1. Basic Information
- Round
- 1
- 2
- 3
- Deadline
- October 17, 2011 (ED)
- January 12, 2012
- April 4, 2012
- Annual Intake: 320
- Admittance Rate: 25%
- Mean GMAT: 701
- Middle 80% range GMAT scores: N/A
- Average Age: 28
2. Rankings
- Source
- US News & World Report
- Businessweek
- Financial Times
- Forbes
- The Economist
- Precision Essay
- Ranking
- 13
- 11
- 41
- 9
- 11
- 14
3. Employment Information
- Top Recruiters
- IBM
- Bain
- Deloitte
- A.T. Kearney
- Booz
- Average Base Salary for Graduates $100,000
- Employed Upon Graduation 83%
4. The Inside Scoop
Located in beautiful Virginia, Darden is known for using the case method to teach all of its courses. With a broad focus on general management and small class size, Darden is seeking MBAs who can actively debate and take positions on real world issues.
- Darden Unique Features
- Case Method – Darden uses the case method to teach its classes. While at Darden you’ll be exposed to over 500 cases and spend a great deal of time with your 5-6 person learning team discussing actual business problems and solutions. Get ready for some healthy debates.
- Capstone Leadership Experience – A new program that started in 2011, this is now a part of the first year core curriculum. Student teams work together to create mini-organizations, complete with a business idea, organizational structure, marketing strategy, sales, and accounting. This hands-on program allows students to put their core curriculum knowledge into practice.
- Global Business Experiences (GBE) – During Spring Break, first and second year students travel to foreign countries to take classes at partner schools, visit companies, and meet with top foreign leaders.
- Darden Business Projects – An optional program for 2nd year students to devote 60-180 hours to either a consulting, venturing (i.e. your own idea), or case development project (i.e. you write a case for use in the MBA curriculum).
- Precision Essay Tips for Darden
- Think Globally – For Darden’s application there is only ONE question this year, which is about leadership in a global context. Talk specifically about your leadership experience and make sure it is a real example of leadership. The more international exposure you have the better.
- Why Case Method – Since the entire Darden curriculum is taught via case method, make sure that you understand how it works and explain your reasons for wanting to learn that way.