The Tuck School of Business Administration may tap into the market of undergraduates interested in business with a new summer program.
But the plan to create a summer program introducing undergraduates to business and management is in the "very early exploratory stages," said Associate Dean of the Faculty of the Tuck School Scott Neslin.
Neslin said "people who attend the program might perceive it as a transition ... to a business school career."
Because the Tuck School receives "more applications than we can handle right now," they do not see the creation of a summer program as a way to draw more students to the school, Neslin said.
According to the program's concept statement, the summer program would be organized around six areas of interest: marketing, accounting and finance, human resources, operations management, technology management and business strategy.
The program would introduce students to these six concepts and study them using "real world applications."
"The result for the participant is a solid introduction to business principles and practical insights for how to apply these principles, thus providing the undergraduate a fascinating learning experience and a head start on the path toward a business career," according to the concept statement.
While other colleges have undergraduate business programs, few have summer programs similar to that described in the concept statement, Neslin said.
Most students received a survey from the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration in their Hinman boxes last week, which requested their opinions about a potential summer program that would introduce undergraduates to business and management issues.
Although the survey was conducted using only Dartmouth students, the program would "not be exclusively for Dartmouth undergraduates," Neslin said.
The percentage of Dartmouth students who attend Tuck is "not as large as it used to be," although Dartmouth is still Tuck's primary feeder school, Neslin said.
Neslin said the survey sent out last week was a follow-up to a pilot study.
In the pilot study, the Tuck School mailed 100 questionnaires and approximately 20 percent were returned, Neslin said. To obtain a greater yield, he said the Tuck School sent out a larger number of surveys this time.
Neslin said the purpose of the survey was to gauge student opinion about the idea and to determine the market potential for such a program. The program would hypothetically cost $6,000 per student and last four weeks, according to the questionnaire.
The next step in the process will either involve further market research or planning the actual program, depending on the responses to the survey, Neslin said.
"It would have to be something that would make sense to us" in order for Tuck to implement the program, he said.
Neslin said Dartmouth students were surveyed since it is less expensive and more convenient than searching for information elsewhere.
Some students supported the Tuck School's proposal.
Yuri Feldman '98 said he thinks the program is a good idea and the Tuck School would benefit from implementing it.
Feldman said "it's good to get some exposure to business as an undergraduate."
The program will probably "spark a lot of interest" in students from both Dartmouth and other schools, Feldman said, adding that the one drawback to the summer program is its potential cost to participants.
