Tuck draws students from all walks of life. Our goal is to create a community in which diversity is accepted and celebrated. At Tuck, diversity means encouraging and including each person's ideas, perspectives, and life experiences. There are a number of organizations at Tuck specifically designed to celebrate this diversity as well as two student-run conferences. We also offer several resources for women and underrepresented applicants. The following post was originally published by Dia Draper, former Associate Director of Admissions and current Associate Director of Strategic Initiatives for the MBA Program.
One of my favorite things about working at Tuck is how diverse our student body is. For all the things that Tuck may not be (urban, large, surrounded by corporations), one thing we definitely do well is create and nurture a wide range of people with a wide range of backgrounds, contributions and interests.
I am particularly fond of the fact that some people who thought they were "too old" for a full-time MBA are now alum, or current students. Some of my closest friendships have been with these folks (some of whom call themselves the "silverbacks") and it is gratifying to see them not only survive at Tuck, but to see how they thrive here. The contributions these women and men can make due to their maturity, life experience, genial natures and desire to mentor and guide their peers is inarticulable. It is one of the components of Tuck that you can't really describe, but you can certainly feel about the place.
One of our recent students entered in his 40's and has had (his words, not mine) "the time of my life", he said to me yesterday "Tuck does an even better job preparing us for the next level than they even think they're doing. My worst option was to return to my old [fortune 500] employer, even better armed than before I left. Now, I'm headed to a great investment management firm which was all I wanted." And he has had more of an impact on his class and the two classes below him than any other young alum I've seen (my words, not his).
We have students in their mid to late 30's, and students as young as 25 who will benefit from their wisdom, and hopefully value the opportunity to learn from their successes and challenges. As an MBA program we are committed to supporting the whole person, we are committed to enhancing the entire experience, we are committed to maximizing our students strengths while helping them address their areas for improvement. And that type of support doesn't get old no matter how many years you've rotated around the sun.
ADMISSIONS TIP: Age is not a factor we consider during the admissions process. However, if you feel like you're either quite a bit above or quite a bit below the average years of work experience, make sure you clearly articulate the quality of your experience, why an MBA is needed at this point in your career, and how you will contribute.