[phaedrus123]

Hello Sara,

I hope you are doing good.
I have a question regarding the applicants pool. I have been hearing that Management Schools get a lot of applicants from the software industry(myself being from this pool) - My question is:
"What are the factors that distinguish IT applicants?"

Considering that most applicants have experience in coding only and at the most some international exposure and maybe leading a few people, what matters most? That is, considering most of the applicants have similar GMAT scores, Acads and so on.

Thanks
Arv

[Sara@Darden]

Originally Posted by frigid sapphire

Dear Sara,

I am planning to apply to Darden in Round1 this year for the Fall 2009 intake. My questions is:
I have worked in a major petrochemical company for 19 months. Though I loved the job I had to quit it because I was diagnosed with allergy to some chemicals. I'm really apprehensive about writing this reason in my application. Would a health problem considered as a negative in an application?

Thanks for your post. Sorry I have been out of touch - my computer got a virus while I was traveling and it has taken some time to get it fixed! First, I am glad you are applying. It definitely sounds like you have a challenge here, but often, those make the best essay questions. I'm guessing that you were forced to be very introspective as you were deciding to quit your job. It also sounds to me like an allergy to chemicals in your work setting would have no bearing on your ability to attend business school. You should definitely explain why you left your job - otherwise we'll be wondering if it is something else.

Sara Neher

[sgnsit]

Hi Sara,

This is regarding the recommendations.
It says something about the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. Can you please elaborate on it?
Is it applicable to international candidates as well? If yes, then Does that mean we can opt to see/not to see the letter of recommendations?

Thanks

SG

[Sara@Darden]

Originally Posted by priyom

Hi,

I am applying to Darden in R1.

I would appreciate it if you can answer the following queries.

1. I will be in US in October.
I really wanted to visit Darden and attend a class.
However, due to my work responsibilities, it would not be possible for me to attend a class on a weekday.
From the online schedule system I could not find a slot on the weekend.
Could you confirm whether it's possible to visit Darden on a Saturday in late October/November?

2. I also wanted to know your thoughts about career prospects of international students in view of the current market crisis and the H1-B visa cap.

3. Does Darden have a tie up with any bank to provide collateral free loan to international students to cover their tuition costs and living expenses?

Regards,
Priyom

Dear Priyom,

I'm glad you'll be in the US - that's a good sign for your work experience progression! No, we do not have any class visits on the weekend (trust me - when you are a student, you will be glad). However, you can reach out to one of our student ambassadors, International Student Ambassador List. Unless they have a big exam around when you are coming, I'm sure someone would be happy to show you around.

In terms of the financial crisis and visa issues, the good news for you is that there is plenty of time for it to sort out before you would be in the job search. For our current students, it might be more challenging than a couple of years ago. However, our placement numbers for the Class of 2008 are up from the previous year despite the credit crisis. MBAs are still in demand. With the extension of some of the visa training periods, the H1-B situation has improved over last year. I do think though that all international students should be prepared for international job options to be back up no matter the economic situation. Our career consultants will support you as you engage in the job search.

All loan programs (at pretty much all US schools) are in transition right now. Check back soon for details on next year's program. We will certainly have options for you.

Sara Neher

[Sara@Darden]

Originally Posted by saketverma24

Hi Sara,

Thanks for reply.

My school in India does not follow a GPA system, so how do I enter the International GPA in the application form.

thanks a lot

Two options:

1. You can put in any number grade that you have - it does not need to be on the US 4.0 scale.
2. If you do not have a numerical grading scale at your undergrad, you can leave it blank. Just make sure that your overall performance is somehow indicated on your transcript (ie, first division).

Sara Neher

[achyu]

Dear Sara,

My questions on Page 3 seem to have been missed. I hope to hear from you.

Thanks and regards,
Achyu

[IIMblacki07]

Sara,

I had few queries:

1. I am intersted in having my own business,but before i start that i would like to work for atleast 3-4 years post MBA to get the global business exposure which will help me to deal and understand my business in a better way.
How does Darden help candidates like me who want to get into the Entrepreneurshippath after a period of time?
Do we have a specific Entrepreneurship course or do we have to take up courses amongst finance/marketing/operation etc which would help us out in those initial 3-4 yrs ?.

2. Currently i have 2.5 yrs work experience in one of the biggest IT companies in India.My acads arent too good but have a healthy work profile.i am planning to apply for 2010 batch and by then ill have 4 years of work exp with 1.5 yrs onsite experience too.
Do you think an onsite assignment leverages your profile in any way?
Do you think i would need more work experience to fit in a class which has average 5 years of work exp.I completely agree that one should apply and do MBA when he feels the need to but in case of a person like me who wants to be an entrepreneur I feel,the earlier the better.What do you suggest?

Thanks

[pradeeplovi]

hi mam,
i am an undergraduate student of tourism management studying in gwalior whinch is in india i belong to a lower middle class family i want to mab in international business from foriegn institute or university but my family can not afford that much money so please tell me all the procedures regarding addmission in foreign universities which is not much costly and about scholarships.

[Sara@Darden]

Originally Posted by babaibabai

Hi Sara ,
I believe that you are doing great .....

I am planning to go for MBA after 4+ yrs of working .I have done production enngineering from University of Mumbai, India & then joined Godrej as production planning and control engineer . Currently I am working with an organization leader in consulting .. as SAP Production planning and control consultant .
I have planned to give GMAT in Jan -2009.

Can you please update me the time line for the 1st round of application & total estimated expense for the full time course ... I will appreciate if you can advice me about my prospect of getting grant/aid for the curriculum...and I am bit tensed about the living the food expense .

Please suggest me your views , it will help me plan out the financial resources.


Thanks
Kaushik

Dear Kaushik,

The first round application deadline is October 28, 2008. I look forward to seeing many applications then. For cost of attending information, click this link Tuition & Expenses. It has the information we have now about cost. You can also click to the financial aid pages from that link. We have many merit scholarships and almost all are available to international students. They vary in size from full tuition to half tuition to third tuition. The most prestigious scholarship actually includes tuition and living expenses and is the Jefferson Fellowship. You can find more information on it at www.jeffersonscholars.org.

Sara Neher

[Sara@Darden]

Originally Posted by achyu

Dear Sara,

Thank you so much for taking time to answer our queries. I absolutely love the resources that Darden has to offer to its students.

I am applying to Darden in Round1 this year for the Fall 2009 intake. My questions are:

1. I will have 3+ years of work full-time experience in developing trading software for one of the top hedge funds in the world. In addition to this, I have 18 months of internship experience from four different companies. Will my internship experience add weight to my application to Darden?

2. I understand that you will be visiting India in December. Will the admission committee schedule an interview with me during that time, if I am shortlisted? If it is not possible for me to interview with you at that time then what are the alternatives?

Looking forward to your response.

Warm regards,
Ashwanth

Dear Ashwanth,

Thank you for your post. I believe I have already answered question one in another post - internship experience does not count as full-time, but does enhance your application and certainly adds to who you are.

We do hope to conduct interviews when we are in India. In addition, our alumni living in or traveling to India as well as current second-year students there on vacation or exchange will be conducting interviews for all three rounds. As a last resort, we will conduct interviews by phone if you live in a remote area or if the timing is short. We'll be in touch with those selected this winter or later (depending on the application round).

Sara Neher