How to get in to Darden School of Business’s most sought-after MBA program
University of Virginia’s Darden business school draws many Indian students to its extensive MBA program every year. Unique case-based learning, industry-focused programs, and extraordinary academic rigor are a few of the many factors it stands out for!
Learn from Darden alum Vashishta, as he shares his successful MBA journey and breaks down his admission and learning experience at the Darden School of Business.
Key lessons from this interview:
OVERVIEW, BACKGROUND AND WHY DARDEN MBA
- [1:50] Vasishta talks about student diversity at University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and number of Indian students admitted every year
- [3:00] His IIT background, working as a Business Technology Analyst at Deloitte, and his motivations to pursue an MBA
DARDEN ADMISSION PROCESS OVERVIEW
- [6:09] What does the process of applying to business schools look like.
- [9:22] Vasishta talks about learning from rejections from top MBA colleges. Talking to people, evaluating colleges and the curriculum helped him reassess and get on track with his MBA admission
- [11:17] Detailed advice on writing the Darden MBA Essays
DARDEN MBA ESSAYS AND INTERVIEW PROCESS
- [13:14] More about the importance of leadership and team skills to crack the admission process.
- [15:45] How to nail the question, “Darden strives to identify and cultivate responsible leaders who follow their purpose, please provide an example of a situation in which you’ve made a meaningful impact.”
- [18:59] How does Darden practice diversity and inclusion in their on-campus MBA program?
- [20:29] How does the interview process at Darden look like? What are the questions asked? Vashishta shares what he did differently to clear the process.
DARDEN MBA EXPERIENCE – LEARNING TEAMS, ACADEMICS, CASE STUDIES, AND RECRUITING
- [21:17] What to expect from Year 1 experience at Darden School of Business
- [27:27] The case-based method of teaching at Darden and how it aids in your overall growth as a professional.
- [30:56] Academic rigor at Darden School of Business
- [32:57] Uniqueness of Darden’s Learning Team approach
- [35:39] How Vasishta landed a management consulting job post MBA
- [41:23] Why Darden’s Consulting program appeals to a lot of Management Consultants
ADVICE FOR ASPIRING MBA APPLICANTS
One last thing before you go…
If you’ve been rejected by an MBA program, we specialize in helping people reapply. The first thing we do is a DING analysis to help you figure out what you can do better next time. If that’s you, start by accessing the self-assessment here.