Darden was not only a great business school experience, it was two of the best years in my life. Darden was fantastic in three specific aspects: recruiting, the educational experience, and the culture / student body.
I recruited consulting, and looking back I didn't realize how strong Darden's consulting recruiting actually is. I was fortunate to go to a top-tier firm, but I think people incorrectly believe that is the exception and not the norm at Darden. I would say 45+ people in my class went to MBB, which is strong for a class of ~320 people.
I can't directly compare Darden's education experience to any other school, but I can say that I do believe the rumors to be correct that Darden's experience is more challenging than most if not all other schools. Looking back, I find this to be tremendous because it means that my actual time spent in the classroom was impactful, and I do fully believe that it has prepared me well for my career post-Darden.
Lastly, Darden's student body was just fantastic. I think that most business school student bodies are probably relatively similar; however, what differentiates Darden is that being located in Charlottesville, the students become incredibly close because they are truly each other's best friends. This was a fantastic experience.
Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
Schools contribution (5.0)
Classmates rating (5.0)
Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Student body, diversity
Career opportunities provided by school
Consulting
Marketing
Investment Banking
Management
Admissions Team