Name: Jiang Jiang (Class of 2018)
Hometown: Nanjing, China
Pre-Darden University and Major: Shanghai International Studies University, English
Pre-Darden Employment: Deloitte, Chinese Football Association
Tell me about what life was like growing up for you. I grew up in a city in the southern part of China. I studied at a middle school that specialized in English. I remember every semester we spent two weeks finishing the common textbooks and spent the rest of the semester studying two to three textbooks from the United States or the United Kingdom, which broadened my horizons and helped me develop an international vision at a very early age.
What motivated you to want to earn an MBA degree? I decided to earn an MBA degree when I was an undergraduate student. The first and most important reason was that I dreamt about studying in the U.S. for a very long time, partially because of my study experience in middle school. And I think an MBA is the most helpful program for my career while I complete this dream.
Why did you choose Darden? I chose Darden because I think Darden is a very solid program — it’s a close-knit community with an innovative study style, the case method.
As a non-native English speaker, how have you adjusted to the case method and life at Darden? Case method and learning team discussions helped me a lot because I got lots of opportunities to learn how my classmates delivered their ideas in English, and I could speak English in a more natural way.
How did Darden help you find and prepare for your internship? Darden Second Year students intern at many different companies the summer after their First Year. I had First Coffee chats with them, which helped me learn a lot about the companies in detail. And we got lots of guidance from different clubs for recruiting, which was also helpful.
What advice do you have for prospective students? A campus visit is the best way to learn about a school. I would suggest that every prospective student should try to visit the school before making a decision.
How did living in Charlottesville impact your MBA experience? Charlottesville is a university town, which enabled me to focus on studying and university life. Also, the people here are very friendly, and the weather is great, which made me feel very comfortable.
