Exclusive Interview With Darden Business School Student- Anand

xixier

按：
虽然是说印度人的那些事情，但很多东西对中国申请人同样是有价值的。想去Darden的同志们一定要好好看看这篇文章！

Exclusive Interview With Darden Business School Student- Anand
Anand is a Second Year student at Darden. He graduated from Bangalore University
with a degree in Mechanical engineering in 2001. Seeing opportunities in the booming information technology sector in India, he joined Infosys Technologies Limited in 2002. Starting as a Software Engineer, Anand quickly moved up the ranks to the role of Analyst, Technology Lead, and Project Manager. He primarily worked with clients in the banking and financial services industry and has worked out of Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, and Minneapolis. In order to develop his management skills and to move into the world of consulting, Anand decided to pursue an MBA education.The case method, rigorous curriculum, and strong community attracted him to Darden.
Outside of work Anand enjoys a variety of sports like cricket, soccer, basketball, volleyball, and swimming. He has represented his school, college, and organization in cricket and soccer and has won many accolades at various levels in his cricketing pursuits. He loves to travel and has traveled across India, many destinations in the Unites States, and some in Canada and Spain
. Some of his other hobbies include reading physics, philosophy, listening to music, trekking, and dancing salsa.

xixier

1. What is the difference between doing an MBA from India and doing an MBA from a foreign university?

MBA from India tends to be very academic in nature focusing more on theoretical concepts.
While all the theory is covered in a US B-school there is more emphasis on application and insight. This is achieved by more case-method format and team based work environment. Also a lot of classes have visitors from the industry that teach particular classes and talk about the problems they faced and how they tackled them. US business schools are very diverse (30-50%) international as compared to any Business school in India. The quality of faculty and infrastructure are also unparallel.

xixier

2. What is the average cost of an MBA in US (both education and living expenses included)? How did you finance your studies?

Tuition                                    $42,000/yr             $84,000
Living expenses                      $12,000/yr             $24,000
Discretionary expenses*                                       $10,000
Discretionary travel**                                           $4,000
Global Business experience (optional)                  $3,000
Total Costs                                                           $125,000

*like if you want to buy a car or furniture etc other than the basic necessities
**Basic travel for business school reasons would be covered within the $12K per year
Typically most students incur about $120,000 in total costs. Some of what I mention above is discretionary. I financed up to $123,000 through loan. The limit for the loan is about $135,000 for this year.

xixier

3. What is unique about Darden? How does it score above other business school in US?

Though there are many things that make Darden unique, I am going to list the top three in my view.


Case-method teaching:Almost 95% of the Darden classes are based on cases which is much higher than other B-schools. Darden learning is entirely structured around the case method approach. While in traditional method you are taught what to do, here you have to figure it out. Working through the problem ingrains not only the concepts but also the method and the nuances that one needs to pay attention. Just having case-method is not what makes Darden unique but how it is administered. The faculty, curriculum structure, learning teams and Darden community all goes into making it a very efficient system.

Facultyarden faculty is the one of the best. Firstly most members on the faculty team are well renowned in the industry in their areas of expertise and quoted in several journals. At the same time they do not think theories but always bring us to think about “so what” and how we apply these concepts to business problems. They are masterful in how the conduct the case discussions in classroom. They are also very accessible. You can catch them in the corridor or drop into their office and talk about anything from questions, clarifications to your own ideas.

Darden Community: Darden is small close knit community of about 300 students a year, partners, faculty and administration. Everyone knows each other and develops close bonds. It is very enjoyable to live and learn in a supportive environment. Though Darden has a very rigorous curriculum, the community is always there to help you out, be it academics or personal issues. That makes a world of difference.


Often it’s not one or two things but a combination that makes a place unique. Adding to the above points the General Management focus, strong curriculum and close -it alumni, Darden stands out as truly unique.

xixier

4. Is there a word of caution/ advice for an Indian applying to Darden?
Competition among Indian applicants is intense and selectivity is low. Usually 30-40 Indian students get admitted out of a pool of over 700 applicants. One place where some Indian students get caught out is communication and inter-personal skills. Sometimes Indian applicants are too focused on GMAT and profile and do not recognize what a well rounded applicant brings to the table.

xixier

5. Is the job scenario in US favorable for Indians? Is it easy/ difficult to find a job after graduating from Darden?
Recruitment for international students is a little bit harder than domestic students and only about 60% of the spots are open to international applicants. This is related to H1-B norms rather than specific to Darden. Indian students however tend to do fairly well. Strategy consulting which tends to be a favorite amongst Indian applicant this year saw Indians as the biggest group placed in the top 3 consulting firms. Overall the process is very different from one/two day recruitment process in India and applicants should be aware of it.

xixier

6. What are the extracurricular activities/ clubs/ that you have joined at Darden?
I am part of the Consulting club, Blogger team, Co-chair of the Tutoring program, Career coach for first years, Career advisor for final year UVA student. I also participate in events organized by outdoor club and pursue Latin ballroom dancing on my own time.


7. What should a B School applicant do to enhance his profile? How much didyou score in your GMAT?
My GMAT score was 700.
Applicants should look at the entire applicant rather than focusing just on GMAT, GPA or what everyone calls a “profile”. Entire candidature is what the admission committee is looking at and not just one or two things. If the applicant has really thought about what he wants to do and why and how past experiences inform his judgment this would reflect in the essays. In fact the applicant should try to make his story stand out in the essays. More you learn about a school and how you fit there the better you would be in expressing this. This is one area I feel Indian applicants miss out.