Essay #1
Please respond fully but concisely to the following essay. Although there are no restrictions for the length of your response, most applicants use 1,000 words for fewer. There is no right or wrong answer.

For the past 10 years, you have worked for the primary employer in an economically depressed city. Eighty percent of your company’s revenue comes from one flagship product, but revenue has declined steadily for the past five years as new competitors entered the market. Last year, company revenue fell 15% to $20 million, while operating costs continued to escalate. An aggressive new competitor is expected to launch a lower cost, more advanced version of your company’s flagship product. If true, this could severely erode your company’s market share and push the company into bankruptcy.

Senior management assigned you to lead a team to investigate this new competitor and analyze the threat it poses. You stressed the vital importance of this project to your team, explaining that it could make the difference between the company’s success and failure. As a result, your team worked tirelessly in pursuit of the information. Throughout the process, you were very impressed with the level of detail one of your top analysts was able to obtain on the competitor’s product. With this in-depth information, you were able to develop a strategic recommendation that will have a good chance of successfully fending off the competitor’s launch plan. The CEO is thrilled with the work and immediately offers you and the analyst a promotion. Walking back to your office the analyst comments, “It sure is lucky that my cousin works for the competition!”

Keeping in mind that the future of your company is potentially in peril, what would you do? What professional or personal experiences would you draw upon to guide your actions?

Short-Answer Questions
Please respond fully but concisely to each quotation. Each essay response should be 250-750 words. Please compose your explanation off-line and upload here.

Essay #2:
Why is an MBA a critical next step towards your short and long-term career goals? Why is Tuck the best MBA program for you?

Essay #3:
What is the most significant non-academic disappointment you have experienced? How did you handle the situation, and what have you learned from it?

Essay #4:
Tuck looks for students who will have a positive, measurable impact on the communities and businesses with which they are involved. Describe a time when you saw an opportunity and took the initiative to improve or change a situation. Discuss the challenges you faced and the results you achieved.

Reapplicant Essay
Candidates who applied to Tuck between October 2002 and April 2003 are required to complete the reapplicant essay in addition to this year’s four essay questions. If you applied prior to October 2002, you may complete the reapplicant essay but it is not required. Although there is no restriction on the length of this essay, please be concise.

How have you strengthened your candidacy since you last applied? Please reflect on how you've grown personally and professionally.

Optional Essay
Please provide any additional insight or information that may be helpful in reviewing your application. Complete this section only if you feel your candidacy is not fully represented by this application.