Tuck Interview

After the fiasco of the carnegie mellon interview, I was keen to make amends. A oppurtunity came along with Tuck's invite.

I was scheduled to interview with a second year student ( Telephonic ..... Again ) without digressing too much, I would like to add that - Whatever Admissions Commitee's proclaim, a telephonic interview is not quite the same as a face 2 face interview. you feel that your answers were not as convincing as they would have been f2f, telephonic interviews are devoid of hand movements and other non-verbal gestures. voice modulation does not achieve similar results.

Oh Well, ahhh yes, Tuck. Keen to make amends I researched like hell on the interviewer, and got to know possibly everything on the web about him. even called a school friend who did his undergrad in Dartmouth, to get the latest dope.

After extensive research on the interviewer, procrastination and work deadlines set in and IH was unable to put the same amout of hours or even minutes into more specific Tuck research. hence like a qualified procrastinator decided to "Wing it in" - Read as, minimal prep, meandered through the website for a few hours before the ineterview.

The interview and the research about the guy helped. He was a major studly jock, brilliant athlete and finance guru. held a number of record timings for sprints and rowing. Brilliant profile. I decided to concentrate on my extra-curricular activites which are quite significant and made that my differentiating factor or WoW factor.

The interview went on well, typical questions such as

• walk me through your resume
• why mba
• why tuck
• what kind of extra-currics do you enjoy
• 2 specific cv related questions 1) work ex 2) extra-currics ( what is that )
• why now
• more why now, appeared unconvinced, can hardly blame him. i have about a year's work ex.
• etcetera

The major mistakes I might have made were

1. I was speaking too fast, typical of most indians
2. he was speaking too slow, made me miss out on some stuff on long questions. for instance in a typically long-winded question in which " what kind you bring to Tuck with your... and add to diversity.. .. succesfuly... why are you so interested", was replaced by Why Tuck upon asking him to repeat the question.
3. Too eager, maybe .

However, i was feeling good after the interview. but I guess that is typical of all BEI interviews. One should try some interviews in Indian B-schools such as the IIM's or even the IIT's who have recently started their own schools of management.

They really grill and ask insane amounts of General Knowledge, which unfortunately isnt always general.

However, In spite of my valiant efforts i recieved a ding a few days back. well...