MBA - Admissions - Apply - Early Action

Benefits to Applying Early Action

Darden offers the Early Action round to enable candidates that know Darden is their top choice to showcase their interest and intent to enroll. Applicants have the option to submit their application as binding or non-binding, as an additional means to display a strong commitment if admitted. Several benefits are awarded to applicants in this round, including:

• Offers of admission tend to be more generous in Early Action than other rounds.
• Schedule your own interview during the open interview period instead of waiting for an invitation.
• Full suite of scholarship awards are available and every applicant is assessed for merit scholarships.
• An early decision helps admitted students to search early for housing and prepare for the transition to school.
• Access to more admitted student gatherings and networking events, and to resources during the pre-matirculation period.

Early Action Open Interviews

Early Action applicants have the opportunity to schedule an interview during the open interview period and do not need to wait for an invitation. If applicants have not scheduled an interview by the time the application is initially reviewed, they still may receive an invitation to interview. In our Full-Time MBA application process, interviews are conducted by either Admissions Committee members or Second Year students. Regardless of whether the Early Action interview is during the open interview period or by invitation, all interviews are given equal weight for any interviewier type and format.

Interviews in the open interview period will be held during August and September up until the Early Action deadline on a first-come, first-served basis. Interview times are limited. Please schedule an interview only if you intend to submit a completed application by the Early Action deadline. In order to be considered for admission, the application must be submitted and the application fee must be paid by the deadline.

Steps to Schedule Your Interview

For the 2026 application cycle, open interviews will only be conducted virtually via Zoom and Early Action applicants are required to complete the following steps to schedule their interview:

1. Start your application in the Early Action round and complete the "Personal Information" section
2. Select your time from the calendar on our interview scheduler page. Early Action applications will receive an email containing a link for the scheduler page.
3. Provide the necessary information for the registration form to schedule your interview, which includes submitting your resume, submitting a response to one of the short answer essay questions and provide a verified test score or proof of an approved test waiver. If we already have this information in our system, it will automatically display in the registration form. 

Open virtual/remote interviews will likely take place between 18 August and 4 September. Open interview availability will be released on an ongoing basis. Interviews must be scheduled by the Early Action deadline of 4 September. After this date, interviews will be by invitation only. Please note that you do not have to submit a complete application in order to schedule your interview; you may submit your application after scheduling and conducting your interview.