Trivia Tuesday: First-Year Experience at UVA / Darden
Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday, in which we spotlight special elements that differentiate the leading MBA programs from their peers. Today we’re turning our focus to the Clear Admit School Guide to the University of Virginia Darden School of Business to learn about the structure of Darden’s first-year class and the way it impacts the first-year experience at the school.
“Darden’s entering class is divided into five sections of 65 to 70 students each. As at other business schools that break their classes into smaller groups, Darden’s sections are designed to represent the full professional and demographic diversity of the first-year class. Each section takes all of its core courses together and therefore shares a common set of professors.
“Given the relatively small size of each section and the intensely participatory nature of Darden’s case-based learning style, the school reassigns students to new sections partway through the first year, a practice followed by only a handful of other schools. This allows students to benefit from the ideas and perspectives of a new group of classmates during spring case discussions. Section loyalty runs deep at Darden, despite the mid-year reshuffling of the class. Inter-section athletic events and other competitions take place each year, with students’ fall sections holding their principal allegiance. In addition, alumni returning to campus often identify themselves by their section affiliation.
“Darden first-years are further divided into roughly 60 learning teams of five or six students apiece. As with the sections, learning team assignments are made with an eye to the diversity of students’ professional, academic and geographic backgrounds. However, Darden’s learning teams differ from those at most schools in that they are made up of students drawn from different sections of the class. Because class participation counts for such a large percentage of the grade in each course, case-based schools such as Darden and Harvard try to avoid placing two members of the same section in a learning team together. This arrangement allows students to share their insights freely in team discussions without having to compete against their teammates in the classroom.
“Unlike the first-year sections, Darden’s learning teams work together throughout the first year. Students are expected to use their teams as a resource for sharing and testing ideas before introducing them in the classroom. Above all, though, the team experience is seen as an exercise in learning to lead a diverse group toward a shared goal. The school expects students to be committed to their learning teams, and this commitment plays a central role in the lives of first-years.
“To support the work of the Learning Teams, Darden reserves a dedicated study room for each team from 7 to 10 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday evenings. This practice is nearly unique among Darden’s peer programs; few business schools have enough study rooms to provide their learning teams with dedicated meeting space throughout the week.”
To read more about Darden’s offerings for first-year students, as well as to obtain in-depth information about the MBA program and curriculum, be sure to check out the Clear Admit School Guide to Darden. All Clear Admit School Guides are available for immediate purchase and download on the Clear Admit shop.
You could win a Clear Admit Guide! Based on today’s post, we’ll be running a trivia contest on Twitter. Be sure to follow us and play for your chance to win!
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