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.Av University of Virginia Darden School of Business

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 Dar…

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.Av University of Virginia Darden School of Business

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 Co…

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 q…

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 ab…

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…

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.Av University of Virginia Darden School of Business

A little planning can go a long way. Managing Director of Admissions Whitney Kestner returns to share more advice for getting organized as you approach the Darden application.Av University of Virginia Darden School of Business

You’ve decided to apply to Darden. But where to start? Managing Director of Admissions Whitney Kestner offers tips for getting organized as you approach the application process, including the value of working backwards from your target deadline, why you should read through the application before doing anything else and more.…

When is the right time to apply? In short, when you feel like you can put together the strongest application. However, there are important considerations to be weighed as you finalize your plans. Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions Dawna Clarke offers tips for navigating Darden’s application deadlines.…

Did you apply to one of Darden’s MBA formats in the prior application cycle? If so, this episode is for you! Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions Dawna Clarke shares advice for reapplicants – including insights about the reapplicant request process, application timing, recommendations and more.Av University of Virginia Darden School of Business

The MBA application process can be quite a journey and applicants often feel uncertain or vulnerable during the process. However, as Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions Dawna Clarke shares, there are several steps you can take to help prepare yourself to navigate the ups and downs of applying to business school.…

Do you know about the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management? Senior Director, Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Recruiting Christian West offers insights about the organization, the benefits of applying to Darden’s Full-Time MBA program through the Consortium, new changes to this year’s Consortium application and more.…

Calling all international applicants! Associate Director, Global Recruitment Merav Frazier outlines key considerations for international applicants, including application timing, English proficiency requirements, visa processes and more.Av University of Virginia Darden School of Business

Applying to one of Darden’s many dual degree programs? In this episode, Associate Director, Global Recruitment Merav Frazier shares her favorite tips and resources for dual degree candidates.Av University of Virginia Darden School of Business

In this episode, we catch up with Managing Director of Admissions Whitney Kestner about the importance of intentional engagement when researching business schools. As Whitney notes, there are distinct phases in the MBA research process, and you probably have more time than you think to get all of your questions answered.…

In this episode, we talk with Director of Admissions, Future Year Scholars Katherine Alford about the MBA research process. Katherine shares insights about utilizing MBA rankings, how to network effectively with current students and alumni as well as the value of using a spreadsheet to help you stay organized.…

Welcome to our application tips series! In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcasts, members of the UVA Darden’s Admissions Committee share advice insights for applicants targeting Darden’s MBA formats – Full-Time MBA, Part-Time MBA and Executive MBA.Av University of Virginia Darden School of Business

Our Admissions podcast feeds have split and moved to their new homes! You can now find new separate subscription feeds for both The ExecMBA Podcast and Experience Darden here on Podbean or on other popular listening outlets such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Sticher, Google Play, TuneIn and iHeartRadio! You may also find The ExecMBA Podcasts new epis…

In advance of Darden hosting ClimateCAP: The Global MBA Summit on Climate, Capital and Business, keynote speaker Scott Price discusses the challenges and opportunities for a global logistics company to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions while cutting costs and improving its competitive position. He discusses commercialization of new technologies, …

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Taison Bell. Taison is a Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) format student in our Class of 2020, and he is also a physician and a founder. We recently sat down with Taison to talk about his background, why he decided to pursue an MBA, why he thinks business and leadership training is important for medical …

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Tim Harvey. Tim is a Global Executive MBA format student in our Class of 2020, and we recently caught up with him to talk about his decision to pursue an MBA, what attracted him to our GEMBA format as well as the start-up, Owl Peak Labs, he recently founded with his classmate, Taison Bell. Pro Tip: K…

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Olivia Zhou. Olivia is a Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) format student in our Class of 2020, and she gave birth to her son just a few weeks after the start of the program. We recently sat down to talk with her about her background, the impact of her Darden experience, as well as how she has balanced th…

In this episode, Save the Children CEO Carolyn Miles (MBA'88) discusses the role of women in the developing world and the ability of women and girls to change the trajectory of a country's development towards a more equal and democratic society. Leadership Unscripted is a Darden speaker series hosted at UVA Darden DC Metro in Arlington, Virginia. T…

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Tom Duffy. Tom is an Executive MBA (EMBA) format student in our Class of 2020, and he is based in New England. We recently sat down to talk more about his background, why he decided to pursue an MBA, what brought him to Darden as well as what motivated him to serve as a Section representative for his…

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Laura Martens. Laura is Director of Washington, DC Initiatives for the Darden School of Business, and we recently sat down to talk about her background, what attracted her to her current role and some of the things she is currently working on as Darden continues to build its presence and brand in the…

They’re back! We continue our ongoing conversation with Jonas Porcar Ferrer and Bhavin Patel. In this episode, we catch up with Jonas and Bhavin to talk about Quarters 6 and 7, including the recent Europe global residency, their elective choices as well as what they’ve enjoyed their latest slate of core courses.…

Ayush Bharti (MBA '14) graduated with an ambitious goal. Having lost family to medical negligence, he wanted to improve the healthcare system in his native India. Now with his health tech startup OurHealthMate, a technology platform that connects patients providers and payers in developing economies, he's doing just that all across India and beyond…

In this episode of Leadership Unscripted, Case Foundation CEO and National Geographic Society Chairman Jean Case discusses the importance of taking risks, being fearless, and leveraging difference in order to change the world. Leadership Unscripted is a Darden speaker series hosted at UVA Darden DC Metro in Arlington, Virginia. To learn more, visit…

In this episode, UPS Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer Scott Price (MBA/MA ’90) discusses how to influence and create transformation from within a global corporation. The Darden Leadership Speaker Series is held on Darden Grounds in Charlottesville, Virginia, and events are open to the public. To learn more, visit us at: www.darden.virginia…

In this episode of Darden Leadership Speaker Series, Richmond Federal Reserve President and CEO Tom Barkin shares 10 life tips he has learned during his career and offers his thoughts on economic issues, from global trade wars to potential recession. The Darden Leadership Speaker Series is held on Darden Grounds in Charlottesville, Virginia, and ev…

In this episode of the Darden Leadership Speaker Series, Indonesian Ambassador to the United States of America Mahendra Siregar shares the story of Indonesia's recovery from near collapse and discusses the impact of global trade skirmishes. The Darden Leadership Speaker Series is held on Darden Grounds in Charlottesville, Virginia, and events are o…

As accelerator programs proliferate, entrepreneurship scholars like Batten Research Fellow Siobhan O’Mahony are attempting to understand the role they play in new ventures’ success. Dr. O’Mahony and her colleagues found great differences in the degree to which entrepreneurs take advantage of an accelerator’s resources and connections. Entrepreneurs…

When Scott Kim (MBA ’11) was undergoing grueling and lengthy rehabilitation after childhood surgery for spina bifida, little did he know that years later he’d be heading Neofect, a med-tech startup that brings game-based physiotherapy to millions of patients worldwide. What launched Kim on an entrepreneurial career path was a class taught by Darden…

After three years in a corporate finance leadership program at Johnson & Johnson, Erik Breuhaus (MBA '14) knew that he wanted to work at a startup. He joined one while he was a second-year student at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, and he never looked back. Hear how his experience at multiple startups in a variety of industrie…

Nick Moran (MBA ’08) cut his teeth sourcing and vetting promising technologies while working on mergers and acquisitions at Danaher Corporation. He also developed one of the most successful products in Danaher’s history—an IoT solution with an innovative method for testing compounds in drinking water. Hear how Moran became a successful angel invest…

The entrepreneurial pivot is a term popularized by entrepreneurs Steve Blank and Eric Ries, particularly through Ries’ well-known book The Lean Startup, and represents a company’s re-orientation of strategic direction. Batten Research Fellow Siobhan O’Mahony discusses her study of early-stage energy and cleantech hardware firms in the Boston area t…

Scientists assert that global warming must be kept below two degrees Celsius to avoid insurmountable global disruption. Getting there will require near total decarbonization of economic activity by 2060. Agriculture accounts for a significant amount of GHG emissions worldwide but is also the one sector being hit the hardest by a changing climate. A…

Scientists assert that global warming must be kept below two degrees Celsius to avoid insurmountable global disruption. Getting there will require near total decarbonization of economic activity by 2060. Industrial manufacturing accounts for a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. and worldwide. Efforts to reduce energy consump…

In our discussion with economists Pedro Matos and Jan Bena we explore their research on the impact of foreign investment on corporate innovation, as measured by number of patents. They describe the global corporate patent dataset they created, which is hosted by the Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and available for use by any s…

As the world economy has become increasingly globalized and complex, it's not obvious what effects foreign investors have on the companies whose stock they hold. Is it possible that these foreign investors provide pools of capital that firms can access in order to produce stronger companies, or do global institutional investors behave more like a s…

Family owned and controlled businesses, which account for 90 percent of all U.S. companies, rarely outlive their founders to survive the next generation. Only one in three defies the odds, but that requires a well-thought-out transition plan and, in some cases, even a non-family member to step in and lead, according to a new white paper by the Univ…

Preparing for the next leadership transfer, from third to fourth generation, Jim and Joe Bright are solidifying a healthy future for their 91-year old family business. Through hard work, discipline and a lot of heart, the Bright family continues to shine and credits success to their desire to stay nimble. The world continues to change and how a com…

An award-winning landscaping company embraces stewardship governance by creating a unique culture of employee ownership and responsibility, inspiring staff to work toward common goals of outstanding customer service, teamwork and growth.Av University of Virginia Darden School of Business

GrayCo began as a lumber company and pivoted to become a commercial real estate venture when the moment was right. While for years the leadership was comprised only of non-family members, Lawrence Gray brought just the experience the business needed in investment strategy and general management and was able to boost not only family engagement but a…

When all is said and done, it was important to do what was best for the family. With over half a century of experience and wisdom, the family behind K&K 5&10, K&K Toys and Dollar Tree reflects on lessons learned while navigating the toy industry and pioneering discount retailing. From the early days under the family patriarch to a new company and s…

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