UVA’s Darden School of Business has released its 2024-2025 application deadlines and required essays.
Round Application Deadline Decision Notification
Early Action 05 September 2024 16 October 2024
Round 1 02 October 2024 11 December 2024
Round 2 07 January 2025 12 March 2025
Round 3 02 April 2025 30 April 2025
The essay prompts at UVA’s Darden showcase the value the school places on understanding the student as a full person. Rather than just focusing on career goals, the required essay prompts seek out insights into an applicant’s personality and ability to contribute to an inclusive and cohesive class. Darden calls out the importance of responding to the prompts with writing that is “authentic and genuine,” cautioning students not to attempt to write to please the admissions officers. “We want to get to know you,” they write, “not us.”
Community of Belonging: What would you want your classmates to know about you that is not on your resume? (100 words)
It’s time to show some personality! Darden is looking for students who will be collaborative and form lasting personal and professional relationships, so exposing a bit of vulnerability to show a quirky or sentimental side is a good idea. You could also write about how you will contribute to the diversity of the class and what you will offer your classmates. Are you a passionate environmentalist who spends weekends leading group hikes? Do you organize food drives with a local non-profit? Do you spend all of your vacation time traveling to a specific region of the world? Are you an avid guitar player? Show the admissions committee and your future classmates who you are and what you are most passionate about.
Inclusive Impact: 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)
Show Darden’s admissions officers how you will contribute to building an inclusive community by anchoring your response in an experience from your past that will inform and invigorate your plan. It may be something on a large-scale: Did you start a pro-bono consulting group at your current employer, bringing together representatives from various practice areas, and you’d like to partner with a local organization to offer similar services alongside a group of your Darden colleagues? Or what about steps you take on a weekly basis to include others? Do you regularly invite new coworkers to lunch with you to welcome them to the team? Or serve as a mentor for team-members as they get up to speed on new projects? Once at Darden, perhaps you could serve as a tutor to classmates struggling in finance or technology courses. In linking your past actions to your proposed contributions, you will demonstrate to the admissions directors that you are the kind of collaborative, community-minded, and determined student they are looking for.
Required Essay 2: 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)
You’ll want to state a clear post-MBA goal that makes sense given your previous professional post-baccalaureate experiences. A common mistake we see in MBA admissions is applicants who, unknowingly, position themselves as an employment risk by articulating a goal set that is too vague or unrelated to what they’ve done before. You will also want to clearly show how your short-term goals will set you on a path to achieving your long-term vision.
Related:
Essay Guide 2024-2025: The Writing Process
Essay Guide 2024-2025: Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley
Essay Guide 2024-2025: Harvard Business School
Essay Guide 2024-2025: The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania
Essay Guide 2024-2025: The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University