R1 apps: Darden in

Well...I had options. My choices were Wharton, Tuck, Said (Oxford) and Darden. I would have applied to most of these schools in R2 anyway. So, I decided to move one of them to R1. I chose Darden. My chances of getting admission to Darden are quite realistic. I loved the resources that Darden has to offer to its students and I am also for the case-based methodology. Their FAQ suggest that I need to send them my official GMAT score only on admission. Now that's pretty kewl. I also stand a good chance of getting a lucrative scholarship. Moreover, I don't mind staying in Charlottesville.

I spoke with my potential evaluators for Darden and they agreed to send in their recommendations. I also found time to finish one of the three essays (a creative challenge). It was a situation based essay that I had already written for Ross. So I only needed to prune it to meet Darden's word limit. I really like the essay because it portrays an important trait that adds color to my persona.

I will be waiting for my ISB results before I apply to colleges in the second round. If I manage admission into ISB then I will not be applying to any other school. I will, then, wait to hear from Ross, Stan and Darden.