HIGHLIGHTS OF MY TUCK MBA EXPERIENCE
Truly, there are too many to choose from! Each week brings new experiences, deeper connections, and little triumphs, from witnessing your classmates succeed, winning a hockey game, or realizing you’ve stretched into opportunities beyond your old limits and are still standing tall, ready for the next challenge.

Many of the greatest moments were just that: mere moments. Hosting a Small Group Dinner and sharing stories with classmates you had never met before. Uphill ski laps at the Dartmouth Skiway, sharing sweaty, steady steps and words of encouragement as the group chases the sunrise. Singing your heart out with the crowd as your classmates perform in the Tuck Band, everyone’s eyes alight and jaws dropped in awe of our talented friends. Mentoring Olympic athletes and retired veterans in Tuck’s Next Step MBA program, exchanging lessons learned from disparate life experiences, yet similar shared values. Listening to visiting executives reiterate how non-linear their career paths have been, how they too faced uncertainty and failure, and learned to lean in. Tripod Hockey games late at night, the adrenaline from a close win, or the joy from a new skater’s bravery keeping you awake long after leaving the ice. Tuck Community Bike rides with professors and peers through the rolling hills of forest and farmland of the Upper Valley. The first warm day of spring, everyone sitting outside drinking in the sunshine, faces drawn up, impossible not to smile.

ON TUCK’S LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
One of my regrets from college was how little I knew my professors, so when I was considering MBA programs, I knew I wanted a school that enabled students, faculty, and staff to interact as members of the community together. Here at Tuck, I’ve had the privilege of taking courses from world-class instructors who are all dynamic educators and seasoned practitioners, and I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know them outside the classroom, too! Some stand-out experiences include discussing (over beers) the effect of U.S. tariffs on international relations with economics professor Emily Blanchard, former U.S. chief economist; cycling with Ken French, of the Fama-French three-factor financial model, and Joe Hall, Senior Associate Dean of Teaching and Learning, during a Tuck Community Ride; beating my real estate finance professor Brian Melzer on the ice during a Tripod Hockey game this winter; the list goes on.

It's so clear that Tuck professors care deeply about their students, about fostering an environment of curiosity and creative dissent, and about sharing the passion behind their research and curricula. A course that really changed my perspective was Leading Diverse Organizations with professor Sonya Mishra. My key takeaway? That championing diversity in teams not only aligns with my values, but it’s also just good business strategy. Teams comprised of people who look and think differently from each other outperform traditionally homogenous groups. I am grateful to have had two years learning from professors (and peers) whose life experiences, backgrounds, interests, and goals are incredibly different than mine.

ON TUCK’S UNIQUE LOCATION
As we Tuckies fondly say, we’re “out here in the woods.” Life in Hanover, NH is very different from life in Boston, New York, San Francisco, Mumbai, Tokyo, Lagos, Shanghai, London, or Lima. You can see the stars, hear the birds, breathe clean air, and feel the wind bringing warm rain or soft snow. The quiet can be unnerving for people who have never lived outside of big cities. But this is the beauty of the Tuck experience. Each student has chosen to come spend two years away in this tight-knit community. It’s not just a two-year break from a job; it’s an intentional step out of the fast-paced lives most of us have always lived, a commitment to something unfamiliar, to something we choose to share. At any school, you will see your classmates during the week; here at Tuck, we see each other on the weekends, too. Tuck’s intimate location creates bonds that transcend the two years spent together in the woods—it fosters a support system for life.

LESSONS THAT WILL STAY WITH ME 
One of the simplest lessons I learned here as a student at Tuck has also been one of the most impactful in my life beyond the classroom. A key concept from our Operations class during the first year is that 70 percent utilization of resources yields the highest output over the longest horizon. Beyond the business application of this insight—proof of which we calculated in countless scenarios and read testimonials in company cases from a variety of industries—it made me think about my own life. I tend to run at 100 percent utilization, so to speak. On any given day, my schedule is packed from dawn to dusk with classes, meetings, errands, workouts, events, etc. I want to do it all! But though I have cherished the opportunity to be integrated in countless elements of this Tuck community, I have also learned I am a better friend, leader, and learner when I build in buffer time. We can all do better by this. Remember to invite stillness into each day. You might find—as I have—that it’s often the quiet moments that bring clarity for whatever you tackle next.

ADVICE FOR PROSPECTIVE MBA STUDENTS
If you are considering an MBA, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of pressure-testing your reason why and cultivating confidence in that purpose. You deserve the opportunity to gift yourself optionality for life. That’s what a business degree brings. New perspectives, new horizons, new skills, new connections. Yes, all the newness brings plenty of uncertainty, but don’t balk at this. Lean into the possibility of it all. Be brave! Surprise yourself! If you are at all curious, ask more questions. If you are unsure about applying, take the risk. And if you are nervous to accept an offer, take the leap. If your reason why excites you and feels true to who you are, then no matter what happens, you’ll end up where you’re meant to be. You’ll learn something new about yourself and about the world, and that’s never a waste.