Darden’s application essays focus primarily on getting to know you and how you will affect the school’s overall community.

Darden application essay tips

Essay #1

Relationships Matter Here: What would you want your classmates to know about you that is not on your resume? (200 words)

Darden is one of the smaller MBA programs, with just 355 students in its Class of 2026. As a result, every single student needs to be congenial and contribute a unique perspective to the class and community. 

With the brevity of this essay, the hardest part might well be identifying the best topic(s) to cover. I suggest just one or two topics; the key will be to dig in and provide an anecdote and enough detail to really make your submission come alive for the reader. A potential topic might be a relevant formative experience or relationship, or a nonwork activity or passion. Ground your essay in example and detail. To select the best subject matter, look at the application overall, including the other essays, and think about what would really add to and further animate this holistic picture.

Essay #2

Community: Please describe an example of building community within your personal or professional life. What impact did this have on you and those around you? How will this experience contribute to the way you will build community at Darden? (200 words)

First, note that the example you offer in this essay can be either from work or from outside of work. The adcom is interested in learning how you create an inclusive environment to build community. What example can you share that demonstrates specific actions that you took to foster a sense of belonging? How did you make others feel empowered to participate fully, regardless of their background or characteristics? Devote most of your essay to narrating your story, showing how it promotes inclusivity. At the end, add a reflection with some specific detail about how this will enable you to help create an inclusive global community at Darden.

Essay #3

Careers with Purpose: 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)

Darden’s prompt basically guides you through the requisite details the adcom wants you to provide. Even with the tight word limit, I suggest contextualizing the requested information in a couple of ways. First, start with just a phrase or sentence indicating how the goal arose. In other words, what is the “origin story”? Second, express what you hope to accomplish – what impact you’d like to have – by pursuing and achieving your stated goals. These two elements together constitute your motivation, and that is what will help the adcom feel engaged by (and ideally invested in) your goals.

Darden application deadlines

Source: UVA Darden website

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with UVA Darden directly to verify its essay questions, instructions, and deadlines.***

Darden class profile

Here’s a look at the UVA Darden MBA Class of 2026 (data taken from the UVA Darden website):

Class size: 355

Average GMAT score: 718

Median GMAT: 720

GMAT middle 80% range: 680-760

Average GPA: 3.56 

Median GPA: 3.58

GPA middle 80% range: 3.2-3.9

Average GRE: 321

Median GRE: 320

GRE middle 80% range: 311-330

Average years of work experience: 5.7

Median years of work experience: 5.2

Years of work experience middle 80% range: 3.3-8.5 

Pre-MBA industries:

• Financial services: 23%
• Government: 15%
• Consulting: 12%
• Technology: 12%
• Other: 8%
• Nonprofit: 6%
• Biotech/healthcare/pharma: 6%
• Consumer packaged goods: 5%
• Communication/media/entertainment: 4%
• Energy: 3%
• Real estate: 3%
• Manufacturing: 1%

For expert guidance with your UVA Darden MBA application, check out Accepted’s MBA Application Packages, which include comprehensive assistance from an experienced admissions consultant. We’ve helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to top MBA programs and look forward to helping you, too!

Related Resources

• Admissions Straight Talk Podcast for MBA Applicants
• Accepted’s Business School Selectivity Index
• How to Get into UVA Darden’s MBA Program, podcast Episode 587

The post UVA Darden MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [2025-2026], Class Profile appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

For many business degree hopefuls, the MBA remains the gold standard of graduate management education, and not without reason – an MBA can be the start of a new chapter in your life. Professionally, it can help you accelerate your career or make a career pivot. Academically, it can help fill gaps in hard and soft skills. Personally, it can help you discover more about yourself. For these reasons, many cite their MBA experience as being transformative. 

An MBA is the goal for many people who aim to pursue a business career. But what about individuals who have the desire to pursue graduate management study and start making their mark in the business world but don’t meet the work experience requirement of most MBA programs? Is gaining acceptance to business school without work experience possible? The short answer is yes, it is! The two most common paths for candidates in this situation are pre-experience master’s programs and deferred MBA programs.

Pre-experience/Early Career Programs

The terms “pre-experience” and “early career” are used interchangeably, but they both refer to programs that cater to recent graduates (“recent” meaning fewer than three years out of college). While the first offering in this category was the general management MiM (master’s in management) degree, the portfolio of programs now includes master’s degrees in finance, innovation and entrepreneurship, and data analytics, to name but a few options you might find at business schools today. Business master’s (BMs) degrees in data science, accounting, finance, and health administration are generally the most searched BM programs in the United States.

Applicants in this category are commonly referred to as pre-experience or early career candidates, and this market continues to be popular; according to GMAT Geographic Trend Report: Testing Year 2024, while global GMAT scores are most often sent to MBA programs (63% of them are), the proportion of GMAT score reports sent to BM programs has declined from 36% in 2020 to 30% in 2024. Although pursuing an MiM or similar program doesn’t negate the need for an MBA down the road (indeed, you will find individuals with both an MiM and an MBA), these programs are excellent choices for recent graduates looking to explore their options in the business world. 

Candidates who opt to pursue their business studies now, rather than waiting until they’ve earned a few years of work experience, might do so for a few reasons: they might want to specialize early on in a certain area, such as finance or marketing, to enter a specific function; they might want to “convert” their liberal arts or science degree into a business career; or they might come from a business undergraduate degree but want to better understand how theory is applied in the real world so they can hit the ground running in their post-graduate job. Whatever the candidate’s reason, these degrees provide an excellent foundation and help individuals build the skills, knowledge, career support, and network to get a head start in their careers. Additionally, some MBA programs provide a path for their MiM students to return to complete their MBA as a second-year student.

Deferred MBA programs allow students in their final year of study (or just after, if they’re pursuing a master’s without full-time work experience) to secure a seat in the MBA classroom before gaining the generally required work experience. These programs tend to attract highflyers – students with excellent academic credentials and internships, who have demonstrated leadership potential, and who have already started formulating career goals. These candidates understand, and can articulate, how an MBA will help them achieve their goals. These programs are a great option, because they offer security (you don’t have to worry about studying for the GMAT and writing applications while juggling your busy work schedule!) and add some clout to your resume (“Wow, already accepted to an MBA program before you’ve even graduated? Impressive!”). Of course, as with anything, there are pros and cons, so it’s important to determine whether committing yourself to a deferred program makes sense with your career plans. If you decide that a deferred MBA program is the best option for you, bear in mind that they are incredibly competitive. 

Here’s some information to help you better understand which schools offer deferred MBA programs and what these programs are all about. (Information is accurate as of February 2025.)

Harvard Business School 2+2 Program 

Harvard’s 2+2 program is what the name implies – a minimum of two years (four, maximum) of work experience, followed by two years of MBA study. Harvard is looking for “innovative thinkers who have demonstrated leadership and analytical skills and want to develop their knowledge and passion to make a difference in the world.” And this difference doesn’t have to be in a “traditional” business area. In fact, the 2+2 shows some preference for candidates who are pursuing paths “that aren’t as well established”; this could include candidates who plan to work in an operating company, come from a lower socioeconomic background, are first-generation college students, aim to pursue a technically demanding role, or aspire to entrepreneurism. So, if you’re not focused on joining one of the “big three” strategy consulting firms, don’t let that stop you from applying. You might just be what the 2+2 is looking for.

New York University (NYU) Stern NYU x NYU/Stern Program

Undergraduates from NYU’s College of Arts and Science, Tandon School of Engineering, Global Liberal Studies program, Stern School of Business, and Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development can opt to join the full-time, two-year MBA program at Stern (without needing to take the GMAT or GRE) two to five years after they graduate. Financial support is a big pull with this program – accepted students are granted an Early Advancement Award of $10,000, which covers part of their MBA tuition. These students are also eligible for other Stern scholarships, including the Berkley Early Advancement Fellowship, which covers all fees and tuition for the year in which they matriculate. Accepted students with an interest in technology or in the fashion and luxury industries, and who have relevant post-undergraduate experience, can enroll in the Andre Koo Technology and Entrepreneurship MBA program or the Fashion & Luxury MBA program, rather than the traditional two-year MBA program.

Columbia Business School (CBS) Deferred Enrollment Program

CBS’s deferred admissions option offers flexibility; admitted students can explore the professional world for two to five years before beginning their MBA studies at a time that works best for them. This is a great opportunity for individuals who are looking to explore their career options and develop a better understanding of their business interests and passions. The flexibility continues once students begin their studies; they can specify in a letter of intent whether they prefer the 16-month (January) program or the 20-month (August) program, the latter of which includes a summer internship. Having spent time in industry or entrepreneurship during the deferment period can help students determine which MBA journey will offer the teaching and experience they need to achieve their desired professional and academic development.

Wharton Moelis Advance Access Program

Wharton’s deferred admissions program offers recent undergraduate or master’s degree students the chance to work for two to four years before joining the MBA program as a Moelis Fellow. The program is meant for “students who are ambitious, innovative, and prepared to use a sense of professional liberty to maximize their early career experiences.” In addition to seeking proactive, motivated students, Wharton encourages admits to take professional risks during the deferment period and take advantage of the opportunity to “pursue [their] early years with increased confidence and risk-tolerance.”   

Stanford Graduate School of Business Deferred Enrollment Program

Stanford’s program offers something that most do not – deferred MBA admits are able to take as little as one year (but no more than four) to gain experience before beginning their MBA studies. It is open to students in either the final year of their bachelor’s or joint bachelor/graduate program, and to those in a graduate program that they started immediately after their undergraduate study. We should note that Stanford uses the same evaluation criteria for deferred candidates as it does for applicants to its full-time MBA program, assessing how they think, lead, and see the world.

Stanford cites deferred enrollment as a good option for candidates who are unsure of their long-term professional path and feel they would benefit from gaining full-time work experience first. The school also indicates that some industries – such as private equity, biotech, and management consulting – recruit only MBA candidates who have either pre-MBA experience in that field or specialized knowledge. So, taking time out to gain that experience and knowledge can be valuable in ultimately achieving your post-MBA career goals. 

Interested in a dual degree option? Some of Stanford’s programs allow you to wait until the first year of your MBA to apply for a dual degree; others prefer that you apply in the year immediately before you matriculate in the Deferred Enrollment Program.

Stanford expects admitted students to “pursue opportunities that enable [them] to build expertise, enhance [their] skills and knowledge, expand [their] perspective, and develop professional judgment and self-confidence” during the deferral period. So you will need to reflect on what activities will allow you to develop and how you should spend your pre-MBA time.

Kellogg Future Leaders Deferred Enrollment Program

“Graduate with the confidence that incredible things are ahead.” Kellogg’s deferred enrollment program allows admitted students to work for two to five years before beginning their MBA journey. The admissions committee wants to get to know you and to understand your motivations and why Kellogg is a fit for you. Master’s and undergraduate students (excluding law, medical, and PhD students, who apply through the standard admissions process) can come from any study discipline and either graduated in the past year, are in their final year, or went straight into graduate study post-bachelor’s.

The usual admissions requirements apply – test scores, essays, letters of recommendation, interviews – for some candidates, but not all. Applicants who are already engaged in undergraduate studies at Northwestern are exempt from having to take either the GMAT or GRE, so that’s one application requirement that can be ticked off the list for candidates already wearing the purple N.

Yale School of Management Silver Scholars Program

Yale’s program works slightly differently from the other deferred admissions programs on this list. College seniors earn their MBA in a fast-tracked, three-year format immediately after they complete their undergraduate degree. The program structure is as follows: Year 1 covers the core curriculum, Year 2 involves a full-time internship, and Year 3 comprises electives. The opportunity to develop academic skills while simultaneously gaining professional experience is a unique one. In addition, Silver Scholars learn alongside students from Yale’s traditional MBA program. Access to knowledge and experience? Check!

Yale says, “Silver Scholars are chosen for their combination of intelligence and common sense, maturity and curiosity, passion and compassion. Each has made a difference and distinguished themselves in a particular field of interest.” You’ll need to ensure that you really stand out through the application process (which is largely the same as for the traditional MBA program). Remember, you’ll be studying alongside students with five years of professional experience. You’ll need to convince the adcom that you have what it takes to contribute to classroom discussion and debate.

Chicago Booth Scholars Program

Chicago Booth’s program is open to students who plan to pursue either the full-time or part-time MBA and allows candidates to apply before they graduate from college, then defer and gain professional experience for two to five years before enrolling in one of the school’s MBA programs. Booth cites flexibility as one of the major differentiators. Booth Scholars have the option of pursuing the Evening MBA or Weekend MBA, if one of those programs is a better fit with their career objectives.

Booth says that candidates for the Scholars Program “demonstrate intellectual curiosity, personal maturity, competitive scores, and leadership” and that they “have a history of substantive internships or part-time jobs and/or an entrepreneurial spirit.” The application essays make clear that successful candidates need to be able to articulate their career goals and where the MBA fits in. The school wants intelligent, independent thinkers with a considered career map. Although one’s professional goals can change during the deferment period, of course, the adcom wants to see that candidates have taken the time to think through their career path and how attending Booth aligns with it.

UVA Darden Future Year Scholars Program

Darden’s program allows final-year undergraduate students, or full-time master’s students without work experience, to work for two to five years before starting their MBA studies. Student backgrounds are diverse, because Darden aims to recruit individuals who bring to campus a range of abilities and professional and academic experience. In 2024, 121 Future Scholars were admitted and were in the deferral period, busy enhancing their professional experience. This group comprises an internationally (20%) and academically (46% non-business degrees) diverse group of students hailing from 16 countries and 43 undergraduate institutions. Applicants are evaluated in three areas: academics, extracurricular involvement, and personal characteristics. While the latter of these criteria is vague, the adcom does say that the school is looking for individuals who “aspire to be future ethical leaders and managers in a global world.” Putting thought into why you have the potential to be this kind of future leader, and whether your values align with Darden’s, would be time well spent.

MIT Sloan Early Admission

If you are an “ambitious and forward-thinking student,” Sloan’s deferred admissions option might suit you. It is open to final-year students who will not enroll in a PhD, MD, or JD program immediately after graduation and to those in graduate study (who started immediately after completing their bachelor’s) without full-time work experience, except for internships or co-op experiences. Accepted students can work for two to five years before joining the MBA program.

The admissions process is slightly different for Early Admission candidates, and the application calendar differs for non-MIT undergrads. Candidates are required to submit a 300-word cover letter demonstrating their fit with the school. MIT is quite specific about who it’s looking for. The school wants “thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world … people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative … who can redefine solutions to conventional problems, and strive to pre-empt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas.” There is a lot to think about and squeeze into a one-page cover letter, so carefully consider how you fulfill the program’s stated criteria. Additionally, candidates must submit a resume and a 60-second video in which they introduce themselves to the class. This video is an excellent opportunity to show your personality and bring the person introduced in your cover letter to life. A second video is required in whish applicants must respond to open-ended questions that are randomly generated.

Additionally, interested MIT students who have a cumulative GPA of 4.2 or higher are in luck, because they can waive the GMAT/GRE.

Berkeley’s Accelerated Access Program 

Berkeley’s Accelerated Access Program is open to undergraduate and graduate students and encourages domestic and international candidates with diverse backgrounds and academic areas of study to apply. Admitted students not only have access to the full-time MBA program but are also eligible for consideration for dual degree programs.

Students are required to work for a minimum of two years before beginning their MBA studies but are allotted a maximum of five years in which to explore their career interests. Although Berkeley does not require its deferred students to follow particular career paths, it prods them to pursue “employment that enhances [their] leadership profile and prepares [them] to contribute to the mission-driven business community” at the school. To ensure that admitted students are meeting the required criteria, some admissions offers are conditional, and students are required to attend check-ins with a Berkeley Haas advisor or career coach. Additionally, a review might be conducted prior to the intended enrollment date to ensure that the student has met the required terms. 

Carnegie Mellon Tepper Future Business Leaders Deferred MBA Admissions Program

In February 2021, Tepper joined the deferred admissions space with its Future Business Leaders program, which allows students to defer for up to four years while they gain professional experience. The program is open to college seniors who plan to graduate from a U.S. university in the current academic year and do not yet have full-time work experience. The school says that “competitive applicants will have a strong academic record, professional internships, and undergraduate leadership experience.” Tepper’s adcom also expects candidates to have put some thought into their career goals and why the program format is a good fit for them (essay alert!). The GMAT/GRE is waived for Carnegie Mellon students, and admits are eligible to apply for scholarships, with decisions to be made at the time of matriculation.

Georgetown McDonough MBA Advanced Access Program 

The most recent player on the MBA deferred admissions scene is Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, with its MBA Advanced Access Program (MAAP). The program allows candidates who are either in their final year of undergraduate studies or in graduate school – and have no full-time work experience – to apply for deferred enrollment. Accepted students can secure a place in the class two years out from when they apply, with the option of extending this time period to three or four years.

The application process is thorough. In addition to the standard written application essay (candidates have three question options to choose from) and video essay, MAAP candidates must complete program-specific essays. The prompts for these essays ask candidates not just about their career goals but also about where they stand in working to achieve them. Additionally, applicants are expected to describe their personal and professional development plans. So, you’ll want to take some time to reflect on how you can present yourself as a proactive, principled future leader who will contribute to the school’s community and make an impact in the business world.

If these options sound interesting, but you’re still unsure whether you should study for a master’s now or wait to pursue an MBA, schedule a free consultation with an Accepted admissions expert today!

Related Resources:

• MBA Acceptance Rates: The Selectivity Index
• Admissions Straight Talk Podcast for MBA Applicants
• Retaking the GMAT with a 700 – Should You Consider It?

The post Deferred MBA Programs and Other Options for MBA Hopefuls with No Work Experience appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Show Summary

Dawna Clarke, Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions at UVA Darden, returns to Admissions Straight Talk to discuss various aspects of the Darden MBA program, including experiential learning opportunities, global study opportunities, the use of AI in the program, the application process, and common mistakes made by applicants. Dawna emphasizes the importance of authenticity in the application and provides examples of successful essays. She also discusses the interview process and suggests that applicants ask thoughtful and probing questions to demonstrate their research and interest in the program.

Show Notes

Welcome to the 587th episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Thanks for joining me. Are you ready to apply to your dream business schools? Are you competitive at them? Accepted’s MBA admissions calculator can give you a quick reality check. Just go to accepted.com/mbaquiz, complete the quiz, and you’ll not only get an assessment of your chances, but tips on how to improve them. Plus it’s all free. 

It gives me great pleasure to have back on Admissions Straight Talk Dawna Clarke, Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions at UVA Darden. Dawna is one of the most experienced and respected admissions directors I’ve been privileged to know. She started her career in MBA admissions at UNC Kenan-Flagler, then moved to Darden, served for 15 years as director of admissions there, then served in the same role at Dartmouth Tuck, and even spent a short period as an MBA admissions consultant before returning to Darden in 2017. In all her positions and roles in MBA admissions, she’s known for running a very applicant-friendly admissions process while attracting great candidates to the schools lucky enough to have her on their staff. 

Dawna, welcome back to Admissions Straight Talk. It’s a pleasure to have you again on the show. [2:58]

Thank you so much for the opportunity, Linda, and thank you for such a kind, generous introduction.

Linda Abraham:

Every word’s true. 

I’d like to start with some general questions about Darden and then get more admissions-focused. Can you start by providing a basic overview of the Darden MBA program for listeners who may not be that familiar with it, focusing on its more distinctive elements? [3:08]

Sure. I would emphasize that Darden is extremely well known for the quality of its educational experience and the quality of its teaching faculty. So for a third party reference point, the Economist, for example, has rated Darden as having the best educational experience for 11 consecutive years. I think we were tied for number one or number two in one of those 11 years. But that is Darden’s stake in the ground.We want to offer an unparalleled educational experience. They really put a stake in the ground with regard to faculty members who are excellent in the classroom, and Darden is very committed to the case method. That has been the case since the school’s inception in the early 1950s. The committee that formed Darden was largely comprised of Harvard Business School graduates. And so that is the origin of why Darden initially was so committed to the case method.

But as you can imagine, over the years, there have been many curricular reviews in which the question has been asked, is this still the most relevant teaching method? And to date, the faculty remains very committed to it. And the reasons are in large part because of the incredibly positive feedback that we get from both recruiters and alumni who talk about the skills that are developed through the case method and how relevant they are not just to their first job, but to their long-term career.

And some of those skills are decision-making skills. In the two years at Darden, an average student will do 500 cases where you’re putting yourself in the place of a protagonist and asking, what would I do in this situation? You work really closely with a learning team and go and express your opinion, have a really engaging conversation in the classroom. So it’s a great exercise for people who want to reach a higher level of communication skills.

There’s also a strong experiential element to the Darden program, right? [5:36]

Yes, there is. I think one of the things that people don’t realize about the case method is that every case is set within an industry or topical area. So in the first-year core curriculum, it’s a general management curriculum. Students are going to take functional classes to gain an enterprise wide perspective. But because it’s a case method, in addition to functional skills like accounting and marketing and finance and operations and ethics and communications, students, our students are going to get exposed to roughly 70 different industries, because every case is set within an industry or a topical area.

So it could be sustainability for example, or renewable energy, transportation, education, healthcare. And I love the phrase, as humans, we don’t know what we don’t know. In 21 months, students are going to get these really relevant functional skills, but because it’s a case method school, you’re also going to get exposed to so many different industries.

And there’s so many examples of situations I can think of. There was a woman who came to Darden decades ago who thought she was interested in consulting. She had, I think, three or four cases in her first year about the airline industry. Other than being a passenger on an airline, she had really no exposure to the airline industry and discovered a passion for the logistics of the airline industry. She went to work for American, got a job offer after graduation and rose to a C-suite position. And I heard her speak once about how she would likely not have discovered her passion for the airline industry had she not attended a case method school that exposed her to so many different industries, and there was one that just really resonated with her.

Now Darden also offers a lot of global study opportunities and gives every student the opportunity to participate in them. I know there’s a Darden Worldwide Course among others. Can you outline some of those opportunities? [7:36]

Yes. And I’d love to talk a little bit about why we offer them. So our dean, Scott Beardsley, has been at Darden for roughly eight years. He’s in a second term [as dean]. He was a strategy consultant initially with McKinsey who went on to be a partner at McKinsey and in charge of leadership development. And he is very passionate about our students increasing their global awareness, increasing their global skills. And about 40% of the students who come to Darden are international students, which is just such a great opportunity for all students to make friends and learn about doing business around the world. But he found a donor so that every Darden student… This is a real differentiator for us with regard to international opportunities. Every Darden student receives a $4,000 scholarship to be used only for their Darden Worldwide class.

And the reason is those classes are a little bit more expensive because of the international nature of them. And when he arrived at Darden, there were some students who could afford to do one and some students who couldn’t afford that incremental cost. And so the $4,000, it doesn’t cover the full cost, but it helps to contribute because he really wants Darden students to take advantage of this opportunity, and so much so that he found a donor who gave such a large endowed gift that in perpetuity, every Darden student will have the opportunity to do a Darden Worldwide class. So I highly recommend them.

Just to give you some examples, this past year, and some of the locations change from year to year, but there was one offered in Costa Rica and the topic was sustainability. And the person who led, that faculty member who led that was a former CEO of Save the Children who has a lot of expertise in sustainability. And Costa Rica is really well known for its sustainable practices.

So another faculty member, Ron Wilcox, led one in Iceland. Apparently Iceland is very well known for its renewable energy industry. There was one in Finland and Estonia where students went and visited ship building manufacturers and sauna manufacturers. There’s a faculty member, Jeanne Liedtka, who has led one in Barcelona. She is an expert. She’s kind of the founder of design thinking, and she taught design thinking, kind of getting inspired by an architecture of Barcelona. And some of them do change from year to year. So for example, we typically offer one in Israel, which unfortunately we’re not able to offer it this past year, but there’s typically one in South Africa. You go with a smaller group of students, a faculty member, a staff member. It’s just such a bonding experience. And they highly integrate cultural learning too. You’re in Finland trying reindeer, trying saunas, which are so popular over there. I highly recommend taking advantage of the Darden Worldwide class.

Of course, we also have Darden global consultancies. We have many study abroad programs as well. I think one of the challenges with study abroad programs is that there’s so many electives at Darden, sometimes students don’t want to be gone for an entire semester. So I would say of all the international opportunities, while there are a multitude of them, the Darden Worldwide classes are the most popular.

Those are a lot of opportunities. When you talked about trying a sauna, I was thinking I was in DC yesterday and I just walked outside and felt like I was in a sauna. Charlottesville is gorgeous. I remember visiting you several years ago and it was absolutely beautiful. But how would you respond to potential applicants who are concerned about spending their MBA in Charlottesville, which no matter how beautiful it is, may not be considered a major business center? [11:57]

That’s a really good question. And interestingly, sometimes I have the opportunity to have lunch with recruiters. So I think one concern is because we’re not in a major metropolitan area, does that impede recruiting? And I would say it’s actually a bit of an advantage because I think so many people who are involved in recruiting go to major metropolitan areas.

Charlottesville has become a bit of a destination. And so I think it’s kind of considered, oh, a perk. I get to go and recruit at Darden, a town that has kind of become a destination in that, for example, Rand McNally rated it the number one foodie town in the country. It’s what I love most about Charlottesville. The food scene is amazing. 338 restaurants for a town our size and the affordability of a lot of great restaurants. There’s 41 vineyards in the area. There’s the Downtown Pedestrian Mall, which is sort of an outdoor walking mall with local businesses and coffee shops and music venues and restaurants that I love. That’s my favorite area of Charlottesville.

But in conversations with recruiters, I would say also since COVID occurred, there obviously was a more dramatic switch to virtual recruiting. I mean, as you may know and maybe some of the participants may or may not know this, but Darden has been doing extremely well in rankings in the last year. And that has largely been driven in part to the success of the career center in that the placement rates and average starting salary and bonuses and things have just been exceptional within the industry, which I think is maybe sort of tangible evidence that our location is not working against us.

The other potential impact would be in experiential learning opportunities. But again, there’s so much that you can do virtually. [13:55]

Also it’s just so easy to get to different places too. So I mean, we have the Amtrak. Usually when I go to New York, I take the Amtrak rather than a plane because you don’t have to get there an hour early. We can easily get to Washington, DC where we have a campus in Rosslyn that houses all of our professional degree programs, the EMBA degree, the part-time MBA, the MSMBA.

So you can easily get to DC, you can easily get to New York. There’s a direct flight to New York. There’s a direct flight to Chicago. I mean, I’m biased because I’ve lived in Charlottesville twice for a total of 22 years. And there’s so much to do in part because I always tell students to remember, if you come to Darden, you’re not just a Darden student, you’re a University of Virginia student as well. And if you want me to, at some point, I can talk a little bit more about the opportunities that Darden students have at UVA. But you’re a citizen of Charlottesville, and I love it. I find it to be a progressive town. So many speakers, restaurants, the winery. It has a lot of charm and personality, which I maybe, I’m personally a little more drawn to college towns than big cities just because that’s what I know. My career has been working for colleges and universities, so I live in college town, so I seem to gravitate towards them, so I may have a bias.

On a totally different topic, is Darden incorporating AI into its program at all? [15:37]

So a couple things I’d love to share is that our dean, Scott Beardsley, took a sabbatical last year at this time for six months. He got into a certification program at Oxford where he went to study the ethics of artificial intelligence. So left Darden, got permission from the provost to take a sabbatical. One of the best programs apparently in the ethics of artificial intelligence is at Oxford. He is there now working on his dissertation.

So he had a lot of expertise that he gained at McKinsey in artificial intelligence, but obviously it is here, and he felt so compelled to learn more about the ethics of artificial intelligence that he took a sabbatical to study this topic. So I think that’s a huge advantage to us.

The other thing related to this is that we are the first school that has announced a Center for Artificial Intelligence. And so I was just in a dean staff meeting in my role in admissions, I also sit on the dean staff meeting, and the exact elements of the Center for Artificial Intelligence are still being fleshed out. So I might have more to share with you in a couple of months, but we got a multi-multimillion dollar gift to fund the Center for Artificial Intelligence.

Just yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit a donor with a member of the development team who happens to be in Maine where I am for the summer. And he gave a very generous gift to Chair Ed Freeman, who is a world-renowned ethicist and sort of the founder of Stakeholder Theory. So Darden has been very well known for ethics since its inception, since the first day of school. I think we were the first school that offered ethics. So we’re really interested, particularly in the ethics of artificial intelligence.

And then the last thing I would say, Linda, is that I have been so grateful and happy that there’s so much training available at Darden for people like me too. It’s training for students, training for staff, training for faculty members. We just had a training last week on artificial intelligence visualizations, how to use things like DALL-E. So I’m really grateful that they are on it. Like, “Hey, community, students, faculty, staff, these are new resources that we need to be familiar with.” And there was a training, and if you can’t come, there’s another training. So I think we are all over it and more details to come on the Center for Artificial Intelligence, but first school to announce such a center.

Is that a Darden center or is it a UVA center? [18:36]

It’s a Darden center. Yeah, we’re really excited. And part of the certification program that our dean, Scott Beardsley, was on requires a dissertation. So after graduation, he went back to Oxford, and to work on the dissertation, that is a requirement for this program and will be wrapping that up. So great that he cares about it so much to say I need to do a deep dive into this as a dean of a school, this is a major informational, seismic change.

Let’s turn to the application. Darden has made test waiver requests available to applicants. Who should seek them and who shouldn’t? Does receiving a test waiver affect one’s chances for obtaining merit-based aid? [19:16]

Great series of questions. Okay. I’m going to start with why I’m so passionate about offering a test waiver. And I am going into my 40th year in the field of admissions.

I don’t believe that. [19:47]

Yeah, I know. I was like, “How did that happen?” In 2025 it’s going to be 40 years at four different schools. But over the years, one of the things that I have become increasingly passionate about is that not all applicants, not all stellar applicants are equally stellar standardized test takers. And we’re ultimately looking for leaders, high impact leaders. And I have been concerned for years that there’s an overemphasis on standardized tests and that maybe we’re going to be missing out on some really exceptional students and future leaders because of the emphasis on standardized tests and average standardized tests.

So fortunately, our dean was really on board, and he and I worked together with enterprise analytics to look at what in an application correlates with academic success at Darden, if we were going to de-emphasize a standardized test or look at alternative evidence, what else correlates with academic success?

And so some of the things that we found were that the interview correlates highly with academic success. And that kind of makes sense because Darden, there’s a heavy emphasis on class participation. So your interview skills, ability to communicate interpersonal skills, that would make a lot of sense in terms of how that translates into the classroom. We found that the verbal GMAT correlated higher than the quantitative GMAT, which was also a surprise. The biggest source of the correlation was the undergraduate GPA. And so every year we work with enterprise analytics to ask other questions like, does the CFA or CPA correlate with success? How is executive assessment correlating with success? So I feel that this is a policy that is kind of innovated each year based on more data. Just because we found that there was a correlation with the interview three years ago, is that still the case?

So we’re actually in a meeting next week where we’re looking at some of this year’s data, but the basic reason we offer a test waiver is that it is 2024, it is not 1950. In this day and age, there are plenty of what we call alternative compelling forms of evidence that somebody can do well academically.

So to answer your question about who should apply, I would say if there’s a student who has alternative compelling evidence that they can do well, but maybe they struggle with a standardized test, that’s not where they shine, but they have other forms of evidence. Maybe they have a CFA or a CPA, or they did exceptionally well at the undergraduate level, or they’ve taken post-bacc classes that are relevant, or there are so many certifications program out there like MBA math, HBS CORe. Those are the types of things.

So in our instructions on the test waiver, what happens is you apply for a test waiver first, and you find out first if you’re granted the waiver or not, so that then you have time to apply and take a test. So it’s not like a rubber stamp, everybody who applies is approved. And I wouldn’t be discouraged. If you’re an applicant and you’re not approved for a test waiver, that is not an indication that you’re not going to get admitted. We want to set an applicant up for success. So if we deny a test waiver, it’s because we’re not really seeing enough alternative evidence. That test score would be really helpful to us and set you up for more success.

It’s really thoughtful. We’re really proud of it. And we do a lot of studies to see how did people perform who had a test waiver versus didn’t have a test waiver, and always looking at the different tests and the different components of the test. So was there another element of that question?

The other question was, does giving a test waiver affect one’s chances for obtaining merit-based aid? [23:47]

It can with some scholarships. So I would say if scholarships are really important, there are some scholarships for which it would be helpful to have a test waiver. Not all of them, but I would say to optimize your chance of getting a scholarship in general, I would say it would be helpful to have a test score. There are some merit-based scholarships that do ask for a standardized test. But that being said, every year there are numerous examples of people who got a test waiver and did get a scholarship. But to optimize, if scholarships are really important, I think it would be best to take a standardized test.

Let’s move on to the essay questions. Darden has three challenging essay questions. I’m going to read or summarize them:

1. Community of belonging: What would you want your classmates to know about you that is not on your resume? 100 words. 
2. Inclusive impact: Please describe a tangible example that illuminates your experience promoting an inclusive environment and what you would bring to creating welcoming global community at Darden. 300 words.
3. Careers with purpose: At this time, how would you describe your short-term post-MBA goal in terms of industry function, geography, company size and/or mission? How does it align with the long-term vision you have for your career? 200 words. 

What advice can you give applicants for answering each of these questions? We can go through them one by one. [25:27]

Okay, great. I’ll start with the first one, which is one of my two favorite ones. And the reason it’s my favorite one is basically it gives people an opportunity to talk about what’s your signature. I mean, in many cases, I would say a lot of the answers fall into the category of what’s your signature strength or where is your passion? I’ve seen some really great responses to that that really give you a sense of the person. And I’m going to give you a couple of examples because I think sometimes people feel this pressure, I have to write that I cured cancer or something like incredibly riveting, right?

I read an essay a couple of years ago from a woman, it was during COVID, and she takes a great deal of pride in helping others. That is where she’s in her element is helping other people. And she wrote some examples, and one of the examples was the extent that she went to help her elderly grandparents learn technology during COVID, elderly grandparents and relatives because she was so worried they were isolated, that they were going to become more isolated. And it was a very poignant example of her identifying something and going like, I’m going to take the bull by the horn and they’re going to learn how to do this. And that’s where she gets passion is helping others. And what a great example of someone to be in a community who is a giver.

There was an essay I read this past year that was really well done, and it was in both cases they gave some examples, but she described herself as a connector, somebody who gets a lot of joy from, oh, you have this interest and you have… I’ve got to make this connection between the two of you, whether it’s professional or personal. And that’s part of building community is connecting with people.

There was another person who talked about having dinner parties, and one of the things he does is every person who’s invited to his dinner party is required to bring somebody else so that his community would grow, and nice way to share, he loves to cook, bring people together.

Whatever it is for each person, I mean, I would say just spend some time, like what gives me joy? What is my signature strength? I love reading this essay. I feel like of all the things you could possibly talk about, it’s so fascinating to see what people do right. And I think it’s one of the ways I feel like we kind of get to know this person a little bit. So I really, really like that essay.

I’m going to talk about one of the optional essays too, which is also one of my favorites, and it is optional, but it basically asks if the candidate faced any challenges or hardships or roadblocks that would give the admissions committee additional context. So life is complicated, for most people. And there are times where we’re on the top of the mountain and things you don’t feel like could get any better. And then there are times where, whoa, there’s some curveballs. And that applies to our applicants too. And I think it’s super helpful for us to know if somebody, for example, maybe their undergraduate, they had a semester or a year that was off. We see a lot of people who may have experienced a loss or a medical issue or a mental health issue or a family issue, an addictive issue within the family that impacted them. It’s just life happened, and sometimes people have to take a leave of absence to take care of a loved one. I find that essay, we started asking that about three years ago. It is my all time favorite essay.

And in many cases, people don’t complete it. That’s fine. They feel like what they submitted is enough, but it does help sometimes explain things like, okay, there’s a gap in employment. And rather than us wondering “why was there a gap of employment?” or,” wow, this year was really rough,” or sometimes people have incredible passions to help other people who have experienced something. I’ve seen so many great examples of somebody who experienced X, Y, Z, who then goes on and volunteers for organizations or does fundraisers or wants to use their position post-MBA to shine a light on a particular issue.

So I would say for people who are comfortable, if there was something that you want us to know that isn’t covered in the application elsewhere, it’s a safe space. I think we’re very well-educated. This generation is experiencing record amounts of mental health issues and things. I think we try to be very educated on these issues. And from a lot of the challenges that people face can come an incredible amount of resilience that will serve them well as leaders. Empathy, I see this oftentimes in that essay.

So if there is something legitimate that you feel comfortable writing about, I think that’s a wonderful vehicle. Now some people prefer to be very private about what those things are, and we totally respect that too. People shouldn’t feel pressured to complete it if there isn’t really something that fits into that category. But I find that essay to be very helpful.

I’m going to jump to the career essay. I mean, I think a part of the beauty of the MBA is the exploration. There’s so many things that people can gain through it. So I wouldn’t necessarily describe myself as an admissions director who is very focused on what do you want to do with your MBA before you even set foot on the campus and what industry and what company and what city and things, because I think people are going to discover a lot.

I think people could talk a little bit about what their thoughts are at this time. It tells a little bit about their thought process. Here’s what I’m thinking at this time and why I think Darden is a good fit for me, but I am probably more open than some to not knowing or maybe having some ideas and wanting the MBA experience to narrow it down. We have an excellent career center. Everybody’s assigned to a career coach that before students even start their MBA, they’re going to work with their career coach on a program called CDY, Career Development Y and work on some surveys and work on your resume and start that exploration process before you even start the MBA.

Would it be fair to say that you just would like applicants to have some direction coming in, but they’re not signing a contract? [33:04]

Yes. At no point is somebody going to go, wait, you’re going to do this instead?I think there is value in knowing you have done enough research about an MBA and why an MBA would be valuable for you to pursue. And I think sometimes it can be very impressive, like I’ve talked to these alumni or I’ve talked to people in the industries that I’m considering to show, wow, they’re really thoughtful decision makers, but yet they don’t have to commit to something before they come.

We have a high percentage of veterans, for example, who are transitioning to business roles and they have incredibly relevant leadership and team skills and discipline, but it’s very common for them to be undecided because they haven’t been exposed to business paths yet. And so I think some direction is helpful just to kind of illuminate that you’re taking the process seriously and it kind of translates into why you think Darden is a good fit for you.

You emphasized the value of people saying what brings them joy or perhaps highlighting a difficult experience that they went through. The website also has a strong emphasis on authenticity. Do you ever find that authenticity spills over into sharing personal details that you’d rather not know? Or do you see that’s not a problem? [34:45]

What we mean by authenticity is kind of tapping into what is it that you’re most proud of that is relevant to an MBA program? What is it about you? It could be something about your upbringing, and it could be about something about your strengths, your personality characteristics, your experience. It could be just something about you that you’re willing to share that enables us to get to know the person a little bit.

And no, a common question I get is, what do you look for in a Darden student? And I think sometimes people think we’re looking for literally a cookie cutter. And honestly, it’s super helpful to have people who bring different signature strengths. So I talked about the person who talked about being a connector. Oh, I could see where that would be really valuable to community building at Darden. The person who really wants to be helpful. I could see that person being very relevant to leadership and caring deeply about your people and wanting to be helpful and wanting to be a mentor and contributing to the Darden community. So people can shine for different reasons, right?

And I think when I mean authenticity, it’s just self-reflection, soul-searching. I find those stories, vignettes, and anecdotes to be really helpful. I mean, there have been some examples in my career where maybe somebody shared something and we’re like, “Ooh, that’s a little too much information about a very personal thing.” I would say for the most part, I don’t think it’s a problem to be authentic. I think it’s more a problem when somebody isn’t. And sometimes you read an essay and something says, according to Thomas Jefferson, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah. And then you’re like, okay, that tells me something about Thomas Jefferson, but doesn’t really tell me something about you. So I think it’s more the issue is more somebody not being authentic and giving a rote example that’s kind textbooky as opposed to people who are authentic, and this is who I am and this is what I have to contribute and have a little pizazz about it. I think this is going to contribute a lot, and here’s an example. I think I don’t see too many examples of somebody was too authentic or sharing inappropriate stories for the most part. 

What can applicants expect if lucky enough to be invited to interview? [37:37]

Well, we believe strongly in somebody is going to have an opportunity to be more themselves if they were relaxed. So our interviewers are encouraged and trained to build rapport and make somebody feel comfortable. And then I think it’s important for the interviewee to actually contribute to building rapport too. That can be really helpful in terms of the dynamic in an interview.

While I mentioned earlier that we really are not looking for a cookie cutter, I would say some common characteristics that we do try to screen for because Darden is well known for its community and works very diligently to have some structures in place to facilitate a sense of community and inclusion of people who are coming from all over the world, from different backgrounds and orientations. We do like to screen for interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, communication skills. We think those are so important to be successful at Darden, to be successful in life, to be successful as a leader.

So I would say mostly most of the interview form is focused on interpersonal skills, communication skills, any examples of team skills, leadership skills. Those aren’t the only ways. You can also show some of those skills through your recommendations and through your essays and things. But I would say the interview is largely focused on those aspects of the application that are harder to convey in writing, and verbal communication skills and strong interpersonal skills are two of the ones that are a little bit easier to assess on the basis of an interview, but we try really hard to make it pleasant. We have students involved who are selected and trained, and their voice matters as much as anybody on the admissions committee. And I would also emphasize that I think people on our team go into admissions because there are people people and they love interviewing and meeting people and learning about different people.

And there’s a lot of scurrying in the office about, “Oh, my gosh, I just interviewed the most interesting person.” And so know that it’s not a bunch of scrooges. It’s pretty friendly. I appreciate you calling out that it is we try really hard to be empathetic to the applicant experience. It can be stressful. People are working full-time and studying for standardized tests and visiting schools and interviewing and writing applications. It’s a lot. So we try to be very empathetic to the applicant experience. And I think that’s why it was very helpful to me to work as a consultant for a short period of time and really see the blood, sweat, and tears that you see all the time that these applicants are going through.

What are some common mistakes that you’ve seen? [40:44]

A very common mistake is inserting another school’s name in the essay. So you see somebody who’s applying Darden and they say, and these are the reasons that Booth is my number one choice. So maybe there’s a little cut and paste that hasn’t been fully edited. So we see that sometime.

I’d say an even more common mistake is… Well, I don’t think there’s any one part of the application that’s in and of itself going to make or break an applicant. But one thing that I see that is a missed opportunity is formatting on the resume. There are some resumes that are kind of sloppy. We might not not admit somebody because of… but maybe would make a note among other things like resume needs some work. You’re applying for business school and you’re trying your best to put your best foot forward, super easy to google templates, professional looking templates for business school.

I also think it can also be a feel good exercise to work on your resume and update it. It can be not only in its presentation to feel good about the professionalism of your resume, but also, hey, it’s a good reminder. I did this at work and I want there to be a bullet point about something that had an impact on other people or a department or a budget or whatever it may be. It can be a very good feel good exercise to review your resume and prioritize what you want to emphasize. But I would say a common missed opportunity is submitting a rather sloppy resume when doesn’t take terrible amount of effort and can be really valuable to the applicant too to go through the process of professionalizing their resume.

And then a third mistake I would say is by the time a candidate gets to an interview, I think it’s safe to say that we really want students to come to Darden who want to be there. And one of the ways to show enthusiasm for Darden is to do research. I’ve researched school, I’m very clear on what it offers and why I think it’s a really good fit for me. And so I would encourage people in the interview to have one or two questions that show you’ve done research that maybe ask a more probing, penetrating question.

So for example, we just announced this Center for Artificial Intelligence, and within a couple of months the details of that will be announced. So a good question would be like, “Hey, I see that Darden has announced a Center for Artificial Intelligence. How will that impact me as a student?” It shows that an applicant has done their research and they want to go a little bit deeper as opposed to how big is your class? It’s a really good opportunity to show I’m thoughtful and really taking this process seriously. I want to use this opportunity to get to know more about the school, but ask thoughtful, penetrating questions.

What would you have liked me to ask you? [44:28]

I will get back to what I was saying earlier about UVA.

One of the things that I think it’s kind of a trifecta. If you come to Darden, you are first and foremost a Darden student. That’s ultimately why you’re choosing the school is for the business school that is the best fit for you. But there is this great opportunity as a Darden student, you are also a student of the University of Virginia, and you are a citizen of Charlottesville. And we’ve already talked a little bit about Charlottesville, but I would amplify, oh, my gosh, I love being a part of the broader UVA community in addition to the Darden community. And here are a couple of reasons. I’m going to give you a couple of reasons from an applicant’s perspective or student’s perspective, and then just maybe as more personally.

There are nine professional schools at Darden. There are 11 joint degree programs. Students can take up to two electives outside of Darden as long as they’re graduate level classes. So for example, we had a student who was very interested in launching healthy food and beverages, and he did not have a real grounding in nutrition. So he took a graduate level class in nutrition so that as an entrepreneur focused on healthy food and beverages, he would have some grounding in nutrition.

So there’s tons of examples of taking advantage of UVA academically. However, I would say just for pure joy, I would encourage applicants just to spend some time on the UVA website. You can register for a daily newsletter from UVA to get a sense of the things that go on. But I love living in the area. The speakers that come through. The Virginia Film Festival in the fall is my favorite thing that UVA offers. It’s like a huge film festival on the circuit where last year, 150 films were shown. You see a film, and then after the film you hear from the director or the screenwriter or the makeup artist or the lead actor, and you have a Q&A with somebody affiliated with the film. So we get to see these films that are before they’re released to the public. A ton of them went on and won Academy Awards or awards for documentaries.

There’s a festival of the book where, again, you can do a book club with the author or hear a panel of authors. I went to one about historical fiction last year. There’s a Miller Center that studies US presidencies, and this is a big presidential election. So you can hear political figures and political correspondence from CNN and all the political pundits come through. There’s a lot of guest speakers, like we got an email in the spring, Tina Fey, who’s a graduate of UVA, is coming through doing a talk with President Ryan at the John Paul Jones Arena. It was packed. I don’t know who was more funny, Tina Fey or President Ryan.

But the opportunities just… There’s something for everybody. You can go watch polo races. I mean, there is so much to do, and part of life, it’s important. I’ve been reading a lot lately about how important it is to rest and play. Darden students, you’re going to work hard, you need your sleep, and yes, you’re going to work hard, you want to work hard, and you want to get a great education, but it’s important to play and have stimulation and go hear speakers or whatever. But I would encourage people to really also research what would it be like to be a UVA student? It’s huge. And carve out a little time. Just say, I’m going to carve out a little time in my week to take advantage of things that are available at UVA because it’s tremendous.

Thank you so much for that. I’m glad you asked the question, and I’m even more glad that you answered it. Where can listeners and potential applicants learn more about UVA Darden’s MBA program? [48:22]

I would say absolutely go to our website. We have an ambassador’s program. We have lots of upcoming open houses. We’re going to be on the road domestically and internationally.

Relevant Links:

•  UVA Darden MBA
• Discover Darden Blog
•  Accepted Darden Essay Tips
•  MBA Admissions Quiz – Are you ready?

Relevant shows:

• Do You Have the Spike for Toronto Rotman MBA? 
• How to get Accepted at Michigan Ross
• So You Want to Do an MBA Outside the U.S. 
• Former Wharton/Lauder Admissions Director

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The post How To Get Into UVA Darden’s MBA Program [Episode 587] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Our consultants receive a lot of questions from clients about applying to MBA programs through The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management. I’ve heard myths that suggest that applying to one (or more) of the 22 Consortium schools through The Consortium’s application is disadvantageous. But as the former director at two Consortium schools, I can assure you that nothing could be further from the truth — provided you meet The Consortium’s minimum qualifications.

Though the requirements, participating schools, and corporate partners have changed over The Consortium’s 57-year history, not only is the organization the best deal in town but it also gives its members an alumni network that extends throughout the 22 member schools.

The Consortium history and mission

Initially, The Consortium provided opportunities for young African-American men to have a fair chance at rising up the corporate ladder via the MBA. Later, The Consortium added Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and women to its mix. Membership came along with the fellowship.

However, after the Supreme Court decided the Gratz v. Bollinger and Grutter v. Bollinger cases, The Consortium opened its doors to offer membership to selected applicants that further The Consortium’s mission to promote the “inclusion in global business education and leadership . . . of African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans.” Members do not need to belong to one of these groups but must demonstrate the mission through community and professional action and impact. Thus, membership is no longer race based but rather mission driven. Applicants must also demonstrate the ability to succeed in a Consortium member school’s MBA program.

Consortium member benefits

Like the undergraduate Common App, candidates can apply to up to six schools with only one application for a fraction of the cost that the candidate would incur by applying to each school separately. The Consortium membership grants the candidate access to the orientation and corporate partners. Many members receive internship offers before the start of school.

To summarize the benefits:

1. Applicants can use a single application for up to six schools at one low cost.
   
2. Members gain access to a vast alumni network of 22 schools, including mentorship from among the approximately 9,000 Consortium alumni (formal or informal).
   
3. Students gain access to corporate sponsors at orientation if selected as a member.
   
4. If selected as a fellow, students receive full tuition and a stipend.

READ: The Consortium Application: Tips for Your CGSM Essays >>

Consortium member schools

* School’s class profile presents a score/GPA range rather than an average.

To learn more about applying through The Consortium, please contact me for a consultation.

By Natalie Grinblatt, the former admissions dean/director at three top business schools. Natalie has reviewed more than 70,000 applications, interviewed more than 2,500 candidates, and trained nearly 700 admissions directors and alumni volunteers to select outstanding candidates for admission. Her clients gain admission to top programs, including those at Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, MIT, Cornell, Columbia, Berkeley, Chicago, Northwestern, and NYU. Natalie holds an MBA from Michigan Ross. Want Natalie to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• Top MBA Application Essay Questions: How to Answer Them Right
• The Consortium Application: Tips for Your CGSM Essays [2022 – 2023]
• What the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management Can Do for MBA Applicants – podcast episode 395

Can the Consortium Help You Get Accepted and Fund Your MBA? [Episode 532]

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In this episode, the Director of Recruiting at CGSM details the benefits – and opportunities! – available to Consortium members, what it takes to become a member, and why applying in Round One may not always be an applicant’s best strategy.  [SHOW SUMMARY]

There’s an organization that can help U.S. citizens and permanent residents get accepted to top MBA programs, fund their MBA, and even provide career support post-MBA – provided the applicants support the organization’s mission. Let’s learn all about it from the Consortium for the Graduate Study of Management’s (CGSM) Director of Recruiting.

An interview with Bianca Keys, director of recruiting at the Consortium for the Graduate Study of Management. [Show Notes]

Welcome to the 532nd episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Thanks for joining me. 

Sometimes I’m asked, is the MBA worth it? And my answer is, it depends on your individual circumstances. But I’ve got good news. We’ve developed a tool that will help you evaluate whether an MBA is worth it for you and your individual circumstances and by how much. Just go to accepted.com/mbaroi and check how much you’re likely to benefit, or not, from earning an MBA. And using it won’t set you back even one cent, it’s free. 

I’m delighted for the first time on Admissions Straight Talk to talk with Bianca Keys, Director of Recruiting at the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management. Bianca earned her bachelor’s degree from Lindenwood University and her master’s in Business Management and Leadership from Webster University. She has worked in enrollment management, DEI training, and admissions in different capacities since 2008. She became CGSM’s Director of Recruiting in September 2022. 

Bianca, welcome to Admissions Straight Talk. [1:53]

Thank you. Thank you for having me.

I’m delighted to do so. Now let’s start with something really, really basic. What is the Consortium? [1:59]

All right. So, the Consortium, we are pretty much an alliance of top graduate business programs and also top corporate partners, and we’re supported by alumni and students. We were founded in 1966 by Washington University’s professor, Sterling Schoen. And his one driven mission was actually inspired by him noticing a lack of African American men in leadership in American corporations.

So, with the partnerships of some corporate partners and some founding schools, they were able to pretty much create this alliance to give African American men the business skills to be able to secure positions in American corporations. So, now we’ve grown.

And I assume it’s no longer limited to African American men. It’s now African American men and women, right? [2:59]

Yes, men and women. And our target pops are African American men, Native American and Hispanic American, but our applications are open to all.

How does one become a CGSM member? [3:16]

In order to become a member, you would have to, of course, apply. And three of our requirements are that you must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident of any race or ethnicity, you must demonstrate a commitment to our Consortium’s mission, and hold a four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the U.S. or equivalent. So, to be approved for Consortium membership, an applicant must demonstrate the commitment through their resume, our essay, and their letter of recommendation.

I have in front of me your mission, so I’m just going to read it off. “The mission of the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, an alliance of leading American business schools and some of our country’s top corporations, is to enhance diversity in business education and leadership by helping to reduce the serious underrepresentation of African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans in both the member schools’ enrollments and the ranks of management.” 

So, again, there’s no racial requirement in terms of membership as long as you support and identify with and support and have supported that mission in the past. [3:59]

Yeah.

All right. So, one of CGSM’S benefits is the ability to apply through CGSM and pay one application fee, and I think it goes to a maximum of six schools, correct? [4:33]

There’s no max anymore.

There’s no max anymore, ooh! [4:44]

So, two things, two updates. We’ve removed rankings. So, there are no rankings, and you can apply to as many member schools as you would like. So, from one to two schools is $150, up to six schools which is $300, but each additional program is $25. Yeah, so they can apply…

And so, in the past with our ranking system, the top ranking school, they were the only school that was able to offer a fellowship opportunity. And now if you applied to all six schools or more, they have the opportunity to offer you… they each have an opportunity to offer you a fellowship. And we empower the student to be able to make the better choice of what school best fits them.

Wow, that’s a big change. When did this change take place, like last year? [5:38]

This last application.

Last cycle. Should’ve interviewed you then. No, I’m teasing. That’s great news. I somehow missed that announcement. Okay, good to know. Good to know. So, there’s no more ranking and there’s no more maximum, and multiple schools could offer a fellowship. [5:43]

Yes.

Now you apply for membership at the same time that you submit your application, correct? [6:00]

Yes. It’s a one stop shop,

It’s a one-stop deal, one application. So, it is possible to use the CGSM application process and ultimately not be approved for CGSM membership, is that correct? [6:09]

Yes, that is possible. But the application is still considered an application, so you won’t get rejected from the member school just because you didn’t get membership. They still go through their standard process of admissions. And a lot of times they’ll offer you other fellowship opportunities or scholarship opportunities that they may have available at the schools.

And the schools don’t even see your decision in terms of CGSM membership. They don’t see the membership essay, correct, the membership application essay? [6:46]

They don’t see any of the membership application essays or letters of recommendation. All they see is the decision once we’ve made it.

Now I saw on your website that Stanford partnered with CGSM last year and became the 22nd school to become a partner school. Have any other schools partnered since then? [7:02]

Yes, I’m excited to say that…

Well, you got lots of news today. [7:17]

Yeah, I do. I do. Northwestern Kellogg School of Management, they are our newest, our 23rd school, which we are so excited to have them. They will begin July 1st, actually, and they will be on our application this upcoming cycle. And this upcoming cycle is for students fall 2024, that will begin fall 2024.

What is the benefit of applying through CGSM as opposed to just using the school’s portal? Portals, I should say. [7:45]

We, one, save you money. An average application for any grad program can be up to about $300 for one application, where six applications is $300 applying through us. So, it’s definitely a win for the students. Whether they get membership or not, it’s saving them money and they are allowed to go by our application deadlines as well. So, if maybe Columbia or one of the schools, maybe their application deadline may be September 15th, they still would recognize the application on our deadline, which our Round One is October 15th.

And I believe it’s also easier to apply. Aren’t there fewer essays required or is it pretty much the same at this point? [8:50]

Right, so it is the core essay which asks the applicants to discuss their MBA goals, and then there’s a second core essay that the applicants are able to detail any additional information that they may want to add that they weren’t able to explain in the application.

Right. And is there typically a supplemental per school essay, or do the schools ask for their own essays in addition to the Consortium essay? [9:20]

Sometimes they ask for their own supplementals that are added in addition. We are going through that process of application updates as we speak.

But it’s not all schools that do that? [9:38]

No, no. No, no.

Usually the student has the mission essay and then the two GMAC format essays.

Are you worried about CGSM’s applicants using ChatGPT and preparing their essays? [9:51]

Oh, the ChatGPT.

You got it. I’m asking everybody this question. [10:03]

And that’s a good question. So, with it being such a newer phenomenon right now, I just want applicants and students to be mindful that there are advantages and disadvantages to using ChatGPT, because what we’re looking for is consistency in their demonstrated commitment to the mission. And I doubt it if they’ll be able to convey that in an interview based off of a ChatGPT essay.

So, a lot of the admissions advisors and committees, they’re looking for authenticity. They’re looking for unique perspectives and their applicant’s ability to be able to express themselves. So, I don’t know if they can… It probably is a good tool to help guide them in forming their essay, but I don’t think it should be something that can express exactly your commitment.

I’ve played with it a little bit, and sometimes there are outright errors in it. It’s wrong. [11:09]

Right, right.

And other times it’s just very generic, and it has to be generic. You’re not going to get a lot of authenticity. But it does sometimes help. [11:17]

Yeah, yeah.

But to rely on it blindly I think is a big mistake. [11:28]

Yeah. Yeah. Especially if you don’t check.

Absolutely. Absolutely. [11:35]

Attention to detail.

Are there other elements to the CGSM application? We discussed you pay a fee. You have the core essays. You might have supplemental essays. Are there short answer essays or anything like that or is it pretty straightforward? [11:40]

Yeah, it’s pretty straightforward. If the school has any changes or supplements to each essay, that may be the different shift or change. But pretty much transcripts, resume. We always advise students to make sure that your experience, if you’re a part of organizations like Forte or MLT, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Teach for America, making sure that that’s actually on your resume. That definitely helps. Your test scores, GRE, GMAT or Executive assessment, letters of recommendation. One for the mission, and then there are two for the schools. Yes. And making sure you get the right recommender.

What makes a right recommender? [12:41]

Someone who can explicitly… Especially for the Consortium mission letter of recommendation, somebody who can explicitly pretty much show your demonstrated commitment to our mission and they know about that.

They’ve observed it. [13:01]

Yeah, they’ve observed it, and they can actually speak to it. And they’re not saying, “Well, I don’t know about their demonstrated commitment, but Jane is a great person and we love her personality. She’s very professional.” It’s like, what?

That’s not the question. [13:17]

So, definitely communicate with your recommender about expectations. And with us, it doesn’t have to be your supervisor with the Consortium mission letter of recommendation. It can be as long as it’s not a family member. It could be anyone who can speak to it.

That you’ve somehow supported that mission. Makes sense [13:40.

Yes.

What are the non-admissions benefits of being a CGSM member or fellow, and what is the difference between being a CGSM member and fellow? So, there’s really two questions there. Why don’t we start with the non-admissions benefits of membership, and then we’ll get to the difference between being a member and a fellow. [13:46]

So, the non-admission benefits are pretty much the early access to corporate partners. A lot of our students, we just had OP, our orientation program this past June, and it was amazing. It was amazing.

I know you’re working very hard on it. [14:20]

Yeah. Oh man, it was definitely a job, but it’s worth it. And just to see all of the students that we worked with from the beginning up until that point, from all their stress points, their pain points, to see them, they made it, and they’re at the orientation program. So, them having early access to our corporate partners.

They also have access to our system that is… We have a platform that is called Hello Fellow that allows them to join different groups that are industry groups. And our corporate partners have access to them as well, and they’re able to apply to positions that are open to those corporate partners.

Also, at our orientation program, we had a corporate open house that’s not like your traditional job fair. All of our corporate partners actually already had our students’ resumes, they already had a student look book, they’ve already seen the students and they already know the students prior to them even coming to the expo.

So, they definitely have a great advantage by being a Consortium fellow. And then the camaraderie, the support that they have with each other, there’s nothing like it. I love how each campus had… they call themselves CFAM.

Campus family, yeah. [15:53]

Yes. Each campus, each Consortium cohort on each campus, they’re so close. A lot of our alumni mention that the connection, that’s like a trending thing with us here at the Consortium is connection. Being able to connect students with not only each other, but also with our corporate partners and with our top MBA programs.

So, they have lifelong connections with all three of those different entities, and they enjoy being able to talk with someone who understands them, someone who may be going through the same even issues at their jobs or anything like that, and that connection. And if there’s a job loss or anything like that, we do provide the support to help those students to be able to reconnect with corporate partners and find another opportunity.

So, just to clarify, the orientation program is open to all Consortium members, not just fellows, correct? [16:54]

So, Consortium fellows, you’re applying for membership, but the membership allows you to become a Consortium fellow. So, whether you received a fellowship or not, you are considered a Consortium fellow.

So, you’re a Consortium fellow whether you get a scholarship or not? [17:16]

Right.

Got it. And all the fellows/members can go to the orientation program. How long is the orientation program? [17:26]

So, it’s a four-day conference, and it consists of a lot of hands-on career development. We have diversity theater, which is amazing. A lot of our corporate partners, they have private interviews with a lot of the students. So, a big portion of our students leave with internships or career opportunities.

For next year, for next summer, or for this summer? For next summer? [17:56]

Yes. For this upcoming year –

For summer 2024, let’s say? [18:03]

Yes.

And what is diversity theater? [18:06]

Oh my goodness, diversity theater. This was actually my first year to experience it. Hearing it from other coworkers and staff was not the same as experiencing and seeing those difficult conversations displayed on stage.

So, there’s actors that are on stage, and they may act out a scene where some coworkers that may deal with microaggressions or different challenges that you may face at work and how to address that, and just having those conversations amongst your peers. And it really was eye opening for not only the students, but for staff, for a lot of our corporate partners and admissions representatives as well. So, it was pretty amazing, and we have it annually as well.

And it seems like the orientation program is very much career oriented. Is there any prep for the actual study of the MBA, or is that assumed that the schools will handle that? [19:09]

So, the schools, the admissions representatives and career services representatives are present. So, they do have an advising session that they get to work with them and meet with them one-on-one for prep with the corporate partners, but also any questions that they have about the upcoming program that they’re about to start in the fall. They have all of that one-on-one time, a lot more one-on-one time than they would normally get during the school year.

Sounds like a very busy four days, very full. [19:54]

Yeah, it is very full.

Okay. How does CGSM help its fellows in career placement, both during and after the MBA? [20:00]

So, during the MBA, again, we have the Hello Fellow and our annual program, our annual orientation program and career forum. Like I mentioned before, they have the opportunity to interact with the corporate partners. The corporate partners get to review their resumes and their backgrounds early on before even meeting them face-to-face. Our alumni network, our Hello Fellow system, allows them to, again, engage with these corporate partners.

And then our student and alumni relations department, they are amazing with connecting with the students. They engage with student liaisons as well in providing that support that they may need throughout the year. And if there’s a student, like we just had tech layoffs recently. And our alumni development department, they were able to help and assist with reengaging with those students or those alumni to be able to help them to get placed in other career opportunities.

A few weeks ago you had the OP. It was mostly geared towards people starting the MBA in 2023, but it also had people who started the MBA in 2022. Is that correct? [21:18]

We had some second year. Like if something happened last year, I know dealing with the pandemic and other issues, some students were not able to attend last year, and so they were given the opportunity to attend this year.

But it’s usually just for the people about to start the MBA, the OP? [21:48]

Right, it’s usually first year students.

What do you see coming down the pike for the Consortium? [21:54]

Oh my goodness. Continued growth, continued engagement with a lot of the students. We’re working on increasing our exposure and engaging. This year we shared a lot of our OP activities on our social media and got a lot of good feedback and engagement. So, definitely I think we have a good momentum right now to be able to get all of the good things that we do at the Consortium out to the public and to the world.

What advice would you give to someone applying to apply via the Consortium in this, the 2023-2024 application cycle? [22:34]

Definitely begin your MBA journey. And beginning your MBA journey does not start with the application. It starts with the preparation.

Yes, that’s right. [23:13]

Definitely starts with the preparation. So, researching a lot of the schools that you’re interested in, finding out if you’re interested in the Consortium, finding out what that Consortium culture looks like on each campus to see what best fits you. Also, looking into preparation for GRE, GMAT, or the Executive Assessment and finding out what the class profiles are for each school that you’re interested in so you can have a good idea of where you stand. And don’t rush your application. Don’t rush it.

Yay! [23:54]

I always have some overzealous students that want to, “I’m getting it in for Round One.” Wait a minute. Make sure that you’re submitting the strongest application and that this is the right time for you to start a program. There’s no rush. There’s no rush. There’s no rush. Make sure you have the strongest application. Utilize all resources that you need to support you through your application process.

We always advise students to attend our events. We have member school webinars that are… We actually have one coming up on July 10th, which will have Washington University, University of Rochester Simon, and UCLA Anderson. And they will be talking about their MBA programs, but also talking about their Consortium cohorts on their campus as well.

And we also have our MBA application preparation seminars, which is MAPS, which will be in person this year. So, we will be in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, and DC.

Wow. You’re getting around. [25:16]

Yes.

Not all Consortium schools require a test score. Does the Consortium require a test score even if the school does not? [25:21]

So, for membership we don’t require a test score. But if you are applying and they offer a test waiver, we would need to have that test waiver submitted, or you would need to submit that in the application. And then we just confirm it with the member school whether that test waiver was actually approved. Yeah. And then if it wasn’t approved, then they would have to submit a test score.

Are any of the programs or any of the partner schools entirely test optional? Do you know off the top of your head? I wasn’t sure as I was thinking about it. [26:03]

I don’t think so. Well, it depends on the school and what policies they have in place this upcoming school year.

I think most of them have a test waiver option, and I also would have to go through each one. [26:19]

Yeah. I always advise students to talk with them early about it, because last year I ran into the issue of students who just missed it. It was like they just missed the test waiver window. So, definitely talk with your school of interest to find out when that test waiver timeframe is and get that in if that’s an option for you.

Wonderful advice even if you’re not applying through CGSM, by the way. [26:51]

Right, absolutely.

What would you have liked me to ask you? [26:56]

These were all great questions.

What would you like to share that I haven’t asked? [27:02]

I would like to share just my… In my position as Director of Recruiting, what my passion and desire and vision is for the Consortium moving forward is to be able to expand our exposure to those who definitely need the opportunity, to be able to expand our exposure to those areas, because sometimes we are in this collegiate bubble.

Aacademia. [27:37]

Yeah, absolutely. And to be able to… We do so many great things.

You do. [27:45]

And just being able to see just the energy that I get from the students, just being around them, and just the positive nature of it all, being able to give that to others who don’t know about the Consortium. So, that’s my mission and goal is to increase exposure and to really share about the great things we’re doing here at the Consortium.

Well, today in this podcast, you did it. [28:14]

Thank you. Thank you, Linda.

You’re very welcome. Bianca, I want to thank you so much for joining me today. Where can listeners and potential applicants learn more about CGSM? [28:21]

They can check us online at www.cgsm.org or on our LinkedIn page and our Instagram page and on Twitter.

Relevant Links:

• The Consortium for the Graduate Study of Management
• Applying For Your MBA Through The Consortium: Best Deal In Town
• MBA ROI Calculator   

Relevant shows:

• How to Get an MBA at Columbia Business School – a podcast Episode 528
• How to Get Accepted to NYU Stern – a podcast Episode 525
• How to Get into Dartmouth Tuck – a podcast Episode 514
• How to Get Into Georgetown McDonough’s MBA Program – a podcast Episode 512
• How to Get Accepted to UNC Kenan-Flagler Full-Time MBA Program – a podcast Episode 496

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The post Applying for Your MBA Through The Consortium [Episode 532] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

U.S. STEM MBA Programs: An Overview

STEM certification programs have proven application bonanzas for top business schools. STEM certification may have begun pre-pandemic as a way to alleviate uncertainty in the visa process, but the programs have proven to be a robust inducement for MBA applicants, particularly from foreign countries. According to Poets & Quants, “At Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management, the move to designate its entire MBA program STEM in early 2021 paid dividends this year. . . Its applications rose by an incredible 21%, an increase of 450 to 2,555, even though Cornell presumably felt the same domestic squeeze as its peer schools.”

[List of top STEM OPT U.S. Business Schools >>]

Cornell’s new MBA class has students from 43 countries, a dramatic rise from 30 countries from 2021. Cornell is receiving roughly double the number of international applications as domestic applications. Poets & Quants also reported strong upticks in foreign student enrollment among 27 B-schools surveyed: “In the top 10, the average gain was 10.2 percentage points, or 36.6%, with Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business the biggest by points — 18, or 72%, to 43% — and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania the biggest by percentage: 84.2%, or 16 points, to 35%.

“Across all 27 schools, the average gain from 2020 to 2022 was 14.6 percentage points, or 69%. The biggest gain was at CMU Tepper, which doubled its total from 28% to 56%; notably, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School gained 23.5 points, or more than 200%, to 35%. Three other B-schools more than doubled their international ranks in two years.”

Are you an international MBA applicant? We’ve helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to top MBA programs! CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT HOW WE CAN HELP YOU GET ACCEPTED >>

The GMAC’s survey from 2019 was the first to inquire about a program’s STEM-certification, and found that these programs were more likely to report growth in international applicants. A total of 195 of the 804 U.S. programs responding reported that their programs were STEM-certified (24%). Among them, the most common program types were Master of Data Analytics (28%); Master of Finance (22%); and Master of Information Technology (14%). And while a majority of both STEM-certified (53%) and non-STEM (57%) programs reported declines in total applications during this period, STEM-certified programs fared better among international applicants. In the 2019-2020 academic year, 43% of STEM-certified programs grew their international applications, compared with 26% of non-STEM programs.

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Given ongoing concerns over visa status and one’s ability to work in the U.S. after business school, programs that are STEM-certified are sure to be more appealing to this applicant pool.

While some MBA programs – such as Chicago Booth, Wharton, Virginia Darden – now offer specific concentrations that qualify international students for STEM OPT, others – such as Berkeley Haas, Carnegie Mellon Tepper, and Rochester Simon – qualify MBA graduates of all majors in their MBA programs for this extension.

During 2021, MBA programs have seen a rebound in international applicants, and many schools (NYU Stern, Darden, and Yale) are touting this return. Still, they are maintaining their STEM certifications because it will pave the way for their graduates to get jobs and stay in the U.S. long enough to pay off or pay down their loans. Despite its cost, the MBA degree continues to pay robust dividends right off the bat. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article: “At about 98% of universities that offer master’s of business administration programs, graduates typically made more money two years out of school than they had borrowed, a Wall Street Journal analysis of federal student loan data for nearly 600 programs found.”

STEM MBA Programs

Name of MBA Program	Majors That Are STEM Designated	MBA Essay Tips
Arizona State Carey	All MBA Platforms	Tips
Babson MBA	1) Business Analytics and Machine Learning 2) Quantitative Finance	Tips
Berkeley Haas	All Majors	Tips
Brigham Young Marriott	Management Science and Quantitative Methods	Tips
Carnegie Mellon	All Majors	Tips
Chicago Booth	All MBA programs	Tips
Columbia Business School	MBA and EMBA programs	Tips
Cornell Johnson	1) Two-Year Management Science MBA 2) One-Year Management Science MBA 3) Tech MBA 4) MPS in Management 5) MPS in Management - Accounting Specialization	Tips
Dartmouth Tuck	STEM track	Tips
Duke Fuqua	Second Major in Management Science and Technology Management (MSTeM)	Tips
Georgetown McDonough	Management Science major	Tips
Harvard Business School	Management Science track	Tips
Indiana Kelley	Accounting, Business Analytics, Finance, Marketing or Supply Chain and Operations	Tips
Lehigh University College of Business	Business Analytics (a concentration within 1-MBA)	Tips
Michigan Ross	STEM track	Tips
MIT Sloan	MBAn	Tips
New York University	Tech MBA Two-year full-time MBA	Tips
Northwestern Kellogg	Management Science MMM Program for Dual Engineering/MBA Degrees	Tips
Notre Dame Mendoza	MBA/Master of Science in Business Analytics Dual Degree	Tips
Pace University	MBA in Information Systems	Tips
Purdue Krannert	MBA-STEM	Tips
Rice Jones	All MBA Programs	Tips
Rochester Simon	All Specializations	Tips
Rutgers	STEM designation	Tips
Stanford GSB	1) All MBA majors 2) MSx	Tips
Syracuse	FT MBA, M.S. in Business Analytics, MS in Finance, MS in Marketing and MS in Supply Chain Management	Tips
Texas McCombs	14 of the 22 concentrations for the full-time MBA program	Tips
University of California, Davis	All Majors	Tips
University of California, Irvine	Analytics in Digital Leadership concentration	Tips
University of California, Los Angeles	All Specializations	Tips
University of California, Riverside	All MBA Programs	Tips
University of California, San Diego	1) Full-time MBA 2) FlexEvening 3) FlexWeekend	Tips
University of California San Francisco	1) Financial Analysis, MS 2) Information Systems, MS 3) Full-Time MBA 4) Marketing Intelligence, MS 5) Energy Systems Management & MBA 6) Environmental Management & MBA (4+1), BS/MBA 7) Financial Analysis & MBA (4+1), BSBA/MS	Tips
University of Connecticut	1) Business Analytics 2) Digital Marketing Strategy 3) Financial Analysis and Investments	Tips
University of Delaware Lerner	Major in Business Analytics	Tips
University of Georgia Terry	Only open to U. of Georgia undergraduates; includes 45 majors	Tips
University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler	All MBA Programs	Tips
University of North Texas Ryan	MBA in Business Analytics	Tips
University of Washington Foster	Management Science	Tips
University of Wisconsin - Madison	1) Specialization in Operations and Technology Management 2) Supply Chain Management	Tips
USC Marshall	Specialization in Management Science	Tips
Vanderbilt Owen	Finance Concentration	Tips
Wharton	1) Business Analytics 2) Business, Economics & Public Policy (BEPP) 3) Business, Energy, Environment & Sustainability (BEES) 4) Operations, Information & Decisions (OID) 5) Quantitative Finance 6) Statistics	Tips
Washington University in St. Louis (Olin)	Full-time MBA	Tips

We’re going to do our best to keep this table current. However, please do not rely on this table; confirm the STEM designation yourself to make sure that the MBA programs you apply to really have that designation. And if you find out a school has attained STEM certification and is not on the list, please let us know by emailing blog@accepted.com.

If you would like to learn how to get into top MBA programs that offer STEM OPT eligibility and are a good fit for you, register for a free consultation with me. 

At Accepted, we’ve helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to top MBA programs and look forward to helping you too! CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED.

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By Jennifer Bloom, admissions consultant at Accepted for 20 years and Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW). She is an expert at guiding you to produce application materials that truly differentiate you from the rest of the driven applicant pool. If you would like help with your application, Jennifer can suggest a number of options that work with any budget. Want Jennifer to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• STEM Applicants: Why Your Statement of Purpose is So Important
• Top MBA Application Essays: How to Answer Them Right (school-specific essay tips)
• The Questions You SHOULD Be Asking – ANSWERED!, a podcast episode

The post Top STEM MBA Programs: A Comprehensive STEM-OPT Eligible List appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Distance learning and unstable market conditions due to the Covid pandemic have not hurt the fortunes of MBA grads from top programs. The 2022 employment reports released in recent weeks from top schools, including NYU Stern School of Business, University of Michigan Ross School of Business, UC-Berkeley Haas School of Business, MIT Sloan, Harvard, and other peer programs have all announced record-breaking starting salaries for grads. 

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NYU Stern MBA Salaries Soar

Median base salaries for NYU Stern were $170,000–the highest ever–up $15,000 from the previous year. Median signing bonuses of $35,000 were on par with 2021, and average total compensation rose by $14,340 to an unprecedented $196,143. 

Within three months of graduation, 94.1 percent of Stern graduates had accepted job offers; 86.6% had accepted job offers by graduation. Top hiring industries remained consistent: consulting (31.2 percent), investment banking (27.2 percent) and tech (17.0 percent). 

Brian Ruggiero, Associate Dean of Career Services, boasted that the Class of 2022, which had begun their MBA studies during the pandemic, “adapted quickly to the resulting paradigm shifts. The demand for these skills is clear,” he said, pointing to the high acceptance rates for jobs three months after graduation being on par with pre-pandemic levels, as well as the highest compensation on record. Early data for the Class of 2023 also show “strong demand for Stern talent,” he added, evidenced by a 100% success rate among seekers of internships. 

Michigan Ross MBA Class of 2022 Almost at 100% Employment

Similarly, University of Michigan Ross School of Business reported that an eye-popping 99% percent of their 2022 grads were offered jobs within three months of graduation, landing median salaries of $165,000 and a $192,270 median salary package. Both salary figures reflect a $21,000 increase over the previous year.

The B-School Selectivity Index:
Are You Competitive at Your Dream School? >>

UC Berkeley Haas, Dartmouth Tuck, and Georgetown McDonough Report Great Employment Outcomes

On the West Coast, the 2022 class at UC-Berkeley Haas School of Business had a 93.8% job offer rate, up 4% from the prior year, returning that figure to among the highest of the pre-pandemic years. The median base salary for Haas MBAs was $155,000, up by 3.7% from the previous year.

Dartmouth Tuck’s employment data released November 22 for the Class of 2022 showed that 98% of Tuck grads had job offers within three months of graduation, with median base salaries rising by 16.7% to $175,000 from $150,000 in 2021. Ninety-three percent of grads received a median signing bonus of $30,000, bumping median total compensation to $202,900, up more than 15% from last year.

Georgetown MBAs enjoyed average base salaries of $138,552, up from $126,107 last year, and an average signing bonus of $36,342. A statement from their website noted that “96% of students received a job offer within three months of graduation and 95% accepted their offers – tying last year’s placement records as the highest levels ever achieved by Full-time MBA graduates. The record-setting average salary marks a 10% increase from 2021, with bonuses increasing by 6%. 

“The outcomes presented in this report are a testament to the extraordinary talent in the Class of 2022,” said Christy Murray, associate dean and managing director of career services at Georgetown McDonough. “These students began their MBA journey amid ongoing disruptions and uncertainty from the global pandemic, yet through their hard work, perseverance, and commitment to excellence, they were well positioned to secure impactful roles in business across a wide range of industries and sectors.” 

Wharton MBAs pocketed their highest-ever median base salary of $175,000, a jump of 12.9 %. Salaries had been flat at $150,000 in 2019 and 2020, rising only to $155,000 in 2021. Within three months of graduation, 98.7% of Wharton’s MBAs seeking jobs received offers. Wharton’s 20222 employment report, released November 17, also revealed that more grads than ever found jobs in tech, despite the current flurry of layoffs and hiring freezes at tech giants Meta, Amazon, and Twitter. 

However, an article in Poets&Quants cautioned that Wharton’s impressive results in landing tech jobs may be a bit of an outlier: 

“. . . techies should be wary of seeing Wharton’s success in tech as a sign of rebound. While the raw number of Wharton MBAs finding jobs in tech is higher than ever, the percentage of the class in the industry is down slightly, as the number of job-seeking graduates in 2022 (633) is 8.2% more than in 2021 (585) as a result of Wharton enrolling larger classes at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Moreover, Whartonites’ success in landing tech gigs runs counter to many of their peer schools, where tech hiring is down — and in some cases down big — and likely points to a very different tech landscape graduates faced this summer as they rounded out their offers.”

Other MBA 2022 Jobs and Salary Stats

The following data is from Poets&Quants and underscores that whatever hardships and uncertainties students experienced while applying and earning MBAs during such a volatile period, their investments are paying off handsomely now.

• Harvard Business School grads saw a 16.3% year-to-year increase in median salary to $175,000 and median performance bonuses increase to $40,000 powered a leap in total median compensation to $223,100, a one-year jump of 17.5%.
  
  
• Virginia Darden School of Business MBAs made a median $175,000, up 21% from the Class of 2021;
  
  
• At MIT Sloan School of Management, average base salary increased 7.6% from the previous year, to $159,391, and median base salary grew 10% to $165,000; total median compensation was $204,700, up 4.7% from $195,600 last year;
  
  
• At Northwestern Kellogg School of Management, median salary for the class jumped $15,000, to $165,000, and is up 18% since the last pre-pandemic graduating class in 2019; bonuses stayed at a median $30,000, and with 87% receiving them, median total pay came out to $191,100, up 8.7% from $175,800 last year.

Soaring MBA Salaries’ Significance for Applicants

These stats reflect several factors: 

1. The enduring value of the full-time two-year MBA degree from top MBA programs.
   
   
2. Inflation, which increases salaries and will allow most of those who borrowed their tuition to pay off their debt with cheaper dollars.
   
   
3. A tight labor market in which businesses – even if we are in a recession – are willing to pay for top talent.

Many of the 2022 MBA grads applied to business school in winter and spring 2020 at the height of COVID lock-downs, social isolation, and distance learning. Unemployment hit 14.8% in April, 2020 and remained above pre-COVID levels until Fall 2021. These grads looked at the dismal events of the time, swallowed hard, and concluded that the environment is paving the way for them to obtain their MBA. As you consider whether to apply at a time of rising layoffs, possible recession, and general instability, consider the payoff that these grads have experienced by taking the plunge when they did.

Are you considering an MBA to maximize your earning potential? The stats show that the investment is worth it, but it takes an outstanding application to impress the elite schools. Our experienced MBA admissions consultants work with you one-on-one, throughout the process, to help you get ACCEPTED!

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For 25 years, Accepted has helped business school applicants gain acceptance to top programs. Our outstanding team of MBA admissions consultants features former business school admissions directors and professional writers who have guided our clients to admission at top MBA, EMBA, and other graduate business programs worldwide including Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth, INSEAD, London Business School, and many more. Want an MBA admissions expert to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related resources:

• Starting Salaries for MBA Grads Climbing
• M7 MBA Programs: Everything You Need to Know in 2022
• Is an MBA Worth It, or Is the Sky Falling Down on the MBA Degree?, a podcast episode

The post Class of 2022 MBAs Earn Bullish Starting Salaries appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

These short questions featured in Darden’s EMBA application generate a conversation of sorts. The Q&A becomes a dialogue between you and the adcom, almost like an interview. The conversation these questions produce encompasses Darden’s perspective and values and reveals how you view and align with them. This dialogue approach exemplifies and facilitates the website’s point that the adcom wants to get to know you through these mini-essays. I would add – they want to know you and how well you understand and fit with Darden.

Darden Executive MBA 2022-23 Short Answer Questions

Darden EMBA short answer question #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)

By asking you to consider your future Darden classmates, the adcom can gauge how well you understand and connect with both these prospective peers, and, by extension, the culture and values of the program, critical point for a program that is small and close-knit. It would be helpful therefore to show clear awareness of this peer audience.

And “not on your resume” indicates you should focus on non-work experiences or influences. The key to making this essay shine is to root the message in actual experience – and clarify what that experience says about you that is relevant to your Darden EMBA peers.

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Darden EMBA short answer question #2

The University of Virginia promotes an inclusive and welcoming environment that embraces the full spectrum of human attributes, perspectives, and disciplines. Diversity stands with ethics, integrity, and academic excellence, as a cornerstone of University culture. Review the University of Virginia’s Commitment to Diversity.

Consistent with this ethos, the Darden School of Business seeks to improve the world by developing and inspiring responsible global leaders. We are committed to developing the School’s ability to leverage our global diversity — the multitude of different experiences and backgrounds among our stakeholders from around the world — to achieve excellence in business education in today’s complex marketplace. We do so in the service of our mission, adhering to an unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe all key stakeholders – students, faculty, staff, alumni – play a critical role in cultivating an inclusive environment, and every action – whether big or small – in service of this goal is important.

Please describe a tangible example that illuminates your experience promoting an inclusive environment and what you would bring to creating a welcoming, global community at Darden. (300 words)

This question calls for a straightforward story presenting a time when you concretely facilitated and/or created and/or supported and/or built an inclusive environment. Since the first essay will focus largely on non-work experience, it would be ideal to use an example for this essay that occurred at work, ideally relatively recently. This approach will allow the essay to do double duty: portray you both functioning at a high level within a significant role and also taking actions that align with Darden’s diversity values. This essay is also an opportunity to showcase your leadership impact with the right example. And that impact should be concrete (that word “tangible” should be constantly on the radar as you consider topics and draft the essay).

Darden EMBA short answer question #3

At this time, how would you describe your short-term, post-MBA career goal and how does it align with the long-term vision you have for your career? (200 words)

For your short-term goal, give the facts: what position(s), company or types of company, industry, location, expected scope of accountability. And for your long-term vision, summarize what you hope to achieve in terms of external impact; what you hope your footprint will be – this should be shorter and less-detailed than your post-MBA goal. Explain how your short-term goal prepares you for the longer-term career vision, both in practical terms and consistency of purpose.

You’ve just made a smart investment of time in reading this blog post. Now you’re one step closer to submitting the kind of application that can lead to acceptance at one of the most prestigious programs in the country. Why not make the next smart investment and consider one of our consulting packages? We have helped thousands of qualified applicants get to “YES” from the adcoms. Click here to learn about how we can be there for you, too.

If you would like professional guidance with your UVA Darden Executive MBA application, check out Accepted’s MBA Application Package, which includes advising, editing, interview coaching, and a resume edit for the Darden EMBA application.

UVA Darden Executive MBA 2022-23 remaining application deadlines

*Note: At UVA Darden, we offer monthly deadlines – from August through April – and we will continue to accept applications until the class fills. Each deadline functions as a discrete round – with a target interview period, decision release date and deposit deadline. All deadlines are focused on our class starting in August. 

Which deadline is right for you? Our general advice is to apply as soon as you feel like you can put together a strong application. With each passing deadline, fewer seats in our class will be available, and we will have less scholarship money to award. Most applicants will apply between October and March. However, we have monthly deadlines to provide you maximum flexibility.

Source: Darden EMBA website

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Related Resources:

• School-Specific Executive MBA Essay Tips
• Ace the EMBA: Expert Advice for the Rising Executive, a free guide
• EMBA: The Ultimate Guide for Applicants

The post UVA Darden Executive MBA Application Tips & Deadlines [2022 – 2023] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

The Financial Times has released its global rankings of the best MBA programs and has considerably shuffled the deck. Several top-ranked programs fell several notches, while others rose considerably. For the first time since 2011, Wharton has returned to its status as #1 in FT’s list. 

Other programs that made giant strides in the rankings include Columbia Business School (ranked 8th in 2020), and Kellogg (Northwestern), now #5 (11th place in 2020). One reason for such huge fluctuations was that five of the top U.S. programs (Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, MIT, and Columbia) were not listed at all last year at all, skewing that year’s results. 

Other highly rated programs that suffered serious tumbles in the rankings include London Business School, Tuck (Dartmouth), and UVA Darden. In fact, 69 of the 91 schools ranked fell in the rankings, many of them by double digits.  

Compared with last year, many of these schools’ rankings looked like riders on a roller coaster, with some plunging far below and others rising by as much as 20 points to unprecedented heights. 

As we have cautioned before, it’s vital to keep these rankings in perspective. They are based on many variables that have little or nothing to do with the quality of the curricula per se.

Do you see yourself in one of these top programs? Find out how working one-on-one with one of our Admissions Consultants can help get you ACCEPTED!

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Related Resources:

• Top 10 or Bust: Dispelling 2 MBA Myths
• Top MBA Programs Get STEM-Certified to Attract Int’l Students
• B-School Selectivity Index: Discover the Schools Where You are a Competitive Applicant

The post Financial Times Ranks Wharton as #1 in 2022 Rankings appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

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Get to know UVA Darden’s thoughtful application process [Show summary]

Dawna Clarke, Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions at Darden School of Business explores the program’s unique case method and recounts how the school proactively adapted during COVID-19. 

What makes UVA Darden unique? A choice-rich MBA experience and a close-knit student community [Show notes]

Welcome to the 439th episode of Admissions Straight Talk, thanks for tuning in. Are you ready to apply to your dream business schools? Are you competitive at your target program? Accepted’s MBA Admissions Calculator can give you a quick reality check, just go to accepted.com/mbaquiz, complete the quiz and you not only get an assessment, but also tips on how to improve your chances of acceptance. Plus it’s all free.

It gives me great pleasure to have on Admissions Straight Talk Dawna Clarke, Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions at UVA Darden. Dawna is one of the most experienced and respected MBA admission directors I’ve had the privilege of knowing. She started her career in MBA admissions at UNC Kenan-Flagler, then moved to Darden (which is where we first met) and served for 15 years as director of admissions, and then served in the same role at Tuck and even spent a short period as an MBA admissions consultant. She returned to Darden in 2017. In all her positions and roles in MBA admissions, Dawna is known for running an applicant-friendly admissions process while attracting great candidates to the schools that she has been associated with. Dawna, welcome to Admissions Straight Talk and congratulations again on your new title.

Can we start with a basic overview of the Darden MBA program for listeners who are not that familiar with it, focusing on its more distinctive elements? [2:18]

Sure, absolutely. I’m happy to give an overview of Darden. Darden is a two-year, full-time, general management program. Assuming we’re primarily talking about the full-time format, we do offer other formats as well, but I will focus on the full-time format. I will say one of the most distinctive elements of Darden is that it is primarily a case method school. Over the years, our faculty has revisited the curriculum and asked whether a case method is the most relevant teaching method. To date, since the school was founded in the 1950s, they continue to commit to the case method. 

The philosophy is that the best way to learn how to make business decisions is to start making them. At Darden, we’re trying to cultivate a variety of skills, leadership skills, team skills — it’s a general management program. So people are going to get accounting skills, financial skills, global skills, but one of the most relevant skills that we’re trying to cultivate are strong business decision-making skills. The philosophy is that the best way to start to cultivate those skills is to practice. Students do over 500 cases while they’re at Darden. So there’s a lot of practice. It’s very practical and relevant. One of the benefits of the case method that a lot of people don’t know about is that it exposes you to a lot of industries. So for students who are coming to Darden, a lot of people know that they want to transition into a business career, but they may not know what functional area. Through the general management program, you’re going to get a lot of exposure to all the functional areas of business like accounting and economics and finance. But because it’s a case method school, every case is set within an industry. So in your two years at Darden, a student is going to get exposed to almost 70 different industries. Even if you don’t go into energy, knowing a little bit about energy may be really valuable to you if you have a client in the future, who’s from the energy industry. You’re going to have cases from transportation, hospitality, financial services, consulting, startups, petrochemical companies. I love the phrase, “We don’t know what we don’t know.” 

The average age for entering MBA students to the full-time format tends to be 27 or 28, and I’ve just seen so many examples of people who were not sure what they wanted to do come through our program. I can think of one woman who was never previously exposed to the airline industry. She hadn’t even thought about pursuing a career in the airline industry. In her first year, she did about three or four cases in the airline industry, and it really resonated with her. She did an internship with American Airlines, got a full-time job offer and ended up rising the ranks of American Airlines to a C-Suite position. That is the beauty of the case method. You get to experiment and learn a lot about different industries. 

Darden is also known for its sense of community. There are a multitude of things you can get involved in at Darden. There are affinity groups that you can become involved in. There are professional organizations, there are things like the choir and social organizations. I also think our location is an asset. Darden is part of the University of Virginia. UVA has nine professional schools where Darden students can cross register and take up to two electives in the second year at any of those nine schools, as long as they’re a graduate level class. I always encourage students to tap into some joy and just get lost on the UVA website as well as the Darden website. I also think our location in Charlottesville, just in terms of a place to spend two years of your life, is an asset. I think if I didn’t work for Darden, I’d work for the Charlottesville tourism department. It’s rated the number one foodie town in the country by Rand McNally, has 41 vineyards, lots of breweries, and lots of history so I do encourage people as they’re looking at Darden to take advantage of the opportunities that are at the University of Virginia, as well as Darden and the opportunities to try a different area of the country.

We also have Amtrak right here. If I have to go to New York City for work, I hop on the Amtrak. It’s a five hour trip. I can take Amtrak up to DC. I would prefer to be on the train rather than driving, but we also have a decent airport here with direct flights to Atlanta, New York and Chicago. It’s a little bit more accessible than some people think.

What COVID adaptations does Darden intend to keep in its MBA program and admissions moving forward? [8:24]

I’m really glad that you asked this question because I think the manner in which the school has navigated COVID says a lot about the school, and I could not be more proud of the way that Darden navigated COVID. I’m going to give everybody a little bit of an overview of how we navigated it so you have some context about how I think that’s going to carry forward. 

First of all, I think it starts from the top down. I’m on the Dean’s leadership team, and the mantra from the beginning was really to navigate COVID with a great deal of compassion, obviously a high level of commitment to the safety and health of our entire community, but to do so with a great level of compassion. When COVID struck in March, you may remember that a lot of students who were applying to business schools in Round 3 could not take a GMAT or GRE because test centers were closed worldwide. Again, the guiding mantra was to really be compassionate. Imagine what it would be like if you were a student and you wanted to apply to business school and you couldn’t take one of the entrance exams. So Darden immediately went to a model of test flexibility to help accommodate students. During COVID we granted 94 deferrals of students who could not get here last year to this year. In a 35-year career in the industry, I have never been in a position to have to grant so many deferrals, but it was the right thing to do. 

Darden is the only top business school that introduced the option to start in January. Say you’re an international student from around the world, I think that they felt really cared for because they could defer their enrollment for a full year. Any of our admitted students also had the option to start in January and that was a heavy lift on the part of the faculty and staff to have two starts. I think that says a lot. 

Darden also has a lockstep first year, is that right? [10:42]

Yes, we do. They condensed it so that if you didn’t start in August, you start on January 4th and finish on July 4th. They condensed the entire first year into that six month period of time. That is what we call Section J. They are incredibly close. I mean, they were kind of in this bubble of about 56 of them together and they were virtual. But I think that that is a good example of the lengths that Darden went through to accommodate students who were navigating and trying to get here. 

We were one of the only schools that did not have to shut down last year. The protocols that were in place were really top notch. I was fortunate to be on the COVID-19 committee. They had epidemiologists from UVA on our committee to help guide us. At no point did we have to completely shut down. There was a virtual hybrid rotation that was going on, but we did not have to shut down. 

The school was very concerned about the sense of community, we’re really known for our sense of community. So what the school did was provide free lunch for all the first year students and provided permanent tents outside and places where they could eat safely together to foster a sense of community. Darden was named by Poets & Quants the school that navigated COVID with the most flexibility and compassion, and I’m really proud to have been a part of that.

I think some of these things are self-perpetuating. You do it because it’s the right thing to do, you get positive feedback and then there’s more of that, that is done. I think that what will go forward is a good reinforcement of how important flexibility and compassion are to each other in these times and also generosity. I think it was amazing that the school provided free lunch for the whole year for students to foster a sense of community at a time when that sense of community was really vulnerable, because people were virtual. 

We did not replicate the January section this year. We’re going to study the January section and see what they have to say about it and then how they do in terms of recruitment as second years. But it went well. One of the silver linings is that they are such a close cohort and they just came back. They started today as the second year class and it’s kind of fun because they’re meeting some of their classmates for the first time. Again, I’m very, very, very proud to be part of a school that handled COVID so well and I think that kind of sensitivity to human beings and a sense of being accommodating is really something to be proud of.

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Did most of the deferrals go to Section J or were they deferred a full year? [14:05]

That’s interesting because about 55 started in January and then an additional 94 were deferred to this class. Some of that, we also have the future year scholars program. So I think 16 of the 94 were future year scholars and 81 of the 94 actually matriculated last week. They really stuck with us. I think, again, these things are self-perpetuating. I think students really appreciated the accommodation. They had a dream. They wanted to be here last year and in some cases just couldn’t get here because of COVID or visas or both. They were very loyal to us. So 81 out of the 94 deferrals showed up to Darden.

Did the deferrals mean that you had to accept fewer people from the applicant pool last year? [14:57]

It was more competitive last year. This year it’s back to a normal level of deferrals because fortunately most of the students were able to get here. Their orientation started last week. It’s a really excellent class in terms of objective measures like the average GMAT and the record high GPA. We’re also really proud that it’s the most diverse class in Darden’s history, across multiple dimensions: 40% international students, 40% women, highest percentage of underrepresented minorities, highest percentage of total minority students, highest percentage of first generation college students, highest percent that identify as LGBTQ+, highest percentage of dual degree students and numbers with an advanced degree. We’re really excited for this class. It’s such a stellar class and really, really diverse which is nice because the previous year in many business schools, it was hard to get the same representation that we normally have of international students because of COVID.

You mentioned Darden has made test waivers requests available to applicants. Who should seek them and who shouldn’t? [16:21]

Great question, Linda. Thanks for asking that. The philosophy behind offering a test waiver really stems from our belief that not all stellar applicants are stellar test-takers. I’m sure that you, as a very experienced, highly reputable admissions consultant have interacted with lots of those students – people who are incredible and have so much to offer a business school and will be high impact leaders that they can’t master to the extent that they wish they could in a three and a half hour exam. Our philosophy is that it’s 2021, it’s not 1950 anymore. We have great respect for the GMAT and GRE. The validity studies that we participated in the past do show that they’re valuable instruments, but we did a lot of data analytics in advance of this policy shift to see what other factors correlate with academic success at Darden.

There have been a couple phases of those studies. For example, we found that the interview correlates more with academic success than we would have thought. We found that the verbal GMAT is a better predictor than the quantitative GMAT. The GPA is a better predictor than the test scores. We’re going through analysis right now and looking to see if there is a correlation if you have a CFA, if you have a CPA, if you’ve done some Darden Coursera classes, if you have a master’s degree in a relevant area, if you have a quantitatively oriented job, etc. We’re continuously looking at data to help guide our policies but to answer your question about who should apply, I would recommend the test waiver process for candidates who have strong alternative evidence that they can do well academically. Maybe a candidate has a strong undergraduate GPA in a relevant field. Maybe he or she has earned a master’s in a relevant field. Maybe they have a very quantitatively oriented job, maybe they have earned a CFA or CPA, maybe they’ve taken some post-bacc classes. I would say the test waiver is not for someone who has no alternative evidence. It is really for people who maybe struggle a little bit with a standardized test, but perform really well in a class. 

I’m a big fan of HBx CORe, which is now HBS online. I’ve seen hundreds of applicants who have taken that class. My own son took that class as a liberal arts major, and I heard such great things about it. We have Coursera classes at Darden people can take. Wharton has Business Fundamentals. There’re a lot of certification programs out there, but ultimately we’re looking for high impact leaders, and we believe that the GMAT was carrying too much. There’s too much emphasis on GMAT scores when in this day and age there’s so many alternative ways that somebody can prove that they’re academically ready. 

Do you get comfort from seeing grades from accredited institutions? [20:39]

We do. Hopefully we’re all entitled to continue to evolve and maybe somebody didn’t have a lot of quantitative exposure at the undergraduate level and the person is interested in working on those skills now – go for it, whatever it is that you feel like you need to improve upon. I do think having worked at multiple schools, it is anything that an applicant can do to be better prepared so that you can really take advantage of the full Darden experience to take advantage of the networking and all the clubs and activities and all the speakers as well as opportunities that are at UVA in Charlottesville because it’s part of the life experience and evolution of living in a new area and taking advantage of the culture. I think anything that somebody can do, not only for admission, but to make your life a little bit easier when you’re actually a student you’re going to be so grateful for.

For example, we don’t require any of these, but if an individual hasn’t had accounting, I would say, it’d be great to take an introductory accounting class. If you haven’t had business statistics, it’s super helpful to have a business statistics class. If somebody hasn’t had finance, maybe an introductory finance class or an economics class could be helpful. That’s why I’m a really big advocate of HBS online. It’s an introduction to the types of subjects that you would be studying if you’re in an MBA program and can be really good confirmation that yes, I do want to study an MBA. I’m interested in these topics. It gives you some terminology and familiarity with them. It is highly well regarded. I don’t want to put words in other people’s mouths, but I have high regard for that certification program.

I think it’s an 150-hour commitment. I would put it on my resume if I did it and say you go to Darden and you went to a different undergraduate school and you did HBS online while you were working full-time, I would use it as a talking point when you’re working with recruiters, because I think that also speaks to somebody’s motivation level. I want to prepare for the program, but I also want to stand out a little bit in terms of the admissions process. I would put it on my resume under education and it can stay there forever. Having a certification from Harvard Business School is never going to hurt. That is my favorite certification program.

The other one I recommend is learning Excel. You don’t have to be a master of it, but have some familiarity with Excel before you come. That’s something that isn’t a requirement, but it’s something that you can do to make your life a little easier.

What happens to an application once it’s submitted? How is it processed and evaluated? [24:20]

Well, I’ll answer this in two ways in terms of the application flow and then also you might be getting at what we evaluate. We’re very proud of how many touch points there are with our applicants. You know this well as a very experienced admissions consultant – the blood, sweat, tears and hours that these applicants put into this process and the stress that can be involved. We really acknowledge that and want people to know we’re part of the reason we’re in these jobs is because we love reading your stories. We love interviewing you. We’re inspired by them. Every application is reviewed by three people. There’s what we call a pre-interview read where a member of the admissions committee will review an application and decide if that person should be invited for an interview.

The exception is early action. And early action applicants can opt into a self-selected interview. Then after the interview, it is read again sometimes by one or two people before it goes to me. So there’s a process to read it before an interview is conducted. We intentionally have different people looking at it because we’re human beings. We want to make good decisions and as much as we’re trained, we can all bring biases in that we try to work against. But just having more opinions and experienced opinions, I’m really proud of our team in terms of how experienced they are and the lack of turnover on our team. It is definitely a holistic process and I’ll mention some things that are taken into consideration in the evaluation process that are not necessarily an order of importance, but we do want people to do well academically, so we want you to be successful.

We’ll look for evidence that somebody can do well academically, but we do it in a progressive way. That’s why we have the test waiver. So if you don’t perform well on a standardized test, but you perform well in other ways, then let somebody prove it beyond just the GPA and standardized test score. We look at professional experience in the first year class, there are people who come from 28 different industries. Some of them have traditional business backgrounds. Some are from healthcare, nonprofits, Peace Corps, and startups. Financial services, consulting, and tech seem to be some of the popular ones, but you don’t have to have a business background. We’ll look a lot at progression to see how has this person progressed in his or her career.

READ: UVA Darden MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines >>

I encourage people to talk about the impact they’ve had either on an organization, on a team, on a project, or on an individual. We do ask a series of what we call short answer questions, not big essay questions. The intention of short answer questions is to try to get to know about different elements of a person’s background. This year we have a lot of choices with the short answer questions because some of us have a really great answer for one prompt, but not another. So we wanted to provide more choices for applicants. Everybody is assigned to a learning team section at Darden and one of my favorite questions is, “What do you want your learning team to know most about you?” I love reading those because for each person, everything they could possibly say, what is it that you most want your learning team to know about you? I love reading the answers and I encourage people, I know it sounds clichéd, but just ask yourself, what am I most proud of? What’s relevant to the business school process that I want to let these people know about? 

I read a great essay last year. A woman was applying from China, and it was in the middle of the pandemic, and she talked about how she is driven by being helpful to other people. She talked about the lengths she went to to help her grandmother learn technology so that her grandmother who was isolated in COVID wouldn’t get depressed and would have a way to connect with the family. It was so heartfelt and it was a tangible example of her thread of helpfulness. So anyway, the short answer questions are a part of it.

Recommendations are sort of a third party objective way for us to get information. 100% of our students are interviewed, and the interview is so helpful in terms of learning more about interpersonal skills and communication skills and some elements of a person’s background that are a little harder to assess on the basis of a written application. It’s very broad and I will say on this note, business schools is like a little bit of a space issue. If you apply and you get into your top choice or two or three choices, that’s great. If for some reason you don’t, remember that a lot of these schools have finite amount of space. I think it’s really important for applicants to know if you’re waitlisted or denied that does not mean that that candidate wouldn’t have thrived at Darden, or isn’t going to be a really impactful leader in business. Sometimes it just comes down to numbers. You get a volume of applications and so many people apply and have so much going for them, but I think it’s really important to try to depersonalize this process a little bit and say, “I am not going to allow this letter of denial mean that I wouldn’t have thrived at this school,” or “I am going to be successful by taking another path.” I think it’s a really important message.

Everybody’s unique in different aspects. If you can, try to minimize the stress in this process. I know that is easier said than done, but so many alumni tell me that their time at Darden was the best two of the best years of their life. If people can occasionally come up for air and say, “I’m going to tap into the joy,” they’re embarking on a really exciting journey and going through the application process can really help.

Some of the essay questions really get you thinking. What am I most proud of that’s relevant to a business school admissions process that I’m just really excited to share with these people? For the applicants out there that are listening, just try really hard to tap into the joy and the precipice of this exciting chapter. Like I said before, it’s not just Darden, it’s UVA. I mean, there are phenomenal resources at UVA, and I’m a big fan of Charlottesville. Spend some time just getting lost, not only on the Darden website, but exploring what you can learn virtually about UVA and Charlottesville, because I think these are a big part of the growth opportunity too.

These five questions each have a different focus and I think that enables applicants to better bring out their individuality. [34:04]

Exactly. One is more sort of leadership and impact oriented. Another is a little bit about your worldview. Everybody’s going to be a leader in some way. Whether it’s in a traditional business function or using business skills in a nontraditional way. We really believe that it’s important to have global skills and DEI skills and embrace others’ opinions and gravitate to the person who doesn’t look like you and learn more from that student from a country that you’ve never visited. We really are trying to look for people who are going to embrace the diversity of the people around them.

If somebody is lucky enough to be invited to interview at Darden, what can they expect? [35:!3]

Good question. I think our interviews are intentionally conversational in nature. Our philosophy is that our interviewees are going to perform better if we put them at ease. I think you can expect for your interviewer, maybe a full-time member of the admissions committee and maybe one of our second year student interviewers who take a class with us for credit, whether you interview with a member of the admissions committee or a student, they all carry the same weight. There’s no advantage or disadvantage either way, but I think you can expect the person to just chat with you and put you at ease and make you feel comfortable. There are no behavioral questions. There are no oddball questions. It’s conversational. A lot of questions may be kind of aimed at, “Why did you make this choice of undergraduate school” or maybe, “What prompted your interest in a specific major?” They’re just kind of going through their background. I think it’s less about what someone says and more about their interpersonal and communication skills.

Is it a blind interview? [36:31]

It is blind. They’re intentionally blind. We do that because we don’t want anything in the application to positively or negatively influence us. Too much research shows if you know a GPA or a GMAT, even if you try to block it out, you might make assumptions. So they are blind. I think people will find that they’re quite conversational and a pleasant experience.

What’s the most common mistake you see applicants make? [36:58]

It’s such an easy mistake for us all to make, maybe writing an essay with more the lengths of, “I’m going to write what I think these people want to hear” as a opposed to being really in tune with yourself and like, “I am so excited to let them know about this.” Like I said, maybe that example that I gave earlier of the woman who used the example of teaching her grandmother might not be an obvious response that we got, but it worked really well, and it was very authentic to her.

I think sometimes when people are writing an essay you see people who say something like, “According to Thomas Jefferson, blah, blah, blah.” That’s not really helpful because it tells me something about Thomas Jefferson, but not the applicant. We see this one every day, somebody might apply to Darden and say this is why XYZ school is my top choice and it’s not Darden. Basic proofreading is important. I think another one is to watch my video blog.

I have a video blog that I encourage people to watch because we try to be transparent about the process and try to give you some helpful tips. It is not a requirement to have a perfectly polished resume. However you’re going to have to do a resume eventually when you’re in an MBA program; why not do a little research? Learn the format for what’s a really professionally oriented format and really spend some time on your resume, both in terms of the substance and also the layout. Occasionally we see some not very professionally looking resumes, and a resume is an opportunity to show your personality and your impact. When I’m interviewing someone, sometimes I see their personal aspect of their resume. What are they interested in? Where have they traveled? Sometimes it’s nice just in terms of striking up a conversation with someone, but that is an opportunity to really show your professionalism and personality and impact that some people might not take so much care with.

How do you view applicants who had a dip in grades, perhaps a period of unemployment due to depression or emotional illness? [39:49]

I’m going to speak for myself because I can’t speak for other admissions officers at other schools. We are fortunate in that I think I’ve had a fair amount of education around mental health issues. I personally am really inspired when people feel comfortable disclosing that as part of their history. If people fell and broke their ankle, there would be no shame in telling us they fell and broke their ankle. There should be no shame affiliated with having had a bout of depression either. It’s a growing number of students that experience mental health issues. I think the important question to ask yourself, regardless of any medical condition, whether it’s mental health or physical health is, “Am I ready?”

We empower you to make that decision for yourself. The vast majority of mental health issues happen. They’re not chronic ongoing issues. Even if they are, I’m really proud to say Darden has two full-time psychologists here to help students who might need some support, whether it’s just a low level of stress or maybe a mental health challenge. We have some incredible resources here. Some people are much more open about it and some people choose to be private, that’s your choice but I have seen in the last couple years, an increase in the number of people who talk about, “Maybe I needed to take a year off or a semester off because of one of these challenges,” and it’s no different than any kind of physical challenge. I think again, the most important thing is, regardless of what your medical issue is, is this timing the best for you? Or would the following year be better for your timing in terms of having proper treatment or surgery or whatever an individual needs for a medical challenge. I am more impressed and I think this is a good sign of our times so that this generation is comfortable disclosing something that maybe in a previous generation they would not be. That’s a positive trend.

How about somebody with either academic infractions or a criminal record? [42:44]

I think it depends on what the infraction was. If it was an assault, I think we’re going to be pretty concerned as opposed to being caught with an open can of beer. We’re all human beings, human beings make mistakes. I think it’s important to be honest because there are background checks that are done later, and it’s so much better to be up front about it from the beginning. I would say the overwhelming majority of things that are disclosed are things that fall into the camp of “We were all immature at one point and may have made some misjudgments as human beings.” I have seen a few in my career where the red flag was more concerning. But that’s rare.

Where can listeners learn more about Darden? 

https://www.darden.virginia.edu/mba

Related resources:

• UVA Darden’s website
• UVA Darden MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines [2021 – 2022]
• Navigate the MBA Maze: 11 Tips to Acceptance, a free guide
• Accepted’s MBA Admissions Consulting Services

Related shows:

• Duke Enrolls Its Strongest MBA Class Ever, Hear From Its Admissions Dean
• Are You Interested in NYU Stern?
• How to Get an MBA From Dartmouth Tuck
• How to Get a CMU Tepper MBA
• All About Becoming a Georgetown McDonough MBA

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The post How to Get Into UVA Darden [Episode 439] appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

One of the key pieces of an MBA application is the letter of recommendation. This letter, usually written by managers, gives the admissions committee an insightful perspective on the MBA candidate. However, since each program has their own unique form, and candidates are often hesitant to ask managers to fill out multiple recommendations, applicants often limit the number of programs to which they apply. Recommenders frequently cannot dedicate enough time to such letters, resulting in less thorough and perceptive recommendations.  

According to the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), the Common Letter of Recommendation was born out of the need to save recommenders and alumni time by enabling them to complete one, common, set of questions. Since the questions stay embedded in each school’s existing application system, few major changes are necessary. The Common LOR was developed by a group of leading business schools in conjunction with GMAC. These programs are leading the way, with the support of GMAC, to collaborate, collect information from industry professionals, and collate information from candidates worldwide.   

Benefits of the Common LOR 

• Delivers deeper understanding of candidates by applying the best practices from top programs and using the most up-to-date science in executive assessment 

• Allows for a wider diversity of prospective students and a greater number of applicants by enabling them to ask for multiple LORs. 

• Reduces recommenders’ time demands so they can devote more consideration to crafting a thoughtful and attuned letter. 

Common LOR sections 

The Common LOR is comprised of the following four sections: 

1. Personal Information About the Recommender 

2. Leadership Assessment Grid: Made up of 12 competencies and character traits that lead to successful leadership. They are divided into these five groups: 

• Achievement 
  
  
• Influence 
  
  
• People 
  
  
• Personal Qualities 
  

• Cognitive Abilities 

3.  Recommendation Questions (Open-Ended Questions for Recommenders) 

• 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? (e.g., what are the applicant’s principal strengths?). 
  

• Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response. 
  
  
• Is there anything else we should know? (Optional) 

Schools currently using the Common LOR form 

The widespread uptake of the common LOR is due in part to the longstanding lobbying of admissions professionals. Anna Ivey, former president of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC), welcomed the development of more schools embracing the shared LOR model: “Applicants have for years found themselves in quite a pickle because they have had to dump so much work on their recommenders. In some cases, their recommenders have had to write more words than the applicants do in their essays. That has created all kinds of distortions, despite good intentions. 

“Any convergence around common recommendation questions not only makes the application process easier for applicants and their recommenders, but also helps preserve the integrity of those recommendations and the application process. Cutting down on the duplication and extra work for recommenders will make it more likely that recommenders write their letters themselves, and that’s a great outcome.” 

We can help you take advantage of the common LOR to get the most from your recommenders and supercharge your application. Our experienced consultants also work with recommenders to provide guidance in crafting compelling letters that will set you on the road to getting ACCEPTED! 

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Related Resources:

• Navigate the MBA Maze, a free guide
• MBA Recommendation Letters: 10 Tips for Writing them Right
• Ingredients of a Great MBA Letter of Recommendation

The post The MBA Common Letter of Recommendation (LOR): An Overview appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Given the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, the University of Virginia Darden School of Business is offering more flexibility  – a lot more flexibility – for students applying for their full-time MBA program class of 2022.

Darden is immediately changing to rolling admissions through July 15, 2020 for the last round of full-time MBA admissions. Applications will remain open until this date to allow applicants to submit missing parts of their applications. 

In a Poets & Quants article, Darden Dean Scott Beardsley states that he believes the recession will motivate some students who have been unsure about applying to b-school to apply now. “The situation is very fast-moving and it has created a lot of uncertainty. When there is higher volatility and uncertainty, option value goes up and education is a form of an option. I think an MBA will be a very strong option for many people who are unsure of what will happen in the next few years.”

Applicants should be aware of the following:

• The sooner you apply, the sooner you will hear a decision. It is recommended that any student who has completed their application submit all materials by the original Round 3 deadline of April 6, 2020. Applications will be evaluated in the order that they are received. 
  

• Darden already accepts multiple standardized tests. Under the current circumstances, undergrad entrance exam scores will also be accepted as part of their long-time holistic admissions process. Darden currently accepts GMAT, GRE, LSAT, and MCAT exams. If you have not been able to take one of these tests, you are encouraged to submit SAT, ACT, or a country-specific college entrance exam. 
  

• Recommendation writers will be given flexibility and sent reminders. Writers of recommendations are encouraged to submit the online form within two weeks of application submission. Reminders will be sent out to any writers who have not submitted recommendations.
  

• Submit your application even if you are missing some elements. You are encouraged to submit your application as early as possible so that the evaluation process can begin. An admissions decision will be held until all of the requirements are received. 
  

• Round 3 interviews will be by invitation via Zoom. This will ensure safe social distancing.

The Future Year Scholar’s Program, Darden’s deferred admissions program, has announced a June 1 deadline in addition to the April 6 and August 1 application deadlines. This is to give applicants extra time to take standardized tests. 

According to Dawna Clarke, Darden’s Executive Director of Admissions, “Our message to prospective students is one of caring and flexibility. We know how stressful applying to business school can be in the best of times; in a time of unprecedented disruption, we stand ready to work with applicants to make this process as flexible as possible.”

Do you want to be part of Darden’s MBA class of 2022? Work one-on-one with an expert MBA admissions consultant (virtually, of course) and get the guidance you need to create an application that will get you ACCEPTED.

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Related Resources:

• How Will COVID-19 Affect the MBA Admissions Process? [MBA Deadline Updates]
• UVA Darden MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines [2019 – 2020]
• What’s Life Like as a Darden MBA and Entrepreneur?, a podcast episode

The post UVA Darden Announces Radical Flexibility for the Class of 2022 Applicants appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Harvard Business School has taken the top spot away from Stanford Graduate School of Business in the Financial Times 2020 global MBA ranking. 

Although the Financial Times ranking is designed to favor non-U.S. programs, 15 of the top 25 MBA programs are based in the U.S. This result comes despite the decline in applications to U.S. MBA programs – now in its sixth straight year.

The 2020 top 5 schools have not changed since last year, although their rankings have. Following Harvard are: #2 – University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School (up 2 spots); #3 – Stanford Graduate School of Business (down 2 spots); #4 – INSEAD (down 1 spot); and #5 CEIBs in Shanghai, China (unchanged). 

Volatile rankings

Financial Times global ranking methodology is based on 20 different metrics, including some that are inclined to favor non-U.S. schools. Some metrics that add to a school’s position include the percentage of students, faculty, and trustees who possess passports from a country where the school is not located, whether students and alumni worked in foreign countries, whether students had international class experience, and whether the school has a requirement to learn an additional language before graduation. 

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A new metric was added this year – Corporate Social Responsibility. This metric has a weight of 3%, and is based on the percentage of teaching hours from core courses devoted to CSR, ethics, social, and environmental issues.  

The FT’s most heavily weighted metric is salary data (40%). its use of “purchasing power parity”, or PPP  favor schools whose grads go to work in countries with lower cost of living. This hurts U.S. schools since most grads of U.S. MBA programs want to live and work in the U.S. 

The ranking does not take incoming student quality into account. GMAT and GRE scores, as well as undergraduate GPA’s, are ignored. 

<< Watch: Linda Abraham and Marco De Novellis of BusinessBecause discuss the value of MBA rankings >>

FT’s ranking is known to be volatile, which reduces its credibility because there are few year-to-year changes at schools that explain big changes in the rankings. This means that there were big winners and big losers again this year. 

Twenty-seven of the 91 returning b-schools had double-digit increases or decreases in their standings. Fully half of the MBA programs ranked by FT five years ago (39 of 78) have felt double-digit changes, and 23 of those changes have been adjustments in 20 or more spots.

Top 25 International MBA Programs

2020 Rank	School	2019 Rank	Y-O-Y Change
1	Harvard	2	+1
2	UPenn Wharton	4	+2
3	Stanford GSB	1	-2
4	INSEAD	3	-1
5	CEIBS	5	---
6	MIT Sloan	8	+2
7	London	6	-1
8	Columbia	9	+1
9	HEC Paris	19	+10
10	Chicago Booth	7	-3
11	Northwestern Kellogg	14	+3
12	UC-Berkeley Haas	10	-2
13	IESE	12	-1
14	Yale SOM	11	-3
15	Nat’l Univ. of Singapore	17	+2
16	Dartmouth Tuck	15	-1
17	Duke Fuqua	19	+3
18	Virginia Darden	23	+5
19	Cambridge Judge	16	-3
19	Hong Kong UST	18	-1
21	Oxford Said	13	-8
22	New York Stern	25	+3
23	Cornell Johnson	27	+4
24	ESADE	21	-3
25	IMD	22	-3
25	UCLA Anderson	26	+1

Do you see yourself in one of these top international programs? Find out how working one-on-one with one of our Admissions Consultants can help get you ACCEPTED!

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Related Resources:

• Navigate the MBA Application Maze: 9 Tips to Acceptance, a free guide
• Top MBA Programs Get STEM-Certified to Attract Int’l Students
• B-School Selectivity Index: Discover the Schools Where You are a Competitive Applicant

The post Financial Times Ranks Harvard as #1 in 2020 Global MBA Ranking appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Poets & Quants just released its 2019-2020 rankings of the top 100 U.S. MBA programs.

There were some minor changes in the top 10  – most prominently is Stanford GSB climbing two spots, passing Harvard Business School and UPenn Wharton, to claim the #1 position. It’s the second time in 10 years that Stanford has claimed the top slot.  

Other highlights include:

• Yale School of Management just barely broke into the top 10 by securing 10th place. 
• Purdue’s Krannert School of Management dropped 10 spots from last year, from 38th to 48th.
• Fordham’s Gabelli School of Business jumped 12 spots from 62nd place last year to 50th.
• UC San Diego’s Rady School of Management experienced a massive jump, from 94th to 71st place.

P&Q ranking methodology

P&Q’s rankings are based on the rankings of five highly-influential business publications, and are weighted based on P&Q’s assessment of each ranking’s methodology and credibility. The five included in P&Q’s ranking are U.S. News (weight of 35%), Forbes (25%), The Financial Times (15%), Businessweek (15%), and The Economist (10%). Combining the rankings in this way lessens the irregularities that are frequently seen in a given year. This allows applicants to get a better idea of a school’s overall reputation, which typically changes little from year to year.

Top 25 U.S. MBA Programs

2019 Rank	School Name	2018 Rank	Index
1	Stanford GSB	3	100.0
2	Chicago Booth	4	99.6
3	Harvard Business School	1	99.2
4	UPenn Wharton	1	98.8
5	Northwestern Kellogg	5	96.2
6	Dartmouth Tuck	9	96.1
7	MIT Sloan	6	96.0
8	Columbia Business School	7	94.8
9	UC-Berkeley Haas	8	94.4
10	Yale SOM	11	91.1
11	Virginia Darden	12	90.8
12	Michigan Ross	10	89.7
13	Cornell Johnson	13	89.6
14	Duke Fuqua	14	89.5
15	UCLA Anderson	15	88.1
16	New York Stern	16	87.6
17	Carnegie Mellon Tepper	17	84.5
18	Texas-Austin McCombs	18	82.8
19	Southern California Marshall	22	82.5
20	North Carolina Kenan-Flagler	19	82.5
21	Washington Foster	21	81.0
22	Emory Goizueta	20	80.6
23	Indiana Kelley	25	80.1
24	Georgetown McDonough	23	76.9
25	Rice Jones	24	74.6

Watch: Linda Abraham and Marco de Novellis discuss MBA rankings

Do you want to be a member of a top-tier MBA program? Explore our MBA Admissions Consulting Services and work one-on-one with an expert advisor who will help you GET ACCEPTED!

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Related Resources:

• The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Competitive MBA Applicant, a free guide
• Business School Selectivity Index [Can I Get Into My Dream School?]
• Highlights of Bloomberg Businessweek’s 2019 MBA Rankings

The post Poets & Quants Announces 2019-2020 MBA Rankings appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Rank	School	Final Score	Launched Business in 3 Months	% of Faculty who Teach Entrepreneurship	Award Money Available*
1	Washington University in St. Louis (Olin)	100	20.67%	27.00%	$987,500
2	Stanford Graduate School of Business	72.54	15.67%	16.39%	$100,000
3	Babson College	71.3	16.63%	20.00%	$132,500
4	University of Michigan (Ross)	70.21	17.33%	17.20%	$523,500
5	ESADE	60.14	4.61%	6.00%	$0
6	MIT (Sloan)	52.99	6.80%	15.66%	$270,000
7	CEIBS	51.08	4.93%	4.41%	$9,000
8	University of Minnesota (Carlson)	50.65	7.67%	6.40%	$500,000
9	University of California-Los Angeles (Anderson)	47.17	3.13%	7.74%	$41,000
10	University of California-Berkeley (Haas)	46.86	6.05%	13.56%	$100,000
11	Rice University (Jones)	46.52	6.00%	17.00%	$2,942,150
12	Harvard Business School	45.99	7.33%	12.70%	$700,000
13	University of Chicago (Booth)	45.76	3.13%	11.76%	$700,000
14	Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper)	45.68	6.67%	1.00%	$60,000
15	INSEAD	43.62	4.33%	10.75%	$145,029
16	Indiana University (Kelley)	43.42	1.53%	19.23%	$20,000
17	Northwestern University (Kellogg)	42.6	1.90%	4.52%	$100,000
18	Yale School of Management	38.17	4.13%	12.08%	$100,000
19	University of Texas-Austin (McCombs)	34.02	2.73%	11.00%	$100,000
20	Columbia Business School	33.6	4.27%	21.93%	$250,000
21	University of Virginia (Darden)	28.47	4.53%	15.38%	$50,000
22	UNC-Chapel Hill (Kenan-Flagler)	28.18	1.67%	20.00%	$49,500
23	University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)	28.01	4.97%	11.68%	$135,000
24	Georgetown University (McDonnough)	26.63	3.00%	7.81%	$189,500
25	New York University (Stern)	24.2	1.65%	14.00%	$275,000
26	University of Southern California (Marshall)	24.07	0.50%	6.05%	$300,000
27	Emory University (Goizueta)	20.31	1.07%	0.00%	$8,500

* Total award money available to full-time MBAs through new venture and startup competitions during the 2018-2019 academic year.

Are you a budding entrepreneur who needs to round out their skill set with an entrepreneurial-focused MBA? Let us at Accepted help you put together your strongest application to show these top programs what you’ve got. Contact us today for a free consultation on how we can work together to get you accepted to the perfect program for you!

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Related Resources:

• MBA Applicants: Make Your Work Experience Work for You, a free guide
• B-School Selectivity Index: Discover the Schools Where You Are Competitive
• A Bain Consultant-Turned Wharton MBA Starts Her Own Business, a podcast episode

The post Top MBA Programs for Entrepreneurs appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Bloomberg Businessweek released its 2019 MBA rankings this week, and the administration at Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business is celebrating! Tuck rose an astonishing 17 places in this year’s ranking to take the #2 spot just under Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. This is Stanford’s second year in a row in 1st place.

Who are this year’s winners and losers?

Poets & Quants analyzed the winners and losers in Bloomberg Businessweek’s ranking. University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business gained 8 spots last year, and has continued on its rise, jumping another 4 places this year to end up in 5th place.

When there are winners, there are also losers. Eleven of the top 20 business schools dropped in their rank this year. The biggest loser is the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, which fell 9 spots, taking it out of the top 20, to #22.

According to Bloomberg Businessweek, the 2019-2020 ranking is based on data from 26,804 surveys of MBA students and alumni, as well as recruiters. Participants from each school were questioned on their goals and experiences, salary, and job placement. Businessweek also conducted interviews at business schools worldwide.

Businesweek’s Top 25 MBA Programs

2019 Rank	School	Y-O-Y Change	2018 Rank
1	Stanford GBS	---
2	Dartmouth Tuck	+17
3	Harvard	---
4	Chicago Booth	+1
5	Virginia Darden	+4
6	UPenn Wharton	-4
7	MIT Sloan	-3
8	UC-Berkeley Haas	-2
9	Columbia Business School	-2
10	Northwestern Kellogg	+2
11	Cornell Johnson	-1
12	UCLA Anderson	+5
13	NYU Stern	+5
14	Yale SOM	-3
15	Carnegie Mellon Tepper	-3
16	Washington Foster	---
17	Michigan Ross	+1
18	UNC Kenan-Flagler	+5
19	Georgetown McDonough	+1
20	Duke Fuqua	-5
21	Texas-Austin McCombs	+1
22	USC Marshall	-9
23	Emory Goizueta	+1
24	Georgia Tech Scheller	+3
25	Indiana Kelley	+3

Do you see a top MBA program in your future? Learn what these rankings mean for you and how you can secure your spot at your top choice b-school when you work one-on-one with an expert Accepted advisor. Explore our MBA Admissions Services for more information on how we can help you get ACCEPTED!

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Related Resources:

• The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Competitive MBA Applicant, a free guide
• Business School Selectivity Index [Can I Get Into My Dream School?]
• Big Changes in Economist 2019 MBA Ranking

The post Highlights of Bloomberg Businessweek’s 2019 MBA Rankings appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Chicago’s Booth School of Business remaining at the top of The Economist’s ranking of the world’s top MBA programs for the second year in a row is only one of a few stable things in this year’s ranking, according to the Poets & Quants website. This is the seventh time Booth has taken the top spot in The Economist ranking in the past nine years.

This year’s ranking shakeup is widespread. Nineteen of the top 100 MBA programs faced leaps or falls of at least 10 spots since last year. Seven schools have dropped out of the ranking completely, leaving room for seven new schools.

The biggest winners and losers

HEC Paris made the biggest gain in the Top 10. It jumped 10 places to #3, behind just Chicago Booth (#1) and Harvard Business School (#2).

UVA Darden (#9 in 2018) and Columbia Business School (#10 in 2018) are no longer found in the Top 10 (they’ve dropped to 16th and 15th, respectively).

University of Maryland (#81 in 2019) and Northeastern University (#82 in 2019) are no longer ranked in the Top 100.

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Why are these rankings so volatile?

The Economist looks at 21 different metrics to determine their rankings. This is the most metrics of any ranking. They place heavy emphasis on compensation and career placement, including salaries, pre-MBA versus post-MBA pay increases, and the percent of grads who find jobs through the career management center. These comprise 45% of the methodology.

The Economist also relies quite a bit on student satisfaction, which is determined by an annual survey of current MBA students and recent alumni. These survey results comprise 20% of the ranking and are composed of:

• New career opportunities (35%)
• Personal development/educational experiences (35%)
• Increasing salary (20%)
• Potential to network (10%)

The Economist’s Top 25 MBA programs

2019 Rank	School	YOY Change	2018 Rank
1	Chicago Booth	-	1
2	Harvard Business School	+1	3
3	HEC Paris	+10	13
4	Northwestern Kellogg	-2	2
5	UPenn Wharton	-1	4
6	UCLA Anderson	+2	8
7	UC Berkeley Haas	+4	11
8	Stanford GSB	-3	5
9	Michigan Ross	-2	7
10	IESE	-4	6
11	Duke Fuqua	+4	15
12	Dartmouth Tuck	-	12
13	SDA Bocconi	+11	24
14	Cornell Johnson	+6	20
15	Columbia	-5	10
16	Virginia Darden	-7	9
17	New York University Stern	-	17
18	USC Marshall	+10	28
19	MIT Sloan	-3	16
20	Washington Foster	+2	22
21	Yale SOM	-7	14
22	INSEAD	-3	19
23	Georgia Tech Scheller	+8	31
24	Warwick	-6	18
25	London Business School	+2	27

Is a top MBA program in your future? Learn what these rankings mean for you and how you can secure your spot at your top choice b-school when you work one-on-one with an expert Accepted advisor. Explore our MBA Admissions Services for more information on how we can help you get ACCEPTED.

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Related Resources:

• Are You a Competitive Applicant at Your Dream School? [The MBA Selectivity Index]
• Do MBA Rankings Matter?
• Are You a Good Fit for Your Target MBA Programs?

The post Big Changes in Economist 2019 MBA Rankings appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Sands, a Darden MBA-holder (class of 1963), says: “The Darden School was a transformational experience for me, and I am an ardent supporter of its mission and values. I am a big believer in lifelong learning, and that learning is enabled by great faculty. I hope this gift will inspire others to give and hope that the school will continue to be a true force for good in the free markets and broader world.”

The impact of the gift

In addition to Sands’ historic gift, the university also issued a $14 million matching fund, delivering total monetary impact of $82 million. The combined efforts will be used towards:

• Sands Institute for Lifelong Learning – A $20 million endowment will be used to promote innovation through the new Sands Institute for Lifelong Learning, catering to degree and non-degree Darden students, both in-person and online.
• Sands Professorship Fund – This fund is comprised of a $21 million donation from Sands plus the school’s $14 million in matching funds and will support 12 new faculty chairs “to bolster excellence and innovation in pedagogy and engagement with practice.”
• UVA Inn at Darden and Conference Center for Lifelong Learning – $20 million will go towards this 199-room hotel, conference center, and 5-acre arboretum.
• C. Ray Smith Alumni Hall – A $7 million fund will enable the renovation of this new building, honoring Dean Emeritus C. Ray Smith who mentored Sands.

According to UVA President Jim Ryan, “Frank M. Sands Sr. and his family are helping propel Darden forward as we enter our third century. This historically generous gift will allow Darden to reach even more students and continue to lead the way in global business education. I am incredibly grateful to Frank and the entire Sands family for their vision and generosity.”

Are you applying to UVA Darden or any other top MBA program? Check out our catalog of MBA services to learn more about how we can help you GET ACCEPTED.

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Related Resources:

• UVA Darden MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines
• What’s Life Like as a Darden MBA and Entrepreneur?, a podcast episode
• Darden MBA with Media Aspirations, a student interview

The post UVA Darden Receives Historic $68 Million Gift appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

AIGAC (the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants) recently released their 2019 MBA Applicant Survey, which substantiates the idea that today’s applicants continue to consider human interaction to be a competitive advantage. More and more, applicants see the importance of talking to current MBA students when selecting schools and making decisions. Current applicants continue to view growing in their careers as a priority, but not at the expense of making a positive impact on the world.

Additional survey findings include:

• Applicants applied to more schools this year: 4.5 schools this year compared to 3.8 last year.
• Due to the standardization of letters of recommendation, fewer candidates are being asked to write their own letters of recommendation.
• Working with an admissions consultant boosts self-awareness and improves communication skills prior to entering an MBA program.
• Selected social media outlets are being used more by applicants. More than 50% of applicants used LinkedIn as part of their school research this year. The use of Instagram increased from 19% last year to 25% this year.
• Female applicants expressed that schools got to know them less well than did males. With a score of 5 representing a school that got to know them best, females rated schools at 3.07 while males rated them at 3.20.
• The schools that ranked highest in getting to know applicants are:

1. 1. Vanderbilt University – Owen Graduate School of Management
   2. Cornell University – Johnson Graduate School of Management
   3. UVA – Darden School of Business
   4. Dartmouth College – Tuck School of Business
   5. UNC – Kenan-Flagler Business School
   6. Duke University – Fuqua School of Business
   7. Carnegie Mellon University – Tepper School of Business
   8. Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management
   9. UT Austin – McCombs School of Business
   10. Georgetown University – McDonough School of Business

The survey was completed by almost 1,000 applicants between March 16 and April 7, 2019. Of these, 778 applied to at least one school. Females made up 37% of the respondents. 58% of survey respondents reside outside the U.S.

Are you applying to a top MBA program? Not sure what your next step should be? Explore our MBA Admissions Consulting Services and work one-on-one with an expert advisor who will help you get ACCEPTED.

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Related Resources:

• Choosing an MBA Admissions Consultant, a free guide
• MBA Selectivity Index, discover the schools where you are competitive
• How Can an Accepted MBA Admissions Consultant Help You?

The post AIGAC 2019 MBA Applicant Survey Results Released appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

Times Higher Education (THE) in partnership with the Wall Street Journal recently released its analyzed reams of data about graduate management education and produced a ranking of “high-achieving global MBA programs.”

The study ranked the programs in 20 separate performance indicators, leading to an aggregate score indicating the strength of each program and school. These scores were then combined into the following 4 scores, called pillars, shown below with their weights:

• Resources – Faculty per student: 11%; Teaching qualifications: 6%; Career support staff per student: 4%; Career support effectiveness: 4%
• Engagement – Learning engagement: 5%; Interaction with teachers and students: 5%; Student recommendation: 5%; Real-world relevance: 5%; Research in teaching: 5%
• Outcomes – Salary difference: 12%; Network: 12%; Social good: 5%; Entrepreneurship: 5%; Opportunities: 5%; Worth: 5%
• Environment – International students: 4%; Female students: 3%; International staff: 2%; Economic diversity: 2%

Top 10 Two-Year MBA Programs

Rank	University	Country	Resources	Engagement	Outcomes	Environment	Overall
1	Stanford Graduate School of Business	United States	79.1	94.1	91	40.4	82.7
2	Cornell University: Johnson	United States	85.6	92.1	83.3	39.8	80.9
3	Vanderbilt University: Owen	United States	85.4	93.1	89.1	18.6	80.7
4	University of Chicago: Booth	United States	74.4	94.2	86.9	37	79.6
5	Duke University: Fuqua	United States	71.5	92.7	85	34.1	77.5
6	University of Virginia: Darden	United States	67.1	93.5	88.6	28.7	77.3
6	Yale School of Management	United States	67.1	93	85.1	40.9	77.3
8	Carnegie Mellon: Tepper	United States	73.3	91.9	77.9	26.7	74.1
9	Purdue University: Krannert	United States	53.1	89.8	82.2	54.7	73.5
10	China Europe International Business School (CEIBS)	China	67.5	86.9	76.7	45.7	73.2

Analysis of the Rankings

You probably noticed that there are prominent names missing from the THE/WSJ top 20: Harvard, Wharton, Kellogg, MIT, INSEAD, LBS, and UCLA to name a few. These schools declined to participate. In fact, the global MBA rankings only include 54 schools, which reduces its value automatically.

In addition, the THE/WSJ ranking produces results that make me question their credibility. (The basic problem with rankings is that if they don’t match our preconceived notions, credibility is lacking. And if they are credible and congruent with common knowledge and opinion, what’s the value in the rankings? Strengthening confirmation bias?)

However, for a scathing and thorough critique of these rankings, I will point you to Poets and Quants’ John’s Byrne, who wrote “The Wall Street Journal’s ‘Where’s Waldo?’ MBA Ranking.”

Do you need help choosing the right MBA program? Work one-on-one with one of Accepted’s expert advisors to select the best programs for you, build a personalized MBA strategy, and create an application that will get you ACCEPTED. Learn more about our services here.

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Related Resources:

• Navigate the MBA Application Maze: 9 Tips to Acceptance, a free guide
• B-School Selectivity Index: Discover the Schools Where You are a Competitive Applicant
• 3 Ways to Determine Which B-Schools Are a Good Fit for You

The post Times Higher Education (THE) Unveils Its Long-Awaited Best Global MBA Programs appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.

The Economist has released its annual international ranking of full-time MBA programs based on data collected during spring 2017. Two surveys were used: 1) The first was completed by schools with eligible programs which covered quantitative subjects and accounted for 80% of the ranking. 2) Current MBA students and a school’s most recent graduating MBA class completed a second qualitative survey which accounted for the remaining 20% of the rank.

The factors included:

• Percentage of graduates receiving a job offer within three months of graduation

• Student assessment of their program’s career services

• Quality of faculty

• Diversity of students

• Overall educational experience

• Post-MBA salary

• Percentage increase between pre- and post-MBA salary

• Breadth of alumni network

A total of 100 schools were ranked by The Economist. Here are the top 10 ranked schools:

OF NOTE:

This is the first year since at least 2007 (I could only find rankings back to 2008) that the top 10 schools are all from the US. In fact the first non-US school doesn’t make an appearance until HEC Paris at #15 (down from #9 in 2016 and #5 in 2015).

As usual, The Economist rankings are a rollercoaster ride for some schools. Wharton went from #12 to #4, which seems close to where it should be, and UCLA Anderson is currently at #6, having been #14 and #9 in 2016 and 2015, respectively. UVA Darden fell from #3 to #10.

Since schools in reality change slowly, the volatility of The Economist rankings, not to mention some of the outcomes (MIT is #19, below HEC Paris, Queensland, IESE, and Warwick and one notch above University of Florida), makes this one a head-scratcher. To use it at all, make sure you understand the factors that go into this ranking and compare them to your own criteria.

Need help choosing — and then applying to — the best MBA program for you? Get matched with one of our expert advisors for one-on-one consulting that will help you get accepted!

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Related Resources:

• School-Specific Application Essay Tips for Top Business Schools
• Can You Get Into Your Dream School? – The MBA Selectivity Index
• Busting Two MBA Myths

The post The Economist 2017 Full-Time MBA Rankings appeared first on Accepted Admissions Blog.