Experience during the program

The school has a great access to the top Investment Banks and Consulting firms (MBBs).
The non disclosure grade policy greatly benefits students to manage academics during recruiting season and the fact that all firms come down to Charlottesville is a big plus, and competitive advantage versus other schools.
There is very strong culture within the school, and the resources to be successful during recruiting are student led, having great access to 2nd years.
There is an opportunity to grow in careers outside IB and Consulting, for example in PE or VC, but that is something specific to the industry as it almost always requires prior experience and that is not the profile of Darden students.
It is hard to argue against the quality and experience of Darden MBA.

Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
Schools contribution (5.0)
Classmates rating (4.0)

Strengths of the program:

Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Career opportunities provided by school
Culture & Student Support

Best fit at this program:

Consulting
Marketing
Investment Banking
Management

Can be improved:

Student body, diversity
Alumni Network
Brand/Ranking

Read More

Experience during the program

UVA Darden is an amazing school and I do consider I couldn't have made a better choice (I chose it among 4 schools).
Below, I'll quickly outline some points that, hopefully, will help you to make your decision (I hope it's also coming to Darden!):

a) Community: the community here at Darden is all it says it is and beyond. I had support even before the MBA, and people here are truly willing to help each other. Moreover, the AdCom does a great job in selecting candidates, what will give you the opportunity to make great friendships with people from lots of different countries. Finally, being 03 quarters together (length of the core curriculum) helps a lot in bonding. Regarding PARTNERS, everyone should know that Darden is 100% partner friendly - partners can do EVERYTHING students can, except attending to all classes because of the case-method;

b) Location: there's no way to improve on location, since we currently use UVA's facilities - highlighting here that UVA campus is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. However, the city is indeed 02 hours away from DC, where the best flights depart from. I know, that's not a long time, but in an ideal world, Cville would be closer to a good airport (yes, there's Richmond's, but this is much more limited than DC's). The city is great, with lots of green area, wineries and places for hiking around - stores usually close, however, considerably early. If you'd like to have a unique experience at the countryside, come here! If you'd prefer being in a big city as NY/LA, just think whatever is more important to you;

c) Career opportunities: year after year, Darden NAILS the recruitment in Consulting/IB. Of course, lots of people also do well in careers as GMO/Tech, but I'd highlight the first ones mentioned. You'll have lots of support to reach your goals and the school brand is very well known for having prepared students;

d) Professors: another great point for Darden - its Faculty has been named the best one in US Business Schools for lots of years in a row. All Professors are very friendly and can be quickly reached if you need to talk about anything;

e) Curriculum: in Darden's core curriculum, you'll have Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Leadership, Decision Analysis, Operations, Strategy, Economics and Ethics. That's great, because you'll have a basis for your business knowledge, being able to select electives from Q4 (there's a bunch of them, including in very modern topics as the metaverse). Attention: be prepared - during the core, you have an average of 03 cases/day, and that can be A LOT (even though we don't have classes on Friday). I'd even say that Darden's academics go a bit over the ideal in that point, giving its students a high workload during core. A point to highlight here is also the CASE-METHOD, something that attracts a lot of people to Darden - it'll help you to develop your public speaking skills, as your quick logical thinking;

f) Facilities: the facilities are great! Beautiful campus and great structure;

CONCLUSION: Darden is an awesome school, with great professors, a very collaborative community, a bunch of social activities and that will definitely open the doors you need to land your dream job. The only drawbacks will be a) being in Charlottesville (it's not really a drawback - the city is great and have nice stuff to do, but you'll be 2 hours away from a decent airport and it has the limitations of a small city, AND b) the workload of the core - it'll open the career doors you want, but it will be a lot, mainly during Q1 and Q2.

About professors, classes and curriculum

Best Faculty by Princeton Review several years in a row

About job placement process

Job placement for consulting/IB is VERY high

Overall BSchool experience (4.0)
Schools contribution (5.0)
Classmates rating (5.0)

Strengths of the program:

Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Career opportunities provided by school
Culture & Student Support

Best fit at this program:

Consulting
Finance

Can be improved:

Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Location

Read More

Experience during the program

Darden does a great job of finding talented students from across the world and putting them through an academically rigorous program where everyone is motivated to contribute and work hard. The alumni network is strong, and alumni are passionate about helping newcomers to break into their intended fields. Career support is great for consulting and IB, however, tech lacks behind peer schools. The career support is also augmented by clubs, which do a great job of prepping future consultants and bankers; the tech club has improved its role from the previous years but is inconsistent in support.

Charlottesville is a nice city to go to school in and is well-connected with DC and Richmond. The fall is the most beautiful time of the year and there are many hiking spots and activities to do around the city.

The major challenge for the program is balancing the high pressure of academics with other commitments - health and wellbeing, recruiting, personal relationships, hobbies, etc. - you cannot have it all.

Overall BSchool experience (4.0)
Schools contribution (4.0)
Classmates rating (4.0)

Strengths of the program:

Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Brand/Ranking
Specialization in a particular area (e.g. Finance, Consulting, Healthcare, etc)

Best fit at this program:

Consulting
Finance
Investment Banking
Entrepreneurship

Can be improved:

Career opportunities provided by school
Brand/Ranking
Specialization in a particular area (e.g. Finance, Consulting, Healthcare, etc)

Read More

Experience during the program

The Darden MBA is a carefully thought-out and well-crafted MBA program that seeks to provide genuine professional and personal development opportunities to each student. The quality of the professors is top-notch, the classroom experience is top-notch, recruiting opportunities are comparable to other top schools. Plus Charlottesville is a dream city to live in. This was business school with a purpose.

Drawbacks include a non-ideal location (although most big companies make it to campus) and career services department that is in flux right now.

The focus on teamwork, integrity and leadership were all aspects of the program that will stay with me as an alumnus.

Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
Schools contribution (4.0)
Classmates rating (5.0)

Strengths of the program:

Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Culture & Student Support

Best fit at this program:

Consulting
Finance
Marketing
Investment Banking
Tech
Entrepreneurship
Management

Can be improved:

Career opportunities provided by school
Location
Brand/Ranking

Read More

Experience during the program

Students, alums and network are great. Alums are very invested in the school and helping current students. Curriculum is 100% case method, which is a great way to learn. For those who aren't necessarily comfortable speaking up, it's a great way to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Location creates a great atmosphere. Recruiting is very structured for traditional paths such as banking and consulting. Career development could be more helpful for career changers who don't know what they want to do. If future students are not interested in either, it may require more effort to think about what you want to do prior to starting class and developing a plan for getting there.

Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
Schools contribution (4.0)
Classmates rating (5.0)

Strengths of the program:

Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Culture & Student Support

Best fit at this program:

Consulting
Investment Banking
Management

Can be improved:

Career opportunities provided by school

Read More

Experience during the program

Darden at UVA is a fantastic program with highly engaged student body focused on learning and experienced professors focused on your individual growth (not their own research and writing). The Darden case study approach is far superior to other teaching methods. The facilities are simply amazing. The alumni network is incredibly strong, with nearly all alumni willing to take your cold call. The program lends itself well to students interested in consulting, finance, and general management. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Darden and have no doubt that, if you are looking for an engaging and intensive curriculum, you will as well.

Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
Schools contribution (5.0)
Classmates rating (5.0)

Strengths of the program:

Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Alumni Network
Culture & Student Support

Best fit at this program:

Consulting
Finance
Management

Can be improved:

Student body, diversity

Read More

Experience during the program

Darden was not only a great business school experience, it was two of the best years in my life. Darden was fantastic in three specific aspects: recruiting, the educational experience, and the culture / student body.

I recruited consulting, and looking back I didn't realize how strong Darden's consulting recruiting actually is. I was fortunate to go to a top-tier firm, but I think people incorrectly believe that is the exception and not the norm at Darden. I would say 45+ people in my class went to MBB, which is strong for a class of ~320 people.

I can't directly compare Darden's education experience to any other school, but I can say that I do believe the rumors to be correct that Darden's experience is more challenging than most if not all other schools. Looking back, I find this to be tremendous because it means that my actual time spent in the classroom was impactful, and I do fully believe that it has prepared me well for my career post-Darden.

Lastly, Darden's student body was just fantastic. I think that most business school student bodies are probably relatively similar; however, what differentiates Darden is that being located in Charlottesville, the students become incredibly close because they are truly each other's best friends. This was a fantastic experience.

Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
Schools contribution (5.0)
Classmates rating (5.0)

Strengths of the program:

Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Student body, diversity
Career opportunities provided by school

Best fit at this program:

Consulting
Marketing
Investment Banking
Management

Can be improved:

Admissions Team

Read More

Experience during the program

I did not have high expectations from the school when I went for a school visit. Actually, I would have never visited the school if they did not require everyone applying from USA to come for an onsite interview.

The day started with an early interview. Prior to the interview I chatted with current students who made me at ease. But what really helped me what was the great breakfast that all candidates could mince on as they waited. I still remember the high quality, natural muffins and doughnuts.

The interview itself was super pleasant because it was more of a conversation then a grilling to find my weak spots. The clock quickly ticked by to 45 minutes. I really enjoyed my time. I still remember my interviewers name and am grateful to him for the pleasant experience he gave me. I just checked his LinkedIn profile. He is doing well at Microsoft.

My two years were - in 1 word- amazing! I loved my professors. They actually teach. Not just read off their notes and get out of the class. I could visit any of them after class. Everything we learned was case based. It was super interesting.

My classmates were cool guys too. Some complained that people divide up into racial groups. But I did not really notice it until someone pointed it out to me. But I think this happens because we just like to hang out with our own kind. If there was one thing that I could do if I could go back is hang out more with my classmates and sit less at home and watch Netflix. I miss my classmates right now. A lot of the connections and friendships from first year stay for second year.

Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
Schools contribution (5.0)
Classmates rating (5.0)

Strengths of the program:

Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Student body, diversity
Alumni Network
Career opportunities provided by school
Location
Brand/Ranking
Culture & Student Support
Facilities

Best fit at this program:

Entrepreneurship
Management

Can be improved:

Brand/Ranking

Read More

Experience during the program

I was a career switcher and definitely thrived here, thanks to the case method and some amazing peers. The case method forces you to be on top of things and really learn the material. Despite all the hype about the work hard culture, Darden is NOT as impossibly hard as advertised -- just stay on top of your stuff and don't expect career services to hold your hand and you'll be fine (workload is heavy but not obscene). Your peers are very bright but down to earth. No egos here. The interview is more like a monologue; the admissions counselor will ask you only one or two questions and you'll do most of the talking.

About professors, classes and curriculum

I was a finance concentrator and was generally impressed with the finance faculty - they're definitely underrated. First year Core will prepare you well for the summer.

Overall BSchool experience (4.0)
Schools contribution (3.0)
Classmates rating (5.0)

Strengths of the program:

Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Brand/Ranking
Specialization in a particular area (e.g. Finance, Consulting, Healthcare, etc)
General Management

Best fit at this program:

Consulting
Finance
Investment Banking
Tech

Can be improved:

Career opportunities provided by school
Facilities

Read More

Experience during the program

Darden provides a well-rounded business school experience where classmates care about each other's success, recruiters deeply respect the brand, professors are deeply committed to teaching and interacting outside of class on a social level, and cases keep you sharp by preparing you to learn the basics and to deal with ambiguity on the job. If you're seeking top MBA programs, Darden is definitely worth a visit.

The concerns I hear about Darden from prospective students are usually two-fold. I'll address them in turn below:

(Q1) How will I be able to learn finance and other technical skills through the case method?
(A1) Quant-heavy cases come with "technical notes" that teach you the requisite skills and knowledge you need to complete the main case. Additionally, Darden's cycle of learning (self prep, first-year assigned learning team/second-year optional study teams, and class time) gives you multiple opportunities to dive deeply into the topic.

(Q2) Is the school's location a drawback for recruiting?
(A2) No, we have top employers come to Grounds just as you'd expect from a top 10 MBA program. Additionally, many employers significantly diminish or eliminate MBA recruiting travel requirements and instead come to Grounds to meet with us. Lastly, many recruiters are Darden alumni who love Charlottesville, and it's a significant advantage to Darden MBAs who don't have to compete with traveling candidates from other top programs to stand out.

About professors, classes and curriculum

We regularly interact with our professors on and off Grounds. It's not uncommon to have dinners and other gatherings in their homes throughout the years. It's truly a community here.

About job placement process

We place well across industries and geographies. An expansive amount of opportunities are available on Grounds, but some off-Grounds recruiting is a must for some roles / industries. If you're in the typical IB / Consulting recruiting then you'll easily have access to all employers on Grounds through a highly regimented process as it likely is across all top MBA programs.

Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
Schools contribution (5.0)
Classmates rating (5.0)

Strengths of the program:

Curriculum, Classes, Professors
Alumni Network
Career opportunities provided by school

Best fit at this program:

Consulting
Finance
Marketing
Investment Banking
Tech
Entrepreneurship
Management

Can be improved:

Student body, diversity
Brand/Ranking

Read More