Calling all Darden MBA Applicants: 2025 Intake Class of 2027

Being on the waitlist is a patience game. Hopeless? Play your cards right. First, make sure you officially accept your spot, sounds basic, but you’d be surprised how many people forget (confirm your spot, follow the process and respond by the deadline). Next, do some soul-searching (and maybe an honest chat with admissions) to figure out what might have held you back. Additional recommendation, ideally from someone who can highlight fresh aspects of your profile, can also give you a boost. Stay engaged with the Darden community, attend events, connect with students, and most importantly, send thoughtful updates on any professional wins, promotions, or new achievements. Show them you're not just waiting, you’re leveling up. The key is persistence without pestering. You’re still in the game, so play to win!

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Tuck's waitlist provides periodic updates to waitlisted candidates, but responses may vary. Some applicants receive decisions within weeks, while others may remain on the list until just before the program starts. Engaging with the adcom, submitting updates, and reinforcing your fit can improve your chances. Final decisions may come in waves, with some admits as late as June or July. Stay proactive and patient. Good luck

Links that might be helpful: https://www.tuck.dartmouth.edu/mba/blog/waitlisted and https://www.tuck.dartmouth.edu/admissio ... s#waitlist

Absolutely! It’s worth a try. Will they throw money at you instantly? Probably not. But if you’ve boosted your GMAT/GRE, got a better offer elsewhere, or have a genuine case for financial need, you might have a chance. Think of it like negotiating a raise, but with tuition dollars. Worst case? You’re exactly where you started. Best case? More money in your pocket. Best wishes

Hello yipmewmew,

Hope this finds you well.

You absolutely can!

All the best!

it’s just the start of some smart negotiating. Plenty of MBA applicants ask schools to reconsider, and guess what? It actually works sometimes! Schools, like your favorite brunch spot, don’t always advertise their best deals upfront. Be strategic, show them you’re serious about the program, but also casually mention that other schools think you're pretty awesome (leverage competing offers). If you’ve got a promotion, earned a shiny new certification, or saved a small country since applying, let them know, schools love a winner. If finances are tight, be transparent but solution-oriented. The key is timing, persistence, and a little charm. You just might land yourself a better deal.

Hello, one question to the ppl who negotiated scholarships with darden. In how many days can one expect a response from Darden on their scholarship reconsideration request? Doesnt matter if the answer was yes or no. Just trying to get a sense of how long one has to wait.

Round 1 - I applied to Darden’s scholarship reconsideration on December 12th with competing offers from Ross, Cornell, and Tuck.
Followed up with Adcomm on January 3rd. Was told 2- more weeks.
Followed up again on January 28th.
Decision: February 3rd.

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Nope. Gave me 0. All others were 50%.

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I got 50% off tuition from other 3. Darden didn’t give me anything even after trying to negotiate. Plus Darden was my top choice (was evident as I have attended Darden’s in-person events over the course of 2 years)

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This was their response "I am writing with an update on the scholarship reconsideration request you submitted in recent weeks. We have seen strong acceptance on admission and scholarship awards, and as such, we are not in a position to offer additional scholarship at this time."
So I assume - they gave out a lot of scholarship early on and didn’t expect me to get any. So when I negotiated - they ran out of funds.

Okay this was really helpful, thankyou.

Proud of Darden! https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-sc ... a-rankings

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