With interview season kicking into gear for round two applicants, we wanted to focus today on Darden’s somewhat unusual process. The program allows applicants to travel to Charlottesville and schedule an interview through March 1st, after which the school switches into invitation only mode. Interviews are required for admission and while the school will contact applicants to interview after submitting their applications and passing an initial screening, being proactive about visiting the campus and speaking with an admissions representative is certainly a strong sign of interest in the program.
Here’s a bit of what Darden’s website tells applicants about their interview process:
We conduct unstructured interviews and do not ask a common set of questions for all interviewees. Your interpersonal skills and communication skills are as important as the specific content of the interview. The tone of the interview is relaxed and conversational and typically lasts about 45 minutes.
Indeed, the majority of accounts we’ve received indicate that Darden interviewers open the discussion with the request, “tell me your story,” which is about as unstructured and open ended as they come. This is not surprising given Darden’s emphasis on the case method; it makes sense that the school would be interested in an applicant’s ability to structure and communicate information. Be prepared to comment on your experiences and interests in a broad manner, and to outline the highlights of your career path and extracurricular involvements. Finally, you’ll want to end by explaining how this path has brought you to Darden and why you are seeking an MBA from that program at the current time. Your aim should be to speak articulately and to progress from one point to another in a logical manner: an ability that is essential to succeeding in, and making a valuable contribution to, a case-based learning environment.
Other Darden Interview Resources
Clear Admit Wiki Darden Interview page
BW Forum Current Student Q&A
In addition to reading up on Darden’s interview process, it will also be critical to practice delivering your story, conduct thorough research on UVA’s program, and of course consider your responses to the inevitable “Why MBA/Why Darden” questions. Good luck to everyone preparing to take this step!
