from professors who did not supervise your professional work, friends, family members, or coaches. References from extracurricular activities are impactful only if your involvement was considerable.  
• Involvement beyond your professional role is valued but not mandatory; we understand varying commitments across industries, cultures, and academic programs. 

If you have questions about our accomplished criterion or any other aspect of Tuck, please reach out. We're here to assist you throughout the application process. 

More from Tuck’s Admissions Criteria blog series:

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