How to Get Into UVA Darden School of Business

1. UVA Darden School of Business Program Overview
2. UVA Darden Curriculum
3. UVA Darden Statistics
4. Application Requirements for UVA Darden
5. Extracurriculars at UVA Darden
6. Notable Professors and Classes at Darden
7. How to Answer UVA Darden’s 2024−2025 Essay Prompts
8. UVA Darden FAQ

UVA Darden School of Business Program Overview

Since Dean Scott Beardsley left a global leadership position with McKinsey & Company to take the helm of the University of Virginia (UVA) Darden School of Business in 2015, he has invigorated the entire institution, raising hundreds of millions of dollars for scholarships and new endowed professorial chairs, in addition to an ongoing and enormous upgrade to the campus. Darden has a new home for its Innovation Laboratory and will soon have a conference center, an arboretum, and even a new hotel complex. The Forum Hotel, which replaced the longstanding UVA Inn at Darden, was opened in April 2023. Possibly most significant to the student experience, Beardsley has enabled the school—located in a bucolic mountainous region of Virginia on UVA’s historical grounds—to look outward via an endowed program that provides all Darden students with an international travel and educational experience. 

Although Darden has historically been known as a “boot camp” because of the intensity of its case study−based curriculum, the student experience is still punctuated by an “all for one” mentality. Study groups are critical to survival, and the beloved community tradition, First Coffee, takes place at Saunders Hall after the first class each morning and offers a warm respite from the intensity of the day.

Despite its reputation in general management, Darden is making a name for itself in entrepreneurship through the school’s Batten Institute. Students can bring their ideas to fruition through such offerings as the Institute’s i.Lab Incubator, which is hosted during summer and is available to students with existing, innovative ventures; the Batten Innovation Bootcamp, which is intended to introduce UVA graduate students to the challenges founders can face; and Venturing Projects (x), which provide support for students who wish to pursue their ideas through independent study. Other hands-on opportunities at the Institute include the Batten Venture Internship Program; the Tech Learning Series; and numerous competitions, courses, and workshops.

While Darden typically hovers near or within the top ten in most rankings (Bloomberg Businessweek ranked the school fifth in 2024–2025, and U.S. News & World Report named it tenth in 2024), its professors have been ranked number one continuously by The Princeton Review. Because the case method is taught in almost every class, professors are not lecturers but facilitators, which requires them to engage with students and push their limits. “It is imperative to join a case discussion before you decide to attend Darden because it’s what you will spend all of your academic time doing,” a Darden student and former Stratus client told us, continuing, “The professors don’t ‘teach’ by lecturing; they go through the cases you prepared the night before to arrive at the answer and teach along the way.” These close bonds are known to extend beyond the classroom. It isn’t unusual for professors to host a student barbecue or for Dean Beardsley to invite students to dinner at his home on the famed UVA Lawn, right at the core of founder Thomas Jefferson’s Academical Village. Another former client and current Darden student told us, “Darden is known for its incredible professors, and with the 100% case method, professors make or break a class. Yiorgos Allayannis is an incredible professor who brings life to each and every one of the cases he teaches. He is hilarious, personable, and can make any topic interesting.”

As noted, Darden students are truly taught to be general managers. But given the interdisciplinary nature of the cases presented at Darden, it should come as no surprise that the school sent the largest percentage of its Class of 2023 to jobs with a consulting function (46.3%), followed by finance/accounting (26.2%) and general management (11.5%). Regardless of where students find post-MBA positions, Dean Beardsley is optimistic that Darden students will explore their true purpose, stating, “At Darden, we look at not just ROI but R-O-WHY. Why are you doing what you are doing? Mission matters.”

UVA Darden Curriculum

A full-time class at Darden typically has about 335 students, although the Class of 2024 was a bit bigger with 355 individuals. First-year students are divided into sections of about 70 students, and those sections are further divided into learning teams of five to six that include students from multiple sections. As mentioned, Darden’s curriculum is heavily focused on the case method, so learning teams help students understand the case from a variety of functional and industry perspectives before discussing it in class.

Students take ten core classes in the first year, including “Leadership Communication,” “Operations Management,” and “Leading Organizations.” A Darden student and former Stratus client told us, “My most meaningful experiential learning opportunity at Darden has been being part of a learning team. You are assigned a four- to five-person learning team who you are meant to meet with every evening to learn the cases. These are people of all different backgrounds both culturally and professionally. You are meant to help each other succeed oftentimes in topics that are foreign to most of the team. It is difficult at times with conflict arising, but it is a huge part of Darden and teaches incredible lessons on how to properly manage people and a diverse team.”

In the second year, full-time students can tailor the curriculum to meet their interests by taking elective courses. Darden offers more than 100 electives, as well as more than a dozen dual-degree programs. Students can also choose from six career track concentrations, including Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Corporate Finance/Investment Banking, and Supply Chain Management, and two theme track concentrations: Business Analytics and Environment, Social and Governance. Darden also offers a STEM-designated Management Science specialization. Darden students and former Stratus clients have highlighted such courses as “Defining Moments” and “Effectual Entrepreneurship” as their personal favorites. “My favorite class was a leadership course called ‘Defining Moments’ because it put us through intense simulations that will prepare us for extremely difficult moments in the future. Each class inspired intense discussion and forced us to develop a more sophisticated approach to handling these potential, extremely difficult situations,” one student said.

Another described “Effectual Entrepreneurship” as “a seminar class with several entrepreneurs coming in to speak about their experience learning from different folks ranging from private equity/venture capital professionals to franchisees. All seminars are based in an intimate setting with very interesting insights. ‘Philosophy and Business’ as well—more philosophy than anything but incredible discussions based on readings with a professor who is one of the best at Darden, Ed Freeman.”

Darden’s global opportunities include taking a Darden Worldwide Course and participating in a Global Client Project or an Exchange Program. All full-time students can now attend a global course at no cost as part of the Darden Worldwide Scholarship. Worldwide Courses are one- to two-week courses taught by Darden faculty outside the United States several times a year. Previous Worldwide Courses have included “Economic Growth and Opportunities in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Influence of Education, Healthcare and Entrepreneurship,” “Honoring the Traditions of the Past While Confronting the Challenges of the Future,” and “Rising To The Challenge: Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Leading Change.” In addition to almost all classes being taught by the case method, Darden’s learn-by-doing opportunities include the Batten Institute’s Venture Internship Program, which places students in impactful internships with early-stage startups, and the Darden Venture Fellows Program, which pairs students with venture capital companies for intensive, ten-week summer internships.

UVA Darden Statistics

Class Profile (Class of 2026)

• Class Size: 355
• Average Work Experience: 5.7 years
• Average Undergraduate GPA: 3.56
• Women: 38%
• U.S. Minorities: 23%
• International Citizenship: 30%
• Countries Represented: 30
• Average GMAT: 718
• Middle 80% GMAT Range: 680–760
• Average GRE (Verbal and Quant Combined): 321
• Middle 80% GRE Range: 311–330

Career Placement (Industries, Class of 2023)

• Consulting: 46.3%
• Financial Services: 26.2%
• Technology 10.5%
• Healthcare (including Products and Services): 3.5%
• Retail: 3.2%
• Manufacturing: 2.9%
• Consumer Packaged Goods: 2.6%
• Real Estate: 1.6%
• Other: 1.3%
• Energy: 0.6%
• Media/Entertainment: 0.6%
• Nonprofit/Education: 0.3%
• Transportation/Logistics Services: 0.3%

Geographic Placement (Class of 2023)

• United States: 97.4%
  • Northeast: 33.4%
  • Mid-Atlantic: 23.3%
  • West: 10.8%
  • Midwest: 8.2%
  • South: 13.1%
  • Southwest: 11.2%
• Outside United States: 2.6%
  • Asia: 1.3%
  • Latin America and the Caribbean: 0.6%
  • Europe: 0.3%
  • Ocenia: 0.3%

Application Requirements for UVA Darden

Bachelor’s degree and transcripts

Darden requires all applicants to have completed an undergraduate degree (or its equivalent if the applicant graduated outside of the United States) and to provide unofficial academic transcripts with their application. If the applicant is granted admission to Darden, they will need to provide official transcripts.

Resume

All Darden applicants must submit a resume with their application. “Consider using your resume to highlight your leadership and impact,” the Darden website notes. “What have you accomplished in your roles? And whenever possible, try to quantify your results.” The website states that applicants who have less than ten years of work experience should not provide a resume longer than one page.

Recommendations

Darden requires one recommendation letter from all applicants, including re-applicants. In business school applications, obtaining a recommendation from a direct supervisor or a manager is usually the best option. If you do not have a current direct supervisor or manager, consider past supervisors, colleagues, or clients, based on your work situation. Family members, friends, and professors are typically not suitable recommenders. “Identify someone who will help us learn more about your accomplishments and leadership potential through specific examples and anecdotes,” the Darden website says.

Test scores

Darden accepts the GMAT, the GRE, the EA, the MCAT, and the LSAT to fulfill the test score requirement. The school accepts self-reported scores for the application but asks applicants to arrange for official reports to also be provided. For the Class of 2026, the average GMAT score was 718. International applicants are also required to provide a TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE score unless they received their undergraduate degree from an institution where the teaching language is English.

Anything else?

An interview and three short essays are also required of Darden applicants. Darden offers an open interview period for Early Action applicants, but those applying in later rounds can only interview if invited. Interviews are hosted on campus and virtually. These are some of the questions that are commonly asked during Darden interviews:

• Tell me about yourself.
• What are your short-term and long-term career goals?
• Why an MBA and why Darden?
• Tell me about a tough time you’ve had with a team. How did you handle it?
• Tell me about an idea that you personally initiated and championed.

Extracurriculars at Darden

Darden has nearly 60 student-run clubs across all areas—functions, industries, affinity groups, and athletics—in addition to a student government. Students take part in a Student Club Fair during their first year to explore all the offerings and meet other students with similar interests. Affinity clubs include Graduate Women in Business, Pride at Darden, and the Darden Military Association, while general interest clubs range from the Wine and Cuisine Club to the Darden Dance Club. Among the numerous industry clubs are the Health Care Club, Real Estate Club, Education Club, and Darden Capital Management.

The program’s section environment creates strong connections among the students within each section, and the section-versus-section competitions always illustrate strong rivalries. Many students live in apartments that are on campus or within walking distance to campus, creating a community feel. The Building Goodness in April organization brings students together each year to work on local homes in the greater Charlottesville area and build community outreach.

The Darden Career Center is popular among students. One former Stratus client and current Darden student said, “My experience with the career center was great because there is a very structured path to recruit for my job. There are vast resources, and the school has great connections and a strong reputation for my industry. The clubs also play an important role in recruiting, and the CDC is always there for support.”

One should not miss First Coffee, the cherished Darden tradition where students gather each day over their first (or second or third) cup of coffee in the beautiful rotunda in Saunders Hall after the first class of the day. Staff and faculty members often join the informal gatherings, and campus visitors (including company representatives on campus to recruit students) are welcome as well!

Students often rave about the Charlottesville area. One former Stratus client told us, “Charlottesville is an incredible town with so much to offer. The restaurant scene is great as well as the multiple vineyards around the area. With the small class size and college town feel, your class will become very close and often do many things together. Every Thursday there is TNDC (Thursday Night Drinking Club), where the entire school rents out a bar and hangs out. Events like Darden Cup, where sections compete against one another with everyone watching in a social environment. Theme parties and house parties are regular, and you can expect to go to the undergrad bars on the corner on the weekends.”

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Notable Professors and Classes

Edward Freeman

Edward Freeman is a Darden legend and currently serves as the Stephen E.  Bachand University Professor of Business Administration, the Olson Professor of Business Administration, and an academic director of the Darden Institute for Business in Society. Professor Freeman teaches strategy and ethics in the form of the core course “Business Ethics,” in addition to such electives as “Philosophy and Business,” “Societal Issues in Business,” and “Leadership and Theater,” and has written or edited more than 200 articles. He is reportedly a student favorite and has received numerous teaching awards at Darden.

Gregory B. Fairchild

Professor Fairchild has taught in the areas of strategic management, entrepreneurship, and ethics at Darden for more than two decades and has been recognized for his teaching and research with the UVA Excellence in Public Service Award for faculty and several Darden teaching awards. Fairchild teaches such courses as “Entrepreneurship as Change Agent,” “Strategic Management,” and “Entrepreneurial Thinking.” In addition to serving as the Isidore Horween Research Professor of Business Administration at Darden, Fairchild is the UVA Associate Dean for Washington, DC, Area Initiatives; the Dean and CEO of UVA Northern Virginia; and the Academic Director of Public Policy and Entrepreneurship.

“Management Planning and Control Systems”

Darden is well known for its extensive (and almost exclusive) use of the case method, even in areas where one would not usually expect it. For example, the “Management Planning and Control Systems” course falls under the accounting electives group. The course is taught by Professor Luann J. Lynch, who has explained her choice to use the case method for an accounting course in a YouTube video that can be viewed here. According to the Darden website, the primary focus of the course is to “provide students with an understanding of the design and use of planning and control systems to facilitate the implementation of an organization’s strategy.”

“Business Ethics”

The Darden Honor Code is a beloved tradition and a pivotal part of the school’s culture. Ethics has been further ingrained in the Darden curriculum for more than two decades in the form of a required core course, “Business Ethics,” and several related electives. The “Business Ethics” course, taught by the aforementioned Professor Freeman (among others), concentrates on the role of ethics in the world of business by examining such aspects as value creation, corporate culture, and managerial integrity. Elective courses in this area include “Leadership, Diversity and Leveraging Difference” and “Business Ethics through Literature.”

How to Answer UVA Darden’s 2024-2025 Essay Prompts

UVA Darden is looking to understand how you will collaborate with others to create impact as a Purpose Driven Leader through its application essays. And your past actions are the best indicators of your potential to make an impact in the future. Before you sit down and look at the school’s questions individually, take a step back and identify the key strengths you want to be sure are clearly conveyed in your overall application. Then think strategically about which stories you can tell — and how you might tell them — to highlight those chosen strengths. Imagine the Darden application as a kind of rug with different pieces woven together to make a colorful pattern, or perhaps as a sports team, with your stories as players taking on different positions and coming together to form a winning team. Focus in these essays on the stories that do not already appear in other parts of your application. 

Essay 1

• Community of Belonging: What would you want your classmates to know about you that is not on your resume? (100 words)

Essay 2

• Inclusive Impact: Please describe a tangible example that illuminates your experience promoting an inclusive environment and what you would bring to creating a welcoming, global community at Darden. (300 words)

Essay 3

• Careers With Purpose: At this time how would you describe your short-term, post-MBA goal in terms of industry, function, geography, company size and/or mission and how does it align with the long-term vision you have for your career. (200 words)

Click here to read our advice on UVA Darden’s essay questions.

UVA Darden FAQ

What is Darden best known for?

UVA Darden is well known for its use of the case method and its prestigious general management program. The school has bolstered its already remarkable entrepreneurship offerings in recent years, and the Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation is one of the most robust centers at the school.

How much does tuition cost?

Estimated cost of attendance for the Darden full-time MBA program is $114,217 for Virginia residents, $117,217 for non-Virginia residents, and $117,487 for international students for the 2024–2025 academic year. This includes program charges for three semesters, room and board, health insurance, and such additional fees as transportation and a computer.

How difficult is it to get accepted into Darden?

As is the case with all top-ranked business schools, Darden has a competitive acceptance rate—in 2023, the school received 2,834 applications and admitted 1,116 applicants. This means that approximately 39.4% of applicants received an invitation to join the program. Out of the 1,116 applicants who were admitted, 352 decided to enroll.

Are you considering applying to Darden? Whether you are looking for comprehensive MBA admissions consulting, hourly help, or perhaps interview prep, we at Stratus Admissions Counseling can help you! Sign up for a free consultation today!