Last visit was: 19 Nov 2025, 12:01

It is currently 19 Nov 2025, 12:01

Toolkit

Practice Tests

Business School and MBA

MBA Archive

GMAT Club Daily Prep

Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.

Go to My Error Log Learn more

Request Expert Reply

Confirm Cancel

Nov 20
UCR MBA Impact - Live Q&A with UCR AdCom & Student
07:30 AM PST
-
08:30 AM PST
Learn what truly sets the UC Riverside MBA apart and how it helps in your professional growth

Back to Forum

Create Topic

Darden (University of Virginia)

malbec

Current Student

Joined: 31 May 2010

Last visit: 28 Sep 2013

Posts: 136

Own Kudos:

[4]

Given Kudos: 19

Schools: Columbia - Class of 2013

Posts: 136

Kudos: 23

[4]

Updated on: 13 Dec 2011, 02:56

Originally posted by malbec on 01 Nov 2010, 16:25.
Last edited by rasta on 13 Dec 2011, 02:56, edited 5 times in total.

Updated

Kudos

Bookmarks

Darden School of Business

Rankings (2011 GMAT Club Rankings Table)

MBA Specialty Rankings

#1 Student Satisfaction (Bloomberg Businessweek 2010)
#1 General Management (Financial Times 2011)
#1 Education Experience (The Economist 2011)
#1 Best Faculty (The Princeton Review 2010)
#1 Best Facilities (The Princeton Review 2011)
#3 Corporate Social Responsibility(Financial Times 2011)
#3 Entrepreneurship (The Princeton Review for Entrepreneur magazine 2011)
#5 Placement Success (Financial Times 2011)

Historical GMAT Club Applicant Threads

Popular Links

Current Applicant Thread: Fall 2012 - Calling All Darden Applicants

Fall 2012 Application Instructions

Application Deadlines 2011–2012
Round 1: 10/17/2011 |Decision Date: 12/21/2011
Round 2: 1/12/2012 | Decision Date: 3/28/2012
Round 3: 4/4/2012 | Decision Date: 5/16/2012

Essay
Share your perspective on leadership in the workplace and describe how it has been shaped by the increasing influence of globalization. (500 words maximum)

Recommendation Questions (2 recommenders)

Please provide an example of how this applicant has made a positive impact on your organization
Please provide an example of how this applicant has mentored or managed others either formally or informally
What makes this applicant an exceptional person

Essay Analysis

Class Profile and Program Statistics

Full Time MBA Stats

Length of Program

21 Months

Campus Location

Charlottesville, Virginia

Class Size

319

Average Work Experience

4 Years

Average Age

Average GMAT

701 (Middle 80%: 650-740)

Average GPA

3.4 (Middle 80%: 3.1-3.79)

Female

29%

International

31%

Curriculum – Notable Features

Case Method

Quote:

A distinctive element of the Darden academic experience is the case method of instruction. In contrast to a lecture-based approach to education, Darden class time is spent discussing cases about actual business problems and potential solutions. Under the skillful direction of a faculty member, students strengthen their communication and leadership skills by learning to make difficult decisions with limited information and significant uncertainty — critical skills for any current or future business leader. By actively defending their positions, students have a safe environment in which to learn to persuade and inspire others, to reconcile differing viewpoints and to prioritize objectives and capitalize on opportunities.

Students are exposed to over 500 cases in a variety of industries and functions during their time at Darden. In each class, students contribute their own viewpoints to the business situation at hand while building a strong frame of reference and broadened perspective from the classroom discussions. If you are able to visit a Darden class, you will see that Darden students do most of the talking.
Visit Perspectives on the Case Method to learn more.

Life @ Darden

Quote:

Life at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business is characterized by a high level of involvement in a wide variety of activities, both inside and outside of the classroom. There is a shared responsibility and understanding among students, faculty and staff for everyone to be engaged and to engage others in community and student life. Student self-governance is a hallmark of the University of Virginia and extends to the Honor Code, class and section leadership as well as all other clubs and activities. We invite you to learn more about the many organizations, events and activities at Darden, in addition to the larger UVA and Charlottesville communities, by visiting the following links:

Student Organizations — Darden has over 40 student clubs that range from career-focused organizations to community, social and outreach groups.
Darden Community — Learn about the tight-knit community life at Darden. Information about partners and families, international student resources, affinity groups, women and military students can be found here.
Darden Grounds — Watch a video tour, view photos or find directions to the School.
Student Affairs — Get to know the Office of Student Affairs and the resources it provides.
University of Virginia — Darden students benefit from UVA's vast research and historic resources and the opportunity to collaborate across disciplines.
Charlottesville — Consistently ranked a top city in lifestyle, health and business rankings, Charlottesville offers the amenities of a large city while maintaining the charm of a small town.

Entrepreneurship

Quote:

Darden has one of the leading entrepreneurship programs among all graduate business schools.

At Darden, students can gain valuable experience in launching an entrepreneurial venture while learning from award-winning entrepreneurship faculty and a thriving network of student and alumni entrepreneurs:

#3 ranked in Entrepreneurship by The Princeton Review for Entrepreneur magazine in 2011.
#1 ranked faculty by Entrepreneur Magazine and the Princeton Review (2008)
Over $1 million in entrepreneurship scholarships awarded annually
46% of Incubator companies remain active enterprises after 5 years. Students can apply to launch their businesses: Darden Business Incubator
More than 25 academic courses (electives) in entrepreneurship and innovation
Large portfolio of co-curricular entrepreneurial activities, all funded by the Batten Endowment.
Four major entrepreneurial competitions (including concept and business plan competitions)
VC bootcamp, E-bootcamp, Health Care bootcamp
Two clubs students can join: the Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Club (EVC Club) and the E*Society
Recent Darden entrepreneurs have received media coverage in a broad range of outlets, including the New York Times, Bloomberg/BusinessWeek, Washington Post, USA Today, Fast Company,The Scientist Magazine, MSNBC, National Public Radio, and several others.

Whatever a student's level of interest in entrepreneurship, Darden provides a wide array of opportunities for students to experience the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship, both inside and outside the classroom.

GMAT Club Current Students & Alumni
DardenSY

Videos

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP-CIafgCP0[/youtube] [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmSk4lfM_Wk[/youtube]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lU5WBFIzXcU[/youtube][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfJ-Mk2g1NY[/youtube]
School & Interview Guides

Clear Admit: School Guide |Interview Guide
mbaMission: School Guide
Veritas Prep: School Guide (Get 3 Free Guides)

Other Helpful Links and Discussions

Student Blogs

Darden Students Bloggers
Nominate your favorite Darden blog to be listed here!

Comparison Threads

Archived UVA Darden Discussion

Hi there,

You've stumbled upon an old discussion from our UVA Darden Forum that's now outdated and has been archived. No more replies are possible here.

Interested in current discussions? Feel free to dive into our dedicated UVA Darden Forum for all fresh things related to the UVA Darden MBA program.

Thank you for understanding, and happy exploring!

KingShark

Joined: 13 May 2010

Last visit: 19 Apr 2015

Posts: 164

Own Kudos:

[1]

Given Kudos: 17

Location: India

Concentration: Marketing, General Management

Schools: Tepper '17 (S) Yale '17 (S) Johnson '17 (S) Kenan-Flagler '17 (I) Duke '17 (D) Insead Sept '16 (D)

GMAT 1: 710 Q49 V39 Verified score

GRE 1: Q165 V161 Verified score

GPA: 3.6

WE:Programming (Computer Software)

Schools: Tepper '17 (S) Yale '17 (S) Johnson '17 (S) Kenan-Flagler '17 (I) Duke '17 (D) Insead Sept '16 (D)

GMAT 1: 710 Q49 V39 Verified score

GRE 1: Q165 V161 Verified score

Posts: 164

Kudos: 27

[1]

02 Nov 2010, 04:36

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hey malbec,

You should add these links to your post too.

Duke Vs Darden:
duke-vs-darden-72432.html

Darden Vs Cornell:
darden-vs-cornell-94811.html

Hjort's review:
virginia-darden-13305.html

malbec

Current Student

Joined: 31 May 2010

Last visit: 28 Sep 2013

Posts: 136

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 19

Schools: Columbia - Class of 2013

Posts: 136

Kudos: 23

02 Nov 2010, 05:15

Kudos

Bookmarks

Excellent!
Great contribution!

LMiz

Joined: 26 Jul 2010

Last visit: 28 Aug 2011

Posts: 1

Kudos: 0

14 Dec 2010, 15:40

Kudos

Bookmarks

I've heard that the University of Virginia has a rather conservative culture compared to other business schools. I'm wondering if there is anyone out there who can speak as to what exactly is meant by that. In what way is it conservative? Is it in reference to the heavy use of the case study method--or are we talking rings of students praying, hand in hand, around the American flag every Wednesday morning at dawn?

crosscountry09

Joined: 25 Jan 2011

Last visit: 14 May 2015

Posts: 33

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 19

Location: Washington D.C.

Schools:UVA Darden; Cornell-Queen's Johnson School,

GPA: 3.2

WE 1: Dean's List

WE 2: Air Force Officer 11 Years

Posts: 33

Kudos: 7

08 Feb 2011, 15:09

Kudos

Bookmarks

LMiz

Darden and UVA fosters a close community spirit, with supportive faculty and close links with local and international business. Darden is on the campus of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, which is one of the cities with the best quality of life in the US. The school is in the south and holds to it's honor code. The school was set up by Jefferson to be run by students and the school keeps to this ethos through all it's programs.

https://www.virginia.edu/uvatours/shorthistory/code.html

crosscountry09

Joined: 25 Jan 2011

Last visit: 14 May 2015

Posts: 33

Own Kudos:

[1]

Given Kudos: 19

Location: Washington D.C.

Schools:UVA Darden; Cornell-Queen's Johnson School,

GPA: 3.2

WE 1: Dean's List

WE 2: Air Force Officer 11 Years

Posts: 33

Kudos: 7

[1]

Updated on: 09 Feb 2011, 08:48

Originally posted by crosscountry09 on 09 Feb 2011, 08:46.
Last edited by crosscountry09 on 09 Feb 2011, 08:48, edited 1 time in total.

Kudos

Bookmarks

All veterans: the GI Bill 2.0 now covers 100% of your MBA, Law School, up to a PhD tuition at any in-state school.

MBA: Darden Student Veterans Benefit From Updates to the Post-9/11 GI Bill

The Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2010 was signed into law in early January 2011. Changes have been made to the original Post 9/11 Act that are important for all veterans and active duty members who are either applying or are considering applying to the Darden School of Business.

Effective on August 1, 2011, the GI Bill will now pay all public school in-state tuition and fees, including the graduate programs. The Darden School of Business is one of the few top ranked MBA programs in the country that is part of a public university and thereby able to benefit from the new update to the law.

For full details, visit the GI Bill website: https://www.gibill.va.gov/post-911/post- ... anges.html

crosscountry09

Joined: 25 Jan 2011

Last visit: 14 May 2015

Posts: 33

Own Kudos:

[1]

Given Kudos: 19

Location: Washington D.C.

Schools:UVA Darden; Cornell-Queen's Johnson School,

GPA: 3.2

WE 1: Dean's List

WE 2: Air Force Officer 11 Years

Posts: 33

Kudos: 7

[1]

28 Feb 2011, 15:39

Kudos

Bookmarks

Check out these websites. They should be helpful in preparing you for your interview.

Unfortunately the third link seems to be under construction but applicants should check back with the first link and look under interviews section. Best of luck to all.

https://www.accepted.com/mba/uvadarden.aspx

https://www.businessweek.com/bschools/mb ... 601790.htm

Books:
https://www.amazon.com/How-Get-Into-Top- ... b_title_bk

https://www.amazon.com/BusinessWeek-Guid ... pd_sim_b_1
[/color]

jko

Joined: 17 Mar 2011

Last visit: 25 Feb 2016

Posts: 411

Own Kudos:

221

Given Kudos: 5

Location: United States (DC)

Concentration: General Management, Technology

Schools: Duke '15 (WL) Kellogg '15 (D) Darden '15 (M) Ross '15 (WL)

GMAT 1: 760 Q49 V45 Verified score

GPA: 3.37

WE:Information Technology (Consulting)

Schools: Duke '15 (WL) Kellogg '15 (D) Darden '15 (M) Ross '15 (WL)

GMAT 1: 760 Q49 V45 Verified score

Posts: 411

Kudos: 221

30 Mar 2011, 06:29

Kudos

Bookmarks

Is there any preference towards in-state applications? I know it's a bit cheaper to attend UVA if you're a VA resident, but I was curious if the admission rate is any higher.

Anyone know?

bakfed

Joined: 28 Jul 2009

Last visit: 12 Oct 2022

Posts: 1,768

Own Kudos:

1,245

Given Kudos: 37

Status:Darden Class of 2013

Schools:University of Virginia

GMAT 1: 660 Q44 V37 Verified score

Posts: 1,768

Kudos: 1,245

31 Mar 2011, 22:53

Kudos

Bookmarks

I don't think there's much advantage for Darden (the difference in tuition is about $4k-$5k).

You could probably call Darden's admission office and about this, but I'm pretty sure this isn't a published data to the public.

crosscountry09

Joined: 25 Jan 2011

Last visit: 14 May 2015

Posts: 33

Own Kudos:

[1]

Given Kudos: 19

Location: Washington D.C.

Schools:UVA Darden; Cornell-Queen's Johnson School,

GPA: 3.2

WE 1: Dean's List

WE 2: Air Force Officer 11 Years

Posts: 33

Kudos: 7

[1]

01 Apr 2011, 11:42

Kudos

Bookmarks

jko

Is there any preference towards in-state applications? I know it's a bit cheaper to attend UVA if you're a VA resident, but I was curious if the admission rate is any higher.

Anyone know?

Bryant Michaels a MBA Admissions Consultant from Veritas Prep states: "Nope, unfortunately for VA residents, Darden cannot afford to favor locals as it could potentially skew their admissions stats and risk their ranking. For the MBA program, it does not provide any advantage to be from Virginia."

jko

Joined: 17 Mar 2011

Last visit: 25 Feb 2016

Posts: 411

Own Kudos:

221

Given Kudos: 5

Location: United States (DC)

Concentration: General Management, Technology

Schools: Duke '15 (WL) Kellogg '15 (D) Darden '15 (M) Ross '15 (WL)

GMAT 1: 760 Q49 V45 Verified score

GPA: 3.37

WE:Information Technology (Consulting)

Schools: Duke '15 (WL) Kellogg '15 (D) Darden '15 (M) Ross '15 (WL)

GMAT 1: 760 Q49 V45 Verified score

Posts: 411

Kudos: 221

01 Apr 2011, 11:43

Kudos

Bookmarks

Thanks crosscountry

Darden2013

Joined: 23 Aug 2011

Last visit: 30 Jul 2012

Posts: 78

Own Kudos:

Status:A Darden Student, Class of 2013

Location: United States (VA)

Concentration: General Management, Sustainability

Schools: Darden '13 (M)

Posts: 78

Kudos: 14

23 Aug 2011, 22:13

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hello guys,
Feel free to reach out with any question and good luck with your Darden application!

MBACrystalBall

Joined: 06 Feb 2010

Last visit: 14 Nov 2025

Posts: 576

Own Kudos:

147

Given Kudos: 43

Posts: 576

Kudos: 147

22 Oct 2011, 01:08

Kudos

Bookmarks

Another link that could be added to the resource list:

Darden MBA – Interview with Associate Director of Admissions Wendy Huber

She answers questions about application requirements, what NOT to do on your application, MBA financing, summer internships, new initiatives at Darden and more.

Aximili85

Joined: 15 May 2011

Last visit: 16 Oct 2016

Posts: 241

Own Kudos:

277

Given Kudos: 134

Location: Costa Rica

Concentration: Healthcare, International Business

Schools: Duke '15 (D) Haas '15 (D) Kellogg '15 (WA) Insead '13 (M) Wharton '15 (D) Ross '15 (A) Booth '15 (D) LBS '14 (WA)

GMAT 1: 710 Q42 V45 Verified score

GMAT 2: 740 Q48 V42 Verified score

GPA: 3.3

WE:Research (Consulting)

Schools: Duke '15 (D) Haas '15 (D) Kellogg '15 (WA) Insead '13 (M) Wharton '15 (D) Ross '15 (A) Booth '15 (D) LBS '14 (WA)

GMAT 2: 740 Q48 V42 Verified score

Posts: 241

Kudos: 277

20 Apr 2012, 13:33

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hi all, I had a question for anybody familiar with Darden's dual degree programs. I just spoke to a Darden alumni with PepsiCo, he graduated in 2004 and mentioned that Darden's dual degrees tend to be a bit poorly planned. More specifically, as the case study curriculum is already extremely challenging, Darden, unlike other schools, does not decrease the overall workload in order for students to graduate on time. So one might have to extend the course time by a year if required.

I wanted to apply to the MBA/MPH (Masters in Public Health) program, and was wondering if anybody had any insights for this school.

petrifiedbutstanding

Joined: 19 Oct 2010

Last visit: 10 Jul 2019

Posts: 107

Own Kudos:

345

Given Kudos: 27

Location: India

GMAT 1: 560 Q36 V31 Verified score

GPA: 3

GMAT 1: 560 Q36 V31 Verified score

Posts: 107

Kudos: 345

07 May 2012, 03:48

Kudos

Bookmarks

Can someone point me to the admissions statistics for the current year for Darden, please?

novanative

Joined: 16 Aug 2011

Last visit: 14 Apr 2013

Posts: 378

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 50

Status:schools I listed were for the evening programs, not FT

Location: United States (VA)

Schools: McDonough '14 (WL) Smith (A)

GMAT 1: 640 Q43 V34 Verified score

GMAT 2: 660 Q43 V38 Verified score

GPA: 3.1

WE:Research (Other)

Schools: McDonough '14 (WL) Smith (A)

GMAT 2: 660 Q43 V38 Verified score

Posts: 378

Kudos: 55

07 May 2012, 04:53

Kudos

Bookmarks

petrifiedbutstanding

Can someone point me to the admissions statistics for the current year for Darden, please?

Here are UVA's stats for the Fall 2011 incoming class:

Applicant Pool
319 matriculated; 558 got accepted; 2,269 applied
24.6% acceptance rate, 57.2% yield rate

GMAT FOR APPLICANT POOL
10th: 610
25th: 660
Median: 700
75th: 720
90th: 740

GMAT FOR INCOMING CLASS:
10th: 650 (rounded up from 643 which isn't a score)
25th: 680
Median: 710
75th: 730
90th: 750

SOURCES

BUSINESSWEEK:
https://www.businessweek.com/bschools/ra ... arden.html

US NEWS - subscription needed
https://premium.usnews.com/best-graduate ... admissions

jerembo

Joined: 25 May 2012

Last visit: 25 Jun 2013

Posts: 38

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 10

Location: United States

Concentration: General Management, Strategy

Schools: Cnsrtm-Darden '15 (M) McDonough '15 (A) Cnsrtm-Johnson '15 (D) Cnsrtm-Tuck '15 (D) Tepper '15 (A)

GMAT 1: 590 Q36 V35 Verified score

GMAT 2: 690 Q47 V38 Verified score

GMAT 3: 740 Q49 V42 Verified score

GPA: 3.42

WE:Business Development (Commercial Banking)

Schools: Cnsrtm-Darden '15 (M) McDonough '15 (A) Cnsrtm-Johnson '15 (D) Cnsrtm-Tuck '15 (D) Tepper '15 (A)

GMAT 3: 740 Q49 V42 Verified score

Posts: 38

Kudos: 8

09 Jul 2012, 11:29

Kudos

Bookmarks

Does anyone have any updated info on Darden's app deadlines or essay questions?

Founder

Joined: 04 Dec 2002

Last visit: 19 Nov 2025

Posts: 42,385

Own Kudos:

82,118

Given Kudos: 24,107

Location: United States

GMAT 1: 750 Q49 V42 Verified score

GPA: 3

Products:

Expert

Expert reply

GMAT 1: 750 Q49 V42 Verified score

Posts: 42,385

Kudos: 82,118

10 Jul 2023, 09:43

Kudos

Bookmarks

Archived UVA Darden Discussion

Hi there,

You've stumbled upon an old discussion from our UVA Darden Forum that's now outdated and has been archived. No more replies are possible here.

Interested in current discussions? Feel free to dive into our dedicated UVA Darden Forum for all fresh things related to the UVA Darden MBA program.

Thank you for understanding, and happy exploring!