UVA / Darden Essay Topic Analysis 2007-2008 » Clear Admit: MBA Admissions Consultants Blog

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The Career Goals Essay*
Berkeley / Haas*
Chicago GSB*
CMU / Tepper*
Columbia*
Cornell / Johnson*
Dartmouth / Tuck*
Duke / Fuqua*
Harvard*
IESE*
INSEAD*
London Business School*
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Michigan / Ross*
Northwestern / Kellogg*
NYU / Stern*
Oxford / Said*
Penn / Wharton*
Stanford GSB*
UCLA / Anderson*
UNC / Kenan-Flagler*
USC / Marshall*
UT Austin / McCombs*
UVA / Darden*
Yale SOM*
* denotes '08-'09 commentary

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MBA Programs: North America
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Berkeley / Haas
Carnegie Mellon / Tepper
Chicago
Columbia
Concordia
Cornell / Johnson
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Emory / Goizueta
Harvard
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Michigan
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Notre Dame / Mendoza
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Queens
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Toronto
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Virginia / Darden
Western Ontario / Ivey
Yale

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As there is some variety in the length of international MBA programs, we have denoted the length of the program next to its name (1 = one year; 2 = 2 years). If an MBA Program is not listed, please e-mail and we will be happy to list it.
AGSM (Australia) 2
Cambridge / Judge (UK) 1
CIEBS (China) 2
Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (China) 1
Cranfield School of Mgmt (UK) 1
ESADE (Spain) 1 or 2
HEC (France) 2
IESE (Spain) 2
IMD (Switzerland) 1
INCAE (Costa Rica) 2
INSEAD (France) 1
IPADE (Mexico)
ISB (India) 1
London Business School (UK) 2
Manchester Bus. School (UK) 2
Melbourne (Australia) 2
Oxford / Said (UK) 1
Rotterdam (Netherlands) 1
Tsinghua IMBA (China) 2
University of St. Gallen (Switzerland) 1

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AACSB International
Association of MBAs
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Wednesday, September 19, 2007

UVA / Darden Essay Topic Analysis 2007-2008

Moving along with our essay topic analyses for this admissions season, we wanted to take some time today to comment on Darden’s new and interesting questions for this year’s MBA application.

We’ve often said that careful reflection on the sort of situations and information a school inquires about in its essay questions can lead to a pretty accurate sense of the kinds of experiences or qualities a school seeks in its students. Most programs deliberately craft questions that prompt the applicant to provide the information that they are most interested in - this also results in some self-selection, as candidates are more likely to apply to a program if they’re able to provide a strong answer to all of the essay questions.

This year, Darden has taken this strategy to a new level; the adcom obviously has a clear impression of the community they want to cultivate and the sort of student they need to admit to do so, and has structured its essays accordingly. The school’s third required essay, for instance, essentially says that applicants who aren’t able to offer solid evidence that they are globally involved, committed to diversity or socially responsible need not apply.

So, for those who are committed to applying to UVA and eager to demonstrate that their outlook and priorities are aligned with Darden’s, let’s take a closer look at each of these questions.

Essay 1: What matters to you most, both personally and professionally, and how does an MBA relate to these priorities? (500 word maximum)
This question is like an extraordinarily condensed version of Stanford’s Essays A and B; while the GSB gives applicants 5 pages to explain what matters most to them and describe their goals/reasons for seeking an MBA (one assumes the two subjects are related), Darden applicants must cover this ground in just 500 words. There’s little room for general commentary or philosophical reflection, only straightforward commentary about the goals and convictions that have influenced one’s career decisions and outside involvements to date, as well as professional goals and personal objectives, and, of course, an explanation of how a Darden education fits in.

Essay 2: Please select one word that describes you from the set below and support your statement using concrete examples. Professionally I am: (a) an innovator. (b) a leader. (c) an entrepreneur. (300 word maximum)
Because most MBA applicants have demonstrated creativity or have some leadership to their credit (whether in a formal capacity or not), this should be an easy question for most candidates to tackle after a bit of thought about what example to use and how to frame it. Entrepreneurship needn’t be limited to a strict definition of working for oneself - this can also refer to creating something new within an established organization. Looking at the three options and thinking about what they have in common, one gets the sense that Darden is seeking students who are proactive and committed to making an impact, and who are able to formulate a plan and implement it.

Essay 3: Please choose one phrase that describes you from the set below and support your statement using concrete examples. Professionally I am: (a) involved globally. (b) committed to diversity. (c) socially responsible. (300 word maximum)
In spite of our above interpretation of the somewhat stern message the format of this essay sends, there is a reasonably broad range of experiences and involvements that could serve as examples for this essay (though the “professional” qualifier is a narrowing factor). At the bottom of it, the school is really just trying to ensure that the applicant is engaged with the world and concerned about others in the workplace. Though students with international work experience might have an easier time responding to this question than others, observations about a company’s impact on society or comments about the value of diversity of perspective and education on a team or in an organization are just a few other examples of valid responses to this prompt.

# posted by Clear Admit @ 2:41 am in Essay Topic Analysis, School: Virginia / Darden

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