Hanover, NH: Two weeks ago in Hanover, just as the Tuck School of Business was wrapping up another successful admitted student weekend, students and faculty were busily preparing for an equally important event, Waitlist Wednesday. While ASW may be a little more high-profile, Dean Danos is quick to point out the event’s significance, “Contrary to popular opinion, our most prized students come from our waitlist”.

Like most MBA programs, the Tuck School can only accept a small percentage of its highly qualified applicants each year. Unfortunately for the admissions staff, these critical decisions must be made on the basis of “irrelevant GMAT scores, pointless interviews, and highly-suspect essays and recommendations.” According to the director of admissions Dawna Clark, “we make a lot of mistakes, tons actually. You wouldn’t believe how many high school hockey captains we let in only to find out later they have wrist-shots like Japanese school girls. It’s depressing.”

To combat this epidemic Tuck has increasingly used its wait list as a way to really put the applicants through their paces. “We really like to have fun with these folks. Waitlist Wednesday is my favorite event of the year” said Dean Hansen. “Last year we had an applicant who was a chef from one of the top restaurants in Paris, but how could we judge his chances of success without putting him on the waitlist, bringing him to Hanover and making him serve a four-course dinner to the Board of Overseers?”

Dean Pyke's Camaro, post-detailing by a junior commodities trader.

Long a faculty favorite, some critics claim that WW has gone from a good natured party to “more of a hazing ritual”. Professor Shumsky says “I look forward to the bankers vs. consultants strip pong tourney as much as anybody but [accounting professor] Stocken making 5 applicants shovel his driveway was a little much.”  Indeed, some claim that the admissions staff and faculty are taking advantage.  Dean Pyke says: “These incredibly talented and diverse individuals would do just about anything to get a recommendation that might just be the difference.  I guess sometimes we take it a little too far. Still, I don’t think that classic car buff from last year minded spending the weekend working on my ’68 Camaro. He got in didn’t he? Well, he should have.”