The last deadline for our Executive MBA class enrolling this August is almost here! If you are targeting our 25 June round, be sure to check out our recent podcast episode about applying in our June rounds and join Director of Admissions Brett Twitty on Monday, 24 June for an application tips webinar. Here are a few more things to know about our 25 June round:
Things move quickly this time of year.
If you’ve reviewed our deadlines, you likely noticed that there are just two weeks between our 25 June application deadline and the round’s decision release date on 8 July. In addition, admitted students will have just one week to consider their offer, as the deposit deadline for the round is 15 July.
Given this timeline, we recommend doing as much research as you can now. Read our blog. Listen to our podcast. Schedule a conversation. Join us for a class visit. And, of course, we’re here to help. We can be reached by email at ExecMBA@darden.virginia.edu.
You have more time than you think. Our file review is a two-part process — an initial “interview invitation” review and a second “final” review.
In our Executive MBA application process, we offer interviews on an invitation-only basis, and our initial application review is to determine interview invitations. This review is fairly quick and most applicants are notified of their interview invitation within a day or two of application submission. The second and “final” review is more extensive, and as you will notice on our deadlines page, we have a target release date for each of our rounds.
Given the differing nature of these reviews, we have different documentary requirements for each of these steps.
For our initial “interview invitation” review, we require:
- Application
- Application fee
- Resume
- Transcripts
- Standardized Test Score or valid test waiver or pending test date
- One Recommendation
For our final review, we require:
- Application
- Application fee
- Resume
- Transcripts
- Standardized test score or valid test waiver
- Two recommendations
What does this mean for you? For one, you do not have to have taken your standardized test by the application deadline. You only need to have scheduled your test by this date. You will note your pending test date in the test information section of your application, and email your score breakdown to our office once you’ve taken the test.
If you are applying in our 25 June round, as long as we have your test score in hand by 7 July, we can keep you on schedule for an 8 July decision release. Of course, if you take your test after 7 July, we would simply hold your application for final review until we receive your test score.
In addition, as noted above, you do not have to have both recommendations finalized by 25 June. Recommendations tend to be the slowest part of the application process, and as long as we have one of your recommendations in hand on or around 25 June, we can begin to move your application through our initial review process. Please note, while you have some flexibility around the receipt of your second recommendation, you do need to have both your recommenders identified and listed in your application on or around our application deadline.
As with test scores, as long as we have your second recommendation in hand by 7 July, we can keep you on schedule for an 8 July release. Of course, if your second recommender takes a little longer to finalize her recommendation, we would hold your application for final review until we receive your second recommendation.
Know your (test) options.
In the Executive MBA application process, we accept three standardized tests — the Executive Assessment, GMAT and GRE. Unless you’ve made significant plans to take the GMAT or GRE, we encourage you to check out the EA. This 40-question, 90-minute test typically requires on average 20 hours of preparation (as compared to 65-plus for the GMAT and GRE), and, unlike the GMAT and GRE, the EA was designed with Executive MBA students in mind.
The EA is currently accepted by over 50 schools, including many top Executive MBA programs. Check out our blog post and podcast episode all about the EA to learn more.
