Calling all UVA Darden MBA Applicants: (2017 Intake) Class of 2019!!

Welcome to all Darden full time MBA applicants! Use this platform to know each-other, build network, exchange ideas/information, discuss application strategies, share interview /school visit experiences, and boost one-another's morale to face the tough admission process.

Good luck to all!

FROM mbaMission Blog: University of Virginia (Darden) Essay Analysis, 2016–2017

As we have seen for the past several years, the University of Virginia’s Darden School has released a single essay question for its application. However, the school has typically added a few—much shorter—prompts a little later in the season, so you will need to keep an eye out for those, in case Darden takes that approach again this year. In the meantime, focus your efforts on the program’s primary essay question, which prods applicants to share a career-related story about receiving some consequential feedback. At first glance, we assume that with this prompt, Darden’s admissions committee is hoping to gain insight into applicants’ professional experience and attitudes as well as their capacity for self-assessment and their openness to other viewpoints. You have only 500 words with which to convey all this, though, so you will need to be simultaneously thorough and concise. Our analysis should assist you in achieving this. Essay 1: Describe the most important professional feedback you have received and how you responded to it. (500 words maximum) Darden definitely wants to know more than just what others may think of your professional capabilities. The admissions committee also wants evidence that you are capable of reflecting, learning, and growing. If you are not able to do this, the school might assume that you simply do not have the necessary qualities to become a standout manager. To craft an effective essay response to this query, focus on describing a “before and after” situation in which the suggestion or input you received served as an inflection point that triggered a dramatic change in you. If you start your essay by simply leading with the feedback you received, you will kill any mystery in your story. Instead, consider relating a narrative that involves a lot of momentum in one direction that is suddenly derailed when you are disarmed by someone else’s input—input that leads to clear and tactical change. One thing to keep in mind is that feedback is a response. Some applicants will likely mistake or interpret the word “feedback” in Darden’s query to mean “advice,” but these are two very different things. If your father always told you, for example, that “hard work is the most important thing in life,” that aphorism may have indeed shaped your professional career, but it would not necessarily be considered feedback offered in response to or in light of a specific effort on your part. Confusing advice with feedback will lead you down the wrong path and cause you to fail in answering the school’s question. Do not let this be you! So, ensure that the incident you choose to highlight in your essay involves that element of evaluative response and subsequent change, and your submission should be an effective one. For a thorough exploration of the UVA Darden academic program/merits, defining characteristics, crucial statistics, social life, academic environment, and other key features, check out the mbaMission Insider’s Guide to the UVA Darden School of Business Administration. The Next Step—Mastering Your UVA Darden Interview: Many MBA candidates find admissions interviews stressful and intimidating, but mastering this important element of the application process is definitely possible—the key is informed preparation. To help you on your way to this high level of preparation, we offer our free Interview Primers. Download your free copy of the UVA Darden Interview Primer today.   The post University of Virginia (Darden) Essay Analysis, 2016–2017 appeared first on mbaMission - MBA Admissions Consulting.

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Reserved Post.

good luck to all our (future) classmates! Know the feeling...

Is anyone going to attend one of Darden's "Fridays in July" events? I will be at the event on the 29th, hopefully with a shiny new GMAT from the Friday prior as well. I will be staying Friday night to check out Charlottesville, really looking forward to seeing the campus, the town, and meeting other prospective classmates.

i signed up for july 15th date to check out the school and talk to admissions. i really would like to get a feel for the school since its in a college town. i heard charlottesville is beautiful though.

A close friend of mine who graduated from UVA raves about Charlottesville constantly, however different strokes for different folks. So great that you're taking advantage of this opportunity to speak with admissions.

Farrell Dyan Hehn, MBA
Admissions Consultant & Verbal Tutor MBAPrepCoach.com
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I recently read an article where the admissions director stated that the average age for Darden admits is 22 - 27, however there are no strict cut-offs. Admit ages are trending downward but found that to be a little surprising.

Farrell Dyan Hehn, MBA
Admissions Consultant & Verbal Tutor MBAPrepCoach.com
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This is interesting, according to Darden's site, their age range is 23-33 with the average being 27.
(https://www.darden.virginia.edu/mba/admi ... a-formats/)

Also, do you have any insight as to why some schools' average age has been dropping over the last few years?
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i have to think that the reason why its trending lower is because of the increase in gender diversity that schools want to promote. i think its tough to bring older female applicants because many of them, not all, are thinking of raising families at that time. on the other hand i could be completely wrong about this. the other reason could be the increase in international applicants who don't want to commit years of their lives at an older age.

Hey all, the UVA application is now live for the 2016-2017 application cycle!

Who's in this year?
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Hello! Does any one know what to expect from "Fridays in July"? On the Darden site it says lunch with the Adcom and a Tour of the Grounds...Should we be prepared for an "almost interveiw"?

Could not find anything on last year's thread. Thank you in advance!!

Good luck for your GMAT!!

Do you happen to know what to expect from this event? Should we be prepared to answer any questions i.e. Why MBA, Goals etc? Not sure yet if I will go...

Has anybody attended one of these events yet? I'm going to the one this Friday and wasn't sure what to expect. Did a search and couldn't really find any info.

FROM Darden Admissions Blog: Charlottesville Named No. 4 in the US for Entrepreneurship

There are already so many reasons to love Charlottesville: the food, the music and the mountains, to name a few. And now we have another reason to add to the list: Entrepreneur Magazine named the city the No. 4 best city for entrepreneurs. Read on to learn more. The Charlottesville, Virginia, area continues to draw plaudits for its entrepreneurial ecosystem, with Entrepreneur naming the city No. 4 on its list of the 50 best cities for entrepreneurs. The methodology takes into account a number of factors to identify the “best places to launch and operate a business,” including the number of businesses and employees between 2011 and 2015, the number of venture capital deals in the last 10 years, the business tax rate, cost of living, the percentage of college-educated locals and the growth of good jobs and high income positions, among other data points. The result, published in the magazine’s August issue, is what the publication calls “50 of the nation’s most livable, viable cities for entrepreneurs to be successful and enjoy life.” The latest accolade for the city reinforces the portrait of an entrepreneurial scene on the rise, as the National Venture Capital Association recently named Charlottesville the fastest-growing venture capital ecosystem in the nation, a designation driven in part by investments secured by several ventures supported by the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. Moreover, the latest ranking comes less than a month after Financial Timesnamed the Darden School the No. 3 MBA program in the world for entrepreneurship. The Financial Times’ ranking noted Darden’s ability to help entrepreneurs start, finance and recruit employees to their ventures as key to the School’s high ranking. The School’s increasingly robust entrepreneurial ecosystem, driven by the efforts of the Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, includes a curriculum focused on the development of entrepreneurial skills, resources such as the W.L. Lyons Brown III i.Lab at UVA and the Batten Venture Internship Program, partnerships with startup incubators across the country and thought leadership displayed in research and at conferences, among other efforts. “This ranking shows just how much Charlottesville hits above its weight in terms of its entrepreneurial energy and dynamism” said Sean Carr, executive director of the Batten Institute. “It’s a reminder that this is an exceptional environment in which to launch game-changing new ventures and, with the support of Darden and UVA, to become a great entrepreneurial leader.” This article originally appeared on Darden’s News & Events page. To learn more about Darden’s entrepreneurship offerings, we encourage you to visit our website. https://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/virginia ... av0l2NvIj0

Yes. I have attended the previous July 15th one. They don't ask any questions and don't interview anyone. I think the overall function of the event is to get people who are interested to learn more about Darden and what the school has to offer as well as answer any lingering questions. I had a great time visiting charlottesville and learning about Darden and I think you will too. Good luck!!!

Thanks for the response! Good luck on your applications!

@Bulldozer 80% sure that the phenomenon is related to employer needs. To be quite honest, they want more years where they can extract 80 hour weeks out of you. Before you have children and want a better quality of life. @bkhu I think it's related to what you're saying, but for men as well. As the responsibilities of Parenthood over being shouldered by both genders. By the way I am a huge Butters fanatic.

Farrell Dyan Hehn, MBA
Admissions Consultant & Verbal Strategist MBAPrepCoach.com
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Yes. I have attended the previous July 15th one. They don't ask any questions and don't interview anyone. I think the overall function of the event is to get people who are interested to learn more about Darden and what the school has to offer as well as answer any lingering questions. I had a great time visiting charlottesville and learning about Darden and I think you will too. Good luck!!![/quote]
@bkhu how would you describe the culture there? It seems quite a bit more formal to me than other schools in the South. Wondering if you picked up any major Impressions along those lines that you could share here, related to cultural fit rather.

Farrell Dyan Hehn, MBA
Admissions Consultant & Verbal Strategist MBAPrepCoach.com
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