Darden School of Business (University of Virginia) recently concluded its admissions for Fall 2018. Assistant Dean of Global Advising of the business school Larry Mueller, was in India last week to welcome and orient the accepted students.
BL on Campus caught up with him to find out about the admission criteria, eligibility, teaching methodology and more. Excerpts of the interview:
Case study is the only method we use to teach the business students. Every course has case studies that are written to teach and demonstrate certain skills. Each student reads the same study but approaches the problems differently. And having different views is important in business.
What advice would you give to Indian students who’re planning to apply to Darden?
I would suggest they look at different schools and focus on their teaching methodologies. Most are lecture-based and a few are research-based. Apart from Harvard Business School, Darden is the only other institute that uses case-study method of teaching.
The next advice would be to have two good recommendations (people who can recommend the students and speak of their abilities).
The third point is GMAT. It is not overtly important, but it is something that is factored in for every student.
Lastly, the thing that plays a crucial role in the admission process: the set of essays and responses. It helps us understand the student’s global perspective and the areas they seek to learn more about.
What are Darden’s eligibility criteria?
One needs to have a minimum of two years full-time experience after finishing their under-graduate education. The average age of the students at Darden is 28 years, which means the average work experience is around five-six years. Every student who is considered for admission also goes through an in-person interview.
The institute also has a scholarship programme, which is completely meritorious.
What brings you to India, apart from orienting the new students?
In this visit, I am researching for a new case on the digital banking and electronic payments in India, that developed recently and rapidly.
Those planning to apply to Darden School of Business for the Fall of 2019, can expect the admissions applications to begin in June 2018.