Calling all Darden Fall 2009 applicants!

Also, I didn't notice my interviewer taking any notes, which would lead me to believe that A) they are focusing strictly on the general "feel" of the interview, i.e. communication skills, etc, B) they just put a check or X next to interview and then put it back into the context of the total app for final evaluation, or C) they were just humoring me and perhaps have vested interests in a number of gas stations along 29. Pure speculation.

Haven't heard anything more about invites? have they stopped coming out?

No invites here either. I begin to think that I got dinged without interview

I'm heading off to Charlottesville tomorrow for my interview on Friday. Looking forward to seeing the "country club." Any other Gmatclubbers going to be interviewing on Friday and want to meet up? If so, pm me and I'll shoot you back my cell number.

Good luck! Darden will wine you and dine you. Soak it up and have fun.

ozzie123, I'm beginning to think the same thing.

Surprisingly, Darden seems to be quiet on new invitations (to int'l folks) front ! The last, on BW went out on 8th December. Wonder what are they up to ..

Did anyone think to ask (or already know) when Darden sends out their decisions? Everything on the website seems to indicate they notify by email on 1/31, but from reading last year's thread it looks like people started getting calls a little before that.

The adcom I spoke with when I was down there last Friday said that all admit decision are made by phone starting around the 28th and NLT the 30th. All dingers go out via email on the 30th.

Anyone interviewing this Monday at darden? lets meet up.

Admissions Video Blog on December 5th said only 50% of invites have gone out for domestic applicants. And since there has been little, if any, invite reports since then, I am expecting another flood of invites soon.

Hey guys, I'm on the Amtrak back from my Darden interview. I had a great time and I thought that I would post some of my observations.

They really had a whole day of events planned for us and everyone there (students, admissions officers, and faculty) where extremely welcoming. More than an interview it was really a way to be introduced to the Darden experience.

I thought that the interview was fantastic. It was actually something like a case with the case being myself. Their only question was: describe your life. Occasionally she asked follow up questions to clarify things or pose questions about my experiences. I interviewed with the Assistant Director of Admissions, who was wonderful. Some students interviewed with her and others interviewed with 2Y students. I certainly feel like it was my best interview of the ones that I have had so far.

Lunch with the faculty was interesting. At my table was a finance professor with a really sarcastic sense of humor, an accounting professor and an ethics prof, both of whom were really friendly. I was impressed by how ethics is a mandatory course. They spent a lot of time discussing the case method. The food was also really good and very Southern.

The afternoon ended with a tour of the grounds. I love the Jeffersonian Classical architecture. The whole school feels like a Southern mansion.

Of the applicants I met I was surprised by their strong regional prederence. Many students R1 list was Darden, Duke, Georgetown and UNC. No Stern or Ross applicants to be found. Most applicants seemed to be from the DC/northern VA area. I imagine that the
Admitted student body, however, is more diverse.

Overall, I got a great impression of the school and could see myself being very happy there.

Thanks, Leverandon. Useful post there. I'm glad you had a good interview. I came back thoroughly impressed from my Darden visit too. If I'm invited to interview after R2, I would certainly look forward to returning.



I noticed this myself during my visit. Most of the prospective applicants were from the "South" - DC, MD, VA, TX, GA. One of them even said Charlottesville was about as far "North" as she was willing to go to school or work, so it does certainly seem there's a strong regional bias in the applicant pool there.

You are probably right however in that the admitted student body is a bit more diverse. By the time my visit ended, I had talked to students who graduated from Northwestern, Michigan, Penn State, Colgate, Minnesota, even one of the UC schools, so they're from all over.

Good luck!

Thanks Solaris!

Btw, are you named after the Russian scifi film? I can't believe I didn't notice that before now.

sounds great Leverandon

OMG! At least partly inspired by the film, Leverandon. Can't believe you made the connection...

Charlottesville is NORTH to me as well. Although I m willing to go futher north. Of course, whn I am in Virginia on Monday, I ll happily call Charlottesville a part of the south to not offend the (gun carrying) local polulation.

(PS: Darden is one of my top choices, if not the top choice)