As the application season begins, I sit here (taking a break from reviewing my first dozen applications) thinking about one of the reasons I enjoy working at Tuck. In a Q&A session last week, one prospective applicant asked me about our reading process and how we make decisions. I told him (and the group here that was visiting) that reading applications is at once an individual pursuit (we all read on our own), but that the admission of every single candidate, and yes the lack of admission for all others…is a team effort.
Those of us that work in this industry really enjoy helping people and are driven by a sense of fairness, honesty and dedication to the applicant and (I think) a desire to help shape and improve global industry. I know that sounds hokey, but I know it is true, not (just) because it is what we do at Tuck, but honestly, it is how we believe all of our peer schools behave (we don’t think of them as competitors..we believe there’s a spot for everyone somewhere). I tell applicants all the time, that if they could peek behind the curtain of most school’s admissions process, that they’d be incredibly comforted by the care and integrity that goes into each application evaluation.
I like believing that Tuck admissions as well as all the other admissions teams of the top schools has a process in place that gives the best benefit to the candidate. In a highly subjective process such as B school admissions, it is important to me as a professional that I know at the end of every day, every application cycle and every admissions season that we did what was best for every applicant even if it cost us more time, money or inconvenience. This is a philosopy and approach that is trickled down from our Director of Admissions and of course “People” are the bedrock of our institution and the priority of our Dean.
I would not like to work for the most integritous institution in a slimy industry, and so I appreciate that in an industry that has the propensity for all sorts of nefarious activity, that we work in a peer set that values the time, expense and interest of each applicant, no matter what our final decision may be.
We appreciate the time you take to come visit our campus, the time you take to attend a reception. We acknowledge your partner’s and spouse’s time and their role in the decision making process. We know that the GMAT is rigrous and expensive, that tracking down recommenders and transcripts is about as much fun as a root canal. Everyone on our team has an advanced degree, and thus we do understand, to some extent, the journey that you are on. For that reason and our general nosey natures, we look at every word of every page of your application. We approach each application with a sense of curiosity and open mindedness. Caffeine helps.
Read the full article: Ethics & Integrity @ Tuck Starts with Tuck