UVA Darden Podcasts

What happens after you press submit? Who is reading your application? What does ‘holistic review’ actually mean? Director of Admissions Catie Yeilding answers these questions – and many more – as she shares insights about Darden Admissions’ evaluation process.

At Darden, the Admissions interview is conversational. But what exactly does this mean? Managing Director of Admissions Whitney Kestner offers tips for approaching this conversation, including the importance of knowing your story, the value of focusing on your “why” and why the interview is a great opportunity for you to continue to learn about Darden. Interested in even more interview-related advice? Be sure to check out our longer Experience Darden podcast episode all about the Darden interview.

You’ve pressed submit. Congratulations! But now what? Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions Dawna Clarke offers advice for how applicants can stay engaged and use this time productively.

The Additional Comments section of the UVA Darden application is just that – additional. However, it is also space for applicants to offer context for information in their application, including academic performance, career path, recommender choice and more. Managing Director of Admissions Whitney Kestner shares tips for utilizing the Additional Comments section of the application.

Who makes a good recommender? Director of Admissions, Women’s Recruiting Haley Whitlock Gyory chats about the UVA Darden recommendation process, including tips on recommender choice, the value of getting organized before approaching your recommender and why it’s important for your recommender know your target deadline.

In the Darden application, there are several short essay questions. Senior Director, Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Recruiting Christian West offers advice for applicants as they approach this section of the application, including the importance of considering how your responses align with your broader application narrative, why the essay questions are a great opportunity for you to demonstrate your authentic voice as well as why every writer needs an editor.

Standardized tests can be helpful way for an applicant to provide a more recent data point regarding their readiness for an MBA curriculum. However, some applicants may wonder if a test waiver could make sense for them? Director of Admissions Catie Yeilding shares advice for applicants weighing these options, including the importance of thinking about your candidacy objectively as you build your academic readiness case.

Director of Admissions Catie Yeilding offers advice for how you can demonstrate your academic readiness for an MBA curriculum across a number of sections of the UVA Darden application – including degree-related coursework, non-degree-related coursework, professional certifications, work responsibilities, standardized test scores and more.

You will share information about your professional background in not one but two places in the Darden application – The Employment History section as well as in your resume. Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions Dawna Clarke offers tips about how you can maximize both of these parts of your application as well as how the resume can be a place for you to display your personality and interests.

The application process is a storytelling exercise. Managing Director of Admissions Whitney Kestner discusses the importance of thinking about your candidacy as our Admissions Committee will – holistically and objectively – as you approach your application.