Spring is a special time here at Tuck, when we welcome admitted students to Hanover to discover for themselves what makes the Tuck MBA experience so distinct. This year, Admitted Students Weekend (ASW) will be held April 13–16. We asked our ASW co-chairs to share more about themselves and ASW, why they chose to pursue an MBA, and what made them realize Tuck was the right business school for them.
“Overall, Tuck has no equal when it comes to personal growth, community, and the alumni network, and I would recommend Tuck to any career-switcher. I have loved my first year here, and I can’t wait for what next year holds.”
About Me
In undergrad, I studied physics at Washington University in St. Louis. After spending my summers doing undergraduate research, I realized that academia wasn’t for me and began my career in industry at Epic, a healthcare software company in Wisconsin, doing a combination of software development and client project management. Then, I taught myself web programming and worked as a full-stack software engineer and team leader at the UW Credit Union, working on their online banking platform and cybersecurity. At Tuck, I am an Admitted Students Weekend co-chair, a Center for Digital Strategies associate, a Cheesemongers Club co-chair, and I enjoy participating in dance club, wine club, and games club events. This summer and post-Tuck, I’ll be a Digital Consultant at BCG in Boston. I live with my husband and our orange tabby cat, Juniper, and we are all loving the upper valley so far!
Why MBA?
Over the course of my career, I became fascinated with the larger organizational issues at play: How could our division be structured more effectively? Were we building the right kinds of software features for our market? How could we get more value from our partnerships? I wanted to pivot from a technical leader to a strategic leader, and I knew that I needed the knowledge, wisdom, and network an MBA would provide.
Why Tuck?
To change careers, I knew I not only needed to acquire knowledge, but to transform personally as well, so Tuck immediately captured my attention. I wanted to surround myself with kind and empathetic leaders who could show me how to inspire a team. Coming from physics and software engineering, I didn’t have much of a professional network in the business sphere, so I knew I needed a school with compassionate students and alumni to help me grow my network and build my confidence. The Center for Digital Strategies was also a huge draw, so I could continue pursuing my interests in technology throughout my MBA.
So far, Tuck has exceeded my hopes and expectations. The core curriculum has provided me with a comprehensive toolkit to approach the business world and answer the questions I came with. My peers are outstandingly talented individuals who are somehow so humble that I can be my imperfect self without fear of judgement. To date, I’ve always gotten responses when cold-emailing Tuck students and alumni—every single time. Through 1-1 leadership coaching, I’ve analyzed my leadership triumphs and failures to date, and charted a course towards improving myself as a leader. Overall, Tuck has no equal when it comes to personal growth, community, and the alumni network, and I would recommend Tuck to any career-switcher. I have loved my first year here, and I can’t wait for what next year holds.
On ASW
I applied and signed in Round 1, so for me ASW was a victory lap! The opportunity to meet my future classmates and celebrate with them was the perfect kickoff to my Tuck journey. I also wanted to get a head start thinking about my summer internship, and ASW was a great way to learn more about the recruiting process and the two different industries I was considering (tech vs consulting). Finally, it was helpful to tour Hanover and start planning my housing in the upper valley. Overall, ASW was both a fun and informative experience!
“Tuck is also a change of pace from what most people did before Tuck—the Upper Valley is the perfect place to reflect on where I’ve been and more importantly, where I want to go. The Tuck community has been everything I had hoped for and more.”
About Me
After graduating from Georgia Tech with a Chemical Engineering degree, I took a role in Operations with Polaris in Minneapolis. Working on both the manufacturing plants and the supply chain offices, I saw a wide variety of operations roles in a short time before settling in the Supplier Quality team. I then moved from the Powersports industry to the med device industry to get a different perspective on manufacturing before deciding to pursue my MBA and attend Tuck. At Tuck, I’m an avid skier, tripod enthusiast, and ASW co-chair. I will also be co-chairing the consulting club and the John Barleycorn Society (our beer club). This summer I’ll be heading to Chicago to work for BCG.
Why MBA?
Coming from an engineering background, I wanted to round out my skill set and get a better understanding of business outside of manufacturing. My role in Supply Chain was largely reactive, and I wanted to transition to a more strategic, big picture, and proactive career path and I saw the MBA as the best way to do that. Outside of the business skills, I also wanted to grow as a leader and my learnings in and out of the class at Tuck are helping me do that.
Why Tuck?
It was important to me to find a place where I could really build a community, and have that community be as invested in the MBA experience as I am. Tuck was the perfect place for that experience. The small class size appealed to me wanting to genuinely get to know my classmates and the rural setting meant we were in it together and not leaving school to other parts of a city after class. Tuck is also a change of pace from what most people did before Tuck—the Upper Valley is the perfect place to reflect on where I’ve been and more importantly, where I want to go. The Tuck community has been everything I had hoped for and more.
On ASW
Tuck is a unique MBA experience and the best way to understand what it’s like is to come and see it firsthand! My time at ASW was what convinced me to attend Tuck, because I genuinely enjoyed talking to everyone I met that weekend, and I knew these were the people I wanted as my classmates. It was also an opportunity for Tuck to show its commitment to the two year MBA program. The combination of the school and my peers, as well as just having a great weekend, convinced me Hanover was where I wanted to spend the next two years of my life.
“In my first year at Tuck, I have learned that an MBA is as much a time of personal growth as it is of career growth and am excited that the friends I’m making here will be my network for the rest of my life.”
About Me
After graduating from Carleton College with a BA in economics, I moved back to New York City and spent my time before Tuck working in consulting at EY-Parthenon (EYP). At EYP, I worked predominantly in our supply chain practice, focusing on the Life Sciences industry and clients going through spin-offs and divestitures. I will be returning to EYP for my internship and post-Tuck, likely still working in supply chain (but potentially with a different industry focus). At Tuck, I am an Admitted Students Weekend co-chair, a member of the Personal Board of Advisors Pilot Program, and involved in Tripod Hockey, Ski Race League, and any and all other outdoor activities in the Upper Valley.
Why MBA?
Having attended a liberal arts college, I knew there were gaps in my business education that I felt an MBA could help me close. I wanted an MBA first to gain a foundational business knowledge that would prepare me for a career in business, but I also wanted to build a community of people at a similar stage in life to me that would support me in that career.
Why Tuck?
I chose Tuck because it offered the immersive MBA experience that I was looking for. When I came to campus, I felt immediately at ease with the kind people and wonderful community. The students here are interested not only in the academics that Tuck offers but also in getting to know one another and building the community that Tuck is known for. I felt that, as a student here, I would be able to find a community that cared about my development both in my career and as a person and that community would become my support system for the rest of my life. In my first year at Tuck, I have learned that an MBA is as much a time of personal growth as it is of career growth and am excited that the friends I’m making here will be my network for the rest of my life.
On ASW
Attending ASW helped me solidify that Tuck was the place that I wanted to spend the next two years. Coming to Hanover allowed me to not only meet amazing prospective and current students but also get a sense of what my life here would look like. All the different programming showed me what a Tuck experience would look like and talking to the prospective and current students made me see that I was making the right decision to spend my next two years here.
“Community and Co-investment. As much as they seem to be buzzwords, living it now helps me understand how true those two pieces are at Tuck.”
About Me
I was born in Singapore but spent Middle and High school in Shanghai and Beijing. Then I returned to Singapore to serve in the Singapore National Police Force. After completion of my service, I attended the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada where I studied Chemical Engineering. Upon graduation, I briefly worked in the mining industry before joining Accenture Consulting in their Tech Strategy & Advisory Group. For my summer internship, I am headed to New York for investment banking.
Why MBA?
Coming from an engineering background and then jumping into consulting, I felt that some of the more finance/general skillsets are something I lacked. An MBA would help me gain those skills—whether it is understanding different finance models or general management skills. It is a place where I can explore new career options, try new courses, and meet people from different walks of life.
Why Tuck?
Community and Co-investment. As much as they seem to be buzzwords, living it now helps me understand how true those two pieces are at Tuck. Everyone at Tuck comes to be immersed in the program. Being away from the distractions of a city, where I can go into the outdoors with my classmates or hang out on campus creates an environment that puts community first. I cannot stress how valuable the co-investment piece is—from my classmates, the MBA program office, the faculty, and the staff. Every person on campus invests in this community to make it what it is—an experience that is truly personal, connected, and transformative.
On ASW
I was still deciding between different schools when I came to ASW. ASW really showed me the value proposition of Tuck—community and co-investment. There were many moments over the weekend where the current students went above and beyond to make sure I got the information I needed. Whether it’s helping explain a certain process, introductions to other students, or just making a new friend—ASW really opened my eyes to the possibilities that Tuck provided. It cemented my decision to come to Tuck!
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