Ace Your Tuck MBA Interview 2024-2025

Everything you need to know for the Tuck MBA interview.

Quick Facts

Who does Tuck invite for interviews?

Who conducts the Tuck interview?

Most interviews are conducted by a select group of trained second-year students. Jump ahead to find out more about the Tuck interviewers.

How long is the Tuck MBA interview?

30 – 45 minutes. Jump ahead to find out more on the interview length.

Where is the interview held?

In the past, Tuck has allowed for applicant-initiated interviews on-campus as well as invitation-only interviews on- or off-campus or virtually. For the most recent app cycle, all interviews were conducted virtually. Jump ahead to read more on the interview location.

What is Tuck’s MBA interview format?

Tuck conducts a blind, one-on-one interview where the interviewer has access only to your resume. The interview questions can be best described as behavioral. Jump ahead to learn more about the format.

Deadlines and Decision Schedule

Invitations to interview are released on a rolling basis. It is possible to receive an invitation to interview in the days prior to the decision notification date. The timing of an interview invitation does not reflect the committee’s level of interest in an application.

Application RoundDeadlinesAdmission Decision OnInvitations to interview sent until
Round 1Sep 26, 2024Dec 12, 2024Early December, 2024
Round 2Jan 06, 2025Mar 13, 2025Mid-March, 2025
Round 3 Mar 26, 2025May 01, 2025Late April, 2025
More information is available on Tuck’s interview page.

Detailed Overview

This section is written by Obinna Arizor, a Tuck alumnus (‘19) and former Tuck Admissions Associate.

What Makes Tuck’s Interview Process Unique?

Tuck’s culture is known to be friendly and collegial, and their interview process is no different. Tuck’s interview process is often cited as one of the friendliest amongst all top-tier business schools. The interview typically focuses on three areas: 

  1. An understanding of the applicant’s background and goals 
  2. An explanation of how they behaved in situations that arose in their professional and/or extracurricular environment 
  3. The applicant’s understanding of how the program specifically complements their background and will position them for success

Tuck trains second-year students (referred to as Tuck Admissions Associates (TAAs)) to conduct the majority of admissions interviews. There may, however, be instances where an applicant interviews with a member of the Admissions Committee. 

Length

The length of the Tuck interview is set at a half hour, but actual experience may vary. Interviews as long as an hour have been reported. In general, interview length seems to be determined by the personality of the interviewer (i.e. whether they spend more time on introductory remarks) or by the amount of questions the interviewee has for the interviewer.

Location

Before COVID, Tuck’s goal was for applicants to self-initiate an interview and visit Hanover, New Hampshire. However, for those who were unable to do so, the Admissions Committee might have extended an invitation to interview in-person in Hanover, or even to interview virtually. This last option was especially common for international applications, but in the current pandemic, virtual interviews have become the new standard for all applicants. As already mentioned, Tuck is likely to revert back to its pre-COVID approach when normal business resumes. 

Typical Tuck Interview Format

Again, the interviewer is focused on understanding the three areas listed above in a (roughly) 30-minute timeframe. The sequence of questions in the interview may vary by interviewer. Some interviewers may ask the applicant to detail their interest in an MBA at the onset and work backwards to detailing his/her professional experience/life, while others might start from an applicant’s journey in the years preceding and work forward to the present day. Questions will largely be probing by nature, so one should not expect yes/no type questions or questions that do not require thought or further explanation. The interviewer will also allocate time toward the end of the discussion for Q&A. 

Tuck MBA Interview Sample Questions

This section follows the Tuck MBA interview “question-by-question,” or in rough chronological order. Like the details in the section above, these questions are sourced from Menlo Coaching’s client database of first-hand interview reports.

You can use the questions below to conduct mock interviews that mimic an actual conversation with a Tuck TAA interviewer or a member of the AdCom. 

For best results, however, consider seeking expert help via Menlo Coaching’s interview prep service.

The Tuck MBA interview, question-by-question

  1. Walk me through your resume.
  2. Why MBA and Why Tuck specifically?
  3. What project are you most proud of?
  4. Describe your leadership style & give examples of when you demonstrated it.
  5. Describe your strengths and weaknesses.
  6. What is something you want the admissions committee to know about you?
  7. Questions for the interviewer.

If you’re looking for guidance on how to answer questions like these with confidence, you can find detailed breakdowns for MBA interview questions here.