Three Things You Should Know About Darden

I am a current Darden MBA student and want to briefly share three things I wish I had known before I chose to attend. Deciding whether to make the large time and money investment in an MBA program is a monumental process, and prospective students should have all the facts, beyond just the shiny marketing pitch, so they can make an intelligent and informed decision. Below are three things about Darden you should consider before you attend.

1. Darden purposefully engineers an overwhelming workload that will have you working 60 – 80 hours per week for the entire first semester. A typical day’s assignment is three cases, three to five technical readings, one textbook chapter, three sets of assignment questions, and usually an online problem set or tutorial. With three classes per day, and classes held four days per week, you will end up doing 12 cases per week, plus all the associated readings and assignment questions. You will find that this overwhelming workload is a core part of the Darden experience, culture, and brand.

2. 100% case method means absolutely no lecture, no direct answers from professors, and a primary focus on the specific case story over the general business concept. With absolutely no lecture during the first year at Darden, the classroom experience consists entirely of student-driven case discussion. This means professors will not directly answer questions, share their insights or past experience, or outline important takeaway conclusions in class. As a result, even for especially challenging topics the only in-class clarification you will get is from other students explaining the subject. In addition, all business concepts are taught through the lens of the case. This means class discussion is focused almost entirely on the specific details of a particular case story rather than the general underlying business topic and its broader applications outside the present situation.

3. 50% of nearly every course grade is based solely on your class participation and Darden supports grade disclosure to recruiters. While each class is slightly different, nearly all course grades are weighted roughly 50% class participation and 50% final exam, with a few having a small project or assignment component. This heavy grade weighting of class participation, combined with the fact that Darden supports grade disclosure to recruiters (while many peer schools do not), provides very strong incentives for students to participate frequently in class. With roughly 70 people per classroom section, you will have to work hard to be heard every day, and be very comfortable speaking in public as professors tend to “cold call” those students who don’t frequently participate. Your grades at Darden, and by extension your career prospects, will depend greatly on your ability to participate frequently in classes.

Overall, Darden is an incredibly strong MBA program with outstanding faculty, bright and accomplished students, and a world-class academic reputation. My goal is not to criticize the school or tarnish its public image in any way, but rather to give future prospective students all the facts before making a decision about which program is right for them. To that end, I hope this is helpful.