Darden has a very inclusive environment, where a great emphasis is put on teamwork. I was pleasantly surprised to see how much students went out of their way to help other students with academics, interview prep, research, etc. -- Marketing
Recruiters know that if you can handle the Darden workload, you will have no problem with a career in investment banking. All the top banks recruited here and all of them have a long Darden bench with strong loyalties. -- Investment Banking
Darden is the best-kept secret in the MBA world. It is a small school, with cohesion unmatched in the civilian world. Students truly want to see all their classmates succeed. It pushes people to stretch themselves to accomplish more than they thought they could. -- Consulting
I feel very connected to faculty and staff at Darden. I have been to the Dean's house for special functions at least three times. I've been to professors' houses for dinner and gone out to lunch many times with faculty and members of career services. And that's in addition to the open door policy that all of my professors had. -- Consulting
I am married and have an child in elementary school. While Darden is a rigorous program, Charlottesville is such a wonderful area that it made my long hours easier for my family to handle. -- Finance
I left a nice job, paid cash for my MBA experience, and estimate my total investment (including opportunity cost of income, etc.) to be in excess of $600k. And I'm graduating this weekend without a job - granted having pursued a very targeted middle-market private equity job search in an unfavorable macroeconomic environment - and I still couldn't be more satisfied. -- Venture Capital/Private Equity
As a student leader, I had the distinct privledge to work side by side with the best and brightest students in my class and faculty members as well. I have learned just as much in my out-of-class experiences (student government, consulting projects, etc.) as I did inside of class and I applaud Darden for making the diversity of experiences so vast. -- Consulting
If someone is not interested in being extremely well rounded, but would rather super-specialize in one area, Darden might not be the best place. -- Consulting
I can't think of a better school where intelligent, attractive undergraduates intermingle so openly with the graduate students. As a single student, this kind of experience was well-matched to my objective of having an exciting life outside of the academic environment (while still receiving a top-notch education). -- Consulting
The core program was poor, and the teaching wasn't that great. Topics weren't covered well, and professors didn't sympathize with non-fast learners. Also, there were more than a few bad seeds in my class, and some unethical behavior occurred. -- Investment Banking
Darden was a solid program, but it lacks the "brand cache" in the minds of selective recruiting firms like private equity firms and hedge funds. -- Consulting
If someone is not interested in being extremely well rounded, but would rather super-specialize in one area, Darden might not be the best place. -- Consulting
I can't think of a better school where intelligent, attractive undergraduates intermingle so openly with the graduate students. As a single student, this kind of experience was well-matched to my objective of having an exciting life outside of the academic environment (while still receiving a top-notch education). -- Consulting
The core program was poor, and the teaching wasn't that great. Topics weren't covered well, and professors didn't sympathize with non-fast learners. Also, there were more than a few bad seeds in my class, and some unethical behavior occurred. -- Investment Banking
Darden was a solid program, but it lacks the "brand cache" in the minds of selective recruiting firms like private equity firms and hedge funds. -- Consulting
Darden?s location is remote, limiting the opportunity for partners moving to the area (in terms of career options as well as social infrastructure), which is likely an obstacle to recruiting top talent. Also, the small graduating classes (relative to other top programs) yields a smaller alumni base, and the b-school is regrettably isolated (alienated?) from the broader university community. -- Consulting
The Darden curriculum was the perfect preparation for my post-MBA career path. It was at once challenging and engaging. I learned valuable lessons in the classroom and made lifelong friends outside of it. -- Finance
Case method is very unique and really teaches you how to communicate in a public setting. Investment banking network is very strong and provided many opportunities. Finance/accounting classes were extremely beneficial and filled gaps from my prior education/work experience. -- Investment Banking
Darden was very challenging and very entertaining at the same time. The case method kept me engaged throughout the two year program, and I would recommend Darden to anyone who is looking for a thorough MBA education. -- Consulting
Darden is a rigorous program that is well suited for those who are looking for to challenge themselves and learn a great deal. If you are looking for a ?two-year vacation? or a ?rubber-stamp MBA? then this is not the place for you. I have already recommended Darden to several of my friends and former colleagues that share my strong work ethic. -- Investment Banking
Darden is the best: Great teachers, great students and great career development. It's a school filled with teachers who excel at teaching and students who actively participate. -- Marketing
Darden provides a number of advantages that some of the larger, urban b-schools can't: the cost of living is very low, the quality of living is surprisingly high given the school?s remote and lower-cost locale, the classes are small, and there is a real sense of community. -- Consulting
SCHOOL COMMENTS
School Comments:
Due to the transition to a new system at the University of Virginia, Darden's Office of Financial Aid is unable to report the mean and median financial aid package for the incoming class at this time. In addition to the annual job-searching trips listed, Darden also coordinates treks to Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Houston, Minneapolis, New York and Washington DC. We participate in 3 additional association career fairs (Reaching Out, Net Impact and NAWMBA) , 2 international career fairs and 2 regional career fairs in partnership with other schools.
Companies that recruited MBAs for internships on campus in 2008-09:
N/A
Top recruiting organizations for internships, most recent academic year:
Danaher Corporation 9
Bank of America 8
Credit Suisse 6
McKinsey & Co. 6
Goldman, Sachs & Co. 5
JPMorgan 5
Barclays Capital 4
Dell, Inc. 4
Education Pioneers 4
Johnson & Johnson 4
Procter & Gamble 4
Amgen 3
Boston Consulting Group, Inc., The 3
General Mills, Inc. 3
Microsoft Corp. 3