UVA / Darden MBA News
Get the latest MBA news from UVA / Darden.
Published: September 1, 2024
The Week Ahead: Round 1 & Early Action Deadlines, September 2-6, 2024
Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Round 1 Deadlines The 2024-2025 MBA admissions season is now underway. Monday, September 2, Oxford / Saïd has its Stage 1 application deadline. Wednesday, September 4, Harvard and UPenn / Wharton have their Round 1 application deadlines. Duke / Fuqua has its Early Action application deadline. Thursday, September 5, UVA / Darden and Notre Dame / Mendoza have their Early Action application deadlines. Friday, September 6, London Business School has its Round 1 application deadline. How
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Published: August 29, 2024
A Guide to Test Waivers: Should You Request a Waiver for Submitting a GMAT or GRE Score?
It is no secret that standardized tests are not the part of the MBA application process that applicants most cherish. Some applicants simply aren’t good at standardized testing; others feel they do not have the time to invest in studying properly. Due to COVID-19 and the related impact on testing centers and availability, test waivers became a more prevalent option in b-school admissions. Whether you’re hesitant or excited about the GMAT or GRE, what are valid reasons to request a test waiver? Even if you have a valid reason, does it make sense to request a test waiver? In this
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Published: August 15, 2024
Weekly Refresh: Latest MBA Essay Questions, Analyzed – Plus Deadlines & Rec Forms
We’re back with another Weekly Refresh, in which we list this week’s admissions advice and updates on the Clear Admit site. Essay Tips Drafting your application essays? See the latest of our experts’ advice in our Essay Topic Analysis. The following schools recently released their essays—click for our advice: ASU Carey Babson Olin CEIBS CMU Tepper Esade Florida Warrington HEC Paris Maryland Smith Minnesota Carlson The Ohio State Fisher Deadlines Released See the admissions deadlines that have rolled out: ASU Carey Babson Olin CEIBS
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Published: August 14, 2024
MBA Degrees & Majors with a STEM Designation
The past few years have seen a surge in business schools that run MBA programs with a STEM designation. MBAs, that is, that are now classified as a science, technology, engineering or mathematics degree. The new STEM MBA designation is promising students a multitude of new opportunities – but what is it, really? Read on to find out what a STEM MBA is, which schools offer it, and what this all might mean for you. What Is a STEM MBA? The structure of a STEM MBA is relatively simple. The foundational knowledge and core concepts of
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Early & Round 1 MBA Deadlines 2024-2025
To help you stay organized, we’ve compiled a chart of the earliest deadlines, including Early Action and Round 1, of the top business schools in one place. For schools that have announced their essay topic(s), you’ll find links to our corresponding Essay Topic Analysis in the “Essay(s) Released” column. We will continue to update this table as more Round 1 MBA deadlines and essay topics are announced. Deadlines are for Round 1 (unless otherwise noted). Last updated: August 19, 2024 School Deadline Decision Essay(s) Released? Application Live? Cambridge / Judge 8/27/2024 Yes
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Ready, Set, Write!
The essay requirements of MBA applications are well documented as extremely time consuming and utterly crucial. With high effort and high stakes, it’s no wonder that many candidates spend swathes of time and effort attempting to simplify the application process, hunting for explanatory resources and poring over clarifying analysis. With some of the essay questions for the 2024-2025 season released and since analyzed, perhaps your mind has already been eased and preparation is already underway. Perhaps you feel as if you have a firm grip on what schools are likely to ask you,
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GMAC Common Letter of Recommendation Analysis for MBA Applicants and Recommenders
Applying to business school entails a great deal of work for prospective students – and almost as much effort for the people writing their letters of recommendation. An effective MBA recommendation provides rich information about the candidate’s strengths, key accomplishments, and leadership abilities. It’s also important that a recommendation fully address every question that is asked by the admissions committee. So, when an applicant is targeting six schools that ask different questions across their recommendation forms, this can translate to a great deal of time and effort for already-busy recommenders. To alleviate some of this pressure,
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MBA Essay Insight Webinar Series Summer 2024
We’re sure you’ve already heard that the application essays are a crucial component of the MBA application. So how can you ace this part of the admissions process without the use of sample essays? Get essay tips straight from admissions representatives at leading business schools during our upcoming MBA Essay Insight Webinar Series! Dates: July 10, July 17, July 24 & July 31. Time: 12 pm-1 pm Panel & 1 pm-1:30 pm Breakout Q&A with Individual Schools (all times Eastern) Each session will start with a 60-minute roundtable panel,
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Weekly Refresh: Latest MBA Essay Questions, Analyzed – Plus Deadlines & Rec Forms
We are back with another Weekly Refresh, a roundup of admissions advice and updates on the Clear Admit site, as we prepare for the 2024-2025 admissions cycle. Essay Tips Drafting your application essays? See the latest of our experts’ advice in our Essay Topic Analysis. The following schools recently released their essays—click for our advice: Dartmouth Tuck Michigan / Ross UVA / Darden Deadlines Released See the admissions deadlines that have rolled out:
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The Consortium Expands to 25 Member Schools
The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in graduate business education and American business, recently expanded to 25 member schools. The Consortium partners with top-ranked MBA programs across the U.S. to increase the representation of underrepresented minorities in business education and corporate leadership. Following the addition of Duke Fuqua earlier this year, Chicago Booth was subsequently selected to become its 25th member school. A Long History at Fuqua In its announcement of the nomination of Duke Fuqua,
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Published: April 28, 2024
The Week Ahead: Late Round MBA Deadlines & Decisions, April 29-May 3, 2024
Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Rounds 3 and 4 Underway. Round 3 decisions are beginning to role out. Monday, April 29, UNC / Kenan-Flagler has its Round 4 application deadline. Tuesday, April 30, Georgetown / McDonough has its Round 4 application deadline. Wednesday, May 1, UVA / Darden and Georgetown / McDonough are scheduled to release their Round 3 decisions. Thursday, May 2, Dartmouth / Tuck, Berkeley / Haas and Texas / McCombs are scheduled to release their Round 3 decisions.
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Published: April 25, 2024
Upcoming Virtual Event Series: MBA Application Overview
Calling all future MBA Applicants! You have the raw materials. So how do you put them together into a compelling MBA application? Join us for our MBA Application Overview Event Series to get answers to just that question! We’re hosting three events – on Wednesdays in May – May 8th, May 22nd, & May 29th, all @ 12pm ET – each with representatives from up to five top MBA Programs. The full series currently includes 15 Top MBA Programs. We’ll start with a 60-minute roundtable panel. MBA admissions professionals will share some insight into their programs and
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Published: April 11, 2024
MBA Career Trends: Big Tech Hiring Declined in 2023
Tech jobs have been a popular choice for MBA candidates since the early 2000s – gradually becoming one of the top three career paths that many business school graduates pursue (along with consulting and finance). In this analysis, we take a closer look at which leading MBA programs managed to place their graduates into tech industry jobs in 2023 despite the overall decline in tech industry hiring. We also review recent trends in MBA graduate hiring at Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft (aka Big Tech). Technology Industry Job Placement for the MBA Class of
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U.S. News 2024 Best Business Schools: Wharton & Stanford GSB Share Top Spot
The 2024 U.S. News Best Graduate Programs Rankings rolled out and we’re taking a closer look at the Best Business School list. Stanford GSB jumps five spots from last year to join The Wharton School in the top spot. These two replace last year’s #1 school, Chicago Booth, which now ranks third along with Northwestern Kellogg. Clear Admit Co-Founder Graham Richmond notes, “For the second year in a row, the US News ranking methodology favors career outcomes (salaries, rates of employment, recruiter
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Published: March 31, 2024
The Week Ahead: MBA Admissions Deadlines & Decisions, April 1-5, 2024
Welcome back to the series, The Week Ahead, in which we provide a brief rundown of what is happening in MBA admissions this week! Late Round deadlines amid Round 2 notifications. We are now completing the decision release period for Round 2 candidates, and Round 3 application deadlines continue. Monday, April 1, NYU / Stern has its Round 3 initial notification deadline. Tuesday, April 2, UPenn / Wharton has its Round 3 application deadline. Wednesday, April 3, Columbia, Northwestern / Kellogg, and UVA / Darden have their Round 3 application deadlines. Thursday, April 4, Chicago / Booth and Michigan /
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Published: March 25, 2024
Clear Admit MBA Fair 2024 – May 15th, Chicago
Join leading MBA programs at this exclusive event in downtown Chicago to learn more about management education. Connect with admissions officers, chat with MBA alumni, and pick up expert tips on the application process. Space is limited! Date: Wednesday, May 15th Time: 5:00-8:30 pm Location: LM Studio, 808 S Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois Timing5:20 – 5:50: MBA – WHO? WHAT? WHEN? WHERE? WHY?6:00 – 6:30: CONSULTING CAREERS7:00 – 7:30: ADMISSIONS TIPS: TESTS & GRADES, WORK EXPERIENCE, OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES
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Published: March 21, 2024
MBA Career Trends: MBB Consulting Jobs & Top B-Schools
Take a closer look at MBB consulting jobs placement out of the best MBA programs. MBA graduates continue to seek out management consulting jobs for the opportunity to provide strategic advice to business leaders operating large companies. Jobs at leading strategy consulting firms such as McKinsey, Bain and BCG (known as the MBB) are particularly coveted by business school students because these firms often provide a fast track to senior positions in large corporations. In addition, M7 business schools such as Booth and Kellogg have very strong track records of MBB job placement. Management Consulting Job Placement for the MBA
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Published: March 17, 2024
MBA Career Trends: M7 B-Schools Lead in VC & PE Careers
MBA graduates continue to be drawn to careers in the finance industry due to the large compensation packages, the chance to work on high-profile deals at investment banks, and the opportunity to invest in the next billion-dollar company at a venture capital or private equity firm. As we will see below, the top MBA programs really deliver on finance industry job placement and can accelerate finance careers. In particular, M7 business schools continue to dominate in the buy-side job placements for venture capital, private equity, and investment management. In this analysis, we review Class of 2023 MBA
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Published: February 27, 2024
Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Average GMAT Scores at Top U.S. MBA Programs
If you completed the new GMAT Focus edition, now simply referred to as the GMAT, with a score ending in a 5, please refer to Coming to Grips with the New GMAT Scores. The analysis below refers to the traditional GMAT test. See where your GMAT score lands among the top U.S. MBA programs, as we report the average GMAT scores in the chart below. If you have yet to take the GMAT, you can also get a sense of what score you need to target. Business school admissions use the GMAT score as a sign of applicants’ academic
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Published: February 21, 2024
Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Average GRE Scores by Top U.S. Business Schools
Average GRE scores by business school can provide applicants with a sense of the rigor of the MBA program, expectations of the adcom and general competitiveness of the applicant pool. While the GMAT used to be the only accepted admissions exam at leading MBA programs, many have opened up to other options, including the GRE. Starting in September 2023, the GRE consists of a 30-minute Analytical Writing section, which includes one essay. An additional Verbal Reasoning section features two sections with 18 minutes allowed for 12 questions and 23 minutes allowed for 15 questions, respectively. Another two
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Published: February 19, 2024
Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Percentage of U.S. Minorities at Top U.S. Business Schools
The percentage of U.S. minorities at top U.S. business schools can provide a sense of the diversity you will find in your MBA program. Business school students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and self-identify as African American or Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, Hispanic American or Latinx, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or those who are multiracial or multiethnic are considered a minority. See the percentage of minorities as reported by top business schools in the chart below. U.S. School % U.S. Minorities ASU W.P. Carey School of Business 26% Carnegie Mellon
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Published: February 14, 2024
Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: International Student Statistics
International students statistics can showcase an element of diversity at leading business schools. In the chart below, see the percentage of international students at U.S. business schools. U.S. Business School % International Arizona State University W.P. School of Business 39% Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business 53% Columbia Business School 47% Cornell University SC Johnson Graduate School of Management 42% Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business 33% Duke University Fuqua School of Business 47% Eli Broad Graduate School of Management at Michigan State University 33% Emory University Goizueta School of Business 49% Georgetown University McDonough School of
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Published: February 12, 2024
The Financial Times 2024 Global MBA Ranking: Wharton Returns & Lands at the Top
The Financial Times (FT) released its rankings of the 100 best Global MBA programs for 2024. The Wharton School, which failed to make an appearance in the ranking last year, takes the top spot. Top Ten Overall Here are the top 10 MBA programs of The Financial Times 2024 Global MBA rankings (2023 positions are in parentheses): Ranking School 1 The Wharton School (na) 2 INSEAD (2) 3 (tie) Columbia Business School (1) 3 (tie) SDA Bocconi (6) 5 Iese Business School (3) 6 (tie) Northwestern University Kellogg (9) 6 (tie)
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Published: February 12, 2024
Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Percentage of Women MBA Students
Over the past decade, the percentage of women MBA students has been on the rise across leading business schools. USC Marshall was the first leading business school to achieve gender parity while others have achieved or continue to strive for that benchmark. The Forté Foundation has also consistently reported that women are either gaining or holding their ground on b-school campuses–and, most recently, reported record highs. Look at the chart below to see the percentage of female MBA students at leading business schools around the
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Published: February 5, 2024
Real Numbers of MBA Admissions: Cost of MBA Programs in the U.S.
In this edition of Real Numbers of MBA Admissions, see the total cost of a full-time MBA per year at U.S. schools. Tuition comprises most of the cost of each program. Other factors, including room and board, program fees, books and supplies, health insurance, transportation and other expenses, have been added to provide the total cost of an MBA in the U.S. by year. Most business schools provide a breakdown of the expenses, which are posted under the financial aid or admissions section of their websites. Schools also typically take the total cost of attendance into account
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