In the following video, Darden’s Admissions Dean Sara Neher talks about the three things that make Darden different from other business schools and how they will impact your career:
Archive for the 'Admissions' Category
Questions from yesterday’s Weekly Wednesday Admissions Chat are included below:
Question: I am hoping to apply next year for the Darden MBA program, and was wondering what activities and different things I can do in this next year to make myself a better candidate for admission.
Answer: Getting involved in the community is important. Volunteering, mentoring and coaching for instance. It’s really up to you.
Question: Can you elaborate on the timeline of the admissions process?
Answer: We offer 3 deadlines in October, January and March all for entrance in the fall of 2013. We hold receptions around the country and abroad each fall, and you can arrange to attend a class to get to know the teaching environment at Darden.
Question: Do you know when the summer open house dates, both on campus and off campus, will be finalized?
Answer: We’re not sure yet, but the dates will be posted on our Events & Receptions website as soon as we finalize them. Stay tuned!
To participate in the next Weekly Wednesday Admissions Chat, log into the chat any Wednesday from 12:30-1:00 p.m. (Eastern Time).
In the following video blog, Assistant Dean of MBA Admissions Sara Neher talks about advice for applicants on the waitlist and Round 2 decisions which will be released next week:
Questions from today’s Weekly Wednesday Admissions Chat are included below:
Question: What is most important in student evaluation for admission?
Answer: We look at your application holistically. That being said, it is important that your quantitative scores are competitive as they demonstrate to us your ability to succeed in business school. Your work experience and recommendations are also very important.
Question: Is the Executive MBA program online or full-time on campus?
Answer: The Executive MBA program is considered a full-time program, but it allows you to continue working full time while earning your MBA degree. It incorporates both online and on-Grounds learning. On average, you are required to spend one weekend (Thursday through Saturday) per month at Darden. The rest of the time is spent doing distance learning with your classmates and teammates in the evenings and on weekends.
Question: Does an international candidate get financial assistance?
Answer: We have an excellent international loan program. It changes from year to year as we work very diligently to get the best rates for our students. Our previous programs have not required a U.S. co-signer.
Question: Does the loan option depend on our GMAT score?
Answer: Loan options have nothing to do with your GMAT score.
Question: Does Darden have early admissions?
Answer: We do not do early admissions. Our Round 1 application deadline will probably be due again in mid-October. The exact date will be posted on our website this summer.
Question: What sort of experience is required for your MBA?
Answer: We like to see 3-7 years of work experience for our full-time program. The EMBA/GEMBA programs look for 7+ years of experience.
Question: I’m an international applicant. Could I still apply in the third round?
Answer: Anyone can still apply for Round 3; the deadline is April 4th.
Question: What is the average GMAT score last year?
Answer: The average GMAT for our full-time program last year was 701.
To participate in the next Weekly Wednesday Admissions Chat, log into the chat any Wednesday from 12:30-1:00 p.m. (Eastern Time).
Just a quick reminder that Philippe Sommer, Director of Darden’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, will be hosting a live video chat today, March 2nd from 12:00-12:30 p.m. (EST). Philippe will give an overview of resources and opportunities available to Darden MBA students interested in entrepreneurship, followed by Q & A.
To participate in this online event, log into the chat a few minutes before the chat starts and use the “Enter as a Guest” option.
On Monday, March 5th, we will host our final Open House for this admissions cycle. This event is geared toward applicants who plan to apply in Round 3 and in future admissions cycles. Please note that we do not advise Round 2 applicants to attend this event. An Open House includes a class visit, Career Development Center and Financial Aid information sessions, student life panel, lunch with students and a tour of the Darden Grounds. Registration is required and available through the online Class Visit scheduling system.
Wednesday, March 7th will be our last class visit day in Term 4 before the students leave for spring break and then return in early April to participate in the Capstone Leadership Experience. Class visits will resume on Tuesday, April 17th and registration for those will be available in early March.
Next week, there are two special opportunities to interact directly with the Darden Admissions Office:
The Economist’s Which MBA? Online Fair
At The Economist’s Which MBA? Online Fair you can browse our virtual booth to learn more about the Darden MBA programs and chat live with admissions officers. The event is open for 48 hours starting on Monday, February 6th through Tuesday, February 7th.
As part of the event, Assistant Dean of MBA Admissions Sara Neher will be hosting a live webinar about “How to Apply to a Top U.S. Business School” from 4:00 – 4:30 p.m. on February 6th.
Live Chat with Associate Director of Admissions Wendy Huber
On Tuesday, February 7th from 12-1 p.m. (EST), Associate Director of Admissions Wendy Huber will be participating in a live Q & A on Beat the GMAT.
Questions from yesterday’s Weekly Wednesday Admissions Chat are included below:
Question: Could you shed some light on how the elevator pitch is analyzed by the Admissions Committee (since pitching to a VC or dream CEO is a completely different thing)?
Answer: Instead of asking for a 500-word essay on your long- and short-term goals, we ask you to be far more brief. This shows us that you’ve thought about your next steps post MBA. In writing the question, we wanted to be sure we gave entrepreneurs a way to show us their next steps as well.
Question: If there is a change in the terms of employment at our current organization, are we encouraged to e-mail these details to the AdCom? For instance, if there has been a significant change in compensation or additions to our roles and responsibilities.
Answer: You can definitely send an email to darden@virginia.edu and we’ll add the information to your application. Just remember, applications are being read now, so it may be that the info gets added in after being reviewed. With lots of apps coming in we really have to move them through the system.
Question: Any updates on interview invites for Round 2 applicants?
Answer: Interview invites are going out. We can invite for an interview all the way up to March 28th. I know the waiting can be difficult but I promise we are working through the applications as fast as we can. We want to be sure we are doing a good read and not missing anything.
To participate in the next Weekly Wednesday Admissions Chat, log into the chat any Wednesday from 12:30-1:00 p.m. (Eastern Time).
Questions from yesterday’s Weekly Wednesday Admissions Chat are included below:
Question: Could you tell when the Round 2 interview invitations will be sent out?
Answer: Round 2 invitations for interviews have just started to go out. We can invite applicants for an interview up until the day decisions for Round 2 are released (March 28th). There are lots of applications to read, so it takes us some time to get through them.
Question: I have 6 years of work experience and am currently employed full-time in the Charlottesville community. Because I am employed full-time, am I automatically ineligible to apply for the MBA program?
Answer: No, but we would assume you would leave your job to enter the full-time MBA program. If you want to continue to work while getting your MBA, you should consider the one of our executive MBA programs. Students in our EMBA and GEMBA programs have 6-30+ years of work experience.
To participate in the next Weekly Wednesday Admissions Chat, log into the chat any Wednesday from 12:30-1:00 p.m. (Eastern Time).
If you are on the waitlist from Round 1, please do take this as a positive sign! You have qualities in your application that the Admissions Committee is impressed by.
We review our waitlist with each subsequent round of admission. Waitlisted candidates from Round 1 may therefore hear from our office on the Round 2 or 3 decision notification dates. By the Round 3 notification date, we will often narrow our waitlist down and keep a smaller number of people on the waitlist throughout the summer.
We know the prospect of hearing as late as July is not easy for applicants and we will do our best to keep you informed throughout the process as we continue to make decisions.
So what can you do?
You may want to consider how you could improve your application (i.e. retaking the GMAT or GRE or taking a class in accounting or statistics to demonstrate your potential to handle quantitative subjects). If you do decide to take an action to improve your application or if you get a promotion or receive significant new responsibilities at work, we want to hear about it. Simply e-mail us at darden@virginia.edu.
We also want to hear from you if Darden is your first choice. Please e-mail us and let us know that you will accept our offer if we make one to you. We greatly appreciate your interest in Darden.
And if you no longer want to be considered for admission, please keep us informed so that we can open up spots for other applicants.
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