Darden is phenomenal!

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