International Applicant Information
The following information is provided to help international applicants through the Darden MBA application process.
Academic Record
Qualifications for admission are the same for international students as they are for U.S. citizens. All application materials, including transcripts and recommendations, must be submitted online and in English. The Admissions Committee strongly encourages international applicants to apply in the first or second round deadlines to allow admitted candidates sufficient time to address any visa issues.
International applicants are required to hold a college or university degree equivalent to a four-year American baccalaureate degree. Darden will also recognize undergraduate degrees that were earned in only three years of study. When applying, list all post-secondary educational institutions attended, including technical and professional schools. List the full, actual names of the institutions attended, and provide the titles of all diplomas or degrees earned.
English Language Proficiency
Darden’s MBA Program is built upon an immersive learning experience that requires public speaking, group discussion, and active class participation. To succeed, students must possess a highly developed proficiency in written and oral English. Darden will accept English testing scores from either The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
- Candidates who received their bachelor's degree from a university where the medium of instruction was English are not required to take the TOEFL or IELTS (i.e., they are exempt).
- Candidates who received their bachelor's degree from a university where the medium of instruction was not English are required to take the TOEFL or IELTS.
- Candidates who received a master's or Ph.D. degree from a university where the medium of instruction was English are strongly encouraged to submit the TOEFL or IELTS.
Darden does not have a minimum score requirement, but the average TOEFL is 100. TOEFL scores are valid for two years from the test date.
Candidates who are required to take the TOEFL or IELTS must have received at least their unofficial scores prior to submitting their application. Both overall and component test scores must be reported on the application form. All applicants must request that ETS (for the TOEFL) and/or IELTS send official copies of their scores to Darden. The Darden School of Business code for TOEFL is 5820 Dept. 02 and the code for IELTS is 5099. To obtain information about these tests, visit: www.toefl.org or www.ielts.org.
Interviews
An evaluative interview is conducted by invitation only after your application has been submitted and reviewed by the Admissions Committee. Interviews play a critical role in our assessment of candidates and are required prior to acceptance into the program. An invitation to interview is a positive indicator no matter when you receive it.
Candidates living in the United States must interview on the Darden Grounds with a member of the Admissions staff or Student Admissions Committee. Candidates living abroad are welcome to interview on the Darden Grounds, but are not expected to do so. International interviews are conducted by alumni or Admissions Committee members traveling overseas or by phone.
Transcripts
Please submit unofficial transcripts of your academic work online by uploading an electronic scanned pdf file. Applicants who completed their education in a non-English-speaking institution will need to make arrangements to have their academic records translated and sent with the official transcript. All translations must be complete and literal versions of the original records.
If you upload an unofficial transcript and are offered admission, you will be required to provide official transcripts of all previous academic work. If there are discrepancies between the unofficial and the official transcripts, the offer of admission will be withdrawn. Offers of admission are not binding until academic records are verified. Official transcripts can be mailed to the following address:
Darden School Admissions
University of Virginia
100 Darden Boulevard
Charlottesville, Virginia 22903
Financial Aid
The Darden School of Business is committed to helping our international students find solutions to meeting the financial requirements necessary to obtain an MBA at Darden. Visit Financial Aid Information for International Students to learn more.
International students are considered for all merit-based scholarships. Applicants are encouraged to apply in the first round in order to be considered for merit-based scholarships. To learn more, visit Merit-Based Scholarships for International Students.
Visa Information
Darden Request for Form I-20
While not a required part of the application, admitted international applicants are required to submit a supplemental Darden Request for Form I-20 outlining the financial resources available for their study in the United States. The Form I-20 must show that a student has the financial resources necessary for both years of study. Timely submission of the Darden Request for Form I-20 expedites issuance of the I-20 Certificate of Eligibility for the F-1 Student Visa. An I-20 cannot be issued until the Darden Request for Form I-20, which can be downloaded from the admitted student portal, has been submitted. All I-20 documentation must be original; no photocopies or faxes are accepted. The completed Darden Request for Form I-20 and supporting documents should be express mailed to:
University of Virginia International Studies Office
Attention: Richard Tanson
University of Virginia
208 Minor Hall
P.O. Box 400165
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904
434-982-3010
http://www.virginia.edu/iso/issp/