Darden Admission Director on PaGaLGuY! Ask all your admission-related questions!

sharkon · 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sara@Darden

Skarkon,

Thank you very much for your post. Because of our holistic process, I don't think it would be appropriate for me to comment on your profile without reading your essays and perhaps offering you the opportunity to interview.
.....
Hope that helps!

Sara Neher

Thank you for the suggestions Sara. I am planning my GMAT again very soon. If suppose I want to continue in the present field are there any other job profiles I could be targeting at?

Finally, about "The Darden Technical Scholarship" Would a better GMAT score (say 750) hand me an advantage in securing this or is the focus centered on Academics for the scholarship?

Regards,
Sharkon

**Neo2000**

Sharkon and nikhil,
Your posts are exactly the kind of posts I warned against. "This is my profile. Will i get in" and "What GMAT Score..."

Sharkon, you were lucky to get a reply. Placements are always dependent on how well you network. Unlike Indian b-schools, its up to you to get out and find that job.

Nikhil, irrespective of where you are coming from, a high GMAT score always helps. More so since you are Indian and an engineer. So focus on that. Aiming to reach above the median score helps you in no way.

skaiv, look up the website for that info.

mayank_rasu

Hey Sara,

First of all thanx for taking out time to help Darden Aspirants.
I will be applying to Darden for Fall 2009. My work ex will be 2 years by then. I want to know

1) What do you look for in the Essays? I mean for a candidate having less work ex (Quantitatively) what areas should he emphasize upon?

2) I am interested in getting a specialization in Finance. This will be a complete switch in career as I am an engineer. Will a Darden MBA suit me better than an MS in Finance?

Seizonsha

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowhun

hi,
Thank you for taking the time to clarify so many queries. Really appreciate this exercise by you and pagalguy.com
I have a query regarding Darden's stand on a 2nd MBA. does Darden accept applicants with a prior MBA?
And also, is a Post Graduate Diploma in Management considered as an MBA?
And are applicants from India/Asia expected to have a Masters degree in some field preferably?
thanks and regards

Adding to this query, I would want you to advise Doctoral candidates.
For example, I am right now in my First year MBA at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.
I already have a GMAT score of 710. If I am interested in the 3 year program (assuming that my MBA degree is accepted as equivalent by Darden), would you encourage someone like me to apply for the MBA program and do a Joint doctoral degree or admit me for the Phd program straightaway?

What is the criteria you adopt in assessing candidatures for the Doctoral program vis-a-vis the MBA program?

If work experience is a parameter, I have 2 years of pre-MBA experience.

Basically, I am trying to get your advise on a 2nd MBA versus the Phd, although the two programs are quite different in their purpose and nature.

Thanks in advance,
Seizonsha

zram84

Hi Sara,

I have a couple of questions...

1. I work for an US ERP major in India and am lookin at an MBA in 2009. I would have close to 2 years and 10 months ,If and when I do start my MBA next year. Early in my College days I won a major National levell Business Plan Contest( organized by Stanford and IIT ) on social entrpreneurship and wanted to be a social entrepreneur since then,but not before I am well prepared for the real world of business making. So I intend to do Product Consulting for a few years post MBA and then look to unleash my dreams. Is darden the place to look for ? or would I be told that I am too young to be dreaming this far

2. Despite my varied Intrest and goals on ending up as a social entrepreneur would I be entangled in the ocean of Indian/IT/Male candidature? I can understand the idea behind not looking to weigh candidates based on the brand value of the companies they come from but should not coming from a big branded company, not mean anything at all, considering the fact the evaluation of performance then becomes all the more standardised for everybody then knows what it takes to get into a big US technology major and how important the growth within the company is?

3. Squeezing in one more : How strong is the Indian Community in Darden?

Ram

bikashkits

Hello MA'M

I am presently working in an IT software major. But am planning to go into entrepreneurship in services sector.
My long term goal is to do an MBA from a worldclass institution. what would you suggest me to concentrate this year apart from Good GMAT SCORE/Good Essays.

Something i should start doing which can/will help my candidature in top B-Schools, especially Darden? i am planning for MBA next year.

Sara@Darden

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowhun

hi,

Thank you for taking the time to clarify so many queries. Really appreciate this exercise by you and pagalguy.com

I have a query regarding Darden's stand on a 2nd MBA. does Darden accept applicants with a prior MBA?

And also, is a Post Graduate Diploma in Management considered as an MBA?
And are applicants from India/Asia expected to have a Masters degree in some field preferably?

thanks and regards

Thanks for the questions. There seem to be several questions about master's degrees. I'll address the business-related master's in this reponse and the others in additional ones.

When reviewing a candidate who already has a master's degree in business, we often ask, "what impact can Darden have on a student with an MBA already?" I would not automatically discount someone with an MBA already, but I would want to make sure the person knows that Darden does not accept any transfer credits nor allow you to place out of any courses. I would not view a certificate in business or a master's in accounting or finance the same way. In many cases, these achievements would be real advantages to you application, especially as you seek to differentiate yourself from other candidates in your pool.

I especially like to see master's degrees in engineering/computer science to accompany bachelor's in those fields. Anything you can do to make yourself stand out and better prepared for the job market is appreciated.

Sara

Sara@Darden

Quote:

Originally Posted by bikashkits

Hello MA'M

I am presently working in an IT software major. But am planning to go into entrepreneurship in services sector.
My long term goal is to do an MBA from a worldclass institution. what would you suggest me to concentrate this year apart from Good GMAT SCORE/Good Essays.

Something i should start doing which can/will help my candidature in top B-Schools, especially Darden? i am planning for MBA next year.

Dear Bikashkits,

Thank you for your question. Entrepreneurship is an excellent goal. Unfortunately, my answer for you though is to work on both. On the gmat, prepare as much as possible before you take the test and be certain to focus on the quant sections. Those sections are very important predictors of business school success. But, please don't neglect your essays. Especially important will be the self-reflection and clarification of your goals, more so than your writing style. If you have depth to your answers and are very clear about your short and long term goals, your application will be more developed and thoughtful. Talk with your friends and family about your own skills and goals. They will be able to help you think through your ideas.

Sara Neher

Sara@Darden

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seizonsha

Adding to this query, I would want you to advise Doctoral candidates.
For example, I am right now in my First year MBA at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.
I already have a GMAT score of 710. If I am interested in the 3 year program (assuming that my MBA degree is accepted as equivalent by Darden), would you encourage someone like me to apply for the MBA program and do a Joint doctoral degree or admit me for the Phd program straightaway?

What is the criteria you adopt in assessing candidatures for the Doctoral program vis-a-vis the MBA program?

If work experience is a parameter, I have 2 years of pre-MBA experience.

Basically, I am trying to get your advise on a 2nd MBA versus the Phd, although the two programs are quite different in their purpose and nature.

Thanks in advance,
Seizonsha

Dear Seizonsha,

Darden's PhD program is very small, just 1-2 candidates per year. It is very different from the MBA program and is a 3-7 year commitment to research and work with faculty in the area of Ethics and/or Entrepreneurship. The application process is completely separate from the MBA process and information can be found on our website. In terms of a second MBA, I would prefer several years of work experience from where you are now. It would be very unlikely that you would be able to come directly from one MBA to our program for another MBA. Our average years of work experience is 4-5.

Sara Neher

Sara@Darden

Quote:

Originally Posted by zram84

Hi Sara,

I have a couple of questions...

1. I work for an US ERP major in India and am lookin at an MBA in 2009. I would have close to 2 years and 10 months ,If and when I do start my MBA next year. Early in my College days I won a major National levell Business Plan Contest( organized by Stanford and IIT ) on social entrpreneurship and wanted to be a social entrepreneur since then,but not before I am well prepared for the real world of business making. So I intend to do Product Consulting for a few years post MBA and then look to unleash my dreams. Is darden the place to look for ? or would I be told that I am too young to be dreaming this far

2. Despite my varied Intrest and goals on ending up as a social entrepreneur would I be entangled in the ocean of Indian/IT/Male candidature? I can understand the idea behind not looking to weigh candidates based on the brand value of the companies they come from but should not coming from a big branded company, not mean anything at all, considering the fact the evaluation of performance then becomes all the more standardised for everybody then knows what it takes to get into a big US technology major and how important the growth within the company is?

3. Squeezing in one more : How strong is the Indian Community in Darden?

Ram

Dear Ram,

I'm not sure I understand everything you are asking here, but I'll do my best.

Last question first, the Indian community is incredibly strong, energized, and committed at Darden. A few Darden students are active in this site and they can probably address the question better than I. All I know is that with the small, close-knit community of the Darden School in general, everyone is valued and close.

In terms of work experience and goals, I can tell you one thing, if you don't try and go after your goals your will certainly fail. Trying and dreaming big are the first step and are certainly signs of the leadership I am looking for in applicants. Just be certain that you have genuine passion behind your expression of your goals, both short and long term. It will then come through in both your essays and your potential interview. We can really tell when an individual truly believes in what he or she has written and that is something we are always seeking.

Sara Neher