We appreciate your interest in Darden, but the early action open interview period for the 2022–23 admissions cycle has ended.
The first of Darden’s four application round choices is Early Action. Those applicants most interested in the Darden School of Business who want to apply in Early Action to show their interest and begin making plans for the future. Open interviews are held by Admissions for candidates in the Early Action round.
Early Action candidates can schedule an interview at any time during the open interview period; they do not need to wait for an invitation. Candidates may still be invited to an interview even if they have not scheduled one by the time their applications are initially reviewed. Interviews are crucial to our evaluation of applicants and are necessary before admission to the program.
First-come, first-served interviews for Early Action candidates are available in August and September. Open interviews must be scheduled by the 8 September Early Action Deadline.
Interview times are limited. Only if you intend to submit a complete application by the Early Action deadline should you schedule an interview. The application must be submitted and the application fee must be paid by the deadline in order to be taken into consideration for admission.
Candidates have the option of an in-person interview in Charlottesville, Virginia, or a virtual interview through Zoom. There is no advantage in admissions for on-Grounds vs. virtual interviews.
Ongoing information regarding open interview availability will be made available from 15 August through 16 September. Interviews must be scheduled by the 8 September Early Action deadline.
Availability on these four dates will continue to be added. This fall, we welcome prospective students to Grounds, but these are the only times that in-person interviews will be held.
An on-Grounds interview day requires travel to Charlottesville, Virginia. Interviewees can also choose to take a tour of Darden, eat lunch with current students, and observe a class (space is limited).
Darden School of Business Ranking
The Top 20 US schools and the Top 40 global MBA schools both consistently include UVA Darden.
The school enjoys its pick of the applicant pool and has an acceptance rate of just 26% and an average GMAT score of 718
I tried to explain to you through these few facts why UVA Darden is a household name in MBA education and why its admissions process is so stringent.
So, if you’ve come here to learn how to enter this prestigious business school, learn the fundamentals of its MBA Program and the application procedure first.
Types of Darden MBA Programs
The two most prominent MBA programs at UVA Darden are:
The Darden Full-Time MBA Program is a 21-month course with a core curriculum constructed from a variety of hands-on activities. These classes include Decision Analysis, Business Ethics, Marketing, Global Economies and Markets, Financial Management and Policies, Accounting for Managers, Leadership in Organizations, Operations Management, and Strategic Thinking and Action.
Working executives can receive a Darden education through UVA Darden’s Executive MBA Program without having to leave their jobs.
In comparison to students in the Full-Time MBA Program, candidates accepted into the Executive Darden MBA program typically have more seniority in their professional experience. Case method, leadership residencies, weekend residencies, distance learning, and global study (international residencies) are all included in the program.
Darden MBA Deadlines for Application
| EARLY ACTION | ROUND 1 | ROUND 2 | ROUND 3 | |
| Deadline | 8 September 2022 | 5 October 2022 | 5 January 2023 | 5 April 2023 |
| Interviews | Schedule Your Own | By Invitation | By Invitation | By Invitation |
| Decisions | 19 October 2022 | 7 December 2022 | 15 March 2023 | 3 May 2023 |
Step-by-step Darden Application Process for MBA Program
Once you have decided on the MBA application deadline you will use to submit an application to Darden, you can begin. Make sure your preferred Darden MBA application deadline is not too close because it typically takes at least a few months to prepare, fill out, and then re-check an MBA application.
Although it’s not impossible to create a fantastic MBA profile in a short period of time, MBA applications can be challenging and stressful even when there isn’t a deadline, so give yourself plenty of time.
An outline of the Darden MBA application procedure is provided below:
Step 1: Begin your Application
Start by making an account on Darden’s website. Fill in your personal details. then complete the application form in its entirety without adding anything
Make a list of the various documents you will need for this application before you begin to submit them, and keep them on hand.
Step 2: Attach a transcript
To be eligible for admission to the MBA program at Darden, you must have an undergraduate degree or an equivalent.
For application purposes, an unofficial transcript may be provided, but in the event that Darden extends an offer, an official transcript must be produced.
Step 3: Report GMAT/GRE Score
GMAT/GRE scores can be self-reported or reported through the unofficial score reports, just like the transcript. The official score-reports are demanded once and admit is offered.
Step 4: Attach a Resume
While an MBA resume is evaluated by an admissions committee member who may not even be aware that a job function similar to yours exists, a job resume is evaluated by someone who is very familiar with your job function and the industry.
Consequently, you must create the resume you’ve attached here very differently. Create your resume using the STAR format, and limit it to one page.
Step 5: Finalize Recommenders
Recommenders are a crucial part of your application. They stand to gain very little but greatly influence your MBA application. Thus, you should choose your recommenders wisely. Make sure the person providing the recommendation is eager to assist you and capable of providing insightful criticism regarding you on a professional level.
Step 6: Answer the Short-Answer questions
Darden prefers to ask applicants several short answer questions to get a more comprehensive understanding of their viewpoint.
The admissions panel can better understand the applicant thanks to these multiple-choice questions. Keep in mind that these are very carefully chosen questions, so the best strategy is to respond honestly rather than attempting to provide the “right answer.”
Step 7: Additional Comments
The Darden MBA application consists of an additional comments section. Remember, this is not an additional essay. Use this section to fill in any gaps in your profile that you would like to explain.
Step 8: Go back to make changes
You will always have the option to go back and make changes to your Darden MBA application since it is submitted online before you pay the application fee. So, don’t rush. Verify your application a few times, on different occasions, to make sure you’re putting your best and most genuine foot forward.
If necessary, change any responses or suggestions right away. Because there is no turning back once you pay the application fee
Step 9: Pay the Darden MBA Application fee
The $250 application fee for the Darden MBA is levied against applicants. Additionally, the university waives this fee for current and former Teach for America Corps members, Peace Corps Volunteers, Education Pioneers Fellows, Forte MBALaunch participants, US Military personnel, and nationals of nations on the UN’s list of the least developed nations.
When you’re satisfied with your application, pay the fee or make a waiver request, and it’s officially submitted to Darden.
Cost of Attendance of the Darden MBA Program
For the academic year 2020–21, Darden MBA tuition costs are currently available. However, every year a 3-5% rise can be expected in the cost of attendance for a Darden MBA student
Second-year students can access the Darden MBA Portal to learn about their estimated cost of attendance even though the costs listed below are consistent with what a first-year MBA student at Darden can expect to pay.
| CLASS OF 2024: 2022-2023 | Cost of VIRGINIA Residents | Cost for NON-VIRGINIA Residents | Cost for International Students |
| Tuition & Fees | $72,200 | $75,200 | $75,400 |
| Darden MBA Case Fees | $1,100 | $1,100 | $1,100 |
| Aetna Student Health Insurance (2021-2022 amount – data not available for 2022-23) | $3,148 | $3,148 | $3,148 |
| Living Expenses | $19,720 | $19,720 | $19,720 |
| Computer | $1,600 | $1,600 | $1,600 |
| Transportation | $1,000 | $1,000 | $4,000 |
| Federal Loan Fees (optional – only for borrowers of Federal Loans) | $2,268 | $2,268 | — |
| Total Cost of Attendance | $101,036 | $104,036 | $104,968 |
Even though Darden’s tuition is more expensive than some public universities that are also among the top 15 business schools in the US, the business school makes every effort to support its students.
At Darden, students may receive any amount of financial aid up to the full cost of attendance. Regardless of residency status, you might be able to receive a free Darden MBA. However, there is a flaw in Darden’s financial aid program, requiring second-year students to reapply for scholarships in the spring of their second year.
Additionally, because a student is not currently enrolled in any classes, financial aid does not cover their expenses during the summer.
There is no separate application needed for the Darden School of Business’s merit-based scholarships. However, separate from your MBA application, scholarships like the Jefferson Fellowships require an application.
Here are the scholarships offered at Darden.
- Batten Scholars
- Darden Worldwide Scholarship Program
- International Student Scholarships
- Jefferson Fellowships
- LGBTQ Community Scholarships
- Merit Scholarships
- Minority Students Scholarships
- Presidential Scholarships
- Second-Year Scholarships
- U.S. Regional Scholarships
- Womens Scholarships
Starting compensation after Darden’s MBA Program
One thing is certain for Darden graduates: they will receive starting salaries in the six figures. But it’s your decision whether to accept that offer or launch your own business. A record-breaking average base salary of $144,933 and an average signing bonus of $35,488 were reported by Darden for 2021. McKinsey was among the top 5 recruiters for 2021.
We have the employment reports from 2018 to get a sense of the various roles that a Darden MBA graduate gets hired for and the average compensation they receive, even though the detailed employment reports for 2019 have not yet been made public.
| Function | Median Base Salary |
| Consulting | $165,000 |
| Finance/Accounting | $155,000 |
| Healthcare/Real Estate | $125,000 |
| Technology/Retail/Media/Entertainment | $130,000 |
| Transportation/Logistics | $139,950 |
What is the Darden admissions committee looking for?
Even though it’s challenging, hundreds of students manage to get into Darden every year. What do they do differently? Because not every applicant accepted to Darden can compete in the Olympics or scale the highest mountain in the world, they must use certain techniques to demonstrate their value to the Darden MBA program.
You can use the advice in the list of suggestions below to create an application that highlights the value you can bring to the Darden MBA Program.
Darden is a part of the University of Virginia. This implies that it also adopts the values that the University identifies with. One of the UVA’s oldest and most significant tenets is its honor code. As a result, the Darden admissions committee will determine whether or not you can uphold the Honor Code.
Integrity is a quality that applicants can exhibit to demonstrate to the admissions committee their dedication to UVA’s Honor Code. But there won’t be much room in your profile for that. This is where your recommendations come in.
The applicant’s integrity is one of the most typical questions that Darden asks the person who recommended them. Make sure the person writing your recommendation thinks highly of you in this area, as members of the Darden admissions committee have admitted that they frequently reject candidates whose recommenders don’t.
Participating in or completing community projects is another way to display integrity. Make sure to list every community activity in which you have ever participated.
Additionally, if you can, use the short answer questions to highlight the quality of integrity.
The early action interviews
Without having to wait for an interview invitation from the school, Darden’s early action interviews give applicants a chance to showcase their personalities and help the admissions committee determine whether they would be a good fit for the MBA Program.
At Darden, the classroom experience is very immersive. The process of “calling-on” is crucial to the program’s experience. Receiving a question in class at random is known as being “called-on.” Thus, you would need to be regular with your studies. You might believe that is not unique from other MBA programs.
The early action interviews make a difference when the admissions committee uses them to assess applicants using these specific criteria. You can anticipate the “Why MBA?” and “Why Darden?” questions in these interviews as well because Darden doesn’t require a separate MBA essay for it.
Therefore, prepare for your Darden early action interview just as you would for any other interview.
You don’t have time to become anxious if you were waitlisted by Darden. You can still change the school’s decision.
Contrary to some schools, Darden waitlists applicants who are almost a perfect fit for the institution in order to fill any remaining seats after admissions. The members of the admissions committee won’t mind discussing any aspect of your MBA application with you, whether it relates to your goals story, your application essays, your test results, or anything else.
Before being shortlisted, the admissions committee contacts many applicants directly. Typically, this contact is made to let the applicant know what they could change or add to their profile to make it more appealing to Darden.
A candidate who improves their application after receiving advice demonstrates their dedication to the institution. You must take this action in order to demonstrate to the school that you are genuinely interested in them.
Your next step should be to write a mail asking the admissions committee to help you make your profile fit for Darden if you do not receive any such input from the school. They don’t put inadmissible applicants on the waitlist. Therefore, taking these few extra steps may be the motivation the members of the admissions committee need to grant you admission.
FAQs related to UVA Darden School of Business MBA
Can Early Action Hurt You?
FAQ
Is Darden Early Action binding?
Only for those applicants who have actively chosen the Early Action ‘Binding Option’ in the application is the Early Action round binding. Those who choose to fully commit to Darden upon acceptance will be required to submit a nonrefundable deposit and withdraw their applications from other schools.
Is Darden hard to get into?
The Top 20 US schools and the Top 40 global MBA schools both consistently include UVA Darden. The school enjoys its pick of the applicant pool and has an acceptance rate of just 26% and an average GMAT score of 718
Is Darden prestigious?
University of Virginia (Darden) is ranked No. 14 in Best Business Schools. Schools are ranked based on how well they perform against a number of generally recognized indicators of excellence. View the school’s ranking based on the important metrics.
Does Darden do rolling admissions?
*Note: On January 13, Darden announced that the Office of Admissions will adopt a rolling Round 3 for Full-Time MBA applicants to the Class of 2025, providing an even more flexible path for its final application round in the 2022–23 admissions cycle.