UVA Darden Launches Application for Admission to the Full-Time MBA Class of 2025

Applicants to the Class of 2025 Will Find a Range of Flexible Standardized Test Options, Scholarship Programs and Access to Early Career Resources

The University of Virginia Darden School of Business announced today that the application for admission to the Full-Time MBA Class of 2025 is now live. The MBA program admits talented students from across the United States and the world, is delivered in beautiful Charlottesville, Virginia, and benefits from programming at UVA Darden DC Metro in the nearby Washington, D.C., area.

The School further announced key application deadline dates:

Early Action: 8 September 2022 (for students who know Darden is their top choice)

Round 1: 5 October 2022

Round 2: 5 January 2023

Round 3: 5 April 2023

The Early Action round includes a binding and nonbinding option. All Early Action applicants have the option to schedule their own admissions interview and receive early consideration for the full suite of Darden scholarships, among other benefits.

Additional highlights of the Full-Time MBA Class of 2025 application cycle include:

• Test flexibility options, allowing applicants to submit a range of test scores or apply for a test waiver. In a continued effort to ensure standardized test scores are not an impediment to pursuing an MBA, Darden accepts standardized tests including the GMAT, GRE, MCAT, LSAT and the Executive Assessment. Additionally, candidates may apply for a test waiver.
• A range of essay questions, which give every student the opportunity to demonstrate his or her strengths and narrative. The essay questions are designed to help the Admissions committee gain a holistic view of the applicant, with a focus on leadership and relationship building; diversity, equity and inclusion; and career goals.
• A portfolio of scholarship offerings, which aim to make the School accessible to meritorious students and fortify its culture of inclusive excellence.
• Pre-matriculation career support through the Darden Career Center’s expanded suite of career guidance and recruiting resources for the Class of 2025.

Darden, which delivered in-person classes and learning throughout the 2021-22 academic year, plans to continue normal operations, complete with a full suite of Darden Worldwide Course opportunities, in the 2022–23 academic year.

The Darden Admissions team hosts a variety of events, both virtual and in-person, throughout the year, giving prospective students the opportunity to ask questions and meet with Darden alumni, professors and students. Applicants can take a virtual tour of Darden’s Charlottesville Grounds, and regular classroom visits are expected to return for the 2022–23 academic year.

Test Waivers for Select Candidates

To be considered for a test waiver, candidates will need to present strong alternative evidence to demonstrate their readiness for a purposefully intense MBA curriculum. For those who believe their standardized test score is a strong indicator of their ability, Darden also values this input and will consider prior scores, including the SAT and ACT, as part of the holistic waiver consideration

Candidates may submit a waiver request any time prior to submitting an application. Applicants are encouraged to review a list of frequently asked questions and read more about the School’s approach to test flexibility.  The School also plans to offer multiple options for application fee waivers as part of a continued effort to make the application process as accessible as possible.

“This is the third application cycle in which Darden has offered text flexibility,” said Dawna Clarke, senior assistant dean of admissions. “Our test waiver policy is an acknowledgement that not all stellar applicants are equally stellar standardized test-takers. I’m proud that we have broadened our admissions criteria to be inclusive of other indicators of academic preparedness.”

Darden Offers Suite of Distinguished Scholarships

Darden aims to be both affordable and accessible and offers robust financial aid programs to meritorious students. Scholarships seek to honor both accomplishments and potential and to make a Darden MBA attainable for students from all backgrounds.

Darden is need-blind in its admissions process, meaning students are admitted based on merit. Darden then provides need-based scholarships for those who qualify for the AccessDarden program, along with opportunities for all students to apply for loans to cover the total cost of attendance.

The Darden Distinguished Scholarship Program features a growing roster of merit scholarships and competitive scholarships to students with a range of backgrounds and interests. Awards are offered at various levels, up to and including full tuition and fees.

One of the School’s top scholarships, The Oculus Fellowship, goes to those with outstanding academic ability, achievement, and potential as well as promise as a visionary business leader. In addition to covering full tuition and fees, the award includes a variety of personal and professional enrichment opportunities.

Exceptional students applying in Early Action, Round 1 or Round 2 may be invited to interview for The Oculus Fellowship.

As part of its ongoing commitment to inclusive excellence, in 2021 the Darden School Foundation launched two new fellowship programs to foster a new generation of purpose-driven leaders.

• The Breakthrough Scholars program is a competitive scholarship designed to foster a new generation of diverse leaders in private equity, venture capital and other areas of asset management.
• The Impact Fellows program gives an annual cohort of top students carefully tailored mentorship and leadership opportunities with Darden alumni, faculty, students and staff.

Additionally, the School launched the Women@Darden initiative in 2021 to make Darden the graduate business school of choice for women leaders around the world, and plans to host a Women in Leadership Summit at UVA Darden DC Metro on 23 September.

On-Demand and In-Person Recruiting Prep Programs Position Admitted Students for Career Success

The Career Center will continue to offer its best-in-class suite of pre-matriculation and recruiting prep resources for the Class of 2025. The Career Development “WhyFinding” program, CDWhy, is an on-demand program that offers educational videos and interactive activities designed to help incoming students build a range of job search skills in the spring and summer prior to starting at Darden.

In addition to its suite of digital career offerings, the center also provides opportunities to meet with career coaches for one-on-one sessions to discuss topics or questions that are top of mind for students as they prepare for the fall. Once the academic year begins, First Year students participate in workshops developed by the Career Center, career clubs and Second Year coaches, helping students explore multiple MBA career paths.

Innovative and Extensive Career Support for Scholarship Students and Students in Consortium, Forté Foundation, Management Leadership for Tomorrow, and the Toigo Foundation

Through a collaboration between the Career Center, Admissions, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and student leaders, Darden has developed differentiated, innovative career support programs for Darden Scholarship recipients, as well as students receiving third-party scholarships from organizations such as The Consortium, Forté Foundation, Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) and Robert Toigo Foundation.

Incoming Consortium students have the opportunity to attend community-building events, receive one-on-one mentorship and guidance from Second Years, and participate in educational career workshops on topics ranging from industry deep-dives to storytelling, networking, interviewing and more. As admitted students in Forté, Toigo and MLT prepare for summer recruiting opportunities, the Career Center also offers additional resume reviews, career coaching and strategy sessions, mock interviews and networking practice, among other training.

Applicants who apply directly to Darden may signal their interest in being referred to The Consortium directly on the application. Any U.S. citizen or permanent resident who can demonstrate a commitment to The Consortium’s mission is eligible to apply. In 2021, Darden welcomed a record number of Consortium students.

The Career Center also supports the Darden School Foundation-awarded Future Year Scholars, Breakthrough Scholars and Impact Fellows. Recipients of each scholarship receive career guidance from a dedicated Career Center senior director, who brings extensive industry-specific expertise to their coaching role. As part of its commitment to inclusion, the Career Center’s programs and services are provided to all Darden students consistent with the University’s non-discrimination and equal opportunity policies.

Incoming Darden Students Will Join School at a Time of Great Momentum

Incoming Darden students can look forward to the best education experience, led by the best professors in graduate business education, with top career prospects after graduation. Darden continues to set high marks in a variety of career metrics, with the Class of 2021 reporting record starting salaries and signing bonuses and a new high in the percentage of students employed at graduation. In 2022, U.S. News & World Report ranked Darden No. 1 among public graduate MBA programs for average starting salary and bonus and No. 5 among all schools.

Students in the Class of 2025 will also be able to enjoy several improvements to Darden Grounds, notably a five-acre arboretum and botanical garden with outdoor classroom space, and a new boutique hotel operated by Kimpton. The enhancements will be completed in 2023.

“It’s an incredible time to be an MBA student at the Darden School,” said Dean Scott Beardsley. “Along with the Admissions team, I look forward to welcoming prospective students to Darden Grounds and explaining how the Darden MBA can help take you from anywhere you are to anywhere you want to go.”

Darden also continues to offer the Future Year Scholars program for talented graduating undergraduates and master’s students with no full-time work experience, with an upcoming deadline of 2 August for students graduating between 1 October 2021 and 30 September 2022. Future Year Scholars receive deferred admission and accelerated access to career support, networking, preparatory courses and scholarship consideration at the time of application.

In addition to the Full-Time MBA delivered in Charlottesville, Darden offers the Executive MBA and Part-Time MBA, both of which are based at UVA Darden DC Metro in Rosslyn, Virginia. Regardless of format, all three programs offer the same degree: the Darden MBA.

View the application for the Class of 2025.