UPDATE- THE TIPS FOR UVA DARDEN 2009 MBA APPLICATION ARE NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE- PLEASE POST QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS TO THE NEW POST.

Darden 2008 Questions and Deadlines

                     App Deadline*    Decisions Released
Early Action    Nov. 1, 2007    Feb 1, 2008
Round 2        Jan. 3, 2008    Mar. 24, 2008
Round 3        Feb. 28, 2008    May 7, 2008

Darden 2008 MBA Essay Questions

Paul Bodine -- author of Great Application Essays for Business School, blogger, and a top admissions consultant, sent me the Darden questions yesterday. Thank you, Paul!

The questions are completely new. To my memory, this is the only time I have seen an MBA application without a goals essay or a why MBA essay. (There is a short question, however, about goals.)  My comments are in red. The questions are:

Please respond to each question below. Word count limits have been provided for each question. The essay question fields are large enough for you to answer each question thoroughly. Essay questions can be answered by cutting and pasting text into essay fields.

1. What matters to you most, both personally and professionally, and how does an MBA relate to these priorities? (500 word maximum)

A little Stanford-esque, but the second part of the question narrows the scope and gives you direction. Like Stanford's Essay A, Darden's #1 requires first and foremost introspection. What matters to you most should connect to your choice of career. After all, you will devote the overwhelming majority of your waking hours to your profession. Make that connection explicit in your essay to ensure that you answer the question in its entirety.

In drafting your essay, keep the lofty values grounded with action. Provide an example or two of you demonstrating your values.  Realize that your combination of an anecdote with an articulate expression of values will powerfully present you and your values to Darden.

2. Please select one word that describes you from the set below and support your statement using concrete examples. Professionally I am: (a) an innovator. (b) a leader. (c) an entrepreneur. (300 word maximum)  

Choose the one that you identify with most strongly. No one is intrinsically better than the others. Then provide an example, preferably an impressive achievement, to show that the label fits you. In structuring this fairly short essay, you may choose to identify 2-3 critical qualities of a innovator, leader, or entrepreneur and then show how your example reveals those qualities in spades.

Keep in mind as you answer this question that Darden aims to "developing leaders in the world of practical affairs." You need to show that you are already a leader, just one who will benefit from development.
 
3. Please choose one phrase that describes you from the set below and support your statement using concrete examples. Professionally I am: (a) involved globally. (b) committed to diversity. (c) socially responsible. (300 word maximum)

Again, choose from a, b, or c whichever one allows you to best present yourself. Where have you shown "passion"? Where have you devoted time and effort. That's the one that's best for you.

Before answering this question re-read Darden's Mission Statement as well as the last few posts from Dean Bruner's blog. The Missions statement claims that Darden is a school that "works to improve society" and that is recognized for its "action-oriented graduates who embrace an enterprise perspective and lead with integrity, vision, judgment, determination, and social responsibility."This question acknowledges that there can be different ways to improve society; it asks you to show that you involved in at least one in a concrete and practical way.

Darden's Mission Statement permeates its essay questions. The questions reflect Darden's "practical" and "action-based"  approach. It seeks to see whether you are a leader with an "enterprise perspective" who shares its values. Last but definitely not least, keep in mind that Darden is a case-method, general management program.

If you would like help with your Darden application, please consider Accepted's Darden MBA Packages or our MBA Essay Editing .  Please note that Accepted will raise its prices on September 1. You can lock in current rates by buying on or before August 31, 2007.