Tuck Class of 2028 Essay Analysis

Tuck has released its essays for the 2025-26 application cycle.

2025/26 essay questions

Essay 1:

Why are you pursuing an MBA and why now? How will the distinct Tuck MBA contribute to achieving your goals and aspirations? What particular aspects of Tuck will be instrumental in your growth? (2000 characters)

Essay 2:

Tell us who you are. How have your values and experiences shaped your identity and character? How will your unique background contribute to Tuck and/or enhance the experience of your classmates? (2000 characters)

Essay 3:

Describe a time when you meaningfully invested in someone else’s success without immediate benefit to yourself. What motivated you, and what was the impact? (2000 characters)

Reapplicant essay:

How have you strengthened your candidacy since you last applied? Reflect on how you have grown personally and professionally and how your understanding of Tuck has developed. (2000 characters)

Optional essay:

Please provide any additional insight or information that you have not addressed elsewhere (e.g., atypical choice of references, factors affecting academic performance, unexplained job gaps or changes). Complete this question only if you feel your candidacy is not fully represented by this application. (2000 characters)

2025/26 essay question analysis

Essay 1

This is a question often asked by other schools, so you may be able to borrow from work you have already done. It is important to highlight the impact you want to have (i.e. improve XYZ industry based on your experience) rather than a role (i.e. CEO of a consumer products company), as the former will be more credible for the reader given the twists and turns one’s career can take. Also important to a successful answer is highlighting what from your existing experience makes you the right choice to pursue this path, and how you will use experiences at Tuck (the more specific you can be, the better) to build upon your existing background. Doing so will showcase what you already bring to the table, giving the reader more confidence you are the right choice.

Essay 2

While this topic may come across easy to some applicants, avoid the trap of summarizing your resume and listing your career progression in chronological order.

Instead, ask friends and family 2-3 characteristics about you that separate you from others they know, and look for common answers. Try to avoid topics that other applicants may also write about (i.e. most applicants are hard-working, smart, and persevere). Then, consider a story or example that encapsulates how you applied these characteristics to achieve success, and write about that (aim to tell this story in 50%-75% of the character limit).

We recommend spending the rest of the essay on how your individuality will make Tuck a better place. Importantly, make these contributions specific, and linked to the characteristics you just discussed. That will maximize the chances that your story is remembered by the reader.

Essay 3

This essay will depend on the example you choose. We have found the most successful examples include some type of sacrifice on your part, either time, political capital, or resources invested to help someone else succeed. It is ok to use mentoring subordinates as an example, but be aware that this will be a common approach, and thus risks not differentiating you from other applicants. Also aim to use an example over the last 2-3 years from your professional roles, so the Admissions Committee can have more confidence that their extrapolation will be representative of how you might support others at Tuck.

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