UVA Darden Interview Primer

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com
Dave Franz
Interview
Primer
Darden School of Business
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Dave Franz
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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 schools] 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.
Dave Franz
What is the admissions

committees 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 interviewsone 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
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&A
Darden MBA Blog, 11/11
[Never] be afraid to interview because you

think its going to be competitive. Dont try
to differentiate yourself from others; try to be
your best self.
Admissions Q&A
Darden MBA Blog; 11/12
Sara Neher, Assistant Dean of MBA Admissions

Interview with mbaMission, 10/09
Dave Franz
What type of interview

can I expect?
Invitation-Only Process
Blind Format
Darden interviews are by invitation only, meaning
Darden interviews are completely blind, which
that the admissions office extends invitations to
means that your interviewer will not have seen any
selected applicants after reading their application
part of your application before the interview, or
and only those invited applicants can schedule
even your resume. Therefore, your interviewer will
interviews. The school notes on its Web site that an
not know your GMAT score or GPA, the content of
interview invitation is always a positive indicator
your essays, or your job history. This means that
for the applicant.
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.
Dave Franz
Where will my interview

take place?
On Campus, In Person
Off Campus, In Person
At Darden, all candidates residing in the United
Darden does not offer off-campus interviews within
States are required to travel to campus for face-
the United States, but some international applicants
to-face interviews. Although the location of your
are interviewed in person overseas. Depending on
interview has no influence on your chances for
the specific arrangements, these interviews could be
admission, in-person interviews can sometimes feel
conducted in a more public place, like a coffee shop,
more natural, with you and your interviewer sitting
or at the interviewers place of business.
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.
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!
How long will the

interview last?
3045 minutes
According to Dardens Web site and our past applicants, the schools
interviews typically last between 30 and 45 minutes.
Dave Franz
Who will interview me?

The Darden admissions committee weighs all applicant interviews the same, regardless of who conducts the
interview.
Admissions
Committee Members
Students
Alumni
Some of Dardens on-campus
At Darden, some international
At Darden, some on-campus
interviews are conducted by
applicants are interviewed by
interviews are conducted by
current students, who are part
alumni at off-campus locations
admissions staff members.
of the Student Admissions
overseas. These individuals are
In addition, admissions
Committee. Typically, these
usually graduates who have
committee members sometimes
are second-year students who
volunteered to perform this task
travel abroad to interview
have been selected and trained
and who have received some
international Darden hopefuls.
by the admissions officers to
guidelines from the admissions
interview candidates on the
office about how to conduct the
committees behalf.
interviews, including which or

what kinds of questions to ask.
Dave Franz
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 promptTell me about yourselfbut 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:
Dardens interviews are very specificand

different. The interviewer has not read
anything about my filenot even my
resume. They also do not take notes. It was
unbelievably casualshe 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 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 didnt feel like
a 60-minute chat at all. Im 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 1012 questions directly at
the beginning wouldve made me stumble if I
wasnt expecting that.
It was a completely blind interview (the

interviewer didnt even have my resume).
The interviewer broke the ice during the first
minute. She took all the time we needed and
so I didnt 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.
10
The Darden interview is, in theory, a daunting one, since it bills itself as
Dave Franz
[a] single question. In fact, of all the interviews I had, Dardens 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 didnt take any notes during
our interview.
11
Dave Franz
How can I prepare for

the interview?
Although the focus and style of Dardens admissions interviews can vary, you
should expect to be asked about your personal, professional, and academic
experiences andin some caseswill receive questions meant to reveal your
knowledge about the school and its culture.
Dardens 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 arenot just as a candidate, but as a person. Some of our clients
have reported that the first question was the only prompt they receivedmeaning
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 blindmeaning that the interviewer has not
seen the candidates application or resumeso any questions concerning ones
career are broad and general.
12
Dave Franz
Like most business schools, Darden interviewers tend to ask some schoolspecific 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.
13
Dave Franz
Practice
interview
sequences
Sequence 1
The following five lists present
1.
Please tell me about yourself.
exact questions, in order, asked
2.
Please tell me about your work progression.
in actual Darden interviews
3.
What is an example of a time you managed an internal team
1.
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 2
during the 20142015 application
conflict?
season, as reported by our past
4.
clients. Although you can never
5.
Why do you want an MBA?
be certain which questions
6.
What will you bring to Darden?
you will receive, and questions
7.
Do you have any questions?
will undoubtedly vary to some

degree, these samples serve
Sequence 3
to illustrate how a Darden
1.
interview is likely to progress.
You have 30 minutes to tell your story. (The only other questions
were follow-up questions to the candidates anecdotes.)
(Note that any identifying

information about the applicants
Sequence 4
has been removed.)
1.
Tell me about yourselffeel 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.
3.
Whats an example of how you lead others?
4.
Why Darden?
5.
What would you get involved with at Darden?
Sequence 5
1.
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?
14
Dave Franz
Notoriously
challenging
questions
Having performed thousands of mock interviews
over the years and reviewed even more postinterview reports, we believe these are the six
questions that MBA applicants find most difficult
to master.
Why should we
take you?
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.
To which other schools

are you applying?
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.
If you are not accepted

to any business school
this year, what will
you do?
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.
15
What are your
Dave Franz
weaknesses? or What
have you learned from
a failure?
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.
What have we not

covered that you wish I
had asked about?
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.
What other questions

do you have for me?
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 postgraduate 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.
16
Dave Franz
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 uncomfortableand we suggest, of course, that
you definitely do your best to get ready for your interview so as to avoid this
kind of predicamentsometimes 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.
17
Dave Franz
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.
18
Dave Franz
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.
19
Dave Franz
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 interviewthe same day or the
next is ideal. Interviewers usually need to submit their feedback on candidates
within 2448 hours, so you want your message to be received quickly. Be sure to
ask for your interviewers 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 Schools MBA
program. I appreciated your valuable insight into the advanced finance classes,
particularly Professor John Smiths 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
20
Dave Franz
www.mbamission.com
info@mbamission.com
646-485-8844
mbaMission

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d.franzia99@gmail.

mbaMission can help you

Worlds Leading MBA Admissions Consulting Firm

Every candidate has a story to tell.

M7 Financial gave the

If you want to get ahead, you need

Explore Your Values

your course at each

Wherever you are in your career, an MBA Career

To learn more, sign up for a free consultation today.

What role does the

What is the admissions

There are a lot of things we are looking for in

Diversity is important when the class comes

[Never] be afraid to interview because you

Sara Neher, Assistant Dean of MBA Admissions

What type of interview

Darden interviews are by invitation only, meaning

Darden interviews are completely blind, which

that the admissions office extends invitations to

means that your interviewer will not have seen any

selected applicants after reading their application

part of your application before the interview, or

and only those invited applicants can schedule

even your resume. Therefore, your interviewer will

interviews. The school notes on its Web site that an

not know your GMAT score or GPA, the content of

interview invitation is always a positive indicator

your essays, or your job history. This means that

for the applicant.

referencing anecdotes or examples that you used

Where will my interview

Off Campus, In Person

At Darden, all candidates residing in the United

Darden does not offer off-campus interviews within

States are required to travel to campus for face-

the United States, but some international applicants

to-face interviews. Although the location of your

are interviewed in person overseas. Depending on

interview has no influence on your chances for

the specific arrangements, these interviews could be

admission, in-person interviews can sometimes feel

conducted in a more public place, like a coffee shop,

more natural, with you and your interviewer sitting

or at the interviewers place of business.

down together in a quiet space at the school to have

How long will the

Who will interview me?

Some of Dardens on-campus

At Darden, some international

At Darden, some on-campus

interviews are conducted by

applicants are interviewed by

interviews are conducted by

current students, who are part

alumni at off-campus locations

admissions staff members.

of the Student Admissions

overseas. These individuals are

Committee. Typically, these

usually graduates who have

committee members sometimes

are second-year students who