CLASS OF 2004 GRADUATE COMMENTS
[Recommend program to friends/colleagues?] My old boss pushed hard for me to go to Tuck. I thought I should go to school in a larger city (Columbia or the University of Chicago) so that I would not feel so out of the game for two years. He knew me well and told me that I would spend two years in such cities looking for projects and internships with local private-equity firms. With this in mind, he told me that I would be a day student in such schools and get little out of the MBA experience. He was right. Going to a small school in the middle of nowhere has made all the difference. Instead of leaving this place with three, six, or nine close friends, I have 30 friends and a slew of folks I can call on for advice, a beer, or a game of golf. I never would have believed I would say it, and I am not a nostalgic guy, but going to Tuck has made a dramatic difference in my life. I guess that the self-selecting people who choose to come here to New Hampshire are just good folks.--Venture Capital/Private Equity
The two years at Tuck greatly enhanced my understanding of business. Both the people and the professors are outstanding, and I have learned a great deal from them. Also, the people at Tuck helped me in choosing the right career, and I clarified that entrepreneurship is the right choice for me. Therefore, I would recommend this experience to anyone with business ambitions.--Entrepreneurship
The question is this: Would you rather take two years away from work in your twenties -- meeting incredible people, playing a ton of sports, traveling, enjoying life, learning, etc. -- or two years off in your fifties when you retire. I would say take the two years when you are young and healthy. Deciding to attend Tuck (or any top business school) is a very easy decision when the decision is put in this context. Consider it retiring for two years and then making up those two years on the back end of your career. Simple decision.--Finance
[Recommend program to friends/colleagues?] As a prior Navy SEAL with two years of post-military experience at McKinsey & Co., I was skeptical that an MBA could add much value. I was very wrong. From the analytical rigor of the program to the diversity of the experience, I was very pleasantly suprised. I wish I had been given this type of training before becoming a SEAL platoon commander. It would have made me better at that job too.--Consulting
[Recommend program to friends/colleagues?] Tuck is a special and unusual place that is not meant for everyone. It is a small school in a small town in New Hampshire, and everyone knows your name. Those who fit at Tuck fit very well and love the place. Those who don't are generally unhappy.--Marketing
My project team traveled to India for a one-month consulting engagement. Not only did we enjoy an amazing cultural experience (which was greatly enhanced by our Indian-born classmates), but we also benefitted greatly from the opportunity to practice recently learned analysis and presentation skills. A month is a long time to spend working with anyone, but our team bonded quickly, and we worked very well together. Teamwork is taken as something of a given at Tuck, but it's still nice to see that all the talk about teamwork holds true when push comes to shove. In the end, our client's top management was impressed by our results, and we had a great time.--Entrepreneurship
My team developed a strategy for a major athletic shoe and apparel manufacturer to launch an e-commerce Web site for the European market. We incorporated statistics, economic analysis, market research, and technology solutions in developing our recommendation.--Consulting
In my Nonprofit Management class, I interacted directly with the founder and leader of an organization that strives to help at-risk children to overcome their problems. I was hopeful that I could apply some of my classroom learning to the project. In sorting through the issues with this leader, I was surprised how effective he felt my suggestions were. Furthermore, his devotion to his nonprofit organization motivated me to work that much harder to find answers to the very real problems of funding and organizational design that he faced. Another powerful aspect of my learning came from witnessing how small-business leaders have a multitude of responsibilities and balancing them becomes a real challenge.--Finance
I had a wonderful experience in my Tuck Leadership Forum project involving Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. It was a great experience to apply what we were learning in the classroom to a real-life problem faced by a company and help them come up with useful solutions.--Marketing
I had never worked in consulting before and it allowed me to learn the importance of managing a client's expectations. Also, it gave me one more chance to work in a team under pressure to deliver a real result in real life. It was a great experience out of the classroom.--Marketing
The Tuck Leadership Forum Project gave me the opportunity to help the Boston Red Sox with strategic planning. The top executives at the Red Sox looked to our team to guide them through the process, and they acted upon our advice. The experience was so valuable that I continued providing consulting services to the Red Sox throughout my second year at Tuck. With such a great perspective, the most executive at a high-profile organization, I am better equipped to provide such services to my own organizations in the future.--Operations
One of the best things about the Tuck experience has been executive visits. Since Tuck is in a remote location, when an executive comes to Tuck he does lunches, dinners, and individual discussions with students in addition to a scheduled speech/lecture. I had individual interaction with very successful entrepreneurs and executives. I learned a tremendous amount from these meetings. I also had access to professors, who are among the best in their field. Finally, nothing can beat the Tuck sense of community. With only 240 classmates in a small town in the middle of nowhere, you become really tight and develop lifelong friendships and hone your teamwork skills.--Entrepreneurship
Tuck was my top choice among B-schools, and I was very happy to be admitted. Tuck has many strengths, including a very supportive student body and alumni base (yes, it is true), faculty that care and work hard, and a fabulous career staff. The downsides are a somewhat oppressive and conformist beer-pong culture, living within the fishbowl of a small class, and limitations to curriculum because it's a smaller school. That said, if you fit at Tuck, I am convinced there is no better choice.--Marketing
When people ask me to describe my Tuck experience, I find it hard to come up with words that adequately relay my experience. When people talk about teamwork, respect, balance, character, and excellence at Tuck, they are not buzz words that ring hollow. Tuckies, their professors, the school's staff, and alumni not only believe in these concepts but practice them fervently. It is what makes Tuck so unique.--Not Available
Before I went to Tuck I heard a lot of talk about the close-knit community. After two years, I would say that anything I heard was an understatement. Tuck is a place where you know everyone of your classmate's names and the administration greets you by name in the hallway. Getting to know your classmates and their diverse backgrounds adds immeasurably to the MBA experience, and I don't think a similar sense of community can be found at any other program.--Marketing
I participated in Tuck's Global Consulting program. I had the opportunity, with five other classamtes, to travel and live in China for one month. We lived in Beijing and traveled up and down the eastern border, from Jiamasu in the north to Xiamen in the south. It was truly one of the most amazing things I've ever done.--Marketing
Although I came to Tuck focused primarily on developing my professional skills (which definetely happened), I will remember the school even more so for my development on a personal level.--Consulting
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