EMBA - Application Process

Application Process

1. Select Your Deadline
Darden's Executive MBA program offers monthly deadlines and we will continue to accept applications until the class fills. Each deadline functions as a discrete round – with a target interview period, decision release date and deposit deadline.
Apply as soon as you feel like you can put together a strong application. Please connect with our team for specific advice on the timing of your application.
2. Review Our Application
Once you have identified your target deadline, review our application. During this first pass, don’t worry about completing anything. Just read. What is required? What information will you need? How much time will it likely take you to complete each of the sections?
Taking 10–15 minutes to review our application as you embark upon this process will help you better plan and strategize.
Additional Resources:
• Video: Application Tips: Crafting Your Narrative
3. Acquire Your Transcripts
Unofficial transcripts are acceptable for the purposes of our application process, and we require transcripts for all degree-related coursework. An unofficial transcript is a transcript issued directly to you. It could be in the form of a PDF download or a document you scan and upload to your application. An official transcript is a transcript issued directly from the institution in question to our office.
If you matriculate at Darden, we will require you to submit official transcripts from all degree-granting institutions prior to the start of school. But for now, unofficial copies are just fine.
If you completed your education at a non-English-speaking institution, you will need to make arrangements to have your academic records translated and sent to our office with the official transcript. All translations must be complete and literal versions of the original records. Please be sure to review our web page for international applicants for additional insights about our English proficiency test requirements as well as additional guidance for international applicants. 
4. Make Your Test Plans (Optional)
A standardized test score is not required in our Executive MBA application process.
Applicants may provide a test score as a way of strengthening their application. We accept a number of standardized tests - - Executive Assessment, GMAT Focus, GMAT, GRE, MCAT and LSAT. We view these tests equivalently. We will also accept older or expired scores for any of these tests, but candidates who wish to submit an expired score will need to have access to their full score breakdown.
Applicants planning to submit a test score with their application do not need to have taken the test by their target deadline. As long as we receive the test scores at least two days prior to the decision release date for the round in question, we can keep an applicant on schedule for an on-time decision release. 
Self-reported scores are fine for the purposes of our application process, but you should also arrange for GMAC, ETS or Pearson Vue to send your official score report to the Darden Admissions office.
School Codes
• GMAC
  • Executive MBA: KC7-0X-30
  • Global Executive MBA: KC7-0X-12 
• ETS: 4629
• TOEFL: 5820 Dept. 02
• IELTS: 5099
Additional resources:
• Blog Post: Expert Tips for Darden's Executive MBA Application Process

• Blog Post: Learn About the Executive Assessment
5. Sharpen Your Resume
When it comes to resume length, we recommend one page for every 10 years of work experience. If you’ve reviewed our application (see Step 2), you know there is an Employment History section where you will provide basic details about your various roles and responsibilities. We encourage you to keep this in mind when crafting your resume. Remember, we will be evaluating your application holistically, so try to think about your application with this lens as you assemble your materials.
Use your resume to highlight your leadership and impact. What have you accomplished in your roles? And whenever possible, try to quantify your results.
A resume is an opportunity to display your personality and offer insights about your passions and interests (e.g. hobbies, favorite activities, books you’ve read recently, podcasts you’re currently listening to, countries you’ve visited). It’s all fair game. Including a few of these personal details can help us get a more complete picture of you.
Additional resources:
• Video: Resume Advice: Leadership with Dawna Clarke

• Video: Resume Advice: Global Experience with Dawna Clarke

• Video: Resume Advice: Interests and Hobbies with Dawna Clarke
6. Identify Your Recommender
We require one (1) recommendation, but we will accept two (2) recommendations as part of our Executive MBA application process.
Who makes a good recommender? It depends, but we typically suggest someone who knows you well and has supervised you in a professional setting. 
Identify a person who will be a strong advocate for you in the process and will help us learn more about your accomplishments and leadership potential. In addition, because you will be working during our program, we typically prefer to hear from your current supervisor. If you choose not to ask your current supervisor to be your recommender, consider including a note about your recommender choice in the Additional Comments section of your application.  
Of course, this is general advice, and we defer to you when it comes to actual recommender choice.
When choosing your recommender (and setting your recommender’s expectations), be sure to keep in mind what they will be asked to do. Our recommendation process is completely electronic, and your recommender will fill out two pieces of information — a ratings grid in which they will evaluate you across a set of competencies and a series of short answer questions. The short answer questions are:
• Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, the applicant’s role in your organization.

• How does the performance of the applicant compare to that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles?

• Describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response.
The recommendation is typically the slowest part of the application process, so identify your recommender well in advance of your target deadline. Make sure they understand why you’re pursuing an MBA and why you’re interested in Darden. 
We also suggest sharing a copy of your resume so they have some perspective on the full arc of your career. And last but not least: Stay in touch. We find that most recommenders are deadline-oriented, so make sure your recommender knows your application timing.
Additional Resources:
• Video: Admissions Tips: Recommendation Advice
7. Respond to Our Short Answer Questions
In our Executive MBA application process, we feature multiple short answer questions to give you a broader platform to showcase your background and personality. These questions are a great opportunity for you to help the Darden Admissions Committee understand who you are and who you will be at Darden.
Remember: We are not reading your responses with a prescribed or “right” answer in mind. These questions are our opportunity to begin to get a sense of your voice, your perspective, your experiences and your writing ability. In fact, how you choose to answer a particular question is often as insightful as what you choose to write about. The best essay responses are those that are responsive to the question but also authentic and genuine. Whenever possible, show, don’t tell.
See what the short answer questions are on the application:
• Blog post: Short Answer Questions for the Darden Admissions Application: Professional Degree Programs
• Video: Admissions Tips: Crafting Your Best Short Answer Responses
8. Complete the Application
Now that you have pulled together your supporting materials, focus on filling out your application. This includes everything from providing basic information about you (address, date of birth, contact details, etc.); detailing your educational and employment history; uploading your resume, transcripts and test scores; to adding your short answer responses and more.
Once you’ve entered all of this information, take a moment to think about your application holistically. Are there any gaps or ambiguities in the information provided? Consider using the Additional Comments section of your application to provide additional context, if necessary. The Additional Comments section is not an additional essay, just a place to connect the dots.
Our advice is to be brief, make your point and provide action items if appropriate. Be mindful that we are reading many applications, so anything you choose to share should be valuable to both you and potentially our Admissions Committee.
9. Application Fee
A nonrefundable application fee of $250 is required to process your application. However, we do offer fee waivers in select circumstances.
Here’s how you qualify for a fee waiver:
1. Connect. Participate in a phone conversation with a member of our Executive MBA Admissions Committee AND
2. Join. Attend one of our upcoming webinars or in-person events. We have an exciting slate of webinars on deck, including career-related sessions, application tips, a program overview, student life highlights and more. We look forward to seeing you online!
If you have started an application, once you complete these two steps a fee waiver code will be automatically applied to your application. If you have not yet started an application, a fee waiver code will be applied to your application once you do so.
In addition, The following are eligible for application fee waivers:
• Teach for America corps members and alumni 
• Peace Corps volunteers 
• Education Pioneers fellows  
• Forté MBALaunch members 
• Current undergraduate students
• U.S. military members 
• African citizens living in Africa 
• Citizens of countries on the UN's list of least developed countries also qualify for an application fee waiver
If you qualify for a waiver or have been accepted into the above programs, your application fee waiver will be applied automatically and you will receive an email confirmation for any fee waiver applied. If you have further questions, please email us at execmba@darden.virginia.edu.
10. Interview Invitation
Interviews are offered by invitation only. Qualified applicants will be invited to interview after their application has been reviewed by the Admissions Committee. Interviews play a critical role in our assessment of candidates and are required prior to acceptance into the program.
All interviews are conducted by a member of the Admissions Committee. For the foreseeable future, all interviews will be conducted virtually via Zoom.
Our interviews are conversational in nature and typically last around 35-40 minutes. Applicants should be prepared to share their narrative during the interview, and key questions include:
• What's your educational background?
• What's your professional background?
• Why are you interested in pursuing an MBA?
• Why are you interested in Darden?
• What are your goals post-MBA?
Other relevant topics include leadership experience, global exposure as well as hobbies and interests.
Check out our blog post with tips about preparing for an interview:
• Blog post: Inside the Darden Interview: What to expect and how to stand out
• Video: Admissions Tips: How to Prepare for the Interview