Dartmouth Tuck’s MBA Class Of 2024: Another Record GMAT

Tuck Class of 2024 MBAs paint murals in a team-building exercise during Managing People, a special Tuck Launch session led by professors Adam Kleinbaum and Dan Feiler. Tuck photo

It goes without saying that an Ivy League school is a special place. But in several key areas, according to its newly released MBA class profile, Dartmouth College’s business school adds to its special-ness by remaining in the graduate education vanguard.

The Tuck School of Business MBA Class of 2024 continues the Hanover, New Hampshire school’s long history at the forefront of gender inclusion, with 45% women in the new class that joins last year’s cohort boasting 46% females. Meanwhile, the school increased its percentage of U.S. minorities to 31%, boosted its internationals (including dual citizens and U.S. permanent residents) to 43%, and upped its LGBTQ contingent to 7% — all more than respectable markers among its peers in the U.S. top 10.

Though the Tuck School does not disclose application volume, most other U.S. B-schools are experiencing drops in apps, largely on the domestic front; assuming the same is true of Dartmouth, the above metrics are all the more impressive — as is its other prominent accomplishment in the new class: a school-record average Graduate Management Admission Test Score of 726, the second straight year Tuck has reported a new record.

'FROM A BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER PILOT TO A LEAD BALLET DANCER'

Pat Harrison: "We could not be more excited" about the new MBA class. Tuck photo

“We’ve recruited a gifted class of students who are incredibly smart but also curious,” says Amy Mitson, director of admissions, recruitment, and marketing, in a blog post announcing the new class. “I can’t wait to see where their curiosity leads them as they stretch themselves, rise to new challenges, and grow as both leaders and people.”

Like applications, Tuck doesn't disclose its acceptance rate, but the school has consistently been among the higher acceptance rates in the top 10. Its class size, however, is among the smallest each year, and this year it shrank slightly, to 287 from 294.

The new Tuck class has a widely diverse background, like those before it. Growth occurred in multiple categories: number of unique employers: 227 to 232; amount of professional experience: 65 months to 67; number of undergraduate majors: 72 to 76. Students with advanced degrees increased to 12% of the class from 11%; those with STEM majors in undergrad grew to 30% from 28%, and business majors from 27% to 28%. Only humanities majors declined, though they are still a plurality, to 41% from 45%.

Students with partners increased from 25% to 31%, while students with kids inched up to 4% from 5%. However, those who are first in their family to graduate from a four-year college or university declined from 16% to 11%.

“From a Blackhawk helicopter pilot, to a lead ballet dancer, to entrepreneurial physicians, the breadth of experience these students offer is remarkable,” says Pat Harrison, director of admissions, evaluation, and yield. “We could not be more excited for them to invest in one another and learn from each other, forming bonds that last well beyond their two years in Hanover.”

SOMEONE GOT INTO TUCK WITH 2.7 GPA

Besides the new record GMAT score, Tuck's new MBA class equals the Graduate Record Exam averages of the class of 2023 (162 verbal, 162 quant) and also carries an average GPA of 3.52, statistically insignificantly below last year's school-record mark of 3.54. The range of GPAs reported by the incoming class is again fun to contemplate, as someone with a 2.7 gained admission — much like last year when someone got into Tuck with a 2.6.

In terms of professional background, the biggest group in Tuck's Class of 2023 that arrived last year was consulting (25%), followed by finance (20%), technology (14%), nonprofit/government (9%), consumer goods/retail (8%), "other" (7%), healthcare/pharma/biotech (6%), energy (5%), media/entertainment (3%), and manufacturing (2%). This year, financial services takes the top spot (24%), followed by consulting (23%), nonprofit/government (11%), tech (10%), healthcare (10%), "other" (7%), consumer goods retail (6%), and, with 3% each, energy, media/entertainment, and manufacturing.

Tuck’s Lawrence Mur’ray says he's excited to meet the new class, his first as executive director of admissions and financial aid.

“It’s a privilege to join Tuck at the same time as such an impressive class,” Mur’ray says. “I can’t wait to personally meet the T’24s, learn what made them an excellent fit at Tuck, and partner with them in the year ahead to recruit Tuck’s next great class.”

DON'T MISS OUR REPORTS ON DUKE FUQUA'S MBA CLASS OF 2024 and MICHIGAN ROSS'S MBA CLASS OF 2024

Questions about this article? Email us or leave a comment below.