| Average GMAT Score | 706 | GMAT Range | 650-740 |
| Total Applicants | 2515 | Acceptance Rate | 14 |
| Class Size | 345 | Average Work Experience | 48 Months |
| Applicant Deadlines | Early Action: 05 Sep 2024 R1: 02 Oct 2024 3 R2: 07 Jan 2025 R3: 02 Apr 2025 | Decision Dates | Early Action- 16 October 2024 R1- 11 Dec 2024 R2- 12 Mar 2025 R3- 30 Apr 2025 |
| Length of Program | 21 Months | Interview Experience | |
Virginia Darden MBA Essays 2024-2025
Short Answer Questions
Short Answers
1. Given that you will be forming lifelong connections with your classmates that extend beyond the classroom, what is important for your classmates to know about you that is not on your resumé? (200 words)
2. Please describe a tangible example that illuminates your experience promoting an inclusive environment and what you would bring to creating an inclusive global community at Darden. (300 words)
3. At this time how would you describe your short-term, post-MBA goal in terms of industry, function, geography, company size, and/or mission, and how does it align with the long-term vision you have for your career? (200 words)
Diversity and Inclusion Essay
The Darden School develops practices and cultivates a culture that reflect and incorporate the worldviews of its many community members. In this inclusive culture, the community learns important — and sometimes uncomfortable — lessons from one another, resulting in more conscientious global leaders and citizens.
Please respond to one of the following prompts (200 words)
Option 1: Share a time when you learned something related to diversity, equity or inclusion that was previously unknown to you? How did this experience impact your perspective?
Option 2: Share a time when you advocated for a perspective, identity or community different from your own. How did this experience impact your worldview?
Career Goal Essay
What is your short-term, post-MBA goal and how does it align with the long-term vision during your career? (150 words)
University of Virginia: Darden School of Business
Founded in 1955, Darden Graduate Business School is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and is associated with the University of Virginia. The campus is two hours drive from Washington D.C.,thus, providing a geographical advantage to the students studying at the university.
Global Rankings garnered by Darden School of Business:
Financial Times Global MBA Rankings: 11
3-year Average rank in Financial Times: 17
QS Top Universities rank (MBA): 51
Darden school of business was also ranked # 1 by the Economist for the educational experience it provides to its students.
How to apply for the Darden MBA program?
Here is a step-by-step process to apply for the Darden MBA program:
- Choose an application cycle/deadline:
Darden business school offers four different deadlines for applications, including the Early Action round. Hence, the first decision you need to make is to select which admission cycle you want to apply in. In addition, this business school gives a unique opportunity for the Early Action round, where they provide a limited number of open interview slots with both binding and non-binding options.
Therefore, you should target the Early Action admission cycle if Darden is on the top of your aspiring list of colleges.
Everything you need to know about applying for Darden’s MBA Class of 2024
Here are the important dates that you need to see if you are aspiring for admission in the Darden’s MBA program:
| Important Application Deadlines | |||
| Application Deadline Date | Interview Dates | Decision Release Date | |
| EARLY ACTION | 09-Sep-21 | Limited Open Interviews | 20-Oct-21 |
| ROUND 1 | 06-Oct-21 | By Invitation | 08-Dec-21 |
| ROUND 2 | 05-Jan-22 | By Invitation | 16-Mar-22 |
| ROUND 3 | 06-Apr-22 | By Invitation | 04-May-22 |
Meanwhile, You need to submit your Full-time MBA applications online by 11:59 P.M., ET on the application deadline.
- Get college transcripts
As a part of your application, you need to submit transcripts of your educational history. If your education was in a non-English-speaking institution, you need to translate the transcripts before submitting them.
- Submit your standardized test scores
Darden school of business accepts scores from standardized tests like GMAT, Executive Assessment (EA), GRE, LSAT, and MCAT.
- Prepare your resume
All the full-time MBA applicants need to submit a resume detailing their work experience. Candidates with less than 10 years of work experience can submit a one-page resume.
- Select your recommenders
The business school recommends you identify a recommender who had supervised at work or someone who has seen/knows your experience and achievements directly.
Here is the list of questions recommenders need to fill online:
- Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization.
- How does the performance of the applicant compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles?
- Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response.
- Answer the short-answer questions in the application
The short-answer questions part of the application helps the admission committee see past your educational and professional qualifications.
The new topics for 2021-2022 are ‘Leadership and Impact’ and ‘Diversity and Inclusion’. You need to select one prompt and answer it.
- Finish your application and submit it
Once you have filled out all the sections of the application form and attached the supporting documents, you are ready to complete and submit your application.
- Make payment for application fees
You need to pay an application fee of $250. However, Darden business also offers fee waivers in a few circumstances.
How to apply for the Darden MBA program?
Here is a step-by-step process to apply for the Darden MBA program:
- Choose an application cycle/deadline:
Darden business school offers four different deadlines for applications, including the Early Action round. Hence, the first decision you need to make is to select which admission cycle you want to apply in. In addition, this business school gives a unique opportunity for the Early Action round, where they provide a limited number of open interview slots with both binding and non-binding options.
Therefore, you should target the Early Action admission cycle if Darden is on the top of your aspiring list of colleges.
- Get college transcripts
As a part of your application, you need to submit transcripts of your educational history. If your education was in a non-English-speaking institution, you need to translate the transcripts before submitting them.
- Submit your standardized test scores
Darden school of business accepts scores from standardized tests like GMAT, Executive Assessment (EA), GRE, LSAT, and MCAT.
- Prepare your resume
All the full-time MBA applicants need to submit a resume detailing their work experience. Candidates with less than 10 years of work experience can submit a one-page resume.
- Select your recommenders
The business school recommends you identify a recommender who had supervised at work or someone who has seen/knows your experience and achievements directly.
Here is the list of questions recommenders need to fill online:
- Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization.
- How does the performance of the applicant compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles?
- Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response.
- Answer the short-answer questions in the application
The short-answer questions part of the application helps the admission committee see past your educational and professional qualifications.
The new topics for 2021-2022 are ‘Leadership and Impact’ and ‘Diversity and Inclusion’. You need to select one prompt and answer it.
- Finish your application and submit it
Once you have filled out all the sections of the application form and attached the supporting documents, you are ready to complete and submit your application.
- Make payment for application fees
You need to pay an application fee of $250. However, Darden business also offers fee waivers in a few circumstances.
| Career progression Statistics | |
| Percentage people achieved their MBA goals | 90 |
| Career progress rank | 59 |
| Careers service rank | 14 |
| Employed at three months (%) | 91 |
| Female faculty (%) | 27 |
| Salary increase (%) | 135 |
| Salary today (Per Annum) | 182623 |
| Weighted salary (Per Annum) | 179176 |
| Statistics about the Programme | |
| Alumni recommend rank | 15 |
| CSR rank | 4 |
| Percentage of Faculty with doctorates | 95 |
| FT research ranking | 51 |
| Overall Satisfaction score | 9.56 |
| Value for money ranking | 74 |
Darden builds a learning ecosystem focused on Diversity:
If you come from an rare career path or education background and underrepresented communities, make sure your resume and application resonate with this unconventionality.
Here are a few numbers to reflect Darden’s diversity:
| Diversity Statistics | (in Percentage) |
| Female students | 38 |
| International board | 24 |
| International faculty | 30 |
| International students | 24 |
| Women on board | 25 |
| International Statistics | Rank |
| International course experience | 53 |
| International mobility | 70 |
| Deadlines for Consortium for Graduate Study in Management | |
| Application open date | 15 August 2021 |
| (Early Action) Application Deadline: Round 1 | 15 October 2021 |
| Application Deadline: Round 2 | 05 January 2022 |
| Fellowship Notification | March 2022 |
Darden MBA Admission Deposits
The candidates who have been offered admission in the MBA class need to save their spot by paying one or two admission deposits, However, these deposits are non-refundable. Moreove, once you enroll in the class, these deposits will be credited to your tuition account.
| DEPOSIT 1 | DEPOSIT 2 | |||
| Deadline | Amount | Deadline | Amount | |
| EARLY ACTION: BINDING | 29-Nov-21 | $6,000 | N/A | |
| EARLY ACTION: NON-BINDING | 29-Nov-21 | $4,000 | 07-Feb-22 | $2,000 |
| ROUND 1 | 07-Feb-22 | $2,000 | 25-Apr- 2022 | $2,000 |
| ROUND 2 | 25- Apr- 2022 | $2,000 | 23- May- 2022 | $2,000 |
| ROUND 3 | 23- May- 2022 | $4,000 | N/A | |
| Other Important Admission Dates | ||
| Semester | FALL 2021 | SPRING 2022 |
| Semester start date | 23-Aug-21 | 18-Jan-22 |
| Bill date | 20-Jul-21 | 14-Dec-21 |
| Financial aid disbursement date | 13-Aug-21 | 10-Jan-22 |
| Payment due date | 18-Aug-21 | 12-Jan-22 |
| Tuition and Fees for Fall and Spring Classes of 2021 | |||
| Virginia domicile | Non-Virginia domicile | International students | |
| Fall 2021 tuition | $33,161 | $34,320 | $34,320 |
| Comprehensive fee | $1,586 | $1,927 | $1,927 |
| Darden school activity fee | $28 | $28 | $28 |
| University activity fee | $25 | $25 | $25 |
| International services fee | — | — | $100 |
| Fall 2021 tuition & fees | $34,800 | $36,300 | $36,400 |
| Case fees | $550 | $550 | $550 |
| Fall 2021 tuition & fees with case fees | $35,350 | $36,850 | $36,950 |
How does an MBA class in Darden look like?
| Class Profile 2023 of Darden Business School | |
| Strength of the Class ( Including 16 future scholars) | 351 |
| Average age of the class | 28 |
| Average GMAT score of the class | 715 |
| Average GPA at the undergraduate level | 3.52 |
| Average GRE score (combined) | 321 |
| Percentage of Female Students | 40% |
| Percentage of International Students | 40% |
| Percentage of students representing U.S. Minorities | 21% |
| Percentage of students from US Military | 7% |
| Consortium members | 52 |
| Number of nationalities represented in the class | 40 |
| Average years of professional experience | 5 |