Congratulations on making it to the next step in the Future Year Scholars Program (FYSP) application journey! If you’ve made it this far, the Admissions Committee sees great potential in your candidacy.
The FYSP interview is like the Full-Time MBA interview, with the caveat that your interviewer knows you will have less work experience than a typical MBA candidate. Because of this, you may be wondering how to discuss your journey to business school. Read on for advice from current and former Future Year Scholars!
Interview Structure
Darden interviews are anonymous in that the interviewer will not have read your application or your resume prior to meeting you. You will have an opportunity to provide a 5-to-10-minute overview of your personal and academic journey thus far. Be mindful of this time expectation and highlight the most significant aspects of your story. We want to know the “why” of your story, in other words, what has motivated you to make the choices you have made for your education and career.
You should also be prepared to answer a few behavioral questions and provide a thoughtful rationale for why an MBA fits into your plans. Have you done your research on Darden? Your interviewer will be curious to know why you are excited about this specific program.
FYSP alum Jack Ratterree (Class of 2025) says, “Have 3-5 key things that you want your interviewer to remember about you, and make sure those things are mentioned. Also, make sure these things demonstrate a breadth of different experiences and knowledge you have, as Darden is looking for well-rounded individuals and not necessarily those that already have great business knowledge.”
How to Talk About Your Future
While we recognize your career plans are still developing, we want to know where they are to date. Be prepared to speak about how past experiences have shaped your future plans, with the understanding that plans may shift.
Current Second Year student Chris Woodfolk shares this helpful anecdote: “Think about your interests. What I found really interesting was how consumers interact with products, and that was the extent of it. I knew that going back to get my MBA was going to help me understand why I might have that interest. Or help me understand that that’s not really an interest that I want to explore full-time.”
And don’t be shy. “In terms of long-term goals, you might want to come to Darden to one day be a Fortune-500 executive or one day start your own business, say it…go look at Darden alums, they do that. They’re executers and they own their own businesses.”
We cannot wait to meet you and hear about how an MBA can benefit your future. You’ve got this!
