In lieu of our Weekly Wednesday Admissions Chat, Assistant Dean of MBA Admissions Sara Neher will host an online video Q&A session from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. (EDT) on Wednesday, 10 October. You will be able to ask questions about the application process, as well as general questions about the MBA program. Participants will type questions into the chat interface and Sara Neher will answer the questions directly via video.
To access the chat, go to the following link a few minutes before the chat begins: http://connect.darden.virginia.edu/apply2012
Questions from today’s Weekly Wednesday Admissions Chat are included below:
Question: As an international student, is it necessary to provide translated documents at the time of application or can I submit it post admission?
Answer: The Admissions Committee needs the translated documents in order to evaluate your application, so we need them at the time you submit.
Question: How is a graduation CPI (out of 10) converted into a GPA (on a 4.0 scale)?
Answer: We don’t convert GPA’s into the typical U.S. 4-point scale. Members of our Committee are familiar with various grading scales around the world. However, if you are concerned, feel free to explain your school’s grading system in the Additional Information area of our application.
Question: On the application essay, does the ”challenging work situation or complex problem” have to be related to professional experiences or can I cite challenges that I faced in an extra-curricular event?
Answer: It’s fine to use an extra-curricular event as the topic of your essay.
Question: Is it okay to write about lessons learned or should the focus be on the approach to the problem? Also, should we restrict the focus to only one situation or can we focus on multiple work situations?
Answer: You should 1) describe the situation, 2) describe your consideration/analysis of the situation and 3) what you learned. If you fully develop your essay answer, you’ll only have space for one example.
Question: Is it safe to assume that the application reviewer will have read my resume completely prior to reviewing any of my essays?
Answer: Yes, the Admissions committee reviews resumes before reading essays.
Question: Do we need to have GMAC send official GMAT score reports at the time of application or can we wait to do that if/when admitted?
Answer: We won’t need/request the GMAT score until a candidate has accepted our offer of admission.
Question: If a student applies at an early deadline and is not accepted, can he or she reapply at a later deadline?
Answer: No, you can’t reapply in the same year. If you think delaying until the Round 2 deadline will help you create a stronger application, do that.
Question: What is Darden’s approach to the different deadlines–do you target certain numbers or percentages of admitted applicants at earlier deadlines?
Answer: We don’t really have targets for the various deadlines. However, keep in mind in Round 1 that we have every seat to fill and every scholarship dollar to award. We also know that first round applicants are more likely to accept our offers. The second round is typically the largest number-wise. Third-rounders have challenges related to number of seats and scholarship dollars.
Question: Should a candidate use the Additional Information section as an opportunity to explain non-involvement in extra-curricular activities since graduation if the reason is due to time constraints with work place commitments?
Answer: Yes, I would use the Additional Information section for the purpose you describe. That section is primarily for candidates to explain anything that might raise concern in the minds of Admissions committee members.
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