Meet Virginia Darden’s MBA Class of 2017

Tiffany Lee

University of Virginia, Darden School of Business

Hometown: Wayne, New Jersey

Undergraduate School and Major: Fordham University, Bachelor of Arts – Economics, Bachelor of Fine Arts – Dance from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: Kinderhook Industries, LLC, a private equity fund in NYC. I started as an analyst in 2011 and I was promoted to associate in 2014.

Recalling your own experience, what advice do you have for applicants who are preparing for either the GMAT or the GRE? As you set a timeline, budget extra study time as your job or personal life may alter your GMAT/GRE study schedule.

Based on your own selection process, what advice do you have for applicants who are trying to draw up a list of target schools to which to apply? You are going to be there for two years and you want to get the most out of your experience in and outside the classroom. It is important to look into each school’s teaching methodology and ask yourself if you can see yourself engaged and challenged not only by the professors but by your fellow classmates.

What advice do you have for applicants in actually applying to a school, writing essays, doing admission interviews, and getting recommenders to write letters on your behalf? Start early! I recommend doing your diligence on all the schools that may interest you and setting realistic timelines for yourself to complete drafts of your essays. Ask trusted colleagues, friends and family to review your work and practice your interviews with them. Be confident in your “story” and take the time to prepare yourself for your interviews. I would give your recommenders plenty of notice that you are applying to school as they have their own obligations as well so be mindful of their schedules.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA?  I wanted to go beyond the fundamentals of business and the case method allows for you to achieve this goal. Darden believes in an active learning approach and the case method immerses you in difficult, real time business situations. Additionally, the Darden alumni network is a tight-knit community of professionals and I had the pleasure of speaking to many of them as I considered which business school to attend. I was able to experience the power of the Darden network and I knew I wanted to become a member of community.

What would you ultimately like to achieve before you graduate? I want to acquire the skills and network to help me achieve my long term goal of turning dance companies into profitable businesses. And complete a triathlon with some of my fellow Darden classmates!