There is a short window of time in which newly graduated undergraduate students (or Masters degree students without work experience) are eligible to apply for UVA Darden’s deferred enrollment program. If you graduate between 1 October 2024 and 30 September 2025, you are eligible to apply for the next deadline: 8 August 2025.
UVA undergrad alumni in Darden’s Full-Time MBA Class of 2025 recently sat down to discuss their choice to apply to the Future Year Scholars Program (FYSP) and what it has meant for their careers. Continue reading to hear from Betsy Brandon (CLAS ’19), Matt Cunningham (SEAS ’19), John Grencer (COMM ’20) and Chris Woodfolk (BAT ’20). Or watch the webinar recording to hear from them directly!
Double-Hoo Perspectives
Betsy Brandon (CLAS ’19)
Betsy Brandon (Class of 2025) studied speech communication disorders and Spanish at UVA, all while playing on the varsity soccer team. After graduation, she played professional soccer in the U.S. and overseas before matriculating to Darden.
For prospective students nervous about applying to Darden without a finance background, Betsy shares this advice: “The most surprising [thing about my time at Darden] is that I’ve grown in my confidence. Being a woman in an MBA program…I was not coming in with any of the technical skills to thrive in accounting or finance or economics. Darden helps you learn how to rise to any challenge. You get prepared to say something useful. You don’t have to say the smartest thing, but what [is important is the unique] perspective you bring to the classroom.”
Matt Cunningham (SEAS ’19)
Matt Cunningham (Class of 2025) was a systems engineering major at UVA before moving to New York City to work for Accenture. He worked for nearly five years before returning to UVA for his MBA. He chose Darden because he wanted to be in a college town for graduate school, but is returning to New York after graduation to work as a Senior Director for a pickle company (yes, really).
Through his pre-Darden and MBA internship experience, Matt learned that the size of the company he works for makes a difference. “Accenture is a massive company…I realized I didn’t like that. Consulting is great and I learned a lot, but I quickly realized I wanted to work for a smaller company where I have agency over decision making that would lead to tangible revenue increase or strategic decisions.”
John Grencer (COMM ’20)
John Grencer (Class of 2025) graduated from the McIntire School of Commerce, the undergraduate business school at UVA. He worked in consulting in Washington, D.C. before returning to UVA for his MBA at Darden.
When asked how he would describe the benefits of attending both of UVA’s business schools, he shared, “Yes, the programs cover many of the same disciplines (Marketing, Accounting, Organizational Behavior, etc.), but they do so in strikingly different ways. Each experience is undeniably unique. As an undergraduate school, McIntire emphasizes hard skills and employs a diverse mix of teaching methods (Lecture, Practicum, Simulation, with a touch of Case). Darden, by contrast, is entirely Case-based—its Core experience is one of the best classroom environments in higher education because of this, full stop. Darden places a greater emphasis on soft skills, critical thinking, and communication refinement. Both programs provide distinct and valuable intellectual takeaways.”
Chris Woodfolk (BAT ’20)
Chris Woodfolk (Class of 2025) grew up in Charlottesville and was a Leadership and Public Policy major at UVA, and decided to apply to the FYSP after meeting Dead Beardsley on Grounds! He worked in financial services for three years before returning to Darden for his MBA. He says, “Coming back to Darden was a no-brainer.”
Knowing you have a spot saved in a future Full-Time MBA class through the Future Year Scholars Program is an incredible safety net. Chris shares, “[My deferral period company] knew I that I was in a deferred program, and I had a pretty great manager who designed an experience for me that would have been one that was going to benefit the MBA experience…to be able to spend those two to three years knowing that I was [learning about things that I could later apply to the] Darden classroom. You need the work experience to be able to contribute in the classroom.”
The FYSP Application
Start or continue your FYSP application here. The application deadline is 8 August 2025!
