UVA / Darden - Rejected - 06-14-2024

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June 13, 2024 8:41pm ET

Rejected at UVA / Darden

Round: Round 4

Received via portal June 13, 2024

Standardized Test: Granted Waiver

GPA: 3.85

Program Type: Deferred Enrollment

Target Career: Other

Application Location: Houston, TX

Note:

From USA, went to T30 uni (STEM major), and my college program is ranked T5. I was an undergrad trying to skip deferred enrollment, except for two programs (Vanderbilt/UVA). I successfully obtained test waivers for 8 different T25 MBA programs. I have lots of successful start-up experience, full-time, before college with multiple internship experiences in Fortune 100 companies. I wish I could give away more but I do not want to get doxed :) . I decided today, after this final decision and going through the whole application process with waitlist offers and rejections, that the test waiver is a complete scam. It seems to benefit, particularly "under-represented" candidates, veterans (who actually deserve a waiver for serving our country), and those who have more than the average amount of work experience but not enough to get an executive MBA. To the OP, days ago on LiveWire, who applied to "Team Fuqua," I similarly share some of your grievances. For future applicants curious about what I did from my end, the interview at UVA went very well and I spoke with multiple alumni and people on the admissions team. I received an interview offer for all programs (except Michigan). One of my recommenders was also an alumnus of the uni and a senior manager at a Fortune 20 company. My essays were relatively good and some of the interviewers who had the opportunity to read them gave compliments. Also, I did not pay for any application consultants. I did use some advice from ClearAdmit + LiveWire + Leland Blogs + GMAT Club which was and will be helpful in the future. All I can do now is study (for the GMAT or GRE) a year later and do the process over again with a test score. WashU/UF would not even consider me and they are T40 programs. As I said, do not bother with the test waiver if you do not fit into the previous categories mentioned. Here is some extra advice for "non-under-represented candidates," Save your time and money doing something else and wait to take an exam. Good luck everyone and please DM me for any questions/advice. I am happy to help. It has been real LiveWire, see ya in two years.

Like (2)

Show Comments (8) Last: November 22, 2024

anon16138 Likes Earned: 57 * I should have said "over-represented" candidates instead of "non-under-represented" candidates but it was a play on re-emphasizing what I previously stated. (2)

alexbr4 Verified User. Likes Earned: 1708 I am not a fan of the test waiver process, which essentially came in during Covid for real reasons, but has lingered. I think for deferred candidates it’s more problematic as the adcom already has less data points to assess.

Best of luck!

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anon89717 Likes Earned: 6 DE applicant here! I do agree, I won't apply for regular admission as the job market is getting worse, and still in recovery post covid. I saw a post on Reddit that the M7 school's employment rate is declining. Offer after graduation is mostly below 50%, highest is Booth at 62%. The following 3 and 6-month offers after graduation are expected to drop as well as the median salary. Of course, DE has a more competitive edge than regular admission, especially in this current circumstance. The job market will likely be back to normal in 3-4 years, so keep in mind. As Alex said, test waiver is crucial for DE applicants and most of us thought it was the least important just like when we had our college admission during COVID-19 which was test optional 4 years ago. (1)

grichmond Verified User. Likes Earned: 1350 Where are you getting your figures from in terms of employment rates? These seem awfully low when compared with the employment reports schools are publishing. Keep in mind that the top schools continue to see ~90%+ with job offers within 3 months of graduation and average starting salaries in the $140K-$175K/year range.

In my 25+ years in this industry, I have seen 'bad' hiring periods for MBAs (2001 dotcom bubble bursting, 2008 financial crisis, 2020 COVID uncertainty) and this current cycle isn't anything like those periods.

Also, just to be clear, I wouldn't say that the "test waiver is crucial for DE applicants" - to the contrary, it's to be avoided - but perhaps that is what you meant? In short, per Alex's point, the test is a great data point for schools, and deferred enrollment applicants often have fewer data points to begin with, so every additional element in the file helps...

Best of luck!
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anon89717 Likes Earned: 6 Well, I mentioned that I got the information from Reddit. Of course, the poster is not verified whether it's legit or not. He said he's an international student graduating from class of 2024. In my point of view, it makes sense as the majority of immediate offers after graduation are dominated by local students who make up around 50-63% of the class. Oftentimes, employers won't sponsor a VISA, so they do not hire foreign students easily as typically they will get offers after 3 or more months to get hired. Secondly, not all M7 schools' employment offers are over 90%, even after 6 months based on the official report from the Class of 2023. S&H for instance, has around 85% respectively, despite having the highest median salary at over 170k/year (this can be happening as the 15% might pursuing entrepreneurship/new start-ups). However, the employment report from the class of 2024 hasn't been released yet, but many are skeptical. (0)

grichmond Verified User. Likes Earned: 1350

I would encourage you to look at the official numbers published by the schools (in accordance with the MBA CSEA guidelines). While the class of 2024 stats won't be published until the fall, the class of 2023 stats are readily available.

As to international students and hiring, the current US laws stipulate that any foreign national completing an MBA is automatically entitled to a year OPT (e.g. a one year work visa). Plus, many of the leading b-schools are STEM designated, which means international graduates can extend the OPT and stay in the USA for up to three years and work. Under that scenario, many employers will help graduates to get an H1-B, especially when there are effectively three chances to apply (once each year).

As to HBS and Stanford, both programs have a strong history of many graduates joining or founding startups, which impacts their numbers vs. some peer schools with more traditional placements.

Finally, if you look at the placement statistics for the top US schools, you will note that the lion's share (all but a few percent) typically work in the USA post-MBA, so clearly most international students are finding roles stateside.

(1)

anon16138 Likes Earned: 57 OP Here. Great news! I don’t have to wait two years! Got accepted using test waiver and 0 YOE to WashU! With a merit-based scholarship! (1)

anisa Likes Earned: 12 I think you’ll need more post-undergrad experience to convince Darden to accept you with a test waiver. If you don’t want to take the test, aim for an incredibly technical job, ideally with a Fortune 500 company, to demonstrate your capability in place of a standardized exam. I was fortunate enough to earn one of the most prestigious full scholarships in 2023 even as a test waiver applicant. My application wasn’t perfect, but I was strategic with my timing (applying very early), crafted very unique essays, and told stories that stood out. I didn’t waste time. Fun fact: I spoke to just one person, made no effort to visit the school, and just focused on making my application unique. I completed my application in 2 months, but took 5 months to strategize on how I was going to stand out. A key strategy was focusing on examples where I presented myself as a hero rather than a victim—no sob stories. I think I was successful because I showed one clear narrative about my personal brand. For context, I’m not a minority or underrepresented, and I also recognize that luck played a role in my success. Don’t take the process personally, there are a lot of competitive applicants applying for a waiver, and Darden is a tough place. Stay focused, apply again, and don’t let frustrations lead to complaints. I learned that a victim mindset is not welcomed at Darden. Hopefully, this helps you to craft a stronger application next time. Good luck. (1)

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