Mr. Bioinformatics

Congrats on your acceptance to UVA Darden. Your first choice may be NYU Stern and that’s fine, but I would be very happy with your Darden admit. Given your post-MBA goal to transition into MBB consulting from a Fortune 10 healthcare company, Darden would be your ticket into the world of McKinsey, Bain and BCG. So you are clearly sitting pretty with that admit and a position on the waitlist at Stern. Given your waitlisted status, your odds at Stern are quite high. But I would have trouble turning down Darden if I were you. The case study approach, the quality of the MBA teaching faculty, the fact that the current dean is a former senior partner at McKinsey who takes a personal interest in the school’s students would push me in the direction of Charlottesville. Sure, Stern’s acceptance rate of 26% is lower than Darden’s by ten points but that is more a function of the school’s New York City location.

Hello Mr. Mr. Bioinformatics! Krista Nannery from mbaMission here!
Bioinformatics is a HOT topic these days so I am not surprised Darden scooped you up. It’s a great program at a great school and they are lucky to have you. In my experience, your demographic, the 710 and 8 years of work experience was always going to make things tough at HBS and CBS.
For Stern, be ready for the long-haul on their waitlist. My advice would be to continue networking with them and send them updates when and if you have them. Try to have meaningful touch points every 4 to 5 weeks if possible. Even though it may seem like there’s nothing new in your life, I always find that when I really investigate this with clients, there’s always something new to report!
Honestly though, you can’t go wrong with Darden. It’s an exciting time at the program. I’m not sure where you are located currently, but if you hope to stay in the US post-MBA for a few years, Darden’s STEM-certification is very attractive!!
All the best,
Krista

Hi, this is Melisa from Stratus Admissions. Congrats on the acceptance to Darden – that is great news! Given your goals, it is a great option for you. And since Stern was your target school and you’ve received a waitlist, that means they are interested. Stay engaged! As you are staying engaged, highlight any new opportunities for leadership at work or your extracurricular activities – can you take on additional strategic projects at your current role that you could highlight? Best of luck (and patience) during the waitlist process. So happy for you that you have a great option already available.