Darden School Military Veteran Featured in The Wall Street Journal

Posted on December 5, 2013 by Fareine Benz

Second Year student Scott Poitevent, president of the Darden Military Association and U.S. Navy veteran, was recently featured in The Wall Street Journal. In his interview, he discussed his experiences with applying to business school, his transition into life as an MBA student, the veteran recruiting network and the role that the Darden Military Association plays in supporting veterans at the School. Read the full story on The Wall Street Journal’s website.

This past summer, Scott also wrote an article for the Service Academy Career Conference blog on “Things to Consider When Applying to Business School.

Military veterans make up 7 – 9 % of Darden’s student population each year. To learn more about military veterans at the Darden School of Business, visit these pages:

Leave a comment

Admissions Q&A: Entrepreneurship, Scholarships and Application Materials

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Fareine Benz

Here is the transcript from today’s weekly chat.

Question: I’m looking at the general MBA program but with a focus on social business & entrepreneurship. Are there such specializations or classes at Darden?

Answer: We are a general management MBA program, and there is a concentration in Entrepreneurship that you could consider. Here is a link with some additional information: http://www.darden.virginia.edu/web/MBA/Entrepreneurship/Home/

We also have an i.Lab Incubator that provides faculty support, industry mentorship and $13,000 in funding for selected students to launch ventures at Darden. Darden offers more than 25 entrepreneurship electives, award over $1 million in entrepreneurship scholarships per year, and hold various entrepreneurship competitions throughout the year. Darden’s Batten Institute gives out 10 full scholarships to student entrepreneurs every year.  Students can get involved in entrepreneurship as early as the summer before their First Year through our incubator program.

Question: Is the incubator a competitive process?

Answer: There is an application process for the incubator program. You can learn more about the application process here: http://www.darden.virginia.edu/web/MBA/Entrepreneurship/Practicum/Incubator/

Question: I’m also very interested in the design thinking courses. Are they part of the Entrepreneurship program?

Answer: Yes, there are design thinking elective courses that you can select. One of our professors (Jeanne Liedka) is also teaching a Design Thinking course right now through Coursera as a MOOC. I’d encourage you to check it out.

Question: Does Darden allow flexibility in elective selection?

Answer: Yes, you can start choosing elective courses during the last term of your first year all the way through your second year. There are a variety of courses to choose from depending on your interests.

Question: Does Darden accept GMAT scores that are submitted after the application submission?

Answer: Yes. We will need a GRE or GMAT score to complete your application, but if you have an updated score after you have submitted your application we encourage you to send that to us and we can update this in your file.

Question: Do the recommendations need to be completed by the application deadline?

Answer: Yes, we do need to receive the recommendations by the application deadline. We encourage you to check in with your recommendation writers in advance of the deadline to make sure they are on track with submitting your letter in time.

Question: Are you still extending interview invitations to international students?

Answer: Thank you for your patience as we are still deep into our Round 1 review process. The majority of Round 1 interview invitations have now been sent, but please be aware that every year interview invitations are extended up until the decision release date of 17 December.

Question: Is there a separate application process for scholarships?

Answer: There is not a separate application process for scholarships. We have a committee that considers all applicants for scholarships. They are merit based. There will still be scholarships awarded during Round 2 and 3.

Question: Can I submit a recommendation letter in addition to the required two?

Answer: We will use the two letters of recommendation provided with your application in our review process. You are welcome to send through the additional information to darden@virginia.edu to be added to your file.

Question: I have already scheduled my GMAT and TOEFL test for March. Is it still possible for me to apply for Round 2, or should I consider applying in Round 3? Is there any difference in acceptance rates between rounds?

Answer: You will need to apply in Round 3 when you have scores available to complete your application. Our rates of acceptance vary each year during each round. Everyone should apply when they have their strongest application ready to submit.

Leave a comment

Preview Darden’s World Class Education on Coursera: Design Thinking for Business Innovation

Posted on December 3, 2013 by Fareine Benz

Darden is one of the first business schools to partner with Coursera, an educational platform that offers free “massive online open courses” (MOOCs). Along with Princeton, Stanford and other partner schools, Darden aims to impact the global business world and create opportunities for connections and synergies in the pursuit of new knowledge.

Currently, Darden Professor Jeanne M. Liedtka is offering a five-week course on Design Thinking for Business Innovation. This course, designed for anyone interested in innovation in an organizational context, answers the following questions:

  • What is design thinking?
  • How can we prepare ourselves to be leaders of innovation?
  • How can you use design thinking to generate ideas?
  • How can you use design thinking to test ideas?
  • What kind of changes can we expect to see coming out of the design thinking process?

Registration for the course will be open until Thursday, 5 December. MOOCs are a great way to learn more about Darden’s top-ranked faculty and further your business knowledge before enrolling in business school.

Video: Introduction to Design Thinking for Business Innovation

Interested in taking a future course with Darden faculty? Check out these courses scheduled to begin in 2014:

Leave a comment

Reminder: Forte MBALaunch for Women

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Fareine Benz

The Darden School of Business is a founding member of the Forté Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping more women pursue leadership roles in business. 

If you’re planning to begin your MBA studies in Fall 2015, we encourage you to learn more about the Forté MBALaunch for Women, a 10-month program which will give you a clear road map to help you navigate the business school application process. The Forte Foundation has recently opened the program up so that women from across the U.S. or Canada can attend the kickoff event in Boston, Chicago or Dallas and then complete the rest of the program virtually.

The deadline to apply for this opportunity is Tuesday, 3 December. Go to the Forté MBALaunch for Women website to apply.

Program Overview

  • Attend a one-day kick-off event in Boston, Chicago, or Dallas featuring intensive workshops with experienced speakers who can help you build your MBA candidacy
  • Get tailored, intensive GMAT study help from the leading GMAT test prep companies
  • Meet directly with admissions reps from top MBA programs
  • Connect with hundreds of women who have the same goal as you
  • Gain insights and advice about the admissions process from current students and alumni
  • Participate in monthly webinars on specific topics geared at building a top-notch application
  • Attend monthly peer group meetings
  • Receive additional resources and discounts for more support as you navigate this process

Interested in learning more about women at Darden? Visit our website to learn about Darden’s partnership with the Forte Foundation, our chapter of Graduate Women in Business, and other resources within our community.

Leave a comment

Thanksgiving Holiday Closing and Round 1 Application Update

Posted on November 26, 2013 by Fareine Benz

The Darden School of Business will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday on Wednesday, 27 November – Friday, 29 November. We will resume our normal operating hours on Monday, 2 December. There will not be a weekly chat on Wednesday, 27 November.

Before the holiday break, we wanted to give you a quick update on the Round 1 application process. The majority of Round 1 interview invitations have now been sent, but please be aware that every year interview invitations are extended up until the decision release date of 17 December.

Please note that your application status will not change until the decision release date on Tuesday, 17 December. You will receive an email once your status changes and will need to log into the application system to view your status.

Thank you for your patience as we evaluate this round of applicants. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

Leave a comment

From New York City to Charlottesville

Posted on November 21, 2013 by Fareine Benz

Ranked one of the top places to live in the United States, Charlottesville combines big city cultural amenities with beautiful scenery and outdoor activity options. In this week’s guest blog, First Year Sasha Friedman describes how living in Charlottesville compares to her previous location New York City:

Sasha Friedman

Sasha Friedman, Class of 2015

“I moved to Charlottesville after spending 7 years in New York City. Not only was I coming from a big city, but I also went to undergrad in NYC, so my idea of a ‘quad’ was a public park, and to me a public park meant 80% cement, 15% grass and 5% flowers. This is not Charlottesville at all — and that’s exactly why I chose to move here and have loved every minute of it.

The first thing that people will tell you about Charlottesville is how beautiful it is, and that is definitely a great selling point. I’m sitting on my patio in the height of the fall season and I cannot stop looking at how perfectly colored the trees are on the surrounding mountains. My 6-minute walk to and from school everyday beats my walk to and from Grand Central that I made for the last 3 years.

Beyond the beautiful scenery in Charlottesville (and there is A LOT of it), there is also a lot to actually DO in Charlottesville. Of course, as a New Yorker, I was highly skeptical that any place outside of the city would have a decent bagel, but Charlottesville has Bodo’s, which is just as delicious as an H&H NYC bagel. The greater food scene is incredible as well, with such a wealth of choices, from Thai to Sushi to delicious barbeque. I never feel that I am lacking in options for where to eat and where to drink. Just last week I found a new bar on the downtown mall designed like a horse stable with their own unique copper drinking cups and innovative alcoholic concoctions. For as much as Charlottesville is not like a large city, it comes with a lot of the large city benefits, like a diverse food scene, funky bars and great concerts/performances.

My favorite part of Charlottesville though is the Shenandoah Valley and all of the activities that come with it. I went hiking 6 times within the first 3 months of school; some hikes had dozens of waterfalls, others had challenging rock scrambles and some with unbelievable views of Charlottesville. With ski season around the corner there are plenty of opportunities to go on a day trip to Wintergreen resort just outside of the city.

Of course, no day of hiking would be complete without a stop at one of Charlottesville’s breweries. If beer isn’t your thing, Virginia also has more vineyards than you will have time to visit. With Sunday polo matches at the King’s Family Vineyard, Saturday night stargazing events at Veritas vineyard and dog-friendly happy hours at Keswick Vineyard, you will have plenty of options of where to try Virginia’s famous wine.

Whether you’re an avid outdoorsman, wine connoisseur, lover of ethnic cuisine or just a fan of gorgeous scenery, Charlottesville will not disappoint.”

Sasha Friedman is a current First Year in Section B (go birds!), looking toward a career in Operations Management or Marketing. Prior to Darden, she worked as a paralegal in the corporate transactions practice of a New York City law firm. When she’s not reading cases or going to trivia with her learning team, she loves sitting out on Flagler Court and enjoying a “real” quad experience.

Leave a comment

Darden Social Entrepreneur Featured in Poets & Quants

Posted on November 19, 2013 by Fareine Benz

Darden EntrepreneurAfter a career working in non-profit and philanthropy, Veneka Chagwedera (MBA ’13) knew she wanted to start a social enterprise and give back to the community. In 2012, Veneka founded Nouri Bar, a socially conscious company that produces organic, all-natural and vegan energy bars. For every Nouri bar sold, a free, hot meal is given to a hungry child in school.

Under the guidance of Darden professors Saras Sarasvathy, Jeanne Leidtka and Ed Hess, Veneka launched Nouri Bar in Darden’s i.Lab Incubator with partner Jared Crooks. Nouri Bar has since provided over 20,000 meals to impoverished children in southern Africa. They hope to expand the program into Guatemala, Haiti and India by 2014.

Nouri Bar products are available for purchase online and in stores across the East Coast. Visit the Nouri Bar website for more information on their products and social mission.

Read the full article, “Nouri: The TOM’s Shoes of Snack Food“ in Poets & Quants.

Leave a comment

MBA Case Competitions

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Fareine Benz

In the guest post below, First Year Joshua Francis describes his experience in winning third place at the Howard MBA Exclusive (MBAX) Case Competition:

“A case competition is a fun way to apply class concepts to a fictional or non-fictional business issue. Typically, in case competitions, participants compete for the best solution to a case study within an allocated timeframe and then present the solution to a panel of judges. Darden students have opportunities to participate in company-sponsored case competitions, as well as competitions sponsored by other schools.

The Howard MBAX Case Competition was a great way for me to practice my project management, strategic thinking and presentation skills. The format of the Howard competition was slightly different from other case competitions — instead of competing against Darden students first for eligibility into a national competition, we immediately got to compete against other schools.

Although I’m a First Year, I got to team up with two Darden Second Years Kenneth Acuna and Edem Seshie. We met each evening after learning team for a couple of weeks to prepare for the competition. Our schedules prevented us from meeting for a long periods of time so we stuck to a divide-and-conquer strategy.

Darden was instrumental in our preparation. By studying hundreds of cases during our time at Darden, we were able to easily approach the case using different perspectives and easily analyze and communicate our recommendations. Our presentation was based on a ‘recommendation and reasoning’ format that came directly from our class concepts. We ended up placing third and winning $2000 in prize money.

My favorite part of the competition was becoming better friends with my team. Going into the competition, we knew each other already, but by the end of the competition, we had gotten a lot closer. The Howard MBAX Case Competition gave us a valuable opportunity to bond, exercise what we learned in class in a different learning environment, and network with students in other MBA programs.”

Leave a comment

Weekly Chat Transcript: Non-Traditional Backgrounds, Application Criteria and More

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Fareine Benz

Join us every Wednesday at 12:30 – 1:00 p.m. (EST) to chat with a Darden Admissions representative.

Question: Do you need some experience in business to apply to Darden?

Answer: No. You do not need a traditional business background to apply. We build a class made up of students from all industries and experience. We value diverse perspectives to contribute to the discussion during the case method and to provide a unique perspective for your learning team. We want to better understand your career goals and how our MBA fits into them.

Question: Does Darden have resources to help students from non-traditional backgrounds transition into a career in business?

Answer: Any of the three formats provide a broad enterprise perspective in General Management allowing you to advance in your current industry or develop the skills and knowledge to seek out other opportunities. You receive individualized career counseling from a functionally-aligned career advisor, as well as a Second Year student career coach. Both are available to meet with students one-on-one to review resumes and cover letters, prepare for interviews and negotiation processes, conduct mock interviews, etc. http://www.darden.virginia.edu/web/MBA/Career/Resources/Home/

Question: What are the differences between the full-time and executive MBA formats?

Answer: Executive MBA students receive the same MBA degree as our full-time students. They’re also taught by the same top-ranked faculty using the case study method. The main differences are the experience level of the cohort and the format/schedule in which instruction is delivered. Executive MBA students work full time while earning their MBA degree in 21 months.

Question:  I’m a round one applicant wondering about interview invitations.  Any news?  Or still just be patient until the December deadline?

Answer: We are still in our review process of Round 1 applications and are continuing to read through them. All first round candidates will be notified with a decision by December 17th.We will be continuing to send invitations for interviews over the next few weeks.

Question: What qualities do you look for in a typical applicant?

Answer: We take all aspects of a candidate’s application into account.  We will review undergraduate work, professional experience, GMAT scores, essays, professional letters of recommendation, etc. We are trying to get to know you as a person as much as we can.

I encourage you to watch Darden MBA Admissions Dean Sara Neher’s video blog on how to approach your MBA application. It contains very useful advice. http://youtu.be/0cUpZj282as

Question: Is the application process for the dual degree programs any different from the regular MBA programs?

Answer: Here is a helpful link to our dual degree programs. You do need to apply separately to each: http://www.darden.virginia.edu/web/mba/academics/dual-degrees/

Question: Are GRE scores waived in any circumstance?

Answer: We require the GRE or GMAT for all full-time MBA applicants, so there are no waivers.

For our executive MBA applicants (EMBA or GEMBA) — In a very few exceptional cases, a waiver of the GMAT may be granted to candidates who hold an advanced degree in an analytic field. To request a waiver, please e-mail your résumé, academic transcripts and standardized test scores to EMBA@darden.virginia.edu.

Leave a comment

Connect With Darden Online

Posted on November 12, 2013 by Fareine Benz

In addition to class visits, Darden will be hosting events in Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and New York City to give you the chance to meet Admissions representatives and alumni.

If you can’t make it to any of those cities, there are still plenty of opportunities to connect with Darden online before the Round 2 deadline.

The Economist Webinar

Thursday, 21 November
7:00 – 8:00 p.m. (EST)

Join Assistant Director of Admissions Kristen Egan in this interactive webinar with The Economist to learn more about how the Darden MBA prepares you to lead in any organization, at any stage of your career. Register

The Economist Online Chats

Wednesday, 20 November, 7:00 – 10:00 a.m. (EST)
Wednesday, 20 November, 12:30 – 3:30 p.m. (EST)
Thursday, 21 November, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (EST)

Current Darden students will be available at The Economist’s Which MBA? Online Fair to answer questions about their Darden experience. Register

Beat the GMAT Chat With Shawn Sturgeon

Tuesday, 3 December, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. (EST)

Join Beat the GMAT for a live Q&A with Darden Second Year Shawn Sturgeon as he discusses life at Darden and in Charlottesville. Shawn is a U.S. Army veteran from California interested in a career in global business, health care and marketing. Register.

Twitter Chat with MBA Admissions Dean Sara Neher

Thursday, 12 December, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. (EST)

Join MBA Admissions Dean Sara Neher for a live chat on Twitter. She will answer your questions regarding life at Darden and the MBA application process. To participate, simply tweet @SaraNeher using the “#DardenMBA” hashtag.

Weekly Wednesday Online Chats

Every Wednesday, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. (EST)

If you have a question about the application or admissions process, you can instant message with an admissions committee member on Wednesdays from 12:30-1:00 p.m. (EST). Simply login on a Wednesday at 12:30 p.m.

Leave a comment