Question: Have interview invitations for the class of 2014 been sent out? If we haven’t been invited yet, is it typical to receive them later this month or in December?
Answer: Interview invites for R1 have started going out. They will continue to go out up until the decision release date (Dec. 21 for Round 1).
Question: Do interviewers have access to all of the details of the applicant?
Answer: The interviewers do not access your application or resume before the interview. Interviews are done completely blind — it makes for a more unbiased approach to the interview.
Question: On the application, in the section that asks about our extracurriculars and jobs during college, should we include internships held during the summer or only jobs that we held while school was in session?
Answer: In that section about activities in college, I would include the summer internships there. If you are 3 years or less out of undergrad, I would consider placing those internships on the resume as well.
Question: If we’ve been in touch with a Darden alum to better understand the school and our fit with the program, is there some way we can leverage that relationship to reiterate our interest post applying to Darden?
Answer: Sure! Most times an alumnus or current student will share with Admissions their impressions and interactions with applicants. However, there is the opportunity for alumni/current students to make a recommendation as well. They can do this by sending an e-mail to the admissions office (darden@virginia.edu) that we will then include in your applicant file.
Question: How does admissions at Darden ensure a class with diverse backgrounds or does that form organically?
Answer: Diversity is important when the class comes together. We not only use the applications to help us bring together a diverse class but we also rely on the interviews to help us with that. We track certain things as we go along like geographic region, undergrad institutions, career industry, function, etc… It is time consuming but really worth all of the effort. We feel good about the people we bring together for each class.
Question: How important is it to the admissions committee that an applicant already has managerial experience before coming to Darden? Do you typically accept candidates who have not yet served as managers?
Answer: We look at that heavily for our executive-format programs. For our MBA program, we understand that often people are using the degree to change careers or propel up the ladder. The average years of work is 4 so we don’t expect much managerial experience. What we do expect is that you’ve made an impact in whatever organization or role you’ve worked in or held.
Question: If something significant changes regarding our employment (e.g., achievement of some kind, additional or new position) and have already applied, do you suggest we notify admissions and, if so, how?
Answer: Yes — that is something we’d like to know (and celebrate with you.) You can do that by simply sending us an e-mail that briefly explains the change. We will make sure it gets added to your applicant file.
Question: How common is it for students to do the Second Year international exchange programs?
Answer: Very common! It’s a great way to gain international business knowledge. We have a few different opportunities: Global Business Experiences are 10-14 days in length and are the most popular; traditional exchange programs with one of our 18 partner schools can be a term or semester long; and projects focused on international experiences include research and consulting with faculty or student-initiated projects.
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