Why be at Darden?

Deciding between schools is one of the most difficult yet important decisions one can make. Since it is that time of the year again, I feel incumbent to share with prospective students how I got to Darden, rather what made me come to Darden.

The People: I was amazed at how the students who go through arguably the most demanding two years of school can be so enthusiastic, helpful and fun. I am still not sure whether we owe it to a great job by the admissions office or the well-designed system here at Darden or both, but these qualities pervade wide and deep on grounds and I am happy they do. Yesterday, I was hosting a couple of prospective students to an accounting class visit. We at Section C have a tradition where after introducing him/herself the prospective picks up a challenge from a fishbowl and these challenges have varied from drawing the professors’ portrait on the board to having an arm-wrestling match with our biggest man. It makes great friendly banter. After class, one of the prospectives asked me if we’re always happy like that and if the professors are all as cool as Luann. I told him that’s how it is and was a year ago when I visited. No other school had made me feel more welcome.

I had visited most of my prospective schools twice before making a decision. But, I visited Darden on four occasions – mainly because I was curious how the case study method worked for different classes. However, what stood out for me, apart from the case study method, was the bright quality and consistency of the faculty. The moderation and direction they afforded to 65 eager students collaborating towards a solution gave every classroom the aura of an intellectual powerhouse. I knew I wanted to be here. After a month of classes, I have found them to be highly invested in enhancing the classroom learning experience and surprisingly extremely funny – heck, a couple of my professors won’t do badly at all as stand-ups on Broadway.

The Dean: I first heard about Dean Bruner from friends who met him on his visit to India in late 2005. They were impressed and wanted to know more about Darden, and this place called Charlottesville! When it was time for my school research, I started reading his blog. What he wrote was insightful, practical and honest and I knew I had to meet the man. And after the very first time I heard him in person, I made up my mind that I was in fact choosing Darden. I was visiting the campus during Darden Days and the dean had invited the 100 odd prospective students to a strategy class in the auditorium with current first years. The case was about how Darden should establish itself as a global brand without sacrificing its values and uniqueness and the associated challenges it faces. The sincerity and audacity of the conversation totally surprised me. The fact that strengths and weaknesses were fleshed out and presented in front of prospective students was extremely refreshing, when most other schools I visited were marketing themselves aggressively. This gesture by Dean Bruner gave me the assurance that Darden is what it presents itself as, and I stand by that assessment. I continue to pick on Dean Bruner’s thoughts as and when I get the opportunity.

The System: Today being a reading day, I headed out with my five comrades (together we make Learning Team 41) for dinner last night. Over drinks we reflected back on the last month and a half. We discussed our start, the challenges we faced, what we were good at and marked out things we should work on. Darden is the most challenging and demanding business school environment out there but has an equally stimulating system to complement it. There is a reason why it is called the ‘boot-camp’ – you come out of it stronger, smarter and ready for all challenges. The overwhelming curriculum, learning teams, cases that can leave you high and dry, student clubs, and recruiting activities and workshops act in tandem to constitute the Darden experience. The group agreed that it was incredible how much we’d learned in such a short time. Dean Bruner’s regular assurances ‘Trust the system’ make so much more sense now.

I hope everyone who decides to go to business school makes a good attempt to understand and evaluate Darden. As for me, I am looking forward to a two years of challenges and transformational learning.