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UVA Darden 2013 MBA Application Question, Deadlines, Tips

August 13, 2012 by 14 Comments

UVA DardenUVA Darden prides itself on producing successful, ethical, community-focused, leadership-driven MBAs. If you want a spot in next year’s Darden class, you’ll need to prove that you have the skills and the drive to commit to this top b-schools ideals and goals. Exhibit your skills as they exist now, plus your passion and motivation to expand on those skills with a case-based, general management MBA. (Note Darden’s new question for this year.)

UVA Darden 2013 MBA Essay Question

  1. Share your thought process as you encountered a challenging work situation or complex problem. How did this experience change your perspective? (500 words maximum)

Interesting question, and there are lots of different ways to approach it. Here’s one: Start by describing the work situation or complex problem. The more vividly you can describe the scene, the better.  Steer away from problems where the complexity is entirely technical. There can be a technical component, but you want to make sure your reader understands what you were facing. A problem with a leadership or inter-personal element is a good one. How did you decide to deal with the challenges you were facing? What were the factors that influenced your approach?

In relating this story, don’t omit the results of your approach. Was it effective? How did it resolve the different elements of the problem?

Conclude with the lessons you learned from the experience. Show that you have the maturity and self awareness to reflect thoughtfully on your own actions.  In what way(s) did your perspective on leadership or other components of your challenge change? Demonstrate growth and the ability to change as you analyze the effect of this experience on you.

UVA Darden 2013 MBA Application Deadlines

Round Due Date Notification
Round 1 Oct. 15, 2012 Dec. 19, 2012
Round 2 Jan. 9, 2013 Mar. 20, 2013
Round 3 March 28, 2013 May 8, 2013

If you would like professional guidance with your UVA Darden MBA application, please consider Accepted’s MBA essay editing and MBA admissions consulting or our UVA Darden School Packages, which include advising, editing, interview coaching, and a resume edit for the Darden MBA application.

Linda Abraham By , president and founder of Accepted.com and co-author of the new, definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools.

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  • http://www.accepted.com Linda Abraham

    If any readers would like a profile evaluation for UVA Darden, please provide the following information:
    1) Brief description of your full-time work experience.
    2) Your GMAT or GRE. Percentiles preferred.
    3)College info: The name of the college, your GPA or grade average, your
    major, year of graduation. For any graduate degrees, please provide the
    same info. If you grades are low, please indicate if there were
    extenuating circumstances.
    4) Significant college and post-college extra-curricular activities or community service, especially leadership experience.
    5) Important certifications like CFA, CPA, FSA, or CA.
    6) Your post-MBA goal.
    Or if you just have a question about MBA admissions, I’ll do my best to answer it.

    • mbagolf

      Linda – thank you. My details are below:

      1) Started in public accounting at a large regional firm and was promoted twice. About a year ago, I switched into investment banking and now work primarily on renewable energy M&A transactions at a middle-market firm.
      2) GMAT – 690 (~70%Q,~92%V, ~90% overall). I am schedule to retake in a month with hopes to break the 700 hurdle (hopefully720+ with improved quant).
      3) small, lower-tier college, gpa of 3.4 skewed down a terrible freshman year. Finished strong and earned a number of awards/scholarships. Played collegiate golf and was selected as the male scholar-athlete of the year my senior year.
      4) This is where I think I could develop a good story. My grandmother passed away within the last few years. My mother had already passed and she had two brother still loving, both of whom are mentally handicapped with multiple health issues. My grandmother always kept everything close to the vest, and when she passed, nobody knew who would handle her complicated estate and care for her two disabled sons. Low and behold, I was selected as sole executor of her estate and trustee/guardian of both sons (my uncles) who are several states away. Being a newlywed, in my mid-twenties, and already working investment banking hours, this was a huge undertaking. As such, I became a “parent” of two mentally handicapped adults overnight. This is a very hands-on, daily responsibility that has been both enormously challenging and rewarding.
      5) I hold the following certifications: CPA, CFP, series 79, and series 63. I also hold a masters degree in accounting.
      6) Right now, I love investment banking and it fits me like a glove. I also enjoy the energy transaction and see myself continuing to work in energy investment banking post MBA (or potentially private equity, which is just the other side of the transaction). The reason I really want an MBA is to “rebrand” myself in a sense. I grew up in a rural area, went to a relatively unknown undergrad, worked for a regional accounting firm rather than big 4, and now work for a middle-market investment bank rather than bulge bracket. I have proven myself scholastically and professionally in all of these settings, but now I want to raise my playing field. I think a well-branded MBA would be perfect in helping me reach this goal and could provide me with a much stronger network.

      I am interested in the following programs: Tuck, Darden, Duke, Kellogg, Booth, Wharton, and Columbia. I recognize these may all be “stretches” for me, but I am not interested in going to a “safety” school just to put MBA behind my name. I want a school that will provide me an elite brand and network.

      I know where my numbers sit (gmat, gpa) in relation to the class profiles of these schools, but I am interested in knowing if my story and other intangibles could bump me into a competitive category within these applicant pools. I would also like to know if this story might resonate better with some programs versus others (i.e. which schools are number hungry and which might take a chance on a well-rounded, former college athlete who cares for two mentally handicapped adults in his limited spare time). I am also open to any other school suggestions for which you feel I might be a fit.

      Thanks in advance and I look forward to hearing from you

      • http://www.accepted.com Linda Abraham

        A couple of questions:

        1. How were your grades in your masters program?
        2. Was your masters program a well-regarded program?

        Thanks,
        Linda

        • mbagolf

          The Master’s degree was from a reasonably well-regarding program (middle-tier, large state school). I needed the masters in order to sit for the CPA exam. The school was in the same city where I was working and my employer paid the tuition. I took classes at night, earned a 3.8 GPA, and finished in one year (30 graduate credit hours) while working full time.

          • http://www.accepted.com Linda Abraham

            A raised GMAT in the range that you anticipate and a strong presentation of your qualifications and personal story would bump you into the competitive range at your target programs.

            Many schools, including your target programs, will be impressed by your story with its many elements. I actually think Stanford may be most swayed by this kind of commitment. Keep in mind one thing: since you have an impressive story, you don’t have to “develop” it or spin it or craft it. You just have to tell it effectively.

            If you would like help with that task, please let me know. (http://www.accepted.com/contactus.aspx ) and reference this exchange.

            For now, good luck with that GMAT retake!

            Best,
            Linda

          • mbagolf

            Thanks Linda!

          • http://www.accepted.com Linda Abraham

            You’re welcome! Good luck with your app.

    • MBAhopeful

      Hi Linda! What are your thoughts on my profile?

      1) Work Experience (was during college)

      Founded website- October 2011-present
      Founder/ CEO
      · Developed idea for an online challenge platform in which users can compete in everything from pranks to sports challenges.
      · Built a user base of over 1,500 through YouTube, Facebook and face-to-face Marketing.
      · Over 16,000 unique visitors.
      · Recruited and managed campus representatives. Grew from one to six campuses in six months.
      · Managed 3 developers.

      Best Landscaping May 2007-Aug 2008
      Founder/ CEO
      · Built up a broad base of repeat customers.
      · Hired and managed 3 employees due to increased demand.
      · $15,000 in revenues.

      2) Overall- 710 (92nd percentile)
      Verbal-40 (90th percentile)
      Quant- 48 (78th percentile)

      3) SEC School- Business Administration- entrepreneurship focus, Graduated Dec 2012.
      Summa Cum Laude- 4.0 major GPA (3.85 overall)

      4) Entrepreneurs Club
      President

      · Redesigned the leadership team structure, creating one executive VP position along with 4 different VP positions. This put every leadership member into a position they were excited about and allowed each person to feel important to our success.
      · Grew active club membership from 15 to 50 through increased club activity and face-to-face, campus and Facebook marketing.
      · Increased number of semester events from 3 to 12, including breakfasts with successful alumni entrepreneurs, guest speakers and networking events, which also helped to grow club membership.

      · Start-Up Challenge
      o Planned and marketed the first annual Start-Up Challenge at my school. 60 students entered, 40 more than entered in any past competitions. There have been 8 finalists selected and they are preparing for the final presentations on Feb. 1st.
      o Helped raise $4,000 in prize money for the competition winners and secured several spots in the local Business Incubator for contest winners.

      · External Impact
      o Established relationship between Students and the local Business Incubator.
      o In a meeting with University Entrepreneurial Leaders including the Dean of the Business School I was told that my university now has plans to erect a physical center for entrepreneurial studies within the next six months. They said this decision was due in part to the enthusiasm for entrepreneurship, including that towards the Start-Up Challenge, shown by our student entrepreneur club during the semester.

      Pi Kappa Phi
      Push America Chairman
      · Volunteering


      o Established on-going volunteer relationship with Camp Ascca (Camp Ascca is a nationally recognized leader in therapeutic
      recreation for children and adults with both physical and intellectual
      disabilities.)
      o Personally volunteered 300+ hours. Majority was as a weekend counselor at Camp Ascca in which I would be responsible for 2-3 people with disabilities for the weekend. The campers could have mental or physical disabilities and I was responsible for them 24/7 Friday- Sunday. I helped the campers with everything from eating and getting dressed to catching fish on the lake.
      o Led 2,200 hours of volunteering ranging from recruiting and leading counselors for Camp Ascca to leading teams to Holy Angels in North Carolina for a volunteer weekend of construction.

      · Fundraising


      o Planned and executed first fundraiser for Auburn Pi Kappa Phi (now an annual event, run successfully 4x).
      o Put together a sponsorship packet and guide, still used for gaining sponsors and donations.
      o Raised over $3000 through local sponsors and donations.

      I also did 3 study abroad programs and studied companies in Europe, New Zealand and Australia.

      5)- None

      6) I want to start my own companies. My goal is to be a serial entrepreneur.

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  • http://www.accepted.com Linda Abraham

    Are you working full-time now in your web business? Are you planning to apply in Fall 2013 to matriculate in Fall 2014 or do you want to apply now and matriculate in Fall 2013?

    • MBAhopeful

      I am in the works of starting a new venture in which I will apply the things I learned during web business and on focus building websites for small local businesses and free websites for small non-profit organizations. Applying the Toms Shoes model to website building. I plan to apply now and matriculate in Fall 2013. I would have a total of 1 year full time work experience by then (Including full time work on my web business during Fall 2011 after I was forced to withdraw from school due to an eye injury and the time between now and the time I matriculate.)

      • http://www.accepted.com Linda Abraham

        I think lack of full-time work experience could be a serious obstacle for you at Darden and other programs, but look into Stanford, (a stretch), UCLA, Chicago, CMU Tepper, and Rochester in addition to Darden. You may also want to consider University of Michigan’s MS in Entrepreneurship program or Babson, which is consistently ranked #1 for entrepreneurship but is usually only top 50 among MBA programs. But it might be perfect for you.

  • Darden applicant

    Hi Linda, what’s your opinion on the Darden professional and community activities page? Should the applicants keep it simple, say within in 50 words? if i have good story to write in my community service, i can elaborate in here (since there is no word limit)?
    Thank you.

    • http://www.accepted.com Linda Abraham

      You could elaborate in Additional Information, which gives you 250 words.

      Basically, keep it simple and don’t waste their time. The latter is key. However if you have a really good story to tell from one or two activities or professional experiences, succinctly use the space and if you feel it’s necessary, go over 50 words. I just wouldn’t go over 150 words.

      Best,
      Linda