uva darden interview primer

InterviewPrimer

Darden School of Business

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What role does the interview play in the admissions process?MBA programs employ a holistic evaluation process, so the interview represents only one aspect of the admissions decision. Still, it is a very important and influential element of the admissions process and should be approached with the same level of attention as the other parts of your application.

The University of Virginia Darden School of Business Web site states that the interview plays a “critical role in [the school’s] assessment of candidates” and notes that an invitation for an interview is a positive sign regardless of when a candidate receives the invitation.

Our past clients who have interviewed at Darden emphasized the relaxed atmosphere of the experience, noting that the interviewers explicitly stated that they wanted the interview to be more like a conversation.

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What is the admissions committee’s perspective on interviews? Darden uses interviews as a tool to get to know candidates better, not to interrogate them or put them on the spot. Our clients have underlined the “relaxed” and “conversational” atmosphere of the interviews—one even called the experience “the most casual interview I have had.” Past interviewees have also reported that the interviewers asked very broad questions, which allowed the candidates to steer the discussion in a direction of their choosing.

There are a lot of things we are looking for in an applicant during an interview. How well does this person communicate? Is it someone we think will work well on a team? Does this person exhibit characteristics of a leader? Is this person self-aware? Does this person have clear goals? Does this person really want to be at Darden? We are looking for things like that…” Admissions Q&ADarden MBA Blog; 11/12

Diversity is important when the class comes together. We not only use the applications to help us bring together a diverse class but we also rely on the interviews to help us with that.Admissions Q&ADarden MBA Blog, 11/11

[Never] be afraid to interview because you think it’s going to be competitive. Don’t try to differentiate yourself from others; try to be your best self.Sara Neher, Assistant Dean of MBA AdmissionsInterview with mbaMission, 10/09

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Darden interviews are “by invitation only,” meaning that the admissions office extends invitations to selected applicants after reading their application—and only those invited applicants can schedule interviews. The school notes on its Web site that an interview invitation is always a “positive indicator” for the applicant.

Darden interviews are completely “blind,” which means that your interviewer will not have seen any part of your application before the interview, or even your resume. Therefore, your interviewer will not know your GMAT score or GPA, the content of your essays, or your job history. This means that referencing anecdotes or examples that you used in other parts of your application is completely acceptable. Past interviewees have often reported that they were given the prompt “Tell me about yourself” as an opener instead of the typical “Walk me through your resume.”

Invitation-Only Process Blind Format

What type of interview can I expect?

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On Campus, In Person

At Darden, all candidates residing in the United States are required to travel to campus for face-to-face interviews. Although the location of your interview has no influence on your chances for admission, in-person interviews can sometimes feel more natural, with you and your interviewer sitting down together in a quiet space at the school to have a conversation about your candidacy. On-campus interviews also allow you to interact with students and admissions representatives during your visit.

How long will the interview last?According to Darden’s Web site and our past applicants, the school’s interviews typically last between 30 and 45 minutes.30–45 minutes

Where will my interview take place?

Off Campus, In Person

Darden does not offer off-campus interviews within the United States, but some international applicants are interviewed in person overseas. Depending on the specific arrangements, these interviews could be conducted in a more public place, like a coffee shop, or at the interviewer’s place of business.

Skype

Darden interviews some international applicants via Skype. These interviews generally follow the same format and carry the same weight in the evaluation process as the other types of interviews the school offers, but some candidates may have difficulty establishing a connection with their interviewer when they are not physically face-to-face. If you do a Skype interview, treat it exactly as you would an in-person interview. Find a quiet place with a reliable connection, remove any possible distractions, and dress the part!

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Who will interview me? The Darden admissions committee weighs all applicant interviews the same, regardless of who conducts the interview.

Admissions Committee Members

At Darden, some on-campus interviews are conducted by admissions staff members. In addition, admissions committee members sometimes travel abroad to interview international Darden hopefuls.

Students

Some of Darden’s on-campus interviews are conducted by current students, who are part of the Student Admissions Committee. Typically, these are second-year students who have been selected and trained by the admissions officers to interview candidates on the committee’s behalf.

Alumni

At Darden, some international applicants are interviewed by alumni at off-campus locations overseas. These individuals are usually graduates who have volunteered to perform this task and who have received some guidelines from the admissions office about how to conduct the interviews, including which or what kinds of questions to ask.

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What do past mbaMission applicants say about the interview experience? Our clients who interviewed with Darden in the past few years consistently described their interview experience with the school as “friendly,” “relaxed,” “comfortable,” and “laid back.” In fact, many clients stated that the interview experience was exceptionally conversational and that interviewers told the applicant to relax and approach the situation as a conversation more than an interview. Some interviewees said the discussion revolved around one particular open-ended prompt—“Tell me about yourself”—but others reported having received a number of questions. Some of the interviewers are current students who are happy to tell candidates about the school, its culture, and its curriculum.

Here is a sample of what our past clients have told us about their interview experience at Darden:

Darden’s interviews are very specific—and different. The interviewer has not read anything about my file—not even my resume. They also do not take notes. It was unbelievably casual—she really just let me talk about my work and myself and then asked questions when the time came up. The most casual interview I have had.

It was a completely blind interview (the interviewer didn’t even have my resume). The interviewer broke the ice during the first minute. She took all the time we needed and so I didn’t feel rushed at all. The interviewer mainly asked me to talk about myself and she interrupted me every now and then. The interviewer also spent some decent amount of time talking about the school and the different experiences/activities available for students.

It was very conversational. I had a great time and it went to nearly 50 minutes. The interviewer did not have an ‘agenda’ regarding questions she asked beyond getting to know me and why I am interested in Darden.

I felt very comfortable and confident. The time passed by so quickly. It didn’t feel like a 60-minute chat at all. I’m glad I prepared myself ahead of time that the interviewer is going to ask me to talk about myself in a more detailed style. The way the interviewer threw around 10–12 questions directly at the beginning would’ve made me stumble if I wasn’t expecting that.

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The Darden interview is, in theory, a daunting one, since it bills itself as [a] single question. In fact, of all the interviews I had, Darden’s format allowed me most quickly to turn it into a conversation, which was the aim. It does put more pressure on the interview subject to hit all the key points. By the end, I actually struggled when she asked if I had any questions for her, since I had worked them in throughout the interview.

[The] interview was very conversational. The interviewer seemed more interested in getting to know me and how I communicated, as opposed to accumulating facts about my candidacy. The interview was completely blind. She had not even seen my resume and refused my attempt to provide her with one. She also didn’t take any notes during our interview.

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How can I prepare forthe interview? Although the focus and style of Darden’s admissions interviews can vary, you should expect to be asked about your personal, professional, and academic experiences and—in some cases—will receive questions meant to reveal your knowledge about the school and its culture.

Darden’s interviews almost always start with an open-ended question or prompt, such as “Tell me about yourself.” This is your opportunity to tell the interviewer about who you are—not just as a candidate, but as a person. Some of our clients have reported that the first question was the only prompt they received—meaning that the interviewer allowed the candidate to speak about various topics, only interrupting to ask for additional or more specific information at times.

The typical “Why an MBA?” and “Why now?” questions are sometimes asked at Darden interviews, along with other career goals questions. It is worth noting that Darden interviews are completely blind—meaning that the interviewer has not seen the candidate’s application or resume—so any questions concerning one’s career are broad and general.

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Like most business schools, Darden interviewers tend to ask some school-specific questions. Our clients have been asked such questions as “Why Darden?,” “What will you contribute to Darden?,” and “What other activities would you be involved in at Darden?” If you are not ready to answer these types of questions in detail, you must invest the time necessary to get to know Darden thoroughly and to identify the programs, centers, clubs, classes, professors, extracurricular opportunities, and other resources it offers that relate directly to your plans and your personality.

Finally, because Darden is trying to gauge candidates’ “fit” with community, the interview will at times include personal questions to help the interviewer evaluate whether you would be a good match. An example of such a question would be “What do you do for fun?”

We strongly recommend that you practice vocalizing your responses rather than just writing them out on paper. Try using a timer to get a sense of how long you typically take to answer each question, and practice in front of a mirror to detect (and practice minimizing) any facial tics or distracting hand gestures. Mock interviews can be particularly helpful and revealing; provide a friend or family member with your resume and a list of possible questions (see next the next section), then have them interview you for 30 minutes and give you feedback on your performance. Guard against preparing your responses word for word and memorizing them, however, so that you do not sound over-rehearsed and artificial.

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Sequence 11. Tell me about yourself, your background, your goals, and your

interest in Darden and an MBA (phrased as a single statement at the beginning of the interview, with no other questions except for requests for the candidate to clarify a point)

Sequence 21. Please tell me about yourself.2. Please tell me about your work progression.3. What is an example of a time you managed an internal team

conflict?4. What do you do for fun?5. Why do you want an MBA?6. What will you bring to Darden?7. Do you have any questions?

Sequence 31. You have 30 minutes to tell your story. (The only other questions

were follow-up questions to the candidate’s anecdotes.)

Sequence 41. Tell me about yourself—feel free to include relevant facts from your

childhood, experiences from college/after college, work experience, why you want an MBA, and why you want one from Darden.

2. What do you do for fun?3. What’s an example of how you lead others?4. Why Darden?5. What would you get involved with at Darden?

Sequence 51. Walk me through your life, including why you made any educational

and professional decisions.2. Why Darden?3. How do you think you would fare in a case discussion?4. What would you bring to the Darden classroom?

Practice interview sequences The following five lists present exact questions, in order, asked in actual Darden interviews during the 2014–2015 application season, as reported by our past clients. Although you can never be certain which questions you will receive, and questions will undoubtedly vary to some degree, these samples serve to illustrate how a Darden interview is likely to progress. (Note that any identifying information about the applicants has been removed.)

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Notoriously challenging questions Having performed thousands of mock interviews over the years and reviewed even more post-interview reports, we believe these are the six questions that MBA applicants find most difficult to master.

Why should we take you?

To which other schools are you applying?

If you are not accepted to any business school this year, what will you do?

Be ready to articulate your two or three greatest strengths and to support each one with a thoughtful anecdote that validates your claims. Research your target school so that you are able to relate each of your highlighted strengths to an aspect of the program in a meaningful way; this will simultaneously show that you have done your homework on the school and that you are a serious and thoughtful applicant.

List peer schools only. You do not want to give the impression that you consider the school at which you are interviewing either a “safe” choice or a “reach.” Be prepared to discuss your target school relative to the peer institutions you mention and to identify specific characteristics about the target school that you find more appealing on the whole.

A large part of mastering this question lies in how you respond, rather than what you say. Project confidence and show that your plans for the future involve a high level of intentionality. A suitable answer would be something like this: “I am hopeful that I will be accepted to your program this year, but if not, I will definitely reapply, because I know an MBA is important for me as I seek to transition in my career. I know I need to develop my skills in the areas of [areas of importance to you] to achieve my career goals.”

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What are your weaknesses? or What have you learned from a failure?

What have we not covered that you wish I had asked about?

What other questions do you have for me?

Be honest. Any attempt to disguise a weakness or shift responsibility away from yourself will actually be detrimental! Show that you are cognizant of areas or ways in which you can improve, and then express a sincere interest in making a positive change. Reveal how and what you learned from a failure and, if possible, provide a subsequent example in which you succeeded with your new approach.

Have a mental list ready of your best attributes, most impressive accomplishments, and reasons for targeting the program. Then, if any remain that you have not broached by the time you are asked this question, this is your opportunity to share them. If, on the other hand, you have truly exhausted all your material, you can instead offer a quick overview that recaps your strongest points and stories: “We discussed my early promotion at American Express, my reasons for wanting to attend this program specifically, my career goals, my leadership experience with Friends of the New York Public Library, and my passion for photography. I think we have everything covered.”

Always have a few thoughtful questions prepared about your target program to show that you have researched and are genuinely interested in the school. Keep in mind that questions vary depending on the person interviewing you, so you should tailor your queries accordingly. For example, an alumnus may not know about the latest on-campus news but can talk about his personal experience at the school and subsequent career success; a student interviewer would be unable to discuss post-graduate topics but can provide insight into courses, professors, and clubs. Avoid basic questions like “What makes this program special?” or “What courses do you have for aspiring consultants?” You should already know the answers to such questions at this point!

Demonstrate that you have advanced knowledge of the school by including references to specific offerings and resources in your queries: “I am interested in an individualized First-Year Project. How many students pursue these relative to the more conventional option?” Such nuanced questions help prove your authentic interest in the program.

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What if I get stumped during the interview? Many applicants worry that during their interview, they will be asked a challenging question that will leave them awkwardly silent and that the moment will effectively put an end to their candidacy at the target school. Although such an experience would certainly be uncomfortable—and we suggest, of course, that you definitely do your best to get ready for your interview so as to avoid this kind of predicament—sometimes even well-prepared candidates find themselves “stumped.” We can assure you, however, that an awkward pause in an interview will not cancel out all the positive elements of your application. Still, being ready for such a situation, should one occur, is important, so we offer the following tips on how to mitigate an uncomfortable moment:

1. Resist the urge to launch into a story. Your instinct may be to just start speaking, hoping that you will find the right story or answer as you progress. This is a high-risk strategy, because if it goes wrong, this can compound the problem. Instead, pause for a moment to recall an appropriate story. To buy yourself a little extra time, you can even say, “That is a good question. I am going to have to think about it for a moment,” before answering.

2. Take a sip of water. Many interviewers will offer you a glass of water at the beginning of your meeting. If your interviewer does so, accept the offer, and then use the water throughout the interview as a buffer to buy time or help yourself slow down. If you get stumped, taking a sip of water can provide a brief opportunity to pause naturally, alleviating any awkwardness before you continue speaking.

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3. Maintain your poise. If you absolutely cannot answer a question, do not get overly apologetic or grovel. Simply acknowledge that you are having trouble with the question and politely ask if you might come back to it later in the conversation. This is not a best-case scenario, but it is certainly far better than rambling and apologizing. A confident approach during a tricky moment may even impress!

4. Forget about it. If you simply cannot answer a question, accept the fact and move on. Do not dwell on the situation. If you spend the rest of the interview thinking about that moment, you will be distracted and struggle with any subsequent questions.

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What should I wear to the interview? Although Darden does not specify a dress code on its Web site, you can safely assume that you should dress in a professional manner, regardless of where your interview takes place.

Follow these rules to look the part for your MBA interview, regardless of which school you are applying to:

1. Always follow any guidelines the school provides on dress code.2. If the school does not specify a dress code, wear business attire for

an on-campus interview as well as for an off-campus interview with a member of the admissions staff.

3. Business casual attire is often best when meeting an alumnus/alumna off campus, though you may consider politely asking your interviewer about proper attire in advance.

4. Jeans, T-shirts, and ripped, wrinkled, or unclean clothing are never appropriate.

5. Showing some creativity and style is okay, but do not go overboard.6. Avoid wearing strong-smelling perfume or cologne.7. Bring a copy of your resume printed on nice paper.8. Make sure you turn your cell phone off.

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Should I send a thank you? In short, you should always send a brief thank you email after your interview. Write and send the note as soon as possible after your interview—the same day or the next is ideal. Interviewers usually need to submit their feedback on candidates within 24–48 hours, so you want your message to be received quickly. Be sure to ask for your interviewer’s business card or email address before you finish the interview, if it has not already been provided.

Follow these tips to write an effective thank you note:

1. Be sure to mention specifics from your conversation or visit. 2. If you realized after the interview that you forgot to make an important point

about your candidacy, you can (succinctly!) include that point in your thank you email.

3. Always check to make sure you have spelled all names correctly in your email, including the name of your interviewer, the school, any program or course you discussed, or any professor you met.

4. Limit your email to no longer than a few sentences. Keep it direct, clear, and to the point.

Here is a sample thank you message:

Dear Mr. Jones:

Thank you for meeting with me to discuss my interest in XYZ School’s MBA program. I appreciated your valuable insight into the advanced finance classes, particularly Professor John Smith’s “Portfolio Investing” course. Should I be so lucky as to be accepted, I will definitely enroll in that class and know it would be incredibly helpful in my future investment career. After speaking with you and several students, I am confident that XYZ offers everything I am seeking, both personally and professionally. Thank you again for your time, and I hope to see you on campus this fall.

Warm regards, Jane Doe

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