Darden School of Business
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At Darden, veterans are valued and valuable members of our MBA communities. They bring incredible experience to the classroom, and they impact life outside of the classroom through student organizations like the and the , but also through UVA Darden’s diverse array of club offerings, as well as class- and program-wide leadership positions and more.
Many of our students who do not come from a military background are both surprised and impressed by the amount of responsibility and managerial authority military candidates have had during their careers. However, many of our military candidates do not immediately recognize their own strengths and the potential value they bring to an MBA community.
When we speak with military candidates, many are worried they do not have the “right” background for business school. We say it often, but it bears repeating – There is no one “right” background for UVA Darden. “Traditional” and “Non-Traditional” do not apply here. Many of our students do not have prior exposure to traditional business subjects like finance and accounting, and they hail from a broad range of industries and organizations. For example, our Full-Time MBA Class of 2022 boasts over 70 undergraduate majors and represent 25 industries and over 300 employers.
As an Admissions Committee, we are trying to bring as much difference as possible to the classroom. Darden is a case method school, and the more diversity present in the classroom, the richer those case discussions will be. We are looking for students who know their story, who want to be active participants in their MBA experience, who are going to share their perspectives with others but also recognize they have much to learn from their peers, who will be great classmates and teammates, who want to make an impact outside of the classroom. The list goes on, and many of these attributes directly intersect with military candidates’ strengths as well as past experiences.
At Darden, you will bring your whole self to the learning experience. For this reason, we encourage you to be authentically you during the research and application process. Take time to get to know us, but give us an opportunity to know you. And remember, the better you can understand your story – particularly the “whys” of your narrative – the stronger your application will be.
On a more practical level, here are a few more tips we typically share with military candidates:
Typically around 5-8% of our full-time MBA classes and approximately 30% of our Executive MBA classes come from a military service background, so our Admissions Committee is familiar with some of the jargon and terminology unique to military careers. However, when crafting your resume, you should assume the reader will not know much about your particular branch, organization or responsibilities. Your resume is a great opportunity to highlight leadership, impact and progression in your career, and you will want to make sure you make the most of this important space.
Many of the military candidates we meet, particularly those who are in the process of separating, are less sure about what their next step might be. There is typically an element of “I don’t know what I don’t know” and applicants are looking to use their time in an MBA program to narrow their career interests and goals. While this is understandable, your short-term and long-term career goals will be important parts of any successful MBA application, and they are also fundamental to other important questions – for example, “why MBA.”
So what is a candidate to do? Network. Network. Network. And by “network” we mean talk to people! Informational networking is great place to start any MBA journey. Who in your communities has pursued an MBA? Who has recently transitioned out of the military to the private sector? Talk with them about their experiences. What did they learn? What would they recommend? Use these conversations to also learn about companies and industries that may be of potential interest to you. These conversations will give you an opportunity to test hypotheses about potential career paths, and even better, you will be building relationships that – if maintained – will continue to benefit you as an MBA student.
Good luck on your MBA journey and congratulations on taking this step in your personal and professional development!
If you’re applying to our full-time MBA program, be sure to connect with the you learn more about our program. Executive MBA applicants are encouraged to connect with the organization as you explore our executive MBA formats – Executive MBA (EMBA) and Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) – which are offered out of our Washington, DC area grounds. These kinds of connections can help candidates get a feel for the culture of our programs and add a personal dimension to the MBA research process.
