Great MBA Experience

Experience during the program

Academics - Darden is notoriously rigorous, especially in the FY, and I definitely felt that to be true. However, I also felt that I learned a lot and wasn't doing work just for the sake of doing work. I think the case method is a much more effective way to learn (as opposed to just reading a textbook). I have also been impressed by the faculty at Darden. They truly are top notch and really invested in all of the students and their success.

Career - With a general management curriculum, you'll find that most major industries recruit at Darden. There are some companies that recruit year after year and others that change based on student demand. Consulting is definitely the biggest recruiting area, but banking and marketing are also popular and tech is growing. Darden's reputation and alumni network are especially helpful in recruiting.

Community - For me, the Darden community was one of the biggest draws. It is definitely a very collaborative, close-knit environment. By the end of the FY, I knew many of my classmates, whether from section, recruiting, club activities or just general social interactions. While Darden students work really hard, we're also very social and enjoy spending time with each other.

Charlottesville is also a great place to spend two years. There are tons of great bars and restaurants and lots of things to do outdoors, especially hiking and also a lot of wineries and breweries. It's also close enough to DC that if you need to get a "city fix" you can definitely do that on the weekend.

Overall BSchool experience (5.0)
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
Marketing
Investment Banking
Tech
Entrepreneurship
Management

Can be improved:

Student body, diversity