How hard is it to get a scholarship to Darden?

Question

Last week I took the GMAT and got a 750, which was infinitely higher than I was expecting, and now I'm rethinking my post-grad plan. Originally I was planning to stick with VCU (where I will be graduating in December) to get a M.Acc, but now I've been thinking that's a waste of a good GMAT score so I'm considering applying to Darden's MBA program. I currently have a 3.63, which shouldn't change much with my last semester, and while I don't have any current business experience I plan to get an internship for the spring 2016 semester.

Unfortunately, I have no way to pay roughly $60k per year for two years, so I don't really want to waste $250 applying if there's no chance of getting a scholarship. So my question is what are my odds of getting a scholarship, and is there anything I can do to increase my chances of getting one?

I appreciate any feedback!

spapavizas · Answer

Usually people take out loans for business school? I certainly cannot pay the full cost of Darden up front and will be applying this fall. I don't expect much funding, it is business school not a PhD program. At least graduating from Darden you're likely to get a job with a good salary ($90,000+) to pay back loans. Not sure that would be true at VCU? I didn't even know they had a MBA program.

brunojackson · Answer

congrats on the great score.

i think you will really need business experience to get accepted, much less a scholarship--particularly as Darden is case-based instruction.

piwanowi · Answer

Do you have any past business experience? Even with a 750 it will be difficult to get into Darden if you do not have any work experience. The average at most top 15 MBA programs is almost 60 months or 5 years. You might get in with just a few years but very rarely do these programs accept individuals with no experience.

stevkang8 · Answer

I agree with the comments above. 750 is an outstanding score on GMAT (98 percentile), and 3.63 gpa is very solid as well, but without real world working experience, it would be hard to get accepted by good business schools, and it would not help you that much either in terms of learning.

Don't rush it, give it two or three years of working time then go back to school. If you have no work experience....it would also be tough for you to properly establish a good network.

Nevertheless, you could still try applying, maybe you would be pleasantly surprised. And although 250 may seem like a lot to a student, in the grand scheme of things....it's nothing when you will be paying for 130k for tuition. Scholarships wise, I would like to find out too. Not too familiar with this.

lji810 · Answer

not sure how many people get scholarships but i got one, ~1/3 tuition. 26/720/asian female/product innovation at f100 financial services firm. my tip is to really nail the interview. they don't ask for your resume or write down anything so its really 45 mins (well 30, and then 15 for questions) for you to talk about yourself so be brilliant and memorable. personality counts. remember, your interviewer will have to fight for you when they debrief.

Bigred2008 · Answer

Hey - I'm a SY MBA at Darden, and saw your post. Congrats on your score! That's great. Do you have any work experience? If not that's ok we just started a 2+2 program so you can apply for admission and defer for a few years to get some work experience. Let me know if you have any questions.

StratusDonna · Answer

First congrats on your score, and second I think the 2+2 suggestion is a great one.
You could apply and lock in acceptance and then get work experience. I think another option- since that score is good for 5 yrs- is to get a job and work for 2 yrs or so and then consider applying at that time. We offer a product at Stratus called profile development where you work with an experienced counselor prior to applying to shore up your profile so that when you are ready to apply you will be an excellent candidate. I think with a very strong application and more work experience, you could be the kind of candidate that does get a scholarship to business school. To learn how Stratus could help you if you decide to go this route, here is a link for a free consult: https://stratusadmissionscounseling.com ... b-visitor/
I had a client this past year with a similar score and 2 yrs work experience and this person was able to get 3 significant scholarship offers to top schools. If you work with someone now to make sure you are building the right leadership skills, are doing the right research on programs and crafting a winning profile, you could get your MBA funded this way. Let us know if you want help trying this option.

bb · Answer

How hard is it to get a scholarship to Darden?

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