Please provide any additional insight or information that you have not addressed elsewhere that may be helpful in reviewing your application.
Sample One
The flexibility that Tuck offers students to design custom dual-degree programs is an important reason for my application to Tuck. I intend to design a custom MBA/MS in Computer Science with the Thayer school, and I wish to briefly elaborate upon my reasons for pursuing this dual degree.
The networked world generates new data each day; discerning patterns and identifying signals amidst these data requires developing algorithms that process billions of records and perform sophisticated analyses. My work at New Corp, a startup with $30 million in venture funding—where our CEO still writes code—and my discussions with successful Silicon Valley entrepreneurs have made it clear that advanced computer science knowledge is fundamental to a successful technology startup.
Through the MS program, I intend to enhance my knowledge of statistical and numerical methods as they apply to data-mining and machine-learning. At New Corp, I have applied some of these powerful techniques to massive data-sets and have thus realized that further study of these concepts is crucial to successfully executing my business concept—transforming how online and mobile travel is packaged and sold. The Tuck MBA’s focus on general management, strategy, and entrepreneurship will enable me to identify industry trends, make the right inferences, and apply these technical skills to develop new products. This joint curriculum, designed in consultation with faculty from both schools, will help me build a company that provides technically innovative services, meets customers’ needs, and ultimately, attains market leadership. That the two schools are part of the Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network is testament to the complementary nature of the business and engineering skills needed to bring new venture ideas to fruition.
Startup success depends upon the ability to successfully develop and execute an innovative idea. This custom dual degree at Dartmouth/Tuck will prepare me to realize my goal.
Sample Two
The year 2007, which is missing on my resume, was a year of great personal growth for me, if not professional success. By the time I graduated from The University of Colorado in December 2006, I had spent three years as a drummer in the band The Mike Jones Project. I had successfully balanced our many club gigs with my academic interests but was eager to pursue my love for music full-time. The band had built up an avid local following, and we decided to spend a year touring the U.S. in pursuit of a recording contract.
Though it was scary to pool my graduation money and leftover student loans with my band mates to pay for our touring van, it was also exhilarating to travel to parts of the country I’d never visited and play music five nights a week. Unfortunately, we barely made enough to cover our expenses and after a year of touring and recording demos, we hadn’t sustained any record company interest. I made the difficult decision to leave the band and move back to Denver to make use of my marketing degree. While we didn’t fulfill our dream of gaining a record contract, I know I always would have wondered “what if” had I not spent a year on the road. Also, the experience ignited my passion for the business side of music and sparked my career goal of opening a chain of live music venues.